Soak in the Sights and Sounds of the Greatest Country on Earth: 10 Best Places to Visit in USA in Summer 2020 for a Magical Holiday Like No Other!

The United State of America (USA) is a huge country, having a great variety of climatic conditions. USA is situated in 3 climatic zones and therefore cannot be classified into a single climate being uniformly present across the country. It’s southernmost state – Hawaii is in the tropics whereas it’s northernmost point – Point Barrow in Alaska is located more than 1,000 km north of the Arctic Circle!

However, even after considering the extreme climatic diversity, there are essentially 4 main seasons in USA:

Although spring and fall are generally considered to be the best times to visit USA, but it is the summer season which is the most popular tourist season and witnesses the peak tourist arrivals. During summer the northern states witness warm to hot days with cooler mornings and nights, whereas the southern states and tropics experience hot to very hot climate. Summer is the perfect time to explore the outdoors – the national parks and the beaches. The Rocky Mountain states are the best in the summers as the snowline moves up and the alpine flowers appear in full bloom. It is no surprise that most of the national parks like the Glacier National Park in Montana see the maximum number of visitors in summer. The 4th of July or Independence Day, one of the major festivals in USA, also falls in summer, when you can witness unbelievable parades, lavish parties and spectacular fireworks, and the entire nation is bedecked in red, white and blue.

Indian citizens planning to visit USA for a vacation need to understand that they don’t qualify under the US Visa Waiver Program. Consequently, they have to apply for a non-immigrant US Visa well in advance from the proposed date of travel. The US Visa screening and grant process is one of the most stringent and time-consuming processes and therefore the visa application needs to be planned meticulously. Some important information and guidelines for this process are as follows:

If you are planning to visit USA for pleasure, medical or business purposes then you have to apply for a non-immigrant US Visa. A B-1 Visa is intended if your travel purpose is business, conferences, conventions, negotiating contracts, consulting with business associates, etc. A B-2 Visa is intended for visits of a recreational nature like tourism, medical treatment, visit to relatives, etc. In case you are planning to mix business with leisure during your upcoming visit to USA then a combined B-1/B-2 may be issued.

Typically, you are expected to apply for a non-immigrant US Visa at the US Embassy or US Consulate General closest to your place of residence. In India, there is 1 US Embassy (New Delhi) and 4 US Consulate General Offices (Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata).

In case you are applying for a B-2 tourist visa you need to unambiguously demonstrate the following:

When applying for a US B-2 Visa you are expected to submit all information carefully, accurately and comprehensively. Any inaccurate/misleading disclosures, name spelling mismatch, suppression of facts, indulging in fraudulent acts, etc. will render your application getting rejected.

If you are planning to visit the US for leisure purposes, you should be holding a valid Indian Passport with date of expiry not less than 6 months beyond your scheduled date of return from USA. A visa application should be made at least 3 months in advance from your scheduled date of departure from India.

As you would probably know, USA is a vast country and there are places to visit all year round. We have curated the best places you can visit in USA during the summer season and have a memorable trip like no other!

The Grand Canyon National Park in north-western Arizona is home to the majestic Grand Canyon with its layered bands of red rock, a testament to 2,000 million years of geological history. The steep sided canyon is carved by the Colorado river and is 446 km long, 16 km wide at certain points and up to 1.6 km deep. This UNESCO World Heritage site and one of USA’s most prominent landmarks is full of plummeting canyons, multi-coloured rocks, dramatic cliffs and stunning ravines. The South Rim is open 24 x 7 x 365 whereas the North Rim is open from 15th May – 15th October each year. Popular viewpoints include Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station, Lipan Point, etc. You can check out the complete information on the Grand Canyon National Park official website.

New York with a population of around 8.5 million is the most populous and happening city in the US. It comprises of 5 boroughs (or smaller cities) – Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. It is situated at the point where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean and also has one of the world’s largest natural harbours. New York is one of the world’s top tourist destinations with more than 65 million tourists visiting this spectacular city annually. It also features 3 of the world’s ten most visited tourist attractions. New York is home to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, UN Headquarters, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Unisphere, Empire State Building, World Trade Centre site and so much more! To know more about New York and to plan your travel itinerary in this maximum city, you can visit The Official Guide to New York City.

If you are an outdoor person or a lover of natural beauty, there is no way you should miss the Glacier National Park. This is a huge wilderness area in the Rocky Mountains of north-west Montana with an area spanning 4,100 sq. km. It runs along the Canadian border and touches the Waterton Lakes National Park on the Canadian side. Jointly, the 2 parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier National Peace Park. The Glacier National Park is a UN designated Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With over 1,100 km of trails, Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise. For the nature lover there are breathtakingly beautiful alpine valleys, pristine lakes and stunning rugged mountains. The park is also home to the Going to the Sun Road (a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark) which runs through the middle of the park and provides access to many locations and recreational activities. To plan your visit to the Glacier National Park, please visit the Glacier National Park official website.

