43 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.

A state with two distinct faces, Washington features a landscape split apart by the Cascade Mountains, separating the damp forested areas to the west from the irrigated farmland to the east. Named after the country's first president, Washington is the second most populous state in the western United States. Nearly 60 percent of its population lives in the Seattle metropolitan area, one of the state's most popular holiday destinations. A land of over 1,000 dams, Washington is a leading producer of products as diverse as wine, lumber, apples, hops, pears, and potatoes. A big contributor to the nation's manufacturing industries, the state also boasts a cosmopolitan culture with plenty of sightseeing opportunities and a selection of small cafes, bars, and restaurants.