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.”
New Orleans has an unparalleled tradition of comfort cuisine and infectious music. It’s also a big-time art town that overflows with culture. Arguably the Caribbean’s northernmost outpost, the homeland of funk and soul music has long been one of the world’s most celebrated cities. From the bustling French Quarter to pastoral Audubon Park, this storied destination provides every angle of having a good time. There are also a few really cool places to stay, too.
I adore car museums for the same reason I admire artifacts in archaeology museums. They teach us about history, style, and ways of life shaped by the parade of automobiles on display. They're an ode to America's love affair with automobiles, and few do it better than LeMay — America's Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
Oconee County, South Carolina, museums take you from the earliest human habitation at the Museum of the Cherokee to the most modern innovations in the world of energy, where Duke Power showcases the many ways energy is created from wind and solar to nuclear.
On today’s show World Footprints explores the plight of the endangered Panther, we chat with one of the rising IZOD Indycar stars Simona de Silvestro, and we also view Catholicism through the lens with Father Robert Barron. As a special bonus, we added some sound bytes and interviews from the DC Stop Modern Slavery walk to end human trafficking.
This show illuminates the intersection of the California winegrowing industry and environmental activism.
Agua Fria National Monument protects nearly 500 ancient Native American homes within four distinct settlements. Between about 1250 and 1450, the high desert landscape was divided by dozens of well-worn footpaths leading to neatly-built stone homes with tiny entrances that reflected the small stature of the Pueblo who lived here. Later, the Pueblo people abandoned them, leaving behind jars, pots, utensils, and household tools. Today, items like these are precious, studied by experts, treasured by local tribes, or housed behind glass in museums to inspire gawking middle schoolers on field trips. Sadly, however, most of these clues to ancient history have been lost due to natural factors as well as centuries of looting.
Explore Norfolk’s hidden role in the Underground Railroad, get essential travel safety tips for student travelers, and gain insights into autism with expert Dr. Stephen Shore.
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.
