JRNY America Issue 2 - Food Special Issue

Travel Responsibly.

Welcome!

Food has always been a driving force in my own travels; in fact, one of the most memorable holidays I’ve ever had was one to New Orleans in which we pretty much ate our way around the city. So it feels especially appropriate to be welcoming you to this special food issue of JRNY America, of which Louisiana is undoubtedly the star of the show

If you've ever been to the state then you'll no doubt already know about the delights of the likes of gumbo and jambalaya, not to mention those divine, sugar-dusted beignets. (And if you haven't, you really need to put it on your must-go list.) In our total guide, we delve into the best that each of the state's regions has to offer, from tasso to sweet dough pies – as well as covering things to do and places to stay throughout.

Of course, with this being a food issue, there's plenty more to get you salivating, not least our state-by-state round-up of the best US foods – one of which, Buffalo wings, is so iconic we have devoted a whole article to its history. We also cover the best restaurants in the beautiful Southern city of Charleston – so many that you'll need a very long stay to cover them all – and Washington State's thriving wine-growing region, as well as

Louisiana’s food is matched by its music. From the auditorium in Shreveport where a young Elvis performed and live bands in Lafayette to New Orleans jazz, my ears are always as happy as my stomach in the Big Easy.

Always a fan of coastal Washington’s moody atmosphere, I was taken aback by the state’s sunlit, arid east. Wide-open skies and golden plains highlighted the contrasts of American landscapes – and the wine was good, too.

The Sacajawea Historic Byway doesn’t just link Idaho State Highway 33 with US Route 93 — it connects you to the stories, and the timeless ancestral homelands, of the Lemhi Shoshone people.

the fabulous food that often accompanies the drink. In the US territory of Puerto Rico we explore how the landscape and climate have given rise to a sustainable agriculture industry that makes the island the perfect destination for foodies. We also look at the tradition of tailgating, at the fantastic seafood on offer in Pensacola, Florida, and coastal foraging in Oregon

There's plenty more to inspire a US holiday in this issue, beyond food, from Chicago's legendary blues scene to an Idaho road trip and the conservation taking place at Crystal River. Finally, we're thrilled to bring you the results of our first-ever JRNY America Awards, which honoured the very best the country has to offer.

Thanks for reading!

Emma Gibbs Editor-in-Chief

Beyond Puerto Rico's famed beaches lies a real community spirit that sits at the heart of many local initiatives. I love being welcomed into these local communities and seeing their passion and creativity first-hand.

The wonderfully wild beaches of Oregon are a magnet for nature lovers and adventurers, and whether scaling the dunes or foraging along the seashore, the state’s stunning coastal landscapes took my breath away.

I love how Chicago’s blues scene crackles with energy. This thriving scene isn’t just about the music though – it’s about the stories, the history and the people who keep it alive. It’s the sound of a city with soul.

SARAH RODRIGUES Louisiana

LUCY KEHOE Washington State

PORTIA JONES Chicago LAUREN JARVIS Oregon

ROBYN WILSON Puerto Rico

JAMES DRAVEN Idaho

An insight into the history of this well-loved dish from New York State. In this issue...

LOUISIANA TOTAL FOOD GUIDE

The low-down on the best things to try across this Southern state.

TAILGATING

Find out more about this sociable tradition that combines American football with food.

54 32 09 62 36 80

WHAT TO EAT IN THE US

The complete state-by-state food guide to the must-try dishes in America.

52

BUFFALO WINGS

PUERTO RICO

A thriving agricultural industry brings fabulous produce to the table on this Caribbean island.

WASHINGTON STATE

Experience some of the country's best wines and gastronomy.

CHARLESTON

The 18 best places to eat in this Southern belle's diverse and celebrated restaurant scene.

80 CHARLESTON Contents

OREGON

Foraging along the stunning coast provides a fantastic way to connect with land and sea.

JRNY AMERICA AWARDS

The results of our first awards, which highlight the best the country has to offer.

CRYSTAL RIVER

A look at a fantastic manatee conservation project in Florida.

CHICAGO

A visit to the Windy City is an opportunity to see how it has been shaped by blues.

PENSACOLA

A food-led journey to experience the abundant produce of this Californian region.

IDAHO

A road trip along the Sacajawea Historic Byway provides an insight into culture and history.

CHICAGO

Co-founders: Kav Dadfar & Jordan Banks

Editor-in-Chief: Emma Gibbs

Art Direction & Design: Jo Dovey

Picture Editor: Heike Bohnstengel

GET IN TOUCH

For general enquiries, partnerships or sales, email us at info@jrnymagazine.com

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Website jrnymag.com

Issue Two First published January 2025. ISSN 3049-4648 (Online)

The articles published reflect the opinions of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher and editorial team. All rights reserved. ©JRNY Magazine Limited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the cases of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law JRNY Magazine Limited reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material and to edit this material prior to publication.

Published in the UK by JRNY Magazine Limited JRNY America was printed by Warners Midlands, a family-owned printer established in 1926 Warners hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FSC® and PEFC certifications and are members of the IPIA and Twosides. Their Policy of continuous re-investment in people and plant has allowed them to significantly reduce their energy usage, carbon footprint and waste figures year on year with a recycling and reusing rate of over 99 9%. To find out more visit warners.co.uk.

The world's largest rodeo event takes place over 20 days every March in Houston, Texas

Saddle up

Rodeo is near synonymous with Texas, and where better to experience it than at the world’s largest rodeo event? Held over 20 days in March, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a unique experience that provides an insight into a fascinating side of Texas culture, with events such as bull riding and calf scrambling wowing the two million people who attend each year. As well as cowboy culture, visitors can expect competitive BBQ cookouts, wine tastings and trail rides, among many other things. Stick around in the evenings for live music, which in previous years has seen the likes of Beyoncé and Justin Bieber play. rodeohouston.com

The grande dame reopens

New York City's iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel reopens in the spring following a comprehensive renovation that has seen its doors closed since 2017. Guests can still expect the same Art Deco elegance the building has long been celebrated for, as well as the largest rooms and suites in Manhattan, plus interiors by PierreYves Rochon. hilton.com/en/hotels/ nycwawa-waldorfastoria-new-york

All that jazz

The Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum will reopen its renovated and expanded space in February. This coincides with the 90th anniversary of the celebrated jazz club, incorporated in its current location in Buffalo, New York, in 1935,

Renowned musicians including Miles Davis and Aretha Franklin have played here, and the museum will tell the story of both the club and the musician’s union through new interactive exhibits; visit for the live music events, too. cmctheclub.com

Gulf-coast train

Spring 2025 sees the launch of a new Amtrak service connecting New Orleans with Mississippi’s Gulf coast. Four stops will be served between the Big Easy and Mobile, Alabama – Bay St Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula –enabling visitors an opportunity to explore more of the state without a hire car, and providing some fabulous waterside views along the way. The twice-daily train service will be the first to serve this coast in almost 20 years, as the line was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. southernrailcommission.org/ new-orleans-to-mobile

Centennial celebration

The world’s longest-running radio programme celebrates its 100th birthday this year. The Grand Ole Opry is considered the home of country music and is synonymous with legendary performers such as Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash, as well as contemporary stars like Luke Combs and Carrie Underwood. The Nashville theatre to which it is home will be putting on more shows than ever to celebrate. opry.com

Discover

Mountains. Deserts. Canyons. Grasslands.

