Americans of the playground, what do you love about America?

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

Hello all,

I think it's fair to say there is a large percentage of Americans on the board! I was hoping to get the advice of people who live in the US of A to share their thoughts on the "must see" or more off the beaten path places of America.

I was planning a trip to the north side of the pond (Decided against the title, Death comes to America during editing phase) and was hoping to get some hints from those in the know

At the moment, focus is on the East coast due to family but would like to hear ideas of places to add to the bucket list!

Cheers in advance
~Your friend the Reaper

[Razade]

I've lived in the Midwest, East Coast, South West and what I guess you could call the Deep South. A lot of the stereotypes about The United States (Don't call us Americans because Canadians, everyone from South America and Central America are Americans too) are false but some of them I've found to be more or less a universal thing. We're friendly, outgoing and loud and that's great. I've never felt more welcome than when in the U.S even though I've traveled the world. I find The Midwestern States to be the most welcoming and down to earth but that's probably bias as I was born in the Midwest. Some of the must see places, since that's what you're asking, are The Grand Canyon, Washington D.C (Everyone in the U.S should visit it too. You owe it to yourself to visit the Capital of your country), The Rockies and Niagara Falls. A couple good cities are Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Little Rock and Boston. People will tell you to visit New York City but everyone goes there. Go to some places that aren't Tourist Heavy. The U.S is a big place and each State has it's own culture and places that are "Must See" really.

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

I've lived in the Midwest, East Coast, South West and what I guess you could call the Deep South. A lot of the stereotypes about The United States (Don't call us Americans because Canadians, everyone from South America and Central America are Americans too) are false but some of them I've found to be more or less a universal thing. We're friendly, outgoing and loud and that's great. I've never felt more welcome than when in the U.S even though I've traveled the world. I find The Midwestern States to be the most welcoming and down to earth but that's probably bias as I was born in the Midwest. Some of the must see places, since that's what you're asking, are The Grand Canyon, Washington D.C (Everyone in the U.S should visit it too. You owe it to yourself to visit the Capital of your country), The Rockies and Niagara Falls. A couple good cities are Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Little Rock and Boston. People will tell you to visit New York City but everyone goes there. Go to some places that aren't Tourist Heavy. The U.S is a big place and each State has it's own culture and places that are "Must See" really.

Thanks Razade for the in depth reply!

There was a few ticks on your list, and glad to hear the midwestern bias. One portion of the trip (tried to keep specifics so people gave all ideas) was to come from Washinton DC and head in through Tennases and Arkansas and then down South to Housten.

Will have to check out the cities you have listed as well. Hoping to leave a day or so from when I've done the tourist sections to explore. Also thought checking with the online community would take away those travel agent bias ;)

Thanks once more!

[Amidus Drexel]

(Decided against the title, Death comes to America during editing phase)

At the moment, focus is on the East coast due to family but would like to hear ideas of places to add to the bucket list!

Now, that would have probably gotten my attention faster.

I'm not sure how much I can comment on places in New England, as I've not been north of Maryland in quite some time, but I'll see what I can do for you south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Well, let's see... If you like museums (or large statues/memorials), DC has quite a bit of both, and most of them are free. Food's good there, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg. Old-town Alexandria is very nice as well. Baltimore and DC are full of things to do, though you're best off minimizing the amount of time you spend driving in that area, as DC-area traffic is some of the worst in the country.

Virginia is littered with old battlefields, which are generally pretty nice to walk around. Williamsburg and Jamestown are good places for more "historical" bits of this and that (though I believe Williamsburg also sports an amusement park), while Virginia Beach has some more touristy entertainment. If you like theatre, Staunton's got the 'American Shakespeare Center', which puts on an excellent show. We've also got a bunch of dammed-up rivers that we call lakes, some of which are large enough to use boats on. Bealeton hosts a rather entertaining airshow over the summer. Let's see... there's a college in every two or three cities, and sometimes they host events of various natures. VA's also got a bunch of caverns - Luray Caverns is probably the most impressive, but the other ones are cool too.

