The US (and Canada) are vast in a way that I don’t think those from Europe or the British Isles quite fathom when saying they’d like to visit and see all the sites. I’ve lived in the Toronto area all my adult life. I vacation in the States every year but I’ll never see all of either country. Plan your trip carefully. If you’re only focused on parks then so be it, but you’re missing out on some of the most dynamic cities anywhere. Consider a regional approach. America can seem like many different countries sometimes and I love those regional differences, even within an area as monolithic as The South. Most importantly though is to connect with Americans because they are the single biggest reason to visit the States. Strike up a conversation anywhere and you’ll get a response. Americans aren’t shy. Be prepared to be talked to and enjoy the interactions. Wear a hat with the British flag or a team logo and instant conversation in a hotel pool or hot tub. Oh ya, drive the country as much as you can. You can’t get to know a place by flying over it.
It's easier to think of the US or Canada less as "a country" for these purposes, and more of the equivalent of "Europe." As in, "I think I'll take a week's holiday and visit all of Europe." Not gonna happen, you gotta pick your spots and plan your trip accordingly. BTW, many Americans think they can "visit Europe" in a week, so I guess it goes both ways. But if you do that either way, you end up spending 80% of your time in transit instead of enjoying where you're at. PS: you don't have to wear a hat, just say two words and we'll catch the accent and become amazingly gracious (and maybe overly curious) out of nowhere.
@@elbruces True about just talking. Depending on where I go my Canadian accent is common place (Myrtle Beach) or a complete mystery. The hat thing is a way of identifying myself without talking. It doesn’t have to be something Canadian either. For years I wore a beat up National Guard hat and NASCAR fans just found me. It was kind of a way to bypass the usual conversations about Canada like healthcare and our gun laws. It happened by accident the first few times but then I started using it as an ice breaker. Rarely fails me.
Yah, I live in Iowa, which is a mid sized state and it solidly takes 4.5 hours to cross. It takes around 11 hours to get to Colorado and that is only two states over.
I agree. I've been to all 50 states and while there is beauty to find in all 50, Alaska is the most beautiful state I have ever seen. I would have put Denali on this list at the very least. The Portage glacier is another place I would have added.
best way I can remember is, stalagmites grow from the bottom because they "might" make it to top. stalactites grow from the top because they have to "hold on tight" or else they might fall.
Going through med school, surprisingly it's the silliest things that help you remember lol. eg. I taught some of my fellow students the mnemonic of how to learn the bones in the hand via an ep of Scrubs.
I think it was 2019 - a teen though he was going to have a little fun, he jumped the rope and jumped into a spring/pool.... It was acid... There was nothing left to pull out.
Glacier National Park is about the same size as Somerset. Quick tidbit, The U.K. is about 60 million acres, The U.S. and Canada are about 2.5 billion...each!
I’ve been to Yellowstone, it’s one of the most fascinating places on earth I think filled with geysers, wildlife, mountains. I haven’t been to Horseshoe Bend but I’ve been to the Grand Canyon which is larger and all formed from rivers millions of years ago. I’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns, pretty cool place, lots of fascinating formations. I personally like the Redwood forests and Sequoia National forests with the largest trees in the world. They’re amazing and in Northern California (they weren’t mentioned here). My son just went to Glacier National Park and said how beautiful it was. Got a picture of a moose and its baby. Lots of pretty places in the US. Good reaction.
Oh I love Sequoia National forest. However, I heard that 74 majestic sequoias burned in this latest fire which is incredibly sad. I think General Sherman and General Grant were saved though. The fires were too hot for even those giants. At least the rains finally came. @@nurseratchet555
As many have said, America is so huge and diverse that this list is really just the tip of the iceberg. There are gorgeous places all over the place. Zion National Park was mentioned, but tbh in southern Utah (where Zion is) you can barely spit without hitting another national park or petroglyphs or gorgeous vistas. If you are gonna spend two months traveling the states then you'll want to plan your trip carefully, because just the US is close to as big as the entire continent of Europe. You wont see everything in a couple months, but you could see a little of a lot, or a lot of a little, depending on your travel preferences.
