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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 329153" data-attributes="member: 4937">Hmm... 'What to do in the USA' is a pretty big list:1) Washinton DC:  See the Smithsonian.  See all the Patriotic stuff.  National zoo is ok.  More historical stuff than you'd be able to see in a week.  Most things are free or nearly so.  Food is excellent and cheap.  Transportation via Metro or Bus is convienant, clean, safe, and cheap.  For lunch, I'm particularly found of Nam Viet on 3rd street.   1a) Take a slow trip through Applachia.1b) The Aleghanny's are great too.  New York is a surprisingly beautiful state.  Stay away from NYC unless you have alot of money.  You are better off in DC.2) Great Smoky Mountain National Park (and surrounding recreation area):  Gorgeous, especially in the fall.  Some of the best hiking in the country.  While in the area, raft the Ocoee, Nantahalla, and Chatooga.  Knoxville is a nice town with some of the best restraunts for a town its size in the nation.   Chatanooga, TN has one of the nicest aquariums in the world.2a) Avoid Gatlingburg.  Avoid Atlanta, GA altogether.2b) Avoid New Orleans, LA altogther.  If you must see French culture in NA, plan a trip to Montreal.  New Orleans is ugly, touristy, expensive, smelly, crowded, frequently hot and humid, and the food (which is inevitably greasy and poorly cooked) will not live up to the reputation for unless you are willing to spend $100 dollars a person (at Commander's Palace, Galatoire's, or other expensive 5 star).   The Aquarium of the America's isn't worth the trip, and the Audobon Zoo is outclassed by at least 10 zoos elsewhere in the country.  The French Quarter is like a shopping mall without trash pickup and security.2b) Avoid Orlando, FL altogether.  Heck, avoid FL.  If you really must go to the beach, take a trip down through Alabama to Gulf Shores/Pensacola.   Or head east across NC to the Atlantic and stay at a bed and breakfast on one of the islands.   When on the Atlantic coast eat fish.  When on the Gulf coast you are going to hate yourself if you don't order the fried shrimp.2d) Head west across TN into Arkansas.3) See the Ozarks.  Particularly, you want to see Blanchard Springs Caverns and float the Buffalo National Scenic River.  Branson is ok if you are into that Family Blue Collar scene (see the Shephard of the Hills and go to Silver Dollar City, catch a show if you like).  I wasn't that impressed by Eureka Springs.3a) Avoid Hot Springs, AR altogether unless you are big fan of water skiing (some of the best water skiing in the country).3b) Kansas and Texas are large and ugly and there isn't much way around that.  As someone mentioned, San Antonio is a very nice town.  Corpus Christi isn't bad either.3c) The Nebraska - South Dakota border region is pretty nice.  Black Hills, Native American History, Niobara River valley (great canoing), two great cave systems to explore, Devil's Tower, etc.4)  Ultimately, you want to end up in either Yellowstone or The Grand Canyon (or both).  In between, Rocky Mountain National Park is pretty cool.I don't have alot of experience with the far west, but I hear Oregon and Washinton are great.  Utah is supposed to be fantastic, as are Yosimite, the Redwoods, and the Sequoia's.  I understand everyone needs to drive US Highway 1 at some point in their lives.States to avoid if you can: Indiana, Illinios (outside of Chicago), Missuirri (outside of the Ozarks), Louisianna, Mississippi (not a bad state, just anything it has can be found better somewhere else), Kansas, Kentucky, Texas (too big for its own good), Nevada, and Ohio (outside of Cincinatti. Speaking of Cincinatti: King's Island is probably the world's premier coaster park.).</blockquote>

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