Queens, New York At No. 1 On Must-See U.S. Destinations For 2015 List

Leading travel guide publisher, Lonely Planet crowned “Queens, New York,” one of the most diverse county in the world, as America’s No. 1 travel destination for 2015.

Home to over 2 million people, Queens is the city’s 2nd-most populous borough behind Brooklyn.

Travel advisers at the magazine lauded the borough’s cultural and culinary diversity.

“Browse New York’s biggest Chinatown in Flushing, shop for brilliantly colored saris in Jackson Heights, and inhale the heady aromas of coffee and hookahs in Astoria.”

Regis St. Louis, who contributes to Lonely Planet’s USA guidebooks, said Queens was a diamond in the rough with its famous attractions and now word-of-mouth has made it more popular.

“Increasingly, people are looking for more personal experiences and you can find them in Queens. You get a local flavor that is lacking in a more touristy part of Manhattan,” he said.

Following Queens in Lonely Planet’s quirky Top 10 prestigious list were western South Dakota; New Orleans; the Colorado River; North Conway, NH; Indianapolis; Greenville, SC; Oakland, Calif.; Duluth, Minn.; and Mount Shasta in California.

The Top 10:

— Queens, NY

— Western South Dakota

— New Orleans

— Colorado River

— North Conway, New Hampshire

— Indianapolis

— Greenville

— Oakland

— Duluth, Minnesota

— Mount Shasta, California