The Rough Guide to the USA: Travel Guide eBook

By Rough Guides

This USA guidebook is perfect for independent travellers planning a longer trip. It features all of the must-see sights and a wide range of off-the-beaten-track places. It also provides detailed practical information on preparing for a trip and what to do on the ground. And this USA travel guidebook is printed on paper from responsible sources, and verified to meet the FSC’s strict environmental and social standards. 

This USA guidebook covers: New York City, The Mid-Atlantic, New England, The Great Lakes, The Capital Region, The South, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, The Great Plains, The Rockies, The Southwest, California, The Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii.

Inside this USA travel book, you’ll find: 

• A wide range of sights – Rough Guides experts have hand-picked places for travellers with different needs and desires: off-the-beaten-track adventures, family activities or chilled-out breaks
• Itinerary examples – created for different time frames or types of trip
• Practical information – how to get to the USA, all about public transport, food and drink, shopping, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, tips for travellers with disabilities and more
• Author picks and things not to miss in the USA – Redwood National and State Parks; Glacier National Park; Sweet Auburn, Atlanta; The National Mall, Washington DC; Walt Disney World, Orlando; Skiing in the Rocky Mountains; Las Vegas, Yellowstone National Park, The Grand Canyon; Hawaii Volcanoes
• Insider recommendations – tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money, and find the best local spots
• When to go to the USA – high season, low season, climate information and festivals 
• Where to go – a clear introduction to the USA with key places and a handy overview 
• Extensive coverage of regions, places and experiences – regional highlights, sights and places for different types of travellers, with experiences matching different needs
• Places to eat, drink and stay – hand-picked restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels
• Practical info at each site – hours of operation, websites, transit tips, charges
• Colour-coded mapping – with keys and legends listing sites categorised as highlights, eating, accommodation, shopping, drinking and nightlife
• Background information for connoisseurs – history, culture, art, architecture, film, books, religion, diversity
• Fully updated post-COVID-19

The guide provides a comprehensive and rich selection of places to see and things to do in the USA, as well as great planning tools. It’s the perfect companion, both ahead of your trip and on the ground. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Mar 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9781835290811

Rough Guides

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about--having either traveled extensively or lived there--and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

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GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Where to go

When to go

Author picks

Things not to miss

Itineraries

Sustainable travel

BASICS

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food and drink

Festivals

The outdoors

Sports

Travel essentials

THE GUIDE

1New York City

2The Mid-Atlantic

3New England

4The Great Lakes

5The Capital Region

6The South

7Florida

8Louisiana

9Texas

10 The Great Plains

11 The Rockies

12 The Southwest

13 California

14 The Pacific Northwest

15 Alaska

16 Hawaii

CONTEXTS

History

Books

Film

SMALL PRINT

Introduction to

The USA

Global superpower and economic colossus, the USA has long held a massive grip on the world’s imagination, from the Jazz Age and Disney, to Taylor Swift and Star Wars. Today, Facebook and Google are as familiar as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State, the Golden Gate Bridge and the White House, and American brands and images from Apple computers and Levi’s to Coca-Cola and hot dogs are recognizable worldwide. Yet first-time visitors should expect some surprises. Though its cities draw the most tourists – New York, New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco are all incredible destinations in their own right – America is above all a land of stunningly diverse and achingly beautiful landscapes. In one nation you have the mighty Rockies and spectacular Cascades, the vast, mythic desert landscapes of the Southwest, the endless, rolling plains of Texas and Kansas, the tropical beaches and Everglades of Florida, the giant redwoods of California and the sleepy, pristine villages of New England. You can soak up the mesmerizing vistas in Crater Lake, Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks, stand in awe at the Grand Canyon, hike the Black Hills, cruise the Great Lakes, paddle in the Mississippi, surf the gnarly breaks of Oahu and get lost in the vast wilderness of Alaska. Or you could easily plan a trip that focuses on the out-of-the-way hamlets, remote prairies, eerie ghost towns and forgotten byways that are every bit as American as its showpiece icons and monuments.

The sheer size of the country prevents any sort of overarching statement about the typical American experience, just as the diversity of its people undercuts any notion of the typical American. Icons as diverse as Muhammad Ali, Louis Armstrong, Sitting Bull, Michael Jordan, Madonna, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey and Walt Disney continue to inspire and entertain the world, and everyone has heard of the blues, country, jazz, rock ’n’ roll and hip-hop – all American musical innovations. There are Irish Americans, Italian Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans and Latinos, Texan cowboys and Bronx hustlers, Seattle hipsters and Alabama pastors, New England fishermen, Las Vegas showgirls and Hawaiian surfers. Though it often sounds clichéd to foreigners, the only thing that holds this bizarre federation together is the oft-maligned "American Dream". While the USA is one of the world’s oldest still-functioning democracies and the roots of its European presence go back to the 1500s, the palpable sense of newness here creates an odd sort of optimism, wherein anything seems possible and fortune can strike at any moment.

Indeed, aspects of American culture can be difficult for many visitors to understand, despite the apparent familiarity: the national obsession with guns; the widely held belief that government is bad; the real, genuine pride in the American Revolution and the US Constitution, two hundred years on; the equally genuine belief that the USA is the greatest country on earth; the wild grandstanding of its politicians (especially at election time); and the bewildering contradiction of its great liberal and open-minded traditions with laissez-faire capitalism and extreme cultural and religious conservatism. That’s America: diverse, challenging, beguiling, maddening at times, but always entertaining and always changing. And while there is no such thing as a typical American person or landscape, there can be few places where strangers can feel so confident of a warm reception.

Where to go

The most rewarding American expeditions are often those that take in more than one region. You do not, however, have to cross the entire continent from shore to shore in order to appreciate its amazing diversity; it would take a long time to see the whole country, and the more time you spend simply travelling, the less time you’ll have to savour the small-town pleasures and backroad oddities that may well provide your strongest memories. Unless you’re travelling to and within a centralized location such as New York City, you’ll need a car – that mandatory component of life in the USA.

