50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do

I got this for my parents for Christmas, because they travel a lot, and they loved it ! I read through a bit of it, and the facts are interesting, and in some states, it tells you when the best time of year is to go. I also like how they included the provinces of Canada.

This book is loaded with travel inspiration. I like how it breaks things down by state and gives tons of options for where to go, when to visit, and what to do—so it’s easy to flip through, save ideas, and build a trip plan fast. Great gift too if you know someone who loves road trips or wants a bucket-list style guide.

Great gift idea for the person that lives to travel! Colorful pages and insight

Love the pictures and ideas inside of this book. I only wish it was a little more compact to fit inside my purse. I have a smaller purse lol. I am already using it to plan trips.

I bought this book for my daughter and son-in-law as part of their Christmas present. They were excited to receive it as they want to start taking their kids on road trip vacations. It is laid out well. I am now looking at other National Geographic books such as this one for me and my husband. They make great gifts for people who love great vacations and road trips.

I purchased 50 States: 5000 Ideas during what I consider a deeply responsible phase of adulthood, which is to say I have not left my house since Covid and feel morally validated by that choice. I am in my thirties, so I am both online enough to know better and tired enough to believe my personal anxiety counts as public service. I did not buy this book because I wanted to travel. Travel is, objectively, a problem. It spreads germs, encourages frivolity, and rewards people who are too comfortable with uncertainty. I bought it so I could be informed—so I could say things like, “I’ve read about it” when people ask why I never go anywhere. Unfortunately, 50 States: 5000 Ideas refuses to stay in its lane. The book is aggressively enthusiastic. Every state apparently has multiple reasons to exist, which already felt like an editorial choice. Instead of warning me about crowds, unpredictability, or the emotional labor of being around strangers, it kept highlighting “possibilities.” Trails. Food. Roads. Encounters. The tone suggested that the country is not only survivable, but interesting, which I found dismissive of my lived experience. I want to be clear: I read this book critically. I sighed. I paused to reflect on how irresponsible it was to encourage curiosity in a post-Covid world. I mentally drafted several Instagram captions about how “travel looks different for everyone.” But page after page, the book persisted in framing movement as meaningful rather than reckless. The Texas entries were the worst offenders. Instead of focusing on what could go wrong, they lingered on long distances, quiet towns, and the meditative nature of getting there. One section described traveling by bus as a way to really see the country—sitting with people from all walks of life, watching the land change mile by mile. This felt like a personal attack. I do not like buses. Buses are uncontrolled environments filled with other people’s choices. And yet, I found myself—purely out of intellectual curiosity—looking up Greyhound routes. This was not a desire. This was research. Several minutes later, I had booked a ticket to Texas. I am not thrilled about this. I am nervous, hyper-aware, and already exhausted by how brave I will have to explain this is. I have prepared sanitizer, headphones, and a long list of disclaimers for anyone who asks how I’m doing. But the book made a compelling case that staying frozen is not the same thing as being thoughtful—and I suppose I believe in growth, as long as it’s uncomfortable and well-documented. I still think most people travel too casually, and I reserve the right to complain the entire way there. But 50 States: 5000 Ideas did something no government mandate or inspirational quote ever could: it convinced me that leaving my house might be an act of principle. Four stars. One star deducted for making me go to Texas.

Has very nice pictures as you would expect of a National Geographic book. Each state, and Canada, has information of about some sites. Most of the ideas are about cities in each state with very little about sites to see. Each state has only 2 to 4 pages. I was expecting more details about each state. Nice if you are just starting out your explorations.

Such a great read! I picked up so many interesting facts about different states and now have a list of unique places to visit. Love that it points out spots you’d probably overlook otherwise.