I just got back from a vacation that took me to 12 states (if you count D.C.) and two countries (U.S. and Canada). I drove 2,496 miles and the worst bit of road I encountered in all that time was the first 40 miles of I-85 upon entering North Carolina from Virginia. Even in upstate New York, northern Vermont and Canada, where winter freezes give them an excuse, the worst roads were better than what greets visitors entering our state on this hideous stretch.
Now for a bit of travelogue. I have a weakness for visiting great, old hotels. I always put them on my tourist-stop list. Here are two that set the standard: Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY, and the Mt. Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, NH, where they held the post-war monetary conference.