Done NYC? Try Chicago on your next visit to the States.

Traditionally, the Aussie hot spots have been Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and Hawaii, but with 71 per cent of travellers being return visitors, we’re starting to spread our wings. New flight routes have helped, such as the direct Qantas service to Dallas/Fort Worth and Air New Zealand’s flight via Auckland to Houston, but we’re also getting more adventurous.

If you’ve already ticked off the big-ticket destinations, here are some ideas for where to go next.

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Explore the beauty of Oregon. Picture: Adventure WorldSource:Supplied

URBAN EXCITEMENT

You’ve basked in the neon lights of Vegas, partied to dawn in New York and shopped with celebrities in LA, so where else is the big city action?

“Chicago,” says Tom Walley, head of leisure travel at Flight Centre. “It ticks the box no matter your motivation. Chicago offers a rich cultural experience with jazz and blues as well as a theatre scene to rival New York.”

The city is also one of the nation’s most attractive, with a picturesque lakeside setting, spectacular skyline and great swathes of public parks. But for Walley, the biggest incentive is the food.

“Chicago is home to the deep-dish pizza,” he says. “A reason to visit in itself!”

Another destination that has surged in popularity in recent years is Oregon, in particular, its quirky, creative centre Portland. Famous as a hipster hangout, it is home to more than 60 craft breweries, 15 urban wineries and a growing number of artisanal distilleries. It’s also one of the few cities in the US where you can get a decent coffee.

More than 60 craft breweries in Portland, Oregon. Picture: Travel PortlandSource:Supplied

You’ll find a similar vibe in Seattle, a three-hour drive north, which has become a poster child for local produce (be sure to visit Pike Place Market) and still has a thriving music scene, having given birth to grunge in the mid-’80s. It’s also a good starting point for exploring further afield.

Neil Rodgers, managing director of Adventure World, says it’s a perfect base for exploring Mt Rainier National Park and seeing the results of the volcanic power at Mt St Helens.

If you’re flying into Dallas or Houston, you’re just a hop, skip and jump from one of America’s most vibrant, party-loving cities. New Orleans is a steamy cauldron of French, African and American influences.

The city is famous for its jazz clubs and spicy Cajun cuisine. Wander through the historic French Quarter and you’ll find impromptu jam sessions and people dancing in the street. As one local told me: “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What happens in New Orleans, no one can remember.”

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

The US is justifiably proud of its National Park Service, an organisation that protects more than 400 natural, historical, recreational and cultural areas throughout the country. Last year, the organisation celebrated its 100th anniversary and the nation’s 59 national parks received a record 331 million visits.

The most visited park probably isn’t yet on the radar of many Australians. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and is known for its diversity of plant and animal life, which includes a population of 1500 black bears and more than 200 species of bird.

Another park which doesn’t get the attention it deserves is Denali National Park in Alaska. This 2.4 million-hectare wilderness is home to hundreds of glaciers, North America’s tallest mountain and one solitary road. On Insight Vacations’ Jewels of Alaska tour, you can learn about the park’s ecosystem and wildlife with a local climber and meet a championship dog musher and his team of Alaskan huskies.

Denali National Park, Alaska.Source:Supplied

If you’ve got limited time, Utah is a great option because you can tick off five national parks in a week. Highlights include the natural red rock arches in Arches National Park, the crimson-coloured hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park and the beautiful wavelike sandstone slot canyons throughout Zion National Park. North America touring specialist Collette’s Canyon Country tour immerses travellers in nature at Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, with the bonus of perennial favourite the Grand Canyon also on the itinerary.

For a taste of the Old West, check out Trafalgar’s Wild West Cowboys and Buffalos tour. Starting in Utah’s Salt Lake City, it explores the neighbouring states of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. Kids will love the chance to stay in an authentic Montana homestead and see Yellowstone’s gurgling mud pools and geysers.

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in America’s wilderness is on a multi-day rafting trip. Oars offers dozens of trips all over the country, ranging from gentle three-day explorations of the Lower Klamath River in California, to adrenalin-charged 16-day trips through the Class 5 rapids of the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River.

