United States
Flags of the United States line both side of a road.
“The diversity of America is a strength of the country, and I don’t think that we use that. We don’t talk about our strengths. I mean, having so many diverse people in this country from all aspects of all over the world, and we don’t use that. I think we should talk about who we are – that melting pot that we’ve become.”
–Steve Stoute
The lyrics in the anthem America the Beautiful expresses it best–the United States of America really is beautiful.
O beautiful for spacious skies…For amber waves of grain…For purple mountain majesties…Above the fruited plain!…America! America!…God shed His grace on thee…And crown thy good with brotherhood…From sea to shining sea!
The United States really is a beautiful and wonderfully diverse country. When you travel to each of the 50 States and even within each State you will feel as if you’re traveling to another country.
The United States is a country built by immigrants and each corner of this country is influenced by a variety of cultural diasporas including former enslaved people from Africa and the West Indies. Even traces of Native American culture can be found despite earlier efforts to erase them from the narratives of American history.
The United States has not always been the land of the free but it has always been the home of the brave.
As Paul Tsongas said, “America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.”
Out of view, built into the hill above, rises Arcosanti, a prototype of arcology. Arcology, a concept coined by Soleri himself by combining “architecture” and “ecology,” is the idea that architecture can be in harmony with the landscape.
Vintage cars fill the gymnasium. They straddle bleacher seats and occupy the showers. They fill room after room of the main building. There are cars in the woods, cars under tents, and cars in garages undergoing restoration. More cars pack a vast storage building literally to the rafters. If you think car museums are all alike, then you haven't seen the LeMay Collections at Marymount.
I adore the prairies of America’s Great Plains and especially Nebraska’s version. I’ve crisscrossed this Wyoming-bordering state a few times and recently returned to focus on its two largest cities—Omaha and Lincoln—and a few traveler-worthy gems that lie between them. Omaha, Warren Buffet’s hometown, has been hosting the annual 10-day college baseball world series since the 1950s. The city, rich in research hospitals, is also a dining and merriment hotspot.
The popularity of this valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also its greatest drawback. If you visit during a busy part of the day, it may take two to three hours to drive the single-lane loop—especially if cars are stopping to view American black bears or other wildlife that have wandered near the roadside. Instead of an awe-inspiring commune with nature, you might end up feeling like you’re stuck in traffic.
Few events capture the vibrancy of Indigenous artistry and heritage, like the Annual Indian Market at S'edav Va'aki Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. As a professional photographer and seasoned travel writer, I'm always looking for authentic cultural experiences that tell a story—through people, places, and tradition.
Phyllis Wilson, a retired Army veteran of 37 years and President of the Military Women’s Memorial Foundation, joins us to talk about the Memorial and two important campaigns to preserve history and honor a group of female veterans.
The limestone buildings shimmer in the blazing Texas sun. A Franciscan friar emerges from the parish office behind the church. I briefly wonder whether he’s melting under his brown habit. I know I am, and I’m wearing shorts. Weather considerations aside, the sight conjures images of a once-bustling religious community. Brown-robed monks give religious instruction in Spanish and teach practical skills. Coahuiltecan Indians weave on the looms or hammer away in the smithy—an ordinary day at one of the San Antonio Missions in the 18th century.
New Orleans has been the backdrop of many dark chapters in American history, but perhaps none so shocking as the slave rebellion of 1811. We will explore the history of America's largest slave revolt with author Daniel Rasmussen who organized his research in his book, American Uprising: The Untold Story About America's Largest Slave Revolt.
Yolanda ‘Yollie’ Copeland is a woman with a mission. The retired sheriff’s deputy, who moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 2013, is committed to making sure that the city’s rich Black history isn’t erased. She does it by tooling around town in an advertising-covered, low-speed electric vehicle, wearing a bright yellow shirt, shoes, and hat, and sharing her love for the area and the people who shaped it.
JEconomy Hall is an important institution in New Orleans that speaks about hidden history of free black brotherhood. If author Fatima Shaik’s father had not rescued the records and books from early Economy Hall meetings that lay in a dumpster, we may not have known of the hidden history of free Black people in New Orleans.
It was about 10:30 pm, the darkness so inky you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The leafy boughs of late-spring trees blocked even the starlight. My friend whispered, "Do you want to see the blue ghosts? They live near the cemetery up the trail."
One of the best aspects of travel is stumbling on interesting stories. I discovered one highlighting Native American history during a photography tour of Antelope Canyon X with Taadidiin Tours. Antelope Canyon X is one of several slot canyons that inspire millions to visit the Navajo Nation near Page, Arizona, each year.
