‘I close my eyes and see Big Sur’
When we asked you about your favourite US trip, real or imagined, the results revealed a deep love for the country
It has been a long wait, but I now see an opportunity to fulfil the call of the wild. From elephants in Uganda, pilot whales in Norway, and red squirrels in Cumbria, my thoughts now turn to the United States. I long to roam Yellowstone with its bears and bison but it is the haunting howl of the wolf that really draws my heart and quickens its beat.
The expectation of hearing the eerie call of that magnificent beast floating across the mountains, lakes and canyons, awaiting a reply from a distant pack, thrills me. At last I will be able to rejoice in the natural world again.
Yes, the wait will soon be over. Until then, I hear there are often orcas off the Pembrokeshire coast. Magical!
Anne Dimmock, Bedfordshire
PITCH PERFECT
I don’t understand the rules of American Football but it is a wonderful spectacle. We support Jacksonville Jaguars, considered to be London’s “home team” when they come over from Florida, and have often seen them play at Wembley Stadium. Their mascot Jaxson de Ville, who zip-wires above the pitch before the game, is a highlight of any fixture.
What we would love is a travel package to next year’s Super Bowl LVI at the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, to be among devoted gridiron fans at the final. The tailgate parties are legendary, with their barbecued food, as are the cheerleaders firing T-shirt-laden cannons into the crowd during stoppages – and the celebrity half-time show.
Val Forrest, Buckinghamshire
AMAZING ARIZONA
Of the 48 contiguous states of the USA I visited while living there for three years, the one I loved was Arizona – and I intend to explore it further. Beyond the dramatic beauty of the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley lies country that is more mountainous than Switzerland, has more sunshine than Florida, more parks and national monuments than any other state, and the largest Indian population in the US, owning nearly 27 per cent of the land.
From its southern border, it is just 60 miles to the beaches of Mexico on the Gulf of California. However, it is the novelty of skiing there – in one of four resorts that offer 30 miles of slopes – that I’d most like to experience now. Malcolm Watson, Isle of Wight
GO WITH THE FLOW
The US trip I would most like to do is the Great River Road. You can start at the source of the Mississippi, in Itasca State Park, Minnesota, or at the mouth in New Orleans, Louisiana. Your visit will include 10 states and more than 70 museums and places of interest.
If travelling north from New Orleans, the route will follow the path of the Blues musicians who moved from the Delta to Chicago. A stop-off at Memphis will take in Beale Street, lined with music venues, and the National Civil Rights Museum.
From the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum at Little Falls, Minnesota, to the King Biscuit radio show in Helena, Arkansas, there is continuous interest. The journey will give you a sound appreciation of American history.
Don Baker, Buckinghamshire
ENCHANTED ISLE
I most want to go back to Catalina Island, a short ferry or helicopter ride from Los Angeles. It is an amazing ecosystem of natural wonders, a must-do for nature lovers and best explored via a tour in an open-top jeep. There is even a zip-wire ride through the canyons for more adventurous travellers.
There are many hotels and restaurants, plus camping, golf, hiking and biking along the Trans-Catalina Trail. And don’t miss the island’s art galleries, museums, the art deco casino, and shopping in Avalon and Two Harbors.
Beautiful beaches offer water activities such as fishing, diving, jet-ski rides, kayaking and paddleboarding – and you can get a bird’s-eye view while tethered to a parasail or, more sedately, take an island boat tour followed by a relaxing soak in the spa. Catalina Island offers adventures for everyone. It is fabulous. Margaret Riordan, Somerset
A STITCH IN TIME
I have long admired a sampler signed: “Eveline Freeman Wheeler, Aged 9, 1824, Morristown, Love, Peace.” While pitying a girl of such tender years toiling at her sampler, I am fascinated by it.
Eveline was born and got married in Vermont, which had only recently joined the Union. Then, as now, it was a mix of cultures, with French Canadians moving south looking for work.
Morristown is described today as one of the jewels of northern Vermont. Eveline would have been well loved, as these samplers were highly prized in a girls’ education, often executed at progressive boarding schools.
Oh, to trace the sampler back to its roots and to explore Eveline’s history, walking in her footsteps signing off my sampler “Love, Peace, 2021” as we tentatively but eagerly reach out to each other again. That would be my dream.