USA Archives - Page 5 of 15

Route 66 sign in West Hollywood, California.

West Hollywood – the gay capital of Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, the small independent city of West Hollywood has an unusual back story and a penchant for partying under the rainbow flag. Santa Monica Boulevard On Santa Monica Boulevard, a sign says: “Car wash to the stars”. It is underneath a billboard advertising,…

bars, California, Los Angeles, USA

The Balto Memorial in Central Park, New York City.

NYC scavenger hunt review: Turning Central Park into a game

Urban Adventure Quest’s Lower Central Park scavenger hunt adventure is both entertaining and educational. The story of the Maine Monument in Central Park Ordinarily, I’d probably not give the Maine Monument a second glance. It’s a shiny, gold, pompous thing on the entrance to New…

New York, New York City, parks, reviews, tours, USA

New York City’s slavery & underground railroad secrets

In Manhattan, a New York City slavery and underground railroad walking tour opens visitors’ eyes to a dark past. Key sites in New York City’s slavery history Alexander Hamilton US Custom House. The Well. 23 Wall Street (the JP Morgan Building). The African Burial Ground.…

history, New York, New York City, reviews, tours, USA

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in Las Vegas, Nevada.

How to visit the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign without using a taxi

If you’re visiting Las Vegas, getting a photo at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is a time-honoured tradition. Alas, getting there isn’t as easy as it seems—especially if you’re staying mid-Strip. The sign is located on Las Vegas Boulevard South, past Mandalay Bay,…

Las Vegas, Nevada, tours, USA

The Basilica of St Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City.

New York catacombs by candlelight tour: Stories from the cemetery

On a catacombs by candlelight tour in New York City’s Nolita neighbourhood, the stories in the cemetery prove more gripping than the catacombs. To skip the review and book your place on the New York catacombs by candlelight tour, head this way. A surprising tour…

New York, New York City, tours, USA

One of Portland's many, many food trucks.

Is Portland, Oregon, really full of hipsters?

Spend a few days in Portland, and you soon realise the craft brewing, coffee roasting and urban winemaking are about passion rather than a desire to be hip. Portland’s hipster reputation In the couple of decades, Portland has burst from basically not having a reputation…

beer, Oregon, Portland, USA, wine

Which five countries have you spent most time in?

Try to work out which five countries you’ve spent most time in. It may be trickier than you think… A surprisingly difficult question The other day, I was posed what I thought was an easy question: “Which five countries have you spent the most time…

Australia, New Zealand, Spain, UK, USA

Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

What’s so special about Dry Tortugas National Park?

The beaches and snorkelling in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, are gorgeous. But the enormous Fort Jefferson is astonishing. What’s so special about Dry Tortugas National Park, summarised. It’s the true end of the line in the Florida Keys. The beaches are dazzling white sand.…

Florida, Florida Keys, USA

A selection of Chicago's architecture from the Chicago River.

Ten reasons why Chicago is the best city in the US

David Whitley rates Chicago as his favourite city in the US – and here are ten reasons why. Over my twenty-plus year career as a travel journalist, I’ve visited dozens of US cities. Many of them more than once. I thoroughly enjoy most of them,…

Chicago, Illinois, USA

The road to the Sierra Nevada mountains in Death Valley National Park.

A visit to the hottest place on earth: Death Valley, California

You may expect Death Valley National Park in California to be hot – but it is also utterly spectacular. Las Vegas to Dante’s View Coming the back way from Las Vegas may have been a navigational error, but it works out for the best at…

California, Death Valley, driving, national parks, USA