United States of America - The Facts

Size: 3,720,000 square miles (9,634,755sq km)
Capital: Washington, DC
Language: English
Currency: US Dollar
Weather: Choose your climate — from arctic Alaska to tropical Hawaii and everything in between.

There's no other country in the world that is so familiar to those who've never visited it. We see and hear so much about America that it feels like we know what to expect. Prepare to be surprised. It is just like it looks in the films, but whatever you've seen is just a tiny part of this huge and immensely varied country. It's got everything you could want, lots that you could do without and then some more.

United States of America - Attractions

Las Vegas

The name means The Meadows but this brash, glitzy city is as unlike a piece of grassland as you can get. Situated in the middle of the Nevada Desert, it's spectacular, exciting, weird and depressing. Everything revolves around gambling, with hundreds of 24-hour casinos centred around The Strip. As well as specialising in parting people from their money, it's an easy place to get married or divorced. Who knows, you might just get lucky.

New England

Famous for its history, seafood, traditional universities and autumn colours, the region is actually made up of six states - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. The coast is a place of holiday homes, many of which are mansions owned by some of the country's wealthiest, as well as pretty villages and good beaches. One of the most popular beach areas is Cape Cod. The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have quieter beaches. Towns to spend time in include Boston and Newport.

New York

New York City is made up of five boroughs, the main attractions are in Manhattan but there's also plenty to see and do in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and on Staten Island. Nearly 40 million visitors come here every year and spread themselves around the city's 10,000 shops, 18,000 restaurants, 150 museums and every sort of other entertainment you could imagine. One way to get your bearings is taking a bus tour that lets you get off on as much as you like. A trip on the free Staten Island ferry is an excellent way of seeing the famous skyline and Statue of Liberty. Nearby Ellis Island's Immigration Museum is fascinating.

You could spend all your time on or around Fifth Avenue. Its Museum Mile has nine of the city's most prestigious museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and countless shops. Other must sees include Times Square, Chinatown, Broadway, Madison Avenue, Little Italy, Greenwich Village and the Brooklyn Bridge. The city has a surprising amount of green space, the most famous being Central Park. It's good to explore on bike or foot, but not a place to be after dark. Attractions within the park include Strawberry Fields, an area dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, a wildlife centre, a zoo and outdoor concerts during the summer.

The city where it all happens was a supremely self confident place until the terrorist attacks of September 2001 and although it's bounced back, there's still a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty. Anyone wishing to view the site of the World Trade Center can do so from the public viewing platform at Broadway and Fulton Streets. Only ticket holders are admitted and the free tickets are available from the South Street Seaport Museum. There's a special platform reserved for those who lost family members.
New Yorkers escape upstate to places like the Adirondack Mountains and the Catskills. Both areas have lots of outdoor stuff to do all year round.
Take a look at our guide to New York in the Mini Guides section.

Florida

Good weather, beaches, Disney and theme parks are the reason most people come to The Sunshine State. If you've got any time left over you could visit the Kennedy Space Center and see a space shuttle launch or landing www.ksc.nasa.gov, dodge alligators in The Everglades, explore the old town of St Augustine, marvel at Miami or enjoy the tranquillity of one of the many State Parks and forests.

California

Endless sunshine, brilliant beaches, vineyards, mountains, vibrant cities and stunning wilderness make this one of the most popular holiday states. Los Angeles is the biggest city with its fantasy lands of Disney and Hollywood alongside the reality of summer smog. San Francisco is much prettier with steep streets and colourful buildings. The state has some famous National Parks including Yosemite and Death Valley, the hottest place on earth.

The Pacific Northwest

Oregon and Washington State have less predictable weather, but some spectacular scenery. Much of Oregon's coast is wild and unspoilt and there's fascinating mountain, volcanic and desert scenery inland. The town of Bend is regularly voted as one of the best places in the country to live and although it's not that special, the surroundings are if you're into hiking, biking, skiing or rafting. Seattle is Washington's cultural capital with much to see and do. The area has lots of National and State Parks, Monuments and Forests. One not to miss is Mount St Helens which had a massive eruption just over 20 years ago, the devastation is awesome.

New Orleans

Not a place for the nervous or those seeking peace and quiet. This city is bursting with life, music and excitement and is regarded as one of America's most dangerous places. Its seductive music, decadence, lacy ironwork and delicious Creole food are enough to keep most visitors happy. The event not to miss is the Mardi Gras, weeks of parties and parades leading up to 'Fat Tuesday' itself, the day before the start of Lent. The huge Jazzfest is at the end of April and beginning of May.

The damage caused in September 2005 by Hurricane Katrina will affect your planned journey to New Orleans, as well as the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Please check the Foreign Office website for up-to-date assessments of the situation in this region.

United States of America - Activities

There's a huge contrast between the urban and wilderness areas in the US, both offer extremes. For those who want to escape the busy and the built up there's a dazzling variety of scenic wonders and masses of emptiness.

