Getting Lost In America - Part Four - It’s All About the Money!

Getting Lost In America ... The Highs & Lows of Travel in America is a four-part series to help you discover America. Click any of the links for more information about that location or attraction!

You're the top, you're turkey dinner,
You're the Kentucky Derby winner.
I'm a toy balloon that’s fated soon to pop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the Top!*

So let’s get to the bottom of what’s tops in America. We began the Highs & Lows Tour of America with Elevation, and continued through People, Weather, Area Codes, and the points of the Compass. So what’s left? As you well know, it’s all about the Money!

Part Four - It’s All About the Money!

Taking a trip or vacation is not without expenses for most folks. According to AAA’s Annual Vacation Costs Survey the average cost of meals and lodging for two adults traveling together through the U.S. is $244. Now that is “average”, so some are spending more and other are getting by on less. Add a couple kids, some amusements and entertainment, and a family vacation can easily top $300 per day. Below are five each of the Most and Least affordable cities in America.

Lowest Cost - Most Affordable Cities
Admittedly you can spend a fortune on a vacation just about anywhere and everywhere. So here are some suggested locations that can help you stretch your vacation budget and are family friendly.

• New London, Connecticut - New London's historic waterfront district is the center of Connecticut's hottest tourist area. Festivals and events attract visitors year round.

• Baltimore, Maryland - Historic American port city, the crown jewel of Baltimore is the Inner Harbor, a scenic and popular waterfront area with dozens of retail stores, restaurants and attractions.

• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - Capital of Pennsylvania located on the Susquehanna River near the beautiful Blue Mountains, is home of the Pennsylvania Dutch and a short drive from the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg.

• Corpus Christi, Texas - Lay in the sun. Dance on the beach. Run in the surf. There are miles of beaches for fishing, boating and floating, and attractions for the whole family are waiting to be explored in Corpus Christi.

• Las Vegas, Nevada - We all know “What happens in Vegas-Stays in Vegas”, but what about the kids? Take ‘em with you! There are more things for kids and families to do in Vegas than at most destinations! Check out the animal shows, the amusement rides, museums, and outside the desert canyons, Lake Mead and the Boulder Dam just for starters!!!

Highest Cost - Least Affordable Cities
You say “money’s no object!” well these cities are waiting with open arms for you to open your wallet! That’s not to say that you can’t do these cities on a budget ... but you will really have to sacrifice on creature comforts or base your visit in a distant suburb.

• New York City - While NYC no longer makes the Top 10 list of the World’s most expensive cities, falling to between 11^th and 19^th place on various recent surveys, the Big Apple is still the most costly city to visit in North America. Of course you want to see everything, start with probably the most recognizable icon of America - the Statue of Liberty. There’s also Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, United Nations, the Yankees, a Broadway play, and the temple of capitalism - the New York Stock Exchange. Fitting it all in is guaranteed to take longer than a New York minute!

• San Francisco, California - Are you going to San Francisco? You’ll leave your heart as well as your money in San Francisco. The city is a popular destination famous for its landmarks - Golden Gate Bridge, El Presidio, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, Chinatown - and is a beautiful city with its steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture, gardens and parks, and waterfront.

• San Diego, California - Home to Shamu the killer whale, you will bask year-round in San Diego’s moderate Mediterranean-like climate, have access to miles of beaches, be wowed by the variety of zoos and animal theme parks, plus be able to slip across the border for shopping and a real Mexican dinner in Tijuana.

• Los Angeles, California - Beverly Hills - swimming pools, movie stars! Old Jed had the bucks and if you don’t want to look like a hillbilly in LALA land you better have the money too. With miserable public transit, you will be driving everywhere and nothing is close together in LA. Tops on most folks lists are Hollywood and the movie studios, the amusement parks - Mickey’s original home Disneyland, plus Knots Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, Universal Studios - and shopping (or at least gawking) on Rodeo Drive.

• Boston, Massachusetts - Steeped in history and known as the “Cradle of Liberty” Boston has a lot to offer. Walk the Freedom Trail of colonial historic sites, visit Paul Revere’s House, cross the Charles River to Cambridge home of Harvard and MIT, have a lobster dinner, and be sure to have some tea while you’re there...after all, they started a war over it!

