USA Archives

Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

6 great reasons to visit Philadelphia

Excellent reasons to visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, include Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center and Reading Terminal Market. The Museum of the American Revolution The Museum of the American Revolution is deadly earnest, but does well on the story-telling front. There are a series of “I…

Views from Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles.

Runyon Canyon, Los Angeles: People-watching, pseudo-wilderness and Hollywood views

Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles is where dusty trails, Hollywood Hills scenery and some of the city’s best people-watching collide just minutes from the streets below. First impressions on North Fuller Avenue The man coming down North Fuller Avenue looks like a lost Arctic explorer.…

The Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Five universities worth visiting for tourists

Many university campuses around the world have impressive buildings, but these five unis have something genuinely extraordinary about them. They’re tourist attractions in their own right. Oxford University, England The University of Oxford has pretty much the complete package, with gloriously scenic grounds, unusual buildings…

Visiting the Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville: Hours, ticket prices and visitor tips

The Kentucky Derby Museum is a cultural and sporting history museum located next to Churchill Downs Racetrack at 704 Central Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. This guide provides practical planning details including opening hours, ticket prices, transport and parking, accessibility, visit duration, practical tips and frequently…

Plan your visit to the Museum of Graffiti, Miami: Opening hours, ticket prices and visitor tips

The Museum of Graffiti is a dedicated art museum in Miami's Wynwood neighbourhood, focusing on the history and evolution of graffiti as an art form. Located at 276 NW 26th Street, the museum features indoor and outdoor exhibitions showcasing works by graffiti artists from around…

The Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida.

Flagler Museum, Palm Beach: Ticket prices, hours, parking & visitor guide (2026)

Henry Flagler's 1902 wedding gift to his third wife was a 75-room, 100,000-square-foot Beaux Arts palace that the New York Herald proclaimed grander than any dwelling in the world. Today, the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach offers visitors a rather extraordinary glimpse into Gilded Age…

Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke: Ticket prices, hours & visitor guide (2026)

Plan your visit to the Taubman Museum of Art with my guide to free admission, opening hours, and Randall Stout’s iconic architecture in Roanoke. The Taubman Museum of Art is notable for its angular, futuristic design that mimics the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Visitors can…

Mount Vernon and slavery: Confronting the uncomfortable legacy behind George Washington’s estate

Behind the grand mansion and formal gardens of Mount Vernon lies a quieter, more troubling story. Visiting the reconstructed slave quarters at Mount Vernon forces a reckoning with George Washington and slavery, and with choices that shaped the early United States. It looks like a…

The Hiram M Chittenden locks in Seattle, Washington.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle: Salmon, ships and the city’s overlooked soul

A short trip north of downtown reveals a side of Seattle that guidebooks often skim past. At the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, engineering, ecology and local identity quietly intersect. In the hotel lobby stands my very unofficial tour guide. “Howdy,” she says. “I’m going to…

Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint, Oregon: Visitor guide

When I first pulled into the parking area — officially named Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint but still called Chanticleer Point by locals — what immediately struck me was how every single person with a camera was pointing in the same direction. Nobody photographs…