USA – Let’s explore here
The United States of America (USA) is the third largest country in the world (after Russia and Canada), and has the world’s third largest population (335 million people), Although it possesses more wealth than any other country, the top 1% of earners take home 20% of the wealth, and the bottom 50% of earners take 10%.
The border with the Canada is the longest in the world, at 5,525 miles (8,891 km) long. The Great Lakes which lie on the border with Canada are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, containing 21% of the world’s surface fresh water by volume.
In the west of the country sits the Rockies mountain range, dividing the large plains in the east from the Pacific west. It extends north to south and is around 3,000 miles (4,800km) in length. Yellowstone national park sits in the Rockies and is around 3,500 square miles (8,983 km2) in area. Over half of the world’s geysers are in the park, as well as a super-volcano, Yellowstone Caldera.
In Alaska sits Mount McKinley (now known as Denali) – the highest peak in the USA, at 20,310 ft (6,190 m) above sea level. And in the north west of Arizona lies the Grand Canyon; with a depth of over a mile (1,857m), it is 277 miles (446km) long and at some points 18 miles (29km) wide.
Road trip via U.S. landmarks
This is an optimised road trip travelling 13,699 miles (22,046 km) via the major landmarks in the USA. This map was created by Dr. Randal S. Olson, 2015.
This is the list of landmarks:
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
- Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
- Yellowstone National Park, WY
- Pikes Peak, CO
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
- The Alamo, TX
- The Platt Historic District, OK
- Toltec Mounds, AR
- Elvis Presley’s Graceland, TN
- Vicksburg National Military Park, MS
- French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
- USS Alabama, AL
- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL
- Okefenokee Swamp Park, GA
- Fort Sumter National Monument, SC
- Lost World Caverns, WV
- Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, NC
- Mount Vernon, VA
- White House, Washington, DC
- Colonial Annapolis Historic District, MD
- New Castle Historic District, Delaware
- Cape May Historic District, NJ
- Liberty Bell, PA
- Statue of Liberty, NY
- The Mark Twain House & Museum, CT
- The Breakers, RI
- USS Constitution, MA
- Acadia National Park, ME
- Mount Washington Hotel, NH
- Shelburne Farms, VT
- Fox Theater, Detroit, MI
- Spring Grove Cemetery, OH
- Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
- West Baden Springs Hotel, IN
- Abraham Lincoln’s Home, IL
- Gateway Arch, MO
- C. W. Parker Carousel Museum, KS
- Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion, IA
- Taliesin, WI
- Fort Snelling, MN
- Ashfall Fossil Bed, NE
- Mount Rushmore, SD
- Fort Union Trading Post, ND
- Glacier National Park, MT
- Hanford Site, WA
- Columbia River Highway, OR
- San Francisco Cable Cars, CA
- San Andreas Fault, CA
- Hoover Dam, NV
Road trip via popular cities in USA
This is an optimised road trip travelling 12,290 mile (19,780 km) via the major popular cities in the USA. This map was created by Dr. Randal S. Olson, 2015.
This is the list of cities:
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Wichita, Kansas
- Denver, Colorado
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- San Francisco, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle, Washington
- Boise, Idaho
- Park City, Utah
- Jackson, Wyoming
- Billings, Montana
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Chicago, Illinois
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Columbus, Ohio
- Detroit, Michigan
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Manchester, New Hampshire
- Portland, Maine
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Providence, Rhode Island
- New Haven, Connecticut
- New York City, New York
- Ocean City, New Jersey
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Wilmington, Delaware
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Washington, D.C.
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Orlando, Florida
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Jackson, Mississippi
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Houston, Texas
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Branson, Missouri
What currency do they use in the USA?
In the USA they use the United States dollar. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is widely accepted . Traveller’s cheques are accepted in cities and tourist areas. There are ATMs throughout the USA, although not all accept foreign issued cards.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in the USA?
They speak mainly English, whilst many also speak Spanish in the USA.
What time zone is the USA in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit the USA?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
What’s it like to drive in the USA?
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
Is wild camping legal in the USA?
Yes, wild camping is fine in many parts of the USA. Mainly, you can wild camp in US national forests and grasslands (unless otherwise marked), on Bureau of Land Management lands (providing they are suitable for camping and not being used for cattle grazing or mining operations), and on Canadian Crown Land.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!