One woman revealed her top five favorite states in a video she posted on her social media pages in November 2023.
Travel expert Nicole Sunderland's video on TikTok continues to go viral three months after she posted it, and other users continue to comment on what they believe are the top five US states.
Two states that have been big topics of positive and negative conversations are Utah and Michigan.
Sunderland, who has traveled to all 50 states, confirmed in the comments section that she will actually buy a house in Michigan.
The frequent traveler gave several reasons why each state deserved a spot in her top five in her video, which has nearly a million views on TikTok alone.
Nicole Sunderland's video on TikTok continues to go viral three months after she posted it, and other users continue to comment on what they believe are the top five US states.
Sunderland, who has traveled to all 50 states, confirmed in the comments section that she will actually buy a house in Michigan
Sunderland started talking about Hawaii and called the group of volcanic islands 'absolutely beautiful.'
“You'll find black sand beaches, green sand beaches, breathtaking waters… So much natural beauty,” she said.
Hawaii is usually a popular state that people like to travel to, but that's also true the number of tourists declined in the last few months of 2023 after the Lahaina wildfires.
In addition to seemingly beautiful beaches and sunsets, Hawaii is home to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and Iolani Palace in Honolulu.
The island also hosts a variety of annual events and food festivals.
Hawaii, nicknamed the Aloha State, became part of the US in August 1959
Hawaii is usually a popular state among travelers, but tourist numbers dropped in the final months of 2023 due to the Lahaina wildfires
The TikToker is also intrigued by Michigan, the state where she plans to buy a house.
Sunderland admitted that he loves Michigan, also known as the Great Lakes State, 'so much.'
“We have crystal clear lakes, a fantastic fishing community, cute towns and islands to visit – did I mention the autumn leaves,” she said.
Sunderland also noted that there are “a lot of breweries” in Michigan.
Michigan is one of the most controversial states on the list, based on the heated debate in the comments section of the video, with several commentators disagreeing with Sunderland's opinion.
However, she snapped back at some of those TikTokers and even admitted that she's “not trying to appeal to everyone.”
Michigan is known as the Great Lakes State because it is the only state in the US that borders four of the five Great Lakes
Michigan is one of the most discussed states in the video's comments section, many of which come from users who disagree with Sunderland's views
Although Michigan is the state Sunderland will be purchasing a home in, she also had a lot of good things to say about Florida.
The Sunshine State comes third on the list behind Sunderland, with the travel expert admitting people love to hate the state.
“No one can deny that Florida has tons of beautiful cities and great beaches, especially if you are in the Panhandle or southern region,” she said.
Sunderland spoke highly of the 'absolutely stunning' Florida Keys, which have amazing sandbanks and all-inclusive resorts.
US News recently ranked Key West tenth best place to visit in Florida earlier this year.
According to the listing, Key West is known for its “free-spirited locals, colorful shell-style homes, and coral reefs ripe for snorkeling and diving.”
A Florida-based TikToker appeared to question Sunderland's opinion of his home state and did not include it in his top five list.
According to US News, Key West is known for its 'free-spirited locals, colorful shell-style homes and coral reefs ripe for snorkeling and diving'
“No one can deny that Florida has tons of beautiful cities and great beaches, especially if you are in the Panhandle or southern region,” Sunderland said.
Nickname 'The final frontier“Alaska is a state that Sunderland traveled to for the first time in 2019.
'It absolutely blew me away with its beauty. Some of the best things I've done here are flying over glaciers, kayaking and boating in waterfalls… You can't convince me that Alaska isn't breathtaking,” she said.
The traveler included a clip of two black bears in her TikTok video of Alaska, which is known for its incredible wildlife.
One reason tourists have traveled to Alaska is to see the state Big 5: bear, moose, Dall sheep, wolf and caribou.
Humpback whales, orcas and gray whales live in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska.
However, if someone is looking for black bears like the ones in the Sunderland video, Alaska's routes along southeast and south-central Alaska are probably the best places to go.
Alaska, nicknamed 'The Last Frontier', is a state that Sunderland traveled to for the first time in 2019. One of the reasons tourists travel to Alaska is to see the state's Big 5: bear, moose, Dall sheep, wolf and caribou
Utah is a popular state for skiing, but is also known for its beehives all over various signs, monuments, and buildings throughout Utah.
Despite assuming she would “get a lot of crap” for naming Utah as one of her favorite states, other TikTokers noted that they actually quite like the state
Bears can also be spotted in Utah, the last state Sunderland talks about in her video.
Despite assuming she would “get a lot of crap” for naming Utah as one of her favorite states, other TikTokers noted that they actually quite like the state.
“All the national parks, the ski areas, everything Utah has to offer,” Sunderland said when discussing “the real beauty” of the state.
Utah is a popular state for skiing, but it is also known for its beehives all over various signs, monuments and buildings in Utah – earning Utah the nickname of the Beehive stands.
The state is also known for a variety of outdoor landmarks such as the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park and Bryce Canyon.
Stargazers are known to have a great time at Bryce Canyon in June, when the annual Astronomy Festival takes place.
Park rangers also offer year-round programs such as winter snowshoe hikes and full moon hikes.
However, for some activities it is necessary that everyone registers in advance, otherwise a lottery will take place.