Great for families is the four-day Rogue River trip in Oregon, which combines spectacular scenery with kid-friendly Class 3 rapids. Regardless of which option you choose, camping by the river under a star-studded sky is truly magical.

Arches National Park, USA.Source:Supplied

ROAD TRIPPIN’

Thanks to an unrivalled network of highways, affordable fuel and a car-friendly culture, there’s an appeal to hitting the open road in the US that few countries can match.

As a result, some road trips, such as the legendary Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, have become cultural icons. But what if you want to take the road less travelled? What other routes deliver outstanding scenery, history and culture?

According to Matt Fletcher, director of Brand USA Australia, music fans should check out the Blues Highway (aka Route 61).

Starting in the jazz halls of New Orleans, this musical pilgrimage sweeps through the cotton-infused juke joints of the Mississippi Delta and finishes in the honky tonks of Nashville. “My favourite stop is Memphis,” says Fletcher, “You can check out Elvis Presley’s Graceland and experience the buzz of Beale St.”

Mention Highway 1 and most people think of the undeniably spectacular coastal drive.

What’s not so well known is that the road from San Francisco to Los Angeles continues north, through the mighty redwood forests of northern California, and along the rugged Oregon coastline to finish in Washington’s spectacular Olympic National Park.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, USA.Source:Supplied

It’s equally scenic, more diverse and much less crowded.

Highlights en route include the Avenue of the Giants, a 50km stretch of road lined with towering redwoods, and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a coastal park with spectacular 150m-high sand dunes.

Over on the east coast, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a compelling option. This stunning 755km road winds through the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. The road itself is an engineering triumph, navigating difficult terrain to deliver a series of stunning lookouts.

But more than that, it’s an admirable exercise in restraint. There are no petrol stations, fast food chains or advertisements anywhere along the route. Instead, you can expect a snaking single-track road bordered by sweeping hills and dense forests.

The route is particularly impressive in autumn, when the leaves change colour and the hillsides are a blaze of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington state, USA.Source:Supplied

CRUISE CONTROL

Florida is the undisputed capital of the cruising world. Fort Lauderdale and Miami are the two main departure points, the latter being the world’s largest passenger port, with more than four million cruise passengers a year.

This is where you start if you want to travel on the biggest, newest and most spectacular ships.

Next year Celebrity launches its revolutionary Celebrity Edge, the first in a new class of ships.

It will feature staterooms with enclosed verandas.

Holland America Line will also debut the Nieuw Statendam, an elegant mid-sized vessel with a soaring three-storey atrium. Royal Caribbean continues to push the boundaries, producing ships on an almost unimaginable scale. Its latest, the 5400-passenger mega-liner Harmony of the Seas, features seven separate neighbourhoods plus a nerve-testing 10-storey water slide called the Ultimate Abyss.

Traditionally, most of these ships will head to the Caribbean, and with good reason.

According to Dean Sinclair, national product manager at Cruiseco, the region is a holiday hot spot, with beautiful scenery, gorgeous beaches and a relaxed vibe. However, there’s a new kid on the block – Cuba.

Cruising out of Miami on some of the newest, biggest ships.Source:Supplied

Since opening to US cruise lines earlier this year, the destination is appearing on an increasing number of itineraries.

“Cuba is firmly on the list for ‘port collectors’,” says Adam Armstrong, managing director
of Royal Caribbean Australia.

“And Aussie bookings are steadily increasing.”

Alaska is hardly a new cruise destination but that doesn’t mean its appeal is waning. Armstrong says the number of Australians cruising there with Royal Caribbean is growing by 25 per cent a year. The state’s spectacular scenery is an obvious drawcard but so is the fact that you can combine it with a city break in a departure port such as Seattle.

River cruising isn’t as popular in the US as it is in Europe, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still appealing options around.

This month sees the launch of the American Duchess, the first all-suite paddle wheeler to cruise the Mississippi River.

Operated by the American Queen Steamboat Company, the vessel will offer eight-night voyages between Memphis and New Orleans.

NEED MORE INSPIRATION?

For more ideas, itineraries and a detailed trip planner, see visittheusa.com.au