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Central Park, NYC

The obvious place to start for most people is New York City – international colossus of culture and finance, with a colourful history and numerous skyscrapers to prove its status as the essential American metropolis. While you could easily spend weeks exploring the place, just a little more effort will take you into the deeper reaches of the Mid-Atlantic region to the north and west. Here, whether in upstate New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, major cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh border a landscape of unexpected charm and beauty, from the bucolic hamlets of Amish country and the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains to iconic sights such as Niagara Falls and holiday favourites like the Catskills. Next door, New England has a similarly varied appeal; most visitors know it for the colonial and history-rich city of Boston, but there’s much to be said for its rural byways, leading to centuries-old villages in Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, bayside Provincetown in Massachusetts and the rugged individualism of the lobster-catching harbours and mountains of Maine – which take up nearly half the region.

Seven hundred miles west lie the Great Lakes, on the whole the country’s most underappreciated region; dynamic cities including Chicago and a regenerating Cleveland, isolated and evocative lakeshores in Michigan and Minnesota, remote national parks such as Isle Royale and Voyageurs, and lively college towns such as Madison, Wisconsin. Bordering Ohio to the east, the Capital Region is the home of Washington DC, capital of the nation and centrepiece for its grandest museums and monuments. Nearby Baltimore is home to America’s freshest crabs and the star-spangled banner, while to the south Virginia contains Jefferson’s Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg, and coal-mining West Virginia has historic Harpers Ferry and the Allegheny Mountains.

Although Virginia is technically part of the South, for the purest experience you’ll need to venture even further to get the feel of its charismatic churches, barbecue dinners, country music and lively, musically rich cities such as Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis. The deepest part of the South lies in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, and in these states – with their huge plantations and long history of slavery – you’ll get a very different view of American life than anywhere else in the country. Other Southern states have their own unique cultures: Florida is a mix of old-fashioned Southern manners and backwater swamps leavened with ultra-modern cities including Miami, Latino culture, miles of tempting beaches and the lustrous Keys islands; Louisiana offers more atmospheric swamps and Cajun culture, with New Orleans one of the few spots in the USA with a strongly Catholic, yet broadly indulgent culture of drinking, dancing and debauchery; and Texas is the country’s capital for oil-drilling, barbecue-eating and right-wing-politicking, with huge expanses of land, equally big cities such as Dallas and Houston and plenty of history.

The Great Plains, which sit in the geographical centre of the country, are often overlooked by visitors, but include many of America’s most well-known sights, from Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Gateway Arch in St Louis and the Wild West town of Dodge City in Kansas. To the west rise the great peaks of the Rockies, and with them a melange of exciting cities such as Denver, beautiful mountain scenery like Montana’s Glacier National Park, the geysers of Yellowstone and great opportunities for skiing throughout at places like Idaho’s Sun Valley. Bordering the southern side of the Rockies, the desert Southwest region is also rich with astounding natural beauty – whether in the colossal chasm of the Grand Canyon, striking national parks at Zion and Canyonlands or the immense fingers of rock at Monument Valley – along with ancient Puebloan ruins and a handful of charming cities such as Santa Fe and Taos and neon behemoth Las Vegas.

America: the musical melting pot

Some of the world’s greatest musical genres took root in cities and small towns across America, products of the collisions of European, African and indigenous cultures.

The blues was forged from a combination of African and gospel sounds into a simple twelve-bar form during the late nineteenth century. You can still catch Mississippi blues in Delta juke joints, and electrified urban blues in the gritty clubs of Chicago.

Jazz took root in the Creole culture of New Orleans, blending African traditions with western techniques to create a distinctly American art form. Jazz is still dance music in New Orleans; cooler urban stylings can be enjoyed in clubs in New York.

Nashville remains synonymous with country; outside the cities, rural Appalachia brims with backwoods fiddlers and Louisiana’s sleepy bayous are alive with Cajun and zydeco.

Rock ’n’ roll has come a long way since its blues-based infancy, when young trucker Elvis Presley shook up white America with raw R&B in 1950s Memphis. Spiky New York punk, quirky Ohio industrial, furious LA hardcore, slacker Seattle grunge, and spaced-out neo-psychedelia are but a few of the rock genres that continue to thrive in the USA.

In the 1960s, the heartfelt soul of masters like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin preceded the explosion of talent that came to define the Motown era, born in Detroit, while Bob Dylan led a folk music revival in New York.

Loaded with attitude, street-style and political savvy, hip-hop was born on the streets of New York in the 1970s, and later LA. Today any city with a major black population has a distinctive rap scene, including in the so-called Dirty South, where rappers play on the raw call-and-response stylings of early blues.

Modern dance music had its genesis in 1980s Chicago house, New York garage and Detroit techno, though club culture is now a global phenomenon.

The country’s most populous state is, of course, California, synonymous with the idea of the West Coast and its freewheeling culture of surfing, libertine lifestyles and self-worship. However, the further from the water you get, the less the stereotypes hold, especially in the lava beds and redwoods of the far north, the ghost towns and magnificent Yosemite in the Sierras and the intriguing deserts of Death Valley. To the state’s north, Oregon and Washington – the rain-soaked pair making up the Pacific Northwest – offer pleasantly progressive cities such as Seattle and Portland and some of the most striking scenery anywhere in the USA: the stunning landscape of the Columbia River Gorge, the pristine islands of the San Juans, the snowy peaks of the Cascades and more.

Beyond the lower 48 states, Alaska is a winter wonderland of great mountains and icy spires, with few roads and people, but much to offer anyone with a zest for the outdoors and the unexpected. Hawaii is the country’s holiday paradise, a handful of splendid islands in the central Pacific with legendary surf breaks, remote jungle settings and fiery volcanoes.

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When to go

The continental US is subject to dramatically shifting weather patterns, most notably produced by westerly winds sweeping across the continent from the Pacific. The Northeast, from Maine down to Washington DC, experiences low precipitation as a rule, but temperatures can range from bitterly cold in winter to uncomfortably hot and humid in the summer. The spring and fall (autumn) seasons are often the best times to visit the Northeast; the latter is especially popular thanks to the spectacular fall foliage. Florida’s temperatures are not dramatically high in summer, but humidity is a problem; in the winter, the state is warm and sunny enough to attract many visitors.

