USA places to visit: 9 stops from Big Sur to Hawaii
Explore 9 iconic destinations across the USA, from the rugged coastline of Big Sur in California to the natural wonders of Grand Teton National Park and Lake Tahoe. This curated collection includes Hawaii's tropical islands, the Grand Canyon's vast desert landscape, and vibrant cities like Chicago, Austin, and Pittsburgh, showcasing the country's geographic and cultural diversity.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Big Sur
- End
- Pittsburgh
- Stops
- 9
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Big Sur — Rocky stretch of California coastline along Highway 1
- Grand Teton National Park & Lake Tahoe
- Bar Harbor — Seaside town on Mount Desert Island near Acadia National Park, scenic setting on Frenchmen Bay
- San Antonio — Jewel of Texas in South Central region, home to the Alamo and Riverwalk
- Hawaii — Tropical islands
- Grand Canyon — Desert landscape
- Chicago — Multicultural city
- Austin — Known for slogan Keep Austin Weird, home to University of Texas
- Pittsburgh — Steel city where Three Rivers converge, features US Steel Tower and Point State Park
Useful for your trip
- Transport
- Big Sur lines around 70 miles of California's Highway 1, making it ideal for a scenic road trip with towering redwoods and breathtaking beaches.
- Tip
- St Augustine's walkable downtown features narrow Colonial streets lined with locally-owned shops and restaurants, plus access to the Atlantic Ocean.
- Timing
- Olympic National Park receives more rainfall than any other part of mainland USA, so bring a rain jacket and prepare for wet conditions.
- Tip
- Visit the Biltmore Estate near Asheville, the largest privately owned house in the United States, which attracts almost 1.5 million visitors annually.
- Tip
- In Austin, tour the pink state capital building which is famously taller than the US capital building.
- Timing
- Watch more than 1 million bats fly out at sunset from the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin.
- Tip
- Mount Rushmore features four 18-meter high sculptures of presidents and includes a Visitor Center where you can learn about how they were carved.
- Tip
- Aspen is nestled in the Rocky Mountains and offers four ski slopes, plus hiking and mountain biking in scenic surroundings.
- Tip
- Cape Cod features lighthouses, cranberry bogs, sandy beaches, walking and biking trails at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
- Tip
- Niagara Falls straddles Ontario and New York on the Niagara River, with 6 million cubic feet of water cascading over the ridge every second.
- Tip
- Santa Fe building codes require new construction to maintain Pueblo architecture style, ensuring picturesque views throughout the city.
- Where to stay
- Cape Cod is known for its artist colonies and quaint villages, with sandy beaches and lighthouses dotting the coastline.
Video on this route
50 Best Places to Visit in the USA - Travel Video