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It’s an almost impossible task to respectfully describe the United States’ four regions in their entirety. They’re all so bountiful and beautiful. They’re all so chock-full of diversity. We don’t want to accidentally favor one over the other (we’ll leave that to you), or even fail in naming off every great thing about them. What’s important to remember though is that each region has its own unique flair and verve. They all have extraordinarily diverse cultures, dialects and landscapes that make up their life-blood. Even the weather packs a different punch everywhere you go.
Below we explore the Northeast with its nation-birthing prowess and world-famous cities, then the South with its home-style cooking and historic music scene. We dive into the Midwest, too‚ÄîAmerica’s Heartland. It’s full of Great Lakes, Great Plains and great people. Last but not least we find ourselves in the West. Don’t worry it’s still wild (just not the exact kind of wild you would’ve encountered in Billy the Kid’s days). Today, its wild is wonderfully preserved in massive canyons and red deserts, and in crashing waves and tall trees.
Now, bear in mind, in what follows we’ll very likely leave something iconic out (not on purpose, of course) but that only lends to the fact that these regions are too grandiose to fit on one page. So when you’re on your next locum tenens assignment in any one of these regions, it’s up to you to explore as much city and country as you can.
The Northeast:
The U.S. has managed to pack about 60 million people into this one corner of the country. That means you get all kinds of variety from culture to cuisine and it’s all at your beck and call. You can drive state to state in the blink of an eye and while you’re driving you’ll find some of the most amazing landscapes in the country‚Äîespecially during leaf-peeping time and cherry-blossom time.
Seriously, an itinerary in the Northeast reads more like a fantasy or action-adventure novel. It’s a place where you’ll find fiddleheads, oyster sloops, and whoopee pies next to Tiffany’s, old money, and Wall Street. It’s a place where leather jackets and skinny jeans meet belt buckles and cowboy boots. It’s a place where Michelin Star Chefs reign supreme yet fluffernutters are frequently touted as the greatest sandwich of all time…read more.
The South:
Learn to love the drawl, y’all, because while each U.S. region has a unique identity and personality the South offers a world of differences‚Äîand one of the most recognizable is their vocal inflection. No matter where you go in the South, everything is served up with gracious hospitality and sweet tea. Even the weather is hospitable.
Beaches run for hundreds of miles down the Atlantic coast and sailboats bob on the water from Galveston Bay in Texas to the Golden Isles of Georgia. Cities vary from genteel (think Savannah) to slick (think Raleigh), yet nothing is as fulfilling as taking a journey into the heart of the deep South to see its historically rich, culturally scenic splendors…read more.
The Midwest:
Ah, the Midwest. We find it at the intersection of those two disparate but quintessentially American Coasts: east and west. The divide between the two began in 1849, when hundreds of thousands of forty-niners, migrated to California and‚Äîlegend has it‚Äîthey were carrying lattes and surfboards. You could say they left their Burberry scarves for North Face gear; the Great White Way for Hollywood. Early settlers of the frontier didn’t fly at the time, but some of the states here have been erroneously dubbed fly-over” states. Yes, erroneous because we think America’s Heartland is full of great destinations. Gold Rushers who never made it past the Midwest‚Äîseems they found their own field of dreams right here‚Äîwill tell you it’s true…read more.
The West:
In the Great American West everything somehow seems grander and larger than life. Long before the first cowboy rode onto the silver screen, the world’s love affair with the American Frontier burned bright.
Come here to witness the spectacle that is the Grand Canyon; admire the giant saguaros (pronounced “”sah-wah-ro”) that dot the Sonoran Desert; or stand at the celebrated Four Corners‚Äîthe only point in the U.S. where the boundaries of four states touch (though if you read the news, the surveyors apparently missed the real mark by 2.5 miles). Hike the hoodoos of Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park or tread lightly at Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, America’s oldest settlement…read more.
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