The Great Plains are alternately exposed to seasonal icy Arctic winds and humid tropical airflows from the Gulf of Mexico. Winters around the Great Lakes and Chicago can be abjectly cold, and it can freeze or even snow in winter as far south as Texas, though spring and fall get progressively longer and milder further south through the Plains. Tornadoes (or twisters) are a frequent local phenomenon, tending to cut a narrow swath of destruction in the wake of violent spring or summer thunderstorms.

In the South, summer is the wettest season, with high humidity, and the time when thunderstorms are most likely to strike. One or two hurricanes each year rage across Florida and/or the Gulf of Mexico states between August and October. The winter is mild for the most part and the two shoulder seasons usually see warm days and fresher nights.

Temperatures in the Rockies correlate closely with altitude, so nights can be cold even in high summer. Beyond the mountains in the south lie the extensive arid deserts of the Southwest. In cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix, the mercury regularly soars above 100°F, though the atmosphere is not usually humid enough to be as enervating as that might sound and air conditioning is ubiquitous.

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GRAND HAVEN LIGHTHOUSE, LAKE MICHIGAN

West of the Cascades, the Pacific Northwest is the only region where winter is the wettest season, and outside summer the climate is wet, mild and seldom hot. Further south, California’s weather more or less lives up to the popular idyllic image, though the climate is markedly hotter and drier in the south (where wildfires are becoming a frequent problem) than in the north, where there’s enough snow to make the mountains a major skiing destination from November to April. San Francisco and the northern coast is kept milder and colder than the inland region by its propensity to attract sea fog.

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Author picks

Our hard-travelling authors have visited every corner of this vast, magnificent country and have picked out their personal highlights.

Most scenic highways US-1 blazes a mesmerizing path across the Florida Keys while California’s Hwy-1 takes in the best of the Californian coast and Going-to-the-Sun Road is an astonishing route through Glacier National Park. Blue Ridge Parkway winds through the heart of rural Appalachia.

Best microbreweries America is a craft beer mecca, led by the likes of Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA; Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, MO; and Brooklyn Brewery in NYC. The environmentally conscious Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, OH, makes a great selection,, while Full Sail Brewing Co, Hood River, OR offers spectacular views.

Classic diners Few American icons are so beloved as the roadside diner, where burgers, apple pie and strong coffee are often served 24/7. In Leadville, Colorado, the Golden Burro Café has offered gut-busting breakfasts since the 1930s. In Chicago, there’s Lou Mitchell’s, while LA boasts Rae’s Restaurant, seen in many films, and Pann’s, one of the all-time great Googie diners. Waylan’s Ku-Ku Burger is a classic in the heart of the Midwest, while 66 Diner in Albuquerque, NM is a proper Fifties throwback.

Top wildlife spots The USA is incredibly rich in wildlife, with national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Teton nurturing elk and deer, moose and giant grizzlies, while reserves such as Boundary Waters in Minnesota support packs of wolves. Visit the Florida Everglades for alligators, or the Black Hills in South Dakota for buffalo. Whales can be spotted off the coast of Washington and California, while gentle manatees bask along the Florida coast.

Our author recommendations don’t end here. We’ve flagged up our favourite places – a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric café, a special restaurant – throughout the Guide, highlighted with the symbol.

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GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

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MANATEE IN FLOIRDA’S CRYSTAL RIVER

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30

things not to miss

It’s obviously not possible to see everything that the USA has to offer in one trip. What follows is a selective and subjective taste of the country’s highlights: unforgettable cities, spectacular drives, magnificent parks, spirited celebrations and stunning natural phenomena. All highlights are colour-coded by chapter and have a page reference to take you straight into the Guide, where you can find out more.

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1 Redwood National Park, CA

Soak up the quiet majesty of the world’s biggest trees, wide enough to drive through and soaring upwards like skyscrapers.

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2 Glacier National Park, MT

Montana’s most spectacular park holds not only 25 glaciers, but also two thousand lakes, a thousand miles of rivers and the exhilarating Going-to-the-Sun highway.

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3 Sweet Auburn, Atlanta, GA?

This historic district holds the birthplace of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. and other spots honouring his legacy.

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4 The National Mall, Washington DC

From the Lincoln Memorial and the White House to the US Capitol by way of the towering Washington Monument – this grand parkway is an awesome showcase of American culture and history.

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5 Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL

Though each of Orlando’s theme parks strives to outdo the rest, Walt Disney World remains the one to beat.

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6 Fresh lobster, Maine

The picture-perfect towns and harbours of Maine are a rich source of crab and lobster, best eaten freshly boiled at a local fish shack.

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7 Skiing in the Rocky Mountains

The Rockies make for some of the best skiing anywhere, with their glitzy resorts and atmospheric mining towns.

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8 Going to a baseball game

America’s summer pastime is a treat to watch wherever you are, from Chicago’s ivy-clad Wrigley Field to Boston’s Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in the country.

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9 Yellowstone National Park, WY

The national park that started it all has it all, from steaming fluorescent hot springs and spouting geysers to sheer canyons and meadows filled with wild flowers and assorted beasts.

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10 Las Vegas, NV

From the Strip’s erupting volcanoes, Eiffel Tower and Egyptian pyramid to its many casinos, Las Vegas will blow your mind as well as your wallet.

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11 Driving Hwy-1, CA

The rugged Big Sur coastline, pounded by Pacific waves, makes an exhilarating route between San Francisco and LA.

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12 Hiking in the Grand Canyon, AZ

Explore the innermost secrets of this wondrous spot on many of its superb hiking trails at the heart of one of America’s best-loved parks.

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13 South by Southwest, TX

This thriving ten-day festival in Austin is one of the nation’s best music festivals and plays host to bands from around the world – and Texas, too.

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14 Crazy Horse Memorial, SD

A staggering monument to the revered Sioux leader, this colossal statue continues to be etched into the Black Hills of South Dakota.

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15 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii’s Big Island grows bigger by the minute, as the world’s most active volcano pours molten lava into the ocean.