Interspersed between VA and WV are some national parks that are worth driving through (or hiking some trails, if that strikes your fancy) - I'd personally suggest the Shenandoah National Park, but they're all good. West Virginia has Seneca Rocks, which is really cool. There's also some coal mining museums, including one where you get a tour of the actual mine itself (though sadly I can't remember which town that's in). Charleston's got a WWII memorial... and that's about everything in WV.

North Carolina has the Outer Banks, though they've been getting a lot of shark attacks recently. Asheville's got the Biltmore Estate and a handful of other interesting things.

South Carolina has Myrtle Beach (and some other beaches). Patriot's Point museum in Charleston offers tours of a WWII-era aircraft carrier and a submarine (which I highly recommend, if you have the opportunity). You can buy fireworks in SC, if that's something you enjoy (a lot of the shops are right by the NC border, too). I believe you can also take a tour of Fort Sumter.

Savannah, Georgia is a very pretty city (with some excellent food). If I'm remembering correctly there's a rather impressive Cathedral somewhere downtown, along with a few other sight-seeing bits. Georgia's also got Stone Mountain park, if you like lightshows or standing on very large rocks (I do recommend). Atlanta has some things to do as well, though it's been a while since I've been there.

Florida has the Everglades (and a bunch of lakes), where you can see all kinds of dangerous wildlife (read: alligators) from an airboat. You can also eat alligator; it's delicious. Amusement parks are scattered across the state, but Orlando's probably got the highest concentration of them. There's a lot of fairly calm beaches around St. Petersburg, and John's Pass has some great seafood on the boardwalk. There's also Miami and the Florida Keys, and more beaches than you can count on both sides of the state.

--
While not quite "East Coast", I'd also like to recommend Nashville, Tennessee, and the entire state of Colorado as awesome and must-see.

[Remmirath]

The only place on the east coast that I've been to is New York City, and indeed, I've not left Manhattan while I've been there. I haven't seen it at it's best, I'm sure -- I've always gone for a stage combat intensive which is held in the middle of summer -- but it is really probably my least favourite big city that I've been to. Hot as blazes (although one's mileage on that may vary), tends to be muggy, air hard to breathe, and so many people. That said, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is great, and I'm very fond of The Cloisters (technically a wing of the Met focusing on medieval art, but all by itself in upper Manhattan).

As far as places I'd say are great... well, I'm most well acquainted with my own state, so I suppose I'll throw in a mention for Pictured Rocks -- with the caveat that if you don't like boats, it may not be the best place, because the cliffs are by far the best seen from a boat. Most places on one of the Great Lakes are pretty nice; I personally find Lake Superior's coast to be the most interesting on average from what I've seen, but hey, they're all good. Sleeping Bear Dunes is an interesting area on Lake Michigan, which can also be very nice and relaxing, depending on where you're staying and what you're doing. Lots of good hiking around both there and in the Pictured Rocks area. If you like waterfalls, the UP in general has a fair amount of nice ones; Tahquamenon's probably the most outright impressive, but there are a lot of neat smaller ones in the Munising area. Mackinac Island's a fun and relaxing place to be, and does have some points of interest (old forts and other historical points, mostly, plus fudge and ease of walking/biking due to lack of automobiles). Of course, Michigan's pretty out of the way if you're mostly sticking to the east coast. Or, er, doing much of anything other than heading to Wisconsin or Canada...

Going further out, Chicago is nice as big cities go; I'm fairly fond of it. The lake front is generally the nicest part, and in my opinion, the Field Museum is one of the better natural history museums you'll find. The Art Institute is also quite interesting, and if you're going to be there longer, the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium have some cool things to see as well, as does the Museum of Science and Industry. If you actually like crowds and/or shopping, Navy Pier is probably neat; I don't like either of those things, so the Ferris wheel is the main attraction for me. The Sears (er, Willis) Tower and the Hancock Center both have interesting observatory decks, too, if you're looking for a high view of the city.

Niagara Falls is certainly something I'd count as a "must see" sort of place, but I tend to think of it from the Canadian side, so it almost didn't occur to me -- it's quicker to get to that side from where I am, so that's where I've stayed when I've been. One can walk all around to both sides, of course, assuming one has the whole day, a passport, and doesn't mind walking. It's an amazing thing to see, and a nice area to stay, to boot.

