43 days in United States & Canada 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.

Most people remember their holiday in Canada by the country's great outdoors, yet this sprawling land of hulking mountains and rocky coastlines also boasts numerous modern cities, home to some of the world's finest dining, shopping, and entertainment options. Made for leisurely road trips, North America's biggest country features vast landscapes still unspoiled by mass tourism. A tour of Canada reveals a place packed with diverse cultures, living in tolerance and enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world. If the vastness of those natural landscapes overwhelms you at any point during your Canada vacation, head to the openhearted cities of Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, ideal destinations for art lovers, history buffs, shopaholics, fashionistas, and impassioned foodies.

The easternmost state in New England, Maine features an indented coastline and forested interior, carved eons ago by receding glaciers. Maine includes more lighthouses and quaint resort villages than you could ever hope to explore in a single trip, but the state is also one of the country's most sparsely populated, the majority of its land pristine and uninhabited wilderness. The temperate coastal regions, historically supported by fishing and lobstering, contain most of the state's urban centers and are the most popular spots in the state for holidays. The sea is the focus here, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that water plays an important role in the distinct character of the state, shaping its economy, tourism, cuisine, politics, sports, and art.

Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts that is known for being an affluent summer colony. It includes the smaller Chappaquiddick Island which is usually connected to the Vineyard, though storms and hurricanes have been known to separate the two. The last such separation of the islands was in 2007 and the two islands are again connected as of April 2, 2015.It is the 58th largest island in the United States, with a land area of 100sqmi, and the third largest on the East Coast of the United States, after Long Island and Mount Desert Island. The island constitutes the bulk of Dukes County, Massachusetts, which also includes the Elizabeth Islands and the island of Nomans Land.The Vineyard was home to one of the earliest known deaf communities in the United States; consequently, a special sign language developed on the island called Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL).The 2010 census reported a year-round population of 16,535 residents, although the summer population can swell to more than 100,000 people. About 56% of the Vineyard's 14,621 homes are seasonally occupied.