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16 San Francisco, CA

Enchanting, fog-bound San Francisco remains bohemian and individualistic at heart, one of America’s greatest cities.

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17 Niagara Falls, NY

The sheer power of Niagara Falls is overwhelming, whichever angle you view the mighty cataracts from.

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18 Monument Valley, AZ

Massive sandstone monoliths stand sentinel in this iconic Southwestern landscape.

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19 Yosemite Valley, CA

Enclosed by near-vertical, 3000ft cliffs and laced with hiking trails and climbing routes, the dramatic geology of Yosemite Valley is among the country’s finest scenery.

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20 Savannah, GA

Mint juleps on wide verandas, horse-drawn carriages on cobbled streets, lush garden squares draped with Spanish moss; this historic cotton port remains the South’s loveliest town.

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21 Driving US-1 to Key West, FL

Travel one of America’s most tantalizing highways from sleepy Key Largo to heaving Key West, cruising over the sharks and rays on giant causeways and bridges.

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22 New York City, NY

With world-class museums, restaurants, nightlife and shops aplenty, the Big Apple is in a league of its own.

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23 Barbecue

Perhaps no other cuisine is as essentially American as barbecue – smoked ribs, pulled pork and brisket – with the Carolinas, Texas and Kansas fighting it out as the nation’s top pitmasters.

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24 Graceland, Memphis, TN

Pilgrims from all over the world pay homage to the King by visiting his gravesite and endearingly modest home.

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25 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, OH

Housed inside a striking glass pyramid is an unparalleled collection of rock music’s finest mementoes, recordings, films and exhibitions.

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26 Los Angeles’ Venice Beach, CA

Combines wacky LA culture with Muscle Beach, surfing, sand and good food, all a short drive from the glitz of Beverly Hills and Hollywood.

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27 Ancestral Puebloan sites

Scattered through desert landscapes such as New Mexico’s magnificent Bandelier National Monument, the dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans afford glimpses of an ancient and mysterious world

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28 Art Deco Miami Beach, FL

This flamboyant city is deservedly famed for the colourful pastel architecture of its restored South Beach district.

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29 Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA

Crazy, colourful, debauched and historic – this is the carnival to end them all.

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30 Crater Lake, OR

Formed from the blown-out shell of volcanic Mount Mazama, this is one of the deepest and bluest lakes in the world, and offers some of the most mesmerizing scenery anywhere.

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Itineraries

The following itineraries span the entire length of this incredibly diverse country, from the oldest towns in the country to the most glamorous cities and the jaw-dropping Rocky Mountains. Given the vast distances involved, you may not be able to cover everything, but even picking a few highlights will give you a deeper insight into America’s natural and historic wonders.

Classic coast-to-coast

This three-week tour gives a taster of the USA’s iconic landscapes and cities from the East to West coasts, travelling from New York to Los Angeles along sections of historic Route 66.

New York, NY America’s biggest city is home to Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Met, Harlem, Brooklyn Bridge and Jay-Z.

Chicago, IL America’s third city boasts some serious skyscrapers, top museums, live blues and those deep-dish pizzas.

Springfield, IL Immerse yourself in all things Abraham Lincoln at the Illinois state capital, now a virtual shrine to the great American president.

St Louis, MO Head south to this old city on the Mississippi, and take the tram to the top of the Gateway Arch, a momentous feat of engineering.

Route 66 Travelling southwest from St Louis to Oklahoma City be sure to take the Americana-rich remaining stretches of the most iconic US highway.

Santa Fe, NM As you continue west on I-40 across New Mexico, detour to the state capital, a glorious ensemble of Spanish adobe and baroque.

Grand Canyon I-40 cuts across Arizona via Flagstaff, gateway to one of the grandest, most mind-blowing natural wonders in the world.

Las Vegas, NV Around four hours’ drive west of the Grand Canyon lies America’s playground, a confection of mega-casinos and pool parties in the middle of the desert.

Los Angeles, CA You’ve made it: watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica Pier or quirky Venice Beach before soaking up the sights in Hollywood.

The Deep South and Florida

Enjoy two or three weeks to check out the highlights, travelling by car or by bus, and end up on the beaches of south Florida. Hot, sultry, rich in history, culture and home to some of the greatest music ever made; the Deep South is perhaps the most beguiling part of the USA.

Create your own itinerary with Rough Guides. Whether you’re after adventure or a family-friendly holiday, we have a trip for you, with all the activities you enjoy doing and the sights you want to see. All our trips are devised by local experts who get the most out of the destination. Visit www.roughguides.com/trips to chat with one of our travel agents.

New Orleans, LA It’s impossible not to fall in love with this gorgeous city, with its romantic French Quarter, indulgent food, jazz heritage and famously ebullient citizens.

Mississippi Delta Soak up the blues heritage in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a five-hour drive north of New Orleans, before leaving the state via Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis.

Montgomery, AL Continue east to the fascinating capital of Alabama, laced with monuments to Martin Luther King, civil rights and Hank Williams.

Atlanta, GA Make the short journey northeast to the buzzing capital of the South, birthplace of Martin Luther King and home to US icons CNN and Coca-Cola.

Charleston, SC Over in South Carolina, this is perhaps the finest old town in all America, enriched by the culture of the nearby Sea Islands.

Savannah, GA Cut back into Georgia to absorb the charms of Charleston’s raffish but equally ravishing cousin, a city of moss-tangled squares and historic homes.

St Augustine, FL Drop south into Florida to see the oldest town in America, founded by the Spanish in 1565.

Miami, FL The Florida coast is studded with great beaches and attractions such as the Kennedy Space Center, but it’s hard to top Miami and fabulous, Art Deco South Beach.

Key West, FL End up travelling spectacular US-1 across the Keys to America’s party-hard Caribbean outpost.

The national parks loop

Only when you traverse the American West will you begin to grasp just how big – and rich in natural beauty – this nation is. Come in summer to enjoy the sunshine and take three to four weeks to complete this trip by car.

Yosemite National Park, FL Just a 3hr 30min drive from San Francisco, you won’t forget your first tantalizing glimpse of the rocky domes, peaks and waterfalls of Yosemite Valley.

