THis is just for fun...but if a visitor to the USA could only go to one state which state would offer the most "American" experience (ie scenic panoramas,history,food,people) --side note: just what makes up the "american experience" anyway.

Just a curious fellow american

*New York City*
no skyline like it in the world.
has one of the richest histories in America.
has the most diverse population in the US if not the world.
going along with the population, you can get any kind of food from any kind of country in one city.
there are countless languages spoken in the city.
What is American about it is the fact that America was/is made up of people who came here to have a better life, and people are still coming here for the same reason..and they are coming to New York City.
It has skyscrapers, bridges, parks,rivers,tunnels, marinas,farther out of the city within the state are some of the best national Parks in the US-the Beaches, the Mountains,the Adirondacks, the Lakes, the Hudson Valley-New York has it all~

California... beautiful national parks, coastline and some wonderfuly diverse cities.

California for everything.

California. We got the people,the food, the sights, the history, the beach, the mountains, the desert--I love this state!

Alisa

Definitely New York City. Spectacular Architecture, Greatest Museums, Fabulous Shopping, Entertainment Mecca, Exquisite Multi-Cultured Restaurants & Very Sociable Natives.

Hard to disagree with either California or New York. Both represent some of the best of America. It is curious though that most of the NY cheering section refers to NYC. I would not say NYC alone is representative of the American Experience because so many of us do not live in perhaps the #1 large city in the world. But if you throw in the rest of the state of NY, that encompasses a lot of experience.

Dark horse pick?
Washington (melting pot, variety of landscapes, historical importance, and that intangible but pervasive lure of the West)

What is the American Experience? To oversimplify: 1/3 diversity; 1/3 independence; and 1/3 idealism.

Washington DC suburbia. The worst America.

Providence, RI- the best, Small, but great.

On Route 80 West the "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign used to read "America Starts Here". New York City, great as it is, is not representative of "America". Either is California. If I wanted someone to see the REAL America, a place which typifies the lifestyle 90% of Americans lead, I'd send them to Indianapolis, Indiana -- the heartland of America. Farming, high school sports, fewer pretentions, the Indy 500, people taking pride in their work and love of family.

Then when they got bored with that I'd take them to NY and Cali.

California, no doubt. New York is great, but it has a definite hard edge and is not that interesting outside of NYC. There are pockets of cool stuff in every state (but Indiana?! Come on, no one can be so deluded to think that Indiana is a hot tourist destination!!), but California is a state of incredible variety and endless possibilities. California is the land of reinvention, innovation and unapologetic fun. San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Big Bear & Mammoth, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo-- every area unique and wonderful in its own way. As one wag put it, "New York is just a neurotic impression of Europe, while California is a completely new invention."

Still, I would hope that a visitor would try to take in as much of the country as possible.

California, for every reason Sandra listed.

RX, sandra wasn't asking for a tourist destination, she was asking for the most "American" experience. There is, after all, more to the United States than NY and California.

Ok, I vote for Alaska

The birthplace of America...Philadelphia. Tons of historical sites to see (and only a 2 hour ride to NYC)

X and RX, Sandra was asking for the most American experience for a visitor, i.e. tourist.

I think one could have a totally American experience in any of the 50 states. All have regional food, history, examples of the American dream .... Scenic panoramas, though .... well maybe not all 50 states have that. I have to give it up to California.

I agree with the previous poster that any one of the states could provide a well rounded American experience, but I would suggest Pennsylvania for its combination of ethnic diversity, geographic complexity, and historical significance. Philadelphia exemplified the American ideal as "The Athens of America" in colonial times, and welcomed immigrants from many places and cultural backgrounds. The Amish farms, "Midwest style" central area, Appalachian mountain folks, and railroad towns like Altoona add quite a variety. (And don't forget that it's the chocolate manufacturing capital of the country.)
The American experience to me is that wonderful mix of different people and ideas overlaid with our economic and cultural commanalities. (oh, pardon moi for getting a bit pretentious, okay?)