Step into the wilderness in one of the USA’s 63 national parks. Marvel at the dramatic red rock formations of Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park, experience life on a ranch in the American West, or spot bison, bears and wolves in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park.

Discover space, silence and spectacular views.

Main image: Grand Teton National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Yellowstone National Park

The American West

Louisiana Our Total Food Guide to

Louisiana is the only state in the US to have parishes, rather than counties, thanks to its Spanish and French – and therefore Catholic –heritage. As one of the most historically diverse states in the country (it was colonised by the French and inhabited by African, Spanish and Caribbean people before being ‘sold’ to America

under 1803’s ‘Louisiana Purchase’), it’s a true – to use a hackneyed phrase – melting pot of people, cultures, practices and beliefs.

The result of such diversity is apparent in many aspects of travel throughout the state – but for the curious (or just plain hungry), one of the best places to start is with what’s on your plate.

Greater New Orleans

The Sazerac, often called the first cocktail, was invented in New Orleans in the 19th century

Gumbo

So integral is gumbo to Louisianan food culture that various festivals in honour of the dish are held throughout October and November. We mentioned Catholicism but when it comes to Gumbo – and indeed, much Louisianan cooking, the ‘holy trinity’ refers to onion, celery and green bell pepper: the trio that gets cooked up and softened down before the dish starts to take shape.

Heavily influenced by West African culture, the word ‘gumbo’ is a derivative of ‘okra’ – and, while this is still a popular ingredient in a dish that’s since been shaped by European and West African influences, it’s not a must.

Gumbo is essentially a stew, which starts with a roux (a continuously stirred mixture of fat and flour, which helps to give the dish its dark colour and thick, rather than soupy, consistency) and contains some form of protein (sausage, chicken and, in this part of Louisiana, seafood are all popular choices) as well as vegetables, cooked in stock. A Creole gumbo will also contain tomatoes; a Cajun one won’t. One thing is certain, though: the rice is served alongside the dish, not cooked into it.

Alligator on a stick

“The ’gators you see here won’t be killed an’ eaten,” says Nick Friedman, our guide on an Atchafalaya Basin Landing Swamp Tour, about a 50-minute drive west from the state’s capital, Baton Rouge, as around 20 alligators surround our airboat. “They farm ’em for that.”

A good thing too – we were all rather enamoured of the slit-eyed, gracefully sway-tailed reptiles populating the strangely beautiful swamplands. Alligator tail is the most popular part of the animal to eat – and so popular is it in Louisiana that it’s been designated a fish, making it acceptable to eat on Fridays during Lent.

Po’ boy

First, the name. Why is a po’ boy called a po’ boy? The most popular backstory has the Martin brothers, former streetcar conductors, offering free sandwiches to striking streetcar workers from their New Orleans restaurant in 1929. The strikers were referred to as “poor boys” and, over time, this was contracted to “po’boys”.

As for what they are: well, essentially a sandwich, served on an approximation of a French baguette. The crisp outer and soft, pillowy inner are the same as the French version: what differs is the loaf’s width (gotta have enough room to load those fillings onto!) and its stability – the sandwich shouldn’t fall apart when you eat it, although its wrapping generally helps to ensure this, too.

And make no mistake, the fillings can be falling-out-of-the-sides sloppy. Take your pick from roast beef, shrimp, oysters, turkey, sausage, meatballs, catfish, crab... the list is endless. Order like a local and ask for your po’ boy ‘dressed’ to ensure you get all the ‘fixin’s’ such as hot sauce, mayo, pickles and sliced tomato.

Photos: Zack Smith Photography, Joyce Bracey/NewOrleans.com

Left: The French Quarter in New Orleans.

Muffuletta

Another take on a sandwich, but this time with an Italian influence. As with the po’boy, the bread is key: the name ‘muffuletta’ comes from a Sicilian word referring to a soft, spongy bread – in this case, a large, round, sesame seed roll. The most famous spot to enjoy one in New Orleans? Central Grocery and Deli on Decatur Street, where they were invented in 1906. Piled with cold cuts (such as salami and mortadella) and with provolone cheese, it’s the olive salad that’s the star of the show here, setting the muffuletta apart from an ordinary sandwich. Spiked with herbs and spices, its oiliness soaks into the bread, making the density of the sandwich easier to handle. Be sure to limber up your jaw before attempting to wrap your mouth around a muffuletta –they’re certainly a mouthful.

Bananas Foster

This New Orleans dessert involves bananas sautéed in butter, cinnamon and sugar, doused with a generous slug of rum and then set alight – usually tableside, because who doesn’t love a flambé-style spectacle? – which burns off the alcohol, leaving just the rum’s smoke-infused taste. It’s then served over ice cream and is, as you might expect, an extravagant and delicious end to a meal. Like most Louisianan dishes, it has a history, too. With masses of bananas coming into New Orleans from Central and South America in the 1950s, Owen Brennan, owner of Brennan’s Restaurant (brennansneworleans.com), was keen to make use of the surplus fruit in some kind of dish – and this is what his chef Paul Blange came up with. Sadly, Blange doesn’t get credit in the name – instead, it’s named after Brennan’s friend, businessman Richard Foster.

Beignets

Not dissimilar to a doughnut, a beignet (pronounced ben-yay) is sweetened choux pastry that is left to rise, cut into squares and then fried and sprinkled with icing sugar. They’re lighter and airier than a doughnut, thanks to the wetness of the dough they’re made from.

You can find beignets all over the state, but in New Orleans there’s one must-visit venue: the green- and white-striped Cafe du Monde, which was established in 1862 in the French Quarter’s French Market. Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year other than Christmas, an order serves you up with three beignets, which tradition pairs with a café au lait.

Oysters Rockefeller

The French influences at large in New Orleans may not be instantly discernible in this dish, but it was a lack of escargot that, in 1889, prompted Jules Alciatore of Antoine’s – one of the oldest familyrun restaurants in the United States – to substitute what was readily available (and just as deliciously slippery and salty).

Oysters on the half shell are topped with a green sauce of parsley, chives and possibly also celery and spring onions. They’re then grilled until the breadcrumbs, added after the green sauce, are golden.

Fun fact: the dish takes its name from its green appearance, which was reminiscent of US currency and therefore of a millionaire of the day, J.D. Rockefeller. Nothing like a well-known name to imbue a dish with some star quality!

