Every country has certain traditions that define it, so it’s no surprise that there are customs, experiences, and activities that — to some — just scream U.S. of A. So when a Redditor recently asked, “What is a quintessential American experience that every tourist should have?” Here’s how people responded.
1.
“Go to a professional sporting event, specifically an MLB game. Cheap and relatively mellow compared to other sporting events, a baseball game basically feels like an excuse to day drink casually and eat snacks with your friends while watching occasional pointed moments of mass excitement.”
2.
“Visit a small town with a festival or a county fair going on. Experience fair food (aka anything fried), carnival rides, and lots of people-watching. It’s the quintessential small-town American experience.”
3.
“Visiting Glacier National Park in Montana is incredible. I have never seen river water so clear and such a beautiful shade of blue, thanks to the glacial streams and snowpack. The view from the trails is so amazing. Glacier is definitely one of the most beautiful places here in the US.”
4.
“Make sure you visit multiple states around the country so you can see the differences. Obviously the US is far too big to visit them all at once, but Hawaii is going to be vastly different from Montana, which is going to be different from Louisiana and Oregon, etc…”
5.
“I strongly suggest attending a college football game complete with a tailgate. Not that the pros are bad, but college sports draw even more passionate fans, they’re more affordable, usually a bit closer to hip little neighborhoods, and provide a peak at that world-famous ‘American college experience.'”
6.
“Have a cheeseburger and fries in a 24-hour diner, ideally one that contains a lot of chrome and looks like it has been unchanged since the 1950’s.”
7.
“Eat an authentic New York bagel or slice of pizza. Nothing quite like it.”
8.
“Go to a Waffle House, preferably after midnight. Denny’s and IHOP will also suffice, but neither are the same as Waffle House.”
9.
“Experience a white Christmas. I live in an Australian state where I’ve never even seen snow. I’ve never experienced that classic Hallmark movie moment of waking up to a street full of it and sitting around a fireplace while opening gifs. The imagery and trope is something I’ve only really seen from American films.”
10.
“Go out for Americanized Chinese food — dishes like boneless spare ribs, General Tso’s chicken, and lo mein. It’s unlike the Chinese food you’ll try anywhere else in the world, and it’s incredible.”
11.
“Visit Yellowstone National Park. I can guarantee that the scale of the whole thing will blow your mind.”
12.
“The National Parks get all the limelight, but seek out the other natural hidden gems. I am from New York state, which actually has no national parks. That being said, the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, Thousand Islands, and more are stunning and very underrated. Basically every state contains these type of hidden gems.”
13.
“Stay in a quaint New England town during the fall and admire all the foliage.”
14.
“Go to Disney World. You’ll probably feel dirty and broke afterwards, but the cultural whiplash is such a part of the US.”
15.
“Visit Southern California and you can experience most of the biomes that make up the entire US. You’ll see sunny beaches, rainy forests, snowy mountains, sandy dunes, boggy swamp lands, and rolling grassy plains. You can see all of these landscapes more or less within the course of a three hour drive.”
16.
“Eat a Thanksgiving feast. What’s not to like? You get together with friends or family, you feast until you cannot physically eat anymore, and then you pass out.”
17.
“See to a live performance of blues, jazz, or country music. All are really unique American music styles.”
18.
“Drive Highway 101 along the coast from Oregon to California. You’ll pass stunning landscapes like redwood forests and beautiful beaches, experience great camping, and pass adorable small towns.”
19.
“Try a root beer float. It’s is an iconic American drink and non-Americans will most likely find it disgusting, but still you need to try it.”
20.
“Take a road trip. There’s something truly amazing about the freedom of movement enabled by a car, the open road, and the sheer scale of this nation. It doesn’t matter what route you take; go down the coast or up to the mountains and just watch the scenery change. It really hammers home just how big America is. Along the way, stop at parks, museums, or whatever touristy things you’re into. Get lunch at a fast food place and dinner at a proper local restaurant. I think for a foreigner, this is the best way to encapsulate what America represents to most people. It’s big, it’s untamed, it’s beautiful, and there’s no other nation like it.”
21.
“Eat some American barbecue, then find yourself covered in sticky sauce from devouring ribs and wings.”
22.
“Experience Halloween! Dress up in costume, attend a party, visit haunted houses and eat lots of candy.”
23.
“Get dessert from Dairy Queen. I love a DQ blizzard. Seriously, it’s better than any fancy ice cream you could put in front of me.”
24.
“Go on a camping trip and eat some s’mores. It’s a pleasantly simple treat — nothing more than marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate — but it’s iconically American.”
25.
“Take a swamp boat tour in New Orleans and then try some iconic NOLA cuisine like jambalaya and beignets. This is one of my personal favorite American experiences of all.”
26.
“Eat a ballpark dog at a baseball game. This experience is one of the best things our country has to offer.”
27.
“Marvel at the majesty of nature and feel a calming sense of life affirming joy as you watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean from Santa Monica Pier.”
28.
“Go to a house party complete with red solo cups. We brought a German foreign exchange student to a party in high school and he was geeking out that we actually used the red cups he saw in American movies. I’m pretty sure he took one home with him.”
Americans, what is another unique or must-have experience in the US that you’d recommend to anyone visiting the country? Tell us in the comments.
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