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US travel ideas will often be found in your own figurative back yard. These places are often the best last minute vacation ideas. and they may well be places that you have never seen because you’ve been planning ahead and finding the most exotic destinations as far from home as you can get. For instance, if you live in New York City, the best USA vacation idea might to stay at home and visit those landmarks that so many others in the country have seen. Take an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building and sail out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Take in one of the legendary Broadway shows, and visit the world famous Bronx Zoo.

Visits to cities, like Washington DC with its many splendid federal monuments, San Francisco with its picturesque location on the Pacific Ocean, windy Chicago on Lake Michigan, and star-studded Los Angeles provide excellent US travel ideas if you want world class museums, the widest variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment, and numerous famous attractions all in one place. Try Boston and Philadelphia for an in-depth exploration of the birth of the country and New Orleans for incredible Cajun cuisine and some of the best jazz and blues anywhere. Hit Seattle for its historic waterfront before boarding a cruise ship to Alaska, the country’s largest state with some of the most pristine wilderness areas in the world.

At the other end of the scale, the best USA vacation idea for many will be the extraordinarily beautiful and diverse wild places in the country. National parks and natural landscapes are at the top of the list for popular destinations. A vacation idea in Hawaii can include magnificent pristine tropical beaches as well as lush rainforests, rugged mountains, and the awe-inspiring active volcano of Kilahuea in Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. Another vacation idea in Hawaii concentrates on romance. This is one of the most popular destinations in the United States for weddings and honeymoons. Large resorts and exclusive intimate boutique hotels can provide wonderful settings for either. There is a cosmopolitan city here also, and another vacation idea in Hawaii can include the bustling city of Honolulu and legendary Waikiki Beach for surfing.

The best USA vacation idea for beaches can also be found on the mainland. The golf resorts and miles of beaches around Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach are extremely popular. You can find great spring break party beaches in Daytona Beach Florida. You can try Weirs Beach in New Hampshire for great family vacations or Lake Powell and Lake Mead in the Southwest for wonderful outdoor recreation. The rugged coast of Maine boasts historic lighthouses, and the strip of beach in Atlantic City provides glitzy high-rise hotels and gambling.

Casinos and gambling, of course, are what Vegas is best known for, and the best Las Vegas vacation idea will almost always include those, as well as tickets for one or more of the numerous shows like a Cher concert, Cirque du Soleil performance, or Blue Man Group. There are also fabulous golf resorts and luxurious full-service spas. Outside of the city, you can explore the magnificent Grand Canyon or tour Hoover Dam.

If you like scuba diving, US travel ideas can include the Florida Keys that stretch out into the Caribbean. There is also great deep sea fishing here, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico from Texas, the Florida Panhandle, Louisiana, Alabama, and off the coast from San Diego. Hit the slopes of the Rocky Mountains for some of the best skiing in the world in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Take a cruise down the mighty Mississippi River on a vintage paddlewheel steamboat, or paddle a kayak through the Florida Everglades. Take a hike on the more than 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trails that runs through fourteen states from Georgia to Maine.

As you can see, the best USA vacation idea is limited only by your imagination and budget. You can just about throw a dart into a map of the country and come up with numerous worthwhile attractions and things to do—from digging for diamonds in Arkansas, the Black Hills and Mt Rushmore in South Dakota to autumn leaf peeping in Vermont and the art colony of Santa Fe New Mexico.