I think the vast majority of 'Indian' Restaurants here in the UK are in fact Bangladeshi, although there are obviously areas (Tooting, Southall etc), where you can get proper authentic Indian food, from all over the country.

Naans are common place here too, in fact ubiquitous I'd say, they can vary in quality though. The wife misses Puri a lot from the US, dosa is also hard to find here (only had it in Tooting myself).

Also I wouldn't necessarily say better! Definitely more authentic in the main though! I much prefer the Anglicised version.

I am originally from the UK, but have lived in the USA for 25+ years now.

I have a lot of family all over the UK who visit regularly From that sampling, the reasons they come here are many.

1) Climate is excellent, certainly in summertime

2) Shopping. They all love to go to the shops and stock up on the latest fashions for a much lower price

3) Scenery. Not many places have the diversity of Alaskan glaciers, the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, Florida Everglades, Pacific Coast, the Rockies, and New England hills all in one country.

4) Things to do. More than anywhere else in the world... Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, etc. Virtually anything and everything is here.

My wife particularly likes the cheesecakes.

Seriously though, good points about the language and the people are generally so friendly and the service excellent.

The weather is pretty reliable in your hotspots as well.

So much to see and do in the USA. Is it true that most Americans do not have passports as they don't need them to experience a whole world of variety across their country.

Steak is great too.

And they speak English when there is something complex to discuss (my French and Spanish breaks down very quickly beyond the present tense and asking for champignons etc).

I thought they didnt have passports as the govt department the issues them is very slow!

It generally takes between 3 and 8 weeks depending on the season and the whims of the regional passport office. You can get a rush passport (about 2 weeks) for an extra fee, and if you go to one of the passport offices you can get same day service with proof of impending travel and an exorbitant fee.

I think the reason some Americans are sans passport is because until recently, it was possible to travel to Canada, Mexico and most of the Caribbean without a passport... only a birth certificate (or naturalization document) was required. The majority of international travel for Americans is to those destinations. Of course, with the new regulations requiring a passport for all international travel, there was a bump in passport applications (and processing times), but I think that has largely receded by now.

What is the big deal?

Most border officers I encountered were very friendly and professional. Yes, it may take 30-40 minutes to get through (depending where you sit and how fast you run) but that is a silly reason not to travel to a wonderful country.

I can't think of even one person that I've met in my entire life that said "Gee I'd like to travel outside the US but I don't want to wait 3 weeks for my passport to arrive." Your statement is just ridiculous.

I live in Texas, which is pretty much mid-con for any domestic US flights. You couldn't pay me to go to Mexico, but anything else is on the map. For us, the west coast of the US is 3 hours, the east coast of the US is 3 hours, Hawaii is 8 hours, and Europe is 10-14 hours, depending, plus a likely multiple connections.

My wife and I have held passports for more than 10 years each - we're in our mid/late thirties. For various legal reasons not germane to this discussion my daughter can't get a passport until next year. For family travel we're "stuck" to the US, but even then US protectorates are an option (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, etc.). Even so, that's not bad for a family with children who wouldn't appreciate the stronger cultural differences. There's the Rockies for snow fun, beaches on two oceans and a gulf, NYC for its urban experience and of course Washington DC for all the tax-funded museums and learning experiences. And all kinds of small-town charm in between. Camping in the Appalachians.... exploring the wine country of Texas (the second largest viticultural area in the US, and doing some really interesting things with varietals like Touriga Nacional, etc.).

My wife and I will be in Amsterdam later this month, looking forward to both traditional attractions like the Van Gogh museum and the Heineken tour, as well as off-the-beaten-path sidewalk cafes and people watching (and of course the symphony). I'm looking forward to my daughter being able to experience this with us more and more and broadening her horizons.

That said, I can see why there's an attraction to tour in the US, if for no other reason than the exchange rate is in favor of those holding pounds vs. dollars. My plea? As others have said, get past the facade of pre-fab culture and find the locals. And if you make it to Austin, PM me. I'll give you recommendations on where those of that live here go, eat, drink... and maybe treat you to a home-cooked meal or buy you a beer!

And THAT is America in a nutshell ^

Nice post, Sir.

For me, it's a combination of the following:

1. I speak the language - and I feel very awkward going some place where I don't. (Although I should probably learn Spanish given how much I come here). I also speak French and German and so speak the local language when I'm there.

2. I work on a contract that covers countries from China to Spain ... therefore I get to deal with people in those places, and those time zones - whereas when I'm here I'm totally away from work.

3. I'm single and my friends are generally broke or married and I am neither, so our travel plans don't align. Therefore it's a good place to travel solo.

4. Space, views, weather, cost and cars all work out well.

I have family in the US who have had to wait longer than 3 weeks for their passports. We are talking months actually!!

California sun, road trips and BASEBALL! Crackerjack, crackerjack, get your ice cold beer!

I love an old american ball park on a summers evening (and some of the new ones too!)

And that is why I tend to head back to the states so often :-)

Wish the same could be said about the UK.
A lot of people in the US believe that Ozzy Ozbourne's way of speaking is the consequence of years of drug and alcohol abuse,
and don't realise that everyone in Birmingham talks like him.

of all the reasons to visit the US, the food is definitely not one of them,