Whilst there are a few things that the USA could certainly improve, let’s not kid ourselves that there isn’t a lot to celebrate when it comes to America! To mark this year’s Independence Day, we pick our top five things to love about the USA:

1) The food

An American holiday should be about gluttony. It should include trips to IHOP for pancakes as big as your face for breakfast, barbecues by the pool which include lobster tail, big prawns, and huge sausages, ice cream for pudding every day as standard, trips to the local Mexican for fajitas which come on four separate plates per person, chicken wings loaded with buffalo sauce that look more like turkey wings, and of course enough naughty treats like cookies, tortilla chips, and marshmallows to get you through the day. Also, if you’re going to insist on eating a salad, it should be topped with a ranch dressing that has at least 200 calories per tablespoon.

2) The weather (in Florida and California!)

Yes, England can enjoy the occasional ‘heatwave’, but let’s not get carried away by this. In California and Florida the weather is so good (on the whole) that the majority of the population can walk around with a permanent sun tan and have pools in the back yard that they can actually use through the year! Heck, they can even have proper outdoor pool parties or barbecues without worrying if the weather is going to fail them! Sure, the occasional hurricane is not great but on the whole who doesn’t love the weather in the USA!

3) The sports

If you have been to the USA and haven’t been to watch some of their sport then you are in for a real treat! Baseball games are the same as a cricket match except a bit more happens and it is socially acceptable to sit in your seat and have beer, hot dogs and a ridiculous array of treats brought straight to you. American football is a game where half the fun is having a barbecue in the car park before watching the match and ice hockey often features fisticuffs between players right in front of the fans! When you bear in mind that the ticket prices tend to be fairly reasonable and the fact that most sports are really family friendly, it’s clear they’re offering a winning combination.

4) The fact that everything is just bigger!

When you step off the plane and head down to your hire car, it hits you. When you go and buy a soda (soft drink to you and me!), you realise it. If you order a meal out and decide that you fancy a starter you will not only know it but will also regret it! The simple fact is that everything really is just bigger in the USA. Sure, they do offer ‘small’ options but these are still huge by UK standards! In my own experience there just doesn’t seem to be any desire for the idea of small – just things like the biggest toilet in the world or the world’s biggest burger! For the USA, bigger is better.

5) Outlet malls

We have retail outlets in England, but they aren’t as much fun as the American ones! With international brands offering huge discounts on clothing, electrical items, cooking utensils, sports gear, and loads more, in an American outlet mall you can round off your day with a trip to the food hall, which often boasts US foodie goodies like pretzels, fudge, chocolate, and other sugary delights for just a few dollars. Our favourite outlet mall is near Tampa and is well worth the drive from where we stay by the beach.