East Coast USA

Northern New York State has some spectacular mountain scenery. The Catskills are a haven for hiking, fishing and canoeing with 300,000 acres of mountains, lakes and waterfalls. Further north, the Adirondacks are the USA’s largest park outside Alaska, offering adventures among mountains, forests, rivers, waterfalls and lakes including Lake George, known as Queen of the American Lakes, and Lake Placid with its proud winter sports heritage. The capital of New York State Albany has historic architecture in its beautiful Empire State Plaza, including the chateau-like New York State Capitol.

Neighbouring Pennsylvania is extraordinarily rich in historic heritage. Philadelphia is the birthplace of the USA with sites like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The surrounding Philadelphia Countryside contains iconic Revolutionary War site Valley Forge National Historic Park and the Brandywine Valley, known as America’s Garden Capital.

Gettysburg was the scene of the largest battlefield ever fought in North America during the Civil War, and the original 6,000-acre battlefield remains as a memorial, lined with countless monuments, plaques and original cannons. Lancaster County is home to the USA’s oldest and largest Amish community. Step back in time in a county of horses and buggies, windmills, traditional farming and hand-made goods. In western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is one of America’s most under-rated cities with over 400 bridges and fascinating museums like Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Andy Warhol Museum.

The highlight of New Jersey is Cape May, one of the best beach resorts on the East Coast with Victorian architecture, fine dining and unrivalled bird-watching. Meanwhile, the northerly Sussex County has beautiful mountains, forests and rivers in High Point State Park.