Dreaming of exploring the US of A? If these five American adventures make you itch to book a seat on the next flight across the pond, head to TravelPlanners – their multicenter holidays are a great way to get planning a state-hopping road trip, with car or RV hire included.
Five amazing American adventures to plan in 2020
Explore a glacier, Alaska
They call Alaska the last wilderness, and rightly so – only 700,000 people live spread across one of the most untouched and pristine (not the mention the biggest) states in the USA. Visit in the summer, and you can strap on snowshoes and hike on sprawling glaciers such as Kennicott Glacier in Wrangell-St Elias National Park, where you can explore hidden ice caves, go ice climbing in seemingly bottomless moraines or even take a dip in sapphire-blue glacial pools, the ultimate wild swimming challenge for the brave.
Raft through the Grand Canyon, Arizona
You may have seen, or dreamed of seeing, the unfathomably huge Grand Canyon from above on a hiking trail or even by helicopter, and this brick-red marvel (so big that it could swallow the water from every river on earth) is top of many a bucket list. But even better than hiking above it is taking rafting trip through its belly on the winding Colorado River – both jawdropping and extremely serene, the six-day paddle from Lee’s Ferry to Whitmore Rush is an amazing way to escape from civilization over 188 miles, camping under the stars each night.
Stay in a cabin in the Catskills, New York State
Itching to explore New York? Mix up the busy city with an escape to the wild by adding on a few days to your trip and heading to the Catskills mountains in New York State, just a few hours away from the big apple by car. Mountain trails, bubbling creeks, friendly towns and wooden cabins hidden in the forest – I can’t think up a better contrast to the bright lights of NYC than this. You could even take a hike on part of the famed Appalachian Trail by climbing up Bear Mountain. And do keep your eyes out for bears – an estimated 1,500 of them call the Catskills home.
Hike your heart out, Hawaii
Step away from those wonderful beaches (at least for a little while) – Hawaii is home to hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and they are arguably the very best way to see these seven islands. Trek from tropical rainforests to volcanic craters, or even climb up to the summit of lofty 4,207 metre-tall Mauna Kea on big island. The gorgeous coastal Kalalau trail on Kauai is arguably the islands’ most iconic route to follow, or you could go island-hopping around the whole archipelago and hike a trail on each of the islands.
Take an RV road trip across the USA
It doesn’t get more classic Americana than hitting the road in your own rolling home. The tough bit is deciding which states to wind through on your road trip – how about taking in the west coast through Oregon and California, exploring the mountains and deserts of Colorado and Nevada or taking on the ultimate country-crossing challenge of Route 66? In your own campervan, you’re free to stop off wherever the mood takes you as you swallow up the miles on America’s wildest roads.