Death Valley, CA Leave the snowy Sierras for the lowest, hottest and driest area in North America, with vast dunes and flaming red rocks.

Zion National Park, UT Cross over into Utah to explore this spectacular park, with a fifteen-mile canyon hemmed in by reddish walls of sandstone.

Grand Canyon, AZ Dip south into Arizona to take in the less crowded northern rim of the Grand Canyon, America’s most awe-inspiring natural wonder.

Monument Valley, AZ/UT The iconic Western landscape, with giant fingers of rock soaring up from the dusty desert floor like ancient cathedrals on the Arizona–Utah state line.

Arches/Canyonlands national parks, UT Back in Utah, make time for the delicate sandstone arches and myriad canyons, mesas and buttes of these two neighbouring parks.

Grand Teton National Park, WY It’s a winding 500 miles north to Jackson and Grand Teton in Wyoming from Arches; from the desert to high alpine Rockies, with the jaw-dropping, jagged Teton ridge at the forefront.

Yellowstone National Park, WY Grand Teton merges into Yellowstone, the granddaddy of the national parks, crammed with wildlife, bubbling geysers, lakes and wild, wonderful scenery.

Craters of the Moon, ID Break the long journey back to the West Coast with a stop at Idaho’s Craters of the Moon, a stark landscape of lava fields and sagebrush steppe grasslands.

The Northeast

The northeast and especially New England is rich in history, with stunning scenery and empty roads. This two- to three-week tour is best experienced by car, but you could take the bus.

Washington DC The nation’s capital is crammed with world-class museums and monuments, from the Capitol to the White House.

Philadelphia, PA The city of Benjamin Franklin is home to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the cheesesteak and Rocky.

New York, NY The largest city in the USA drips with global icons, from the Empire State and Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty and Broadway theatres.

Hartford, CT Visit the Connecticut capital to pay homage to Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe and the astonishing art at the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Nantucket, MA Take the ferry to the Little Gray Lady, a once great whaling community still redolent of the era of Moby Dick.

Cape Cod, MA Explore the historic towns, tranquil beaches and fish shacks of this hook-shaped peninsula.

Boston, MA New England’s lively capital oozes colonial history, but also boasts enticing restaurants, top art museums and some of the USA’s best sports teams.

White Mountains, NH In New Hampshire, the mountains become bigger and wilder, perfect for hiking and biking, and culminating in mighty Mount Washington.

Acadia National Park, ME Maine’s coastline of wooded bays and small villages snakes northeast to this pristine section of mist-shrouded hills, fir forests and lobster pounds.

The west coast

This north-to-south journey along the Pacific starts in the rainy, forested northwest and ends at the southern deserts of California. You could travel by trains and buses as well as by car.

Seattle, WA The home of grunge, Microsoft and Starbucks is a booming city, with Pike Place Market, the stunning Chihuly Garden, huge salmon and gourmet coffee.

The Cascades, WA & OR Travel inland through the Cascade Mountains, where the giant, snow-capped volcanic cones of Mount Rainier, Mount St Helens and Mount Hood loom over the horizon.

Portland, OR Rent a bike and cycle Oregon’s hippest city, soaking up the art, organic food, microbrews and kooky shows.

Crater Lake, OR Stunningly beautiful national park, a vast, waterlogged crater surrounded by a spectacular snowy rim.

Redwood National Park, CA Travel south along the California coastline, taking in these giant natural beauties.

San Francisco, CA One of America’s most enticing cities: historic, progressive, beautifully sited and home to the Golden Gate and Alcatraz.

Big Sur and Hwy-1, CA The coastal road between San Francisco and Los Angeles is a scenic, surprisingly wild route of misty cliffs and untouched beaches.

Los Angeles, CA Take your pick of iconic ’hoods: Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice Beach – or just hit Disneyland and Magic Mountain.

San Diego, CA Visit the zoo, Balboa Park or simply hang out at the beach at California’s laidback southern capital.

The great northern crossing

Cross the country on the lesser travelled northern route. It is blissfully untouched, so take at least two weeks to drive between Chicago and Seattle.

Madison, WI The capital of Wisconsin also happens to be the most attractive college town in the USA.

Badlands National Park, SD It’s a long day of driving across the Great Plains to the Badlands, a truly desolate, magical place, especially at sunrise.

Black Hills, SD Forested mountain plateau rising above the plains, home to Mount Rushmore and the equally monumental Crazy Horse Memorial.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND Drive into North Dakota to explore the wild, untouched and multicoloured badlands created by the Little Missouri.

Little Bighorn, MT Cross into Montana to visit one of America’s most poignant battlefields, where Custer’s 7th Cavalry were trounced by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

Butte, MT This shabby old mining town in central Montana is a treasure trove of once grand architecture, old diners and even Cornish pasties.

Glacier National Park, MT Northern Montana is dominated by this sensational preserve of glaciers, snowy peaks, alpine lakes and historic lodges.

Idaho Panhandle I-90 cuts across this narrow section of Idaho, laced with inviting hiking and biking trails and home to the genuine Western town of Wallace.

Cascade Loop, WA End up in Washington state, touring the peaks and valleys of the mighty Cascade Mountains before arriving at Seattle and the Pacific Ocean.

< Back to Intro

Sustainable travel

Some principles and strategies to keep in mind to reduce one’s footprint, and promote sustainable travel initiatives.

With climate-related disasters increasing in frequency and severity, sustainability is more of a focus than ever in the tourism industry, which as a whole is among the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. However, sustainable travel is now being associated with the buzzword responsible, as a traveller’s impact means much more than carbon emissions and waste left behind.

Responsible Travel

While it’s undoubtedly admirable to be conscious of one’s own environmental impacts, it's also important to make sure that one is also travelling responsibly. Take, for example, a luxury hotel advertised as carbon-neutral in a popular, overtouristed destination. While visitors may feel reassured about their carbon footprint, they should consider a number of other questions such as, Who owns the hotel/tour operator? How does my patronage here benefit the community? Do the locals here even want visitors in the first place?