Cutting a list of these to just 10 places is impossible. I've only been to one on this list (Carlsbad Caverns) but I've been to quite a few that are similarly beautiful. 14:20 A million acres is about 1/5 the size of Wales, and slightly smaller than Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. But Glacier is only the 12th largest national park in the US; the largest (Wrangell-St. Elias) is about the size of the Netherlands, and the second-largest (Gates of the Arctic) is about the size of Belgium.
I was taught a little rhyme in school to remember stalactites vs stalagmites...Stalactites hold tight and hang all around while stalagmites are mighty and grow from the ground.
If you're thinking of visiting Colorado, "Garden of the Gods" has some interesting and beautiful terrain. The Rockies are young (as mountains go anyway), therefore the tops haven't eroded away yet. You could be experiencing 95 degrees F mid-summer, and look up and see the snow-covered peaks. I used to live in Colorado Springs. Looking at the top of Pikes Peak always seemed to make it seem cooler.
I love visiting The Great Sand Dunes! They’re also fun to sled on! If you want dino footprints, Dinosaur Ridge, also in Colorado has a whole area of footprints and a visitor center etc. My dad is a geotechnical engineer and I love dinosaurs so I even know some ~secret~ places to go that my dad has found over the years with footprints, haha! (they’re just privately owned mines...) Love the vids as always!
There's like 69 major national parks here. I didn't even know that until I looked it up. That's one of the things I love about my country, we have every kind of climate, terrain, and vista.
Dry Tortugas really is incredible, honestly feels like you’re walking through a Pirates of the Caribbean film. Pain in the ass to get there (the ferry takes hours), but it’s worth it. Keep it up man, really enjoying these.
As a professional driver I've been thru plenty of these places. A normal person could spend a lifetime here traveling and never see what I've seen. You can't even imagine how cool and beautiful places are. And that's just the nature side of the coin. The history in our cities is immeasurable. And the food... The variety of which I'm still discovering.
I've been to Glacier National Park. Words can't describe the majestic views you'll encounter. Going To The Sun Road was very scary driving, as there were drops right next to you that were hundreds of feet deep.
If by some chance you go to Horseshoe Bend, this video sort of exaggerates the difficulty of the path to the overlook spot. It's very easy to access from the parking lot, which is not far from a major road. The trail to the overlook is quite easy and flat quite honestly, and the view is amazing! You can also take a river raft tour and see this from inside the canyon too! Fun fact: this is technically the where the Grand Canyon originates from... if you were to take this river further southwest, it eventually turns into Marble Canyon, and then eventually the Grand Canyon!
I was amused by your reaction to the depth of Grand Prismatic Spring. Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, has a maximum depth of 406 meters and an average depth of 147 meters. There is enough water in this lake to cover all of North and South America up to a depth of 30 centimeters. If you get a chance to spend a decent amount of time in the U.S., I highly recommend seeing at least one of the five Great Lakes; they're each more like freshwater inland seas.
This is just the tip! Each state has beautiful places! Here in New Mexico we have gorgeous sunsets mountains and high deserts but we also have the caverns and white sand national monument which is so breathtaking especially on full moon night or sunset as the sun hits the mountains giving a sort of double sunset. ❤
If you're interested in really seeing Dinosaur footprints head to Texas! Dinosaur Valley State Park- you can literally walk in their footprints. You camp nearby or go Glamping.
As others have said, you do not, under any circumstance want try swimming in any of the hot springs in Yellowstone. You will either suffer severe burns or die. In fact, if you visit Yellowstone, if there are boardwalks in an area, stay on the boardwalks. Also, I'd recommend looking up information about the Missoula Floods. They were absolutely insane in proportion, and shaped large areas of the Pacific Northwest. They cut the Columbia River Gorge, washed away massive amounts of sediment from portions of Washington State, and deposited much of this rich sediment in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, making it the fertile farming region it is today.
I live about 2 hours away from the Great Sand Dunes, but the mountains are only 30 minutes away. Never too far away from beautiful landscapes in Colorado.