Need

to know

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Peter and Paul is the result of the reworking of former church buildings in an old French Creole neighbourhood. Outside, on Burgundy Street, expect pastel-washed houses. Inside: cavernous spaces made cosy with luxuriously patterned vintage fabrics, low lamps and excellent service. ash.world/hotels/peter-andpaul

WHERE TO EAT

With food and music both so key to a New Orleans experience, attendance at a Jazz Brunch is a must. There are many options around town, but one of the oldest and best is to be found at Commander’s Palace, where the synchronised service fills the table with the likes of turtle soup, pecancrusted fish and Bananas Foster, while a jazz trio works its way around the balloonstudded room.

commanderspalace.com

WHAT TO DO

If you’ve a yen to try your hand at some Louisianan cooking, sign up for a cooking class at the Mardi Gras School of Cooking, where you’ll learn how to make staples such as corn and crab bisque, and shrimp creole. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included. themardigrasschoolofcooking. com

FUN FACT

Greater New Orleans is home to the longest continuous bridge over water in the world: the 23.83-mile-long Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

Cajun Country(Acadiana)

Crawfish boil

Let’s start with the pot, because the one you make your crawfish boil in is NOT your average stovetop pot. It’s huge – and good for about 4.5–6.8kg of seafood.

Like, say, an old-school Hawaiian clambake or a modern BBQ, crawfish boil refers both to the food and the event itself. You’ll generally boil up a pot of seasonings (garlic and liquid shrimp, for example), smoked sausage and vegetables (corn, potatoes, green beans and onions are all popular choices).

Crawfish doesn’t take long to cook, so throw it into the boil towards the end for about five minutes; it’s done when the skin turns red and the tails are easily removed. An extra-indulgent tip? Add a slab of butter to the boil for an unctuous texture, and to make the tails easier to peel. Citrus fruit adds a zesty freshness. Oh, and forget about dishing up: in Louisiana, a crawfish boil is simply spread over a table covered with paper, leaving everyone free to dig in with their hands.

Jambalaya

Fusing West African, Spanish and French influences, the primary difference between a gumbo and a jambalaya is that the rice is cooked into the latter, and served on the side with the former.

With similarities to paella, jambalaya usually contains meat, seafood or a combination of both: think chicken, sausage, pork, crawfish and shrimp, for example. Veggie-wise, the ‘holy trinity’ of green peppers, celery and onion makes its inevitable appearance, as well as stock and spices such as paprika and cayenne pepper. Use long grain rice for best absorbency, so that your jambalaya isn’t too soupy.

It’s worth noting that jambalaya comes in both Creole and Cajun variations: the former frequently uses tomatoes and is thus called ‘red’ jambalaya; the latter sticks to stock and spices and is known as ‘brown’ jambalaya. As with many dishes in this Southern state, the differences are subtle, but noteworthy.

Crawfish étouffée

Jambalaya is a spicy rice dish that combines Creole, Spanish and French culinary traditions

“Crawfish or crawdad – what’s the difference?” I asked Lafayette local Donovan Riley. “The difference? Well, the difference is that some people say crawfish, and some say crawdad,” he responded, with a belly laugh. Whatever you call them, they’re a pretty big deal in Louisiana, supplying the entire country with about 95% of its supplies and designated the state’s official crustacean in 1983.

Peak season for crawfish is from late February until about mid-June (although frozen versions are available out of season) and the best way to eat them is in an étouffée, which, according to local legend, was first served up in the self-proclaimed ‘crawfish capital of the world’ – Breaux Bridge (about a 20-minute drive northeast of Lafayette).

In French, étouffée means ‘smothered’ – and the meaty crawfish tails in this recipe are smothered in a spicy, creamy sauce, featuring the ‘holy trinity’ and a roux, with stock and Cajun seasoning, which typically features onion, garlic, cayenne, thyme and paprika. Served over rice and garnished with fresh parsley, it’s a Cajun staple.

Opposite page: A crawfish festival in Breaux Bridge. This page, top: Downtown Franklin.

Boudin

A distant relative of England’s black pudding, boudin has its roots in Louisiana’s French influences and is a sausage made from pork meat, stuffed into a natural pork casing alongside vegetables, spices and ‘dirty’ rice. The latter takes its name from the fact that it’s been cooked with the ‘holy trinity’ and spices in animal fat, which gives it a ‘dirty’ appearance. Importantly, the pork meat – which can be from any part of the animal and includes offal – is also cooked before being put in the casing. Speaking of which, unlike British sausages, which are eaten, skin and all, a boudin is frequently squeezed from its casing and onto bread or crackers to be eaten just so (remember, the filling is pre-cooked!). Otherwise, it can be removed from the casing, formed into balls, and then breaded and deep-fried until crispy.

Above: An alligator; Houmas House Plantation. Right: An old cypress tree stands in a lake.

Cochon de lait

Or suckling pig, as we might call it outside of Louisiana – a piglet killed at around a month or so old, when its flesh is tender and milk-rich. This is a Cajun speciality – and, in true Louisianan style, worthy of a party. Mansura, 68 miles north of Lafayette, has an annual Cochon de Lait Festival in early May.

And no wonder – it’s quite the process. The young piglet is seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic and then, to keep it tender, is injected in various areas with a mixture of liquid butter, white wine, more seasonings and perhaps some hot sauce. The pig is then cut open to lay flat, and rotated over an open fire. This takes a while, even for a small animal, leaving revellers plenty of time to party before the feast.

Tasso

Tasso is one of the most intensely flavoured hams you’ll ever try, which is why it’s frequently used in dishes, rather than on its own. Firm in texture, it’s simultaneously salty, spicy and smoky –the ideal base for Cajun cooking, often used as such in stews such as jambalaya and gumbo.

The name likely comes from tasajo (Spanish for ‘jerky’) and the meat is usually pork shoulder (meaning it’s not actually ham, as ham comes from a pig’s hind legs).

Salt curing is the first step in the process of making tasso ham; this is followed by adding typical Cajun spices, such as paprika, cayenne pepper and onion powder. Finally, it’s hot smoked, frequently over hickory, cherry or apple wood, for that slight sweet-smokiness.

Need to know

WHERE TO STAY

Lafayette’s only AAA 4-diamond property is The Carriage House Hotel, where the 21 suites house marble showers and plush beds. On site, you’ll find a day spa, fitness centre, plus tennis courts, and downtown Lafayette is just a short walk away.

thecarriagehousehotel.com

WHERE TO EAT

SoLou opened in Lafayette in summer 2024 and has been a hit with locals ever since. Expect flawless service, well-crafted cocktails and a menu packed with local specialities, such as shrimp and grits, boudin quesadillas, sclafani salad and a muffuletta board (think: a deconstructed muffuletta)

eatsoloulafayette.com

WHAT TO DO

Head to the Atchafalaya Basin to go ’gator spotting in the vast wetlands of America’s largest swamp. A skilled guide will take you out on an airboat (a flat-bottomed boat powered by an above-water propellor, to navigate the sometimes shallow waters) on a trip where you can expect to see not only alligators, but also hauntingly beautiful landscapes and a wide variety of wild birds. basinlanding.com

FUN FACT

Tabasco Sauce started in 1868 and sells around 50 million bottles yearly. Every one of them is made on Avery Island, using just vinegar, salt and peppers. Despite countless other hot sauces, Tabasco’s origins remain legendary, and its name universally iconic.

