As insults are traded and celebrity backers paraded ahead of the US elections on 4th November 2008, North American travel specialist TrekAmerica takes a light-hearted look at the states represented by the presidential candidates for some clues on who might win.

In the Red Corner, for the Republicans:

Arizona (represented by John McCain) and Alaska (represented by Sarah Palin) Arizona and Alaska are two of the new kids on the block as far as US states go, being the 48th and 49th states to be admitted to the Union.

They are also two of the least densely populated, so visitors can expect uninterrupted views of jaw-dropping wilderness scenery.From deserts and canyons to glacial peaks, mountains, forests and lakes, these two states contain about as many different landscapes as you can imagine. Arizona is the second most-visited state on the tours run by TrekAmerica and our sister company Footloose. Alaska, on the other hand, is the only US state we dedicate entire tours to. Together, they pack a mighty punch.” Sample packages:

Wild West tour - which includes time to hike around the Grand Canyon National Park, sample the Old West lifestyle with a riding and overnight Cowboy Camp adventure and experience the cactus-studded horizons of the Sonora Desert.

Alaska Wonder - a 14-day tour encompassing the best of Alaska’s interior and coastal regions. Spend days exploring Denali National Park - home to Mount McKinley and a number of grizzly bears and elk - and the mysterious region of Kenai Fjords National Park where killer whale dorsals can be spotted and the explosive cracking of carving glaciers and be heard.

In the Blue Corner, for the Democrats:

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If none of these take your fancy, you could always head to Mount Rushmore – The famous faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are depicted in this famous rock sculpture in South Dakota.

Washington D.C. – The U.S. capital, with its iconic buildings and memorials is a stop on several TrekAmerica tours or Virginia – The home state of George Washington, first president of the United States.