Navigating cities within the United States

Cities are an important part of travel within the United States. They provide transportation hubs that allow us to get from one place to another and they connect us to resources and other people from different parts of the country and from other countries around the world. Even as we are driving through the United States, cities provide us with more options to choose from for overnight accommodations, entertainment, groceries, food, and shopping in general. 

With all of that in mind, how should we navigate through them? Don’t they just add more stress than is necessary to a vacation? Are they really worth our time and effort?

It could be said that most cities in the United States, if viewed from a basic perspective, are all the same. Each city has a downtown area, some unique food its known for, a park or two, museums, and some entertainment and shopping options both within the city and in its surrounding communities. The downtown portion of a city may be thriving or struggling based on the number of businesses and working opportunities available there at a certain point in time which then impacts tourism levels and the quality of life for its residents. 

If we continue to quickly shuffle through or even avoid these places because of a stereotype, we can miss out on changing this stereotype by not taking the time to actually explore or consider what makes a place special to those living there. From my own experience, in taking the time to find at least one thing, or more, to explore and appreciate beyond the stereotypes, I have left each city with a nice appreciation for what it can offer.

Depending on how you feel about being in a major city, you can structure your visit around these factors. For example, How do you feel about being downtown? Are you ok with locating and paying for a parking spot? Do you enjoy walking around in a busier area amongst crowds? Do you feel alright paying extra for dining options, simply because you are in a city? If driving, are you calm when traffic picks up or moves quickly around you?
Even for me, I wouldn’t say that I could answer all of these questions with a confident yes, but, I can say that I embrace what is usually required of me in order to explore a city. Cities definitely require a higher level of focus and awareness especially if it is a new environment for you. Don’t let fear keep you from exploring. It’s best to just use your own judgment as you are navigate what to see and where to go.

If you feel that you can’t handle some of these scenarios from the questions, you can still get a lot out of a city by avoiding the busier areas and exploring the surrounding communities. Suburbs, for example, can be great. You may not be in the mood to deal with the traffic or with finding a parking spot in order to walk around a popular nightlife district of a city. If this is an area you are hoping to explore, there may be affordable public transportation options that run from the suburbs to the downtown where parking is much less or free. You may also find that a shuttle runs back and forth from your suburb hotel to this area regularly for an additional fee that can help to satisfy your concerns. While they do require a car to get around, suburban cities can provide you with similar access to the unique shopping and food styles normally found within a city at a less hectic pace and usually with some better parking options to choose from. 

Take the time in your research to see which activities, unique landmarks, or foods the city is known for that also appeal to your interests. You may only be interested in a few things that you find in your research. They may not be on anyone else’s top 10 list of best attractions for that city. But, those few things that you know you are interested in can really give you an enjoyable sample of a city that is catered specifically to you. 

Remember, it doesn’t matter what someone else thinks is the best of a place, it matters what you find to be the best. Recommendations are simply recommendations until they match your interests, then they become a must-see destination. 

Now, let’s apply some of these ideas that I have been writing about to some actual city examples.
As I write the blogs, I will add links for various U.S. cities here:

Let’s get started planning! – Example of driving through Denver, Colorado
What is there to do in St. Louis, Missouri?
Two days in Nashville, Tennessee