Central Louisiana

Natchitoches meat pies

So good that they were named one of ‘The Best Gas Station Snacks in America’, these pies combine the ‘holy trinity’ (no surprises there!) with two types of meat (beef and pork) and Cajun spices. There’s a nod to Spanish empanadas as the mixture is folded into a circle of dough and then sealed with crimped edges, before being deep-fried.

The pies take their name from the Louisianan city of Natchitoches (about an hour southwest of Shreveport) where a festival to the snack, which is thought to date back to the 1700s, takes place every September. The festival itself began in 2002 and the pie was recognised as Louisiana’s official state meat pie the following year.

Did you know Natchitoches meat pies were historically prepared as portable meals for travellers along Louisiana’s El Camino Real?

Photos: Dreamstime, Louisiana Office of Tourism

Crawfish pie

Think a denser version of crawfish étouffée, and this basically sums up your pie filling – along with the usual tomato/ no tomato debate that swirls around many Louisianan dishes.

Most often served as snacks or street food – especially at markets and fairs –the filling of a crawfish pie is thickened and enlivened by the addition of cream, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs and eggs, making it a suitably meaty filling for a pie. Placed within dough circles, folded over and crimped to seal, they’re then baked until golden and served, sans ceremony, in a paper napkin – and ideally washed down with a cold beer.

Left: Fishing in North Toledo Bend State Park. Top: Crawfish pies are sold at many festivals.

Pork backbone stew

This dish is closely related to the boucherie, the Louisianan tradition of pig-butchering as a communal, celebratory experience, in which the meat was divided – in the days before refrigeration – between participants to avoid waste. In another sense, pork backbone stew is akin to the ‘nose to tail’ approach to food that’s become so popular in recent years. Unsurprisingly, it’s made from the bones and meat of a pig’s spine – and, while its beginnings undoubtedly date back further than the 20th century, it gained a spot in a November edition of the Baton Rouge State Times in 1977.

The dish involves searing the meat, leaving those sticky remnants in the pot when the pork is removed, and then caramelising the ‘holy trinity’ and garlic in the same pot. Stock is added before the pork is put back in and served up over rice when it’s falling off the bone.

Sweet dough pies

Like most Louisianan recipes, there’s no ‘right’ way to make a sweet dough pie: most families have their own version. Eggs, butter and sugar all have their place, and the finished texture has a slightly cookie-like crispiness to it.

Its origins are probably French and, in Louisiana, the tradition of eating them is linked to Good Friday, with much of the prep being performed by women on Thursday (the day of the Last Supper).

Now, however, sweet dough pies are eaten on all sorts of occasions. There’s a festival dedicated to the treat in Grand Coteau (about a 20-minute drive north of Lafayette) at the end of every October. Traditionally, they’re filled with figs, but any seasonal fruits (apples, blackberries and so on) or nuts, custard or even sugar can also be used.

Cane syrup

In a state where sugarcane production has historically been so key (crops date back to the mid 18th century), is it any wonder that cane syrup is a star ingredient?

While many cane syrups – not to be confused with molasses, which is heavier and darker – exist throughout the state, one of the best known is Steen’s. With its distinctive yellow packaging, it’s been made in Louisiana for over 100 years. The syrup is used to enhance the flavour of dishes both savoury and sweet, from gumbo to cookies. It’s also a popular addition to meat glazes, or simply drizzled on top of a stack of pancakes.

WHERE TO STAY

Even without its commodious rooms and decorative flourishes, the backstory of Hotel Bentley, in Alexandria, is compelling: legend has it that its wealthy owner built the hotel in 1907 in retaliation for being excluded from another hotel. There are 93 guest rooms and, best of all, the hotel is said to be haunted. visithotelbentley.com

WHERE TO EAT

Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant is one of the most popular places to linger over a Natchitoches meat pie, but if you’re after a to-go version, try French Market Express – they’re both in Natchitoches. lasyones.com

WHAT TO DO

Kisatchie National Forest is the only designated national forest in the whole of Louisiana and is ripe for exploration, whether your tastes tend to birding, fishing, camping, hiking or swimming. fs.usda.gov/kisatchie

FUN FACT

Central Louisiana is home to the Cochon de Lait Festival, celebrating the traditional Cajun delicacy of roasted suckling pig.

North Louisiana is home to Poverty Point, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ancient earthwork mounds

North Louisiana

Chicken and sausage gumbo

An authentic paella in inland Spain won’t contain seafood, and it’s the same story in Louisiana; move North, away from the Gulf of Mexico, and you can expect farm-reared meats on your plate. A chicken and sausage gumbo is more aligned with Cajun – hearty, homestyle – cooking than with Creole, which tends to be more refined, but there are some similarities: the base presence of the ‘trinity’ and a roux, for starters. Adding okra, which releases a gummy texture when cooked, helps thicken the gumbo further.

Another key element is the sausage: andouille is the go-to. While a regular sausage is stuffed with minced meat, this one is filled with meat that’s been chopped, so it’s got a chunkier texture. Originating in France, andouille is synonymous with Cajun cuisine – and because the pork (and other fillings, such as garlic and pepper) has been smoked, it brings a smoky, spicy flavour to the dish.

Stuffed

mirliton

Also known as a choko or chayote, mirlitons are a type of fairly unattractive squash, with green, knobbly, wrinkly skin.

They flourish in the Louisianan climate, however, and various iterations of them appear in everything from salad to wine and baked goods during the autumn months. Once cooked, their taste is not dissimilar to courgette, although they’re crunchy and slightly sweet when raw.

Stuffed mirliton is a Louisianan Thanksgiving must, though, taking pride of place on the table. The shell is hollowed out and mixed with breadcrumbs, ground meat, shrimp, crab meat, seasoning and butter before being spooned back into the shell and topped with breadcrumbs to be baked.

So beloved is the odd-looking mirliton that, when they declined after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, non-profit Mirliton.org was set up to help growers replenish their stocks. Sure enough, you’ll now see them in abundance again.

Photos: Dreamstime

Left: Cypress trees along the shoreline of Lake D’Arbonne. Below: Shreveport La Municipal Auditorium, former home of the famed Louisiana Hayride – the show on which Elvis sang ‘That’s All Right Mama’.

Hot tamales

Originating in Mexico and Latin America, and brought to the state by migrants from those regions, you’ll generally find tamales served in corn husks – but not in North Louisiana, where they tend to be wrapped in paper. They’re also smaller and thinner than their Latin counterparts, and are generally simmered, rather than steamed; they have a grainier texture, thanks to the use of cornmeal, rather than cornflour, in the dough.

