July is usually our month to celebrate vacations, but with the COVID-19 infection rate going up in several areas that have attempted reopening, this might be a good year to plan a trip for next year. And, in the event of international travel restrictions, it might be a good idea to stay in the United States.

I found an excellent website, tripstodiscover.com and they have information about destinations all over the United States. I was so impressed with an article titled, “Eighteen Exotic Places to Travel Right in the United States,” that I decided to build this month’s quiz from information contained in the article.

Listed below are 18 locations within the United States that are reminiscent of exotic locations around the world, 18 free use photos, and 18 descriptions of these locations. Your task - match the location and photo to the description. The photo collage has 18 photos starting at the top (#1) and going from left to right in each row ending up with #18.

Answers to this month’s quiz are in Next Month in This Awful Awesome Life – August 2020. Here is the link,

Culebra, Puerto Rico        Napa Valley, California

Chinatown, San Francisco      Vail Village, Colorado   

The Aleutian Islands of Alaska    Key West, Florida Keys

St. Augustine, Florida    Big Sur, California

Solvang, California Kauai, Hawaii

Leavenworth, Washington Santa Fe, New Mexico

Mount Rainier, Washington Denali National Park, Alaska

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Olympic National Park, Washington

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Located between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the San Juan Mountains, the tallest dunes in the United States at over 700 feet high make for an exotic hike (you’ll think you are in the Gobi or the Sahara). 

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Choose from hundreds of hillside vineyards or visit Castello di Amorosa Winery, an authentically styled, 13th century Tuscan castle constructed using historically accurate medieval building techniques. The castle is open daily for tours, which include tastings.

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This stretch of American coastline has been called the American Riviera. The Santa Lucia Mountains rise adjacent to picturesque beaches and waterfalls.

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Few places in America feel more remote than this. Be prepared to see more animals than people. Wildlife watchers can observe a myriad of birds, mammals, and Marine mammals that live in the surrounding waters such as seals, sea lions, walrus, and grey, minke, humpback, Orca, and sperm whales.

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This 7-mile long island offers quirky independently owned boutiques, and restaurants serving fresh local cuisine free of large hotels, shopping malls, and chain restaurants. Watch leatherback turtles and giant anole as you lounge on the beach, and after dark observe the bioluminescent organisms that often light up the coastal waters.

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Discover oddly shaped plants indigenous to the region, and gigantic boulders reaching hundreds of feet into the sky, the landscape here is something you might find in your favorite science-fiction movie.

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Hike the Horseshoe Lake Trail - 1.5 miles through spruce and aspen forests. Try your hand at mountaineering, flightseeing, or take in the view from one of the many scenic overlooks. The forests are home to grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, martens, lynx, beavers, and fox.

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Experience the Caribbean without leaving the continental United States. Stroll down streets with colorful buildings, and enjoy beachy boutiques, art galleries, snorkeling, sailing, and kayaking. Feast on fresh seafood and local specialties and be prepared to dance the night away. Pay a visit to the former home of Ernest Hemingway.

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It’s the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. Visit fish markets, restaurants. and retailers. Seethe interesting architecture and colorful décor around the financial district, and don’t miss the oldest dim sum house in America, the Hang Ah Tea Room, or the Golden Gate Bakery.

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The oldest continuously occupied European settlement in North America was founded by the Spanish in 1565. Many historic buildings still standing, like the Castillo de San Marcos, built in 1672, the historic city gate, and the Plaza de la Constitucion.

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Imagine a wild coastline, forests, beaches, and glacier-capped mountains with misty cliffs, waterfalls, and a temperate rainforest all in one location.

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The largest privately-owned home ever built in the United States is the former mansion of George Washington Vanderbilt. It sits on 8,000 acres with beautifully manicured gardens and its own winery. The 250-room French chateau-style mansion also has a bowling alley, 65 fireplaces, beautiful medieval tapestries, and an extensive library. On the grounds, you can visit a farm with a petting zoo, old fashioned toys, and farm equipment. Tour the winery, learn about the wine-making process, and enjoy a tasting.

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Visit a Bavarian village on the edge of the Cascade Mountains. Turned into a replica German village in 1960 to promote tourism, during the Christmas holidays the village transforms into a winter wonderland. It is often compared to a Bavarian snow globe. The annual Christmas Lighting Festival includes old fashioned caroling, Christmas characters, and dazzling lights.

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This mountain landscape and shoreline has been the backdrop for numerous Hollywood films such as Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the 2005 King Kong. Visit the soaring cliffs of the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, and Wailua Falls. 

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Visit the oldest state capital in the United States. This adobe city is known for its exceptional art galleries, museums, hand-made jewelry, and magnificent architecture. The adobe city is also famous as a haven for artists, including Georgia O’Keefe.

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This town, founded by a group of Dutch teachers in 1911, is in the Santa Ynez Valley and pays tribute to Danish culture and the literary hero Hans Christian Andersen. Visit shops, restaurants, and office buildings, built in the Danish style. Shop European imports, high-end arts & crafts boutiques, and visit the Santa Ynez wine country.

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Reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, the architecture of this location features decorative woodwork, detailed doors, and charming balconies. Enjoy skiing in the winter or hiking, trout fishing, and observing wildlife in the summer months.

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Go walking in alpine fields of colorful wildflowers, observe massive glaciers and waterfalls while you view this majestic 14,411-foot-high mountain. 

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Information source: https://www.tripstodiscover.com/18-exotic-places-to-travel-right-in-the-u-s/