I hear from my brother that the Adirondacks are nice, also in New York state; I've not been to them personally, though. Mountains tend to be good. Also from him, I hear that the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina) are quite impressive, and that's not too horribly far from the east coast. If you're headed through Tennessee anyhow, that might be a good place to stop, since it might be on the way (depending on your route).

Oh, if you like caves, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico are both very interesting, albeit in different ways. Of course, if you're starting on the east coast and don't feel like hopping on a bunch of planes, those (especially Carlsbad) are probably too far away. There are a lot of interesting places down in the southwest, canyons and rock formations and caves and such, but it's fairly difficult to get to more than one of them on any one trip. Things tend to be spaced rather far apart.

Yeah, that's all I can think of! I'm sure you'll see some neat things no matter where you end up going; the US is a huge place, so there's plenty of stuff scattered about to see. I certainly haven't seen anywhere near all of it, not even in my home state.

[Neli42]

I'm also from the Midwest, though many would call it the North (MINNESOTA!!!!!!). I've also lived in the Intermountain West and the coastal South, and agree with Razade about the Midwest being welcoming. And I echo the use of "American" as a broader term, which I learned 25+years ago living in Argentina.

Chicago is a great city to visit with lots to see and do, and it's easy to get around. But don't bring a car. Parking rates are exorbitant. Better to take the train in and hoof it or take the el (elevated train). Get pizza at Pizano's. You won't be sorry. At Navy Pier there is a free stained glass museum that my family found fascinating. There's a zoo, an aquarium, the museum of science and industry, and the most amazing institute of art. Plan a whole day for that alone if you can.

Indianapolis as another good walking city, and is very clean, and there are several; unusual museums. And of course, you can time your visit to hit GenCon!!

I was amazed at how much there is to do in St. Louis. There is, of courser, the famous Arch, and also the equally famous zoo. There are botanical gardens, and a butterfly house, several museums, and walking tours.

Here in my home state, Minnesota, you can visit Gooseberry Falls, hunt for Lake Superior agates at Agate Beach, and tour Split Rock Light House. At Lake Itasca, visit the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Come to Fort Snelling and see reenactments of frontier lifestyle. Catch free concerts or a play in one of many local parks in the Twin Cities area. There are many beautiful lakes in Minneapolis in particular, developed for recreational use. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts boasts free admission for the standing exhibits (lots to see!). There are many other unique places to see, such as the Swedish Institute, and the places on this list.

I could go on. But I'll shut up now. Have fun! And welcome!!

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

Now, that would have probably gotten my attention faster.

Was just a bit worried it may have seemed like I was clickbaiting the views ;)
• Museums would be pretty high on the list, hadn’t thought of battlefields (not to many in Australia) but that would certainly be worth a look when around! I was planning to keep driving to a minimum if I could, due to those high density areas, and you crazy folk driving on the wrong side!
• The caverns peaked my interest, having studied geology, along with the theater places. Hopefully most don’t require pre booking, most likely something I would do on spur of the evening.  But just placing myself in the right place to be able to go see them is a good idea!
• Was thinking about the great smokey mountains, my partner wants to camp, never having done it, and doesn’t seem to find my idea of just kicking her out of a hotel as the true experience! I have now googled Shenandoah National Park as well, the proximity to DC, a place planning to visit is great though, as may be aiming to minimize travel, it’s a big country you have!
• South Carolina does sound good for fireworks and museums as well, not that it’d be worrying to admit it on this site, but I would enjoy to nerd out at the history side of things there!
• Stone Mountain park and the big rocks, you are a man after my own heart. As briefly mentioned I do love my rocks.
• Yeah, there is no getting by the amusement parks in florida and Orlando, I believe there is a big museum somewhere there too? May have to check travel guide book again.
• Love the idea of getting to see alligators, being Australian comes with the idea of seeing dangerous critters.
• May also make it to Nashville! The partner is into music, and wants to go to mephis, so may travel through Nashville on the way.
Thanks again for your advice! Cements in some plans as well as opening up other places!