Another difference: they’re usually much spicier, thanks to a liberal shake of cayenne and other spices into the brine in which they’re cooked.

Mayhaw jelly

Harvested in (the clue is in the name) May, mayhaw berries grow on a type of (the clue is in the other part of the name) hawthorn tree, which is endemic to the Southern states and their wetlands and the official state tree of Louisiana. The berries themselves are tart, ranging in colour from red to yellow – too tongueshrivelling tart to eat straight from the bough. The answer? Jelly (or, as we Brits know it, jam).

Mayhaw jelly is held dear by locals – in fact, many people make a day out of boating through the swamps to gather the fruit from the trees nearest the water. The jelly is made with sugar, pectin and the juice of the cooked fruit, which makes for a clear preserve that’s popular with breakfast breads, as well as for mixing with other ingredients to make sauces or glazes for meat.

Fried catfish

They can hardly be called the prettiest fish in the world and, to top it off, their name has become associated with unscrupulous online behaviour – but let’s not hold that against them because fried, they are a taste sensation.

One of the secrets to the perfect fried catfish is marinating it in buttermilk before you fry it up. This not only makes the fish more tender, but also attenuates the fishy flavour. The buttermilk gets whisked with hot sauce before coating the catfish, and it’s all then left to stand for at least an hour – better still, in a fridge overnight. Once the catfish is drained of its marinade, it gets coated in a dry mixture of cornmeal and Creole seasoning, before being deep fried, drained on paper towels and served up with lemon wedges. For the best sides, look no further than broccoli, green beans, coleslaw or fries.

Need to know

WHERE TO STAY

Shreveport is known for its many casinos but, while many of them offer upmarket accommodation, you can swerve the slots in favour of the Hilton, which has a rooftop pool, fitness centre and three restaurants. It’s a Hilton, so don’t expect quirky details, but you can look forward to clean, comfortable rooms in a central location.

hilton.com

WHERE TO EAT

The Robinson Film Center is the place to head for independent and foreign films – but it’s also for Abby Singer’s Bistro, where chef Niema DiGrazia (along with her husband Matthew) is fusing influences from her native Sierra Leone with Southern flavours to create a limited and ultra-delicious menu.

robinsonfilmcenter.org

WHAT TO DO

As the former home of the famed Louisiana Hayride – the show on which Elvis sang ‘That’s All Right Mama’ in October 1954 - the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium is, in itself, worth a visit to Shreveport. If there’s not an event you fancy during your stay, be sure to book in for a one-hour tour, which brings the history of this incredible building, and the people who have graced its stage, to life.

shreveportmunicipalauditorium. com

FUN FACT

Shreveport is home to the oldest continuously operated African-American family-owned restaurant in the United States – Orlandeaux’s Café is over 100 years old and is famous for its stuffed shrimp.

Left: A pier on Lake Bruinx.

Florida Parishes

Fried green tomatoes

This classic Southern dish shines in the Florida Parishes. Firm, unripe tomatoes are sliced, dipped in seasoned cornmeal or a buttermilk batter, and fried until golden and crispy. The result is a perfect balance of crunchy coating and juicy, tangy interior. They are often served as a starter or a side dish, accompanied by a spicy remoulade sauce that enhances their bright, tangy flavour.

Red Beans and Rice

The origins of this dish are rooted in practicality – Monday was traditionally laundry day, and with families busy washing clothes, a simple, slowcooking meal made perfect sense.

Red kidney beans simmer for hours with the ‘holy trinity’ of onions, celery and green peppers, along with smoked sausage, ham hocks or Andouille sausage for that essential flavour boost. The rich, creamy beans are then ladled over fluffy white rice – a dash of hot sauce and a sprinkle of green onions make for the perfect finishing touch.

Photos: Louisiana Office of Tourism, Dreamstime

Baton Rouge means “red stick”, named after a boundary marker French explorers saw along the Mississippi River

With strawberries being a prized crop in the Florida Parishes, especially in Ponchatoula – the self-proclaimed “Strawberry Capital of the World” – this is a celebrated local dessert. Fresh, sweet strawberries are macerated in sugar and spooned over buttery shortcakes, then topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

In the spring, during strawberry season, festivals and roadside stands abound, offering this simple yet decadent treat.

Strawberry shortcake

Opposite page, top: The main street in Denham Springs. This page, top: State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

Boudin balls

While boudin sausage is already a regional favourite, boudin balls take this delicacy to another level. The boudin filling – a mix of rice, pork and the ‘holy trinity’ – is shaped into balls, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until golden and crispy. The crispy exterior gives way to a savoury, spiced and hearty filling that’s best enjoyed with a dipping sauce, like spicy mustard or remoulade.

Pecan pralines

The unmistakable scent of caramelised sugar and roasted pecans wafting through the air signals the presence of pecan pralines. This quintessential Southern confection combines sugar, butter and cream, boiled together and then mixed with pecans. The mixture is spooned onto wax paper, where it cools into a sweet, buttery and nutty treat. Pecan pralines are melt-inyour-mouth delicious and make a perfect snack or souvenir from a visit to the Florida Parishes.

Cushaw pie

A deeply cherished dessert in the Florida Parishes, cushaw pie is made from the eponymous cushaw – a type of heirloom squash with a sweet, earthy flavour that lends itself beautifully to pie making. Its flesh is roasted until tender and then puréed and blended with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The result is a silky, spiced custard that’s poured into a flaky, golden crust.

Often compared to pumpkin pie, cushaw pie has a milder, more delicate flavour profile, and is a popular treat during the fall and holiday months.

Need to know

WHERE TO STAY

The Southern Hotel in Covington offers elegant accommodation with a rich history. The hotel features lush courtyards, a full-service spa, and proximity to charming local shops and restaurants. southernhotel.com

WHERE TO EAT

Middendorf’s Restaurant in Manchac is famous for its thin-fried catfish, but don’t miss out on the incredible oysters or red beans and rice. The restaurant’s location, right on the water, offers beautiful views. middendorfsrestaurant.com

WHAT TO DO

Visit the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, held every spring to celebrate the region’s most famous fruit. Enjoy live music, crafts, rides and, of course, plenty of strawberrythemed treats, from shortcakes to daiquiris. ponchatoulastrawberryfestival. com

FUN FACT

A region in southeastern Louisiana, the Florida Parishes were originally part of Spanish West Florida. In 1810, the area declared independence from Spain, forming the short-lived Republic of West Florida, complete with its own flag and government. This independent republic existed for only 74 days before being annexed by the United States and incorporated into the Territory of Orleans.

This page, top: Fontainebleu State Park.

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E.J. Lagasse

Chef/Co-Owner, Emeril’s Louisiana is a vibrant place with a rich cultural heritage, showcasing a blend of French, Spanish and African influences. It is always exciting to be a chef here as we have such an abundance of seasonal, local ingredients available from dedicated farmers and purveyors, as well as fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.