Want to save a little scratch? Check out Smart Destinations “GO Cards” for many of the cities listed above (Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco all have GO Cards). The “GO Cards” include tours and admission to dozens of attractions in each city, plus special savings at area restaurants, stores, and more, making vacations more convenient and affordable.

You're the top, you're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the smile, on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!*

Wherever you go, be it High or Low, this summer - Happy trails and happy travels, and enjoy yourselves, your family, the sites and sights, and of course your summer vacation!

Read the whole series!
Getting Lost In America ...
The Highs & Lows of Travel in America

Part One - By Elevation
Part Two - By Population & Weather
Part Three - By Codes & Compass
Part Four - By the Money

* Song lyrics from “You’re The Top!” by
legendary American songwriter Cole Porter.

Getting Lost In America - Part Three - by Codes & Compass

Getting Lost In America ... The Highs & Lows of Travel in America is a four-part series to help you discover America. Click any of the links for more information about that location or attraction!

You're the top, you're turkey dinner,
You're the Kentucky Derby winner.
I'm a toy balloon that’s fated soon to pop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the Top!*

So let’s get to the bottom of what’s tops in America. In parts 1&2 we discovered just how High and Low we can go in elevation, people, and the weather. Today we are going to check out our Codes and Compass!

Part Three - By Codes & Compass

By the Codes - Let your fingers do the walking ...er... dialing, or lick and stick some stamps on your forehead and let the postman deliver you to your vacation destination. (if opting for postal service I recommend you spring for Express Delivery or you may be waiting a long time for that room service order!) Let’s check out the Area Codes and Zip Codes of America.

• Highest Area Code - 989 - Saginaw, Michigan
• Lowest Area Code - 201 - Hoboken, New Jersey
• Highest Zip Code - 99950 - Ketchikan, Alaska
• Lowest Zip Code - 00601 - Adjuntas, Puerto Rico

Compass Points - Get out the old map and compass, or try geo-caching with your GPS. Here are the extremes of latitude and longitude of the United States.

Latitude [going North and South]

• Highest Latitude or Northernmost point - Point Barrow, Alaska (71°23'N)
• Barrow, Alaska — northernmost town in all of US territory and most northerly community on the North American mainland.
• Northwest Angle, Minnesota (49°23' 4.1"N) northernmost point in the 48 contiguous states. Through quirks in mapping and treaties between England and America setting boundaries of the new country this northern bump of America is actually connected to Manitoba and Ontario Canada and physically separated from the US by the Lake of the Woods.

• Lowest Latitude or Southernmost point - Ka Lae, Hawaii (18°55'N)
• Naalehu, Hawaii - southernmost town in the 50 states.
• Key West, Florida - the southernmost city in the 48 contiguous states.

Longitude [going East and West]

• Highest Longitude or Westernmost point - Amatignak Island, Alaska (179°6'W)
• Adak, Alaska - westernmost town in the 50 states, by direction of travel.
• Ozette, Washington - westernmost town in the 48 contiguous states.
• Lowest Longitude or Easternmost point - Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska (179°46'E) Technically both the eastern and western most points of the United States are in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The distance from the Western most point of the United States to the Eastern most point is only 63 miles across the Bering Sea! However, those of you looking at a flat map of the U.S. may point to Sail Rock just off the coast of West Quoddy Head near Lubec, Maine (66°57'W) as the eastern most point of our country. No quibble here, either point would make for a most interesting journey!

Are all these highs and lows just too extreme for your travel sensibilities?
Maybe you don’t know how to work the map and compass (or those new-fangled GPS gadgets). How about if we just place you on all four compass points at once! The only place where you can be in FOUR states at the same time! The Four Corners - a monument to where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah come to together! Just a little ways from the ancient Anasazi’s home of Mesa Verde National Park.

Looking for something more middle of the road? Maybe you are more of the Goldilocks type of traveler - Not too high. Not too low. Something in between, something just right ... The Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States is pinpointed by a historical marker that is located within a small park near the town of Lebanon, Kansas. Not far from K.C. and all that wonderful Jazz and Blues music and those famous steaks and BBQ!

