About my US ‘bucket list’ for 2017

It was always my intention, when I got to America, to get a lot travelling under my belt. That was the plan at least but it’s a pretty big place out here and while I’ve managed a few trips and added three states to my ‘collection’, there’s still a lot more I need to see.

February is still early enough in the year to sit down and work out the logistics of crossing off a couple of my American ‘bucket list’ places.

Given the size of the US, and the ton of potential destinations, I’ve only scratched the surface so far. A couple of trips to San Francisco and down the Pacific coast of California; a night in Las Vegas; Niagara Falls; The Grand Canyon; New York City; Amish Country in Ohio and Pennsylvania; the old colonial city of Williamsburg; The Wisconsin lakes; and the stunning autumn – or fall – colours of the West Virginia countryside.

There have been more – Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, the shores of Lake Superior in Northern Michigan, and much of Arizona –  but these are the ones that jump to my mind. So, If I had to knock off one or two personal ‘must go’ places this year, what would be on my list?

At the top, as it has been for years, is Nashville, Tennessee. And I’m afraid if I ever get there, I’ll make a complete fool of myself – typical tourist, dressed like a cowboy or country musician, singing Streets of Laredo or Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee.

But I would love it. Visiting the Grand Ole Opry, Music Row, the clubs, pubs and honky-tonks and just soaking in the atmosphere of Music City, USA, would give me a huge kick. It all sounds uniquely American, off the wall, and almost an escape from reality. And if I could plan a visit to coincide with a Tennessee Titans home game, so much the better.

South Dakota doesn’t sound like the most glamorous US holiday destination – but it’s a place I’ve had my eye on for a while. Mount Rushmore, with the Presidents carved into the rock, would be worth seeing, but I’m more interested in a giant statue of the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. It’s been under construction since 1948 and will take many more years to finish.

Both memorials are in the Black Hills region, which also contains the city of Deadwood. Wild West fans will know it as the place where Calamity Jane lived and died, and where Wild Bill Hickock was shot dead by a poker rival called ‘Broken Nose’ Jack McCall. So, I’d be looking for a Bed and Breakfast in Deadwood to savour a touch of the old West.

There are so many cities to choose from here and, to be honest, I’d happily go to any of them. But I’d be particularly keen to visit certain ones. In no particular order, Boston, with all its colonial and revolutionary history; Philadelphia, again for historical reasons; New Orleans, just because it looks so damn cool; Washington DC, because there seems to be rather a lot going on there. Throw Seattle, San Diego, and Atlanta into the mix.

Closer to home, I haven’t got to three of the states that border Arizona – New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. There is a spot called Four Corners where they all converge and you can stretch out, put two feet and two hands on the ground, and be touching four different states.

It would be good to visit at least one of these states this year. Just across the Arizona border in Utah is a place called Zion National Park which looks incredibly beautiful. That would be the first choice.

Of course, if someone came to me and said they had booked tickets for an Alaskan cruise, a flight to Hawaii, or New England in the Fall, I’d be a happy chappie.

So, that’s the ‘bucket list’ for 2017. If I manage to achieve two, then 2017 will have been a good year.