South East Express Team 
Shutterstock St. Elmo Ghost Town, Colorado While other mining camps rotted into the ground, this high-altitude time capsule kept most of its buildings standing, including a still-operating general store. The town’s preservation is so complete that when you walk its main street, you’ll see exactly what Colorado silver miners saw in the 1880s – minus … Read more
Shutterstock The Grotto, Portland Tucked away in Northeast, the Grotto is 62-acre stunning cave chapel carved into volcanic rock. And beyond the religious art, you’ll find a hidden network of trails, native plant gardens, and peaceful spots that even non-religious visitors keep coming back to. Here are more interesting facts about it. Shutterstock A boy’s … Read more
Shutterstock The Occidental Hotel, Wyoming Before Buffalo, Wyoming had paved roads, it had the Occidental Hotel. Built in 1880, it’s still running with its original saloon intact. The guest list reads like a Western history book: Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and Hemingway all checked in. Some say they never quite checked out, along … Read more
Shutterstock Toketee Falls, Oregon A short hike, two perfect tiers of basalt, and some of the clearest water in Oregon. Toketee Falls proves you don’t need to trek into wilderness to find the state’s most photogenic waterfall. Just follow the North Umpqua River until you hear the double roar. Here are more interesting facts about … Read more
Shutterstock Middleton Place, Charleston SC Middleton Place survived a lot: the Revolution, the Civil War, an earthquake that leveled most of the main house. But its real story is about the people – from the politically powerful Middletons to the enslaved workers who made it all possible. The gardens might be the draw, but the … Read more
Nevada—where glittering lights meet ghost towns, and locals know that life outside the Las Vegas Strip is a whole different universe. If you’ve ever used “the Strip” and “desert survival skills” in the same sentence, know exactly what sagebrush smells like, or think slot machines in grocery stores are just part of the décor, you’ve … Read more
Nebraska—where the horizon never ends, the weather has a personal vendetta, and the phrase “Go Big Red” is considered a greeting and a farewell. If you’ve ever measured distance in hours of cornfield, seen more tumbleweeds than traffic lights, or argued passionately about Runzas, congratulations—you’re knee-deep in Husker territory. If these 11 things feel like … Read more
Montana—where the skies are big, the winters are bigger, and your closest neighbor might be a bald eagle or a moose named Dave. If you’ve ever used bear spray more often than hair spray, measured distance in hours instead of miles, or had a full-blown weather debate in the middle of a blizzard, then congratulations—you’ve … Read more
Minnesota—where the winters are brutal, the accents are charming, and the phrase “it could be worse” is practically a state motto. If you’ve ever said “ope” while squeezing past someone, found yourself knee-deep in snow in April, or willingly eaten a casserole called “hotdish,” then you’ve been fully claimed by the Land of 10,000 Lakes. … Read more
Mississippi—where the tea is sweeter, the drawls are thicker, and the front porch is still the best place to solve life’s problems. If you’ve ever fried something that probably shouldn’t be fried, waved at everyone you pass, or heard someone say “bless it” and understood exactly what they meant, then you’ve got the Magnolia State … Read more