GETTING THERE British Airways fly direct to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. There are also numerous one-stop flights with Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines.

GETTING AROUND Renting a car is the best way to travel between northern Louisiana’s charming small towns, bayous, and historic plantations and southern Louisiana’s vibrant cities and coastal regions. Many UK tour operators offer convenient flydrive packages, perfect for exploring the state.

BEST TIME TO GO For northern Louisiana, visit in April and May for mild weather and spring flowers. Autumn, from October to early November, offers cooler temperatures that are perfect for exploration.

For southern Louisiana, February to April is ideal, with Mardi Gras and spring festivals bringing New Orleans and Baton Rouge alive. October and November are also great, featuring pleasant weather and food festivals like the Louisiana Seafood Festival. FURTHER INFORMATION explorelouisiana.com.com

Mardi Gras

February or March

A world-famous celebration, especially in New Orleans, featuring parades, elaborate floats, beads and street parties.

Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festivals

May

In the “Crawfish Capital of the World”, this festival pays homage to Louisiana’s beloved crustacean with live Cajun and Zydeco music, crawfish-inspired dishes, a parade and the lively Crawfish Étouffée Cook-Off.

Festival International de Louisiane

April

Located in Lafayette, this free festival celebrates global cultures with music, art, food and performances from international artists.

Baton Rouge Blues Festival

April

One of the nation’s oldest blues festivals, this free event in Baton Rouge celebrates the city’s rich blues heritage.

Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival

October

New Orleans combines soulful blues music with the city’s best BBQ in this lively festival at Lafayette Square.

Louisiana State Fair

October–November

Held in Shreveport, this is a family-friendly extravaganza featuring thrilling carnival rides, live entertainment, agricultural exhibits and mouthwatering Southern cuisine.

Boudin, Bourbon, and Beer

November

This New Orleans culinary event brings together top chefs to celebrate boudin sausage and Louisiana flavours, paired with Bourbon and craft beer.

FLORIDA PARISHES

GREATER NEW ORLEANS

NORTH LOUISIANA CENTRAL

CAJUN COUNTRY

More than tradition

Tailgate parties are a uniquely North American experience, woven into sports culture and uniting people through food and shared experience.

“For eight days a year, we’ll be best friends,” Gary said with a wide grin, standing proudly on the deck of his ‘rig’ as he watched the crowd that had gathered. His setup was impressive: a 12ft trailer complete with a smoker, a small kitchen and a gazebo attached, all sitting in an unassuming parking lot in Downtown New Orleans. The aroma of slow-cooked chicken, which Gary had started preparing at 8am, wafted through the air, drawing in a steady stream of New Orleans Saints fans who had come together to eat, drink and catch up before the big NFL game (one of the eight home games NFL teams play annually). This was tailgating in its purest form: a tradition that is as American as afternoon tea is for us Brits.

Tailgating is more than just a pre-game party; it’s woven into the very fabric of American sports culture. It is believed to date back to the late 19th century, making it older than the NFL itself. The first tailgates are said to have taken place at college football games, where fans gathered around with food and drinks, celebrating before the first kick-off. As football grew in popularity, the practice evolved, especially with the rise of car culture in America. The tailgate of a vehicle became the ideal spot to serve food, and on game days parking lots transformed from dull tarmac to lively hubs of community spirit.

As I stood there watching people, holding a plate of smoked chicken in one hand and a cold beer in the other, I couldn’t help but appreciate the scene around me. The gazebo was packed with people in the Saints’ colours of black and gold from seemingly all walks of life, united in love for their team. I watched as they swapped stories, cracked jokes and burst into chants.

The spirit was infectious. “This is what it’s all about,” Gary told me, his Southern drawl thick and playful. When I asked why he’d been doing this – providing free food and good times for fellow Saints fans for nearly 20 years - he gave me a cheeky grin and said, “Because I like to drink!” Then his expression softened. “You know, football is important, but this” – he gestured to the crowd – “this allows us to have a good time no matter the result. More importantly, it gives us a chance to hang out with other people and celebrate our city.”

Streams of fans were starting to make their way toward Caesars Superdome. There was a buzz in the air as the Saints prepared to face their fierce rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. Just

DID YOU KNOW?

The Super Bowl began in 1967 as a championship between the AFL and NFL, evolving into the most watched annual sports event globally.

This spread clockwise from top right: Kav with the Schulz family (left to right: Joey, Jacob, Alan, Benjamin, Alan Sr); People helping themselves to Gary’s smoked chicken; The Caesars Superdome after the Saints beat the Falcons.

then, a chorus of “Who Dat? Who Dat?” erupted from under the gazebo, aimed at a group of Falcons fans passing by. The “Who Dat?” chant is more than just a cheer, it’s a symbol of the city’s resilience and history. It echoes the rhythms of New Orleans, born from a mix of African-American vernacular and the sounds of jazz. The phrase “Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?” became the team’s rallying cry in the 1980s and is usually chanted before and after games (if Saints win). But it’s all friendly rivalry that very rarely descends into the violent scenes that are often seen at some other sports games around the world.

About 30 yards away from Gary’s rig, I met the Schulz family, with another pop-up tailgate party. They immediately made me feel like part of the crew. Alan was quick to greet me with a hearty handshake and an offer of beer and food. “I live in Dallas now,” he told me, “but I travelled 500 miles just to be here for this game. Plus it’s a great excuse to spend time with the family.” He pointed out four generations of the Schulz family, all of whom were heading to the game.

Alan’s brother Joey was manning the grill, which was sizzling with boudin and alligator sausages. I had been itching to try

SUPERBOWL

New Orleans will be hosting the Superbowl for a recordequalling eleventh time in February 2025. As a result, numerous fan events will be taking place in the city during the Superbowl week.

Super Bowl Experience

From 5 to 8 February, fans can enjoy this interactive football festival at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, featuring player meet-andgreets, autograph sessions and other immersive activities.

Louisiana Culture Festival

Taking place from 7 to 8 February at the French Market, this free event will highlight the diverse cultures of Louisiana with traditional cooking demonstrations, live performances and cultural exhibits.

Taste of the NFL

On 8 February, fans can attend this culinary event at the World War II Museum, featuring top chefs cooking exquisite dishes, with proceeds benefiting hunger-relief efforts.

Super Bowl Parade

On 8 February, a lively, carnivalstyle parade will wind through the French Quarter, featuring colourful floats, marching bands and plenty of the usual New Orleans flair.

alligator sausage while in New Orleans so I didn’t need a second invitation; it had a coarse texture with a smoky flavour and a little bit of heat from the Cajun spice blend. The closest thing I could liken it to was chorizo. As I took a second bite, I asked Joey why the whole family do this. “We do it for the love of it,” Joey said, flipping the sausages with a grin. “Good food, good people, family and a good game. What more could you ask for? It’s an excuse for us to all be together, but anyone is welcome. Whether you are a Falcons fan or a tourist”.