Travel slowly, with intention

It helps to slow down and examine one’s intentions before visiting a place. By travelling slower, and aiming to understand a destination, a visitor can be a part of a two-way process of engaging with locals, understanding what they want to showcase in their community, and what message they want to communicate to the world. Oftentimes, locals will be happy to share with you their thoughts on tourist attractions and offerings, and what their impact has been on their community, as well as to offer recommendations for monuments or restaurants off the beaten path.

Respecting Indigenous Communities and Lands

For visitors intrigued by native lands and culture, it’s important to approach with a respectful mindset. The American Indian and Alaskan Native Tourism Association (AIANTA, aianta.org) has launched the Leave No Trace program to increase awareness of Tribal lands, within both historical and modern contexts. For more information on opportunities to visit native lands in a responsible manner, visit their destination website at Wnativeamerica.travel; which aims to ensure all tribes across the US are represented, and attempts to harness cultural tourism as a driver of sustainable tribal economic growth.

Fair Trade and Solidarity

An important question to consider when engaging tour operators or accommodation offerings, is who is making the money? This question helps one to determine the deeper impact of one’s business. Is a larger corporation, or other entity behind the management, and perhaps exploiting local communities? Who benefits from one’s presence in a community, and how will it be benefiting that community? What marginalized groups, if any, are exploited by the organization or business one is looking to engage?

Protection of Flora and Fauna

In such a widely diverse country as the US, the opportunities to engage with protection efforts of native flora and fauna abound across the various regions. Aside from basic individual efforts to keep within park boundaries, and to avoid feeding/engaging wild animals, a vast number of non-profit organizations exist to protect endangered species in the US. The US Fish and Wildlife Service ( fws.gov) contains a wealth of resources and opportunities to get involved. The Tanka Fund ( tankafund.org) is active in the Great Plains, working with indigenous communities to restore the population of buffalo to regions where they were exterminated by the US Army during westward expansion.

Modes of Transportation

For those travelling with electric vehicles, check out the US Dept of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center ( afdc.energy.gov) for nationwide charging stations. For public transportation, Amtrak is the leading option for domestic train travel ( amtrak.com) and a number of bus companies are available as well, with Greyhound being the leading carrier ( greyhound.com).

Shutterstock

BUFFALO ROAMING THE GREAT PLAINS

See sustainabletravel.org for more info.

Shutterstock

AMTRAK TRAIN THROUGH THE COLORADO ROCKIES

< Back to Intro

Carol M. Highsmith

MOUNTAINEER INN, NORTH CAROLINA

Basics

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food and drink

Festivals

The outdoors

Sports

Travel essentials

Getting there

Anyone travelling to the USA from abroad should start by deciding which area to explore first; the country is so vast that it makes a huge difference which airport you fly into. Once you’ve chosen whether to hit the swamps of Florida, the frozen tundra of Alaska, the summer heat of the South or the splendour of the Rockies and Southwest, you can then buy a flight to the nearest hub city.

In general, ticket prices are highest from July to September, and around Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Fares drop during the shoulder seasons – April to June, and October – and even more so in low season, from November to March (excluding Easter, Christmas and New Year). Prices depend more on when Americans want to head overseas than on the demand from foreign visitors. Flying at weekends usually costs significantly more; prices quoted below assume midweek travel and include taxes.

Flights from the UK and Ireland

More than twenty US cities are accessible by nonstop flights from the UK. At these gateway cities, you can connect with onward domestic flights. Direct services (which may land once or twice on the way, but are called direct if they keep the same flight number throughout their journey) fly from Britain to nearly every other major US city.

Nonstop flights to Los Angeles from London take eleven or twelve hours; the London to Miami flight takes eight hours; and flying time to New York is seven or so hours. Following winds ensure that return flights take an hour or two less. One-stop direct flights to destinations beyond the East Coast add time to the journey but can work out cheaper than nonstop flights.

Four airlines run nonstop scheduled services to the USA from Ireland. Flights depart from both Dublin and Shannon airports, and the journey times are very similar to those from London.

As for fares, Britain remains one of the best places in Europe to obtain flight bargains, though prices vary widely. In low or shoulder season, you should be able to find a return flight to East Coast destinations such as New York for as little as £450, or to California for around £600, while high-season rates can more than double. These days the fares available on the airlines’ own websites are often just as good as those you’ll find on more general travel websites.

With an open-jaw ticket, you can fly into one city and out of another, though if you’re renting a car remember that there’s usually a high drop-off fee for returning a rental car in a different state than where you picked it up. An air pass can be a good idea if you want to see a lot of the country. These are available only to non-US residents, and must be bought before reaching the USA.

Flights from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

For passengers travelling from Australasia to the USA, the most expensive time to fly has traditionally been during the northern summer (mid-May to end Aug) and over the Christmas period (Dec to mid-Jan), with shoulder seasons covering March to mid-May and September, and the rest of the year counting as low season. Fares no longer vary as much across the year as they used to, however.

Instead, fares on the regular Air New Zealand, Qantas and United flights from eastern Australian cities to Los Angeles, the main US gateway airport, tend to start at around Aus$1500 in low season, or more like Aus$2000 in summer. Flying from Western Australia can add around Aus$400, while throughout the year, flying all the way through to New York tends to cost another Aus$200 extra.

From New Zealand, the cost of flying from Auckland or Christchurch to LA or San Francisco ranges from roughly NZ$1300–1800 across the year, or more like NZ$1800–2300 to New York.

From South Africa, transatlantic flights from Cape Town or Johannesburg are not as expensive as they used to be, costing around ZAR14,000–17,000 to New York or other East Coast cities and ZAR17,000–20,000 to LA or San Francisco, depending on the time of year.

A BETTER KIND OF TRAVEL

At Rough Guides we are passionately committed to travel. We believe it helps us understand the world we live in and the people we share it with – and of course tourism is vital to many developing economies. But the scale of modern tourism has also damaged some places irreparably, and climate change is accelerated by most forms of transport, especially flying. We encourage all our authors to consider the carbon footprint of the journeys they make in the course of researching our guides.

