It's summertime, the living is easy and touring is fun throughout the USA. The wide, sandy beaches are beckoning, there's a huge selection of seasonal festivals to choose from in small towns, rural areas and cities, and when - and if - you want a reprieve from the hot sun, soft sand and tempting sea the museums have a seductive selection of special shows on offer. Here are just a few of the options to choose from during the summer and early autumn.

TRAVEL MICHIGAN

Let unspoiled nature revive your spirit in Pure Michigan, where 3,200 miles of fresh water coastline beckon you to come out and play.
www.michigan.org

AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA

Amelia Island, Florida - Majestic beaches. Historic downtown. Superior accommodations and natural attractions. 30 minutes from Jacksonville International Airport. Come make memories.
www.AmeliaIsland.com

AMTRAK

See the USA up close via Amtrak. Visit Amtrak’s tour operator locator online

MALL OF AMERICA

Experience 10 new stores at Mall of America including Armani AIX, Michael Kors and other top retailers. Enjoy nonstop London Heathrow-MSP International Airport service and tax-free shopping on clothing and shoes!
www.mallofamerica.com

THE ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

See a side of Alaska you can see in no other way. Where the road ends, the Alaska Marine Highway begins – 3,500 nautical miles of mountains, glaciers, gold rush towns, Native Alaskan villages and wildlife.
www.ferryalaska.com

WESTFIELD SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE

San Francisco’s largest shopping destination featuring Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, over 200 shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and the city's largest day spa, Burke Williams.
Click for special privileges!

VISIT CHICAGO'S NORTH SHORE

Bordering Chicago along Lake Michigan, Chicago's North Shore region offers boutique hotels, lovely amenities and direct train service to Chicago.
visitchicagonorthshore.com

OK ROAD TRIPPIN’ ON ROUTE 66

Nothing has been more celebrated in America than the road trip. The most drivable miles of the world-famous highway (in Oklahoma) offer plenty of options for quirky roadside attractions, eclectic towns and delicious diner food.
www.travelok.com
www.oklahomaroute66.com

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE

Through life-enriching adventures and inspirational, authentic experiences, Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado delivers lasting memories unlike any other vacation destination.
Gunnison-Crested Butte

THE 9/11 MEMORIAL OPENS IN SEPTEMBER

New York City's National 9/11 Memorial, due to be dedicated on September 11 in a ceremony for family members of the 9/11 victims, will open to the public the next day. Set in the original footprints of the Twin Towers, it will consist of two massive pools fed by 30ft waterfalls and panels listing the names of the 2,282 men, women and children killed in the terrorist attack. The Memorial will be free to visit, but operated on a timed-ticketing system to control numbers as the surrounding World Trade Center site will be subject to ongoing construction. The 9/11 Museum is scheduled to open a year later, in September 2012.
www.911memorial.org

GERTRUDE STEIN'S TREASURES IN SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art is hosting a sensational collection of early 20th-century paintings assembled by famous Paris-based writer and supporter of the arts Gertrude Stein (pictured here in a portrait by Picasso) and her family. Among them are works by Picasso, Matisse, Cezanne and Toulouse-Lautrec. Complementing this exhibition, and also running through September 6, is the Jewish Museum's tribute to the remarkable Ms Stein's pivotal role in the arts. If you miss these exhibitions, you can view more than 100 Picasso masterpieces at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park through October 9.
www.deyoungmuseum.org

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADY LIBERTY!

The Statue of Liberty will celebrate its 125th anniversary October 28 after which access to its pedestal and crown will be restricted to allow for internal upgrades although visitation to New York City's Liberty Island and nearby Ellis Island will not be interrupted. The National Park Services reports that only 15% of current visitors to the Statue of Liberty actually go inside the monument.
www.nps.gov/statueofliberty

OLD FAITHFUL'S NEW VISITOR CENTER

Wyoming's Old Faithful, the world's most famous geyser, has a brand new Visitors Education Center. Now celebrating its first full tourist season, its dynamic exhibits help visitors understand the world's largest array of geysers, hot spring and other thermal features, all found in surrounding Yellowstone National Park.
www.nps.gov/yell

ORLANDO BREAKS VISTOR RECORDS

Despite the challenging economic times, Orlando – the theme park capital of the world – has announced that it is both the most visited destination in the USA and the first to welcome more than 50 million visitors. Domestic visitors numbered 47.78 million in 2010 – a 10.3% increase over the previous year – and international visitors 3.675 million (many of them Brits), a 12.6% increase.
www.VisitOrlando.com

BA OPENS UP PUERTO RICO TO THE UK

The beautiful American commonwealth island of Puerto Rico is expected to become the new 'in' Caribbean destination for the Brits thanks to British Airways' new twice-weekly direct flights from Gatwick to the island's capital, San Juan. Fares start at £732. 30 return, including taxes, fees and other charges. Not only does the picturesque 500-year-old capital of San Juan boast two Spanish-era forts (see the photo above) but the island also has pristine beaches, three bio-luminescent bays, great surfing, good roads and a variety of elegant resorts.
www.seepuertorico.com, www.ba.com

