North America best destinations
 

I am planning on visiting North America in August and want to know which are the best tourist destinations in that area to visit? I like to travel light - what are your suggestions on what I should pack?I will be there for 2 weeks only

The US is a huge country with 3.7 sq. miles of area, some major 4,000 cities and over 31,000 towns and villages so trying to tell you which areas are "best" destinations is next to impossible especially since you only have 2 weeks. If you add in Canada (also part of North America) the land area will double and you'll add in another 1,000 towns and cities.

Many first time visitors go to one of the big cities like New york, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouve, etc. while others prefer more rural areas and still others prefer something in-between. Depending on time of year, there are warm areas, cold areas, temperate areas. The list is endless.

To help choose your spot it would help if you tell us more about what you and your travel companion (if any) like to do, what interests you, what time of year you'll be traveling, what type of budget you have, etc.

-How many in your party?
-Do you like cultural attractions -- architecture, museums, etc., or do you prefer outdoorsy, landscape attractions?
-How many miles can you comfortably walk in a day, or do you want a place with subways/buses/taxis for city transportation?
-Would you be agreeable to fly between destinations, or do you prefer they can be connected by rail or car?
-What is your chosen type of overnight accommodation?

You would need 2 motnhs at least if you were to visit the best destinations :D

Mexico is also part of North America.

Canada, USA, Mexico... are all "North America". There are literally thousands of places you could visit.

We can't help with what to pack unless we know where you are going and in what season (for the weather).

San Francisco
 

I loved San Francisco a lot!!

Might be helpful -- or not at all since we have no idea at all where the OP is flying in to/. New York, or Mexico City, or Toronto, or Los Angeles or Denver or Miami, or any of 100 other gateway cities.

Until he comes back and fills in some of the blanks not much we can help him with

(And southerncircle, If you ARE asking about theUSA, re-post on the United States Forum with a lot more meat on the bones)

Hi SC,
Whenever we travel abroad, we value value lesser-known gems and in that spirit, will offer up one of those Canadian 'best-kept secret destinations' that not every traveler is aware of---Lake O'Hara. Located in BC province's Yoho Park, just across from the well-known tourist haunt, Lk. Louise, Lake O'Hara features a perfect microcosm of all the best that the Rockies have to offer. The lake itself is a wonder and its setting is outstanding in the truest sense. But for added value, what most visitors do, is to take one of several hiking trails, the most popular being the hike up to Lake Oesa (Cree for 'ice'). Along the way, are picturesque tarns, lovely views and significant changes in ecosystem. In the recent past, the park wardens always seem to close down certain hiking trails because of the the possibility of running into mama grizzly bear and her cubs. I am told that nowadays, those closings occur with far less frequency.
Two things worth noting:
1) One absolutely cannot just show up, numbers have been strictly controlled for years now. In order to visit, it is mandatory to contact the park department as soon as possible in order to be allotted a spot on the old yellow schoolbus that transfers folks up to and from the lake. Competition to gain such a seat has become more fierce than ever and each year,a date is announced (typically it falls in the Spring, say April-ish) when the parks department will begin taking the phone calls that result in one's reservation. I am told that sell-outs are more common than ever, but the lure of that magnificent lake is such that, if ever I were again in that neck of the woods, I would absolutely positively show up anyway every morn at the bus pickup rendezvous point, to take advantage if a reserved visitor failed to show due to illness or for whichever reason---it is so worth it.
2) The very limited lodgings there can be very hard to come by. Back two decades ago, the historic lodge was typically sold out 2 years in advance, with preference apparently being given to previous guests. I understand that since our visit then, an additional mid-range lodging option has opened, I know nothing about it.
I am done. The end.

I see that southerncircle has a website and turns out to be a tour operator for South Africa...

Yes -- his only other post was about SA. I'm surprised a 'tour operator' would ask such a nebulous question.

They want our help in planning a trip for one of their customers.