Hiya, I am an Australian coming to the US for Christmas with family and I have a week by myself to travel in January. Can anyone recommend cities, places to go in early to mid January?

(I've already visited New York and Chicago in winter and Boston, Montreal, DC, New Orleans, Florida, San Fran in Summer)

Cheers!

Do you want warmth or cold?

Out west would be good for you. Las Vegas, Grand Canyon sort of thing.

Some of my favorite places that you have not already mentioned are:

Seattle
Lake Tahoe
San Diego
Scottsdale
Charleston
Portland, Oregon
Colorado
Santa Fe & Taos

For good weather consider San Diego. If you want the desert, think Las Vegas, Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon. For winter weather take your pick...
Lake Tahoe,
Big Sky, Montana
Taos, New Mexico
Vail, Aspen or Breckenridge, Colorado
Mammoth Mountain, Calif. All great choices.
For lots of wet rainy weather Seattle & Puget Sound.

thanks... I'm not really fussed about cold or hot. But maybe Cold and Snow could be good as we don't get much of that in Australia at christmas time.

I agree with some others. To me, one of the most beautiful parts of the US is the Colorado basin, which contains many of the spectacular national parks (Grand Canyon, Bryce, Arches). Its likely to be cold, and the Grand Canyon may be inaccessible, but a loop through Utah, Arizona and New Mexico would be spectacular (assuming OK weather).

As a fellow Aussie - I second Thit Cho's suggestion. You haven't been to Vegas! Start there, and weather permitting,do a trip to Bryce and Zion. You may have to clamber on icy paths, but it's fun. Or if the weather is too cold, head to Arizona, the National Parks around Flagstaff and the Saguaro National Park near Tucson.
To my Aussie mind, the enormous snow capped peaks are the great attraction in Western USA and the Canadian Rockies - we have no equivalent. Haven't seen them in winter, but I have in early spring, and they are a magnificent sight. Scenic overload in Utah!

If the weather is really bad,you can stay in Vegas, and do shorter day trips to Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Hoover Dam etc.

Thanks everyone. Vegas looks like a must and its sort of on the way home anyways.