Hi all. Something new today – I wanted to talk about countries I’ve been to which I think were highly worthwhile, yet they don’t receive the number of visitors they should, or they get a lot but the place seems to have a bit of a bad rap. Or both. Please take the chance to tell me what you think in the comments! Today I have decided to start with a very big fish indeed – and that’s the old US of A.

Although many many people visit and love their experiences in the USA, I have met plenty of people on the road that would never consider visiting. Are they travel snobs? I don’t know. The USA has a reputation for being… well garish I guess. Lacking in taste and history. And really that’s kinda unfair.

Okay, so Las Vegas may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but on the other hand, it’s different than going from temple to temple to temple. And the big cities are incredible monoliths to human achievement (I’m obviously especially talking about New York) and there is such great natural beauty from north to the south, from Niagara to the Grand Canyon. Great beaches in the west and Florida, great skiing and hiking in the mountains.

And genuinely friendly people (out of the big cities). Really, you won’t be disappointed if you put yourself out there. They don’t talk about ‘Southern Hospitality’ for no reason at all.

It’s really got so much for the visitor. If you are a bit like me and like to sample a little bit of an array of different tourist experiences, well you can’t go wrong across this great land.

I’ve visited Philadelphia and seen where the declaration of Independence was signed, had a blast at Disneyland and Universal studios in California, looked out for alligators on a swamp in Louisiana, stayed at a ranch in Colorado, experienced 40 degree weather and snow within a few days, just marvelled at how big New York is, been an audience member in the short-lived talk show hosted by John McEnroe, walked down the Hollywood walk of fame, taken the streetcar in San Francisco and seen the Golden Gate bridge, taken the subway in New York to the Bronx and back, taken a tour at a Harvard University in Boston…. Oh and much much more!

I heck, I haven’t been to Hawaii or Alaska. That should be a trip!

Then there is the impressive capital Washington DC. Fantastic museums, a city conceived with great scale.

And look, people reckon the food isn’t so good (maybe just the French). Well let’s be fair, if you want to pay for it, nothing is impossible in the USA – like many places on Earth. And if you’re keeping to a budget, well the USA has so many options. And no you don’t have to just go to McDonald’s. Like Australia, it’s a country of immigrants and there are so many different cuisines you can choose from.

So, as long as you go with a slightly positive attitude and try not to worry about politics, the USA has something for YOU. So don’t just take my word for it, give it a go!

Thanks for reading, and May the Journey Never End!