Jack Reacher it....but take advantage of open carry and carry assault weapon.especially if you travel the south or mid-west. Good luck.

Go to Hawaii and live on the beach. [cracked.com]

The problem is, the places you want to go are expensive, and the places you don't want to go are inexpensive. I'm from Seattle Washington, and it was a beautiful city, not too expensive (unless you wanted to live there). It's also near Puget Sound, The Olympics, Mt. Rainier, Snoqualmie Falls, and the Pacific Coast.

If you like weird, you can go to Devil's Tower Wyoming, where Close Encounters was filmed. It's not too far from Black Hills, which has the mountain, but some of the neatest caves as well.

Yellowstone can still be pretty inexpensive, if you know where you're going. It's a fascinating tour. Cody, Wyoming sits on its East Gate, and the town has some old cowboy history... particularly around Buffalo Bill Cody.

Montana has Glacier National Park and the Flathead Lake.

Depends. What do you like to do? Nature? Historical sites? Like tourist traps?

If you have time, go on a cross country adventure on a shoestring budget. Venture from Boston to San Diego riding buses, sleeping in hostels or shelters, eating at Mom & Pop restaurants, etc. That's a great way to learn of the many different American cultures and dialects.

Go camping! There are many areas where dispersed camping is free, or you need to pay a nominal fee, like $5 a day. What are you hoping to see and experience while in the US?