It's likely that a first-time visitor to the USA may feel both intimidated and over-awed at the same time. However, if you have a planned itinerary, this anxiety won't stay long, make sure you are familiar with the various cities you may visit inside and out. Here is a quick guide to assist you in picking three top destinations.
- Seattle, Washington
The city of Seattle is located between Lake Washington and Puget Sound and is well known for not only the Space Needle but also its waterfront location. There are several historic neighbourhoods as well as equally popular sights like Fisherman's Terminal, Pike Place Market, the Smith Tower Observation Deck, Safeco Field Stadium, Hing Hay Park, and the Seahawks Exhibition Center. The Space Needle, which is truly a must-see, provides an amazing vista but it is not worth the price tag so check out tours that package multiple attractions like this one for the Space Needle and the world-famous Chihuly Garden. The Science Fiction Museum and the Seattle Art Museum are two additional locations worth mentioning that are usually missed. I also love doing the underground tour as the original city of Seattle was actually built about 10 feet under where it sits today.
If you are not sure what you want to see then you could always do a city tour, take a boat around the harbour, go on a wine tour, take a food tour of Pike Market, an underground donut tour, take a chocolate tour, or take a coffee tour as the city is the home of Starbucks. If you have been to Seattle before then why not explore just outside of the city by heading to Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, the Boeing Factory / Museum of Flight, Mt. St. Helen's which was a volcano that exploded in the 1980's, cruise the Puget Sound, explore Snoqualmie Falls, visit my favourite German town - Leavenworth, and more!
- Honolulu, The Big Island, Hawaii
Oahu's island home, Honolulu, is teeming with tourist attractions like the Diamond Head volcano. With all the landmarks, art galleries, and recreational opportunities accessible, there is truly no end to the enjoyment - the Aloha Tower Marketplace, the State Capitol Building, the Hawaii Maritime Center, the Hawaii State Art Museum, and the Battleship Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor are just a few of the must-see sights.
If you're the athletic type, you'll be astounded by the variety of water sports available at Mamala Bay. If you were looking for something more relaxing, then the sandy beaches of the Big Island of Hawaii, which are located near Waikiki, are highly popular and frequently visited; you will undoubtedly feel at ease and sun-kissed.
One thing to note however is that due to the clustered streets, travelling across Honolulu can be challenging but renting a car (jeep with a removeable top maybe? Just make sure whatever you rent has a trunk) is a great option as there is a ton of parking. If you don't want to drive then take a tour! A full day trip to Oahu, check out the North Shore, snorkel with Sea Turtles, take an Eco Tour of Waikiki, or maybe take a tour with a local that wants to show you where the locals go.
- Tampa, Florida
The city of Tampa is located on Florida's western coast and there is a solid reason why Tampa is known as Florida's cultural hub - two massive Universities as well as the opulent Tampa Bay Arts Performing Center are located there. Given its many beaches, Tampa is ideal for vacations as well. The most well-known tourist destination in the area is the well-known theme park Busch Gardens. Tampa Bay CityPass will get you into a variety of the local tourist destinations including Busch. Besides Busch, you should also visit Raymond Stadium which frequently hosts football games, the Weeki Wachee Springs, Dinosaur World, and the Florida Aquarium. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which takes place every January, is one of the most well-known events of the area. You could also take a food walking tour of Ybor city, zipline over Tampa Bay, or even take in a pub crawl / ghost tour.
The USA has a huge variety of towns and cities that can be visited around the entire country with these three just being a small drop in a bucket but hopefully they will start to get your planning juices flowing!
Through our affiliation with Viator, a Tripadvisor company, we are able to suggest the highly rated tours that are linked for your convenience. For more information on any of the items mentioned, click the blue link to visit Viator's website for more information, to check availability and prices, as well as to purchase.