THE BIG APPLE'S NEW SHOW BIZ TOURS

Two new itineraries are focusing on New York City's rich entertainment heritage. Led by actors and actresses, On Location Tours' Saturday morning itinerary covers more than 40 Brooklyn locations made famous by such popular TV shows and films as The French Connection, Moonstruck and Sex and the City and Celebrity Planet's walking tour focuses on such legendary venues as Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall and the Birdland Jazz Club, as well as other sites associated with the likes of Bob Dylan, Billy Joel. Neil Diamond, John Lennon and Frank Sinatra. For full information visit www.thecelebrityplanet.com, following the links to New York, Walks and The Music Tour of New York, and www.screentours.com/tour.php/brooklyn

PIRATES INVADE NORTH CAROLINA

Coastal Beaufort, North Carolina's Maritime Museum is cashing in on the popularity of the new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides film by staging a bold new display of artefacts from legendary pirate Blackbeard's sunken flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, which lies in a nearby inlet. Among the items on display are a sword that might have belonged to Blackbeard, a coin weight with Queen Anne’s image, a bell and a model of the ship. The coastal region is also host to a number of other pirate events, including an annual pirates festival (pictured above) held on Ocracoke island every October.
www.ncmaritimemuseums.com

Thinking about a trip to the American West in 2011? Click here to download your personal travel guide.

Thinking about a trip to the Great Lakes in 2011? Click here to download your personal travel guide.

MINNESOTA STAGES AMERICA'S LARGEST STATE FAIR

For a real taste of Americana visit the Minnesota State Fair, largest in the USA in terms of average daily attendance (1.8 million visitors during its August 25-September 5 run). Held at the state fairgrounds in the suburb of Falcon Heights, midway between the state' s capital city, St Paul, and its largest city, Minneapolis, it features agricultural shows, food stalls, thrill rides, talent contests, concerts featuring the likes of Reba McIntire and Marc Anthony, and the Prairie Home Companion comedy show hosted by Minnesota'a favourite son, Garrison Keillor.
www.mnstatefair.org

THE 'MIRACLE PLANE' MOVES DOWN SOUTH

If you want to pay tribute to the 'Miracle Plane ', ie the aircraft operating US Airways Flight 1549 when it made the astonishing safe landing in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, head for the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, the original destination for the flight and the hub for the airline. You can watch as the Airbus A320-214 is reassembled after a long trip from NYC to Charlotte by road and also view other historic aircraft.
www.carolinasaviation.org

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER ON TRACK FOR SEATTLE

The luxury Canadian rail operator Rocky Mountaineer, which offers scenic rail trips from Vancouver into the Canadian Rockies, will expand its service to Seattle, Washington, in summer 2012. The four departures that August will be scheduled to coincide with the arrival of cruise ships in Seattle. The trains will then run along the Pacific Coast to Vancouver, before linking up with the panoramic ride through the Rockies to Jasper or Banff. In 2013, the operator plans to offer up to 12 departures and by 2014 it hopes to run a regular service on the route.
www.rockymountaineer.com

BIKE AND BOAT TO MOUNT VERNON

Here's a novel way to visit first US President George Washington's handsome riverside plantation home in northern Virginia – bike there from charming colonial Alexandria, just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and take a narrated boat tour back. Available through October, the tour, including admission to the house and grounds, is available from Bike and Roll Alexandria.
www.bikethesites.com/tours

LA'S TRIBUTE TO JOHN LENNON

If headed to Los Angeles between now and September 4 make sure to drop by the Grammy Museum's tribute to John Lennon, Songwriter. In addition to rare video footage and an exclusive interview with his widow Yoko Ono, there are some of his original drawings and memorabilia ranging from early albums to a replica of his Sgt Pepper costume. Located in downtown's LA Live complex, the museum also has interactive exhibits dedicated to most genres of American music.
www.grammymuseum.org

FORT LAUDERDALE'S SPA SPECIALS

The popular Florida beach resort of Fort Lauderdale is celebrating its old age – it's 100 this year! – by helping its visitors look even younger. As part of its month-long September Lauderdale Spa Chic promotion, local hotel and independent spas are offering 50% discounts on everything from an exfoliating sea salt scrub to an oxygen blast facial.
www.sunny.org/spachic

DON'T MISS THE SPRING/SUMMER ISSUE OF ESSENTIALLY AMERICA

On sale by subscription or on selected news stands, this issue includes informative and entertaining features on Orlando – the theme park capital of the world, the appealing Great Lakes State of Michigan, Louisiana's rich music scene, California desert and seaside resorts and much more... plus free guides to the Rocky Mountains, New England and Shop America.
www.essentiallyamerica.com or 01778 392 026.