...hi Valenciano...as others have said, it depends on your tastes and interests.

I would suggest a quick 'in and out' of NY to basically get a feel of what the city is all about...plus there are plenty of flights to NY and the fares shouldn't be too bad. It would help if you knew someone to show you around, it is after all a big city!!

Next stop...Olando...have a look at www.orlandoinfo.com There is Disney,Universal Studios, Epcot etc etc.

Maybe unwind on Florida Keys and back to europe from Miami

Have a great time.

...Valenciano...maybe i should add that the Kennedy Space Center isn't far from Orlando.
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

Damian,
Best advise so far is from posters that say do either the West Coast or the East Coast.

If East Coast - New York city and New England -
If West Coast - San Francisco and drive parts of Highway 1 - the Coastal route - go thru the redwoods north of SF and absolutely consider Yosemite -

San Francisco has a ton of culture - great restaurants, art galleries and museums and more ambience than any city in the US. It's less harried, smaller and less expensive than NYC.

Do understand your desire to stay in NYC - a couple of board members are very savvy NYCers - both in the travel biz I believe - see if you can locate (thru the search feature) either Arthur or Joe Sambucca and shoot them a personal email and see if they can give you suggestions and/or guidence on less expensive hotels, etc. in NYC and New England.

Damian, either you decide to go to the East or West coast, you can't go wrong. It's a win-win bet. I am absolutely in love with NYC (I've been 8 times there), but SF is an amazing city with lots of culture, beautiful buildings, and astonishing nature not very far from it. And so can be said about Chicago and New Orleans (at least, pre-Katrina).

The first time I went to the States (and alone and on my own), I spent two weeks in NYC and I wasn't disappointed at all. You can stay there for a week, give or take, and allow a couple of days to Washington DC and admire probably one of the most entertaning collection of museums in the World at The Mall (think about a mega-esplanade with World-class Art, History, and Air and Space museums). That gives you 4-5 days to fly to Niagara Falls or drive Northbound to reach them.

If you choose the West, in two weeks you can visit the Grand Canyon, one day in Las Vegas to say Hi! to Grissom, fly to SF and spend 5 days there, and drive either by the Coastal Route or to Yosemite, as Puna mentions.

The US dollar is at its historical minimum versus euro, this year is a good opportunity to go there.

New York City, Niagra Falls, Toronto (Canada), Washington D.C., and Boston.

We live in Philadelphia. (Wife's) nephew stayed with us about a week. I showed him the cheapest way to get to New York City and he spent much of his time there.

(Wife's) Sister in law and son stayed with us for about a week. They day tripped to NYC several times, day tripped to Washington, DC once and I drove them to Atlantic City (60 mi.) for another day trip. I would add Boston to that itinerary. I love Boston!

Keep in mind that this area can be unbearably hot anytime during July & August.

Important question, are u driving or taking the train?
Okay, I'm not saying this because I'm a biased New Yorker but I traveled extensively throughout the USA and you have to start in NYC for a few days. Then if you're driving you can drive down the coast, stop in the Delaware water gap and go white water rafting, North & South Carolina, DC, Williamsburg Virgina, maybe see Gettysburg and some of the civil war sites, Atlanta, then end in Orlando & Miami or even the Florida Keys.
If you're taking the train go to Niagara Falls (it is one of the seven wonders of the world) Boston and stop into Canada which is on the boarder of Niagra Falls, then trek it to Chicago.
San Fransisco is my second favorite city so you can even start in NY, fly cheap via jet blue to San Fransisco, then drive to the wine country.
It's a tough question but you're going to have a great time and it's amazing with some research how far you're money can go!!!
My advice...the beginnings of US History is on the east coast which means more sites, tons tons to explore...but you'll lose out on the grand Canyon
ciao

Hey Damian, I being born and raised in Los Angeles and listening to some kind of put down LA as being without culture, have got to speak up and recommend my hometown as your possible destination. San Francisco indeed is a jewel and it’s setting on the SF bay with the Golden Gate Bridge and the fog rolling across the city is a must see.
NY the big apple is incredible with it’s bldgs (Chrysler, Woolworth, Empire State, etc) and the restaurants and ambiance of Manhattan is one of my favorite vacation spots,

But my hometown, LA Calif although often dismissed as a cultural wasteland by regional chauvinists is a one of a kind place that you would need a lifetime to experience fully, (you can put 20 San Francisco’s in LA). Some LA ideas for you. .

