If you’re looking for a change of scenery or you’re fed up with holidaying in Europe, perhaps it’s time you ventured in the opposite direction and vacation in the United States instead!  A diverse nation with a rich and varied culture, the United States is quickly becoming a must-visit tourist destination for Brits now that the British Pound has strengthened against the weakening U.S. Dollar.  Flights to the USA are surprisingly cheap and easy to come by, as are a wide range of decent package holidays.  No matter who you are or what your interests may be, there is surely something to satisfy your wants and needs. 

One of the most popular destinations within the United States for holiday-makers is New York City.  The ‘concrete jungle’ of Manhattan holds a wide array of wonders for the tourist to take in, including the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Times Square, the United Nations complex, Staten Island, Central Park, and in more recent times the memorial centre set up at the location of the former World Trade Centre.  New York is renowned for having a multi-cultural population which encourages a huge range of culinary and cultural attractions, though the traditional ‘New York’ foods of hot dogs, pretzels and pizza are always popular.  Fortunately cheap flights to New York are easy to come by as most of the major airlines which operate on the United Kingdom to United States routes use New York as their base. 

Another destination within the U.S. which is constantly swamped with tourists is California and in particular the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco.  California is world famous for it’s sandy beaches, it’s sunny climate, and the high proportion of celebrities that wander it’s streets.  Hollywood, of course, is one of the most visited destinations within L.A., with Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard and Melrose Avenue marking out the epicentre of the tourist interest.  Hollywood is the home to many of the world’s largest and best known film studios (such as Universal City-Burbank), as well as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre where many of the main awards shows are held.  The Hollywood Walk of Fame is another key point of interest for visitors, particularly as each celebrity’s plaque contains their hand- and foot-prints, giving fans the chance to size themselves up against their idols.  North of Los Angeles is the other popular Californian destination San Francisco, made famous for it’s iconic red Bay Bridge, it’s trams, and it’s free-thinking social scene. 

One other destination well worth a visit within the United States is the nation’s capital, Washington (D.C.).  This sprawling garden city contains many of the States’ most recognizable buildings, including the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Smithsonian Institution, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Capitol Hill.  One of the most important elements of visiting Washington D.C. is taking in the political atmosphere that is generated by the presence of the President of the United States - keep an eye out for escorted convoys!