It's diversity coupled with accessibility that's the US usp. Everest base camp is fantastic but it's a week to get there. US you can hike down the grand canyon, stay at Phoenix lodge, then the next night stay at the Bellagio and eat at a top restaurant.

You can blend two or three weeks into a very diverse set of experiences, if you're time poor (guessing most of us) then it's difficult to beat.

One shouldn't really be surprised by how popular the US is as a holiday destination especially by members of this forum. After all, it is the country with the most destinations served by BA so always a good bet for using up all those miles and 241 vouchers.

Good place to take the kids to as well.

Someone mentioned breakfast diners. That's definitely another reason. :D

Like Yahillwe I'm also a bit late to this thread - I tend to read FT when I'm not at home (;)), but I picked it up last night on my mobile. I just didn't fancy responding on my mobile.

Swanhunter has asked an interesting question. I've often wondered myself why I ended up going to the US of A. Especially since I don't normally go back to the same place twice on holidays. But I guess the enormity and variety of the country answers that, and I should change my policy to not go back to the same state twice. In that case I'm pretty spot on, except perhaps for going to the Grand Canyon twice - once many years ago, recently married, and once recently to show the kids.

I must admit that the changes in immigration procedures have put me off. In 2005 we (including two under-10s) ended up in Miami immigration for an extra four hours after landing. The immigration officials simply ignored me, and weren't open to reasoning. I had to try very hard not to get angry because I know that doesn't help, but this experience has caused me to travel less on holidays to the States. I don't always have a choice for work, and will avoid Miami Airport like the plague even going as far as transferring through Antigua or Barbados for Caribbean destinations.

Interesting to read that the lack of language barrier seems to attract so many people. I see holidays more as a challenge, and language barriers don't faze me. Having said that, not being English I speak a few more languages than just English and that really helps. In fact, since I often end up in the southern US for work (Florida, Texas or California) I find that my Spanish is much more useful than my English, and also gives me a more enriched experience of the US because I can pick up on other things. And I absolutely agree with Vinyl Slider - while Houston or Dalles can be given a wide berth, Austin and San Antonio are two of the most interesting cities I have visited.

So, to go back to the OP's question - There are enough interesting place to see and visit in the States, but not to the exclusion of anywhere else.

We were in Tunisia as well last year with two kids (admittedly a few years older than yours), but we did do the attractions and museums, using a combination of trains and taxis. We even made it all the way to Tamerza and Tozeur overland. And we didn't join a group - I hate those and prefer to travel independently to do my own thing when I want it.

Gatlinburg is one place I will not be returning to. Ghastly place. Pigeon Forge next door was just as bad if not worse!:(

The USA is a country of great contrasts. I love the West Coast and the cities that lie along it - San Diego, Long Beach, LA (not so much), San Francisco (best city in the US), Seattle - can I include Vancouver?!. The beaches, weather and lifestyle are truly fantastic.

Vegas is something in itself, that is why I will return again and again ^:D The Grand Canyon is also a fantastic experience, even though I did see it in the rain.

The East Coast is completely different. I love New York. The food, shopping, people watching and all the hustle and bustle is brilliant.

Florida is a great family holiday location, with excellent weather, attractions for all ages, brilliant beaches and a very welcoming atmosphere.

There are a few places that I have yet to visit, but being relatively young I still have many miles left on the clock to do them! Next on the list is Colorado, Boston, Chicago and New Orleans.

The ease of getting to the US from the UK/Europe makes it an ideal country to visit. People are generally welcoming and the weak $ makes it easy for me to spend my £ :D

With regard to the entry formalities, I see it as part of the experience of American life and something that is never going to put me off visiting the USA.

But in the same vein, I truly love the Far East (which I visit in some capacity yearly). Oz and South Africa are relatively untravelled by me.....so far....!

What's with all the Gatlinburg bashing? I have fond memories visiting when I was 16, admittedly it was part of a high school trip so cuisine wasn't foremost among my concerns. I suppose if you want the experience of the Smoky Mountains with a little more culture, you can base yourself in Asheville...

As for Chicago, I think one of the main draws has to be architecture, there are quite a few interesting buildings in the city, and Frank Lloyd Wright is from Oak Park (a leafy suburb). As a major city, it also has a variety of museums. It's also somewhat of a hipster paradise, at least according to my hipster friends who moved there in droves after college. If you're interested in fancy food, Alinea is the best restaurant in the country (according to "The San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants" rating).

Re: The OP, I think the appeal of the US for the British is largely based on the familiar. The US and UK aren't exactly on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum, but there are many subtle (and a few not-so-subtle) differences between the two that make for a neat experience. And sure, you can find similar scenery (mountains, canyons) and experiences (museums, people) in other countries, but that could be said of any country, so I don't know if that's a reason to exclude the US from travel plans.