Fly into LAX, take a shuttle to one of the downtown hotels. (Biltmore or Alexandria) you’ll have no language problem in LA; Spanish is spoken as often as English everywhere in LA. Take the subway or a shuttle bus to “Union Station” which is in itself a beautiful architectural gem. Walk across the street to “Olvera Street” where LA began as a small Spanish village, it is an open air market with great restaurants like “Luz del Dia”, Las Golondrinas”, and restored examples of the original Spanish/Mexican civic bldgs. After spending a couple of hours there walk a few blocks to “Chinatown” and enjoy the Asian ambiance and culture. Take a short shuttle bus ride (25 or 50 cents) to nearby “Little Tokyo” where you will not only see the historic Japanese Culture and history in LA but be able to experience the booming “art scene” that’s happening there. Walk a few blocks up 2nd street to “Broadway and there you’ll think your in a large Mexican City, Go into the “Grand Central Mkt “, there you’ll see numerous Mexican and Asian food and produce stalls hawking their wares. Walk through to Hill St. take the “Angels Flight Funicular up Bunker Hill to the Calif Plaza surrounded by skyscrapers (the tallest and highest west of the Mississippi River was designed by IM Pei world famous architect,) enjoy for a while the walk down the “stairway “ with it’s beautiful sculpture’s by “Robert Graham: go into the stunning LA Library and through into the Ahmanson Theatre (maybe enjoy a live play), walk up a couple of blocks to the Disney Music Hall designed by Frank Gerhry (similar to the Bilbao Museum) and take in a concert by the LA Philharmonic, now conducted by the young genius from Venezuela, “Gustavo Dudamel”.
Walk up Grand Ave to Temple St , you will be stunned at the site of the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, designed by the famous Spanish architect “Jose Rafael Moneo”, stunning Bronze doors depicting numerous Holy Virgin Mothers by sculptor “Robert Graham” fantastic tapestries by “John Nava” and beautiful fountains by the artist “Lita Albuquerque”. Visit the burial vaults under the chapel where the powerful wealthy and religious Catholic’s are entombed going back to the Spanish Colonial era and up to the present, (The actor Gregory Peck is there). Visit the LA Contemporary Art Museum just a few blocks away on Grand Ave (in the summer they have free jazz concerts outside.
For Museums and art I recommend “Los Angeles County Museum of Art” largest art museum west of Chicago, The incredible “Getty Center” free admission , on a hill overlooking Santa Monica Bay designed by the master architect “Richard Maier” you will not believe the landscaping, patios, and gardens! The “Getty Villa” nearby with it’s world renowned Greek and Roman sculpture and artworks, “The Huntington Library” in San Marino where the Guttenberg Bible, and Gainsborough’s “Blue Boy” and “Pinkie” can be seen, and the gardens and Japanese Teahouse is not to be believed, be sure and visit! The “Autry Museum” in Griffith Park contains Western Art from Remington to Georgia O’Keefe, Maynard Dixon, to Jackson Pollack. There are many other museums too numerous to mention in LA and you won’t have time to visit them all.
You of course must visit Hollywood, (easy subway ride from downtown), the famous “walk of fame” Grumman’s Chinese Theatre”, Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Hollyhock House”, and the many other tourist sites there including the great street scenes and music venues. While there visit the famous “Hollywood Bowl” and some night see a symphony or concert, and just a tip, for a lot of fun sit way up in the cheap seats where all the Russian and eastern European immigrants sit and will share a bottle of vodka with you.
Rent a car, (stay off the freeways during AM and PM rush hours) drive down to the LA Harbor area and go to Point Fermin Park on the cliffs high above one of the busiest shipping ports in the world, look out over the blue Pacific to Catalina Island (maybe a day trip there?) Drive down to Port’s of Call Village and select from hundreds of fresh seafood’s, have them cook it, get a beer, sit at one of the tables and enjoy the Mariachi music (usually 2 or 3 groups singing) your feet away from huge freighters coming up the channel, great fun
I could go on and on, but LA is one of the most international cities in the world with over 100 languages spoken in the various communities of LA. Enjoy!
Stay tuned I'll give you my recommendation for LA - Yosemite - LA

Mas y Mas Damian!

Rent a car that has unlimited mileage for a week, get up early in the AM and head up the freeway (they’ll give you directions!) Thru the San Fernando Valley into the great Mojave Desert which is spectacular in the morning, up through the desert on Hwy 395 into the Owens Valley where on one side of you there are the majestic “Sierra Nevada Mtns. Going straight up like a wall over 14,000 ft. to the east is the “White Mtns” to 14,000 ft. (in the White Mtns are the oldest living things on earth, the Bristle cone pines, over 4,000 yrs old). I would suggest taking a side trip off 395 into either “June Lake or Convict Lake” for lunch or to spend the night? You’ll think you’re in Switzerland surrounded by peaks going straight up. Continue on up 395 until you get to the small town of “Lee Vining” and take “Tioga Pass” up over 10,000 ft into Yosemite National Park. This drive is one of the world’s most spectacular scenic routes and you’ll want to stop along the way. When you enter Yosemite Valley proper you will witness a sight you’ll never forget! It will take your breath away and a description wouldn’t do it justice, you have to see this yourself. I would recommend that one afternoon you drive up to “Glacier Point” where they will give a “Ranger Talk” in the evening. This view in my humble opinion, at “Glacier Point” looking straight down thousands of feet into the valley, the scene of “El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Merced River, “ and in the alpenglow of the evening the spectacular site of dozens of snow covered “Sierra Nevada” peaks into the horizon is one of the world’s great scenes. Every human being should experience this scene of nature in all its grandeur at least once during his or her lifetime.

Damian you may not want to leave Yosemite but if you have time I would suggest you take the route from Yosemite to Monterey Bay on the Pacific, see Carmel, Big Sur, while heading back down to LA on world famous Hwy 1 (the coast route), another of natures incredible shows with the Blue Pacific below you and the Santa Lucia Mtns above you. Depending on time you may want to spend the night in San Simeon to visit the “Hearst Castle” (I highly recommend it!) or Cambria or Morro Bay, or Pismo Beach or Santa Barbara. All beautiful, and don’t forget to visit one of the dozens of wineries along the way, take your time if you have any left! On the way back to LA stay on the coast route through the famous Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica areas and you’ll be closer to LAX.
Well what you think?
Te Vaya Bien!

Torrales,
So what is your decision - where, how, - let us know - and most of all, enjoy yourself!!