Interestingly enough, one of the top US things to do is... to take a road trip across the country.
America is largely defined by its westward expansion. The communities and cultures that developed along the road to the Pacific is quite fascinating. Truck stops and dive bars are excellent places to check out the American underbelly.
Portland, Oregon for the beer and the weirdos.
And homeless. Belligerent homeless.
And Washington State is where you want to go to get herbal remedies from a normal store front. Oregon requires you to be carded.