3 Stateside Summer Sights That You Need to See

Wide open space. There’s nothing better. Unless, of course, we add some all-American sights to see and a well-run tour or two. That’s probably better. And that’s exactly what I’ve been looking in to in the run up to summer. But with so many world class options on offer and so little time to make use of the sun, where do we begin? I’ve been doing my research, and there are a few places bubbling around the top of my to-do list this year. Without further ado, here’s my abbreviated list of top travel destinations for people searching for a trip into history and culture and seriously good selfies.

Niagara Falls

There’s just something about large natural wonders, isn’t there? Mountains and lakes and giant waterfalls are simply mesmeric. Merely witnessing these things is an adventure in itself – soaking it all in and being blown away by the vastness of it all is one of the most fun things in the world to me. Once you’ve had your panoramic fill, there’s plenty else on offer. The maid of the mist tour, for example, takes you into the waterfall basin (rain coats are advised!). There’s also a casino, a bird reserve, a butterfly reserve, a brewery tour and, of course, the regular lights and fireworks shows. See here for some top travel inspiration that’ll make you wish you were already there.

Statue of Liberty

93 metres, 240 metric tonnes. And she probably won’t appreciate me telling you about her impressive 35-foot waistline. The Statue of Liberty in New York is huge. Here’s something I bet you didn’t know. The green colouration of the exterior is sort of intentional, but also sort of free to change and develop on its own. Why? Because the copper outer coating of this real life iron giant (the inner frame is made from iron) means that weather damage results in the greenish copper rust. The bad news for anyone wishing to visit the ‘torch’ in the statue’s right hand is that this part of the tour has been ruled out of bounds ever since minor damage was caused by saboteurs over 100 years ago. Still, there’s other things to see and do, including the free to enter Statue of Liberty museum, complete with immersive and engaging galleries.

San Diego Zoo

What’s your favourite animal? Whatever it is, you’re almost certain to find it (or one of its closing living cousins) at the San Diego Zoo. How can I be so certain? Because the zoo is home to over 3,700 animals, spanning 650 species. But what makes this zoo so special is the ‘cageless’ way in which the animals are kept – don’t worry, the animals aren’t free to run around loose in the zoo, rather the exhibits are made to replicate natural environments. Plus, there are some animals here that you would likely struggle to find elsewhere in the world’s various zoos. These animals include pandas, arctic foxes and polar bears, condors, and the cat/dog looking fossa of Madagascar – my research tells me that this bizarre looking creature is actually more closely related to the mongoose. Well. There you go.