USA

Phew! Where to even begin with a country as vast as the USA. Well...

West Coast

The west coast of the USA is known for its laid-back lifestyle and tolerant attitudes. Visitors flock to California to see Hollywood, the original Disney theme park, Universal Studios, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, but there is much more to this area. San Diego has one of the world's leading zoos and if nature is what you're after then Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada and Denali National Park in Alaska are diverse and beautiful. Las Vegas and the brash lights of the strip await slightly further inland, with the Bellagio Fountains just one of the many iconic attractions there. The Grand Canyon has to be seen to be believed. Whilst most visitors flock to the canyon's south rim, try heading to the north along the hiking trails for solitude on your holiday. Further west far out into the Pacific lies Hawaii, land of sand, sea and surf, and also home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for a chance to peer into an active crater.

East Coast

With a reputation for hard-talking liberals in the cities and retired OAPs in the sunnier states to the south, the east coast seems less welcoming than the west on first look, but forget all about the perceptions! New York personifies the east coast for most and there's certainly enough for a long holiday in just the city alone, with the Statue of Liberty, Museum Mile, Central Park and Top of The Rock (the secret best viewpoint in the Rockerfeller Centre). Washington DC too is alive with culture, with everything centred around the National Mall, and Boston doesn't lag far behind; Faneuil Hall is one of the east coast's top attractions. Getting away from the urban areas opens up Niagara Falls, one of the world's top honeymoon destinations. Smokey Mountains National Park, spanning Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most visited in the USA and to the south Florida has the Everglades and the Florida Keys as well as a host of world-beating theme parks. Get to know the natives a little better by delving into history at the Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennysylvania or explore one of the most popular entertainment areas at Atlantic City Boardwalk, New Jersey.

North Central

Cities become fewer and farther between as the great expanse of America's heartland unfolds. The Great Lakes dominate the east of the area, and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore showcases the biodiversity in the region whilst Navy Pier in Chicago uses the water as a backdrop for the huge entertainment complex. The Henry Ford Museum in Michigan highlights the industrial side to the USA's north, and the Amana Colonies and Museum tell the tale of a self-sufficient bunch living off the land and you can join them in their idealistic lifestyle. But for most people heading here is all about the great outdoors, with the hot springs at Yellowstone National Park, the first National Park in the US, leading the way. Mount Rushmore, and the surrounding Black Hills are a great way to combine history and hiking, or for a purer adventure the Rocky Mountains National Park in Colorado offer a huge diversity of landscapes and are popular with hikers, mountain climbers and those wanting to camp in the stunning surroundings.

South Central

The south of the USA has been immortalised in books and films depicting either the cotton picking fields or concentrating on Elvis and his Graceland legacy. Often neglected, the southern states have plenty to offer with a diverse set of attractions. Memphis and its rich musical history, including Graceland are only part of the musical story. Nashville is the heart of country music and New Orleans is widely recognised as the birthplace of modern jazz and a city a live with music, partying day and night. See more of the beauty here at the Okefenokee Swamp Park in Georgia which takes you back to the original Native American Indian way of life, or revitalise your spirits with a thermal spa at the Hot Spring National Park in Arkansas. Delve further into the history of the south at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Alabama or the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in Missouri is one of the most beautiful man-made attractions in the region whilst Temple Square in Salt Lake City is perhaps the grandest temple in America, attracting more than three million visitors a year. Or delve into America's consumer heartland at the San Antonio River Walk, a beautiful pedestrianized entertainment area that's a real hub in Texas.