USA Archives - Planet Whitley

Washington DC’s corridor of power – a Pennsylvania Avenue walking tour

On a walking tour down Pennsylvania Avenue, visitors can find out where the power in Washington DC really lies. Monica Beach “Welcome to Monica Beach,” says Tom Diemer. The drab, grey plaza outside the E Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse is somewhat lacking in palm…

politics, tours, USA, walks, Washington DC

Meeting the cider makers of Virginia

In Virginia, the art of cider-making is undergoing a renaissance. Making cider at the Albemarle Ciderworks For Chuck Skelton, craft cider is part of a logical progression. “The 1980s was the first time the US got known for wine. In the early-to-mid 90s, the craft…

drinks, USA, Virginia

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Virginia.

The best presidential homes in Virginia for visitors

The best presidential homes in Virginia for visitors are Mount Vernon and Monticello, but others – including the Berkeley Plantation on the James River – are worth a look. American history in Virginia No US state is quite as swathed in history as Virginia. It’s…

presidents, USA, Virginia

A bear in Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley.

Desperately searching for bears in Yellowstone National Park

After a week in Wyoming with no bear sightings, an expedition into the Lamar Valley is the final hope… Looking for bears in the Lamar Valley An air of misery overwhelms the car. We’ve driven to the end of the Lamar Valley – supposedly the…

bears, national parks, USA, wildlife, Wyoming

Moose in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Elk, moose, bears & bison on a Grand Teton National Park wildlife tour

Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park has spectacular scenery – but it’s also one of the best places in the United States for wildlife-spotting. Evidence of bears in Wyoming The bear-proof trash cans outside Wyoming’s Signal Mountain Lodge are a good idea of what lives in…

national parks, tours, USA, wildlife, Wyoming

Death Valley and Badwater Basin from Dante's View, California.

Why Dante’s View may be the best lookout in California

Dante’s View in Death Valley National Park offers a level of drama and starkness that nowhere else in California can match. Where is Dante’s View? Dante’s View is one of the highlights of Death Valley National Park in eastern California. This Death Valley lookout is…

California, Death Valley, Las Vegas, national parks, USA

Tasting rum in Key West, Florida: How the US home of rum went legal

After visiting the Rum Bar on Duval Street, it’s time to discover Key West’s first legal rum distillery in a former groghouse. Tasting rum at the Rum Bar on Duval Street The default setting in Key West is merrily drunk. It is the sort of…

drinks, Florida, Florida Keys, Key West, rum, USA

Area 15 Las Vegas: Ticket prices and best attractions

The best attractions at Area 15 Las Vegas are Omega Mart and the Lab – but the access pass system is confusing and the ticket prices are high. What is Area 15 in Las Vegas? Area 15 is one of the most welcome new additions…

Las Vegas, Nevada, reviews, USA

Visiting the Apollo Beach manatees at the Big Bend Power Station near Tampa

At the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach, Florida, manatees have a winter holiday home. The Big Bend power station at Apollo Beach, Florida The Big Bend power station at Apollo Beach near Tampa is, even by power station standards, stonkingly ugly. It’s an…

Florida, USA, wildlife

The Thomas Edison statue at the Winter Estates in Fort Myers, Florida.

Exploring Edison and Ford’s Florida Estates

The southern Florida homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford provide beautiful gardens, but also an insight into the characters of the great inventors. Photos of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford It’s the photos that do it. The black and white shots of the ‘vagabonds’…

Florida, Fort Myers, museums, USA