The Most Popular Ice Cream Flavor in Each State

iStock/Tatomm
iStock/Tatomm

Summer is almost here, and as scorching hot days become more prevalent, so will the opportunities to eat ice cream. Familiar flavors like vanilla and chocolate can be found in every part of the country, but in some states, unique specialty flavors reign supreme over the classics. To see which ice cream flavor your state prefers, check out the graphic below.

WorkWise Software compiled this list using Google Trends to determine which popular ice cream flavors are searched the most in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Unsurprisingly, vanilla and chocolate are two of the most-searched ice cream varieties, but neither flavor claims the top spot. That distinction belongs to cookies and cream, which topped search results in 14 states.

The list also includes a few flavors that are hard to find outside specific regions. Superman ice cream, a swirl of blue, red, and yellow, is most popular in its home state of Michigan. In Pennsylvania, residents are searching for a state specialty called teaberry ice cream, which is pink and tastes like a wintergreen mint.

After reading through the full ranking below, check out our list of the best ice cream parlors in each state.

Map of most popular ice cream flavors by state.
WorkWise Software

Get Excited for Fall With This Interactive Peak Foliage Map

Kirkikis/iStock via Getty Images
Kirkikis/iStock via Getty Images

The season of scarves, sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything is almost upon us. No matter how you feel about the end of summer, it's hard not appreciate the colorful foliage when it reaches its peak in autumn. Those red, orange, and gold leaves may be visible outside your window sooner than you think; the interactive map below from SmokyMountains.com shows you exactly when to expect them.

Fall foliage normally peaks sometime after the autumnal equinox, which falls on September 23 in 2019, but exactly when depends on variables like rainfall and temperature. Each year, the tourism website SmokyMountains.com looks at weather forecasts and historical trends from NOAA and puts together an interactive map showing when foliage is predicted peak across contiguous U.S.

Warmer temperatures have led to peak foliage occurring later in the season. In 2019, Northern New England, a place famous for its leaf-peeping, will see the brightest leaves around October 5. Peak foliage won't reach the rest of New England until October 12. Around October 26, parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, and Illinois will be treated to the most spectacular leaves of the season, and in Southern states like South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, peak foliage won't begin until November 9. By November 30, the fall foliage will have passed its peak everywhere but along the Gulf coast.

By sliding the scale beneath the map, you can see when foliage is expected to peak in your part of the of the country. You can also use the tool to plan trips around the changing leaves.

"We believe this interactive tool will enable travelers to take more meaningful fall vacations, capture beautiful fall photos, and enjoy the natural beauty of autumn," Wes Melton, the site's data scientist and CTO, said in a statement. "Our nationwide fall foliage prediction map is unique—it is one of the only fall leaf tools that provides accurate predictions for the entire continental United States."

If you can't pick just one destination to take in the foliage this fall, you don't have to—a train ride or a road trip are some of the best ways to see as much of it as possible.

The Most Popular Beard Style in Each State

Khosrork/iStock via Getty Images
Khosrork/iStock via Getty Images

Whether you’re planning to grow a beard to flaunt with flannels or protect your face from the soon-to-be crisp breeze, one thing’s for sure—you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing what it’ll look like. To give you an idea of what’s en vogue in your area, take a look at The Black Tux’s map of the most popular beard styles across the nation.

The breakdown is based on Google Trends data, which shows which style of facial hair is most often searched for in each state. And it’s not strictly beards: you can also find your favorite mustaches in the results.

The Black Tux map of popular beard by state
The Black Tux

Now, just because hordes of people happen to be Googling the Fu Manchu mustache in Ohio and Pennsylvania doesn’t necessarily mean that all (or even many) of those people actually end up growing one, but we dearly hope that they do.

Bafflingly, Californians don’t go for the so-called Hollywoodian as much as they go for a good chin curtain beard, while Texans do choose it above all others. Soul patches apparently steal the hearts of many Kansas residents, but no other state seems particularly fond of them. And, though many of the balmy southern states shy away from heavy facial hair, Louisiana loves a full beard. The Black Tux thinks residents may be influenced by the legendary beards of Duck Dynasty’s Robertson family.

Flashy facial hair styles like the Fu Manchu and handlebar mustaches certainly make the map more fun, but the overwhelming takeaway from the statistics is that most people are pretty traditional when it comes to which designs they’re willing to sport on their faces. The most popular styles in the highest number of states were the classics: 15 chose the goatee, followed by 10 for a regular mustache, and five for a full beard.

The Black Tux state list of most popular beards
The Black Tux

Regionally, the goatee reigned supreme in the south, northeast, and midwest, while the western states mostly went for the mustache.

The black Tux regional map of popular beards
The Black Tux

Will this autumn be the season you finally decide to fully partake in pogonotrophy—the act of cultivating facial hair? If this map didn’t convince you, maybe these reasons will.

[h/t The Black Tux]

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