The geographic variety and ethnic diversity of this nation provide unlimited opportunities for exploration, excitement and relaxation.

To get a realistic perspective of the vast, diverse United States, set aside several weeks or months to tour multiple regions of the country. Focus on large metropolises, national parks or both.

In the Northeast, New England has lobsters and the rugged Atlantic Ocean shoreline in Maine and skiing in Vermont. Visit Boston to learn about Revolutionary War history. Watch the Red Sox play baseball at Fenway Park or the Patriots play football in nearby Foxborough.

New York City, the largest city in the U.S., is famous for Broadway theaters, museums, ethnic restaurants and the lovely Central Park. Travel south to Washington D.C., the nation’s capital, for more museums and insights into how the federal government supports the 50 states.

The Southeast has lovely hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, along with the home of country music in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit Florida’s varied attractions including numerous theme parks, the John F. Kennedy Space Center, the Everglades and endless beaches.

Chicago dominates the Midwest, with a large, lively city near Lake Michigan, one of five beautiful Great Lakes. Follow the path of the mighty Mississippi River from Minnesota past the Gateway Arch of St. Louis to the jazz city of New Orleans.

Moving west, the Rocky Mountains offer excellent hiking and skiing in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

Texas has central oilfields, the large cities of Houston and Dallas and the shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico. In Arizona in the Southwest enjoy the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon and Sedona’s red cliffs.

California is particularly diverse, with the glamor of Hollywood in Los Angeles, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco, the wines of Napa and Sonoma and the ski resorts in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Continue to the Northwest, where Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington have eclectic atmospheres.

If time permits, go beyond the continental U.S. Enjoy the islands of Hawaii or the glaciers and fjords of Alaska. The United States is all within your reach.