Beaches

For all year warmth go for Florida, southern California or Hawaii. For wild waves the Pacific North west is spectacular. The Atlantic coast is a little cold for swimming once you get to Maine but the area south to New York is full of good beach resorts. Surfing is hugely popular in Hawaii and California.

Cycling

Many US cities are cycle friendly with traffic free routes. Bike hire is widely available and there are some excellent routes, including a daunting coast to coast one - the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail - that's over 4,000 miles long.
Forest trails and back country dirt roads provide masses of mountain biking, which is hugely popular. Many of the National Parks have trails that can be used by bikes. Some of the ski areas allow bikers to use their lifts in the summer.

Rail trails

There's an ongoing programme of converting disused railway tracks to trails across the country. These flat tracks are excellent for skating, cycling and walking. In the winter some can be used for cross country skiing and snowmobiling.

Hiking

An enormous number of hiking opportunities exist through mountains, deserts, forests and along the coast. National, State and Forest Parks throughout the country have well marked trails and there are countless maps and guidebooks in every area. Long distance National Scenic Trails include the 2,600 mile Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail in the east and the Continental Divide Trail. Sections of the trails are suitable for horses and equipped with horse camps along the way. Another hugely popular hiking area is The Grand Canyon. Most people take at least two days over it, the descent is over 4,000 feet and then you have to come back up again.

Climbing is popular wherever there are mountains and cliffs. Some of the best are in the Sierra Nevada and Rockies. Yosemite National Park is home to the legendary El Capitan and Half Dome with their sheer granite walls.
Canoeing, kayaking and rafting. Whether you're after tranquil or white water, there are heaps of lakes and rivers to choose from. Listings of the best in each state are available on the GORP site. Kayaking is popular on both coasts, particularly amongst the San Juan islands on the west near Seattle and the Down East Islands off the coast of Maine. One of the most famous white water rafting trips is on the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, but hundreds of other rivers also have rafting trips available. Sailing and windsurfing are popular around the coasts and on lakes. It's even possible to windsurf on some of the larger rivers like the Columbia.

Skiing

The US has hundreds of ski resorts with the best snow in the west. Some of the most popular are in Colorado which has Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, and Wolf Creek. Utah, home to the last Winter Olympics, has Alta, Beaver Mountain and Snowbasin. California's got Alpine Meadows, Heavenly and Squaw Valley; even further south is Taos in New Mexico. The eastern states, Maine, Vermont and New England have smaller resorts which attract a lot of weekenders from the cities. The snow is not as reliable here, but all US resorts have good snowmaking equipment.

Whale and wildlife watching

On the East Coast, trips from Provincetown on Cape Cod run from April to November and there's a good chance of seeing humpbacks and finbacks. On the West Coast, Pacific grey whales migrate during the spring and autumn from north of San Francisco to the San Juan Islands and can be observed at various points along the way. The west coast of Maui in Hawaii attracts whales between December and May.
Bears are common in The Rockies and the mountains of the western states. Whether you find that exciting or frightening depends on the stories you choose to believe! It's a good idea to familiarise yourself with bear behaviour and what you should do when in bear country. Scorpions and snakes are common in some places and it's always worth getting local advice on dealing with the wildlife.

United States of America - Entertainment

The social scene in many cities centres round bars and clubs. The legal drinking age is 21 and ID is regularly asked for. Some states have dry areas or dry periods when you can't buy drink. Drinking in public places is widely prohibited throughout the country.

There's a bewildering array of nightlife possibilities in most cities, tourist information offices generally produce free What's On guides and Time Out has listings for Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Many cities have areas where it's not safe to go and it's always a good idea to be aware of places to avoid. Sporting event really draw the crowds. A baseball game is great, cheap entertainment.

Many cities have night time skates from late spring to early autumn. Examples include Boston on Tuesdays and San Diego on Fridays. NY has two, one round Manhattan on Tuesdays and in Central Park on Thursdays.
Independence Day on July 4th is celebrated with fireworks, concerts and parties all over the country. Remember what they're celebrating is getting rid of British rule.

A Fat Tire Festival is held in the desert around Moab in Utah during October. It draws in mountain bikers from all over the world for its fantastic rides and celebrations.

The Great Maui Whale Festival takes place in February at the peak of the whale activity. There are parades, whalewatches, concerts and parties.
New Orleans' Mardi Gras, in February or March, is one of the best known and rowdiest of all the festivals in the country.

New York or Chicago are great places to be for the St Patrick's Day celebrations in the middle of March.

Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November tends to be a family affair with much turkey eating.

Elvis fans head for Memphis for a week of celebrations starting on August 10th. Events include a Candlelight Vigil, Gospel Brunches and the Elvis Dance Party.

Clark in South Dakota has a festival to celebrate the potato in July. The potato parade and potato sculptures are interesting but the mashed potato wrestling event is unforgettable.

The summertime Redneck Games in East Dublin, Georgia include events such as seed spitting, armpit farting, bug zapping by spitball and a mud pit belly flop contest.