THIS IS NOT AN ENTRY! I recently won a giveaway and would like others to have a shot:
Favorite spot in recent memory is Lake George, NY. My best friend owns a campground 10 minutes from there and the area is a perfect combination of beauty and civilization. I've spent many months traveling the area, going hiking, mowing lawns, and swimming in the many lakes in the area. Beautiful place.
However, as beautiful as Lake George is, nothing can beat the pure glory of TRUE upstate NY, namely the area around Buffalo. My mother grew up in that area and I used to visit it when I was much younger. The last time I saw it was '06, and I miss it constantly. The scenery is untamed and wild, unlike Lake George, and the people are much poorer, but they are easily the nicest people I have ever met. There's no theme parks or big lakes or attractions...but I remember the little things that made it worth while: eating buffalo wings at a restaurant across the street from my aunts house...shooting skeet with my grandpa...watching fields of cornfields explode in brightness as thousands of fireflies flickered. If anywhere in America is God's country, that area is it.