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Traveling through the US is like traveling across a whole continent. Even if you decide only to discover one certain region you’ll certainly also becoming all your money is worth. For many travelers New York City is the beginning or the end of a journey. Attractive are not only the skyline and the statue of liberty, but also the mixed population and the incomparable mood of the city, which rubs off on the visitors. A lot has changed since September 11th 2001. What has remained is New York City’s incomparable position as an example for the "American Way of Life".
The nation seems to originate from New England. Here one can trace American history. Boston is a town with lots of European flair. From here one reaches picturesque villages along the Atlantic coast or in the mountains. During autumn the visitor is surrounded by "Indian Summer", a fascinating diversity of colored leafs. The Great Lakes and the Niagara falls are most attractive during summer. The southeast permits a deep look into the American soul as well. Philadelphia is the cradle of the country’s independence; on every step one takes at Washington D.C. one is reminded of the many Americans who have influenced history and in Virginia one can visit the battle fields of Civil War.
Anyone traveling to Florida needs to realize that many thousands of people are already there. The peninsula is not only a conglomerate for tourists and pensioners, but also for Latinos. Spectacular are the rockets station Cape Canaveral and the Everglades. In the Southern states, at Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans, one can undertake exceptional tours. You might ride alongside noble estates, huge plantations and the banks of the Mississippi river. Music fans definitely get their money’s worth at the innumerable clubs with Country & Western Music, Blues or Jazz.
But also the upper course of the Mississippi has its charms. In general the Middle West is underestimated by far. Due to the endless prairies and fields one really understands the actually size of the country. And at the "small" towns of Minneapolis or St. Paul one is most likely to meet the typical American. The southwest of the US is known for its deserts, sandstone mountain ranges, canyons and most of all for the Rocky Mountains. Breath taking national parks are situated in southern Utah.
And finally there is California where one of the most attractive roads of the world is located, Highway No. 1. It is definitely known by every biker. And right or left of the highway one can discover an endless variety of terrific sights: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Death Valley or Yosemite National Park.
Americans cultivate their fast food places, drive-ins and coffee-shops. What’s typical American? For example for breakfast they like hot waffles with maple syrup and fried eggs in the variations over easy (either side fried gently) or sunny side up (fried egg with the »shining« side up top). In the southwest the Mexican cuisine has spread; in the remaining south one can also taste French and Creole influences. Only people above the age of 21 are allowed to drink alcohol. Every state has its own alcohol law; it states when and where one is allowed to drink alcohol. You should definitely need to ask beforehand because the punishment is usually severe.
Some geography:
United States of America stretches over an area of 9.8 million square kilometers and has about 292 million inhabitants. The population is a combination from Americans of Asian-, Latin-American- and Indian origin as well as Afro-Americans. 80 percent of the population lives in urban population centers. Language of the country is English.
238 religious communities are acknowledged in the US. One quarter of the population is Protestant and another Roman Catholic. US-Americans celebrate their national holiday, "Independence Day", on July 4th, the day on which the US proclaimed their independence in 1776.
Black & white:
At present security and controls is very important in the US. Upon entry one needs to have a lot of patience. Also within the country one ought to prepare oneself that there might be controls. Detailed information can be found on the homepage of the department of Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov. |
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