The only place on the east coast that I've been to is New York City, and indeed, I've not left Manhattan while I've been there. I haven't seen it at it's best, I'm sure -- I've always gone for a stage combat intensive which is held in the middle of summer -- but it is really probably my least favourite big city that I've been to. Hot as blazes (although one's mileage on that may vary), tends to be muggy, air hard to breathe, and so many people. That said, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is great, and I'm very fond of The Cloisters (technically a wing of the Met focusing on medieval art, but all by itself in upper Manhattan).

Yeah, that's all I can think of! I'm sure you'll see some neat things no matter where you end up going; the US is a huge place, so there's plenty of stuff scattered about to see. I certainly haven't seen anywhere near all of it, not even in my home state.

Ah, pity to hear about you not favoring NYC, is one of the places with family, so was hoping to visit for cheap (read free) accommodation and tour guide there!
• I don’t mind boats, and do love geology, I am amazed I hadn’t heard of the painted rocks before
• Good to hear about the lakes, don’t worry, I keep all these threads in word documents. I have already given into the fact I may have to do a Canada/North north America, and West coast trip after naively thinking I could fit in all of America in one trip!
• Chicago does sound for the museum aquarium. I do love myself some museums. While crowds aren’t normally my thing, I imagine the pier would be good for people watching in a different land!
• Had heard of Niagara falls, it’s at the moment on that level of if I head further up north or save for another trip!
• Had put the smokey mountains on the maybe due to previously putting Yosemite park on before looking at a map ;) Have put in both Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns into the list too
Thanks so much Remmirath

Chicago is a great city to visit with lots to see and do, and it's easy to get around. But don't bring a car. Parking rates are exorbitant. Better to take the train in and hoof it or take the el (elevated train). Get pizza at Pizano's. You won't be sorry. At Navy Pier there is a free stained glass museum that my family found fascinating. There's a zoo, an aquarium, the museum of science and industry, and the most amazing institute of art. Plan a whole day for that alone if you can.

Indianapolis as another good walking city, and is very clean, and there are several; unusual museums. And of course, you can time your visit to hit GenCon!!

I was amazed at how much there is to do in St. Louis. There is, of courser, the famous Arch, and also the equally famous zoo. There are botanical gardens, and a butterfly house, several museums, and walking tours.

I could go on. But I'll shut up now. Have fun! And welcome!![/SIZE][/COLOR]

Thanks for the welcoming Neli! I’ll be sure to be more careful in my broad strokes. Will have to visit the South Americas at some point too. Hoping to tick of the 7!
• Pizano's pizza! Added it in. Not to mention probably will need to be doing lots of walking If the pizza is good, but will try to avoid driving when possible. Will have to see if I can swing us going a bit more North after yours and Rem’s statements
• St louis does seem close to my draft for where we are planning to. I like the idea of all the zoos, walks and even butterfly palaces that are available!
• You should almost work in the Minnesota tourist beuro! I will admit there is a lot of good stories about the mid North. I am tempted to bleed into the Canada/North holiday already.
Thanks a bunch once more, I will save the specific locations into my travel documents!

[Zrak]

The East Coast is a pretty big and pretty diverse area, both geographically and culturally. Florida has more in common with Georgia than it does Massachusetts, for instance. The Northeast gets kind of a bad reputation for its often-dreary weather and its supposedly brusque citizenry. Personally, after growing up in Colorado and living for seven years in New England, I've never really gotten the impression that New Englanders were rude or unfriendly, just that they were comparatively reserved. If anything, behind the superficial layer of street-greeting friendliness, I found Bostonians friendlier. If you can stand humidity, the weather's fine, although I've never really been the type who thinks of rain as dreary. Winters can be harsh up there, especially in terms of the sheer amount of wet, heavy snow. If you're looking for natural sightseeing, fall is probably the best time to hit the Northeast, although it's also the most crowded, since the spectacular "fall colors" of the changing leaves tend to coincide with family visits to the omnipresent universities. Boston is probably the most "major" city, and has a lot of cool historic landmarks and some great museums. Providence (Rhode Island) is its scrappier, hipper little brother, and about 45 minutes away by public transport. Portland (Maine) is like the weird kind of pretentious cousin who dropped out of college and is convinced he's a great poet.

New York city is the worst, but upstate New York and New Jersey are pretty cool. Upstate New York has some crazy swarms of fireflies, if you make it there in the right season. (Also, New York probably isn't really, literally the worst, but I'm obliged as a former Bostonian to say that it is.)

