10 of the most beautiful places in the US, according to someone who's been to all 50 states

Growing up in the Midwest, I often saw photos on calendars or computer screen wallpapers that seemed too good to be true.

The towering mountain peaks, jagged coastlines, and unique rock formations were so different from what I saw in my daily life that I couldn’t imagine they actually existed.

As I started to travel more in my 30s, eventually to all 50 states and 63 major US national parks, I found that not only did they all exist, but that there was an almost never-ending list of beautiful places.

Here are the 10 most beautiful spots I’ve visited in the US.