What do I think of your State? Part TWO... I rank all fifty states plus give book recs!

[@novelideea]

I think of the Hudson valley when I think of NY. It was incredibly beautiful and lush.

[@insearchofwonder]

New York has a lot to recommend it besides just the city, that's for sure!

[@ThisLittleLightLife]

Gordeeva and Grinkov are my all-time favorite pairs skating couple. They had an elegance, grace, and smoothness on the ice that was breathtaking. 💗

[@insearchofwonder]

It was so heartbreaking when he died so suddenly. 🥹

[@ThisLittleLightLife]

This has been an absolute delight, Anne! So many fantastic book recommendations. I've only been to states east of the Mississippi. Of those, North Carolina has been my favorite. The Atlantic Ocean on one end and the divine Smoky Mountains on the other. If it wasn't for the heat, it would be my ideal location. I loooove history! I've often said that I could spend a lifetime just visiting historical sites in your lovely state of Virginia. I think it may be the most historically dense state in the Union.

[@insearchofwonder]

You might be right about the history. I know I have barely scratched the surface, and I've been to a large number of historic sites throughout VA. NC is indeed a beautiful state!

[@junewood3012]

Oh - How could I forget to mention the books 😮!!? Thank you for all of the work you put into this, especially listing the books 📚👏. I hope you have a good rest of your summer!

[@insearchofwonder]

Thank you! You, too!

[@JessieTBRoverflowing]

This was so fun! Loved hearing your experiences and book recommendations! My favorite state so far is Hawaii-we went for our honeymoon and are hoping to take our children to experience it in a couple years when we celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. Alaska is the state I am most looking forward to seeing one day.

[@insearchofwonder]

I think Alaska might vie for Hawaii once you get there. But Hawaii was amazing and I'd love to go back. I want to see some of the other islands.

[@novelideea]

Oh man! I almost made the top ten! 😂 it makes me so happy that Year of Wonder makes you think of your time here❤

[@insearchofwonder]

Yes! I had been to Idaho before, many years ago as a teen, but we didn't do much in the way of tourism then, just visiting people. And same, I guess, when I did my training, but at least on the weekends I got to see some things. Anyway, beautiful state!

[@CourtneyReads]

I just drove across Colorado from Kansas to Utah and I loved the farmland the most. It was beautiful.

[@insearchofwonder]

Yes I love the farmland. I love the mountains, too, but I prefer looking at them as opposed to driving on them lol

[@CourtneyReads]

@@insearchofwonder I actually find a lot of the regular mountain roads in Utah and Colorado less frightening than those in Arkansas or North Carolina. The switchbacks (that I've experienced) don't tend to be as extreme. So as long as I don't look down, things are good.

[@Coffee_and_a_Book]

I loved A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court! I was really surprised to see Missouri above California. I've lived in both states, and definitely feel the opposite 😆 Of course, a lot of that is because I have a lot of childhood memories attached to California, especially of going camping in a lot of different places. Of the states I've traveled to so far, my favorites would probably be Tennessee and Idaho. My husband and I took an anniversary trip to Nashville, and I loved it there! And we also took a trip near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which was gorgeous and so peaceful.

[@insearchofwonder]

I think a lot of the placement has to do with memories that are made and the reasons why I went to any particular state. Even though I've seen much of CA, I have better and more precious memories of the things I've done in Missouri for one reason or another. It's all a very personal thing in many ways! Nashville is a fun city for sure. I am 99% sure I went to Coeur d'Alene when I was a teenager - I remember the name and I remember thinking it was quite beautiful.

[@CandlewickLibrary]

Loved seeing more of your thoughts on the states and the recommendations. Again, this was such a great idea!

[@insearchofwonder]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@protagonistspub]

Delightful and love the memories! I agree that Clearly was a fantastic author!

[@insearchofwonder]

Yes! Loved all her funny characters and the scrapes they got into. I think I was such a good child I really enjoyed reading about mischievous kids. 😆 I lived vicariously through Ramona even though I would never dare!

[@protagonistspub]

@@insearchofwonder we were in the same good child club! Between Ramona and Harriet the Spy, and later Nancy Drew, I got into plenty of scrapes and adventures without ever risking getting in trouble (well, except for when I got caught reading via flashlight nightly)!

[@junewood3012]

I've been to Virginia 3 times, it is a beautiful state. So much history like you said. I live in Ohio. I will have to look up Lebanon! We have a beautiful state park called Hocking Hills in the south eastern part of the state. We also have a nice and fairly large Amish community - Holmes County. This video sure got me remembering...lol😅

[@insearchofwonder]

I've not been to the Amish community in Ohio much. Or Hocking Hills! So much to do in every state!

[@novelideea]

Missouri was one of my favorites on our move from Montana to Tennessee!

[@insearchofwonder]

There's surprisingly a lot to do there. And beautiful country.

[@novelideea]

Hawaii & Alaska are definitely in my top ten also! ❤️❤️❤️

[@insearchofwonder]

Their beauty is hard to beat. I just loved the untouched horizon of Alaska. gorgeous.

[@junewood3012]

So I just watched both parts - wow - this was such a cool idea‼️ My son and daughter in law received a scratch off US map/picture for visiting all of the states as a wedding gift. They are working on it haha 😅 Utah has 3 beautiful National Parks.... I guess we have tried to see National Parks vs states. Durango Colorado is a cool town with an awesome 3 hour coal train ride. I guess I have shared enough lol😅. Take care 💙

[@insearchofwonder]

That's a fun wedding gift! My youngest sister finished going to all 50 states a few years back, and is now working on the national parks. That's a fun goal, too!

