"Saying Goodbye to the United States of America" Top 5 Page for this destination United States of America by richiecdisc

United States of America Travel Guide: 337,534 reviews and 615,899 photos

Saying Goodbye to the United States of America - United States of America

No one said saying goodbye to your country was going to be easy. Especially when the country in question is the United States of America. But that's what I was about to do. Of course, with a country as big as mine it would take some time to do and so I set off across this great land to embrace some old favorites and meet some new ones. You see, in a country as diverse as the ole USA even an avid traveler like myself has not seen everything. In the past I had done a five month extravaganza around the Western lower 48, a two month one through New England as well as a four month adventure to Alaska. This along with many trips up and down the east coast between my two homes of New Jersey and Florida made me far more traveled than most of my fellow citizens. And it's not like I just drove around in a car and snapped a few photos. I had done over 1000 miles hiking trails through the country's most spectacular corridors with wilderness camping affording me numerous displays of purple mountain majesty. But the biggest difference this time around was also the reason for the big farewell in the first place: my wife who just happened to be German.

a tale of many trips

D & I LOVE the National Parks of the USA

The end of the story above is within the Fondest Memories of the General Tips part of this admittedly massive page. I don't normally make such big pages and to be honest this is not my best but it is a representation of all my USA travels. As stated above, I have been lucky to travel around the United States many times and for such extended periods. I have seen a lot of my country and am as proud of it as anyone could be. This page is a conglomeration of many trips but it is largely from the six-month trip I did with my wife in the summer of 2008. I have tried to keep those tips towards the beginning of each section with older pages and tips at the end. It's pretty obvious from the writing style which is which and I believe it all has some merit. While I have seen my share of the country's great cities, you will notice a slant towards nature and in particular, National Parks. For me, they are the country's great calling card. You will not find a group of such varied and numerous parks heralding nature anywhere in the world.

I hope you find it useful and interesting but mostly I hope it gets you out into these incredible places yourself.

Last visit to United States of America: Feb 2011
Intro Updated Feb 12, 2011
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Reviews (125)

D & I enjoying Teddy's vision - United States of America

still within its soil, still within our... Favorites (3)

I couldn't leave without going on one final road trip and showing my wife the greatest parts of her new country so off... more travel advice

on the road again in Utah - United States of America

a hard pill to swallow Favorites (3)

Three months were all they would write and so we began a series of trips to third world countries where we could spend... more travel advice

local picnic supplies are best - United States of America

you want it, you can buy it Shopping (1)

There is no shortage of shopping in the USA. From high end boutiques in New York City to Walmarts scattered around the... more travel advice

D on Route 66 - United States of America

a friendly place Local Customs (1)

The USA tends to be an informal place. Talking to strangers is pretty common. Even New Yorkers who have a reputation as... more travel advice

Hotels (3)
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Off The Beaten Path (43)
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Transportation (1)
The Great American Road Trip
Nightlife (1)
as varied as the country itself is

Comments (139)

dusica_stamenik Aug 22, 2010 at 3:40 AM Report Abuse

WOOOOOOOOOOW..this is amazing!!
Trekki Jun 22, 2010 at 1:29 PM Report Abuse

Oh wow, this is indeed a great account for big US of A :-) Had to stop after off path, otherwise I won't get any sleep, lol. Fantastic descriptions of places I never seen so far. And I love your bottomline in the general section. Yes, auf Wiedersehen :-)
willy_wonka Jun 21, 2010 at 11:25 PM Report Abuse

richie mate... what a fantastic piece of work this is. and ive only just finished your 'things to do'! your writing is truly fantastic, ive enjoyed the read this blustery cold afternoon.
Nemorino Jun 21, 2010 at 3:40 PM Report Abuse

Me again, coming back to look at your June 20th tips and updates. Interesting to read about the ups and downs of Fort Lauderdale and especially the resurrection of Baltimore. And your General Tips are moving as always.
DoreenDe Jun 20, 2010 at 10:18 AM Report Abuse

We did not say "Good bye", we said "Auf Wiedersehen"!
SharrieShaw Jul 5, 2007 at 4:20 AM Report Abuse

& I do have about 26 more states to go here... so, who knows, if I get my greencard this year, I'll see u next year!
Karolina01 Jan 25, 2005 at 7:24 AM Report Abuse

Very good tips, thank you for sharing.
matcrazy1 Jan 14, 2005 at 4:31 PM Report Abuse

Your pictures say more than any words. Great suggestions for my next 3 or 4 US trips. Very good points in intro.
billus Nov 29, 2004 at 6:18 PM Report Abuse

Hey Richie wohnst du hier wieder? Ausgezeichnet Bilder auf dieser Seite mit vielen Sehenswuerdenmoeglichkeitenempfehehlungen!
worldrider Nov 29, 2004 at 3:54 PM Report Abuse

Monument Valley, I wanna camp out under the stars, great pic Rich