I think of Florida as a pretty awesome swamp with some stupid beaches in the way, but I think other people think of it the opposite way.

Tennessee is a great place to go through. The Smoky Mountains are beautiful pretty much year round, Graceland is there, and Gatlinberg is a fantastically gimmicky little tourist town. It has the world's largest hall of mirrors, which I found out turns into a legitimate, unsettling encounter with the sublime if they're playing '80s synthpop while you go through it.

Somebody else mentioned Asheville, North Carolina, which also has the distinctions of being called "The Boulder of the East" after Black Mountain college turned it into kind of a hippie center for a while. It's also a frequent winner and constant contender for being "Beer City USA," or something like that, thanks to a really active local brewing scene. All in all, I've heard it's a pretty cool place. On a similar note, Austin is kind of the same sort of hippie-ish enclave in Texas, and has a great live music scene. In particular, there's a lot of interesting, off-beat country and folk stuff, but it's enough of a music town that you can probably find most anything.

Further West, Colorado (where I grew up) is beautiful in different ways year round, though winter can be rough if you're not used to the cold. In the Eastern half of the state, there's the sort of "desolate beauty" of the plains, while the Western portion has more conventionally stunning mountains and rock formations, along with a different sort of desolate beauty as things get more arid out towards Utah. Going West down Interstate 70 is probably the most scenic drive in America, especially if you can get lucky and hit a little fog. A lot of people come in the early fall to watch the Aspen leaves change color. Once you get, like, five minutes out of the main cities, you really can't drive more than a few miles without an exit to some hiking trail or scenic overlook or something. Denver is a fairly standard big city, with a little more of the old-West influence than a lot of them. Boulder, on the other hand, is a crazy town full of hippies and train-hopping crust punk kids. Also, if you like beer, pretty much everywhere in Colorado has a lot of great breweries. If you're into whiskey, local distilleries are starting to be a big thing, but only like half are really any good.

North and East of Colorado, you can stop at my tribe's reservation in White Cloud, Kansas. I think we have a casino, now, and this one church in our town was mentioned in a Don DeLillo novel. Wyoming is sort of like a test you have to pass to get to Yellowstone. I'm honestly kind of fond of farms and fields, so I don't mind it, but most people think it's really boring. In any case, Yellowstone is really cool and worth the drive even if you aren't the type who appreciates the kind of empty beauty of farmland.

South of Colorado, you have New Mexico and Arizona. Both are pretty, if you appreciate desert scenery. New Mexico has more of an art scene, especially Santa Fe and Taos. It also has Roswell, which is a super rad town that really makes the most of the supposed UFO crash there. Roswell is also pretty close to Carlsbad Caverns, which, as Remmirath said, is pretty cool if you like caves. Arizona isn't as fun, overall, but somehow got the Grand Canyon, which honestly really is cool.

• Yeah, there is no getting by the amusement parks in florida and Orlando, I believe there is a big museum somewhere there too? May have to check travel guide book again.

I don't know about a big museum overall, but somewhere outside of Orlando is a museum with the largest collection of Dalí art in the world. It's pretty cool.

A lot of the stereotypes about The United States (Don't call us Americans because Canadians, everyone from South America and Central America are Americans too)

Mexico is officially called The United Mexican States. The only acceptable shorthand is, clearly, "of." Citizins of of are properly called ofians.

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

If you can stand humidity, the weather's fine, although I've never really been the type who thinks of rain as dreary. Winters can be harsh up there, especially in terms of the sheer amount of wet, heavy snow. If you're looking for natural sightseeing, fall is probably the best time to hit the Northeast, although it's also the most crowded, since the spectacular "fall colors" of the changing leaves tend to coincide with family visits to the omnipresent universities. Boston is probably the most "major" city, and has a lot of cool historic landmarks and some great museums. Providence (Rhode Island) is its scrappier, hipper little brother, and about 45 minutes away by public transport. Portland (Maine) is like the weird kind of pretentious cousin who dropped out of college and is convinced he's a great poet.

