A
lot of people have New Year's resolutions like “travel more” or “be more
adventurous”. If you are one of those people maybe you want to hit a big event
in every state, something the state is known for. Yahoo! Travel came up with a
list of “the most awesome event in every state". Check out the ones I
thought to be fun below and click here for the whole list.
Alaska: Iditarod; March 7-22: Anchorage to Nome, AK
Just watching this 1,000mi sled-dog race through the Alaskan wilderness on TV will have you shivering in your flannel pajamas. It’s cold. But that doesn’t stop over 60 teams from racing their Siberian huskies to Nome every year, recreating a supply route that once brought reinforcements to gold miners.
Delaware: Punkin' Chunkin'; November 6-8: Dover, DE
What started as a typical two-beers-deep argument about who could throw a pumpkin farther has grown into the most celebrated annual event in Delaware. Teams compete in a number of divisions (catapult, human power, air cannon) and recent winners have come close to chucking a pumpkin almost an entire mile.
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Fantasy Fest can get a little weird, as attendees dress in elaborate Mardi Gras-esque costumes, or costumes made entirely of paint, or well, costumes made out of nothing at all.
Georgia: The Masters; April 9-12: Augusta, GA
They don’t call it “a tradition unlike any other” for nothing. The biggest crown in golf is actually a green jacket, and it’s awarded to the winner of this four-day tournament held every year at the Augusta National Golf Club.
Hawaii: Ironman World Championships; October 10: Kona, HI
While triathlons have become the midlife crisis sport of choice for many Americans, the original and greatest race of them all takes place on the Big Island in October. Competitors swim 2.4mi through the cool Pacific, bike 112mi through the heat, hills, and wind on the King Kamehameha Highway, and then run a 26.2mi marathon alongside scorching lava fields. And they do it all without sending their friends a million of those annoying “Will you please sponsor me?” emails.
Louisiana: Mardi Gras; February 17: New Orleans, LA
This might be the only time of the year when a few strings of cheap plastic beads will get you a better show than a bankroll of singles.
Missouri: American Royal World Series of BBQ; October 2-5: Kansas City, MO
Boy, you win one American League pennant and all of a sudden they’re naming all kinds of world series after you. Or maybe they’ve been doing this since 1899. Either way, the top chefs from around the country descend on KC to see who’s got the best smoked meat, which you can chow down on while watching live cooking demos and rocking out to nightly concerts.
Nevada: Burning Man; August 21 - September 7: Black Rock Desert, NV
The music lineup is one of the best in the world (some would say), since people stay up for seven straight days/nights in primitive conditions to listen to it. Not to mention walk around with no clothes on, spend days with complete strangers, forget to eat, and then burn down a giant wood statue at the end before returning to the real world.
New Jersey: Miss America Pageant; September 13: Atlantic City, NJ
This American cultural icon that has returned — after a brief run as a Las Vegas reality show — to its rightful home in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. And it's always televised for your viewing pleasure.
New Mexico: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta; October 3-11: ABQ, NM
Before it was known for Breaking Bad; Albuquerque was most famous for its annual hot air balloon festival. It peaks with the launch of hundreds of hot air balloons all at once.
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This is the one event a year that actually gets millions of people to tune in and watch giant balloons float through New York City
Tennessee: Bonnaroo; June 11-14: Manchester, TN
This outdoor festival is the only way organizers can contain egos like Kanye West, Jack White, Elton John, and Skrillex (who all headlined different parts of last year’s event) to perform at the same event.
Texas: State Fair of Texas; September 25 - October 18: Dallas, TX
Sure, SxSW would’ve been the easy choice, but does hanging out in Austin with a bunch of folks from LA/NY really count as a Lone Star experience? Probably not, which is why the state fair is the better move; not only does it switch up the syntax (come on, state fair “of”?) but also extends to almost a full month of rides, cows, fried food, and barbecue.
Utah: Sundance Film Festival; January 22 - February 1: Park City, UT
Since
Utah is a state known for its open-mindedness and encouragement of creative
thought, it was a natural choice for Robert Redford when he needed a home for
this festival aimed at fostering the potential of independent films in the US.
And it has! Launching the success of classics like Napoleon Dynamite and Super
Troopers — meow.
Washington: Seafair; July 25 - August 2: Seattle, WA
On Lake Washington, a Friday night torchlight parade filled with pirates leads to a weekend of on-the-water parties, which leads to a Sunday filled with insane, high-speed boat racing and aerial tricks from the Navy’s Blue Angels.
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Typically rodeos in a state like Wyoming are nothing special. But this is the
biggest of them all, complete with a chuckwagon cook-off, carnival midway,
concerts from bands like Alabama, and a daily pancake breakfast.
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