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Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,133,609 times
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For urban and rural, man made and natural, scenic and varied, California uber alles.
Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska and others have amazing natural assets. New York, Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia and others boast amazing built environments.
Nobody puts it all together like California. It is simply unmatched.
What exactly is the point of this post? Frankly speaking dare I say it I understand America is a land of a million plus landscapes but once you live within an urban area and most of us do America looks very similar from coast to coast, north to south, east to west. I mean go on google maps and position the satellite over any city with a population over 30,000 you will see a highway or major road running through the middle of the city (with ugly power lines on either side) and malls and shopping centers on each side. Most of which will be American chain restaurants or stores. Stay downtown you will see larger buildings, sky scrapers if any with all the government buildings, leave the center and you will see quaint homes on 1/4 acre lots for as far as the eye can see. Yes ok the east coast is older and there tends to not be a street pattern (which I like) the west tends to be planned communities with streets that look like geometric shapes (not so fond).
Anyway, again what i just described is the way the vast majority of Americans live. Granted the landscape around cities may vary region to region but even if you live 15 miles from the grand canyon, are you really going to go see it every day??? NO!!! You are gonna get in your car, drive to your job and come home and go out on occasion. Our American lives revolve around URBAN SPRAWL and it seems we only use mountains, lakes, beaches, and scenery when we need to defend our state in silly posts like this one. Trust me EVERY STATE has a beautiful site to see so since the American Experience is almost ubiquitous throughout the 50 states why do we have to pit the states against one another? And please don't respond back saying "my state has the tallest mountain, deepest sea, longest river" Please you don't spend 1/20th as much time in any one of those places as you do your nearest olive garden, walmart, and bed bath and beyond. Now that's M'urica!
What exactly is the point of this post? Frankly speaking dare I say it I understand America is a land of a million plus landscapes but once you live within an urban area and most of us do America looks very similar from coast to coast, north to south, east to west. I mean go on google maps and position the satellite over any city with a population over 30,000 you will see a highway or major road running through the middle of the city (with ugly power lines on either side) and malls and shopping centers on each side. Most of which will be American chain restaurants or stores. Stay downtown you will see larger buildings, sky scrapers if any with all the government buildings, leave the center and you will see quaint homes on 1/4 acre lots for as far as the eye can see. Yes ok the east coast is older and there tends to not be a street pattern (which I like) the west tends to be planned communities with streets that look like geometric shapes (not so fond).
Anyway, again what i just described is the way the vast majority of Americans live. Granted the landscape around cities may vary region to region but even if you live 15 miles from the grand canyon, are you really going to go see it every day??? NO!!! You are gonna get in your car, drive to your job and come home and go out on occasion. Our American lives revolve around URBAN SPRAWL and it seems we only use mountains, lakes, beaches, and scenery when we need to defend our state in silly posts like this one. Trust me EVERY STATE has a beautiful site to see so since the American Experience is almost ubiquitous throughout the 50 states why do we have to pit the states against one another? And please don't respond back saying "my state has the tallest mountain, deepest sea, longest river" Please you don't spend 1/20th as much time in any one of those places as you do your nearest olive garden, walmart, and bed bath and beyond. Now that's M'urica!
I know what you're drving at, and agree to a limited extent. However, it's a bit too broad. Personally, I either walk, bike or yoga the beach 4-5 times a week, hike local foothills, peninsula and/or mountains 2-3 times every month, and I marvel at all those features every stinking day. I make a point to visit other regional places of natural wonder many times of the year. It's a function of priority and opportunity, and I know I'm not alone.
And I've never stepped foot in a Wal Mart, it's been 20 years since my last OG breadstick. I did hit a BB&B about 7 years ago in a last minute Christmas panic.
In response to the:
Why even have a poll? California is clearly number one. It is the most breathtaking state. No contest.
I say contest, that is your opinion. I will not say that California doesn't have some beautiful scenery but it is really the prettiest? Many people will tell you the mountains of Colorado and Alaska are prettier than those of California. As far as beaches go most will tell you the best can be found in Hawaii or Florida (and Florida's water temp can be nearly 20 degrees warmer than California's) so you can enjoy it anytime of year sans wetsuit. As far as deserts go many have described the drive from LA to LV "the most boring drive in America" whereas the desert scenery almost anywhere in Arizona is awesome.
In terms of architecture well anywhere on the East Coast will win that bet. NYC has the tallest, most ornate, and prominent skyscrapers and maybe the only place in Americas whose Cathedrals can rival those of Europe. Also, except for Hearst Castle the Gilded Age never arrived in California even the most expensive estates in California pale in comparison to those found at Newport Rhode Island and even the Somerset Hills in NJ.
Finally, (and not to sound like a California basher I do indeed like it there just would never say it is number 1) but I was shocked about the scarcity of actual property you get with a home in California. Again even in the wealthiest areas in California I was shocked to see how close the homes were to one another and even to the main road. Just position google earth over the Hollywood Hills, Calabasas, La Jolla and it looks like those jumbo home are literally on top of one another. Then position Google Earth over Sands Point NY, Greenwich CT, Saddle River, Alpine, (or anywhere in Somerset county) NJ and see how on the East Coast you get the grounds to match the home.
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