The Happiness Function

There are several regions that foreign visitors to the U.S. enjoy, leaving dozens of perfectly good states behind. For example, New York, Florida, and California all receive an unfair share of tourists, no doubt looking for contact with Mickey Mouse, the Empire State Building, and Floridian golf.

However, I love the idea of seeing places no tourist will ever tread. Who needs Disneyland when you have Alexandria, Indiana’s world-record ball of paint?

A recent online post shares people’s picks for the “most boring” states to visit. Here are their conclusions.

1. North Dakota

An ex-alum of a North Dakota university explains that the only things to see in North Dakota are the national parks. “I left the day after I graduated,” says the graduate with no hint of sarcasm.

2. Rhode Island

The tiny New England state sits between two major hubs in New York and Boston, though too far from each to warrant a stopover. “I have nothing against Rhode Island,” concedes a forum member, “But it simply isn’t big enough to contain anything interesting to a foreign tourist.”

3. Nebraska

“I just checked out the Nebraska Tourism homepage,” says a German thread visitor. ‘The slogan is “Visit Nebraska. Honestly, It’s Not for Everyone.” Having checked this, I confirm this is a true state motto — and I cannot stop laughing. Of course, this tongue-in-cheek statement mocks those who consider Nebraska a ‘fly-over’ state.

4. Iowa

Nebraska and Iowa are in similar territory, firmly in the Great Plains. An Iowan tells us how some disparaging graffiti in central Omaha reads: “Forget Iowa: It’s on the wrong side of the river.”

5. Delaware

“The only reason Delaware might not have fewer visitors has to be because of its location,” ponders our following comment. Let’s not forget that Delaware has tax-free shopping and beaches.

However, a separate person discusses Delaware’s $10 toll fee for vans. “You’re not paying to drive through Delaware so much as you’re paying to get out of it,” they say.

6. Kansas

Dorothy would be upset with this inclusion, with several cynics referring to the state as flat like a pancake. However, someone whom I suspect lives in Kansas describes the reality: “Kansas is not that flat, despite the myth.” There are lots of sunflower fields.

7. Indiana

“I used to know someone from Indianapolis who called it ‘India-no-place’ because there’s nothing there,” shares another writer. Indiana has enough to keep a simple tourist happy: lakes and dunes, limestone gorges, and great mountain biking. Nonetheless, I do agree that not many tourists go there.

8. Mississippi

Mississippi gets a lot of unfair mentions here. Let’s not forget the Delta Blues venues scattered all over the place. However, some contributors are less optimistic.

9. Oklahoma

“Oklahoma is full of oil rigs and smelly cow feed lots,” complains a one-time visitor, who believes the state probably isn’t worth the air ticket. “I mean, yeah, Western Oklahoma is like that, but come visit Eastern Oklahoma one day,” corrects a proud Okie local.

10. Alabama

Finally, the state with a phonetically-pleasing name is famous globally for the Civil Rights movement and its fine center in Birmingham. However, not everyone is a fan. “Alabama. Just keep driving,” advises one detractor.

I disagree, the beaches and state park along the Gulf Coast are incredible.

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With that said, here are 15 countries serving up the best street food experiences, as voted on by an online foodie forum.

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Where indicated, some images courtesy of Depositphotos.com.

Source: Reddit