USA

Other traveller reviews on USA

2010-02-08T14:49:00Z

Read USA travel reviews by other travellers from our friends at bugbitten.

Empire State Building

2009-11-13T15:42:03Z

The Empire State Building in New York is open until 2am every night.

To avoid the huge queues during the day, go after dinner when most tourists have gone home.

We visited at 10pm and were able to walk straight through without waiting.

The views of the city by night are spectacular!

Fantasy Fest

2009-09-25T16:16:00Z

What: Fantasy Fest

Where: Key West, Florida, US

When: October 23-November 1

If you like dressing up (or dressing down) in outrageous costumes, this outrageous carnival is for you. As well as numerous parties and balls there’s a huge street party and a massive parade.

See fantasyfest.net

Halloween

2009-09-25T16:02:00Z

What: A massive parade through the streets of New York that anyone in costume is welcome to join.

Where: New York City, up Sixth Avenue.

When: October 31.

Why: The ancient Celts used to think that around October 31, as winter approached, the dead might pose problems for them, so they donned a mask and slaughtered cattle. This later grew into the Christian celebration of All Hallows’ Day (aka All Saints’ Day)

Do it because: It’s not often everyday punters get the chance to march in a parade watched by millions. Halloween is a great time to be in the US – it’s a huge celebration there.

How much: Free.

See halloween-nyc.com

Roadkill Cook-off

2009-09-18T16:43:00Z

What: Roadkill Cook-off

Where: Marlinton, West Virginia

When: September 26

Anything goes as long as what you cook is commonly found dead on the side of the road: groundhog, possum, deer, rabbit, squirrel, snake. A bizarre hicksville – oops, we mean fun – food festival.

See pccocwv.com/festival.htm

Colourful San Francisco

2009-08-21T14:01:00Z

Many visitors pass by the murals in the Coit Tower observation point.

Like the epic bridges straddling the Bay outside, they were federally funded to create jobs in the Great Depression of the ’30s.

But it’s in the trendy Mission District that today’s mural scene thrives.

In this majority Latino neighbourhood two particular streets, Balmy Alley and lesser known Clarion Alley, are densely packed alfresco galleries; an eclectic ensemble of colours and styles reflecting the city’s diverse population and politics.

A pink section of Clarion wall celebrates strong female figures such as Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi, while others blend tattoo-style skulls with the omnipresent hippy era peace sign. Some are sinister, others comical.

The bold tones jump out from under the endless telephone wires draping languidly above SF’s quake-prone streets.

Art Politic

In Balmy Alley, Joel Bergner’s Un Pasado Que Aún Vive (A Past That Still Lives) is an intense mix of yellow, orange and red.

A woman clutches a baby – her husband has gone to the US to find work – while armed men lurk: “It’s set in modern-day El Salvador, while showing the memories of the bloody civil war of 1980-92,” explains Bergner.

“Balmy Alley was initially created in the 1980s as an outdoor gallery of murals that dealt with the civil wars that were raging across Central America at the time. Many residents of the Mission arrived during the ’80s as refugees from these conflicts."

‘Materialistic displacement’ is the subject of the mural on the corner wall of Philz Coffee, noted by local caffeine-lovers.

Phil himself says he likes having it on his 24th Street store: “I’m happy it’s there: it’s a part of the San Francisco – and Mission District – culture.”

Murals like this, he says, reflect the attitudes of the people that live there.

This being SF, many images are political.

War, Aids, land rights and even the disappearance of indigenous culture under the Conquistadores are covered.

It’s easy to forget that Indians, Spain and Mexico had called California home before it was finally ceded to the US in 1848.

Indeed, this district gets its name from the historic Spanish mission Dolores Church on 16th Street.

But murals also deal with the everyday, and promote positivity. At the Women’s Building on 18th Street, the exterior walls are brought to life by the massive Maestrapeace.

A celebration of womanhood, it’s the work of a team of muralistas (female mural artists) from different generations.

One of the faces to be found in the artwork is Rigoberta Menchu, a Nobel Prize winner and champion of indigenous people’s rights.

Community Mission

Back on a 24th Street corner, Leyenda Azteca addresses the universal and timeless theme of thwarted love.

According to various legends, this Aztec version of Romeo And Juliet died tragically before they could wed.

The Gods were so moved by this that they turned the pair into the mountains shown in the mural.

Responsible for this mural, and many others, is community-based arts organisation Precita Eyes.

From its building near Balmy Alley, it tries to make “community collaborative art” accessible, involving local people in its projects.

The city still suffers from gang culture, so – with activities such as summer camps for kids – Precita Eyes emphasises values such as co-operation and creativity while nurturing local talent.