I was surprised to hear that even opposing fans are welcome. But then New Orleans is a city known for its Southern welcome and hospitality. Visitors quickly discover that the people here

TAILGATING ETIQUETTE

are eager to share their history, food and stories with anyone willing to listen. This extends to tailgating parties. “We want people to come visit our city, so we’ll do everything we can to make them feel welcome, even Falcons fans” said Alan with a cheeky smile. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a lifelong Saints fan, a visiting rival supporter, or a Brit like me wanting to experience Americana - there’s always a plate of food, a cold drink and a warm smile waiting for you. It’s not just a tradition; it’s a way of life that extends beyond football and is even reflected in the city's marketing tagline of “Built to host”.

As I lingered with the Schulz family, I could see more tailgating groups popping up around the car park. What I love about tailgating, and what keeps the likes of Gary and the Schulz’s coming back year after year, is how it brings people together. It’s not just about football; it’s about laughter, shared meals and a sense of belonging. People who might otherwise never cross paths come together to celebrate their team and their city. For eight days of the year, they become best friends, united by their love of their team and the deep-rooted sense of community.

Tailgating is possibly the best reminder that the connections we make with others and the memories we share are what’s really important.

GETTING THERE British Airways flies direct to New Orleans on Tuesdays and Thursdays, otherwise daily flights connect via a number of other US cities. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is around 20 minutes’ drive from the French Quarter.

GETTING AROUND New Orleans is a walkable city, especially in areas like the French Quarter and the Garden District, where you can easily explore charming streets and historic architecture on foot. For longer trips, hop on one of the historic streetcars, which offer an affordable and scenic way to get around.

BEST TIME TO GO The best time to visit New Orleans is in the spring or autumn. From February to May, the weather is pleasant and the city is alive with festivals like Mardi Gras and – in February 2025 – the Superbowl. Autumn, from September to November, is also a great time to enjoy mild temperatures and a lively atmosphere without the peak summer crowds.

FURTHER INFORMATION neworleans.com caesarssuperdome.com/events/detail/super-bowl-lix nolasuperbowl.com/visit-nola

If you’re a visitor and want to experience tailgating, a few etiquette tips will help ensure you have a great time and make a positive impression:

1. Be respectful and friendly

Tailgating is all about community, so greet people warmly and be open to conversation.

New Orleans in particular is known for its hospitality, so a friendly attitude will go a long way.

2. Bring a contribution

If you’re invited to join a group, it’s a good idea to bring something to share, like a pack of drinks, snacks or a dish from your home country. It shows appreciation for the hospitality.

3. Ask before taking If you see food or drinks being offered, make sure to ask politely before helping yourself. Most tailgaters are happy to share, but it’s courteous to seek permission.

4. Respect rival fans

Good-natured rivalry is part of the fun but keep it playful and friendly. Avoid engaging in arguments or overly aggressive behaviour.

5. Clean up after yourself

Make sure to leave the area as clean as you found it and put your rubbish in bins.

6. Be grateful and express thanks If someone invites you into their tailgating group or shares their food, make sure to express your gratitude. A simple “thank you” before you leave will suffice.

7 GREAT RESTAURANTS

to try on your next visit to New Orleans

1. Café du Monde

A legendary spot for breakfast in New Orleans, known for its world-famous beignets and rich, chicoryinfused café au lait.

2. Johnny’s Po-Boys

A no-frills, beloved local joint serving some of the best po’ boys in town. From classic shrimp to roast beef dripping with gravy, Johnny’s is a perfect place for an authentic and satisfying New Orleans lunch.

3. Dakar NOLA

An innovative restaurant offering a unique dining experience inspired by Senegalese cuisine. The menu, bursting with bold West African flavours, features dishes like yassa chicken and seafood.

4. Nobu at Caesars Hotel

A luxurious dining destination featuring Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s innovative JapanesePeruvian cuisine. Savour world-class dishes like miso black cod or yellowtail jalapeño in an elegant setting.

5. Chapter IV

A stylish and modern spot, perfect for those looking to try creative takes on Southern cuisine. This is a fantastic place for brunch or dinner.

6. Palace Café

Situated on Canal Street, this lively and elegant brasserie serves classic and contemporary Creole cuisine. Signature dishes include crabmeat cheesecake and decadent white chocolate bread pudding.

7. Tableau

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, Tableau serves refined Creole dishes with a modern twist. The balcony views of Jackson Square add to the experience, making it an excellent choice for dinner or Sunday brunch.

Opposite page: Gary by his rig. This page: A Saints fan outside the stadium.

America A food lover’s tour of

The United States’s varied culinary offerings reflect its vast landscapes and diverse cultural influences. From Chicago’s iconic deep-dish pizza to Louisiana’s spicy gumbo, every region boasts unique flavours and traditions. This guide takes you on a mouthwatering exploration across the Northeast’s seafood-rich coastlines, the South’s

soulful comfort dishes, the Midwest’s hearty fare, and the West’s adventurous creations. Whether savouring a lobster roll in Maine, BBQ in Texas or poke in Hawaii, each bite tells a story of local heritage and innovation. Dive into this guide and discover the dishes that make America a country full of flavours.

Northeast

Maine

Seafood is the order of the day in coastal Maine. It’s hard to beat eating a lobster roll – sweet lobster meat, lightly dressed in mayonnaise and served in a buttery roll – while overlooking the water, or a bowl of creamy New England clam chowder, crammed full of clams, potatoes and onions. Wild Maine blueberries make the perfect filling for blueberry pie.

This is a region defined by its contrasts: rocky shorelines meet dense forests, and historic towns blend with modern cities. From the Atlantic Ocean’s changing tides to the quiet beauty of the rolling hills, the Northeast offers a mix of natural and cultural landscapes that have been shaped by centuries of history.

Massachusetts

Seafood-rich dishes steal the limelight in Massachusetts, with clam chowder a favourite here too.

If you can, try a traditional lobster bake, which sees lobster, clams, corn on the cob and potatoes steamed together – traditionally, this was done over seaweed to give it a salty flavour. For dessert, enjoy Boston cream pie, a sponge cake filled with vanilla custard and topped with chocolate glaze.

Vermont

Vermont’s beautiful maple trees make the state a fabulous place to sample maple syrup, and you’ll want to start your day with anything you can douse in it –particularly pancakes. Or try it for dessert in a maple creemee, a soft-serve ice cream that’s flavoured with the syrup. Another local product is Vermont cheddar cheese; sharp and tangy, it’s often paired with apple pie for a classic New England experience.

Photos: Visit Maine, Dreamstime

New York

New York State’s food scene is as iconic as the sights of NYC itself. Arguably the state’s most famous dish of all is Buffalo’s famous chicken wings. In the Big Apple, don’t miss the quintessential New York breakfast of bagels with lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese, balanced out with capers and onions, or New Yorkstyle pizza, with its thin, crispy crust.

