Three epic North American trips
With awe-inspiring landscapes, exciting cities, and wide, open roads made for driving, the world’s third-largest continent delivers adventures of all kinds at every turn. Travel writer Chris Leadbeater picks three epic itineraries that you’ll want to add to your bucket list.
East coast city hopping
Best for… city-breakers with an intrepid spirit
The journey: 450 miles
Boston – New York – Philadelphia – Washington DC
One of the joys of America’s northeast is that it offers four of the country’s major cities in a close-knit cluster. This is a legacy of the way in which the fledgling USA developed in the 18th and 19th centuries. And it makes for an unforgettable road trip in the 21st century.
Begin in Boston. The Massachusetts capital was at the centre of the colonization of America in the 1620s. The Freedom Trail cuts a 2.5-mile path across the centre, connecting 16 prime sites, which played a prominent role in the breaking away from Britain in the 1770s and 1780s.
One of the joys of America’s northeast is that it offers four of the country’s major cities in a close-knit cluster
But there’s more to Boston than its yesterdays. In summer, visit Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. And the city revels in good food, whether it is the pizza and pasta joints of Little Italy, or top-notch fish restaurants such as Legal Sea Foods.
Once you’ve had your fill, hire a car and hit the road in search of New York, which lies 215 miles southwest. You could spend a lifetime sampling its delights, from the cityscape visible from the roof of the Empire State Building to the gilded department stores of Fifth Avenue. Burnish your evenings by discovering the chic bars of Brooklyn – or the superb culinary scene that dominates West 46th Street in Hell’s Kitchen.
Philadelphia is an easy drive through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. Priding itself as being the birthplace of American democracy, this underrated metropolis tells its tale in Independence National Historical Park, a cornucopia of the past where Independence Hall witnessed the debating of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The brilliant Museum of Art has works by Picasso and Dali, while Pat’s King of Steaks serves that meat-heavy sandwich and city signature – the Philly Cheesesteak.
From here, Washington DC is 140 miles southwest. Little needs to be said by way of introduction to the American capital. But if the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial are celebrated slabs of political tribute, and the Smithsonian Institution is arguably the planet’s greatest clutch of museums in one place (notably the National Air and Space Museum), then DC also has its “secrets”. U Street is a rich mixture of African-American heritage and stylish bars, while 14th Street NW has some of the city's most alluring restaurants – including Lupo Verde and its menu of delicious Southern Italian fare.
Where to stay
Each of these four fantastic cities is alive with exciting accommodation options. Boston has the Omni Parker House, a five-star pile which has been an upmarket presence in the Massachusetts capital since 1855. New York displays its hip side at the four-star McCarren Hotel, which is nestled in Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg. The Loews Philadelphia revels in Art Deco flourishes and black-granite floors to such an extent that it is listed as a National Historic Landmark. And the Washington Hilton is perfectly positioned for a break in the capital – located close to the central Dupont Circle.
When to go
May, when New York and Boston have both shaken off their winter chills, and Washington DC is yet to embrace the mugginess which can grasp it in high summer.
Home run
The seats in Fenway Park stadium are all green, apart for one solitary red seat in the right field bleachers. According to the Baseball Almanac, seat 21 in section 42, row 37 marks where the longest home run ever hit in the stadium – by Boston Red Sox’s Ted Williams in 1946 – fell.
An Empire state of mind
Every year on Valentine’s Day, couples who marry on the 80th floor become members of the Empire State Building Wedding Club. They receive free admission to the observatory each year on 14 February (their anniversary) thereafter.
Did you know…?
Though efforts to create a tribute to Abraham Lincoln began immediately after his assassination in 1865, it took more than 50 years to get the memorial built and open to the public. Due to delays in the project’s planning and construction, as well as World War I, the memorial didn’t open until 1922.
The best of the west (and beyond)
Best for… fans of the American landscape
The journey: 5,700 miles (mostly by air)
Los Angeles – Honolulu – Phoenix
Los Angeles is a city, which could easily snare your attention for an entire holiday. Always set in sunshine, it promises splendid slices of seafront galore, not least Santa Monica Beach. Throw in A-list notes of culture such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the razzle-dazzle mixture of theme park thrills and cinematic folklore that is Universal Studios Hollywood – plus the eateries of resurgent Downtown – and you have an urban adventure playground.
But if the beaches of LA are photogenic, spare a thought for the powdery crescents that decorate the edges of Hawaii. Spare five hours too, and you can glimpse them yourself. British Airways’ oneworld partner American Airlines flies direct from LAX to Honolulu, the glittering Hawaii state capital, on the south coast of the island of Oahu. Here, you can doze on the shore where the famous Waikiki Beach is kissed by the blue Pacific, or take in the sombre history of Pearl Harbor and the sunken memorial of the USS Arizona in World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. Or you can hike up the flanks of Diamond Head State Monument, the volcanic monster that frames the city.
You could, of course, retrace your jetstream trail to Los Angeles. But American Airlines also flies from Oahu to Phoenix. Like Philadelphia, the capital of Arizona is a little underappreciated – Phoenix Art Museum is a treasure trove of visual creativity, boasting works by Georgia O’Keeffe. Better still, the city is also a gateway to Grand Canyon National Park, the greatest geological scar in the soil of the American West.
Where to stay
Enticing accommodation is as much a part of this journey as the places you may encounter. The Andaz West Hollywood delivers a dose of unbridled luxury (and a heated rooftop pool) to Los Angeles’ most coveted area. As its name hints, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort heads straight for the sand in Honolulu. And the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa offers four-star relaxation near to Phoenix in Scottsdale.
When to go
April. LA and Oahu are always sunny, the Grand Canyon is a joy in spring.
Fit for a king
Hawaii is the only US state that still honours a monarch. Locals celebrate King Kamehameha Day on 11 June to celebrate the man who united the Hawaiian islands in 1810 and became the archipelago’s first leader.
Did you know…?
The temperature in the canyon can vary greatly depending on the time of year and location. In the winter months, the North Rim can drop to -23˚C, while the inner canyon can reach 47˚C in the height of summer. At any given time of year, the North Rim will be 1-2˚C cooler than the South Rim.
Canada’s mighty National Parks
Best for… road-trippers who want something different
The journey: 468 miles
Calgary – Banff – Jasper
Toronto is a loud bubble of big-city buzz, and Vancouver a sophisticated sliver on the lip of the Pacific. But there is much to be said for a Canadian road trip, which charts the mountainous westerly province of Alberta. Here, Calgary is an obvious start-point. The cosmopolitan enclave soothes its soul to the classical music of its Philharmonic Orchestra, and obeys its stomach at fine restaurants such as carnivore heaven Charcut. It’s also worth climbing to the top of the Calgary Tower for sky-high vistas.
Add a hire car to your booking and venture west. Almost as soon as the city vanishes in your mirrors, the Rockies appear in the windscreen. You could pause to take in the raw beauty and forested slopes of Kananaskis Country. Or you can forge on into the maw of Banff National Park whatever the season – it’s renowned for its ski runs in winter, while in summer, it’s a wonderland for hiking.
Continue northwest along the Icefields Parkway, which passes the enormous Athabasca Glacier. It also clips through the town of Lake Louise, where the water feature of the same name is a turquoise jewel. Finally, the road drops you into Jasper, another feted ski destination, where you can pass autumn nights star-gazing under the clear skies of Jasper National Park.
Where to stay
The Fairmont Palliser is a four-star slice of tradition and atmosphere at the very core of Calgary, while its sibling retreat the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise supplies a dash of country-house majesty and Gallic refinement to Banff National Park.
When to go
February to catch the best of the ski season, June to take to the hiking trails.