Nathan's Insights

Established: 1776
Population: 308 million (2010 census)
Religion: Protestant (51.3%)
Capital: Washington DC
Order of Visit: First
First Visit: 27 November 1986
Last Visit: 06 January 2025
Duration: 168 Days
Times Visited: 9 (1986, 1998, 1999-2000, 2006, 2009, 2009-2010, 2012-2013, 2019, 2024-25)
Must Do: Grand Canyon, Deadwood, New York Comedy Clubs, The Alamo, New Year’s Eve at New York Times Square, Amusement Parks (LA and Orlando), Jazz in New Orleans, Major Sporting events (NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, US Open), Movie related experiences (Walk of Fame, Studio tours), Everglades.
States: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York State, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State (15 of 50 USA states)
Cities: Anchorage, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Deadwood, Denali, Flagstaff, Honolulu, Key West, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Redoubt Bay, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Savannah, Sausalito, Seattle, Washington DC, Whittier
United States of America (USA) Journal Entries
Published: 26 February 2010 | Last Update: 04 March 2025

Background

Easily the country I have spent the most time at (outside of Australia) at 168 days across 9 separate world trips, starting with my first visit as a 12-year-old back in 1986 and my latest visit covering November 2024 to January 2025 as part of my World Trip 2024-2025: USA, Ecuador and the Caribbean.

Location and Geography

The USA is also the gateway to Canada, South America, Central America and the Caribbean when travelling from Australia. The USA is an amazing, diverse place that isn’t as united as you might think, fighting a civil war at one point and fighting the English, the Spanish, the French, Canada, and Mexico at different times for additional territories under its Manifest Destiny principle to expand its borders.

Currently, the United States of America covers 9.834 million square kilometres. The core continental States have Canada to the North and Mexico to the South. Alaska, which was purchased from Russia, is located above Canada, meaning that to drive from Seattle to Alaska, you need to leave the USA and enter Canada. Hawaii is a unique state located in the Pacific Ocean to the southwest of the continental U.S., southeast of Japan and northeast of Australia.

The United States of America has five permanently inhabited territories: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, and American Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean.

History and Culture

The United States of America is currently the most dominant nation on the planet, both economically, culturally, and militarily, and became a world superpower after World War 2, becoming the sole superpower with the USSR collapse in 1989. The USA dollar is effectively the reserve currency of the world and can be used in many countries or easily exchanged.

The first Europeans to arrive in the territory of the modern United States were Spanish conquistadors arriving in Florida in 1513. The Spanish established the first settlements in Florida and New Mexico, such as Saint Augustine and Santa Fe. The French established settlements along the Mississippi River. Successful English settlement on the eastern coast of North America began with the Virginia Colony in 1607.

With the establishment of Georgia in 1732, the British administered the 13 colonies that would become the United States of America as overseas dependencies.  The American Revolutionary War was the first successful colonial war of independence against a European power. The Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776.

American expansion westward prompted a long series of American Indian Wars, establishing the principle of Manifest Destiny. The Louisiana Purchase of French-claimed territory in 1803 almost doubled the nation’s area. A series of military incursions into Florida led Spain to cede it and other Gulf Coast territory in 1819.

The U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas in 1845 during a period of expansionism and Manifest Destiny. The 1846 Oregon Treaty with Britain led to U.S. control of the present-day American Northwest. Victory in the Mexican–American War resulted in the 1848 Mexican Cession of California and much of the present-day American Southwest.

With the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln, thirteen slave states ultimately declared secession. They formed the Confederate States of America (the “South”), while the federal government (the “Union”) maintained that secession was illegal. The Union won the war in April 1865; each of the states in the defeated South was required to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which prohibited slavery.

The last State to join the USA was Wyoming in July 1890, bringing the total to 50 States and a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital), five major territories (listed above) and some minor islands.

The United States remained neutral from the outbreak of World War I in 1914 until 1917, when it joined the war as an “associated power”, alongside the formal Allies of World War I, helping to turn the tide against the Central Powers.

At first neutral during World War II while Germany conquered much of continental Europe, the United States began supplying materiel to the Allies in March 1941 through the Lend-Lease program. On 7 December 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbour, prompting the United States to join the Allies against the Axis powers. The USA used atomic weapons against Japan to finish World War II, the only time such weapons have been used against civilian populations.

