14 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.

Generally considered the geographical center of the country, Kansas is a state rich in history, having served as home to diverse Native American tribes for thousands of years before European settlement. Once called "Bleeding Kansas" because of violent clashes between abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers, Kansas now carries the nickname the "Sunflower State," earned because of its massive production of sunflowers, corn, wheat, and sorghum. In addition to agriculture, the state is also known as an aviation hub. Sightseeing is easy, as wide-open spaces dominate the landscape of the western two-thirds of the state, which includes some of the only remaining native tallgrass prairie in the nation. Eastern Kansas contains rolling hills and most of the major cities, which draw tourism with their lively art, nightlife, and music scenes.