Mount Rainier National Park is located south-east of Seattle in Washington State. Spanning 955 sq. km. it surrounds the 14,410 ft. (or 4,392 m) high Mount Rainier which is an active volcano glaciated peak. Mount Rainier is the origin of 5 major rivers and the snow peak is surrounded by sub-alpine wildflower meadows and ancient forests teeming with diverse wildlife. The highest motorable point – Sunrise at 6,400 ft (or 1,951 m) is a popular vantage point for visitors to admire Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and other volcanoes. To know more, please visit Mount Rainier National Park official website or Mount Rainier Tourism official website.

A visit to USA would be incomplete without a visit to North America’s highest mountain peak – Denali standing majestic at 20,310 ft. (or 6,200 m) – the roof of North America. The Denali National Park in Alaska is spread over 24,400 sq. km. bisected by just one road – the Denali Park Road. Around 400,000 visitors travel to Denali National Park annually to view the spectacular Denali peak along with breath-taking views of taiga forests, high alpine tundra and snowy mountains. If you love tranquillity and solitude, Denali National Park is simply paradise! Depending on how much time you wish to spend here – from ½ day to 3+ days, you can visit the Savage River, spend time at the Denali Visitor Centre and take transit/tour bus trips to enjoy the barren wilderness and absolute tranquillity and calm. Visit the Denali National Park official website.

Seattle situated in the Pacific Northwest is Washington State’s largest city. Seattle is also home to giant multinational corporations like Microsoft and Amazon. Seattle is surrounded by water, mountains, evergreen forests and parklands. Seattle is a world-class, exciting city with several tourist attractions. The Space Needle, a part of the Seattle Centre, the location of the 1962 World’s Fair is its most iconic landmark. Other must-visit locations include: The Experience Music Project, The Chihuly Garden and the Glass Museum, all housed in the 74-acre Seattle Centre Campus. Elsewhere, you can also visit the Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Symphony and Pike Place Market. You can also visit the historic Pioneer Square for the Seattle Underground Tour or go on the Seattle Harbour Cruise. To plan your stay in Seattle you can visit the city’s official website or the government website.

San Francisco is a city in Northern California with an area of 121 sq. km. and a population of less than a million. It is the cultural, financial and commercial hub of Northern California. Considered one of the greatest cities on earth, its most iconic landmark is the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco experiences cool summers and frequent fog and is bound by as many as 47 named hills. It is known for its cable cars, the finest culinary experience, Victorian architecture, a dynamic waterfront and world-renowned ballet, opera, symphony and theatre. The most prominent landmarks of San Francisco include Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, Fishermen’s Wharf, Union Square and its Chinatown District. You can meticulously plan your visit to this bustling urban centre by visiting San Francisco Travel Association website.

The Sequoia National Park spread over 1,635 sq. km is situated in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, east of the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent to the Kings Canyon National Park. Sequoia National Park is known for huge sequoia trees particularly the General Sherman Tree – the largest tree in the world. In addition to the world’s largest trees you can also soak in the breath-taking landscape that includes mountains, rugged hills, canyons, caverns and so much more. The elevation in the park varies from 1,370 ft. (418 m) to 14,494 ft. (4,418 m). Consequently, the weather also varies from warm foothills to cold alpine peaks. You can plan your trip to this beautiful National Park by visiting the Sequoia National Park official website.

San Diego is a beautiful city on the Pacific coast in the state of California, 190 km south of Los Angeles. It is best known for its near-perfect climate (making it a top tourist destination all year round), beautiful beaches (over 112 km of beaches line the San Diego coastline) and a fun destination for the entire family (with the Legoland and SeaWorld Theme Parks, the renowned San Diego Zoo, the gorgeous gardens, museums, art galleries and studios in the Balboa Park and the USS Midway – an aircraft carrier turned museum). San Diego is also known as the “Sweet Spot for Golf” with more than 93 golf courses in every imaginable setting from ocean to mountains to desert. To know more about San Diego please visit the San Diego Tourism Authority website.

The Rocky Mountain National Park was established in 1915 and is spread over 1,075 sq. km in northern Colorado just 122 km from the Denver Airport. The eastern and western slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the centre of the park. The park is blessed with breath-taking natural beauty that includes mountains, alpine lakes, wooded forests, alpine tundra, a diverse variety of wildlife and the headwaters of the Colorado river. The park is also known for the Trail Ridge Road and the Old Fall River Road which takes you on a drive along beautiful aspen trees and rivers. The Keyhole Route is a climb facing sheer rock faces leading to the Longs Peak – the park’s highest mountain peak. To know more about Rocky Mountain National Park and plan your trip to this gorgeous location, please visit Rocky Mountain National Park official website.

Whenever we go to a different country for our holidays, we should be aware and considerate of the basic customs, beliefs and practices of that country and the sensitivities of its citizens. Just like we don’t appreciate foreigners entering our places of worship without removing their footwear or dressing inappropriately, likewise we should be sensitive towards American beliefs when we plan to visit their country. Some basic dos and don’ts when visiting USA are as follows: