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Focus on United States Travel Regions

Region 1 Northeast - New England Region 1 Northeast - Mid Atlantic Region 2 Midwest - West North Central Region 2 Midwest - East North Central Region 3 South - South Atlantic Region 3 South - East South Central Region 3 South - West South Central Region 4  West - Mountain Region 4 West - Pacific

Focus on the United States

     As Americans have come to learn in the last few years, the United States is not wholly loved in some other parts of the world. Thankfully, with a couple of notable exceptions, it doesn't go further than this.
     However, oddly and paradoxically, the United States is still the place that all wish to visit.
     Excluding Alaska and Hawaii, the United States can be referred to as the "lower 48", meaning that are are 48 states spread around the country. Each state offers unique as well as shared opportunities.
     The thing that sets the United States apart from nearly all other countries is the way visitors are treated.     
     Where Americans are treated very well most places they travel, particularly if they behave and get to know their hosts, visitors to the United States can expect to be treated just like any other American citizen, good, bad, or indifferent. In other words, where a traveling American will nearly always be a foreigner, visitors to the U.S. are most often brought into the herd and treated no differently than any regular citizen. It's not a small distinction. America is the "melting pot" of the world.  

Focus on the United States Regions

     The United States has 3 major mountain ranges... The Appalachians run from Canada down to Alabama. The Rockies inhabit the the Midwestern portion extending from Alaska all the way to New Mexico. The Sierras run through the far west in California.
     The Great Lakes are the most prominent feature on the northern border.
     The USA, on three borders snugs up to ocean waters, namely, the Atlantic to the east, the Pacific to the west, and the Gulf of Mexico which connects to the Caribbean to the south.
     The climate of the United States is variable, but on the whole is temperate with warm summers and cold winters to the north and milder winters in the south.
     The U.S. contains large inland lakes, grassy plains, and arid deserts. There is snow in  the winter and tornadoes in the summer and earthquakes out west.
     The United States has more than 10,000 cities, towns, and villages with the ultimate capital located in Washington DC. The power structure begins in Washington DC and filters down to state governement ending with local government. The form of gubment in the USA is Republican...not democratic, although democratic rule forms the basis of the "representative republic." wherein US citizens entrust power to elected officials to represent them all the way from local cities all the way to the Federal gubment in Washington DC.
    For all practical purposes, the makeup of government is irrelevant to the foreign visitor, though it's a good fun fact to know and tell. One early visitor from France, Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote a popular book called, "Democracy In America," which extolled the American experience en tot, with the emphasis on the democratic governing principles as a model to the world.    

Focus on USA Destinations

     Interestingly, the foreign visitors to the United States is often more USA traveled than life long residents. Some destinations to consider, according to Wiki are:

Denali National Park, Alaska - Remote national park with North America's highest peak.
Grand Canyon, Arizona - The world's longest and most visited canyon.
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado - Well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings.
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota - Iconic memorial of 4 former presidents carved into a cliff face.
Niagara Falls, New York - Massive waterfall straddling the border with Canada.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina - National park in the southern Appalachian.
Walt Disney World, Florida - The most popular resort destination in the world
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming - The first national park in the US, and home of Old Faithful geyser.
Yosemite National Park, California - Home of El Capitan and the famous Giant Sequoia trees.
Old Mill Restaurant - Waldo, Alabama. Home of the Alabama Sorghum Syurp Festival  

Focus on entry Visas...

     As of the writing of this page, 35 countries are exempted from travel visas, per se, though visitors from the countries will still need to apply online with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)  program online before traveling... Citizens of  all other nations must obtain a standard visa... The exempted countries are: Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
     Things change, so of course, you must make sure about your incoming travel arrangements.
    

Focus on Getting Around in the United States

     The number one way to travel around the United States is by car. Other ways are jet plane, train, and bus.
     Roads in the United States are numerous, and mostly well kept up. In some places they are so well kept that you will find yourself slowed or stalled while you wait on local crews to do their local road upkeep.
     Passenger trains, once an American staple, is now largely relegated to seeing the off road scenery en route to one destination or the other. It's fun, but not the best choice for the big trip, unless the trip is the train tour.
     The last major national bus company is called Greyhound...and it goes to or through most larger cities. It might be one of the cheapest choices.
     Air travel, commercial, and private can be had to most major cities, and one way or another you can wend your way to smaller towns if you insist on doing it all by air. However, the American tradition is the great American Road Trip...and if you have a driver's license, you can do it. 
     You can easily make your way from coast to coast in two or three days by auto...But the most fun is to plan out a leisurely car vacation where you can see the sights. Expect to, taking it easy, to make 600 miles per day, leaving yourself plenty of eating and sightseeing time.
     The language of America is English. While many folks have a passing acquaintance with Spanish, and less with French, most only know the mother tongue. It's best to have someone with you who can speak the language, if only a little.
      