I live in the NorthWest of the U.S. (Idaho to be specific) and have visited many of the places mentioned numerous times even. The hot springs, geysers, and hot mud pots in Yellowstone National park are very deadly, yes the heat of course (volcanic area) but more so the acidic content, so it is a big no-no to try to get in them or even walk outside the constructed walkways because some areas have a very thin "shell" and can collapse. Fyi, more often than not the park rangers can't/won't rescue you because there won't even be a body left to recover after the heat and acid. Now Glacier National park has some beautiful lakes, some of which have trees totally under water kinda like an underwater forrest. This happened because the glaciers packed rocks around the roots of the trees and then the water came in. You can swim, snorkle, or scuba the waters but be prepared because even during the hottest part of the summer that water ia fridgid cold. Most scuba divers wear dry suits to stay warmer.
Stalactites hold tight to the ceiling. Stalagmites are on the floor. Watch out you might trip on them. I’ve been to Carlsbad cavern and Zion, and Kauai, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon
A place that is always ignored that also has unparalleled beauty is Michigan's upper peninsula. It is home to around 200 waterfalls including the 2nd largest waterfall east of the Mississippi, right behind Niagara falls. This is Tahquamenon Falls. It has a naturally clear brown to yellow color due to the leaves falling into marshes where the river originates. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is breathtaking, especially if viewed from the tour boats. They span about thirty miles of arches and cliffs descending into the crystal clear waters of Lake Superior. Perhaps the most beautiful freshwater body of water on earth! There are many other beautiful sights there, too numerous to mention here.
I lived in Fresno, CA, my first 20 years , and 1 of the few good things about living there is that Yosemite is right in your backyard. Only an hour drive away.
Glacier National Park is twice the size of Scotland.Its a great place to visit I actually like it better than Yellowstone National Park.You can take a 5 mile hike up to 6,000ft elevation to a Lake named Iceberg Lake it has actual icebergs floating in it.The last time I was there it was heavy with bears so everyone had to carry bear repellant and a whistle.The first time I was there was in 1976 and they said the glaciers would be gone in 15 years here it is 45 years later and still saying they will be gone in 12 years.2018 was the last time I was there and comparing photographs from my other trips very little change in scenery.The water from the glaciers melting causing streams is some of the most amazing tasting water you can drink.I remember in 76 that my stepdad told me it was because of all the bear piss in it,I told him if that’s true I’m all for it.Living in central Indiana I only have to travel about a hundred miles north to get to sand dunes.Indiana Dunes State Park,and it’s less than 50 miles east of Chicago.Should look into Individual States and their state parks just to see what they are all about.Indiana,Kentucky, Tennessee have some really great parks size and scenery will surprise you.
Dry Tortuga is amazing. Take the float plane to get there. Not only is it a beautiful flight, you get there hours before the ferrys arrive and leave after they do. With only 10 people per plane you have the whole island to yourself for hours before and after the hoards arrive.
Oh my word, we trekked all over the place near Black Mesa (blackest spot in the US, thus great for stargazing) trying to find these dinosaur footprints. We asked this older gent for directions in the smallest little town I've ever seen (so cute! Literally prob 10-15 houses all in this little valley); he gave us the most convoluted instructions ever and we ended up driving on someone's property, past abandoned wells and fences and majestic animals, it was the coolest detour ever, but we were also concerned we were gonna get shot lol. We did eventually find them and felt a tad like Indiana Jones at our discovery 😆 beautiful area. Went to the place where 3(or was it 4?) states intersect in the middle of nowhere OK panhandle. Also middle Colorado has some gorgeous views; we kind of almost died driving to one of our hikes, but my word, it was fantastic. Both of those trips my husband and I did with our bros which just made it more fun. When you come, you'd be welcome to crash at our place, but I somehow doubt you're going to be middle of nowhere GA; there's not much to see here that I've found so far other than the state fair. If you come in the fall tho, totally check out some state's state fair.
glad that glacier natl park is so huge! and so beautiful :) but as an example of how huge things in the US are, the largest US ranch is a cattle ranch in Texas, known as the King Ranch. it comprises 825,000 acres, and is larger than our smallest state, Rhode Island.
