What is the wrong way to visit your country? (Also, what to do instead.)

For the benefit of everyone visiting the US, PLEASE stop planning highway trips, like driving down highway 1, and then complaining we have a homogenous culture with only the same handful of stores everywhere!!! It's the highway, it's for just-passing-through, and isn't very culturally rich. Also, you cannot see all of several states, let alone a complete list of attractions in our country in a week, or even a month. Driving through a state is long, boring, and mostly a series of gas stations and Starbucks. You have to stop and explore to enjoy it.

I'm still salty about a documentary I watched where a German couple visited the US by entering through Canada and driving all the way down highway 1 past Seattle, Olympic National Park, Rainier, Portland, wine Country, Yosemite, etc, without stopping at those, and then drove into Death Valley in the summer which killed their engine and stranded them temporarily. They hated America. OF COURSE THEY DID! They drove past all the easy-peasy beautiful touristy things and right in to a place so hostile we call it Death Valley! No American would tell you to do any of that in that way!

If you want to visit the USA and have a fantastic time pick a region that most interests you and plan to spend several days on a few specific things. Keep in mind this still means renting a car and driving a lot unless you plan to stay and explore just one place.

For example, a week in the US might look like flying into and renting a room in Seattle. See the space needle, the public market, and the aquarium or zoo over a weekend. Then head out to Olympic national park to camp for a few days and hike. Then hit up Mt. Rainier for a another couple of days to camp and hike.

On the other side of the country you can see NYC for several days and see the statue of Liberty, the MOMA museum, and eat in Little Itally. Then head to the Poconos or Finger lakes and stay in a nice air bnb and enjoy a few day hikes. If you feel ambitious you could hit up Philadelphia for the Liberty Bell, or Gettysburg for the historic battlefield.

What are some examples of how not to visit your country, and what is the right way to plan for a trip to see your culture and landscape properly? Any major mistakes with itinerary that are common when tourists come? How would you best plan a trip to get the most from your country during a visit?