Focus on American Destinations

Our friend Wiki has some suggested itineraries...

Appalachian Trail — a foot trail along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine
Braddock Expedition — traces the French-Indian War route of British General Edward Braddock (and a younger George Washington) from Alexandria, Virginia through the Cumberland Gap to the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Jazz Track — a nation-wide tour of the most important clubs in jazz history and in jazz performance today
Lewis and Clark Trail — retrace the northwest route of the great American explorers along the Missouri River
Route 66 — tour the iconic historic highway running from Chicago to Los Angeles
Santa Fe Trail — a historic southwest settler route from Missouri to Santa Fe
Touring Shaker country — takes you to one current and eight former Shaker religious communities in the Mid-Atlantic, New England and Midwest regions of the United States.
Interstate 10 — a trans-continental highway extending from Florida to California.
U.S. Highway 1 — traveling along the east coast from Maine to Florida.
U.S. Highway 40 — extending from Atlantic City to near Park City, Utah.
Cowchip/AL Wine Festival — World famous homecoming to honor the famous annual wine stomp. 

More from Wiki:
     Unless you live in Europe or Japan, the United States is generally expensive, but there are ways to limit the damage. Many Europeans come to the United States for shopping (especially electronics). While prices in the United States are lower than in many European countries, keep in mind that you will be charged taxes/tariffs on goods purchased abroad. Additionally, electronics may not be compatible with standards when you return (electrical, DVD region, etc.). As such, the savings you may find shopping in the United States may easily be negated upon your return. A barebones budget for camping, hostels, and cooking your food could be $30-50/day, and you can double that if you stay at motels and eat at cheap cafes. Add on a rental car and hotel accommodation and you'll be looking at $150/day and up. There are regional variations too: large cities like New York and Los Angeles are expensive, while prices go down in the countryside. Most U.S. cities have suburbs with good hotels that are often much more affordable than those in the city center and enjoy lower crime rates. Thus, if you plan to rent a car and drive between several major cities on a single visit to the U.S., it is usually a better idea to stay at safe suburban hotels with free parking, as opposed to downtown hotels that charge exorbitant parking fees.

Food in the United States:

     There are two basic types of food in the United states: Soul Food and Barbecue:

     In the south traditional local fare includes grits (ground maize/corn), collard greens (a vegetable usually served boiled with a dash of vinegar), sweet tea (tea mixed with sugar and served with plenty of ice), barbeque(not unique to this region, but best and most common here), catfish(served deep-fried with a breadcrumb coating), cornbread, okra, and gumbo(a stew of seafood or sausage, rice, okra, and sometimes tomatoes).

     Barbeque, BBQ, or barbecue is a delicious American specialty. At its best, it's beef brisket, ribs, or pork shoulder wood smoked slowly for hours. The brisket and ribs are usually sliced thin, and the pork shoulder can be shredded into a dish known as pulled pork. Sauce of varying spiciness may be served on the dish, or provided on the side. Various parts of the US have unique styles of barbeque. Generally, the best barbeque is found in the southeast, with the most distinct styles coming from Kansas City, Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. However, barbeque of some variety is generally available throughout the country. Barbeque restaurants differ from many other restaurants in that the best food is often served at very casual establishments. A typical barbeque restaurant may have plastic dinnerware, picnic tables, and serve sandwiches on cheap white bread. Barbeque found on the menu at a fancy chain or non-specialty restaurant is likely to be less authentic. 
     Barbeque is not only an American food. In Brazil, for example, it is called churrasco. The difference is that in the United States, the most important thing about your barbecue is not the meat. No. It's the sauce! You can cuss a man's wife, and maybe even his dog, but never ever say bad things about his barbecue sauce!

CRIME and Punishment for the U.S. traveler...

     In America if you do the crime you may not have to do the time... Just don't try and offer the officer a bribe. That's a no-no in the USA.
     In the United States the policeman is your friend. When traveling, you generally don't have to worry about getting held up or knocked over in small town America or out on the road America. You should be careful, though, as with just about anywhere on earth when visiting large cities. There are places to go and places not to go. You should rely on your travel provider to well explain this to you.

     Finally, in the United States, in most places, you don't thank people with kisses. Hugs are somewhat permitted, depending, and the shake of the hand is king. A good handshake suffices for both men and women.
     Maintain good table manners, and mostly, try to be aware of how people handle themselves around you and it won't be long before you'll fit right in.
     Due to global warming concerns, be aware that in some California towns, breathing out carbon dioxide is frowned upon.
     One more thing. Unlike many destinations around the world, the United States, for the most part does not provide for incoming tourist companies, except in the largest towns. However, if you can make it to your destination, you will find plenty of guided tour opportunities in those larger places. For the smaller towns, getting around is so easy and natural, and the local folks so friendly and helpful, you'll have no problem realizing your vacation of a lifetime in the United States.

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