There is one place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in a town called Luray. The largest Cavern system on the Eastern Seaboard. The Cavern is Beautiful but the largest musical instrument in the world is within the Cavern. The Great Stalacpipe Organ. The Organ uses rubber mallets that strike the Stalactites over a 3 acre area of the Cavern and produces a haunting sound through the cave. There are many videos about it on RU-vid and also check out the video entitled Midnight in the Caverns by Monte Maxwell for a late-night concert of hauntingly Beautiful music played by Mother Earth.
There are so many beautiful places, not only in the US, but in all of North America. I would never limit myself to ten-and what is more beautiful can change according to each person’s perspective.
It’s worth noting that Horseshoe Bend is only minutes from Antelope Canyon. You likely don’t know the name, but will recognize them from music videos, etc. both of them are minutes outside Page AZ which is on the shore of Lake Mead. Also, all of that is only an hour or two from Grand Canyon, and not much more to Zion (where Angel’s Landing - the first location on that list is.) oh and Monument Valley in another direction. It’s an area well worth the trip with a remarkable number of amazing, while very different, scenic wonders in a small area (by American standards.)
Antelope Canyon is gorgeous in a completely different way from the Grand Canyon - the Grand Canyon averages about 10 miles across at the rim, but Antelope Canyon is about 10 *feet* across. There are places where you can easily stick your elbows out to touch both walls at the same time. The tour company I visited with ran three tours a day, and they said a number of people would do all three just because the light changes so much at different times of day (tall, narrow, twisting canyon plus the sun being in a different place in the sky) that it feels like an entirely different place.
When I was in elementary school, my earth science teacher taught her students a pneumonic device for remembering stalactites vs stalagmites. Stalactite has a 'c' in it and stalactites hang down from the 'c'eiling, stalagmite has a 'g' in it and stalagmites jut up from the 'g'round. As long as you remember the word with a 'c' ends in 'tite' and the word with a 'g' in it ends in 'mite', you're good.
The Watkins Glen International Raceway is about a mile away from Watkins Glen National Park. Lake Seneca, one of the 9 fingers in the "Finger Lakes" is just north of the town of Watkins Glen, NY. Beautiful part of the country!
Antelope Canyon in Arizona is one of the most awe inspiring places I’ve ever visited. It is on Navajo land, so you have to book a tour through them. And it isn’t like a lot of other tourist hotspots in that the tours are small group guided tours. And it’s just a hop skip and a jump from beautiful Utah.
I've been to most of the states and can definitely say that I've never seen any that didn't have beauty. Aside from the well known national parks, every state has state parks and public spaces, some rivalling the famous national parks. Minnesota, Texas, North Dakota and Michigan have lovely parks that are well worth the trip. Adirondack State Park in the Adirondack mountain range of New York is an example. It is very beautiful with lakes, rivers and lush greenery and bigger than Yellowstone , Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon and Great Smokies combined (those parks are, of course, gorgeous). Making a list of "10 most beautiful" is almost arbitrary. What about a glacier walk in Alaska? Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado? Sunset in Dinosaur National monument in Utah? And so many others. Pick a region to see and give it 1-2 weeks. And by region, I mean 1-3 states at a time, depending on which ones.
I've been to Carlsbad Caverns National Park many times it's like 2 to 3 hours away from where I live, I used to be able to walk the whole trail to the bottom then continue to check out the big room but now I take the Elevator to the bottom then check out the big Room
I have been to 47 of the 50 states. I would say Carlsbad Caverns, The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and drive State route 1 in California and go all the way up the coast to Washington. Of things I've not seen, an Alaskan cruise is number 1 on my list.
And I see several people talking about the south not being on the video. I am from Alabama and the south is full of beautiful places, The Gulf of Mexico, The Appalachian Mountains, all the crystal springs in the north Florida area, the swamps of south Georgia, but if you only have one trip to the US and are on limited time, I still say hit the west coast first. The sunflower fields, ponds and ducks through the Dakota's are beautiful. Idaho and Colorado are both very much worth a visit. I love the north east also, NH, Vermont and Maine(esp coastal fishing) are well worth a trip.
