After visiting every single state, I'm finally ready to burn bridges and tell you why Florida, Hawaii, California, and four other beloved destinations are coasting on expired hype—and why you're wasting your money chasing Instagram moments in overpriced tourist traps.
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Look, I get it. Nobody wants to be the person who says Times Square is overrated or that the Grand Canyon didn't blow their mind. We're supposed to love these iconic places, right?
After hitting all 50 states over the past decade (yes, even North Dakota in January), I've learned something: some of America's most hyped destinations are wildly oversold. And before you come at me with pitchforks, hear me out. I'm not saying these places are terrible. I'm saying they're overrated, which is different.
The thing about traveling extensively is that you start seeing patterns. You notice when a place coasts on reputation alone, when the marketing budget exceeds the actual experience, when locals actively avoid their own attractions.
During my years living in Bangkok, I learned to spot the difference between genuine gems and tourist traps. That same radar works just as well stateside.
So here's my brutally honest take on the seven most overrated states in America. Some might surprise you.
1) Florida
I know, I know. Starting with Florida feels like kicking a puppy. But someone needs to say it: Florida is basically America's tourist trap wearing a state costume.
Sure, Miami Beach looks great on Instagram. But have you actually tried to enjoy it? The beaches are packed, parking costs more than a decent meal, and everything feels designed to extract maximum cash from your wallet. The food scene? Unless you're into overpriced Cuban sandwiches or mediocre seafood with ocean views, you're better off in dozens of other cities.
Orlando? It's a concrete jungle built around theme parks. Once you've done Disney as an adult, you realize it's basically standing in lines while hemorrhaging money. The "authentic" Florida everyone talks about? It exists, but it's buried under layers of development, strip malls, and retirement communities.
The Everglades are legitimately cool, I'll give you that. But one swamp doesn't save an entire state from being a sweaty, overpriced disappointment.
2) Hawaii
This one hurts to write because Hawaii should be paradise. It looks like paradise. It costs like paradise. But the reality? It's paradise with a $20 mai tai and a four-hour wait for everything.
The beaches are stunning, no argument there. But you know what else they are? Absolutely mobbed with tourists taking the exact same photo you've seen 10,000 times on social media. Want authentic Hawaiian culture? Good luck finding it between the luaus designed for cruise ships and the "traditional" experiences that feel more Disney than genuine.
The food scene kills me. Hawaii has incredible potential with its Asian influences and fresh seafood. Instead, most visitors end up eating overpriced poke bowls that taste better in Los Angeles or paying $40 for mediocre fish that would cost $12 anywhere else.
After spending years in Southeast Asia, where tropical paradises exist without the markup and manufactured authenticity, Hawaii feels like paying champagne prices for beer quality.
3) California
California thinks it invented everything cool, and that attitude permeates every experience there.
Los Angeles? It's a sprawling mess where you spend half your vacation sitting in traffic. The beaches everyone raves about? They're fine, but nothing you can't find elsewhere without the crowds and parking nightmares. Hollywood Boulevard is literally just a dirty sidewalk with stars on it.
San Francisco used to be special. Now it's a tech bro playground where a basic breakfast costs $30 and stepping wrong means navigating human waste on the sidewalk. The Golden Gate Bridge is genuinely impressive for about five minutes, then you realize you've driven an hour to look at a bridge.
Even the wine country, which should be California's saving grace, has become so pretentious and overpriced that you need a second mortgage to do a proper tasting tour. I've had better wine experiences in lesser-known regions without the attitude.
The national parks are world-class, I'll admit. But the state's urban areas are riding on reputation fumes from decades ago.
4) New York
New York State suffers from the ultimate problem: New York City sucks all the oxygen out of the room.
NYC itself? Unless you're into paying $2,000 a month to live in a closet or waiting 45 minutes for brunch, the city has become a caricature of itself. Times Square is a neon headache. Central Park is lovely but not worth planning a trip around. The food is still good if you know where to look, but you can find equally good food in dozens of other cities without the hassle.
