Backpacking in America, USA Travel Guide, Travel Destinations in USA

America Travel Guide

America is a huge country and one which millions of travellers visit each year. With every conceivable kind of destination available within its vast area you can find the perfect places and activities to suit your needs. Whether it’s a city break in New York, the beautiful waterfalls of Niagara or beach heaven in California you’re guaranteed to find what you’re looking for.

WHERE TO GO?
New York City
Cities don’t come much better than NYC. It’s got world recognised landmarks, top class entertainment and so many shops you won’t know who to give your card to first. Every corner you turn you see an icon; yellow taxis, giant pizza slices, NYC cops. Stroll down Broadway and take in a matinee show, soak up the atmosphere in Times Square, head over Brooklyn Bridge to Billyburg. There’s far too much to do to mention it all here, just make sure you go and see it for yourself.

Grand Canyon
One of the Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon is not to be missed. Famous the world over, it takes your breath away no matter how many times you visit. Carved out by the Colorado River, it spans 277 miles in length, 18 miles wide and more than a mile deep. It is MASSIVE! Make sure you stay there for sunset for sunrise, there aren’t many better experiences out there.

California
Sun, sea, sand and beautiful people. California has the lot. If you have a limited time to spend in the US then California is a great place to come as it combines some beautiful beaches, vibrant cities and mind blowing National Parks. Of the beach destinations Huntington Beach, or ‘Surf City’ as it’s better known, is my favourite. Take your pick of the cities from San Francisco, LA and San Diego as they all have a great deal to offer, though for me the hippy charm of San Fran took the biscuit. Then there’s the plethora of National Parks to choose from with Yellowstone and Yosemite equally stunning in their environment and surroundings. Looking out across Yosemite from Half Dome is a sight to beyold.

Other great destinations include:

Try not to be too naughty in ‘Sin City’, Las Vegas.
The iconic Niagara Falls
The vibrant city of Boston
Soak up the beauty of Lake Tahoe
Santa Barbara in California

WHAT TO DO?
How do you pick a ‘top 5 things to do’ for somewhere as huge as America? I’m sure there’ll be outcry when people read this but i’ve pulled out just a few of the great exepriences i’d recommend if you’re travelling in America.

Try and catch a wave in ‘Surf City’ – Huntington Beach
Go and see an Ice Hockey match at Madison Square Garden in New York City
Pop open a bottle of wine and watch sunset over the Grand Canyon
Pull up a chair at a roulette table in Vegas and try your luck
Go and play with the alligators in the Everglades National park

CULTURE
America is a real mish mash of cultures and it’s hard to pick out the true American culture from the huge influences from the various other places that people in the country have come from. However, this certainly isn’t a bad thing as you get to sample cultures from all over the world within the same city in many cases.The key is to go with an open mind and expose yourself to everything you can. This is a strength of America, not a weakness, so make sure you make the most of it!

HOSTELS
Accommodation in the USA can be expensive if you don’t choose wisely. Hostels are certainly the safest option but you might also consider some motels or bed and breakfasts in more rural places where hostels are slightly harder to come by.

GETTING THERE
You won’t find a better connected country in the world than the US. Wherever you’re flying from you’ll be able to get to where you want to go in this massive country within 2 flights. There’s no excuse!

LANGUAGE
The national language is English but there are such a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities in America that there is an almost endless amount of languages used across the country. Spanish is also extremely prevalent due to its proximity to Mexico and Central America.

FOOD & DRINK
As with the language, there are so many cultures throughout the US that you can find almost any cuisine if you visit the right parts. Renowned for its love of fast food, burgers, chips and pizzas are certainly popular but there is much more depth than that. Again, mexican specialities like burritos are extremely popular, but if you look hard enough you can find anything from japanese to Lebanese.

That said, the one food related quote that continues to resonate with me from my visits to the States is ‘Gimme a slice guy!’ as the New Yorkers so eloquently requested a piece of their favourite pizza!

CURRENCY
Americans use the US Dollar, the conversion rate of which at the time of writing can be seen below: