USA Archives

Love at first sight: Is Chicago the best city in the US?

This article was written in 2010, after I’d arrived in Chicago for the first time. I’ve republished it not as a guide, but as a reminder of the instant joy and enthusiasm felt for the city. The train from Chicago O’Hare Before I’d even ventured…

The seedy history of Portland on a Shanghai Tunnels tour

Explore the seedy history of Portland, Oregon. Uncover tales of crime and corruption on a walking tour of the city's past, including the truth about the infamous Shanghai Tunnels. To choose from a range of Portland walking tours, investigate the options here. Erickson’s Nine Bar…

One of many witches in Salem, Massachusetts.

Salem, Massachusetts: From witch trials to Halloween central

Explore Salem, Massachusetts, site of the 1692 witch trials. See how the city embraced its past to become a Halloween destination for visitors today. Cry Innocent in Salem, Massachusetts On the stand, Bridget Bishop is doing herself no favours. She’s failing to hide her contempt…

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Seattle, Washington.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park: Seattle’s best free attraction

A review of Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. How Seattle made its fortune To the uninitiated, Seattle was founded on some terrifying combination of Starbucks, Microsoft, Boeing and Kurt Cobain T-shirts. Well, this isn’t entirely untrue, but there’s a surprise…

The birthplace of the oil industry in Pennsylvania

In north-east Pennsylvania, discover the origins of a multi-billion dollar industry that fuels the world. The smell of Bradford, Pennsylvania The sudden stench makes me start fretting. It’s not a natural smell – it’s a “there’s something wrong with the car” smell. Has something started…

A Route 66 gift shop in Williams, Arizona.

Las Vegas to Williams, AZ: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best road trip stops on the Las Vegas to Williams drive are Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and Kingman. Planning a visit to Williams, Arizona Williams, Arizona, is one of the more appealing stops on Route 66. It has something of an Old West feel,…

Selecting a bat at the Wood Bat Factory batting cages in Cooperstown, New York.

How much does a baseball hurt when it hits you?

In Cooperstown, New York, a quest to get into baseball ends up being beaten up in the Wood Bat Factory’s batting cage. Getting hit by a baseball Yeeeeeouch. It seems that baseball isn’t quite for complete wusses after all. The fastball crunches into my finger…

Tribune Tower, Chicago – The Building That Stole The World

In the walls of Chicago’s Tribune Tower, you can see chunks of the Alamo, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Parthenon. The opening of the Tribune Tower It’s fair to say that no newspaper these days would dare to open offices…

Chicago from down low: Kayaking the Chicago River

A kayak tour on the Chicago River brings a closeness to the water – and views of some of the most spectacular architecture on earth. Kayaking around Goose Island It’s not the Chicago I was expecting. The only company when kayaking along the Chicago River…

The invention of baseball – and the Abner Doubleday myth

Desperately trying to get some kind of understanding of baseball, David Whitley heads to Boston’s Fenway Park and Cooperstown, where the game was supposedly invented. Hunched over the bar, faintly jet-lagged, the statistics blizzard fired past. I had, I quickly realised, no idea what any…