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: 18 August 2026

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

1986

My first international trip, taken at 12.  I was so fortunate that my parents found a way to have this family event, which I treasure even more today than I did then, when I loved it.  We visited Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Tijuana (Mexico day trip) and Honolulu.  

I remember the theme parks (Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios).  I got very scared with the Jaws experience at Universal!  I remember the lights of Las Vegas and playing the amusement games at Circus Circus.  Honolulu was lovely, with my two biggest memories being 1. a visit to the USS Arizona shipwreck (Pearl Harbour)  and 2. the size of all the food, especially the ice creams.

The USA seemed so big and loud and quite an adventure.  This first trip planted the idea of international travel in my young mind, and it has never left.

1998

This trip was what reignited my passion for travel after 12 years.  Taking advantage of my mum’s generous QANTAS staff travel package , I got to travel with my mum, my sister Kara, and her son Andrew.  This trip saw us visit Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Las Vegas.  It’s hard to overstate the fun of this trip, especially travelling with my nephew and his boundless energy.  The highlight of this trip for me was San Francisco, particularly Fisherman’s Wharf, the ice cream at Ghirardelli House and riding the cable cars.  I also remember getting splashed and very wet at the San Diego Zoo.  At the end of this trip, I was fully committed to undertaking a world trip ASAP.

1999-2000

Part of my 115-world trip, I spent 62 days exploring the USA in depth with my best friend Jon.  We backpacked around the USA, visiting nineteen cities: Honolulu, Dallas, San Antonio, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Savannah, Orlando, Washington, New York, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Deadwood, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  I’ll never forget the Greyhound long-distance buses, especially the overnight ones we took to save money; you meet and see things on these buses you never forget (a drug deal was one such experience!).

Starting in Honolulu, I won’t forget the high humidity and how I wish we were staying in a hotel instead of a hostel.  Turns out air conditioning is really appreciated in Hawaii.  I was very glad to visit the Polynesian Cultural Centre and to understand local history much better. 

On to the USA mainland, and first up was Dallas and seeing the JFK assassination location, visiting the book depository, and hearing the theories of what happened.  Next up was a visit to San Antonio and the famous ‘Alamo’ – such a privilege to visit and walk around such a significant piece of Mexican and USA history. 

A major highlight of this trip was New Orleans.  It is such a unique place with its French and Caribbean history and influence.  The food was spicy and tasty, the jazz scene was soul-lifting; just walking into clubs at 1 am and listening to great music was amazing.  The jazz experience is worth the visit to New Orleans by itself, but add in voodoo experiences and above-ground crypts, and it is a must-have visit for any world traveller.

Memphis and Nashville were also major music destinations, with a visit to Graceland a particular highlight, as well as experiencing the country and western music scene.  These places also highlight widespread poverty in the South.  At Nashville I got to go to my first USA professional sporting event – the NFL Tennessee Titans v Oakland Raiders match.  I learnt they have a thing called a TV timeout for when the broadcaster wants to show more ads!

Savannah provided some classic 18th- and 19th-century architecture; it felt like a walk back in time.  The moss-draped oak trees and the greenery, enhanced by the warm weather, made me feel most at peace in this beautiful location.

Orlando was about theme parks, with most of my time spent at Disney World.  Unfortunately, the shuttle launch we were hoping to see was postponed due to poor weather; it would have been awe-inspiring.

When I think about the USA outside of theme parks, I think of the capital, Washington and the significant monuments, and it didn’t let me down.  I got to visit the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building, the seats of power of the world’s dominant country.  I also went to a professional wrestling event, WCW Starrcade, so professional wrestling aligns with USA culture: loud, proud, and entertaining. 

My first visit to New York City set up a lifetime affair.  The city that never sleeps, the city of light, noise, culture, history, and surprisingly green spaces.  Highlights included the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Centre at Christmas (ice skating!), New York City Library, Times Square, Broadway shows, off-Broadway comedy shows, attending a taping of The David Letterman Show (the pre-taped New Year’s Eve show at that!), and the many museums.   Even better than all of this was being in Times Square for the Millennium countdown into 2000.  To experience such an event was a privilege; I managed to get on TV back home for the Australian New Year’s Eve countdown, which was at 8 am New York time.  Every hour, and sometimes half an hour, there was a countdown as the rest of the world entered 2000, and finally it was our turn.  Jon and I waited from noon in the same spot at 46th and Broadway, and 12.5 hours later we could barely walk due to the cold weather and lack of movement, which was affecting our circulation, but it was so surreal to have this experience.

Boston was again about history, including a hike along the Boston Freedom Trail.  We started at Boston Common, the oldest public park in the USA, which included a monument to Robert Gould Shaw and a memorial to the 54th Regiment, the first all-black unit to fight for the Union in the American Civil War, as depicted in the movie Glory.  Watching the world-famous Boston Celtics take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA match brought back memories of playing NBA Jam as a teenager. 

