Where is fab in the USA?

[ElizabethinherGermanGarden]

I know there's a huge choice!

DSD has shown an interest in going to America next summer for a holiday. I've only been to north California coast, but she and DP have been to LA and New York, Boston, Cape Cod etc. DSD will be 21 next year, so we're not talking theme parks and doesn't have to be child-friendly.

I love holidaying with both of them and would be interested to try somewhere new - I usually default to Greece. If you've been somewhere that you think would be fab for two weeks in August (school holidays only for me), please suggest.

Clearwater Beach in Florida is amazing. Lovely place, gorgeous beach, plenty of excellent bars and restaurants, we loved it.

I've done two American road trips that I really enjoyed. One from Seattle to San Diego. The other from Chicago to New Orleans. Both had really beautiful and interesting stops along the way.

Another vote for the Deep South! Nashville-Memphis-New Orleans. Just incredible.

August will be blindingly hot in Texas or the Southwest so be aware of that (Grand Canyon is at elevation and much more tolerable). Summer is perfect for Yellowstone and the Tetons, the PNW, or New England. I would not do Yosemite in august because it's affected by fire season.

I'm a townie, and I just loved Seattle! I would willingly live there if it were possible. Lived in NYC for a while in the Eighties and have visited Boston at the same time, they are both places I would love to return to. Wish I'd got to Washington DC and New Orleans.

Yosemite. See the Giant Sequoias in Sequoia & Kings Canyon Nat’l Park. Drive Highway 1 along the coast and stop at Hearst’s Castle, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur. It’s one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Also, there’s the 17-mile drive in Monterey-Carmel that’s also stunning.

I don’t know how it compares to the others, my suggestion is Miami and driving down through Everglades National Park and down through each of the islands in the Keys. It is amazing. Driving over the crystal blue ocean. The last island Key West has a lovely party side and the best beach, like the ones you see in paradise type films in Fort Zachary State Park, plus a butterfly sanctuary, Ernest Hemingway’s House and the most southernmost point of continental USA from which you could see thunder storms at night happening at sea. I drove down in a day, doing Everglades in the morning, lunch at Robbie’s in Islamorada with their huge fish and in Key West by evening. It was a small part of our holiday but I wish I had stretched it to a week. I stayed at an adults only hotel in Key West, with a swimming pool which I’d be happy to recommend.

oh and tons of the best tasting Key Lime Pie everywhere!

If you like the outdoors, the national parks are the way to go. We live on the east coast and just finished a 4 day rafting trip in dinosaur national monument after Rocky Mountain np. Colorado is great. The big parks - Yellowstone, Yosemite and sequoia are stunning.

Multi day kayaking trip in San Juan islands is a highlight too and can include Seattle, Ranier and Olympic np's in the same trip.

For more relaxed trip, Acadia and Maine coast and Vermont would be great

If you are going in august, do consider the weather in your plans. Some parts of the United States, including the part of the Midwest where I live, tend to be barely habitable in august. We are once again under a heat advisory. It’s over 100 today and it feels like there is a blanket of air pressing on your lungs when you step outside because we have high humidity. We have the a/c on 24/7 and I’m working in my basement home office where it is nice and cool.

northern states, high elevations, or coastal areas are going to be much more pleasant in august.

Florida in August is very, very, hot and humid. We're did Key West one August and never walked more than about half a mile without stopping for a drink or ice cream. You will just sweat continuously.

Even places like Virginia can be a shock compared to the UK.

On the other hand, if it's a dry heat, I'm happy at 40+ degrees and the desert states are great.

I love small town America. I've driven thousands of miles around the Mid West and beyond. Illinois and indiana have beautiful covered Bridges. I bought Bill Brysons book (hilarious BTW) Notes from a big country and looked at that to get ideas.

Currently in USA myself, and have travelled about 2000 miles.

Philadelphia - lovely city, Washington and Chicago.

I'm currently planning a trip to take in Las Vegas, Los Angeles then a cruise to take in San Francisco, Monterey, San Diego, Escenada and back to LA.

For something a bit different you could try ferry hopping from Seattle to the San Juan Islands and even pop over to Vancouver Island with a stop in Victoria which is a lovely city. Great whale watching opportunities here too.

Also the national parks are fantastic. I would do a loop around Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier.

The Oregon coast is amazing, wild coast line, long sandy, quiet beaches and cute towns.

We roadtripped the Deep South and it was amazing. Particularly Savannah, Charleston and Nashville. Lots of history, culture and very lively. I was 24 (the trip was inspired my my love of sweet home Alabama…) when we went and had the time of my life.

the Florida keys are incredible as well, absolutely beautiful and a great beachy holiday.

Alaska cruise out of Seattle. Wonderful scenery and wildlife, whale watching, bears and glaciers.
August is a good time to go.

This is identical to the trip I had booked before Covid hit ☹️

Looking to rebook it for next year instead!

Seattle/Portland/Columbia River Gorge/Oregon coast - Seattle is a great city with lots to keep you busy for 3-4days. Oregon has been the filming location for the Twilight movies (and The Goonies!!). The Oregon coast is absolutely stunning.

Nashville/Memphis/New Orleans - amazing cities with plenty to see & do. Grand Old Opry in Nashville & fab bars with live music. Elvis & Civil Rights history in Memphis. New Orleans is just cool, and if you time it right, you may see a parade!

Orlando/Miami/Florida Keys - I honestly love Orlando & all the theme parks. And then head to Miami for a few nights for amazing food, beaches & nightlife. Drive down to the keys for some fun & relaxation. Key West has a vibe unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been.

I just had a brilliant city break in Chicago.

Clean (vs. London, Paris or New York), excellent food, lots of outside space (for a city), architecturally interesting.

People comment that it's not the safest... but I was brought up in the rough (at the time) part of London, so I didn't feel unsafe at any point.

Texas- Austin and San Antonio (not Dallas one of the most boring places on earth)

A lot of these suggestions will be ridiculously hot in August. We've travelled a huge amount across the US and in summer I would avoid the Deep South, Florida, the Midwest and the southwest i.e. about half the suggestions on this thread.

Places that are lovely in August include anywhere on the the Pacific coast from Seattle all the way down to San Diego. Washington, Oregon and California are gorgeous states to visit in summertime, because they're not humid (unlike the entire Eastern seaboard, the south and the middle part of the country). Go inland though and it's really hot. Drive east from San Francisco and by the time you reach Sacramento it will be 100 degrees. Tahoe is gorgeous, but both it and Yosemite will be very hot, which isn't ideal if you want to hike. There is also wildfire risk in all these places in summertime, but that may be a risk you're willing to take.

Yellowstone and the Tetons are also amazing. You can fly to Salt Lake City from the UK, hire a car and drive north. You can stay on a dude ranch and pretend to be cowboys, go white water rafting, see bison and bears, it's gorgeous, nothing else like it.

I've never found places being very hot whilst on holiday a huge issue. I've been to Florida and Texas in July/August and it's been fine - I think it's very different moving leisurely around tourist attractions than it is living your general life. Other people's mileage may vary though.

Pretty much everywhere.
Hard to go wrong.
Hope you have an amazing time
Good luck