the USA and Canada together are vast, and it does indeed take days to get from A to B (unless of course you fly)... but you don't have to see it all! Going to France doesn't mean you have to see Croatia; going to New York doesn't mean you have to make it to Utah. Why not restrict yourself to one area - New York/New England, say, going maybe as far as Washington and the adjacent area of Canada (Niagara, Toronto, Montreal). There's lots to see, the people are tremendously friendly (they aren't nearly as warlike as their government makes them seem), shopping is fabulous, and the countryside is lovely, especially if you're there in autumn.