37. Nevada

We truly have reached the string of states that I am most conflicted about. And Nevada certainly fits the bill.

Nevada is so strange because, while it manages to have some truly incredible scenery, I can’t escape that whenever I think of the state, I just think “ugly desert”. And there is so much of it. Nevada has one of the lowest population densities in the country, and if you take out the Las Vegas and Reno areas, it is one of the most barren landscapes that you can find. I can see some appeal to that, but instead of it giving me a “wilderness to yourself” vibe, it gives me more of a “purgatory” vibe.

I don’t hate Nevada; not in the slightest. I think Las Vegas is a genuinely fun city. One of the most fun trips of my life was when my husband and I drove all the way there to get White Castle. The idea started as a joke, but the adventure to get there sounded so great we couldn’t resist. When we got to White Castle, we waited in line for 40 minutes, we were cut in line countless times by drunk yahoos, and someone vomited in the trash can we were standing right next to. It truly was the entire Vegas experience. But when we finally got those sliders in our hands, everything hit just right!

While waiting for our White Castle, we saw a bag of Skittles left on top of a trash can. What was their story?

Living there on the other hand sounds like one of the worst things possible. Constant heat and always being surrounded by drunk tourists. I could handle that for a couple days but I doubt I could do more than that. But for what it’s worth, when every other city near it has truly terrible water use regulation, Vegas somehow manages to be one of the most water efficient cities.

I drove the entire state on backroads from Vegas to Idaho and I think the drive was kind of cool. Not like really cool; I don’t think I’d do it again. But this wasn’t ordinary desolation. This was advanced desolation. Basically, I need to go to the Lake Tahoe area. From what I hear, it is one of the most gorgeous places in the country. But most of everywhere else I’ve been in the state has just been pretty meh.

So ultimately, what I hear about Tahoe is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this placement. Without it, I think Nevada would definitely be in the bottom ten. But maybe when I visit someday, It’ll sneak a little higher.