Back in the US, I am reminded of all the reasons I love the place. It is physically one of the most beautiful countries on Earth, boasting the most amazing scenery, and has the best shopping by far. People in the US live high on the hog’s back, or at least many of them do. There’s an expansive, indulgent sense of luxury you don’t get elsewhere in the world. It’s very seductive, although doubtless destructive to the Earth’s biological systems. It’s also evanescent, and you can feel that it won’t persist for more than another decade or so, before it’s gone forever, like the Roman Empire of yore.
Everything is bigger
The Americans don’t do things on a small scale. Most of them drive pickup trucks that dwarf the utes and bakkies you see in other countries. Gas (petrol) is cheap and plentiful, so vehicles are huge. Driving a small car is potentially suicidal, so you have to join in and drive your own tank.
Despite being in a desert region, I saw snow for the first time in several years. Here’s the region’s first snow (indeed first precipitation of any kind) in 5 months.
Fauna and Flora
From the giant Sequoia Trees to the enormous Saguaro Cacti in the Sonoran Desert, the natural environment of the US is extremely impressive.
Also very attractive are the various species of Juniper trees that cover much of the landscape of the American southwest. The fine, deep green foliage and neat conical shapes compare very favorably with the bedraggled, slightly sad eucalyptus trees of Australia.
Shopping
My favourite food store anywhere on Earth is Trader Joe’s. It offers a mix of own-brand foods that cannot be bought in any other store, and definitely not outside the US. My particular favorite, that I have not been able to buy anywhere else, is their Piccante Pasta Sauce with Black Truffles. Delicious, and addictive!
Another favorite store of mine is Whole Foods, although it’s become very expensive. But the food is top-notch.
Bigger, bolder, better
The best outdoor (meaning camping, fishing and hunting) store on the planet? How about Bass Pro Outdoor World in Las Vegas? The pictures tell you why this huge 2-level store is a one of a kind. And it’s much bigger than the pictures suggest.
Anyway, shopping aside, the next several blog posts will cover some of my travels around the national parks of the US southwest. Come along for the drive!