You're the top, you're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the smile, on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!*

Wherever you go, be it High or Low, this summer - Happy trails and happy travels, and enjoy yourselves, your family, the sites and sights, and of course your summer vacation!

Read the whole series!
Getting Lost In America
The Highs & Lows of Travel in America
Part One - By Elevation
Part Two - By Population & Weather
Part Three - By Codes & Compass

* Song lyrics from “You’re The Top!” by
legendary American songwriter Cole Porter.

Getting Lost In America - Part Two - People & Weather

Getting Lost In America ... The Highs & Lows of Travel in America is a four-part series to help you discover America.

You're the top, you're turkey dinner,
You're the Kentucky Derby winner.
I'm a toy balloon that’s fated soon to pop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the Top!*

So let’s get to the bottom of what’s tops in America. In Part One of the Highs & Lows Tour of America we discovered just how High and Low we can go in elevation. Today we’ll talk about everyone’s favourite topics - People and the Weather!

Part Two - Population & Weather
Population - Do you like being around lots of other folks? Or maybe you prefer to be as alone and away from crowds as is possible ... either way, there are plenty of crowds and also millions of square miles desolation for you to enjoy in America.

Cities:

• Highest Population - New York City 8,213,839 people that all want to live together.
• Lowest Population - Maza, North Dakota with only 5 residents.

States:

• Highest Population - California - 36,457,549 - 12% of the U.S. population lives in California and it seems like all of them are on the road at the same time! Plan your travel, be prepared for the traffic, and you will have loads of fun with Mickey, on the beaches, in the redwoods and mountains, and don’t forget all that wonderful wine the state produces.
• Lowest Population - Wyoming - 515,004 - 0.17% Yes, less than 1/5 of 1% of Americans live with Cowboy Joe in Wonderful Wyoming! Besides all the sheep jokes, Wyoming is half high plains and half mountains, and home to the original National Park - Yellowstone - you could spend the whole summer in Yellowstone and never see it all.

Density:

• Highest Density State - New Jersey 1134 people/sq mile. It would seem the Garden State, as New Jersey is nicknamed, grows a lot people since it is the most densely populated state! But in spite of all its residents there are plenty of places to see and things to do.
• Lowest Density State - Alaska 1 person/sq mile. Definitely a state where you can be alone with your thoughts ... however, there are probably at least one bear, caribou, salmon, and king crab for every person so you definitely won’t be lonely in Alaska!

Weather - is often a consideration when planning a trip. Know the weather and climate of the area you will be visiting and pack appropriate clothing. People often want to go somewhere warm and sunny, even for their summer vacation. Others want cooler but still sunny pleasant days for hiking or mountain biking. And for some, it doesn’t really matter, they are going to spend their vacation in the air-conditioned comfort of their hotel room!

• Highest Annual Rainfall - 395” per year - Mt. Waialeale on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Think of the beaches, the lush rainforest of Waimea Canyon, and the waterfalls.
• Lowest Annual Rainfall - only 2-3” for the whole year - several areas in the southwest - Death Valley, Yuma, Arizona, parts of Nevada. Or how about Lake Havasu where you'll find the London Bridge.
• Highest Number of Sunny Days - 330 sunny days ... ?coincidence? ... lots of sun and very little rain, it’s Yuma, Arizona as the sunscreen capitol of the U.S. with about 30% more sunny days than either San Diego or Miami! If you want to get all your sunshine in just one day, head to Fairbanks or many other towns of central and northern Alaska on June 21^st (the summer solstice) and the sun may never set! Around midnight the sun usually just touches the horizon and the light dims towards dusk but it never gets dark as night. Conversely, around December 21^st (winter solstice) there are only about three hours a day of light as the sunny barely peeks over the horizon.
• Lowest Number of Sunny Days - less than 100 days of sunshine - Juneau, Alaska and Quillayute, Washington.

You're the top, you're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the smile, on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!*

Wherever you go, be it High or Low, this summer - Happy trails and happy travels, and enjoy yourselves, your family, the sites and sights, and of course your summer vacation!

