Where to go on your first trip to the USA/Canada (and where to go on your second/third and fourth trip) is one of the most significant questions when planning your trip. The United States and Canada are huge countries, and when you decide to travel to them – the decision is equivalent to the decision to travel to Europe. But where to? To Germany? To France? Or maybe to the UK or Romania? Therefore, if you have made a decision to travel to the USA and Canada – you still have a lot of sub-decisions to make, and these will have a significant effect on your trip, your enjoyment and your desire to return and travel again to this beautiful subcontinent.
The decision where to go on a first trip to the USA and Canada is very personal. It stems from your character, and yours alone. Do you like nature or do you prefer the city? Are dramatic views more important to you or perhaps your priority is to travel in the less popular and crowded tourist route? Do you prefer outdoor attractions (alpine slides, omegas, rafting, etc.) or do you enjoy hiking more? Would you like to include an amusement park in your trip? What is your budget? How much time do you have? In what season of the year is your trip? And more …
In this article I will try to give details regarding all the considerations that you should take into account when choosing the destination of the trip.
The main travel areas in the USA and Canada can be divided into 9:
Includes the states – Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island (all of these states are called New England), as well as the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey
A trip with lots of lush green scenery, lots of water, lots of beaches and lighthouses, plus picturesque towns. A trip to the northeastern USA includes many outdoor attractions, and in the fall – marvelous colors of the fall foliage, all within reasonable and not very long travel distances. Those looking for a relatively short trip in the USA, combined with visiting the Northeastern cities (New York, Boston, Washington) – this part of the country is definitely a great option for them.
Includes the states – North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida
A region that includes very impressive areas, but these areas are very dispersed (ie far away one from the other). The Southeastern USA combines southern cities with lots of glorious history, mountains with lots of greenery and water, beaches with lots of islands (and quite a few dolphins that sometimes swim right off the coast), and also (especially in northern Florida) areas with lots of great springs and lots of animals. This is a much less touristic region than northeastern USA, but in many ways quite similar to it. This region also includes the state of Florida, which despite being a flat state (with no impressive topography), is well worth a trip (with lots of nature and a heaven for wildlife viewing), and those interested in focusing their trip in this state and in its theme parks (in Orlando) can also choose it for their first trip.
Includes the states – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
A beautiful region that stretches from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the northern interior of the continent. This is a very scenic diverse region that includes rugged beaches, temperate rainforests, towering volcanoes, and the Rocky Mountain Rang, including the pearls of North American – the Yellowstone National Park with its tens of thousands of hydrothermal features. The trip to northwestern USA can be combined with a trip to western Canada, or with a trip to the southwestern USA. There are areas in the northwestern USA, that due to the scattering of points of interest, are mainly for advanced travelers (those who have already traveled elsewhere in the sub continent), and there are areas in this region that are highly recommended for a first visit (such as Yellowstone National Park and its surroundings).
Includes the states – California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado
The Southwestern USA is no doubt the most diverse and most scenic region of the sub continent. In a relatively small area, this region has a combination of impressive man-made attractions (especially in California’s coastline cities, as well as the city of Las Vegas), with the indescribable beauty of nature and a landscape that is extremely varied (red sandstone deserts, high mountain ranges, beautiful ocean coasts and more). Most of this region is perfect for a first trip (mainly southern Utah and northern Arizona combined with the state of California) and some of this region is more appropriate for more advanced travelers (mainly Colorado and New Mexico).
Includes the states – Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio
This region is the largest geographically and includes all of the more remote and less touristic (and mostly also less interesting) areas of the USA, west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Rocky Mountains. The northern part of this region (which is actually a region in itself) is called the Midwest and includes the Great Plains of the USA, east of the Rocky Mountains. The southern part of this region includes the state of Texas and neighbouring smaller states. The center of the USA is definitely not a destination for a first visit to this country – and probably not a destination for a second or third visit either. Most this region includes endless plains that are the food source for most of the USA. You can drive here for hours surrounded by corn or wheat fields. Although there are some beautiful National Parks in this part of the country, as well as remnants of the vast grassy plains of North American, the beauty does not compare in level with that of other areas in the subcontinent. In addition and the travel distances in this region are extremly long.
A beautiful, spectacular, wild land that is also a paradise for wildlife lovers. A trip to Alaska is a net nature trip (and hence slightly less varied trip compared to other possible trips in the USA). Therefore for most travelers, this destination is usually less recommended for a first trip to the USA and Canada.
Includes the provinces – British Columbia, Alberta, as well as on rare trips – parts of the Yukon and the Northwest Territories (although these two regions are more suitable for integration in a trip to Alaska)
This area of the country mainly includes the beautiful Canadian Rockies with the addition of the scenic coastal areas and beautiful coastal cities on the western side of the subcontinent. Undoubtedly from a scenic point of view, the Canadian Rockies are also worthy of a first trip to the North American continent, but this trip will not be very varied, and most importantly – it is almost a trip of net nature. There are travelers for whom this is an advantage and there are some for whom this is a disadvantage. Another point to consider is the fact that the tourist season in the Rocky Mountains is short, and during the tourist months the place is very busy and the congestion is very noticeable. Therefore this trip requires more careful planning in advance – due to limited availability of accommodation (compared to the amount of tourists) and the need to make quite a lot of advance reservations (for shuttles, activities etc.).
Includes the provinces – Quebec (mainly southern Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as well as the eastern part of Ontario, and the island of Prince Edward. Few travelers combine a trip to Eastern Canada with a visit to Newfoundland and Labrador
A beautiful, wild and pristine land. A trip to this region combines great nature also a visit with interesting cities and picturesque villages. This area is less touristic than most other travel regions in the USA and Canada and this is one of the main benefits to travel to it. On the other hand, it is also slightly less scenically impressive compared to western Canada for example. This region also includes relatively long drives in most routes. In light of all the above considerations, a trip to this region is mainly recommended for an advanced trip, and less suitable for a first trip.
Including the provinces and territories – Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut
A huge area of land that includes unique areas, mostly uninhabited, and in many parts also inaccessible. This is without a doubt a travel region that is for the advanced only. The only areas in this region that can be visited in a regular road trip are south of Manitoba and Saskatchewan which are mostly characterized by endless plains adorned with tens of thousands of swampy lakes. Access to the rest of this region is more difficult as there are no roads leading to it. This area is suitable for advanced travelers only.