Stalagmites grow up stalactites grow down and columns/pillars form when the two meet and create a column from floor to ceiling. Stalactites have a "c" in the word which can reference the "ceiling".
One of the coolest things about Great Sand Dunes is in the spring months when the snow melt creates run off. There is a "river" (for lack of a better word) that develops in the park that has these ever shifting currents. It is the neatest thing to walk through and experience.
Although Multnomah Falls is beautiful, the Columbia Gorge has 90 waterfalls just on the Oregon side. Many are accessible by short hikes from the highway. Crater Lake in Southern Oregon is amazing, and the deepest lake in the US. The Oregon coast has the most beautiful, rugged coast line you can imagine. Central Oregon is high desert county, where you’ll find caves and lava tubes to explore. I sound like a travel writer, but really just a fan of the state who thinks you should visit!
Whoever made this video obviously has not spent much time in the South or the southeast part of the country because they missed some really beautiful places. I think they've spent most of their time obviously in the west and yes there's beautiful unusual scenery in the west but good heavens the Gulf Coast of Florida on the panhandle the beaches are stunning. It's like being in the Caribbean. Cape San blas Florida comes to mind! There's a little Grand Canyon in south Georgia that's very very beautiful. And in my opinion the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina is a wonderland. wonderland. Mammoth cave Kentucky is a good place to spend some time and if you've never driven through Kentucky horse country you want to talk about beautiful. Visit the Kentucky Horse Park it's a national landmark and part of the Smithsonian. You have mile after mile of lush green rolling Hills with mile after mile of beautiful white or black 5 rail fencing. And as you pass by the most gorgeous horses you'll ever see running in the fields. To me that's just as beautiful as Yellowstone or Giant redwoods.
As a Tennessee resident, can confirm 👍🏻 I can see the Smokies almost every day and they're gorgeous - right on par with the rest of those mountains mentioned I was waiting for a southern place to get mentioned 🙄
Stalactites hang "tight" from the ceiling downward. Stalagmites "might" grow from the floor upward. That was the mnemonic device I used in order to learn the difference. I have primary school teacher, Mrs Witt, to thank for it.
My Brother from another Mother. When the world calms down, I'll be happy to show you around the Atlanta, GA area if you choose us as one of your stops. We also have some of the best short driving trips to see more of the south. Within 4-6 hours, you can get to Chattanooga, Knoxville and Pidgeon Forge TN, Cherokee NC, Birmingham AL, and almost(depending on traffic, 5-7 hours) Myrtle Beach SC, Destin FL and Savannah GA. Strange that there are 4 states closer to Atlanta than Savannah, which is in Georgia. That just shows how big the State is
If you come to Western New York you can tick off several boxes. Not only can you go to Watkins Glen, you can go to Letchworth State Park where there is a canyon that is like a mini Grand Canyon and then continue on to Niagara Falls. As for food in the area you can get a Garbage Plate in Rochester (many videos available for reacting to!!) and of course you can get Buffalo wings from the original source-- the Anchor Bar in Buffalo/ Niagara Falls.
If you decide to visit any place with higher altitudes. Please stay a day or so to adjust to the altitudes and aviod altitude sickness. It's real. We live in a a mid altitude and went to the tops of Pikes Peak ( a fourteener ). My brother fainted and felt sick.
Wow 1-2 months , depending on the size of the family check something like Great American RV that rents out different sizes . Even though you have to rent a spot to park east of the Mississippi River or if noise don't bother you Wal-Mart Parking lots and truck stops are free. You will see so much more cause you don't have to rush then all that free camping on Bueral of Land Management lands West of the Mississippi which usually have trails. I'll even let you stop by and dump your waste tanks as I have a dump station just use your hose on the way to Rainier.
Just fyi, when you plan your trip, if you're going to places with high altitude, you might have trouble breathing. I'm sure you're in good shape, but that thin air is rough if you're not used to it. It might be a good idea to spend a week or so adjusting, before you just start hiking up 14k foot mountains. A great side trip would be going to Las Vegas, then traveling to the grand canyon/horseshoe bend region, then going to the national parks in Utah and heading north to Yellowstone. It would take at least 2 weeks though, probably 3.
