After spending the past two years not being able to travel freely, wherever we wanted, many Americans are packing their bags and hitting the road! Today is the first official day of summer and vacation season is upon us. And despite high gas prices and pricey airline tickets, we all have that special vacation spot in mind. So where do people in Iowa want to travel to the most? The folks at Zippia found out with some help from Google.

Zippia used the information from Google Trends and figured out each state's top travel destination for the summer of 2022. The number one most researched travel destination in the United States for this summer is Mexico. According to Zippia, every single state had a least some interest in a trip to Mexico. Other popular choices were Canada, the Bahamas, and European countries like Germany and Italy. But the number one destination for Iowans? Pack your bags for the Dominican Republic!

via Unsplash
via Unsplash
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So what makes the Dominican Republic so popular? What, you mean other than the white sand beaches and clear waters? USA Today points out that the Dominican offers more than just all-inclusive resorts. If you're into that scene you can stay near Punta Cana. The north coast of the country is great for hiking and water sports. The south coast features more resorts but also local towns you can explore. And the capital city of Santo Domingo is a bustling city of over 2.5 million people.

Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic? If so let us know how your time was and why it is a must-visit destination no matter which state you live in!

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To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

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