As the 4th largest country in the world, the USA is pretty hard to fit in one box and defies any attempt to define it in a few words. Where to begin? As a travel destination, it´s a multi-ethnic melting pot that offers all kinds of authentic cultures that come in many different guises. And all of them consider themselves to be American. The granddaddy of all metropolises is New York City, the symbol of the east coast and flag-bearer of USA´s role as defender of the western world. The cultural imprint the USA has left on the rest of us is also not insignificant, especially during more recent years. Broadway is just one example of how New York has helped to set the standard for theatre and live performances since the first performance of Oklahoma in the ’50s got people´s feet tapping and set the bar for musicals for many years afterward. Nothing sums up the image of New York and, indeed, 21st-century urban life more succinctly than its iconic yellow cabs crawling along the crowded city streets. Life in the fast lane!
The contrast between the USA´s teeming cities on the east and west coasts and America´s heartland, the Midwest and Chicago, could hardly be more striking – especially if you take a trip inland to the farmlands of Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma; this is rural America. Here, where patriotism flourishes and the bonds to these people´s roots, towns, and state are still strong, visitors are welcomed with open arms and an exuberant and genuine brand of hospitality is so wonderfully American. These were the lands of the pioneers who migrated west to build a new life, and later the places that witnessed mass migration to California in the 1930s during the Great Depression. That alone, makes it an important part of the USA we know today.
All the way out on the west coast lies the sunshine state of California. Until recently, it was governed by a former Austrian bodybuilder, has some of the strictest gun laws in America, and has a population that is renowned for its ”laid-back” approach to life. To sum it up in a few words, there´s no shortage of things to do and see in this land that gave us burgers and soul, pop and milkshakes and so much else that we´ve almost forgotten where it all came from. The snowy slopes of Colorado, hectic buzz of New York, hipsters of Chicago, Californian babes, or art deco hotels of Miami, Florida swamps, Disneyland and much, much more provide plenty of reasons to travel to the USA. Pick your theme. And if it starts to sound a little overwhelming, with all those great options to choose from, we hope you´ll find inspiration and guidance here to select just the right one for you in this amazing country. But remember, it´s a big country with many different “personalities”. One trip is never enough!
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