Two comments...first I'm a serious rock geek and I despise the neon-colored lighting in the caves. I'm there to see the rocks in their natural glory, not a technicolor light show. Second, Multnomah Falls. As mentioned, they were formed during the Missoula Floods when an ice dam that formed glacial Lake Missoula broke, releasing some 500 cubic miles of water (largest floods on Earth) creating the Chaneled Scablands. These floods originated in Missoula, MT, and scoured out large swaths of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. If there are other rock geeks out there, western-central Washington state (around Moses Lake) is an other-worldly place. The Scablands are so similar to flood plains on Mars that NASA engineers tested the Pathfinder rover prototype there. Dry Falls is not to be missed, 2.5 miles long, much larger than Niagra. The wall of water that cascaded over the falls, gouging out huge potholes at the bottom, was 200 feet high! My graduate research centered on a comparative analysis of Earth and Martian floods. Spoiler alert...Martian floods dwarfed anything Earth has ever seen by many magnitudes. Pro tips: If you venture out around this area, make sure your gas tank is full as this area is very sparsely populated, and services are rare. It's also rattlesnake country, so keep your eyes and ears open if you're out exploring on foot. The Roadside Geology series of books are an amazing resource for this kind of road trip!
Ha this is a “tell me you live west of the Rockies without telling me you live west of the Rockies” kinda deal. Oh and maybe vacationed in Florida once.
The list you watched was highly selective and a bit obscure. It also tried really hard to not list all the usual suspects. Watkins Glen may have some spectacular waterfalls but then so does the entire region around the Great Lakes. All that water comes from different places and flows downhill to get to the big lakes. There’s waterfalls all over the place, including Niagara Falls which would be a far better use of your travel time if you want to see a proper waterfall. Oh ya, the best views are on the Canadian side and you MUST go on the boats that run right up to the falls. It’s a wasted trip if you don’t.
If you go hiking anywhere in Arizona, please, please, please be very careful! People die all the time out there because it's so easy to get lost to the point to where you can't be found. Stay on trails and be careful to take note of not just where you're going, but also of where you've come from. Bring a LOT of water and snacks. The Napali coast is amazing. We hiked about 2 miles in. Up up up up up and then down down down down down. Up down up down. It's extremely exhausting but so worth it. The beach at the end of the two miles was crawling with teeny tiny thumbnail size frogs. A pretty neat place to stop...and turn around. LOL
My favorite Places that I've been at...the Grand Canyon and Yosemite Breath taking...there are so many other places that was not mentioning...hope you have a great 👍😊 time here in the U.S.A.
Stalactites actually grow much more quickly than people think. There are several "batlactites" around the globe, which is a bat encased in a stalactite. There is also a stalactite with a coke bottle trapped inside, in Australia's Jenolan Caves.
From the ceiling stalactites. From the floor stalagmites. You might think of the mineral rock formation from the ceiling having to hold on tight (tite). 8:20 You mean like the 1959 movie 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'? 10:36 Or maybe from 'Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows'? LOL!! 11:30 You are not allowed & you would be boiled alive. Along with the fact it is about as acidic as battery acid. 13:07 Probably why it is incomplete. 14:12 Glacier at 1M acres would be about a fifth the size of Wales. It also should be #1 on the list. Dinosaur tracks are all over the place. Dinosaur State Park (tracks mainly) is less than 100 miles from me. There are a few fossil digs within Dallas/Ft Worth. And there are a lot of states with these.
Grand Prysmatic spring in Yellowstone is made of boiling hot acid. You don't want to swim in that. You'd die in seconds. The last person who fell in q nearby "hot spring" in Yellowstone was melted into goo before they could get to the body. Even the bones were gone. He's now a part of the spring.
Ive been to carlsbad canyon, dry tortuga, glacier national park, and horseshoe bend because i lived in arizona and montana and florida... They are all beautiful but there are MANY more beautiful areas....
I live in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains (part of the Appalachian Mountains) which supposedly, loooooong time ago, used to be part of/connected to the British Isles 😂
