hey peeps,
There are some places in the world that just deserve a visit, the US has a few classic must see.... so if you ever get the opportunity, make the trip :)
Chicago – the last Great American City
Chicago is a city out to impress, from its towering skyscrapers to its ambitious Millennium Park. Street names are no more content to remain anonymous, with the world-famous shopping promenade of N Michigan Avenue re-titled the Magnificent Mile. Joining the urban highlights are a number of sandy beaches on the shores of the vast Lake Michigan. The best place to enjoy a scenic view of both lake and skyline is outside the excellent Adler Planetarium; or you might want to opt for local colour inland, in the hipster areas of Wicker Park and Bucktown. Chicago citizens are proud of what’s on offer in their city, and aren’t quiet about showing it, so make like a native and join the crowd at a baseball game (local teams are the White Sox and the Cubs), a local bar (this is a great drinking town) or one of the myriad theatres and comedy clubs.
Las Vegas – escapist entertainment and then some
The gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas is a town with a chequered history, rescued from ruin in the 1930s by Mob money, and again more recently by the founding of the Steve Wynn hotel empire. Wynn and his imitators returned the city to its former role as the American epicentre of excess and decadence. The city as a whole provides escapism enough, but you can also choose to travel back in time at the Arthurian-themed Excalibur Hotel, or witness Vegas’s attempt at European sophistication at Paris Las Vegas or the Venetian. Or suspend your disbelief at the still-extraordinary Cirque de Soleil. Save money by booking midweek rather than weekends, and by staying a little distance from the Strip. But beware: the further you travel from the centre, the closer you come to encountering the reality of full-time gamblers holding on to faded Vegas dreams.
Big Bend National Park – north of the border, just
The Big Bend is named for the vast stretch of the Rio Grande river that forms the border between south-west Texas and Mexico, 244 square miles of which is contained within the national park – which remains one of the least-visited in the US. Big Bend covers over 1,000 miles of public land, and includes vast desert expanses and the entire Chisos mountain range. Hiking, driving and riding are all catered for, and a canoe or raft is the ideal transport down the Santa Elena Canyon. Wander around the eerie ruins of the once-thriving mining community in the Terelingua ‘ghost town’, or visit the specially constructed viewing area and try to see the mysterious Marfa Lights.
The Big Bend is named for the vast stretch of the Rio Grande river that forms the border between south-west Texas and Mexico, 244 square miles of which is contained within the national park – which remains one of the least-visited in the US. Big Bend covers over 1,000 miles of public land, and includes vast desert expanses and the entire Chisos mountain range. Hiking, driving and riding are all catered for, and a canoe or raft is the ideal transport down the Santa Elena Canyon. Wander around the eerie ruins of the once-thriving mining community in the Terelingua ‘ghost town’, or visit the specially constructed viewing area and try to see the mysterious Marfa Lights.
Yellowstone National Park – the real wild west
From the endangered lynx to the rare grey wolf, Yogi Bear-style grizzlies and herds of free-ranging bisons, Yellowstone Park has it all, holding on to its status as the largest intact ecosystem in the northern hemisphere. There are lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges, as well as an impressive half of the world’s geysers, the most popular of which is affectionately named Old Faithful. It was established in 1872 as the USA’s first national park, and it gets Wyoming’s top billing, with more than 30,000 people a day making the pilgrimage in summer. In winter, visitors can make use of snowmobiles and coaches. Rangers are on hand to co-ordinate camping, hiking and riding expeditions.
From the endangered lynx to the rare grey wolf, Yogi Bear-style grizzlies and herds of free-ranging bisons, Yellowstone Park has it all, holding on to its status as the largest intact ecosystem in the northern hemisphere. There are lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges, as well as an impressive half of the world’s geysers, the most popular of which is affectionately named Old Faithful. It was established in 1872 as the USA’s first national park, and it gets Wyoming’s top billing, with more than 30,000 people a day making the pilgrimage in summer. In winter, visitors can make use of snowmobiles and coaches. Rangers are on hand to co-ordinate camping, hiking and riding expeditions.
Boston – tea party town
‘The Athens of America’ is relatively small in size, but a heavyweight in history and culture. Follow the self-guided tour – the Freedom Trail – and find yourself on top of Bunker Hill Monument, the site of the first major conflict of the American Revolution, and provider of a perfect view of the city’s quaint, leafy streets. It’s worth struggling through the crowds at the 250-year-old Faneuil Hall marketplace to sample the famous New England oysters at one of America’s oldest restaurants, Union Oyster House. Followed, naturally, by a Sam Adams beer – the brewery named after the famous Abolitionist is just around the corner. The Museum of Fine Art is packed with masterpieces, but the smaller Isabella Stewart Museum is imbued with the spirit of John Singer Sargeant and Henry James. Literary types abound in the beautiful Harvard campus in nearby Cambridge. And if you can get tickets, visit Fenway Park for the ultimate patriotic experience: a Red Sox baseball game
‘The Athens of America’ is relatively small in size, but a heavyweight in history and culture. Follow the self-guided tour – the Freedom Trail – and find yourself on top of Bunker Hill Monument, the site of the first major conflict of the American Revolution, and provider of a perfect view of the city’s quaint, leafy streets. It’s worth struggling through the crowds at the 250-year-old Faneuil Hall marketplace to sample the famous New England oysters at one of America’s oldest restaurants, Union Oyster House. Followed, naturally, by a Sam Adams beer – the brewery named after the famous Abolitionist is just around the corner. The Museum of Fine Art is packed with masterpieces, but the smaller Isabella Stewart Museum is imbued with the spirit of John Singer Sargeant and Henry James. Literary types abound in the beautiful Harvard campus in nearby Cambridge. And if you can get tickets, visit Fenway Park for the ultimate patriotic experience: a Red Sox baseball game
Until da next Tyme !
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