Snowy peaks in Aspen, the vibrant rush of New York City and the magic of Disneyland often define the typical American vacation.
While these places can be an escape from the monotony of daily life, they fail to encapsulate the national identity of the United States.
According to tourism data, most of the domestic travel in the U.S. is concentrated in a handful of major cities and attractions. If you want to experience the diversity of cultures and environments that make up the third-largest country in the world, you have to stray off the beaten path.
Instead of places curated to capture your attention and money, the character of a country reveals itself in the unpolished corners we tend to ignore.
Lafayette, Louisiana, is a city I had heard of before visiting on spring break with friends, but it is a perfect example of a multicultural oasis filled with activities many would never get to experience. Considered the heart of Cajun and Creole cultures, Lafayette challenges the idea that there is a single American identity, instead revealing a country shaped by distinct cultures that thrive far from the spotlight. I found myself among zydeco bands playing in crowded dance halls and enjoying plates of gumbo and boudin served in family-owned restaurants, immersed in a city that offers experiences that can’t be found in a resort or theme park.
But Lafayette is only part of a pattern that I have noticed across the country. In any region, there are places that exist out of view, yet offer their own authentic picture of America through geography and the people that inhabit it.
Hidden between rugged shoreline and the peaks of the Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles, Washington, offers a balance that is hard to find. I began feeling as if I was in a remote but also uniquely urban landscape, which serves as a gateway to the natural beauty that encompasses western Washington. Within a day I could walk the winding beachfront shops, descend into the otherworldly Hoh rainforest and take a ferry across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, Canada. In a country often defined by its biggest cities and brightest attractions, Port Angeles shows that unique experiences are just as present in its quieter corners.
Though cities do offer a chance for exploration and rest when traveling, the road itself is littered with opportunities. You may be hesitant to visit unknown faraway cities, and the current price of gas alone is enough to make your head spin, but this doesn’t mean you’re locked out from new experiences.
Along the unending expanse of highways that stretch across America, unassuming dive bars and music venues aren’t just places to stop along the way. They’re an opportunity to meet the people that create a community and learn about their lives. Before traveling on a solo trip across the Olympic mountains, I spent weeks planning the perfect itinerary but found myself discovering new destinations that can’t be found on an online vacation guide. The best way to gain a deeper understanding of the country you inhabit is to allow for spontaneity.
Travel isn’t just escaping jobs and routines that tie us down for most of the year. The American vacation should be less about where everyone else is going, and more about what lies just beyond the familiar and comfortable. Unfamiliarity can be intimidating, but it can also provide for opportunities that can’t be marketed or commodified and give an honest picture of what the U.S. truly is.
Step outside your comfort zone, drop the online guides and become lost on unknown roads that will leave a lasting impression.
