United States
The United States spans North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with Alaska in the far north-west and Hawaii far out in the ocean. Its fifty states share one flag, with a star for each.
“I'd fly New York to Paris, just backwards.”
- On 17 December 1903 Orville Wright flew for 12 seconds near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina: the first controlled, powered aeroplane flight.
- In May 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew alone and non-stop from New York to Paris in about 33 and a half hours.
The land
The United States is the fourth-largest country in the world by area and has the third-largest population. Its 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The Appalachians lie inland from the East Coast, the flat Great Plains spread across the middle, and the Rocky Mountains rise in the west. The Mississippi River system, the fourth-longest in the world, runs north to south through the centre. The highest peak is Denali in Alaska, at about 6,190 metres.
Getting around
In June 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law that paid for the Interstate Highway System, which now runs about 78,680 km. In New York City, the first underground subway line opened on 27 October 1904, and for most of its history the subway has run 24 hours a day.
Food
Many American foods came with immigrants. Bagels were brought by Polish Jews, and a New York bagel is boiled in salted water before it is baked. In San Francisco, Boudin Bakery has made sourdough bread since 1849, with the same starter culture it began during the Gold Rush. The fortune cookie is not Chinese in origin. It most likely came from cookies made by Japanese immigrants, and the first modern version was reportedly served at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Visitors
From 1892 to 1954, about 12 million immigrants arriving at the Port of New York were processed at Ellis Island.
Fly over the United States.
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City 2 of 21New York
The 102-storey tower
“I flew between buildings taller than any tree I've climbed. The streets below looked like graph paper.”
I'd count the water towers from the top floor. Its keepers are The Taxi and the Statue of Liberty.
The plane reaches New York from Paris. Clear it and the map opens the way to Rio de Janeiro, London and Toronto.
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City 10 of 21San Francisco
The orange bridge
“The bridge poked out of the fog, bright orange against the grey. It looked like it was waving.”
I'd wait for the fog to lift off the towers. Its keepers are The Gripman and Monarch.
The plane reaches San Francisco from Sydney.
