18 days in United States Itinerary

More than the country of car-packed streets seen in TV shows and movies, the United States of America is a complex and diverse home to over 300 million people living in a wide range of landscapes and climates. From its big-city skyscrapers to its sprawling natural parks, the country's ''melting pot'' combines many ethnic groups that share a strong sense of national identity despite their cultural differences. A country of road trips and big blue skies, the United States harbors orderly cities filled with restaurants, parks, museums, and innumerable sightseeing opportunities, as well as pristine natural areas perfect for a holiday in the great outdoors. To see as much as you can of this diverse land quickly, drive over some of the more than 6 million km (4 million mi) of highways leading through deserts, mountain peaks, fertile fields, and giant urban centers.

Still largely undiscovered by foreign tourism, Wyoming is anything but "the bunchgrass edge of the world," as a writer once called it. Though the state's geography includes mostly wide-open plains, swaths of high desert, and sweeping mountain ridges, it also contains many small towns filled with places to visit, such as historical buildings, museums, shops, and restaurants. A great place to discover the last vestiges of the Old West, Wyoming's tourist attractions include the country's first national park, Native American reservations, and a smattering of ghost towns from the early frontier days. As you travel across this "Cowboy State," remember that distances between towns can be vast, requiring more advance vacation planning than travel in more densely populated parts of the country.

A huge but sparsely populated land, Utah remains a major holiday destination offering plenty of year-round outdoor vacation ideas, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, boating, horseback riding, and camping. The rugged terrain, defined by towering mountain peaks, deep canyons, and vast deserts, seems custom-made for adventurous nature lovers. With five national parks, the state has no shortage of pristine wilderness areas, causing many tourists to overlook the cultural attractions of its towns. Salt Lake City, the state's capital, features the headquarters of the Mormon Church, and draws over 5 million annual visitors. Utah also hosts several major film festivals each year, attracting young movie buffs from around the world.