Due to the vast size of the US, this page can hardly do justice to provide you with every detail of must see and must do's. We'll keep it relatively simple and give our list of USA Top 25.

 

NEW YORK CITY

Home to artists, wall street moguls and immigrants from every corner of the globe, New York City is constantly reinventing itself. It remains one of the world centers of fashion, theatre, food, music, publishing, advertising and finance. A staggering number of museums, parks and ethnic neighbourhoods are scattered through the five boroughs. Do as every New Yorker does: hit the streets. Every block reflects the character and history of this dizzying kaleidoscope, and on even a short walk you can cross continents.

 

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Geological wonders abound - from geysers and fluorescent hot springs to fumaroles and bubbling mud pots. Abundant wildlife - grizzlies, black bears, wolf packs, elk, bison and moose, roaming across some 3500 sq miles of wilderness. Pitch a tent in Yellowstone’s own Grand Canyon, watch wildlife in Lamar Valley, admire the Upper and Lower Falls, wait for Old Faithful to blow and hike through the primeval, fuming landscape for a real taste of what is truly the Wild West.

 

SAN FRANCISCO

Amid the growth, fog and clatter of old-fashioned trams, the diverse neighbourhoods of San Francisco invite long days of wandering, with great indie shops, fabulous restaurants and bohemian nightlife. Highlights include a trip to Alcatraz, strolling across the Golden Gate and dining inside the Ferry Building. And you must take at least one ride on the trolley.

 

NATIONAL MALL

Nearly 2 miles long and lined with monuments and marble buildings, the National Mall is the epicentre of Washington, DC’s political and cultural life. In the summer, music and food festivals are staged here, while year-round visitors wander the halls of America’s finest museums lining the green. For exploring American history, there’s no better place to ruminate, whether tracing your hand along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or ascending the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

 

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Acadia National Park is where the mountains meet the sea. Miles of rocky coastline and even more miles of hiking and biking trails make this wonderland Maine’s most popular destination, and deservedly so. The high point (literally) is Cadillac Mountain, a 1530ft peak that can be accessed by foot, bike or vehicle. Early risers can catch the country’s first sunrise from this celebrated summit. Later in the day, cool off with a dip in Echo Lake or take tea and popovers overlooking Jordan Pond.

 

NEW ORLEANS

Caribbean-colonial architecture, Creole cuisine and a jubilant air of celebration seem more alluring than ever in the Big Easy. Nights are spent catching Dixieland jazz, blues and rock amid bouncing live-music joints, and the city’s riotous annual festivals (Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest) are famous the world over. ‘Nola’, as the city is known, also celebrates its myriad culinary influences. Feast on lip-smacking jambalaya, soft-shelled crab and Louisiana cochon (pulled pork) before hitting the bar scene on Frenchman St.

 

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

The sheer immensity of the canyon is what grabs you at first - a 2-billion-year-old rip across the landscape that reveals the earth’s geological secrets with commanding authority. But it’s Mother Nature’s artistic touches, from sun-dappled ridges and crimson buttes to lush oases and a ribbon-like river, that hold your attention and demand your return. To explore the canyon, take your pick of adventures: hiking, biking, rafting or mule riding. Or simply grab a seat along the Rim Trail and watch the earth change colours before you.

 

LOS ANGELES

A perpetual influx of dreamers, go-getters and hustlers gives this sprawling coastal city an energetic buzz. Learn the tricks of movie-making during a studio tour. Bliss out to acoustically perfect symphony sounds in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Wander gardens and galleries at the hilltop Getty Museum. Enjoy perfect beaches for that LA sun-kissed look.

 

CHICAGO

The Windy City will blow you away with its architecture, lakefront beaches, top-notch dining scene and world-class museums. But its true mojo is its blend of high culture and earthy pleasures. Is there another metropolis that dresses its Picasso sculpture in local sports-team gear? Where the demand for hot dogs equals the demand for North America’s top restaurants? Winters are brutal, but come summer, Chicago fetes the warm days with food and music festivals that make fine use of its waterfront.

 

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

A drive along America’s western coastline is road-tripping at its finest. In California, Hwy 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway, Hwy 101 and I-5 pass sea cliffs, idiosyncratic beach towns and a few major cities: laid-back San Diego, rocker LA and beatnik San Francisco. North of the redwoods, Hwy 101 swoops into Oregon for windswept capes, rocky tide pools and Ecola State Park. Cross the Columbia River into Washington for the wet-and-wild Olympic National Park.

 

SANTA FE

Santa Fe is an old city with a young soul. Art lovers have flocked to Canyon Rd and the downtown galleries for years, but openings in the Railyard Arts District and Midtown have added a vibrant edge. Art and history partner up in style within the city’s museums, and the food and shopping are first-rate. With that turquoise sky as a backdrop, the experience is darn near sublime. Artists also converge in the adobe city of Taos, where the vibe is quirkier, inhabited by ski bums and sustainable-architecture-loving Earthshippers.

 

EVERGLADES

The Everglades unnerve. They don’t reach majestically skyward or fill your heart with the aching beauty of a glacier-carved valley. They ooze, flat and watery, a river of grass mottled by islands of trees, cypress domes and mangroves. To properly explore the Everglades – and to meet the prehistoric residents, like the snaggle-toothed crocodile – you must leave the safety of land. Push a canoe off a muddy bank, tamp down your fear, and explore the waterways on the Everglades’ own, unforgettable terms.

 

PHILADELPHIA

Philly is often overlooked in the pantheon of great American cities, which is a real shame. It’s a beautiful place, its streets dotted with gracious squares linked by cobbled alleys. As the ‘birthplace of American government’ – where the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 – history abounds (the Liberty Bell! Ben Franklin’s office!). But it’s not all about the past: the dining scene in Philly has heated up way beyond the famed cheesesteak sandwich. A democratic selection of restaurants lurks on every corner, and many are reasonably priced.