I love your description of Providence & Portland. We got a few of those pretentious hipster cousins as well in Australia

• I am not too fussed with most weathers, been to the humid/freezing climates, just got to pack well.
• Will be sure to check out the fireflies, thinking around October for the trip. Later you mention may be crowded in Autumn, but if that is the great time to go, would be worth a visit.
• Good to see Shrek would like florida with all it’s swamps!
• Gatlinberg being on the Smokey Mountains mean it wouldn’t take too long to be unsettled as well, those type of fun tourist gimmicks are good now and then!
• My google map foo is increasing with all these names. DC Washinton, Virgina into Ashfield to mountains seem like a fairly easy to follow route. Heard there are greyhounds for transport, though may need to look up renting a car for out of the way places
• Colorado sounds wonderful! It is a bit more Western, but those breweries sound good, and Texas is the end point, so could loop back a bit to see the Aspens as we will be going in Autumn.
• While I am not really much for gambling, I can always set up the “not in Kansas anymore” line, and it is always cool when you have physically been in a place reference in literature/movies!
• Looks like Arizona lucked out then by getting the grand canyon! I had planned for the grand canyon and sneaking more west prior, but was worried about the great distances and timelines. Would be great to see the Caverns (and UFOs)
Thanks for your detailed response!

[Telonius]

If you're interested in unusual geological formations and off-the-beaten-path places, Panama Rocks (in Panama, New York - upstate New York) is a great place to visit. Not very tourist-y; I've visited several times when I was living in Northwest Pennsylvania and went back once a couple of years ago. It's not all that far from Niagara Falls, if you're headed up that way. It's definitely worth a side trip.

[Dienekes]

Having lived here, basically my whole life, I have never heard anyone object to being called "American" before, in reference to living in the States. Is it inaccurate, yeah, probably, but that's still what we call ourselves.

Outside of legal documents, I have never heard anyone refer to themselves as "Citizens of the United States" just "Americans"

[Closet_Skeleton]

"citizen of the united states" isn't any more specific than "American" due to the United Mexican States existing. Some guys gave a country a stupid name due to not really caring and now they're stuck with it.

Around 1950 it was even more non-unique but that got fixed by 1967.

I'd like to visit the USA again but it seems too big for any trip to do it justice outside of unobtainable to me ideas about trying to busk and hitch hike through it.

[Peelee]

Don't call us Americans because Canadians, everyone from South America and Central America are Americans too

And yet we're the only ones with "America" in our name. Globally, "American" means "denizen of the United States." I don't think the vast majority of any of the other populations on the American continents really mind all that much, either (I could be wrong, but really, that's a bit of a silly thing to get up in arms about).

Anyway, to answer the question, I really love just how insanely gung-ho stereotypical Americans are. Things like, "on a scale of 1 to America, how free are you tonight," or throwing eagles freaking everywhere, or literally not being able to spend at least one hour without seeing an American flag somewhere. The ridiculously over-the-top sense of national pride is kind of an awesome thing. We're the new kids on the block, internationally speaking, and we'll be damned if we're not the rootinest, tootinest, bestest damned country out there!

It's fun, is what I'm saying.

Though I could do without the Deep South stereotypes, myself.

EDIT: Wait, no. Forget all that. When you go to a restaurant, you get free refills on coke. Done. End of story. Best country in the world, no contest. Nothing else anyone can say will compare to this. You know what's on the East Coast? The World of Coke, in Atlanta. It's like Disneyland, but better. You should go. I'll come with. We can make a day of it.

[Razade]

• Looks like Arizona lucked out then by getting the grand canyon! I had planned for the grand canyon and sneaking more west prior, but was worried about the great distances and timelines. Would be great to see the Caverns (and UFOs)
Thanks for your detailed response!

I currently live in AZ and there is a lot more to do here than just The Grand Canyon. Phoenix is an awesome city and the Northern part of the State has a great deal of Nature Preserves that aren't Desert.

And yet we're the only ones with "America" in our name. Globally, "American" means "denizen of the United States." I don't think the vast majority of any of the other populations on the American continents really mind all that much, either (I could be wrong, but really, that's a bit of a silly thing to get up in arms about).

I can tell you not just from personal experience but knowing a lot of other people abroad. People that aren't from the U.S aren't fond of us taking the term "American".