Upstate New York could be beautiful, but it's mostly forgotten. Niagara Falls? The Canadian side is better, and the American side is surrounded by some of the most depressing urban decay you'll ever see. The Finger Lakes are nice if you're into wine, but see my California comment about overpriced tasting rooms.
The entire state feels like it's coasting on a reputation built 50 years ago.
5) Nevada
Nevada is literally a desert with one city that exists to separate you from your money.
Las Vegas was fun the first time. Maybe even the second. But once you've seen one casino floor, you've seen them all. The shows? You can see better theater in Chicago or New York without the slot machines. The food scene has improved, but you're still paying premium prices for the privilege of eating in a casino.
Outside Vegas? There's Reno, which is Vegas's sad younger brother, and then... desert. Lots and lots of desert. Sure, Valley of Fire is cool for about an hour, but you didn't fly across the country to look at red rocks.
The whole state feels like a one-trick pony, and that trick got old sometime around 2005.
6) Tennessee
Nashville is honky-tonk Disneyland, and Memphis is living entirely on Elvis fumes.
Broadway in Nashville? It's the same cover band playing "Wagon Wheel" in every bar while bachelorette parties stumble around in matching t-shirts. The hot chicken is good, but it's still just fried chicken with hot sauce. The music scene everyone raves about? It's been commercialized to death.
Memphis has Graceland, which is interesting for about 30 minutes if you're an Elvis fan, and Beale Street, which is Bourbon Street without the charm. The barbecue is legitimately good, but you know what? So is the barbecue in Kansas City, Austin, and the Carolinas.
The Smoky Mountains are beautiful, but they're only partially in Tennessee, and North Carolina does them better anyway.
7) Texas
Finally, we need to talk about Texas and its absolutely unearned superiority complex.
Austin keeps calling itself weird, but it's about as weird as a Whole Foods. It's tech bros and overpriced tacos pretending to be counterculture. The music scene is solid, but not better than a dozen other cities that don't require you to sit in traffic for hours.
Dallas and Houston? They're sprawling concrete disasters where you need a car to go anywhere and everywhere looks exactly the same. San Antonio has the River Walk, which is essentially an outdoor mall with water.
The barbecue is great, yes. But Texas acts like they invented smoking meat when plenty of other states do it just as well without the attitude. The Mexican food? I hate to break it to you, but after spending serious time in actual Mexico, Texas Mexican food is often Americanized beyond recognition.
Everything really is bigger in Texas, including the gap between reputation and reality.
Final thoughts
Here's the thing: admitting these places are overrated doesn't mean they're worthless. Every state has something to offer. But we need to stop pretending that certain destinations are mandatory pilgrimages when they're really just expensive disappointments.
Travel should surprise you, challenge you, teach you something. The most overrated places in America have become so sanitized, commercialized, and predictable that they offer none of that. They're travel junk food, briefly satisfying but ultimately empty.
Want my advice? Skip the obvious choices. Find the states nobody's posting about. That's where the real America lives, away from the hype and the hashtags. Because the best travel experiences rarely come from following everyone else's footsteps.
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Adam Kelton
Adam Kelton is a writer and culinary professional with deep experience in luxury food and beverage. He began his career in fine-dining restaurants and boutique hotels, training under seasoned chefs and learning classical European technique, menu development, and service precision. He later managed small kitchen teams, coordinated wine programs, and designed seasonal tasting menus that balanced creativity with consistency.
After more than a decade in hospitality, Adam transitioned into private-chef work and food consulting. His clients have included executives, wellness retreats, and lifestyle brands looking to develop flavor-forward, plant-focused menus. He has also advised on recipe testing, product launches, and brand storytelling for food and beverage startups.
At VegOut, Adam brings this experience to his writing on personal development, entrepreneurship, relationships, and food culture. He connects lessons from the kitchen with principles of growth, discipline, and self-mastery.
Outside of work, Adam enjoys strength training, exploring food scenes around the world, and reading nonfiction about psychology, leadership, and creativity. He believes that excellence in cooking and in life comes from attention to detail, curiosity, and consistent practice.
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