With 50 states and 19,505 cities, towns, and villages, according to a 2015 census report, the United States of America offers plenty of choices (perhaps even too many) for your next trip. Find your ideal American adventure with our guide on where to go in the USA based on your personality.
In music-obsessed Nashville, every night brings a different act on stage. The Tennessee capital offers more than country music alone (although greats of the genre, such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Reba McEntire, have all graced its stages). Rock, indie, Top 40, and more can be heard at countless live music venues across the city, where everyone from R.E.M. to Lorde has played.
In New York, it’s all about who you know, making the Big Apple the best bet for self-described social butterflies. The iconic city is home to eight million people and nearly as many places to meet and mingle with them, including 700 art galleries, 72 Michelin-starred restaurants, and 15 major concert halls.
With “Keep Austin Weird” as its city slogan, this Texas town is ideal for individuals. Everything from breakfast tacos to hiking trails to thrift stores has a place in Austin, a cool capital known for its “anything goes” attitude—the only kind you’ll find around here.
Hundreds of hillside vineyards make the Golden State’s Napa Valley a destination worth drinking to. Wine enthusiasts (expertise is welcome but isn’t required) will enjoy a taste of California’s wine regions, which can be experienced on guided and self-led tours or on the Napa Valley Wine Train, the famous vintage train and traveling restaurant that runs through the valley.
Bust out your (bunny ear-sized) ear muffs for a chilly trip to Park City, Utah. In addition to some of the country’s best skiing, cold weather activities here include classic ice skating and snowboarding as well as lesser-seen sports such as snow biking, dog sledding, and snowshoeing.
If the word “winter” isn’t part of your vocabulary, the names of Florida’s best beaches should be. Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, and Siesta Beach are just several standouts among the peninsula’s 567 beaches, home to sunbathing, dolphin sightings, water sports, and more.
No signal, no problem. You don’t need cell service to heed adventure’s call in Colorado. Favored by outdoorsy types like you for its diverse terrain, Colorado offers mountain biking, rafting, rock climbing, skiing, zip-lining, and just about every other outdoor sport that gets your heart racing.
In recent years, the desire to live a simpler life and an interest in our environment and fellow living creatures have moved from the realm of hippies to that of hipsters. Find your tribe of haute homesteaders in Portland, Oregon, a cool city that promotes thoughtful country living through locally grown ingredients, a biking culture, and more.
Count on a city with more than 50 farmers’ markets to deliver some seriously standout food. With a focus on regional, seasonal ingredients, San Francisco’s food scene is fresh—in more ways than one. Alongside the California city’s Michelin-starred establishments are restaurants specializing in international cuisines and spots serving only local catches and crops, making every meal a new experience.
Home of barbecue and high school football madness, Texas may not seem like a standard selection for cultural entertainment. Then again, you’re not after something standard, are you? In true Texas fashion, everything is bigger in Houston, including the local arts scene, which features 20 museums, a thriving theater district, and a famous music scene.
