After a scenic and wildlife overload? Then Jackson Hole is your spot. Photo / 123RF
After a scenic and wildlife overload? Then Jackson Hole is your spot. Photo / 123RF
Everyone loves a good USA trip. It's cheap to fly there, cheap to travel and it really does have a tonne for you to see.
But what if I said, that many of you are doing it all wrong?
Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York are all great cities and certainly worth a visit. But what if you want to find those spots that really show you what America is?
Coming from someone who has lived in the US for two years, spent the past six years travelling and who also just finished a two week Grand Southern road trip, I want to share with you where the best bits of America really are.
Here are the places and highlights you can't miss.
The Grand Canyon - even better than in photographs. Photo / 123RF
This is a no brainer. One of the world's Seven Natural Wonders. There is no picture that will ever do justice to the first feeling you get when setting eyes on the Grand Canyon. Want a different perspective, rent a mountain bikes to ride the rim, find your own cliff to have a picnic or take a chopper across the gorge!
2. MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH
This is a part of America that still looks exactly as it did more than 3000 years ago. Photo / 123RF
Imagine a vast, earthy and untouched desert offering panoramic views that have stood the test of time. Rich in Native American history and culture, this is a part of America that still looks exactly as it did more than 3000 years ago. Don't forget to find the exact spot where Forrest Gump stopped running, to recreate your own Run, Forrest Run moment.
3. JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING
No filter required. Photo / 123RF
After a scenic and wildlife overload? Then Jackson Hole is your spot. Located in basically the middle of America, this is where you can expect to see everything from bears and moose, to the Grand Tetons, white water rapids and geysers spewing from the Earth.
Plenty to see in New Orleans beyond Bourbon Street. Photo / 123RF
Anyone who has been will agree, New Orleans is like no other part of America. This is where you will find endless festivities, southern cuisine and locals that are always full of smiles.
Don't be surprised if you see a jazz ensemble busking on the corner, out the front of your 200-year-old restaurant.
A swamp tour. Photo / 123RF
New Orleans is a city built on Creole culture and history, so everything from the food to a walk down the street feels like a party.
Be sure to take the Old Trolley around the city for a full view of its fascinating Colonial Architecture and head out on an Alligator Swamp Tour in an old fan powered swamp boat.
5. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
Experience the rugged California coast on the Pacific Coast Highway. Photo / 123RF
Big Sur, Yosemite, Redwood Forest, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara. I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip, it truly is one of the best you can encounter. Start in Los Angeles, finish in San Francisco and in the space of a few days you can travel between two major US cities and expect to see everything from ocean cliffs, Californian desert to 1000-year-old forests.
6. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Forget the casinos - there's more to do outside of the city. Photo / 123RF
Chances are if you are coming to America, Vegas is probably on your itinerary. For good reason, it is a city that never sleeps and has the best of everything. Michelin restaurants, world class shows, the biggest nightclubs, corny wedding chapels. You only need two-three days at Vegas, but if you do it right that is more than enough.
My recommendation, get off the strip during the day for some Dune-Buggying through the desert and then start your night out in a stretch hummer along the strip!
7. ANYWHERE IN UTAH
A summer evening at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. Photo / 123RF
Zion, Moab, Bryce, Arches National Park, Bonneville Salt Flats, Park City. If you want to feel like you are in a wild west movie, Utah is the place for it. Home to rock formations you have to see to believe, travelling through Utah is a must on any road trip, where you won't even need to leave your vehicle to feel impressed. Just remember to bring your own alcohol, Utah is a Mormon State.
8. DURANGO, COLORADO
You'll find plenty of winter and summer activities in Durongo, Colorado. Photo / 123RF
Colorado is a state you should certainly get familiar with. Not for the legal marijuana dispensaries, but the mountains, laid back lifestyle (did I mention dispensaries) and all of the outdoor adventure you can find.
On my last trip I was lucky enough to white water raft through Durango, however Colorado is also home to 58x14ers (a mountain range that measures 14,000ft), so combined with some of the best weather, you will find plenty of winter and summer activities to keep you outdoors.
Cadillacs become monuments at this Texas ranch. Photo / 123RF
Texas is the second largest state in the US and you better believe they are proud of it! Big trucks, big hats and big belt buckles should be your average outfit. It should also be no surprise, that there is a piece of farm land on the side of Route 66, where you can find a bunch of Cadillac's buried nose first into the ground! A US trip doesn't feel complete until you have had a beer with a Texan while watching a live country singer, so add it to your list.
10. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Does this place look familiar? Photo / Flickr, Tony Hoffarth
Well let's face it, you are going to be coming here anyway, whether in transit or as a final destination. So why not include some off the beaten path gems. Potato Chip Hike will give you a view like no other, Malibu State Park you can hike to the original M.A.S.H set and see exactly where the series was filmed while enjoying incredible views and cliffs to climb and 'The Bridge to Nowhere' hike is an old highway that literally finishes into a side of a cliff, which you can now bungee jump off. Or if you are short of time, be sure to check out the Venice Beach Canals. A series of canals inspired by Italy's Venice, hidden just one block away from the beach.