[Zrak]

Okay, well, the poetic term for the USA was "Columbia," so we can be Columbians. No problems there, right?

[Archonic Energy]

as a "tourist"
New York was good.
DC was good
Baltimore was good
Johnson City was good
Myrtle Beach was good
Phili was good
the americans are good.

was that helpful
*misses with Cricket Bat*

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

If you're interested in unusual geological formations and off-the-beaten-path places, Panama Rocks (in Panama, New York - upstate New York) is a great place to visit. Not very tourist-y; I've visited several times when I was living in Northwest Pennsylvania and went back once a couple of years ago. It's not all that far from Niagara Falls, if you're headed up that way. It's definitely worth a side trip.

Thanks Telonius! I will admit to enjoying rock formations (not at the level of rock-lickers, but close!)

Anyway, to answer the question, I really love just how insanely gung-ho stereotypical Americans are. Things like, "on a scale of 1 to America, how free are you tonight," or throwing eagles freaking everywhere, or literally not being able to spend at least one hour without seeing an American flag somewhere. The ridiculously over-the-top sense of national pride is kind of an awesome thing. We're the new kids on the block, internationally speaking, and we'll be damned if we're not the rootinest, tootinest, bestest damned country out there!

It's fun, is what I'm saying.

Though I could do without the Deep South stereotypes, myself.

EDIT: Wait, no. Forget all that. When you go to a restaurant, you get free refills on coke. Done. End of story. Best country in the world, no contest. Nothing else anyone can say will compare to this. You know what's on the East Coast? The World of Coke, in Atlanta. It's like Disneyland, but better. You should go. I'll come with. We can make a day of it.

From this i take it my traditional tourist attire should go down well

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And wow, those coke addicts have nothing on you!
As long as you get free coke trials on those weird flavours that come and go too quick,

I currently live in AZ and there is a lot more to do here than just The Grand Canyon. Phoenix is an awesome city and the Northern part of the State has a great deal of Nature Preserves that aren't Desert.

Didn't mean to marginalize the whole of AZ, was just the GC was on the bucket list!

as a "tourist"
New York was good.
DC was good
Baltimore was good
Johnson City was good
Myrtle Beach was good
Phili was good
the americans are good.

was that helpful
*misses with Cricket Bat*

I would say that was 406 runs good reasons AE

[Peelee]

I can tell you not just from personal experience but knowing a lot of other people abroad. People that aren't from the U.S aren't fond of us taking the term "American".

And i can reply in kind that not just from personal experience but knowing a lot of other people abroad, people don't really seem to care. We clearly know different people.

From this i take it my traditional tourist attire should go down well

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And wow, those coke addicts have nothing on you!
As long as you get free coke trials on those weird flavours that come and go too quick

Indeed, I applaud your wardrobe. And coke is tasty. The weird flavors I'll try at the World of Coke, but that's about it. Coke, Cherry Coke, and the Sprite and Dr. Pepper.

[SouthpawSoldier]

What I love about my home is the variety.

I grew up in the southern part of the Willamette Valley. If I drove an hour to the west, I'd be on the coast; temperate rain forest, tide pool, weather a balmy 70-80F. An hour east, and I'm at 7K ft of elevation, in ski country, exploring lava beds and dormant volcanoes in the summer (NTM Crater Lake). To the south was Oregon Caves, a massive cave network. Far east was desert; sparse landscape of sagebrush.

I would go so far as to say that the variety of climates, cultures, and peoples across my country rivals Europe as a continent. I've also lived in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Hawaii and California for extended periods, and have traveled through or visited at least a dozen others. Even within the same state, there's huge social and language differences between cities and regions. A Texan from Dallas doesn't sound or think the same as one from El Paso or one from San Antonio. Don't you dare confuse a Humboldt County Californian with one from San Francisco.

Best areas to visit all depend on your interests. To me, one major metropolitan center is the same as another; there may be regional differences, but these are usually washed away by the cities' desires to import culture. Take the food scenes of New York, LA, and Vegas. They all try to boas of the best Italian, Spanish, French, etc foods. Small towns is where your find foods that are culturally endemic; pasties from the northern Midwest region; grits and gravy from the South; PNW line-caught salmon.

