Top Three American Destinations

By Author: Roberto Raffa
Total Articles: 10
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America represents such an overwhelmingly vast patchwork of often wildly disparate possibilities for the prospective visitor that deciding where to start really can be an intimidating prospect. In the end it probably comes down to what you want from your visit because this epic nation really does have it all.

The multiplicity of subcultures crammed into this vast land means that even a single state can offer as much variety as some countries can muster in their entirety. Take California, a state which contains within its boundaries such remarkable diversity, both cultural and physical, that a thorough tour taking in everything from the arid deserts of the south to the brisk, verdant terrain bordering Washington State might not feel too dissimilar to a round the world trip.

We've compiled a summary of three of our favourite cities in the hope of providing some sort of entree into this mind bogglingly varied nation:

New York
What is there to be said about New York City that hasn't already been said a thousand times? The Big Apple's reputation precedes it to such an extent that it's more or less ...
... impossible for any first time visitor to arrive with anything less than an overwhelming sense of excitable anticipation. For any other city such a burden of expectation could easily prove too much to live up to, for New York however any such fear is almost immediately dispelled. This is a city whose unique energy grabs you irresistibly, a city whose ambience is at once thrillingly familiar from a thousand movies and yet still, somehow, pulse-racingly unexpected.

Of course New York boasts a plethora of worthwhile attractions, many of which will prove hard to resist even for those determined not to succumb to the usual tourist checklist destinations. But there really is something to be said for simply absorbing this great city's invigorating hubbub rather than dashing from one photo opportunity to the next.

Los Angeles
It's probably foolish to attempt a succinct summary of LA and, likewise, highly unlikely that a short visit will do this sprawling collection very distinct districts any sort of justice. The clichés are easy of course - LA is LaLa Land, a city built on dreams and fantasy, where impossible glamour veneers an all too real underbelly of rough edges and disappointment , where Hollywood sparkle flickers seductively across a surface of smog and traffic that stretches out into a seemingly endless suburban mass.

Perhaps it's best not to bother trying to deconstruct the ‘City of Angels' thoroughly self mythologized image, for the tourist LA is most likely a more manageable section of metro area at the heart of the city - Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, Downtown. The itinerary seems likely to include such quintessential LA sites as Hollywood Boulevard, mansion gawping in Beverly Hills, window shopping in Rodeo Drive, hitting a beach or two, a rambling drive along Mulholland Drive or up to Malibu and, for those anxious to cram in a little culture a visit The Getty Centre.

All this might not get you any closer to really understanding this chimera of a city but, hey, what do you expect, this is LA after all.

Boston
It would be easy to characterise Boston as a city defined by its history and, hell, it does have an awful lot to offer on that front. From its origins as the puritans ‘shining city on a hill' Boston (dubbed rather imposingly ‘The Cradle of Liberty') has consistently commanded a position at the forefront of America's cultural and political landscape and still exudes an undeniable gravitas.

Given this steadily acquired image one could be forgiven for imagining a city weighed down by a sense of staid historical self importance. Such off-putting preconceptions do Boston a great disservice however; visitors will find a city that is indeed rich in history, pretty green expanses and period architecture but equally overflowing with a more contemporary energy.

In fact Boston is experiencing something of a cultural renaissance right now, with a thriving visual arts scene, forward thinking architectural developments and impressive new landmarks like the Institute for Contemporary Arts.

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