Packages and tours

Although independent travel is usually cheaper, countless flight and accommodation packages allow you to bypass all the organizational hassles. A typical package from the UK might be a return flight plus mid-range Midtown hotel accommodation for three nights in New York City, starting at around £800 per person in low season and more like £1500 at peak periods.

Fly-drive deals, which give cut-rate car rental when a traveller buys a transatlantic ticket from an airline or tour operator, are always cheaper than renting on the spot, and give great value if you intend to do a lot of driving. They’re readily available through general online booking agents such as Expedia and Travelocity, as well as through specific airlines. Several of the operators listed here also book accommodation for self-drive tours.

Various add-on fares and air passes valid in the continental US are available with your main ticket, allowing you to fly to destinations across the States. These must be bought before you go.

Airlines

Aer Lingus aerlingus.com

Air Canada aircanada.com

Air India airindia.com

Air New Zealand airnewzealand.com

Alaska Airlines alaskaair.com

American Airlines aa.com

British Airways ba.com

Delta Air Lines delta.com

Emirates emirates.com

Frontier Airlines flyfrontier.com

Hawaiian Airlines hawaiianair.com

JAL (Japan Airlines) jal.com

JetBlue jetblue.com

KLM klm.com

Qantas Airways qantas.com.au

Singapore Airlines singaporeair.com

South African Airways flysaa.com

Southwest southwest.com

United Airlines united.com

Virgin Atlantic virgin-atlantic.com

WestJet westjet.com

Agents and operators

Adventure World Australia adventureworld.com.au, New Zealand adventureworld.co.nz

American Holidays Ireland americanholidays.com

Wotif? Australia wotif.com

< Back to Basics

Getting around

Distances in the USA are so great that it’s essential to plan in advance how you’ll get from place to place. Amtrak provides a skeletal but often scenic rail service, and there are usually good bus links between the major cities. Even in rural areas, with advance planning, you can usually reach the main points of interest without too much trouble by using local buses and charter services.

That said, travel between cities is almost always easier if you have a car. Many worthwhile and memorable US destinations are far from the cities: even if a bus or train can take you to the general vicinity of one of the great national parks, for example, it would be of little use when it comes to enjoying the great outdoors.

By rail

Travelling on the national Amtrak network ( amtrak.com) is rarely the fastest way to get around, though if you have the time it can be a pleasant and relaxing experience. As you will note from our map, the Amtrak system isn’t comprehensive – East Coast states from Virginia northward are well covered with rail routes but some Western states are left out altogether. What’s more, the cross-country routes tend to be served by one or at most two trains per day, so in large areas of the nation the only train of the day passes through at three or four in the morning. A number of small local train services connect stops on the Amtrak lines with towns and cities not on the main grid. Amtrak also runs the coordinated, but still limited, Thruway bus service that connects some cities that their trains don’t reach.

For any one specific journey, the train is usually more expensive than taking a Greyhound bus, or even a plane – the standard rail fare from New York to Los Angeles, for example, starts at around $295 one-way by booking online at least a month in advance – though special deals, especially in the off-peak seasons (Sept–May, excluding Christmas), can bring the cost of a coast-to-coast return trip down. Money-saving passes are also available.

Even with a pass, you should always reserve as far in advance as possible; all passengers must have seats, and some trains, especially between major East Coast cities, are booked solid. Sleeping compartments start at around $450 per night, including three full meals, in addition to your seat fare, for one or two people. However, even standard Amtrak quarters are surprisingly spacious compared to aeroplane seats, and there are additional dining cars and lounge cars (with full bars and sometimes glass-domed 360° viewing compartments). Finally, if you want to make your journey in the Northeast in a hurry, hop aboard the speedy Acela service, which can shave anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour off your trip, though tends to cost from $25–100 more than a fare on a standard Amtrak train.

By bus

If you’re travelling on your own and plan on making a lot of stops, buses are by far the cheapest way to get around. The main long-distance operator, Greyhound ( greyhound.com), links all major cities and many towns. Out in the country, buses are fairly scarce, sometimes appearing only once a day, if at all. However, along the main highways, buses run around the clock to a full timetable, stopping only for meal breaks (almost always fast-food chains) and driver changeovers.

To avoid possible hassle, travellers should take care to sit as near to the driver as possible, and to arrive during daylight hours – many bus stations are in dodgy areas, at least in large cities. In many smaller places, the post office or a gas station doubles as the bus stop and ticket office. Reservations can be made in person at the station, online or on the toll-free number. Oddly they do not guarantee a seat, so it’s wise to join the queue early – if a bus is full, you may have to wait for the next one, although Greyhound claims it will lay on an extra bus if more than ten people are left behind. For long hauls there are plenty of savings available – check the website’s discounts page.

Other operators include Trailways ( trailways.com), whose regional divisions cover some parts of the country more comprehensively; Megabus ( us.megabus.com), whose low-cost service covers the Northeast and Midwest; Northeast operator Peter Pan ( peterpanbus.com) and the alternative Green Tortoise.

By plane

Despite the presence of good-value discount airlines – most notably Southwest and JetBlue – air travel is a much less appealing way of getting around the country than it used to be. With air fuel costs escalating even faster than gas costs, and airlines cutting routes, demanding customers pay for routine services and jacking up prices across the board, the days of using jet travel as a spur to vacation adventuring are long gone. To get any kind of break on price, you’ll have to reserve well ahead of time (at least three weeks), preferably not embark in the high season, and be firm enough in your plans to buy a non-refundable fare – which if changed can incur costs of $100 or more. Nonetheless, flying can still cost less than the train – though still more than the bus. In those examples where flying can make sense for short local hops, we mention such options wherever appropriate throughout this Guide. Otherwise, phone the airlines or visit their websites to find out routes and schedules.

Historic railroads

While Amtrak has a monopoly on long-distance rail travel, a number of historic or scenic railways, some steam-powered or running along narrow-gauge mining tracks, bring back the glory days of train travel. Many are purely tourist attractions, doing a full circuit through beautiful countryside in two or three hours, though some can drop you off in otherwise hard-to-reach wilderness areas. Fares vary widely according to the length of your trip. We’ve covered the most appealing options in the relevant Guide chapters.