[@believeinyourshelf]

Good job, Idaho! 😂❤ This was so much fun to watch.

[@insearchofwonder]

Are you from Idaho?

[@believeinyourshelf]

@@insearchofwonder yep 😊

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

I think it's funny that you love San Antonio, because when we went, we were so bored. 😂😂😂

[@insearchofwonder]

That is funny! I feel like the Riverwalk area there is one of the most beautiful I've been to, and I loved the Alamo.

[@novelideea]

Beezus and Ramona is the only Ramona Quimby book I like🤣 I read it to my kids because we named our Mercury Villager van Beezus and they needed context❣️😂

[@insearchofwonder]

That's hilarious! I was telling someone else - I think I loved Ramona so much because I was such a good girl and almost never mischievous or bratty. I guess I lived vicarously through her, and I found it great fun! 😆😆

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

I've been to 19 states, so I've got a ways to go to catch you! 😂😂 My favorite is my beloved Rocky Top. 😂😂

[@insearchofwonder]

Hey you're almost halfway there! And it's good to love the state you live in!

[@KAZHE63]

My home state, Missouri, did well! 🤣We’re from Lake of the Ozarks

[@insearchofwonder]

Since my parents moved there, we've spent a lot of time exploring Missouri. I've not been a great deal in the Ozarks, however. I mean, I've driven through them but that's about it.

[@ChautonaHavig]

I found "Texas is so versatile... it's like it's a whole country" funny. Because that's California. We have everything here (and the 5th largest economy in the WORLD). Beach (both rocky and "tropical feeling", desert, mountain, wine country, fertile valley, big city, "Midwest-feeling" cities/towns, Ghost towns, mining towns... everything in between. Huge ethnic centers--various Asian, Latino, Slavic (enormous Russian communities) etc. We have the highest and lowest places in the contiguous US (Death Valley and Mt. Whitney--I'm an hour from each), and while we have lots of commercial touristy stuff and some huge cities, most of the state (geographically speaking) is actually fairly empty. Politically, geographically we're a red state until you add in the cities and then we turn blue. It's amazing. HUGE aerospace industry and tons of military bases (I live surrounded by 3 out in the middle of nowhere). Books set in California that show big differences of the state might be... Kathleen Denly's Chapparal Hearts series (takes place down by San Diego and up by San Francisco--Historical Christian Fiction) Corrie Bell Hollister series by Michael Phillips (California Gold Rush and one of the books includes the Pony Express). A Distant Memory by Alton Gansky--starts off across the road from where I lived in high school and travels up the freeways I spent lots of time in as a child, up to Ojai (where I also lived) and oh... GREAT story. Christian suspense. Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter--this, based on distances shared in the story feels like it probably takes place around Malibu just after WWI. It's an immersive picture into the area of the time. Dana Mentink has all kinds of books set in California--near the beach, in Death Valley, and all over. Also, Jennifer Crosswhite has some suspense set in either the San Gabriel or the San Bernadino mountains (can't remember which side of the 15). The Gold in these Hills by Joanne Bischof--another NorCal Gold Rush book but split time and amazing. Um.. In a Far-off Land and Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem. Hollywood in the 1920s but showing how diverse it was then, too (different ethnic groups etc.) I have a few other CA books but this isn't about Chautona books) Also, if you like mysteries, Patricia Raybon has the Annalee Spain series set in Dever in the 20s. Scary stuff goin' on there.

[@insearchofwonder]

You are right about California! It's another whole country on its own, too.

[@Coffee_and_a_Book]

You just listed so much of what I miss about living there 😭

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

Whoop whoop top 10!!! Apparently I need to read Tamara Alexander. 😂😂

[@insearchofwonder]

Yes, I think the states where I have the most memories made it to the top of the list. There's one more (Carnton) by Tamera Alexander I need to visit, but I've visited Belmont and Belle Meade. Oh wait, I think there is one other. She wrote 3 or 4 series set in historic Nashville.

[@CourtneyReads]

I was obsessed with Texas when I was younger. I still like it, but I don't know where the obsession came from.

[@insearchofwonder]

That's funny! It is kind of a larger-than-life Chuck-Norris-type state I guess. 😆

[@CandlewickLibrary]

For Utah I would read A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

[@insearchofwonder]

I totally did not realize that was set in Utah until I started researching books for this video. I will definitely have to read it now!

[@CourtneyReads]

Mansfield Park for West Virginia was perfect, haha.

[@insearchofwonder]

LOL I was hoping I didn't offend anyone. Ironically, WV has tighter incest laws than VA. 😬

[@CourtneyReads]

@insearchofwonder so there are a few math teachers from West Virginia that I work with and it's always a joke about marrying cousins.

[@insearchofwonder]

@@CourtneyReads 😂

[@FacelessBookReviews]

Hmmm I don't remember seeing part 1. I will have to search this out. I need to see where NY falls in this list. I will have to watch that one 1st. just in case NY is in that one. 😂

[@insearchofwonder]

NY doesn't fare too badly in my book!

[@CourtneyReads]

I've only been to Western New York. I've visited Niagara Falls and my church history (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) has a lot of history there so we visited Palmyra.

[@insearchofwonder]

I did not know there was LDS history there, I always think of it as being out west. I haven't been to Niagara falls in a long time, but I remember it vividly.

[@CourtneyReads]

@insearchofwonder yes, it started in New York and then as the people were persecuted, moved west. Eventually settling in Utah.

[@ThisLittleLightLife]

Umm, how many pounds of coffee would it take to bump Ohio up the list? 😉

[@insearchofwonder]

LOL you know how to motivate me! 😆😆