What are your favourite American States?

[SqueakMcGeek]

I'm planning a trip to the U.S with a friend when it's possible to do so. It's an enormous country with so many States and I can't decide where to visit. Texas is a must do for us for various reasons but which other States would you recommend we visit? What's your favourite?

I appreciate that we will only be able to see a little of each State, considering the size of many of them and wanting to visit at least a few, but we can cover more on another trip.

Where would you recommend?

Yes this! Washington state is pretty...

With 8 weeks I’d be including Alaska and Hawaii.

WOW 8 WEEKS! (Sorry, was typing my novella as you posted that.) How wonderful! I'm so excited for you!

In that case, have you considered hiring a caravan ("renting an RV" here)? You can get a driveable one (not that you pull behind a car) with no need for any additional licence or training, if you hold a driving licence in any country that uses the Latin alphabet.

DH and I hired an RV and drove across the Southwest several years ago, and it was lovely. We only had 2 weeks though! There are hundreds of camping parks all across the USA where you can stay for the night for only a few dollars.

Check out www.cruiseamerica.com for rentals/rates, and look at koa.com/ for camping sites all over the country. You can usually also park for next-to-nothing in National and State Parks.

@Doublestar

Place marking! My personal choice would be Maine - I've always wanted to visit there and go to Nantucket, Martha's vineyard etc.

I've only ever been to NY and Florida.

I have a friend who moved to Washington for 2 years - she's never come back home! (that was 8 years ago!)

Martha’s Vinyard is pretty enough - reminds me of a 1950s seaside town - it’s a day trip though (not worth staring there). Now where’s the Vanderbilt house again - that’s a sight to see (my grandma would have loved it, it’s so blingy!)

I'd second PPs mention of New Orleans. It's a great place to visit. Equally, if you're heading to California I'd recommend 17 Mile Drive in Monterey. It's gorgeous there.

I spent 3 weeks in Alaska alone, and 3 in Hawaii. I wouldn't add those to a continental US trip, personally.

National parks are fab if you like big road trip. If you're doing Texas though that's massive and you may want to stick fo the South. Florida is pretty amazing (the everglades etc) It's like visiting Europe, you have to choose an area and hope you can come back to do the rest.

If you can dip into the states next door, pretty fascinating

Thank you all for the wonderful advice and tips. I really appreciate it.

We're going to drive though may take a flight or two if we want to visit the other side of the country from where we are at the time.

We like good food, it doesn't have to be fancy, museums and galleries, music, shopping in independent stores. Great scenery and watching wildlife.

@MrsHamlet

I've been to all of them and they're all fascinating and different. The Dakotas, and the Great Lakes states are high on my list to revisit.

So jealous! I'm at 41! Would have been at 49 now if it wasn't for covid!

I loved Kentucky!

If I had 8 weeks and wanted to start in Texas I think I'd stick with the Deep South - Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana - maybe work my way up the east coast from Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky and then New York, new england etc.

I did my 50th for my 40th... ended with Hawaii.
We accidentally drive into a trainer's yard in Kentucky and ended up getting a tour :)

We'd love to see a football game. Perhaps College football so we'll have to time it for that. It'll probably be late Summer.

You may find the food situation a bit of a shock...it's only really like what you'd normally expect in major seaboard cities and Chicago. You may need a while to acclimatise to American salad, cheese and wine, unless you're in some of the most chichi and Europeanised parts! NYC, Boston and Philadelphia are great for food though, as is a lot of California.

Basically: always check how your salad is coming, and what's on it, before it arrives; and hold the cheese! I always forget every time I'm in the US and end up shocked by my first couple of salads (eg. being presented with half an iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing poured all over it...)

Having said that, you can have some of the most excellent Italian, Chinese, Filipino etc. food in NYC and Philadelphia that you will ever taste.

Art-wise if you can, see some of the museums and galleries in NY, Boston and Chicago. Amazing. Just walking around in those cities is fab. But choose things that are particularly American, as if you're coming from the UK the "historical" stuff will never impress just because it's old. However the atmosphere of the different cities and places will, and it's worth just immersing yourself in the local culture. Bear in mind the weather, too it's HOT in the summer, and NYC, DC etc. are nicest in the early autumn and horrid in August.

Arkansas. It’s really, really beautiful. Also New Mexico and Colorado are great. We lived in Oklahoma for a few years, and in all honesty it’s no beauty, but we did some amazing road trips to the surrounding states!

Oh, and South Dakota too. The Black Hills we’re some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on. Plus Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Devils Tower (the mountain from Close Encounters) just over the border in Wyoming.

The glory of the US is that it’s so incredibly diverse. It’s like a dozen or more different countries joined together by a common language. The New England states are as different to the Great Plains states as the Pacific North West is to Texas, or as California is to West Virginia.

If I had to nominate a favourite state, it would probably be Massachusetts, but I also love Louisiana for the food & music or Arizona for the incredible scenery or....

Florida is the only state I don’t plan to return to. Awful climate and too many of the wrong sort of British tourists.

I miss my amazing holidays in the US.

@Mrsfrumble

Arkansas. It’s really, really beautiful. Also New Mexico and Colorado are great. We lived in Oklahoma for a few years, and in all honesty it’s no beauty, but we did some amazing road trips to the surrounding states!

I've never explored Arkansas? Anywhere particular you'd recommend?

@SqueakMcGeek

We'd love to see a football game. Perhaps College football so we'll have to time it for that. It'll probably be late Summer.

College football starts end of August. It is really fun to see a game, especially if they have a good marching band. The games are long though. They are all over the country.

Baseball games are also very long but IMO worth seeing. I wouldn't bother seeing a big name team - I'd just see a team that has cheaper tickets. (I live in Maine and I'd never go to see the Boston Red Sox because it's so expensive, but I often see the Portland Sea Dogs for about $15 a ticket.) Eating fried dough and hot dogs and drinking crappy beer is a big part of the experience. Some games they do fireworks at the end.

Possibly not the right timing if you're not there in winter, but I adore ice hockey games. The atmosphere is great.

Other things I'd add. US schools go back mid August to early September, so if you can hit the national park after that, they'll be a lot less crowded. The overcrowding in places like Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon, Acadia National Park (Maine) is a real downer.

Also, probably my favourite ever experience in my US travels was Antelope Canyon. Unbelievable. You have to book a timed tour, and if you can get one at the end of the day you won't be quite so rushed through it.

If you can, go to Texas the musical in the Palo Duro canyon.
It was a spontaneous side trip - cheesy but worth it.

Lucky you !

I agree with Texas. As a previous poster said go to Huston, Austin, San Antonio, Galverston etc.

Go see the bats in Austin
www.atlasobscura.com/places/austin-congress-bridge-bats

100% New Mexico! I lived in the states for along time and did a few long road trips and that was my absolute favourite.

Next time I go to Texas I'm planning to visit some hot springs...
thedyrt.com/magazine/local/hot-springs-in-texas/

I stayed here in Texas for one night: www.kiepersol.com/

Fabulous.

Best steak I've ever eaten was just outside Pierre, South Dakota.

I love the Carolina’s. I ‘ve only done the East Coast ( top to bottom) so can only comment on that.

I agree with a PP who said do what you can’t get in the U.K./ Europe.

I think the Southern states are pretty unique. The alligators and swamps and the weird climate feel special. The black/white history feels very different too. The little things with clapperboard houses and porches. I really liked the pelicans flying over near the sea.. Like flying dinosaur. Never sunbathed on a beach with those before.