Artist Patricia Rose co-ordinates tours of 16th and 24th Streets for Precita Eyes.

“For all of us in Mission District, murals are our tradition,” she says. “When there is something that’s important to us, something we want you to know about, we paint a mural about it.

“There are hundreds of murals in the Mission District, and everyone paints them – children, teens, adults. Some are done by people who never painted a mural before.”

A few hours in her company brings out the stories behind the pictures and is an education in social history.

“Looking at our murals, you get a very full, rich picture of who we are as a community, and what are the things that are most important to us,” she points out.

The murals are in a constant state of flux, and as the colours fade they are often painted over.

But Patricia happily confirms rebirth is part of the cycle: “Murals are lost or destroyed, but many, many new ones are created. The mural scene in the Mission District is more vibrant and vital than ever.”

» Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center, 2981 24th Street, at Harrison (415-285-2287). Tours Saturday and Sunday, 11am and 1.30pm. Adults $10-12, students with ID $8

SAN FRANCISCO'S TOP FIVE

■ Alcatraz
The Rock (nps.gov/alcatraz), where Al Capone was incarcerated for tax evasion when they couldn’t get him for racketeering. Boats leave from
Pier 39 (blueandgoldfleet.com).

■ The Golden Gate Bridge
Grab a bike from Fisherman’s Wharf and cycle to, and over, this wonderful 1280m-long bridge (baycitybike.com).

■ Hang out in North Beach
When writer Jack Kerouac and his gang hit town in the ’50s, it was the place to be. Pop along to the Beat Museum (kerouac.com), or you might just see septuagenarian Beatnik Lawrence Ferlinghetti in legendary bookstore City Lights (citylights.com).

■ Take a cable car
Hanging on the outside of a cable car, slowly ascend those famously vertiginous streets, the setting for Steve McQueen’s classic car chase in 1968 thriller Bullitt. Then return by tram on the historic F-line.

■ Hippies in Haight ashbury
This was once the place to turn on, tune in and drop out. You might still catch a drum circle in the park or see a free performance at Ameoba’s record store (amoeba.com).

California Highlights

Yosemite

This stupendous national park is the perfect antidote to the busy city. Bug Bus runs regular backpacker tours from SF, incorporating hikes (yosemitebugbus.com).

wine country

California is a player in the New World wine league with its Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Good value tours can be booked through hostels and websites like allsanfranciscotours.com.

LA and the coast

The Pacific Coast Highway meanders through Santa Cruz, Big Sur and genteel artist colony Carmel.

Las vegas

The casinos of Vegas are handy for trips to Death Valley, the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.

St Stupid’s Day

2009-01-30T15:03:00Z

What: St Stupid’s Day

Where: San Francisco, US

When: April 1

This fantastic event is run by the First Church of the Last Laugh — apparently stupidity is the one thing that unites all humans.

Wear a silly costume and be prepared for lots of noise, colour and a sock fight at the end.

See www.saintstupid.com

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

2009-01-29T15:37:00Z

What: Mardi Gras

Where: New Orleans, US

When: February 24

Like Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, the annual Mardi Gras in New Orleans is one of those colourful festivals that’s worth making a long-haul plane trip for.

New Orleans’ first Mardi Gras was held way back in 1703, and in 2006 it was celebrated just six months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

Festivities take place during the weeks leading up to the actual day of Mardi Gras, including spectacular balls, while on the day itself there are numerous parades right across the city.

They’re lavish affairs, organised by “krewes”, each with their own traditions and colour, but they will all throw trinkets into the crowd — keep your hands ready!

Best of all, Mardi Gras is free.

While there’s a tendency for some dodgy types to hock “official” merchandise or tickets, there’s no such thing.

There are some private balls and parties but Mardi Gras is essentially a giant, open-to-all street party of which New Orleanians are justly proud.

See www.mardigrasneworleans.com

Calle Ocho

2009-01-20T10:42:00Z

What: Calle Ocho

Where: Miami, USA

When: March 15

One of the world’s largest street parties takes over Miami’s Little Havana for a festival of Latin music, dancing and food.

You may find yourself in a 100,000-person conga line.

See www.carnavalmiami.com

South by Southwest

2009-01-12T11:52:00Z

What: South by Southwest

Where: Austin, Texas

When: March 13–22

The world’s number one festival for creative types. It brings together music (including more than 1800 acts), film and new media technology for a bonanza of performances and behind-the-scenes events.

See sxsw.com

USA Snow Reports

2008-12-24T10:19:00Z

For the latest on ski resorts and detailed weather conditions welove2ski.com

What's going on in Colorado? The weather has been unseasonably warm for weeks.

In Vail, Colorado, they may have had 40cm of snow in the past week, but the temperature is going to be up to +10C every day for the whole of the coming five days. ARRRGGGGGHHHHH.