American troops fought communist Chinese and North Korean forces in the Korean War of 1950–53. A proxy war in Southeast Asia eventually evolved into full American participation, as the Vietnam War, which finished in 1975, is the only major USA military failure.

In 1920, the women’s rights movement won passage of a constitutional amendment granting women’s suffrage. USA astronaut Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Capital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and military crimes, and also at the state level in 30 states (out of 50 states). In 2017, there were 17,264 murders, and the murder rate was 5.3 per 100,000, placing the USA 89th out of 230 countries by murder rate. For comparison, Australia’s rate is 0.80 per 100,000, placing us at 194 (as of 2018).

This is the land of Hollywood, a place that dominates the entertainment media of my country.  It is also the country with the most powerful military.  The military is held in very high regard; there are many days to celebrate it, and military personnel in uniform get discounts at a host of venues. This is the land of guns; the right to bear arms is in their constitution, and in 2013 they had 33,636 gun-related deaths.  The War of Independence from the English ingrained the notion that the population needed to be armed to control their Government or protect themselves from it.

This is also the land with the greatest riches, some of the best universities, the biggest (and richest) sporting competitions and athletics.  It also has very poor people, a very low minimum wage for a Western country, and the most expensive health system in the world.  It is a paradox that some of the nicest people in the world are mixed with the most unpleasant and racist people I have ever met.

What I experienced in USA

During my earlier visits to the USA (before 2009), some of my highlights included visiting rustic Deadwood, the overwhelming experience of New York City, and the lights of Las Vegas. 

My Grand Canyon visit back in January 2000 was an incredible marvel of nature.  Visiting Washington, DC, is an educational experience, with the Smithsonian Museums; the Air and Space Museum is a must, and the grand Government buildings.  I was lucky enough to tour the White House before they limited visitors mostly to USA citizens who get a recommendation from their Government representative.

Mt Rushmore (South Dakota) is a very impressive engineering and sculpting feat, and the Alamo (Texas), originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is another must-visit historic site. 

The jazz in New Orleans (Louisiana) must be experienced to believe just how good this format of music can be.  Just walk around at night, find a club, and relax with this spiritual music.

I’d also add attending major sporting events in the USA, which are vastly different from those around the world. I’ve attended Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and the USA Open (tennis).

I’ve also really enjoyed the various theme parks over the years.  I could write a book about New York City; being in Times Square for the Millennium will never be forgotten, including the cold and frozen legs!  You have to experience Broadway and off-Broadway; I was lucky enough to see Hamilton, The Phantom of the Opera, and Avenue Q. And you shouldn’t forget the comedy clubs and churches (gospel singing)!  I also experienced the World Trade Centre before the September 2001 attacks and the rebuilt area and museum (very emotional).

I found Alaska, which is almost an entirely different country due to its isolation from the rest of the USA, to have different attitudes and approaches by its residents.

My more recent visit in 2024-2025 focused on the West Coast (Los Angeles) and the East Coast (Miami). In Los Angeles, my visits to the Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, and Warner Studios highlighted the immense entertainment industry of the USA, which dominates the western world. In Miami, the Hispanic experience was a highlight, particularly the Cuban influences. I also got to experience the vast Everglades environment, and another hyper-energetic National Basketball Association match on the same day (nature to high-energy event).

Lastly, I finally got to visit and go over the Key West chain of bridges, which I have wanted to since I watched the movie True Lies back in 1994.

The USA is a vast country that is worth visiting. The USA dominates the world (and especially Australia) in many ways: financially, culturally (movies and shows), and militarily. I have found the USA to be organised around the individual more than the country. Their system, in many ways, is geared to the wealthiest of the population having the most power and influence. The poor and disadvantaged can be a larger group (in percentage terms) than in other Western Countries. It is hard to fully understand the range from the best of the best across medicine, education, and opportunities, from the poorest to the wealthiest.

The attitudes and approaches also change across their States. While overall I found most residents to be friendly, there are vast differences: you have fast-paced areas to laid-back areas, progressive to conservative approaches, religious to atheist areas, and traditional culture to modern approaches. Your head will spin with the range of differences in the melting pot that is the USA.

Just be warned, taxes vary greatly across the States. The advertised price is near the actual price charged. And tipping has increased from 10% to 20-25% since 1999 to 2025, and the range of areas asking for tips, which are mostly compulsory, has also greatly increased.

The natural wonders in the USA however make it all worthwhile.