101 Places to Visit in USA – Your Ultimate USA Bucket List

These vibrant and beautiful slot canyons are crowded. If you want to find a less crowded option, head to Waterholes Canyon.

Hike down into the canyon to greeted by waterfalls plunging into turquoise waters. Permits are hard to get, so here are our tips.

A short hike (1.3 mi round trip) takes you to a viewpoint where you can see the horseshoe shaped bend in the Colorado River. We also took a boat ride through, which offered a unique perspective.

The easiest way to get here is via helicopter from Vegas. Although, the views are more impressive from the top looking down.

Don’t miss the Devil’s Bridge hike and Slide Rock State Park.

The park is split into Saguaro East and West near Tucson AZ. West photographed better, while East was less crowded and felt more like you were in nature.

They only allow 20 people in per day. These permits shave been the hardest to get. See our top Wave permit tips here.

If you can’t get into the Wave, this is the best alternative. Photographers love White Pocket because it hasn’t been photographed a million times like the Wave

Traffic is almost impossible to avoid. Load up on music and audiobooks while you wait. Check out our LA bucket list, free things to do, instagram spots, and food guide. If you like Korean food, LA has the best we’ve found outside of Korea.

Napa is the most popular wine country in the US. If you love food and can get a reservation at the French Laundry, we absolutely recommend it.

See these California coast giants. They can grow up to 300 ft tall.

Can we all retire and become beach bums? Life is too easy in sunny San Diego. It’s one of our favorite cities we’ve lived in the US. Check out our free things to do, instagram spots, and SD bucket list.

It’s known for the famous Golden Gate bridge, year round fog (named Karl), and colorful mismatched Victorian houses. The culture of SF has changed over the years, but it’s still one of my favorite cities with easy access to the outdoors too.

Walk among the largest trees in the world (by volume).

Although popularity is increasing, if you want a less touristy wine country experience than Napa, go to Sonoma. IYKYK

Our favorite national park. It’s become extremely popular and crowded especially in the Valley. The park is massive, so explore outside the valley to avoid the crowds or visit in late fall to winter. Keep in mind, most waterfalls dry up in the winter.

It’s the largest tropical wilderness in the US and also a UNESCO world heritage site. 

Take the Overseas Highway for a scenic drive.

This was our go-to college spring break spot with their endless clubs. Now we visit for Art deco buildings, white sand beaches, and Cuban food.

Best known for for Disney World and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. Our favorite park is Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

They have two active volcanoes.

Picture entering into Jurassic Park, because that’s where they filmed it.

Take the Road to Hana and check out these stops.

Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor Memorial, Hanauma Bay are the touristy spots. If you’re there on Memorial Day you can see the Lantern Floating Ceremony.

More than a million people from all over the world gather here annually. I grew up in Iowa and only vaguely remember going as a child, but on our cross country road trip last year, I got to see the Butter Cow in all its glory. All 600 pounds of Iowa butter. It’s weird, but nothing quite like it.

Wrigley Field, Millenium Park, Skydeck are the popular spots.

(Also in Missouri) Don’t miss Kansas City BBQ at Joe’s – our favorite!

Grab your big hats and head to the Kentucky Derby. Plus, it’s part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Known for the French Quarter and Mardis Gras. Don’t forget to try some crawfish and Cajun cuisine.

Explore the upscale crab shacks and learn about its important role in US history. It’s known as the city of neighborhoods.

Walk the Freedom Trail, watch a game at Fenway Park, and eat lots of seafood.

Great summertime destination with cute villages, seafood shacks, and lighthouses.

Popular in the summer and only accessible by plane or boat.

Salem is famous for the witch trials. You can learn more about the history at the Salem Witch Museum.

Check out the Minneapolis sculpture garden, Walker Art Center, and Minnehaha Park. Mall of America was the biggest mall in the US when we were kids, but now it’s the 5th largest.

Going to the Sun road is a nice scenic drive. Hike a trail for even more amazing views of alpine lakes and mountains.

Go during the astronomy festival for amazing stargazing and astrophotography (late Sept).

There’s so much more to the city than the strip. It’s also great home base to explore the outdoors. Check out our ultimate Vegas bucket list, free things to do, and food guide.

This Mars-like landscape is only an hour away from Vegas..

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the world’s largest balloon festival.

Love the Pueblo style architecture prominent through the city.

This high desert town is known for historic Adobe buildings and artist colonies.

Go early in the morning so you don’t see a bunch of footprints.

Don’t forget your passport in case you want to check out the view from the Canada side as well.

You can never be bored in NYC. Have you stepped in all 5 boroughs? I still need to take the Staten Island ferry to the forgotten borough. See our NYC bucket list, places to eat, Instagrammable places, and New Yorker tips for visitors.

People refer to Asheville as the Portland of the east coast. There’s hiking, craft beer, and a great food scene.

Crater Lake sits inside a collapsed volcano. Bring your wide angle lens to get it in one frame.

Cannon Beach or Astoria is a popular starting point.

Pack a raincoat and hiking boots unless you’re visiting in July-Aug. Our favorite part of Portland was the easy access to the outdoors.

They have great rooftop bars and Rainbow Row is a must for instagrammers. Also see our Charleston bucket list and food guide.

Take sunrise photos at the Door trailhead or Window trailhead and sunset photos to Pinnacles Overlook. 

Trivia – Who are the four presidents carved on Mt Rushmore? Highlight Below for Answers -> 

George Washington, Abraham, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson.

(also in NC) Take in the view from Clingmans Dome, the highest mountain in the Smokies.

The city that has made a big impact on Blues, Soul, and Rock and Roll.

Be sure to try hot chicken and check out the Parthenon Replica and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

More on our Austin bucket list, free things to do, and food spots.

Between March and April, Bluebonnets carpet Texas Hill Country. Bluebonnet House in Marble Falls is one of many popular spots.

Great place to base yourself to explore the Blue Ridge Mountains

See our DC Bucket List and 49 best places to eat. Even though it’s ridiculously crowded, cherry blossom season is beautiful.

If Lake Superior freezes in winter, you can walk to these islands with frozen waterfalls and chambers. They also have one of the greatest concentrations of black bears. 

There are 5 Great Lakes, and we want to swim in them all. Can you name all 5?

Cody is known as the rodeo capital of the world.

You can check out Tetons and Yellowstone in one trip. Tetons is much less busy.

We’re not the biggest fans of Yellowstone because it tends to attract visitors that don’t respect the park, but we can’t deny that the colorful hot springs and features are beautiful. Plus, it’s great for spotting wildlife.