Green Tortoise

One alternative to long-distance bus torture is the fun, countercultural Green Tortoise ( greentortoise.com), whose buses, complete with foam cushions, bunks, fridges and rock music, mostly ply the West and the Northwest of the country, but can go as far as New Orleans, Washington DC and New York. Highlights include the California Sun (8 days; $999); hostel nights not included and cost extra, and the gung-ho Alaska Expedition (36 days; $5368); hostel nights not included and cost extra. There are more than thirty seductive options, each allowing plenty of stops for hiking, river-rafting, bathing in hot springs and the like.

Pre-trip planning for overseas travellers

Amtrak Passes

The USA Rail Pass (30-day/10 segments/$499) covers the entire Amtrak network for the designated period, though you are restricted to a set number of individual journeys. A segment is considered any journey on one train; so your trip involves making one connection, you will use two segments of your pass. Passes can be bought from the Amtrak website ( amtrak.com).

Air passes

The main American airlines offer air passes for visitors who plan to fly a lot within the USA. These must be bought in advance and are often sold with the proviso that you cross the Atlantic with the same airline or group of airlines (such as Star Alliance). Each deal will involve the purchase of a certain number of flights, air miles or coupons. Other plans entitle foreign travellers to discounts on regular US domestic fares, again with the proviso that you buy the ticket before you leave home. Check with the individual airlines to see what they offer and the overall range of prices. However you do it, flying within the USA is only a wise choice for travel in regions where fares are low anyway; flights within Florida, for example, are very expensive.

By car

For many, the concept of cruising down the highway, preferably in a convertible with the radio blasting, is one of the main reasons to set out on a tour of the USA. The romantic images of countless road movies are not far from the truth, though you don’t have to embark on a wild spree of drinking, drugs and sex to enjoy driving across America. Apart from anything else, a car makes it possible to choose your own itinerary and to explore the astonishing wide-open landscapes that may well provide your most enduring memories of the country.

Driving in the cities, on the other hand, is not exactly fun, and can be hair-raising. Yet in larger places a car is by far the most convenient way to make your way around, especially as public transport tends to be spotty outside the major cities. Many urban areas, especially in the West, have grown up since cars were invented. As such, they sprawl for so many miles in all directions – Los Angeles and Houston are classic examples – that your hotel may be fifteen or twenty miles from the sights you came to see, or perhaps simply on the other side of a freeway that can’t be crossed on foot.

Renting a car

To rent a car, you must have held your licence for at least one year. Drivers under 25 may encounter problems and have to pay higher than normal insurance premiums. Rental companies expect customers to have a credit card; if you don’t, they may let you leave a cash deposit (at least $500), but don’t count on it. All the major rental companies have outlets at the main airports but it can often be cheaper to rent from a city branch. Reservations are handled centrally, so the best way to shop around is either online, or by calling their national toll-free numbers. Potential variations are endless; certain cities and states are consistently cheaper than others, while individual travellers may be eligible for corporate, frequent-flier or AAA discounts. In low season you may find a tiny car (a subcompact) for as little as $200 per week, but a typical budget rate would be more like $50 per day or around $300 per week including taxes. You can get some good deals from strictly local operators, though it can be risky as well. Make reading up on such inexpensive vendors part of your pre-trip planning.

Even between the major operators – who tend to charge $50–100 per week more than the local competition – there can be a big difference in the quality of cars. Industry leaders like Alamo, Hertz and Avis tend to have newer, lower-mileage cars and more reliable breakdown services. Always be sure to get unlimited mileage and remember that leaving the car in a different city from the one where you rented it can incur a drop-off charge of $200 or more.

Small print and insurance

When you rent a car, read the small print carefully for details on Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), sometimes called Liability Damage Waiver (LDW). This form of insurance specifically covers the car that you are driving yourself – you are in any case insured for damage to other vehicles. At $15–30 a day, it can add substantially to the total cost, but without it you’re liable for every scratch to the car – even those that aren’t your fault. Increasing numbers of states are requiring that this insurance be included in the weekly rental rate and are regulating the amounts charged to cut down on rental-car company profiteering. Some credit card companies offer automatic CDW coverage to customers using their card; contact your issuing company for details. Alternatively, European residents can cover themselves against such costs with a reasonably priced annual policy from Insurance4CarHire ( insurance4carhire.com).

Driving for foreigners

Foreign nationals from English-speaking countries can drive in the USA using their full domestic driving licences (International Driving Permits are not always regarded as sufficient). Fly-drive deals are good value if you want to rent a car (see above), though you can save up to fifty percent simply by booking in advance with a major firm. If you choose not to pay until you arrive, be sure you take a written confirmation of the price with you. Remember that it’s safer not to drive right after a long transatlantic flight – and that most standard rental cars have automatic transmissions.

The American Automobile Association, or AAA ( aaa.com), provides free maps and assistance to its members and to members of affiliated associations overseas, such as the British AA and RAC. If you break down in a rented car, call one of these services if you have towing coverage, or the emergency number pinned to the dashboard.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking in the United States is generally a bad idea, especially for women, making you a potential victim both inside (you never know who you’re travelling with) and outside the car, as the odd fatality may occur from hitchers getting a little too close to the highway lanes. At a minimum, in the many states where the practice is illegal, you can expect a steep fine from the police and, on occasion, an overnight stay in the local jail. The practice is still fairly common, however, in more remote rural areas with little or no public transport.

Car rental agencies

Alamo USA 800 462 5266, alamo.com

Avis USA 800 230 4898, avis.com

Budget USA 800 527 0700, budget.com

Dollar USA 800 800 3665, dollar.com

Enterprise USA 800 261 7331, enterprise.com

Hertz USA 800 654 3131, hertz.com

Holiday Autos USA 866 392 9288, holidayautos.com

National USA 800 227 7368, nationalcar.com

Thrifty USA & Canada 800 847 4389, thrifty.com

Cycling

Cycling is another realistic mode of transport. An increasing number of big cities have cycle lanes and local buses equipped to carry bikes (strapped to the outside), while in country areas, roads have wide shoulders and fewer passing motorists. Unless you plan to cycle a lot and take your own bike,