i guess it depends how long you are going to be here, One of the things that would give you a sence of the history of america is a trip on the mississippi, from the north to the city of new orleans. The trip is on an old fashon paddlewheel river boat, and their are historic stops on the way. There are river boat gambling rooms, and shows, and you live on the boat as you travel down the river. You can look them up on a web site called mississippi riverboat cruises. just another idea.