The land of the free, home of the brave, and arguably the most popular and influential country on Earth. Say what you want about the US, but there are no end of people, places, attractions, experiences, cultures, foods and natural wonders which make the country unique and encourage the rest of the world to keep visiting year after year.
We all have our own personal reasons why we love America, but we have ranked the top 50 things that most visitors love about the good ol’ U.S. of A...
Compared to Europe and Asia, driving on wide-laned roads and supersized highways in America is a breeze. Turning right on red lights is also a bonus. Among the most beautiful roads in the US are California’s Highway 101, Hana Highway in Hawaii, the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana, and the Mount Washington Auto Road which runs through New Hampshire. However, even the roads in and out of the cities, like the Alfred E Driscoll Bridge across the Raritan River in New Jersey (pictured) are spectacular and easy to navigate.
America's obsession with health and fitness has grown massively over the past half a century, with spin studios, 24-hour gyms and juice shops, just some of the recent surges. While a lot of it has to do with body image, many people exercise and eat and drink well just to feel good and socialise. And it’s easy for visitors to the US to get involved, with outdoor workout centres like those in Miami (pictured) commonplace.
Whether it’s golden oldies like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Presley, or modern artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z or The Osborne Brothers (pictured), American musicians past and present have helped create, shape and redefine music for the world. When you travel around the States, those and many other US artists will provide an exhilarating and memorable soundtrack to your trip.
Although sports bars and pubs are not exclusively American, the US does them better than anywhere else. All across the country, there are bars like those in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas (pictured), where you can pull up a stool and watch whatever sport takes your fancy on multiple screens while munching down on hot wings, steak tips or nachos. And the best bit: if you’re alone, it’s dead easy to start up a conversation with the people on either side of you and even make a few new friends.
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They may well be named after their supposed British inventor, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, but many of the world’s best sandwiches were created in America. Among them are the Connecticut lobster roll, New Orleans po’ boys, Philly cheesesteaks, Nebraska Reubens and that hotel classic, the club sandwich. And let’s not forget that America is also the spiritual home of burgers and hot dogs, as well as the birthplace of McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway.
The USA’s deserts (defined as areas that get 10 inches or less of annual precipitation) are home to some of the most astonishing landscapes, wildlife and experiences, not to mention nomads, exiles, spiritual seekers, bandits, prospectors and UFO hunters. North America’s ‘Big Four’, the Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran (pictured) and Chihuahuan together cover 500,000 square miles (1.3m sqkm), from the lonesome sagebrush backlands of Oregon and Nevada, down to the cactus groves of central Mexico.
It has huge mountain ranges with plenty of snow, so it goes without saying that America has some of the best ski and snowboarding spots in the world. As well as famous locales like the luxurious Aspen (pictured), Park City, Vail, Breckenridge, Squaw Valley, Jackson Hole, Alta-Snowbird and Stevens Pass, there are plenty of smaller winter resorts to keep hardcore powder-hunters happy.
If you’re not convinced that some things are bigger and better in the US, pay a visit to one of its massive grocery stores. You’ll find a dizzying variety of every foodstuff and household supply available, including an entire aisle dedicated to candy or breakfast cereal. Away from the large Walmart, Target and Publix stores, there are 24/7 stores, delis and pharmacies on almost every single block, as well as drive-thru fast food and liquor stores. It’s the dictionary definition of convenience.
Americans love an event and there is pretty much always something going on or being celebrated on any night of the week in the US. From the outlandish creativity and self-expression of Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and the jazz roots celebrations of Louisiana’s Jazz Fest, to the trendy and celeb-filled stages of Coachella, the US has a music festival for everyone. But if you’re going to go to one, choose SXSW in Austin, Texas. As well as 2,000-plus musical acts, there is also film, comedy and guest speakers.
