#6 Top 10 Underrated States

Topic chosen by Connor

Voting ends May 4th at midnight

This may strike as the beginning of the more stretched obscure list challenges of CvsC, but that's just how we wanted it to begin with. So with Connor finally being able to choose the topic, a geographical knockabout seemed like a good kicker. Little did he know (or maybe he already did, i'm not sure)...regardless I (Chris) am actually a geography major but have ironically been to only four other states outside Illinois. So with Connor's extensive traveling escipades, this is essentially an even battle. Finally, I think it should be noted that the topic is top 10 underrated states, not top 10 best/coolest states, otherwise Colorado would run the whole lists amuck. Amuck I say!

---------- Connor ----------
"'Wolverine State,' how fucking cool is that?"

10. - Pennsylvania
They have one bad-ass sports following that includes such gems as the Pirates, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies, 76ers, Steelers, and Penguins! In addition to having some incredible sports teams, they also have Gettysburg. Just imagine if Sidney Crosby and Bam Margera hung out at Gettysburg, how cool would that be?

09. - South Dakota
In addition to having an ode to my favorite president Thomas Jefferson on Mt. Rushmore, this is the most authentic prairie state. It's also the home of the Sioux nation!

08. - Michigan
Detroit is the worst city in America. Once you get past that, Michigan is pretty great. It's an incredibly scenic state with phenomenal views of Lake Michigan and its nickname is the "Wolverine State," how fucking cool is that?

07. - Oregon
The Goonies was filmed in Oregon.

06. - New York
New York City takes all the credit for New York State, but upstate New York is one of the most beautiful sites in our great country. New York also has Cooperstown, home of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

05. - Delaware
No sales tax, bitch.

04. - Montana
Mountains in the western one-third of the state; eastern two-thirds gently rolling northern great plains. That says it all right there.

03. - Arizona
Arizona is the only place in the world where you can see mountains consisting of 100% red rocks (Sedona). Arizona is also the home of the beloved Arizona Diamondbacks as well as the most stunning mountain landscapes in the country, PLUS they let you climb them!

02. - West Virginia
WV takes a rough rap for being in John Denver songs and having a racist population. Well dammit, I love John Denver! But I do hate racists. Nevertheless, the greatest racist-killer of all-time, John Brown led a slave revolt in this state. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River are two marvels of nature for their sheer brilliant beauty.

01. - Wyoming
Demetri Martin makes fun of this state in his act when he claims that all states that are perfect polygons are terrible to live in. While I do love Demetri Martin, let me give you 10 reasons why Wyoming is awesome: the state motto is "equal rights," Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, Jackson Hole, Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, there are more cows than people there, more than 600 species of wildlife inhabit Wyoming, their state coin has a bucking bronco on it, and it has the single most bad-ass landscape of any state in the union. Go Wyoming!

---------- Chris ----------
"Forgive me as I geographically geek-out all over you"

10. - Alaska
Ironically meaning 'the mainland', Alaska is one of the best places to strike it rich with natural resources. It even will make it easier on you by not instituting sales tax or even income tax. Preferably however, the natural resources look pretty nice naturally as Alaska could easily have its own Planet Earth episode to gawk and ogle over.

09. - Maryland
Nestling the D. of C., Maryland is personally the oddest shaped state but make up for it by having the most kick-ass state flag in the Union.

08. - New Hampshire
Again, NH also does not institute income or sales tax and was the first post-colonial sovereign nation in the Americas which explains the ways behind their almost frightening state motto, "Live Free Or Die!" Plus, skiiiing.

07. - Washington
'The State' owns, along with Reflection Lake, some of the most interesting state symbols as it hides up there in the Pacific Northwest. WA's state animal is the Orca Whale and most amusingly, the state song is 'Louie, Louie."

06. - Utah
Sundance Film Festival. Boom!

05. - Pennsylvania
Riddled as the butt of endless vampire jokes, Pennsylvania indeed was the toughest state to remember how to spell for those fourth grade geography tests (or maybe Massachusetts) but interesting enough Pittsburgh is the only city that has the same color coordinated major sports teams with the Penguins, Steelers and Pirates (who own the best viewing from a ballpark, check this out). Also, the great state claims home to the setting of the two best shows on television, The Office and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

04. - Oregon
The word 'oregon' doesn't mean absolutely anything in any language whatsoever, but who cares when it's the home to Crater Lake and one of the most bibbity-boppin' music scenes in the country (The Shins, The Decemberists, The Helio Sequence, Viva Voce, The Thermals, Earlimart, The Dandy Warhols, Menomena, The Minders, Stephan Malkmus, etc.).

03. - Illinois
The Associated Press proclaimed Illinois to be 'the most average state' of the United States. Really AP? I think you may have to gravely reconsider. Deep-dish pizza! Jazz! Blues! House! The Columbian Exposition! This! No ketchup allowed! The Digman! The mob! And don't even tell me they didn't consider the freakin' 1990s Bulls! Come on AP, even 'Downtown' Randy Brown is making you feel the illinoise!

02. - Wyoming
YELLOWSTONE.
NATIONAL.
PARK.

01. - Montana
Where the cowboys cross with dinosaurs. Forgive me as I geographically geek-out all over you, but Montana is in the rare geographical position of a triple divide, by which meaning that Montana's water systems flow to empty in three different oceans. Wrap you mind around that jive, suckas!

NOW GO VOTE!