The first state I visited in the USA was New York with my family in 2011. I loved the city, but my family were far from impressed with the hustle and bustle of New York (specifically the rudeness, the tipping culture, and the expense). Therefore, in 2015 when we decided to spend three weeks driving along the Mother Road across the country we were slightly apprehensive but very excited.
The route starts in Chicago, Illinois, and my memories of it vary greatly. We arrived in bad weather and I noted a lot of homelessness and a bit of a sketchy vibe, but by morning the sun was out and we took a boat tour which I enjoyed greatly as I love massive cities. For an adrenaline-filled view, I'd recommend the The Willis Tower Skydeck.
The next city we visited was St Louis, Missouri. I actually hadn't heard anything about this city prior to visiting but it ended up being one of my favourite experiences. Knowing nothing about baseball, we of course had to see a live game and became the Cardinals' biggest supporters. Admittedly, I can't actually remember whether they won or not, but the spirit in the stadium was great and I still have the chant stuck in my head 5 years later! My favourite memory has to be my mum clapping and cheering after a home run - what she didn't realise was that the other team had gotten it. Let's Go Cardinals!
Admittedly, Kansas and Oklahoma were pretty uneventful and I don't remember much about either state except for a cool Route 66 museum and the best (free!) ice cream at the hotel, but next came a classic: Amarillo, Texas. Texas was exactly as portrayed in films: massive portions, lots of cows, and leather everywhere, but excellent hospitality (I found this out after leaving my phone in a restaurant...). Boy oh boy was this an experience! We arrived at our first ever motel, and despite the 'Psycho' vibes, the saloon doors made it an entertaining experience. We went to the adjacent steakhouse for lunch to find two people attempting the Big Texan challenge - this has been done on Man vs Food and is no joke; I'm talking 72oz of steak (alongside sides such as corn and shrimp) in just 60 minutes.
Santa Fe, New Mexico was unlike any other city we'd visited, offering us a more cultural experience, with a lot of art, museums, and music. On the other hand, Arizona provided a lot of nature, including hikes in the Walnut canyon and a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon (which I'd strongly recommend).
Our itinerary included a slight detour to one of my favourite states: Nevada. The contrast between the 42°C Hoover Dam, and sin city Las Vegas was astonishing. Las Vegas was exactly as portrayed in films too, with casinos and luxury (as well as slight tackiness) everywhere. One of the things that most impressed me was the hotel experience, I'd never seen casinos in hotels (much less with people smoking indoors!) and everything in the room could be remote-controlled, including the curtains, which I found very impressive at the time. I managed to convince my family to buy tickets for Cirque du Soleil, and the show was literally breath-taking - I'd strongly recommend it!
Los Angeles, California was similar to New York in that I was the only one who enjoyed it, as I liked seeing all the landmarks (the Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Universal Studios etc), but in all honestly if I were to go back, I'd probably spend less time in LA and spend a few days in San Francisco instead. On the other hand, Death Valley was exciting and the road signs kept us entertained throughout the desert.
Route 66 was one of my all-time favourite holidays, and made all of us want to go back to the US for an East Coast road trip. I loved how each state was different and many were as in the movies. For a road trip, I'd say the USA is a great experience as petrol is cheap, the roads in good condition, and there is a lot to see!
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