Reading suggestions · United States

Otherwise, what’s the deal with the American West in February?... A gamble. Let’s just say it’s Russian roulette since we’re not arriving during peak weather season. That’s why we pushed our transportation and accommodation to hook up and give birth to a little camper van—so we can stay ultra-flexible against any weather whims. We’ll be roaming around in Kara the van with our only motto: "Follow the sun!"

There’s a region in the United States that stands apart—deeply American yet surprisingly familiar.

My wife is asking for San Francisco and stuff we haven’t seen yet... so I’ve decided to skip the big parks and head for some unlikely spots.

I was a little worried that this new visit to Uncle Sam’s country wouldn’t be as "wow" as the others, but we still discovered some extraordinary places. For those who don’t know us, we’re a couple in our seventies who speak very little English, but that didn’t stop us from fully enjoying our stay. For this 6th road trip across the USA, we spent 21 nights there and covered 4,160 km by car and nearly 160 km on foot in a loop starting from Phoenix.

And here we are at the end of September 2024. Another trip focused on arches—I never get tired of them. Every time I check one off my list, another gets added. Often it's a photo I've seen online or in the NABS (Natural Arches and Bridges Association) magazine, which I'm a member of. I also scour the WAD (World Arches Database) and make a list of arches I want to visit. Fewer and fewer "viewpoints" now—I've done all the most famous ones, and unless the sky is amazing, the photos start to look the same. Since my goal is still photography, in addition to hiking.

Has America changed? You could say that, yeah. For better or worse? Who knows. A heck of a road trip—nearly 8,000 kilometers, actually around 5,000 or 6,000 miles covered.

Hi there! It’s been nearly six years since I last posted here. But I’m back, at least for one post! I’m returning with a dream trip we took in April 2023: a stay at Walt Disney World in Florida.

And off we go again for what’s probably our last trip to the American West... After the disaster of September 2022, the diabetes flare-up, and the pulmonary embolism, we’re spending ten days in the overlooked spots and some unlikely places.

The Empire State Trail is a 900 km route specifically designed for biking, with 75% on dedicated bike paths. First, it follows the Erie Canal to Albany, then heads down the Hudson Valley all the way to the tip of Manhattan.

We spent 21 nights there and covered a 3,400 km loop by car and 160 km on foot (we’re still trying to hike as long as we’re in shape) starting from Denver in September 2024. Our goal with this road trip was to explore Colorado a bit more—we’d stayed there for 6 nights in 2019—and especially to see it during the arrival of autumn and the changing colors of the leaves in the mountains.

While borders were closed, I started imagining what an ideal itinerary might look like—one that strings together all the Southwest’s must-see spots in just two weeks, during the best time of year: September to October. When the U.S. announced in September 2021 that borders would reopen in the coming weeks, I regained hope and began scanning for flight tickets for a departure in September 2022.