 

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY

The Golden State is home to more than 100 wine regions. The rolling vineyards of Napa, Sonoma and the Russian River Valley lure travellers north from San Francisco. Sample a world-class cabernet in Napa, enjoy a picnic in laid-back Sonoma, or cap off an outdoor adventure with a pinot noir near the Russian River.

 

THE CATSKILLS

Although the original flower children may now have grandkids of their own, their free-spirited ethos lives on in the indie-loving towns of this picturesque region in upstate New York. In recent years there’s been an influx of creative farm-to-table restaurants, artisan breweries and distilleries, and a growing array of arts collectives and high-profile concert venues. This beautiful region also happens to be prime leaf-peeping territory during the fall, a hiker’s paradise in the spring and summer, and an ample playground for winter sports.

 

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Meander through wildflower-strewn meadows in valleys carved by rivers and glaciers, whose hard, endless work makes everything look simply colossal here. Thunderous waterfalls tumble over sheer cliffs, ant-sized climbers scale the enormous granite domes of El Cap and Half Dome, while hikers walk beneath ancient groves of giant sequoias, the planet’s biggest trees. Even the subalpine meadows of Tuolumne are magnificently vast. For the most sublime views, perch at Glacier Point on a full-moon night or drive the high country’s dizzying Tioga Rd in summer.

 

SEATTLE

A cutting-edge Pacific Rim city with an uncanny habit of turning locally hatched ideas into global brands, Seattle has earned its place among the ‘great’ US metropolises with a world-renowned music scene, a mercurial coffee culture and a penchant for innovation and political progressiveness. But, while Seattle’s trendsetters rush to unearth the next big thing, city traditionalists guard its soul with distinct urban neighbourhoods, a homegrown food culture and what is arguably the nation’s finest public market, Pike Place.

 

SOUTHWEST NATIONS

The Southwest is home to an array of Native American sites. To learn about America’s earliest inhabitants, climb into the ancient clifftop homes of Ancestral Puebloans at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. For living cultures, visit the modern-day Pueblo of Taos, or Arizona’s Navajo and Hopi Nations. As you’ll discover here and in regional museums, many designs have religious significance.

 

DETROIT

Today’s Detroit has a contagious, freewheeling energy. Downtown, seek out restored art deco skyscrapers, whimsical public parks and edgy street art, as well as sports venues for all of the city’s major teams. Motor City’s automotive past comes to life at places such as the Packard Plant, the nearby Henry Ford Museum and the River Rouge Plant, the sounds of Motown and jazz ring from historic venues, and restaurants ranging from vegan soul diners to Polish bakeries showcase the city’s diverse heritage.

 

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Sadly the main attractions at Glacier National Park are melting away. There were 150 glaciers in the area in 1850; today there are 25. But even without the giant ice sheets, Montana’s sprawling national park is worthy of an in-depth visit. Road warriors can manoeuvre the thrilling 50-mile-long Going-to-the-Sun Road; wildlife-watchers can scan for elk, wolves and grizzlies; and hikers have 700 miles of trails, trees and flora – including mosses, mushrooms and wildflowers – to explore.

 

MIAMI

Miami seems to have it all. Beyond the stunning beaches and Art Deco Historic District, there’s culture at every turn. No other US city blends the attitude of North America with the Latin energy of South America and the rhythm of the Caribbean. Throw in African American heritage, a gastronomic edge, pounding nightlife, a skyline plucked from a patrician’s dream and miles of gorgeous sand, and you’ve got yourself the Magic City.

 

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Named for the heather-coloured mist that hangs over the peaks, the Smokies are part of the most visited national park in the US. The pocket of deep Appalachian woods is split between Tennessee and North Carolina, protecting thickly forested ridges where black bears, white-tailed deer, antlered elk, wild turkeys and more than 1600 kinds of flowers find sanctuary. Nearly 10 million people a year come to hike, camp, ride horses, cycle, raft and fly-fish, though it’s easy to lose the crowds if you’re willing to walk or paddle.

 

LAS VEGAS

Beneath the neon lights of the Strip, this city puts on a dazzling show: dancing fountains, a spewing volcano, its Eiffel Tower. Beneath it all is the seductive charm of the casino, where the fresh-pumped air and bright colours share one goal: separating you from your money. Step away if you can for fine restaurants, Cirque du Soleil performances, the Slotzilla zipline and the Mob Museum.

 

ROUTE 66

Launched in 1926 and known as the Mother Road, this ribbon of concrete running from Chicago to Los Angeles was the USA’s original road trip, and it still offers classic, time-warped touring. Motor along past 2000 miles of vintage Americana, stopping to dig into thick slabs of pie in small-town diners and to snap photos of roadside attractions such as the Snow Cap Drive-In, the Wigwam Motel, the neon signs of Tucumcari, the begging burros of Oatman, AZ, and the Gemini Giant, a sky-high fiberglass spaceman.

 

MICHIGAN GOLD COAST

Michigan’s 300-mile western shoreline is a charming collection of beaches, dunes, wineries, orchards and inn-filled towns, all set against the clear blue waters of Lake Michigan. Dutch-inspired Holland is a kitschy highlight, full of windmills, blue-and-white pottery and spring tulips. Meanwhile, in Harbor Country towns such as Harbert and Sawyer, ‘Green Acres’ meets Greenwich Village for a bohemian farm-and-arts blend of local antique shops, galleries, boutiques, bakeries and restaurants.