Follow That Dream
Anyone planning a trip to America who is unsure of where to start might as well throw a dart at a map of this vast and hugely disparate land because every corner of the good ol' USA has something unique and exciting to offer.
Perhaps it's best to think of America as an epic and impossibly complicated idea rather than a country. The first thing a prospective visitor should understand is that whichever corner you care to peer into is a world unto itself so the very notion of a single land that the casual tourist can take in is essentially misguided. Instead it makes far more sense to pick somewhere and let its particular charms reveal themselves to you.
In case you don't fancy the dart in map approach here's our pick of three of our favourite American cities you might consider starting with:
New York
What is there to be said about New York City that hasn't already been said a thousand times? The Big Apple's reputation precedes it to such an extent that it's more or less impossible for any first time visitor to arrive with anything less than an overwhelming sense of excitable anticipation. For any other city such a burden of expectation could easily prove too much to live up to, for New York however any such fear is almost immediately dispelled. This is a city whose unique energy grabs you irresistibly, a city whose ambience is at once thrillingly familiar from a thousand movies and yet still, somehow, pulse-racingly unexpected.
Of course New York boasts a plethora of worthwhile attractions, many of which will prove hard to resist even for those determined not to succumb to the usual tourist checklist destinations. But there really is something to be said for simply absorbing this great city's invigorating hubbub rather than dashing from one photo opportunity to the next.
Los Angeles
It's probably foolish to attempt a succinct summary of LA and, likewise, highly unlikely that a short visit will do this sprawling collection very distinct districts any sort of justice. The clichs are easy of course - LA is LaLa Land, a city built on dreams and fantasy, where impossible glamour veneers an all too real underbelly of rough edges and disappointment, where Hollywood sparkle flickers seductively across a surface of smog and traffic that stretches out into a seemingly endless suburban mass.
Perhaps it's best not to bother trying to deconstruct the 'City of Angels' thoroughly self mythologized image, for the tourist LA is most likely a more manageable section of metro area at the heart of the city - Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, Downtown. The itinerary seems likely to include such quintessential LA sites as Hollywood Boulevard, mansion gawping in Beverly Hills, window shopping in Rodeo Drive, hitting a beach or two, a rambling drive along Mulholland Drive or up to Malibu and, for those anxious to cram in a little culture a visit The Getty Centre.
All this might not get you any closer to really understanding this chimera of a city but, hey, what do you expect, this is LA after all.
Seattle
Seattle seemed suddenly to appear on everyone's cultural radar at some point in the nineties; there was grunge of course, it's iconic figurehead Kurt Cobain in particular, there was Starbucks and its (soon to invade every high street in the developed world) version of coffee culture, there was Bill Gates and the commodification of vaguely hippyish values. All this somehow became part of the Seattle brand, a brand it must be said that has endured and proliferated pretty well over the last 15 years or so. Grunge excepted of course.
However influential Seattle has been it's never really joined the frontline of American tourist destinations, perhaps because this 'brand' has been so successful that aspects of it have sprouted up in everyone's hometown. Maybe it's time to discover what Seattle's really all about.
The first thing to realise about Seattle is that much of its appeal lies in the natural beauty of its setting; the city is surrounded by rugged, mountainous splendour and broad expanses of water and this proximity to the great outdoors has lent Seattle and it's Gore Tex favouring citizens something of an outdoorsy vibe. Indeed, if you like the idea of holiday that combines time spent exploring a thriving modern city with a chance to get out and discover some of North West America's exhilarating natural scenery then there really is nowhere better to base yourself.
Perhaps it's best to think of America as an epic and impossibly complicated idea rather than a country. The first thing a prospective visitor should understand is that whichever corner you care to peer into is a world unto itself so the very notion of a single land that the casual tourist can take in is essentially misguided. Instead it makes far more sense to pick somewhere and let its particular charms reveal themselves to you.
In case you don't fancy the dart in map approach here's our pick of three of our favourite American cities you might consider starting with:
New York
What is there to be said about New York City that hasn't already been said a thousand times? The Big Apple's reputation precedes it to such an extent that it's more or less impossible for any first time visitor to arrive with anything less than an overwhelming sense of excitable anticipation. For any other city such a burden of expectation could easily prove too much to live up to, for New York however any such fear is almost immediately dispelled. This is a city whose unique energy grabs you irresistibly, a city whose ambience is at once thrillingly familiar from a thousand movies and yet still, somehow, pulse-racingly unexpected.
Of course New York boasts a plethora of worthwhile attractions, many of which will prove hard to resist even for those determined not to succumb to the usual tourist checklist destinations. But there really is something to be said for simply absorbing this great city's invigorating hubbub rather than dashing from one photo opportunity to the next.
Los Angeles
It's probably foolish to attempt a succinct summary of LA and, likewise, highly unlikely that a short visit will do this sprawling collection very distinct districts any sort of justice. The clichs are easy of course - LA is LaLa Land, a city built on dreams and fantasy, where impossible glamour veneers an all too real underbelly of rough edges and disappointment, where Hollywood sparkle flickers seductively across a surface of smog and traffic that stretches out into a seemingly endless suburban mass.
Perhaps it's best not to bother trying to deconstruct the 'City of Angels' thoroughly self mythologized image, for the tourist LA is most likely a more manageable section of metro area at the heart of the city - Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, Downtown. The itinerary seems likely to include such quintessential LA sites as Hollywood Boulevard, mansion gawping in Beverly Hills, window shopping in Rodeo Drive, hitting a beach or two, a rambling drive along Mulholland Drive or up to Malibu and, for those anxious to cram in a little culture a visit The Getty Centre.
All this might not get you any closer to really understanding this chimera of a city but, hey, what do you expect, this is LA after all.
Seattle
Seattle seemed suddenly to appear on everyone's cultural radar at some point in the nineties; there was grunge of course, it's iconic figurehead Kurt Cobain in particular, there was Starbucks and its (soon to invade every high street in the developed world) version of coffee culture, there was Bill Gates and the commodification of vaguely hippyish values. All this somehow became part of the Seattle brand, a brand it must be said that has endured and proliferated pretty well over the last 15 years or so. Grunge excepted of course.
However influential Seattle has been it's never really joined the frontline of American tourist destinations, perhaps because this 'brand' has been so successful that aspects of it have sprouted up in everyone's hometown. Maybe it's time to discover what Seattle's really all about.
The first thing to realise about Seattle is that much of its appeal lies in the natural beauty of its setting; the city is surrounded by rugged, mountainous splendour and broad expanses of water and this proximity to the great outdoors has lent Seattle and it's Gore Tex favouring citizens something of an outdoorsy vibe. Indeed, if you like the idea of holiday that combines time spent exploring a thriving modern city with a chance to get out and discover some of North West America's exhilarating natural scenery then there really is nowhere better to base yourself.
