Sometimes we get so caught up in travelling internationally we forget that there are a lot of great things to see right here in the United States. We have the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Western National Parks, LA, San Fran, Vegas, Chicago, New York, DC, Disneyland and Miami. It is important to see your own country as well. I can’t tell you how many people have told me that they’ve been to more countries than they have States in America. It’s kind of crazy to think about but not really.
The US is so big that it is hard to go to several places in one trip and certainly it is is difficult to see places in different geographical areas of the States. As a result of this, it can be very time consuming and expensive to get around in America. In fact, you could see about 30 different countries in Europe if you equated driving cross country in America to driving across Europe. Thats 30 places with totally different cultures, languages and people as opposed to America, where there are clearly cultural divides in areas of the US but you have a long way to go to get there.
I have been lucky enough to have traveled a lot of the US, having been to 38 of the 50 States thusfar, without even really trying. I traveled a lot for work in my early career to some of the more obscure states and I have also adopted the art of traveling for sporting events. My quest to see different stadiums and sporting events has taken me around the country to both pro and college sports towns in many different states. Why else would I have gone to Alabama other than to see a college football game or two, no offense to anyone in Alabama.
I do intend on seeing all 50 states at some point but it’s hard to motivate to see Montana when I could use that time to go to Guyana instead. But I have seen all of the US that I have wanted to see and plan to see more of the western parks when I have a family. I have seen all of the great buildings in our great cities and the monuments that make us proud. America doesn’t quite have the history that Europe and some other places do. The best places to visit are the modern attractions it seems. It’s funny because the most popular places for foreigners to visit are New York, Orlando and Vegas…New York I understand, but Disneyland and Vegas, I mean, common! This is what we are known for around the world. Marketing at its best I guess.
A lot of people love to drive cross country and I have driven across half of the country and I understand the draw but let me tell you. There is a lot of flat farmland out there that takes forever to get across. If you are coming to visit America, pick some places and get an airpass to fly between them-save some money and time. If you are in the Northeast, the train network is great and easy but certainly not cheap. It’s unfortunate that you can’t come close to seeing everything in one 2 week trip but pick a coast and then come back and visit America again. And if you’re an American who hasn’t seen anything in your own country, get out and see some great things in your own backyard.
God Bless AMerica!
loved the drive across the country-boring farmland and all. It’s amazing. Also, the norhtern route, through the badlands, and all of the western frontier is really beautiful!
New Orleans rocks, best city in America
rednecks rule! stars and bars 4 eva!!!!
lee first off u need to visit montana,as in glacier national park and also yellowstone north entrance is in montana,the town of gardier. i agree out west or western national parks are awesome as i have been to 12.there are 59 national parks. half the people visiting the usa national parks are from foreign countries as i know so many americans don’t even know where glacier or yellowstone are located some of them don’t even know that there are 50 states. i have been to 18 foreign countries. now visiting a foreign country is awesome experience most of the time. now if u only visit for 1-7 days that is nothing compared to living there. as i was stationed in germany for 40 month’s and 2 year’s south korea. so someone visiting lets say germany or in my case west germany i was there from1986-1990 when the berlin wall came down no euro just d.m and bonn was the capital. i can pick out american’s left and right as they are out of place they look lost. when they deal cards the deal to the left not right when they use a fork to eat they use it in a over as in the fork is flipped. i agree most foreigners visit orlando,vegas as these are 2 of the biggest tourist destinations also new york city,L.A.miami and key west i spent 1 week there right on duval street half of them are from foreign countries. i also visited about 8 countries in europe. when i got out of military i went back twice i even visited NATO HQ’S AND US EMBASSEY MY FAVORITE COUNTRY IS BRAZIL AND IT IS ALMOST AS LARGE AS USA IF U TAKE AWAY ALASKA. SPEAKING OF ALASKA THIS IS HIGH ON MY LIST SO IS HAWAII. AS I’AM A PHOTOGRAPHER AND I PHOTOGRAPH THE NATIONAL PARKS AND ALSO BEEN TO PANTANAL TWICE. BRAZIL HAS THE BEST BEACHES I HAVE ENCOUNTERED. I SEEN BEACHES IN SPAIN ITALY LIKE CAPRI AND I WAS NOT IMPRESSED. EVEN IN THE USA LIKE FLORIDA OR CALIFORNIA THEY ARE GOOD. BETTER THEN EUROPE BUT NOT AS GOOD AS BRAZIL. MAYBE HAWII HAS THE BEST IN USA. I SEE U WERE IN PANTAGONIA THIS WOULD COMPARE TO ARE NATIONAL PARKS OUT WEST YELLOWSTONE AND I KNOW THE ANDES ARE AWESOME. SO IS ALASKA. U NEED GO TO FLORINOPOLIS BRAZIL OR AKA MAGIC ISLAND AS THERE ARE 42 BEACHES ON A ISLAND THAT IS CONNECTED BY A BRIDGE FROM THE MAINLAND. ALSO FERNANDO DE NORONHA WHICH IS A ISLAND AND IS 1HR FLIGHT OF MAINLAND YOU CAN FLY OUT OF NATAL ANF RECIEF I HAVE BEEN TO BOTH OF THESE PLACES NOT FERNANDO DE NORONHA IT IS A WORLD HERITAGE SITE. I HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE AMAZON, RIO TWICE,S.P. TWICE S.P. IS TWICW AS BIG AS NEW YORK 11MILLION PROPER 20 MILLION GREATER AREA. WELL I SPOKE MY MIND