I wanted an iconic American dish!

Well, my first meal in the US had to be something typically American, something iconic. So, here it is - a burger and fries (NOT chips - that's another matter!). Yes, it was an awesome burger, courtesy of 'Cracker Barrell'.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

I am English. Tea should be hot!

Now, new country, new ways. When in Rome etc etc. So I'd asked to sample some typical American dishes and drinks, and was told that this was a good ol' Southern Drink. Sweet tea. Cold. Sugary, and stacks of ice. Well, I tried, you know. A couple sips was enough for me to recoil in horror and realise that being English (well, yes, personal taste too) had conditioned me to feel that tea should be hot, usually with milk, and drank from ceramic cups / mugs.

This was at a 'Cracker Barrell'. I'd never heard of it, but was told it was an American institution of sorts. Taken in South Carolina, and if I recall correctly there was a huge apple or pear nearby unintentionally (or maybe not) resembling a gargantuan naked ass (or arse, if you're English).

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

Evening Light near Blacksburg and Rock Hill

Evening light on a sunny day. There's nothing like it. Nothing like it at all. The blue sky, the deep greens. Add in a country you've never been to before, and it's amazing, stimulating vibe. Even a motorway (is it a freeway, interstate or what, here?) can have a mellow aesthetic vibe going on. Just a short distance from Blacksburg and Rock Hill at this rest area, it was magic. Roads and rest areas can be magic, you know.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

Flying the Flag

Welcome to the USA. Welcome to South Carolina. Welcome to Carolina Blue Sky, well with a dash of cloud. I do like the sense of being able to be proud of your country's identity without any vibe that you're being nationalist or discriminating against someone. Would be refreshing to fly the Union Flag in England without the feeling that some politically correct so and so would worry someone somewhere might just be offended and feel repressed. Fly your flag, wherever you are.

And I just love the South Carolina flag. Blue background. White tree and crescent moon. It does it for me.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

Blue Star Memorial Highway - A Rest Area

Here we are again at the Blue Star Memorial Highway and this impressive sign at the rest area. A good sign. I like signs. Makes me feel welcome.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

South Carolina in the Spring

I'm not entirely sure exactly where we went after leaving Charlotte airport, but we ended up at this rest area on the Blue Star Memorial Highway. The evening light was amazing. Maybe the beginnings of jetlag and my body telling me that 6pm should be 11pm added to the experience and vivid perceptions. This photo shows the intensity of light and just a token of how beautiful South Carolina is in the spring.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.