The US has over 12,000 miles (19,312km) of coastline, even more when you take the country’s freshwater lakes into account, so there are a lot of beaches to choose from. If you fancy topping up your tan before partying the night away, head to Miami’s South Beach (pictured), or if you just like people-watching, make a beeline for Venice Beach, California. Alternatively, you can tuck into fresh lobster rolls overlooking the sea in Maine and Massachusetts, or surf some of the world’s best waves in tropical Hawaii.
The first sport on our list is the United States’ fourth most popular. Known for its speed, skill, and occasional brawls, ice hockey is a Canadian import, but there are three times as many American teams in the NHL competing for the Stanley Cup as there are from north of the border. Ice hockey also has some cool traditions, like the Detroit Red Wings fans’ throwing octopuses onto the ice during play-off games or the pyrotechnic and medieval-themed goal celebrations of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Simply put, state parks offer everything you’re looking for in a National Park, but with far fewer crowds. There are 6,792 different state parks protecting more than 14 million acres of diverse landscape across America. Among them is Silver Falls (pictured), referred to as the ‘crown jewel’ of the Oregon State Parks system. Here, you can walk behind a waterfall, hike through the dense forest and mountain bike on 35 miles (56km) of backcountry trails, before having a barbecue on the campgrounds.
The United States would not be what it is today without the 600,000 or so bridges that connect its communities. Whether they span a distance of just a few dozen feet or stretch for miles, many of the nation’s most iconic bridges have a fascinating story to tell. With its postcard-perfect view of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge (pictured) is arguably the most famous in the world, but did you know it was designed to bend under the weight of vehicles and pedestrians, and has also been (fictionally) destroyed in films like Godzilla, X-Men: The Last Stand and San Andreas?
While a lot of people say they’re patriotic, no one loves their country quite as much as Americans. Well, no one shows it quite as willingly, let’s put it that way. When you visit the States, you will see the Stars & Stripes everywhere: on people’s roofs, on car bumper stickers, on baseball caps and cupcakes. There are even five flags still on the surface of the Moon. Almost two-thirds of Americans own a flag, and it’s probably that same cross-section of people who you’ll hear chanting 'U-S-A!' at various sporting events.
Whether you’re travelling to the States or not, you can’t escape its TV shows. No matter your viewing tastes, there’s bound to be at least one American TV show on your recently watched list or top 10 countdown. During a trip to the US, you can track down some of the filming locations of your favourite shows, or just relax in front of the box and flick through the cable and digital channels until you find a vintage episode of classics such as Breaking Bad, The Simpsons, Stranger Things, Friends, or whatever else takes your fancy.
Americans ’shore’ love their lighthouses, which span from coast to coast and often pop up in the unlikeliest of places. With a bit of research, you can do a coastal road trip and take in some of the prettiest and most fascinating in the country. They include Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine (pictured). Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in the state and from a certain vantage point you can also see the Halfway Rock Lighthouse, which was built 80 years later.
When you think of golf in America, which course immediately springs to mind? Yes, the home of The Masters, Augusta National (pictured). While playing at the iconic course is nigh-on impossible for amateur golfers, there are plenty of others dotted around the States, which may not have hosted a Major, but are almost as alluring. There are over 16,000 courses and country clubs in America for part-time players to work on their handicaps.
From the wonders of Mother Nature in Utah, South Dakota and Wyoming to manmade memorials in Washington DC, New York and Boston (pictured), there are plenty of incredible monuments in America, each with a story to tell. Not only do they remind visitors of important people and events and offer keen photographers the chance to capture a slice of history, monuments also tell us a lot about how Americans view themselves as a nation.
America is such a large country that travelling by car, train or bus just isn’t always practical. Thankfully, there are plenty of handy regional airports from which to hop on a plane and move from state to state. Almost three million passengers fly in and out of US airports on 45,000 flights every day. American, Delta, United and Southwest are the ‘big four’ domestic carriers.
Douglas firs in the Pacific Northwest, aspens and pine trees in Colorado (pictured), Spanish moss-draped oaks in the south, and crazy-looking Joshua trees in the Californian desert – the United States sure has some amazing trees. Just under a third of this vast country is forested, with the Pisgah National Forest ranking as the country’s most popular of its 154 National Forests. Located in Asheville, North Carolina it covers over 500,000 acres, and is home to all manner of outdoor activities.
