I know you said Americans... but if I may? - Rhode Island, Mass and Maine: I really like Maine, some really nice coastal towns, colonial housing, extraordinarily remote hamlets in northern and central Maine. RI is nice too, Newport if you like sailing and incredible mansions etc. I love the Cape too in MA - Utah: Moab and surrounding area is outrageously nice. A little hippy dippy in the town, and then hardcore mid-west just outside. Arches national park is one of the best outside California IMO - N/S Carolina: Charleston is well worth a visit, and it you vaguely give a crap about wildlife (birds, sea mammals) then the coast from Charleston northwards is mind blowing. Take a Kayak! Or Ashville is a nice place to start and explore the Appalachians going into Tennessee - Georgia: I've only been to Savanah, but worth a trip in itself and I hear Atlanta is pretty interesting - Wyoming: Gran Tetons, beautiful. Plus Wyoming is still the wild west, and just mind blowingly beautiful - Seattle and Olympia National Park: Seattle is a nice town and the park (looks tiny on the map, but it's about the size of Wales) is really interesting. Surrounding towns are pretty and quiet