Each state has it's own history and culture as well. Western frontier attitudes and ruggedness; the clannish but welcoming natures of small towns in the Midwest and south (where a family that's lived in the town for 2 generations is still known as "the new folks", but treated as extended family). Northern folks and their taciturn nature. These are stereotypes for a reason.

[Peelee]

grits and gravy from the South

Do not have grits if you come to the south; it is a vile and cruel trick perpetuated on the people for little reason other than to enjoy the suffering of others. Do not fall into this trap.

[SouthpawSoldier]

If you don't like grits, someone must've cooked 'em wrong. I love grits. With a little sawmill or redeye on top, and an egg; heck, I like grits with nothing but butter and some black pepper. And always make more than you need; one of my favorites growing up (I was raised in OR, but my family mostly hailed from Missouri) was leftover grits. They solidify some in the fridge; slice it thin and fry the slices in butter for a play on Johnny cakes. Delish.

Now, collard greens; whoever came up with that trash should be drug out into the street and shot for crimes against humanity. The same for marshmallows on sweet potatoes.

[Peelee]

It's not the flavor, it's the consistency. Grits feel like vomit in my mouth, which you can imagine is a terrible experience. Same for cooked spinach. Raw abalone was similar, but felt like a huge wad of phlegm, which was honestly worse (though cooked abalone was amazingly delicious).

Spoiler: A proper view on grits

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[Scarlet Knight]

Hmm, what would an Australian geologist like to see?

1) the Grand Canyon
2) the Badlands / Black Hills
3) Mount St Helen's ( I assume Hawaii is too much)
4) Finish with Yosemite for Old Faithful with the bonus of seeing some animals big enough to give a "salty" indigestion!

Or youse can visit just New York, but I warns ya... you probably won't wanna' leave.

[Zrak]

Now, collard greens; whoever came up with that trash should be drug out into the street and shot for crimes against humanity. The same for marshmallows on sweet potatoes.

Whaaaaaaaat? Collard greens are the best. Just like grits, they can be made poorly, but if they're cooked right, they're delicious.

Marshmallows on sweet potatoes really are terrible, though.

It's not the flavor, it's the consistency. Grits feel like vomit in my mouth, which you can imagine is a terrible experience.

So it's more the sort of polenta-grits-&c. family of textures with which you take issue? If so, you can enjoy the high-flying world of delicious exotic grits recipes.

[SouthpawSoldier]

Hmm, what would an Australian geologist like to see?

1) the Grand Canyon
2) the Badlands / Black Hills
3) Mount St Helen's ( I assume Hawaii is too much)
4) Finish with Yosemite for Old Faithful with the bonus of seeing some animals big enough to give a "salty" indigestion!

Or youse can visit just New York, but I warns ya... you probably won't wanna' leave.

Another bump for Crater Lake. Volcano caldera turn lake, with a new cone growing in the lake.

If one can manage a trip to Big Island, it really is worth it. Just plain gorgeous.

[SowZ]

Sounds like you won't see Colorado. And of course natural wonders are more interesting. (The Fairy Caves adventure tour is pretty neat.) But if you come out west and pass through Denver, Casa Bonita is a fun place to have dinner. If I'm on that night I could even give you a tour of Black Bart's Cave as the notorious outlaw himself.

[Zrak]

Hey! Hey. Casa Bonita is in Lakewood, bub. Don't you take this away from us. Ever since the Chinese restaurant with fiber-optic Christmas trees hanging from the ceiling closed down, it's all we have.

For the uninitiated, Casa Bonita is, factually speaking, the best restaurant in America and also the world.

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

Thank you everyone for all the responses!

Have a lot of geological sites and food now for my list!

[SowZ]

Hey! Hey. Casa Bonita is in Lakewood, bub. Don't you take this away from us. Ever since the Chinese restaurant with fiber-optic Christmas trees hanging from the ceiling closed down, it's all we have.

For the uninitiated, Casa Bonita is, factually speaking, the best restaurant in America and also the world.

Fair enough. If you decide to swing by I'll make it up to you by snagging you some free Sopapillas.

[Zrak]

Sopapillas from Black Bart himself! This is the greatest day of my internet life.