Buffalo was about experiencing snowfall for the first time in my life and the massive Niagara Falls.   Chicago was about jazz and blues music, along with a visit to a comedy club. 

I enjoyed my visit to Mount Rushmore (from Deadwood, South Dakota); it is a very impressive feat of engineering and sculpture.

Learning the complex history of Mexico and Native Americans in the Arizona region during my visit to Flagstaff, and visiting both the Palace of the Governors and San Miguel Mission, highlighted the rich history of the USA from the 1600s to today.  But the highlight was a visit to the Grand Canyon and a short hike.  To this day, it still feels unreal, like nature could not create something so stunning and colourful.  I don’t think it is possible to be disappointed with the Grand Canyon. 

Las Vegas provided entertainment and fun.  The Star Trek Experience was a major highlight, along with the Viva Las Vegas show.  Gambling, however, was a bust.

Los Angeles provided theme park fun; we got to watch a taping of the TV show ‘Suddenly Susan,’ which was a wonderful experience to see how TV shows work with a live audience (the crowd warm-up comedians are great).  Six Flags Magic Mountain was a thrilling day as well.  San Francisco provided the same very enjoyable experiences as 1998.

I felt after 62 days I had a much better feel for the world’s sole superpower.  Big, bash, loud, beautiful, but at times quiet and soulful.  Friendly people but at times wealth and poverty cause problems and despair—a very educational and enjoyable visit. 

2006

This includes a short 3-day visit to Seattle as part of an epic 153-world trip.   The highlight was going to watch a Major League Baseball match – Seattle Mariners Vs Oakland Athletics 7-6.  The lowlight was dealing with USA Border officials, very unfriendly on the USA-Canada border. 

2009

This was a 13-day visit to the USA, part of my 47-day 2009 world trip.  This leg included travelling with my mum to her favourite country, creating some nice, shared family memories and building on our 1986 and 1998 visits to the USA together.   The highlights included the incredible Hoover Dam, great experiences in Las Vegas, especially the Phantom of the Opera performance (which is condensed inLas Vegas), and in San Diego, visiting the spectacular Sea World (and getting splashed).   I even enjoyed shopping experiences at various malls and shopping outlets, which is not usually my thing.

2009-2010

A total of 10 days experiencing the USA as part of a 66-day world trip focused on South America.  This trip was with my nephew Andrew and was a high school graduation present to him.  We travelled together back in 1998 when he was 7 years old.  The experiences I remember the most were in New York City.   Highlights included cruising around Manhattan, visiting the Empire State Building, amazing shows (Hair – The Musical, Chicago, Avenue Q), attending both an NBA Game and an NHL hockey match at Madison Square Garden, visiting the Central Park Zoo, and walking over the Brooklyn Bridge.  I love NYC so much to do and explore, and Andrew was like a kid in a candy store, and his excitement was infectious.  We also visited Los Angeles later, visiting Universal Studios (in the rain), walking the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and exploring the famous Rodeo Drive.  This visit to the USA was supposed to be a nice bonus to our longer South America tours, but it was so good that it would have been worth it just for these 10 days.

2012-2013

This 11-day visit to the USA was part of the 139-day world trip in 2012-13 and focused mostly on the East Coast.  The 11 days in the USA I organised to overlap with my mum’s visit.  We experienced New York City (I love this city), Washington, and Orlando.   Some first-time and memorable experiences in Washington included visiting the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean Memorial, and the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima) – damn, there are a lot of wars the USA has been part of!  I also enjoyed a visit to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and, later, the amazing Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

In New York City, I had a moving experience visiting the World Trade Centre area, and I recalled visiting during my 1999-2000 world trip, which was before the terror attacks in 2001 destroyed the Twin Towers.  Seeing my mum’s favourite show, the Phantom of the Opera, on Broadway was a major highlight and something I’m glad I got to do with her.  Orlando for me at least was theme parks: Universal Studios, plus the Walt Disney World Parks “The Magic Kingdom” and “Hollywood Studios”.  The loud and proud American spirit was everywhere once again.

2019

A short 6-day visit as part of my 24-day world trip focused on Colombia.  This trip was about New York City—just so much to do there.  I caught up with my brother Reagan and mum for the USA leg.  During my NYC stay, I got to go to the US Open, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.  This time I got to explore the rebuilt World Trade Centre; it was a very emotional experience, especially since I visited the preserved destroyed basement area.  I was very fortunate to get tickets to see the Hamilton musical, just awesome.  NYC is the live performance centre of the planet.  I think I’ve been to a show every visit and it never fails to amaze and entertain me.

2024-2025

My most recent visit in 2024-2025 focused on the West Coast (Los Angeles) and the East Coast (Miami) with my niece Erin.   

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.

Summary

After 168 days spent in the USA across nine visits since 1986, I believe the USA is worth visiting despite its declining reputation and issues with border officials.

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.