North America isn't all densely packed like Europe. You can't just fly in and tool around and see awesome stuff. If you try to do that you'll probably end up bored out of your mind. Seriously, North America is HUGE and sparse, and although it has a lot of great stuff to offer, those things are pretty far apart. Not like Europe where you can hop on a train and see something amazing 2 hours later.

I'd plan to take flights between all major visits. Even relatively close tourist stops will be at least a day or two of driving in between.

If I were visiting the continent for the first time I'd probably be interested in New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco. There's some really cool stuff on the East coast like Quebec City and Montreal, but honestly they're about as "European" as Western cities get and what makes them cool to Westerners might make them dull to you. If you're interested in nature and seeing beautiful landscapes, check out Banff in Alberta, Canada. Unbelievable place.

Las Vegas is an overrated money sucking hole. I'm going there for the third time in a year next month due to a work conference, and I'm kinda wishing I didn't have to go.

 

cities for a short trip worth going to IMO: chicago (i'm biased, but it really is awesome in the summer), vegas, new orleans, sf. i personally didn't like la and didn't like nyc, but when i went to nyc was in my teens so prob more fun now. south beach is nice, but if beaches are what you want spain etc are way better. i think FL is skippable. austin,tx is nice too. never been to boston but i heard it's similar to chicago.

for natural stuff...when in nyc you can prob drive to niagara falls (correct me if i'm wrong, haven't done it before). from vegas you can drive to the grand canyon. definitely worth seeing but don't need to spend much time there. stargazing is great there. yosemite is by LA and yellowstone...maybe you can get there from seattle? those two, i'd say you could pick one and go camping there, if you like that kind of thing. but maybe stay in the big cities if you want to mostly party.

 

its a decent drive. It would take me a good 7-8 hours depending on traffic from queens. Add more if you didn't know exactly where your going and you get lost from NYC to niagra falls. Or its an hour plane ride from nyc to buffalo. then a short drive from buffalo to there.

 

Wow, so much to do in America...

If your on the West coast, a drive south from SF on coastal highway is something you'll never forget and if you like wine, a tour of CA wine country is not to be missed.

AND the redwood forests in northern CA are just, simply, breathtaking.

On the East Cost, Manhattan is one of the world's great cities and has an energy and excitement unmatched in the US. Boston is fantastic, full of great ethnic neighborhoods, it's very walkable and the subway ("The T") is cheap and goes everywhere.

Baseball is one of the great inventions of mankind and game at Fenway is great fun.

 

OOPS sorry NO fans. I highly recommend that place.

It only goes to show how there is so much to see in the USA that it cannot be covered in even in years.