Often referred to as the ‘nation’s favourite pastime’, baseball is not just an American obsession – it has star players and passionate fans right across Latin America, Japan, South Korea and Europe. The sport is steeped in tradition, nostalgia and supposed curses. Take a seat in a stadium, or pull up a stool in a sports bar next to a baseball buff, and they may talk you through some of the MLB and World Series best superstitions. Meanwhile, the 2024 Little League Baseball World Series was the most watched since 2015.
America has a deep-rooted love affair with the automobile, and from the earliest days of the motor industry, cars made by the likes of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have played a significant role in shaping US culture. Opinions on the best American car of all time differ (the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Bel Air, Cadillac Eldorado and Pontiac GTO, pictured, are worthy contenders), but there is no denying that if you have a love of cars, then you’ll enjoy the States.
As soon as September hits in America, summer is over, and the countdown to Christmas begins. But before Yuletide arrives, there is a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November that is even bigger. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to have a feast with loved ones, but without having to buy presents. The world’s largest Thanksgiving event is the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, New York City, which includes giant balloons, marching bands and dancers, and a lot of sport usually takes place during the holiday.
When the arrival of the Interstate Highways rerouted custom elsewhere, it appeared to sound the death knell for thousands of motels across the US. However, many of these charming icons of roadside America have been repurposed in recent years, with hoteliers now recognising their potential in catering to millennial travellers. Route 66 boasts a myriad of fantastic lodging options, including Motel 66 (pictured) in Holbrook, Arizona, which dates back to 1948.
These are America's classic motels for your next US road trip
It's almost as if every American was born with a huge friendly smile. Even in the big cities, if you ask someone for directions on the street, they’ll jump at the chance of showing you the way. In general, Americans are usually not afraid to express themselves and to tell you how they feel about you. However, if you really want to experience American friendliness, then head south where you’ll find the world-famous Southern hospitality. Don’t be surprised to hear people using the terms 'ma'am' and 'sir' as a sign of warmth and respect.
Whether you’re a hiker, biker, skier or camper, exploring America's stunning mountain ranges is an exhilarating experience. The Rockies, which stretch 3,000 miles (4,800km) from Canada to New Mexico, through states like Colorado (pictured), is by far the most popular and iconic mountain range in North America. But don’t overlook the Great Smoky Mountains (part of the Appalachians), the Sierra Nevada range and the Olympic Mountains in the Pacific Northwest.
Most Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with parades and fireworks. It’s a time to get together with friends and family, enjoy summer foods, listen to music, and generally have a great time. While the events in big cities like Washington DC are memorable, the people of Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was originally signed in 1776, throw an amazing party. A whole section of the city is blocked off for Party on the Parkway as they put on performances, games, food trucks and activities for the whole family.
Whether it is an authentic 1950s throwback diner that has been serving for over 60 years and hasn’t changed much or a contemporary interpretation that reinvents the concept with modern twists – who doesn’t love a classic roadside diner? Pancakes, cheeseburgers, omelettes, biscuits and gravy, eggs Benedict and loaded fries are staple foods at places like The Sunliner Diner (pictured) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and the endless coffee refills are great too.
Millions of Americans love nothing better than packing up their family, friends and belongings and hitting the road in a home-from-home juggernaut kitted out with a kitchen, beds and mod cons. Going by RV is a convenient, hassle-free way to see America, and gives travellers the flexibility to stop off at the country’s 16,000 campgrounds, and go where they want, when they want, without airport waits and luggage restrictions. In America, the term ‘RV’ doesn’t just mean a full-blown house on wheels, it describes anything that combines transport and living quarters.
Americans have a bit of an obsession with pumpkins. And as well as putting the vegetable (technically a fruit) in pies, soups and drinks, during the fall, many homes and businesses go to a lot of effort creating colourful pumpkin displays, while kids and grown-ups carve scary faces into a Jack O’Lantern for 31 October. Halloween is a huge occasion in America, with thousands of different events, most involving extravagant fancy dress costumes and decorations, happening each year to celebrate.
Coffee has been popular in the US for centuries. During the American Revolution, drinking tea was seen as unpatriotic, as it was the favoured drink of the British, so coffee became the beverage of choice for ‘true Americans’. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the emergence of US coffee chains, the most well-known being Starbucks, and nowadays, three in four Americans consume some sort of coffee drink every day.
While football is America's national sport, more people actually play basketball than any other team sport. With stars like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and of course, Michael Jordan, the NBA became enormously popular worldwide during the 1990s and that has continued ever since. There are 30 teams in the NBA, who each play 82 games a season, so getting tickets to go see the likes of Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Dallas Mavericks’ PJ Washington (pictured) might be easier than you think.
Millions of people visit America for one reason and one reason only – Disney. From the immense theme parks in Florida and California and the huge cruise ships that sail around the east coast, to the iconic films that have defined our childhoods, the Walt Disney company has brought happiness to generations since the studio's first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937. Although Disney is now a worldwide phenomenon, the US will always be the House of Mouse’s real home.
If you’re arriving from a smaller country, you’ll soon realise that the US is a vast wilderness with endless possibilities. You will find almost every imaginable landscape on Earth in the world's third largest country (by size), from dirt roads cutting through the Nevada mountains (left) and acre upon acre of lush forest, to thousands of miles of stunning coastline and untouched countryside as far as the eye can see.
The first time you visit the USA, one of the things that will strike you is how smiley and efficient the restaurant and bar servers are. Admittedly, some of that has to do with the country’s ‘tipping culture’ and that the staff are trying to impress the customers in the hope that they will receive a sizeable gratuity. But you'll also get friendly customer service in non-tipping places like shops, car rental outlets, theatres and theme parks. However, the less said about the demeanour of airport immigration officers, the better.
The United States has more than 100,000 shopping malls, most of them full of browsers, bargain hunters, or people who just want to spend the day having fun in the amusements and other attractions, or dining in restaurants. The Mills at Jersey Gardens (pictured) in Elizabeth, New Jersey, is the Garden State’s largest outlet and home to the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Saks Off 5th. Visitors can take advantage of the reduced shopping tax rate which is lower than it is in neighbouring New York.
Visiting all 50 US states is doable, but it can take time. However, some people aim to stop off in them all in the space of just a year. While the likes of Alaska and Hawaii can be hard to reach, the six states that make up New England are close together, as are those around the Capital Region. If you do fancy taking on the challenge, chances are that you’ve already been to a few, so get a map out and start crossing them off. And should you achieve the feat, you will be eligible to join the online All Fifty States Club.
Being a relatively young nation, the United States doesn’t have as many years of history to call upon as some countries in Europe, for example. However, it certainly makes the most of the 248 years since the Declaration of Independence. While iconic sites like the White House, Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore draw in the crowds, real American history buffs head for the likes of Historic Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg (pictured) and the Freedom Trail in Boston.
Each year, thousands of dedicated leaf peepers head to New England to view the spectacular yellows, greens, golds, oranges and reds of the fall season. But the six states of Maine, Vermont (pictured), New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island don’t have a monopoly on fantastic fall foliage. For example, in Colorado, the aspen trees, with their stunning gold, bright white bark and tree trunks beneath the vivid colours of the leaves, are a sight to behold.
Given its huge variety of landscapes and climates, it’s only natural that the USA is home to a rich array of wildlife. If you want to see brown bears fishing, then head to Denali National Park and Wildlife Preserve, Alaska (pictured). The Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is good for spotting elk herds and bighorn sheep, while Montana has 270 species of birds, including the most well-known of all the United States’ national animals, the bald eagle.
While some are called Main Street and others go by a different name, the USA’s charming thoroughfares and boulevards are crucial to the towns and cities’ identities. They are often lined with unique shops and boutiques, as visitors walk down the bustling sidewalks framed by historic old brick buildings and tranquil avenues canopied by ancient trees. The iconic Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee (pictured), is special in that it’s renowned for honky tonks and live country music.
There are many reasons why tourists flock to the USA’s cities – good weather, world-class museums and quality restaurants, to name but three. While New York City regularly tops the rankings when it comes to population and visitor numbers, Chicago (pictured) also has world-class festivals, over 150 breweries and an amazing dining scene of its own. Meanwhile, Las Vegas is quickly becoming one of the most lovable cities in America, with guests having more options for accommodation and entertainment than ever before.
America is a country of excess and whether it’s 64-ounce sodas, 54-inch giant Sicilian pizzas, six-foot subs, super-sized doughnuts or mountains of nachos slathered in cheese, there’s no such thing as too big in the country’s food-and-drink industry. While the supersize culture has plenty of critics, if you’re really hungry, the States is the place to be. And with over 200,000 fast-food restaurants across the nation, ginormous food is easy to get hold of too.
Football has been America's favourite sport for half a century, and its popularity is continuing to grow overseas. On the second Sunday in February, the nation stops for the Super Bowl (pictured), and even its half-time show has become one of the world’s most-watched concerts, with past performers including Beyoncé, Madonna and Lady Gaga. However, the biggest crowd-puller in all of American sport is college football. And the game-day experience for all football games is special, not least the tailgating tradition of cooking food and drinking out of the back of your car or truck.
The five interconnected lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario) on the border of the USA and Canada make up the world’s largest body of fresh water and provide endless opportunities for boating, swimming, kayaking and fishing. There are also many beaches dotted along their shores, including Bradford Beach (pictured) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was constructed 100 years ago as part of Lake Park on a bluff above Lake Michigan.
From fascinating natural history centres and interactive space-age adventures, to free-to-visit galleries displaying world-famous artworks, the USA has some of the best museums in the world, which are both educational facilities and major tourist attractions. The majority of the Smithsonian Institution’s 21 museums are found in Washington DC and all are free to attend, while the work of Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock is displayed at New York City’s iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art, aka ‘the Met’ (pictured).
The USA has some spectacular landscapes, from the natural wonder of the Grand Canyon to the epic Rocky Mountains. These and other awe-inspiring natural treasures are split into 58 National Parks. If you aren’t lucky enough to see all of them in your lifetime, be sure to visit Yellowstone (pictured), which was established as America’s first National Park in 1872. It is one of Earth’s last natural ecosystems and home to wonderful wild wilderness and most of the world’s geysers, including the famous Old Faithful.
While many movies and TV shows are filmed on sound stages, mostly in Hollywood, on-site filming locations around the US draw in the crowds. The firehouse used as the Ghostbusters' headquarters (pictured) is located in Tribeca, New York, while classic romcom Sleepless in Seattle features many of the Emerald City’s landmarks, including the Space Needle. The Lost Boys includes scenes filmed in Santa Cruz along the Pacific Coastal Highway, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier sees the superhero battling a conspiracy in and around Washington DC.
Although the Disney resorts may be the most famous, America has plenty of other thrilling theme parks that are even better than those run by the House of Mouse. In Florida, there is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (pictured) and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, while those with a sweet tooth head for Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, and Dollywood celebrates life in the Great Smoky Mountains, with more than 40 attractions and an onsite water park.
Whether it’s on a Harley-Davidson, or in an RV or vintage convertible, with the wind in your hair, road-tripping through the US is a quintessential American experience. The gigantic country is set up well for these journeys with plenty of roadside restaurants, services and motels. Among the best US road trips are the historic Route 66 which starts in Chicago and crosses eight different states, and the Pacific Coast Highway which takes in the West Coast’s metropolises, Californian beach towns and ancient redwood forests.
Now take a look at nostalgic images of American road trips from every decade