United States holidays

The National Parks Service (NPS) protects 63 of the country’s most wondrous landscapes, including giants like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Zion. Other parks, like North Cascades in Washington or Bryce Canyon in Utah, may be lesser known but are no less spectacular. If you plan to hop between parks, spring for the America the Beautiful pass, which gives you free entry to any NPS location.

One of the most American things to do in the USA is to get behind the wheel and drive. You’ll find short, scenic routes everywhere, from the Oregon Trail (US-20) to the Blue Ridge Parkway connecting North Carolina and Virginia. If you’re in it for the long haul, take historic Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago for a combination of wide, open vistas and Americana.

This country takes fun to supersized proportions. The Disney parks in California and Florida are like entire cities in themselves, while Universal Studios and Six Flags specialise in high-production thrill rides. For amusement on a smaller scale, spend a day at a local fair or ocean boardwalk. You might ride a Ferris wheel, marvel at a cow carved out of butter or sample all manner of fried food on a stick.

Seeing live music can be one of the most soul-satisfying ways to experience American culture. After all, this is the birthplace of everything from honky-tonk to hip-hop. Cities like New Orleans and Chicago boast legendary music scenes, with historic clubs that book gigs seven days a week. Country, blues and bluegrass thrive in the south, while New York City still welcomes the world’s top rap artists.

What America lacks in ancient relics, it makes up for in early and mid-20th-century architecture. With their futuristic curves, sharp lines and expanses of glass, these masterpieces can be found in places like Miami, New Haven and Palm Springs. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright left his modernist mark all across the country, but most famously at his former home in southeast Wisconsin.

The National Mall is a jumping-off point for seeing Washington, D.C.’s most important museums and memorials. New York City’s Statue of Liberty welcomes four million visitors a year — get to Battery Park early to catch a sunrise view. Don’t miss the Grand Canyon, arguably the country’s most spectacular landscape — and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

If you’re seeking a sandy, sun-soaked getaway, the best beaches in the USA can be found in Florida, southern California and the Hawaiian Islands. For rockier, more dramatic beaches, follow the coastline north to Washington and Oregon in the west and Maine and Rhode Island in the east. Don’t overlook the beaches of the Midwest. Lake Erie and Lake Michigan are so vast they resemble oceans.

Whatever natural setting you seek, you’ll find a top example of it here. Among the most memorable landscapes are the misty forests in the northwest, eerie deserts in the southwest and the massive glaciers of Alaska. Hike, bike or raft your way through the wilderness of your choosing. Or pitch a tent under the stars — the USA is credited, in part, with the invention of recreational camping.

You can’t leave New York City without wandering the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or leave Washington DC without touring the Smithsonian. Smaller museums in the USA celebrate homegrown talents like The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle. The Heard Museum in Phoenix and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe spotlight works created by Native American artists.

The restaurants in the USA serve cuisines from around the world, plus all kinds of creative culinary mashups. Each region offers some can’t-miss speciality. Think lobster rolls in New England, gumbo in Louisiana, fish tacos in southern California and chilli-flavoured everything in the southwest. Barbecue may be the closest thing America has to a national cuisine, with different regions claiming the title of best in the country.