Cook Samantha - The Rough Guide to USA: Iconic Cities, National Parks, Classic Journeys

This Rough Guide is one of a new generation of informative and easy-to-use travel-guide eBooks that guarantees you make the most of your visit before, during and after your stay. Use this eBook both to plan your trip and explore your destination when visiting. So, before you depart, check out the illustrated Introduction, plan your itinerary using the wealth of suggestions on offer, or simply browse the guide and be inspired.

The best way to explore this guide is to begin at the main table of contents. The first section of the eBook gives you a flavour of the destination, with must-see sights and suggested itineraries. This is followed by: the Basics essential practical information; the best sights, area by area; listings on everything from hotels and restaurants to festivals; and Contexts, the history of the destination and its presence in popular culture.

Shorter contents lists appear at the start of every section in the guide, and are designed to make chapter navigation quick and easy. You can jump back to these by tapping the chapter-heading links that sit with an arrow icon at the end of every article.

Every area of the destination has a clear and beautifully presented map. Depending on your hardware, you will be able to double-tap on the maps to see larger-scale versions fill your screen.

As you use this guide, youll notice that some entries are marked by a small Rough Guides running man icon; this denotes the authors picks. You can select your own favourites and create a personalized itinerary by bookmarking the sights, venues and activities that are of most interest, giving you the quickest possible access to everything youll need for your time away.

Lauded as a beacon of freedom, reviled at times as bent on global domination, the United States has many faces, and leaves no one short of opinions. The images of the country that named itself after a continent are embedded in the mind of every traveller: endless highways cutting through bleak deserts; forests of skyscrapers towering over urban jungles; acres of beaches dotted with surfboards and sun worshippers; high mountain peaks and green river valleys; magnificent feats of engineering, from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Hoover Dam. The countrys emblems are so familiar that they constitute as much a part of the worlds culture as its own Lady Liberty, the Grand Canyon, the Empire State Building, the US Capitol, the Hollywood signthe list goes on.

For over five hundred years, travellers have brought their hopes and dreams to America. The first European explorers were followed by millions of immigrants, escaping the hidebound societies of the Old World. Eventually, they were joined as free citizens by the Native Americans the continents true pioneers and the slaves who had been shipped over from Africa and the Caribbean. Together they formed a nation that not only offered something genuinely new, but has continued to re-invent itself in the face of each fresh challenge, with a capacity to inspire that remains undiminished. The combination of a shoot-from-the-hip mentality with laissez-faire capitalism and religious fervour can make the US maddening at times, even to its own residents. But whats most surprising, perhaps, is how such an initially daunting land can prove so enticing its vibrant mix of peoples, striking landscapes and city skylines, and rich musical, cinematic and culinary heritage seduce almost every visitor in the end.

The sheer size of the country prevents any sort of overarching statement about the typical American experience, just as the diversity of its people undercuts any notion of the typical American. Many of the stereotypes do hold true this is a place where you can find real life cowboys, gangsters and other Hollywood standbys but they are far from widespread. And yet, there are a few common bonds between residents. For one, vigour and passion are animating forces in politics and culture here. While this tendency has deep roots in the countrys religious heritage (modern evangelism was perfected here), it affects everything from the firm opinions people hold over even trivial matters, to the public stand they make over God, government, guns and other incendiary topics. There is, in short, no such thing as the stiff upper lip in American life that was left behind a few centuries ago on the voyage west.

While the US is one of the worlds oldest still-functioning democracies and the roots of its European presence go back to the 1500s, the palpable sense of newness here creates an odd sort of optimism, wherein anything seems possible and fortune can strike at any moment. The countrys history from the Gold Rush to the Space Race testifies to this mentality, and its still evident whether Americans are constructing towering skyscrapers, transforming their landscape with massive dams and highways or trying to win the jackpot in Las Vegas or in the stock market. Americans relocate at a rate greater than people of any other society as they try to advance themselves economically and socially, although this wanderlust can create an equal sense of dissatisfaction, as expectations are left unmet and friends left behind in the search for the next golden opportunity.

The cities of the US are where foreign visitors often spend the majority of their time, soaking up the high-rise energy of Chicago and New York, the political fervour of Washington DC or the bayside tranquillity of San Francisco. The nations polyglot character means that any foreigner can find the company of their fellow citizens here, but its much better to leave the comforts of home behind and dive into the native experience, whether raising heaven with a gospel choir at a Pentecostal church or joining the elated crowds at a baseball game.

The country amounts, however, to much more than the sum of its urban landscapes. While spending time in the cities can be fun, its seldom as fulfilling as taking a deeper journey into the heart of the continent and its scenic splendours. Indeed, for all of its pride and bluster, the US can be a land of quiet nuances: snow falling on a country lane in Vermont, fishermen trolling for their catch on Chesapeake Bay and alligators gliding through the bayou. You could easily plan a trip that focuses on the out-of-the-way hamlets, remote wildernesses, eerie ghost towns and forgotten byways that are every bit as American as its showpiece icons and monuments. Putting aside the sheer size of the place, deciding exactly what version of the US you want to see may be the hardest decision of all.

Although weve structured this guide regionally, the most invigorating expeditions are those that take in more than one area. Unless youre travelling to and within a centralized location such as New York City, youll need a car that essential component of life in the US. You do not, however, have to cross the entire continent from shore to shore in order to appreciate its amazing diversity; it would take a long time to see the whole country, and the more time you spend simply travelling, the less time youll have to savour the small-town pleasures and back-road oddities that may well provide your strongest memories. It will hit you early on that, while there is no such thing as a typical American person or landscape, there can be few places where strangers can feel so confident of a warm reception.

Leo Carillo State Beach Park