Editor’s letter

NATGEOTRAVELUK

Whether US cities conjure up images of towering skyscrapers, sunkissed beaches, world-class museums, cutting-edge cuisine or just classic Americana, with well over 300 of them having a population in excess of 100,000, there’s practically one for every day of the year.

I’ve barely made a dent myself, having managed just 10 so far, and there’s easily another 30 or more I’d visit at the drop of a hat. Having experienced the eternal charm of the likes of New York City, San Francisco and Chicago, there’s plenty of established and up-andcoming cities still to tick off my list.

With big investment in recent decades, many have massively upgraded their infrastructure as well as their tourism offering, while maintaining their personality at the same time. And it’s the differences between them that keep visitors coming back for more.

From the rejuvenation of Miami to the urban wineries of Portland, the coffee hangouts of Seattle to the desserts of New Orleans, and from the legendary music of Memphis to the Dark Skies of Scottsdale, we’ve rounded up some of the most exciting US city breaks for 2023.