Read the whole series!
Getting Lost In America ...
The Highs & Lows of Travel in America
Part One - By Elevation
Part Two - By Population & Weather

* Song lyrics from “You’re The Top!” by
legendary American songwriter Cole Porter.

Getting Lost In America ... The Highs & Lows of Travel in America - Part One

Getting Lost In America ... The Highs & Lows of Travel in America is a four-part series to help you discover America. Click any of the links for more information about that location or attraction!

You're the top, you're turkey dinner,
You're the Kentucky Derby winner.
I'm a toy balloon that’s fated soon to pop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the Top!*

So let’s get to the bottom of what’s tops in America. We will begin our four-part Highs & Lows Tour of America with the category that probably first came to mind - Elevation - how High can you get in America? And just how Low can we go???

Part One - Elevation:

Geographical points:

• Highest Elevation - Denali (Mt McKinley) Alaska at 20,320 feet is the highest point in North America and guaranteed to take your breath away ... and in more ways than one! Most climbers do it without supplemental oxygen, but just seeing Denali from the valley floor will make you gasp!
• Lowest Elevation - Bad Water in Death Valley California 282 ft below sea level. No need for extra O2 on this adventure ... but don’t forget to bring your own water!

States - No red states...no blue states, just the top and the bottom states:

• Highest Average Elevation - Colorado 6800ft - Celebrated in legend and song - Rocky Mountain High - and with over 70% of the U.S. landmass above 10,000ft it is little surprise that Colorado is the highest state. It is home to the Mile High City (Denver) and the Two Mile High City (Leadville). The lowest elevation in Colorado (3315ft along the Arikaree River in S.E. CO) is higher than 18 states’ highest altitude.
• Lowest Average Elevation - Delaware 60ft - The First State may not give a big rise for some people, but it holds plenty of colonial and early American history.

Cities:

• Highest City – The historic mining town, and one-time home of the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”, Leadville Colorado at 10,430 ft is known as the Two Mile High City. (note: the town of Winter Park CO is sometimes listed as the highest town in North America at 12,060ft after annexing the Winter Park ski area in 2006; however, the actual town is located at the base of the ski area at only 9100ft and no one actually lives at the top of the ski area! This title is also claimed by nearby Alma CO at 10,578ft, which is a “statutory town” of less than 200 residents with no city services.)
• Lowest City - Calipatria CA at 184 ft below sea level near the inland lake known as the Salton Sea 150 miles to the east of Los Angeles and San Diego.

Man-made Structures:

• Highest Building - 1,450 ft - Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois. At 110 stories, the Sears Tower is the tallest building in all of the Americas, and the third tallest in the world.
• Highest Bridge - suspended 1,053 ft above the Arkansas River - The Royal Gorge bridge near Canyon City, Colorado.
• Tallest Structure (not just in America, but in the world!) - 2,063 ft - TV Tower in Blanchard, North Dakota
• No lowest for the above categories since the lowest bridge is one that has collapsed or is flooded and not providing much use under water ... and the lowest tower is ... again, not of much use for this article! However, humans have burrowed deep into the earth. The Homestake gold-mine near Lead, South Dakota is over 8000 ft deep. The mine closed operations in 2002 and in 2007 the Homestake was chosen as the future site for DUSEL (Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory) where things like dark matter and neutrinos will be studied, as well as providing a site for biology, geology, and mining research. There is another old-mine-turned-research-facility that you can visit - The Soudan Underground Laboratory - in Soudan, Minnesota. While part of the Minnesota State Parks, the Soudan Underground Laboratory, operated by the University of Minnesota, is currently the leading deep underground science and engineering laboratory in the United States. The 2 hour tour will take you 2341 ft below the surface of the earth.

You're the top, you're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the smile, on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!*

Wherever you go, be it High or Low, this summer - Happy trails and happy travels, and enjoy yourselves, your family, the sites and sights, and of course your summer vacation!

Read the whole series!

* Song lyrics from “You’re The Top!” by
legendary American songwriter Cole Porter.