I just want to throw in a second positive vote for Oak Park - really great to walk around and see all the FLW homes and the Unity Temple is absolutely incredible.

If you like architecture, there is a boat tour that leaves from right by the Wrigley Building off of Michigan Avenue. It was really well done and I enjoyed it tremendously (make sure you're getting on the architecture tour).

And the Art Institute is one of the great art museums in the world. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is also astounding at Symphony Hall.

First, I live in the States most of the year so I don't travel here to vacation (sorry, holiday...). I'm here partly because I found trying to fund SME's in the UK too much like pushing boulders up hills, and you don't want to hear my rants on the distortion of asset price bubbles in the 80's and the 00's.

This thread is, of course, stuffed full of stereotypes, not the least being some notion that the Country is anti-Gay, so here's a weird fact for you - Austin, slap bang in the middle of Texas, has one of the largest percentages of openly Gay people in the world, ranked not too far behind San Francisco. It's a young, liberal, diverse place to live. And here's another point - the Lords Day Observance nutters haven't restricted Sunday shopping hours like they managed in the UK, though you can't buy booze before midday on Sunday in Texas.

So there are differences - not all good, not all bad.

Having said all that, Austin is a great place to live, but it's not a place for a vacation. Conversely, San Francisco is fine for visitors if you like City-scale theme parks, but I didn't find the sense community and wouldn't choose to live there again - in some respects it, as well as places like Orlando, remind me of Bognor.

The only reason for most visitors to come to Austin for more than a day or two would be one of the events like SWSX, or, starting next year, if you're a motor racing fan, since we're getting Formula 1 from 2012, MotoGP & Australian V8 Supercars from 2013 and almost certainly other series.

Alinea. Definitely have a back up plan for grabbing a bite to eat on the way home! Definitely don't go if you were brought up not to play with your food! ;)

http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/pag...lery_cuis.html

You've either not been to Manhattan, or have been to the wrong houses in Europe :p

May I be allowed another slice of cake? I stated my case for 'Greater Washington', but in view of subsequent comments I'd like to add a bit more.

"Why do I holiday in the US?" ... I'll add an emphasis for the people, certainly as far as the two States I know best [VA and AR].

They engage with you, and they remember you. In the former, there was the duty manager or whatever at the tyre place 2 blocks away, where we had to go to get a puncture fixed in our rental car ... we chatted for ages. In the latter category I'll include Amer [Dollar at Dulles], Bernie [Harris Teeter], Mike [Bilbo Baggins] and assorted [superb] servers at a skip of eat/drink establishments. They remember us, sometimes from 3 years back. They care about service.

As to the people in bars/restaurants ... they're all sorts, but unlike much of UK they just mingle together. Drunk, sober, suit, paint-splattered jeans ... they're just people.

In NVA, who's on our drinking list? Grandpa [90 this year, bless him], the gay ex-Lawyer, the car dealer, the TSA official, the 'special cop', the quiet/shy African-American guy, the ex-USN pilot, Mr Mouth the Defense contractor, the 2 ladies of a 'certain age' and totally different personalities, the detective, the Bar manager ... they're all people and they talk over each other, insult each other, and generally make an evening buzz. And they care for each other - they take turns driving Grandpa to and from the Bar. They give us lifts/rides. They give us gifts. They are nice caring people.

In AR [North Little Rock], after an early afternoon arrival after a long trip from UK, I and my colleague were taken to "My Friend's Place". Technically off-limits to Mil personnel, but whatever. A wooden shack place, full of 'hairy bikers', beards and baseballs caps. If it wasn't for my 'escort', I would have run a mile!! But the regulars were all nice, and friendly, and sociable, and polite ... and pitchers of beer moved around the place for the next 4 hours. Outstanding cure for jet-lag!

I salute the American people ... they, individually, do NOT all deserve the criticism they often receive.

I was starting to get into travelling to the US - but I stopped doing discretionary travel there when they started to fingerprint me.

Besides, I do actually prefer Canada to the US. But the US did make for a very easy holiday, where you didn't have to work very hard to arrange it. Sometimes it's nice just to go on holiday to slob out - other times, it's great to work a bit harder and have your boundaries pushed. Now, if I need an easy holiday, I head to Canada.. and get to explore lots of the rest of the world instead of the US. It'll still be there if ever they change their immigration policies.

Is that any worse than IRIS? It's just their way of managing the millions crossing their Border [legally].

As to Canada, VMMV. Doesn't do it for me, I'm afraid, having known and worked with a few of them. However, they do have wide open spaces ;)