Just when we were beginning to get used to cold and snowy winters again, along comes a hot spell like this to set the alarm bells ringing.

It's warm in Utah, too, though not quite as warm. In Snowbird the temperature should be up to around +6 or +7C in the sunshine this week. Currently the snowpack is about 2.5m deep, though expect that number to drop as the thaw continues.

For the best conditions in the American Rockies, you need to head north. In Jackson Hole in Wyoming, temperatures have stayed lower, and heavy snow is expected today, as the resort gets a share of the storms which have brought so many smiles to Canada. Mid-mountain, the snowpack is around 1.9m deep.

Finally, California's epic winter is back on hold. In Mammoth the last snow was on March 5, and it's getting pretty toasty in the sunshine. The snowpack is still very deep, however - around 3.5m on the lower slopes!

For more information see our snow report.

There are also snow reports for France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Canada.

For detailed, independent reviews of all the resorts mentioned here, visit www.welove2ski.com.

Supreme steaks in Texas

2008-12-05T17:19:00Z

It’s not just prairie oysters in scarce supply on the menu, though.

Salad is nowhere to be seen.

Or vegetables.

In Texas, meat reigns supreme. And I don’t mean the average-sized steak you would expect in a London pub.

There’s a saying the locals are proud of: “We do it bigger in Texas”. When it comes to steak, they’re bang on the money.

Topping the menu at Indian Cliffs Ranch is the cowboy steak — a prime two pounds (almost 1kg) of blood-red tender beef.

I like a juicy slab of steak as much as the next bloke, but my stomach starts to churn at the thought of trying to digest that much flesh, especially as my ‘starter’ of fire-grilled spicy sausage and beef brisket (tender slow-roasted beef) was enough to feed a family.

Not far behind the cowboy steak (in terms of sheer volume and ability to inspire awe) is the cowgirl — 1½ pounds (almost 700g) of T-bone that even Homer Simpson would struggle to finish.

Rounding out the menu are, yep, you guessed it, more steaks: the 10oz (280g) rib eye; a sirloin; a New York cut; and — the one I opt for, which turns out to be quite possibly the best steak I’ve ever eaten — a 10oz filet mignon you really could cut with a butter knife.

“There’s a significant portion of Texans who think high-class dining means steak,” my tour guide, Mike Davidson, tells me over dinner.

He’s been a guide in these parts most of his life — and loves meat and a good barbecue as much as the next Texan. “If you live in west Texas, every public event — wedding, meeting, conference, you name it — serves barbecue,” he says.

After that first prize steak in El Paso, I decide my usual salmon-and-salad diet is on hold. Instead, I’m on a quest to find the best steak in Texas.

The next day brings highway solitude as we head through the desert vastness from El Paso to the ranching and artistic commune of Marfa.

Lunch is at the Adobe Moon BBQ, where the only options on the menu are beef brisket, sausage, pork spareribs or whole roast chicken.

My bowels rumble — I’m not sure whether in fear of more meat, or anticipation.

I opt for half a chicken and a serving of brisket.

By the end of a week spent road tripping through America’s second largest state — with stops for quad biking among giant cacti in the Chisos Mountains, rafting down the Rio Grande river, hiking in the spectacular Big Bend National Park and rounding up cattle City Slickers-style — I’ve eaten pepper-crusted elk medallions, buffalo rib eye rubbed in spices, and glazed quail at the swanky cowboy-themed Gage Hotel in Marathon.

I’ve managed to stomach beef tenderloin — with seconds (the chef insisted!) — at Cibolo Creek Ranch near Marfa, followed by waffles with slabs of bacon back for breakfast the next morning.

And I’ve indulged in a dozen more meals that would make most dietitians break out in a cold sweat.

A week after arriving back in the UK I got an email from my travel buddy: “I’ve been looking at my stomach every morning since returning from Texas, and I’m glad to report I no longer appear to be in the early stages of pregnancy,” he wrote.

“That said, soup and salad don’t quite have the same impact as a medium-rare 18oz cowboy steak in a restaurant in the dusty Texas plains.”

And he was right.

My usual salmon and salad just didn’t have the same attraction.

A slab of prime Texan beef, on the other hand, sounded damn delicious — though minus the prairie oysters, of course.

» Trevor Paddenburg travelled with Texas Tourism (020-7978 5233; www.traveltex.com). For more information on Big Bend Country visit www.visitbigbend.com.

Eat like a local

Burgers and fast food might be the US stereotype, but most states have their own signature dish.

Texas

The chicken-fried steak is an institution in Houston, Texas. It’s a flattened beef steak dipped in batter, deep fried, then drowned in white gravy.

New York

You can’t beat a New York-style wood-fired pizza from under Brooklyn Bridge.

Maine

The rocky coast yields loads of seafood. The most popular dish is clams — steamed, fried or uncooked, which are served at ‘raw bars’.

Louisiana

Cajun flavours rule supreme. Don’t miss out on gumbo (shellfish stew) or jambalaya, a delicious rice dish with shrimp.

North Carolina

Southern cooking is all about the barbecue. Slow roasted and rubbed with spices, the meat of choice in North Carolina is pulled pork. Sensational (in small doses)!

Washington

Seattle is the home of Starbucks and you’ll find one on every street corner. Oysters and wild king salmon are also specialities here.

New Mexico

Restaurants serving eggs,tacos and enchiladas drowned in spicy red and green chilli sauces are a dime a dozen here.

The best of texas

It’s a super-sized state so start planning now to fit everything in.

City Slicker style

Go on a horse-back cattle drive on the outskirts of El Paso, Texas’ Mexican border town, at the Rio Grande Valley Ranch.

Four-wheel fun

Quad bike past disused mine shafts in the desert around Terlingua, a town of free thinkers, frontiersmen and refugees from modern society who have set up shop in a remote part of the US.

In the night sky

Get up close with buffalo on the sprawling 30,000-acre Cibolo Creek Ranch near Marfa, then go star gazing under the crystal-clear night skies.

River rafting

Tackle the Rio Grande river — with Mexico on one bank and US on the other — and raft through Santa Elena Canyon with the Far Flung Outdoor Centre in Terlingua.

A trek on the wild side

Big Bend National Park is home to amazing scenery and offers hikers some of the most spectacular and desolate trails in Texas. The ‘Lost Mine trail’ in the Chisos Mountains is worth ticking off.

Boozing with cowboys

Hit the booze in downtown Alpine with its classic bars packed with cowboys and thick Texan accents.

Awesome Austin

The music capital of Texas, Austin’s nightlife is the stuff of legends … and hangovers.

Marfa mystery

This railroad town turned artistic enclave is famous for the Marfa Lights — unexplained lights which appear on the horizon at dusk.

Thorny issues

If you can forget about meat for two seconds, a quick look over the landscape reveals loads of cacti and agave plants — and they’re useful for a lot more than making tequila, the locals’ favourite drop.

Prickly pear

The pads and fruit of this cactus are diced, sauteed and cooked with eggs. The bulbous purple fruit is also used for jam, wine and margarita mix.

Blue agave

This plant is top notch when it comes to making quality tequila.

Peyote

A hallucinogenic found in the south Texas desert, traditionally used by native American Indians and college kids looking for a hell of a high.

Strawberry cactus

Avoid the sharp spines to pick the delicious fruits that taste like tart strawberries.

Candelilla

This cactus is boiled to extract its wax, which is used to make cosmetics as well as chocolates like M&Ms — it’s the candelilla that makes them ‘melt in your mouth, not in your hand’.

Leather stem

Crush the leaves of this bush and rub on a cut to coagulate the blood. Handy with so many spiky cacti around!

Sundance Film Festival

2008-12-05T16:00:00Z

What: Sundance Film Festival

Where: Utah, US

When: January 15–25

If you love films, there are few better places to be than at one of the world’s biggest and best film festivals.

Created in the late 1970s to foster and promote independent films, Sundance has somehow managed to resist (at least in part) the influence of Hollywood and corporate America and stay true to its roots.

Filmmakers who have got their big break at Sundance include Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Kevin ‘Silent Bob’ Smith (Clerks, Zack And Miri Make A Porno), James Wan (Saw) and Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Sex, Lies, And Videotape), which indicates the up-and-coming talent the festival showcases.

More than 200 films (including documentaries, shorts and animation) are screened at 12 venues in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Park City, and in Sundance (an eco-friendly mountain resort created by Robert Redford).

There’s also live music, parties and seminars with filmmakers, but if all that bores you, you can always go skiing instead.

See www.sundance.org

Groundhog Day

2008-11-28T17:49:00Z

What: Groundhog Day

Where: Various US and Canadian cities

When: February 2

Yes, it’s a film but Groundhog Day also is a real-life annual event.

A groundhog (aka a marmot or a woodchuck) is yanked from its burrow to see how long the cold of winter will last.

It's a great glimpse of small-town fun.

See www.groundhog.org

The Superbowl

2008-11-21T15:06:00Z

What: The Superbowl

Where: Tampa Bay, Florida

When: February 1

If there’s one thing that really stops the US it’s the Superbowl, when the top two NFL teams fight it out. Hanging out at a Superbowl party is a great way to soak up a piece of American life.

See www.nfl.com