New Hampshire

Seasonal ingredients lie at the heart of New Hampshire’s food. Experience this for yourself with apple cider doughnuts, an autumn favourite made with freshly pressed cider and coated in cinnamon sugar. As elsewhere in New England, seafood and clam chowder reign supreme, while maple pecan pie provides an opportunity to try the state’s maple syrup in another form, adding a rich, sweet flavour to a classic pie.

New Jersey

A breakfast staple here is a Taylor pork roll, usually served as a sandwich with egg and cheese, or the Trenton speciality tomato pie, which is similar to pizza but has tomato sauce on top of the cheese, giving it a unique texture. Don’t forget to check out disco fries while you’re here – a Jersey diner classic of French fries topped with melted cheese and gravy.

Rhode Island

As with elsewhere in New England, food in the smallest state is heavily influenced by its coastal position. Clam cakes, deep-fried balls of dough studded with chopped clams, are often served with Rhode Island clam chowder, which, unlike in other regions, has a clear broth. On menus, you’ll also see large quahog clams stuffed with breadcrumbs, chopped clams, herbs and spices, and baked until golden.

Pennsylvania

Whatever you do, don’t miss the world-famous Philly cheesesteak, a sandwich made with thinly sliced beef, melted cheese and sautéed onions, served on a hoagie roll (a long roll). Other Pennsylvanian delicacies reflect the cultures of the settlers and immigrants who made this region their home, including pierogies, dumplings filled with potatoes, cheese or meat, and shoofly pie, a Pennsylvania Dutch speciality with a crumbly topping.

Connecticut

Don’t miss out on New Haven-style pizza – known as ‘apizza’ – with its thin, crispy crust and coal-fired oven char. It’s also hard to beat sampling a warm, buttery lobster roll (or two) by the sea, filled with chunks of tender, locally caught lobster meat. Another popular speciality is the steamed cheeseburger, which sees the meat and cheese steamed, creating a really juicy burger.

South

The distinctive landscapes of the South – coastal plains, bayous and mountain ranges – is complimented by its deeprooted cultural heritage. Music and food are central to life here, contributing to a sense of connection to the land’s history and traditions.

Florida

First on your list should be a Cuban sandwich, crammed full with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, and reflecting the strong Cuban influence here. Also look out for a grouper sandwich, making use of the catch of the day from the abundant Floridian waters. For dessert, nothing beats a slice of Key lime pie, made from the native Florida Keys citrus fruit.

Tennessee

You can’t head to the South without sampling fried chicken, and Tennessee is no exception. Don’t miss Nashville hot chicken – spicy fried chicken on white bread, with pickles to help cool the heat. Then there’s the slow-cooked perfection of Memphis BBQ, where tender, smoked ribs are the highlight. Cornbread often accompanies meals.

Oklahoma

Midwestern, Southern and Native American flavours combine in the Sooner State. Be sure to try grape dumplings, a traditional Native American dessert of soft, doughy dumplings flavoured by and cooked in grape juice, often served warm. Other popular Oklahoma dishes include fried okra, usually served as a side dish, and chicken fried steak – breaded and fried chicken cutlet with creamy gravy.

Louisiana

Blending Creole and Cajun flavours, Louisiana food packs a tremendous punch. Two favourites are served over rice: the stew-like gumbo, usually made with seafood, sausage and okra, and crawfish étouffée. In New Orleans, don’t miss beignets – deep-fried dough dusted with icing sugar, and perfect washed down with a cup of chicory coffee.

Mississippi

Mississippi’s culinary heritage is rich in Southern flavours, not least in the classic dish of fried catfish, often served with hush puppies and coleslaw. Biscuits and gravy is another classic – fluffy biscuits (not dissimilar to scones) are smothered in a peppery sausage gravy. A truly decadent dessert is Mississippi mud pie, made up of layers of chocolate, coffee and cream on a crumbly cookie crust.

Virginia

Look out for Virginia ham; salty and dry-cured, this speciality is often served for breakfast with eggs or on biscuits. Tomato-based Brunswick Stew is packed with vegetables and beans, and though it is traditionally made with squirrel, these days you’ll most likely see it made with chicken. Satisfy your dessert cravings with sweet and salty peanut pie.

Texas

The Lone Star State is synonymous with bold flavours and big portions. Slow-smoked Texas brisket is a tender cut of beef often served with tangy BBQ sauce and sides like potato salad, baked beans and macaroni and cheese. Mexican recipes combine with American influences in Tex-Mex cuisine, with ingredients like melted cheese, chilli peppers and flour tortillas.

West Virginia

Comfort food and home-grown produce play a big part in this landlocked state’s food. Be sure to try a pepperoni roll, which has its origins in West Virginia’s coal-mining communities: a soft roll, stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, and sometimes sauce. You’ll also see ramps on many menus – wild leeks, celebrated for their pungent flavour, sautéed with potatoes or scrambled into eggs.

Kentucky

Needless to say, no visit to Kentucky is complete without sampling fried chicken, with its blend of herbs and spices and crispy, golden batter. Other highlights include hot browns, an open sandwich of turkey, bacon and tomato, smothered in a cheesy bechamel sauce before being put under a grill. Synonymous with the famous Kentucky Derby is Derby pie, a decadent and gooey chocolate and walnut tart.

Delaware

Delaware’s culinary offerings are rich in tradition and flavour. Rooted in the state’s German settlers is scrapple, a savoury breakfast dish made from pork scraps, cornmeal and spices, which is often served fried. Another hearty, comforting dish is chicken and slippery dumplings in which the flat, noodle-like dumplings swim in a rich chicken stew.

Alabama

Savour the taste of Southern comfort food with fried green tomatoes, in which tart green tomatoes are sliced, battered and fried to crispy perfection. They’re especially delicious paired with chicken with white BBQ sauce, a tangy, mayonnaise-based sauce. Finish off with banana pudding, a classic dessert featuring layers of fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, custard and meringue.

Arkansas

One staple of this Southern state is fried catfish, served crispy with a side of hushpuppies – deep-fried balls of cornmeal. Possum pie has nothing to do with marsupials but is a layered dessert made with cream cheese, chocolate pudding (a bit like a chocolate custard) and whipped cream in a pecan shortbread crust.

North Carolina

The state is famous for its two styles of BBQ: Eastern-style, which uses the whole hog and a vinegarbased sauce, and Lexington-style, which focuses on pork shoulder with a vinegar and tomato-based sauce. While you’re here, look out for Cheerwine: a cherryflavoured soft drink that originated in Salisbury and is often enjoyed alongside BBQ.

Maryland

Crabs are the main focus for many dishes in this east-coast state. In Maryland crab soup, the shellfish is combined with vegetables and a tomato base, while crab cakes are made using sturdy lump crab meat and minimal other elements, allowing the crab flavour to shine through. Finish off with Smith Island cake, made from thin layers of cake and chocolate or caramel frosting.

Georgia

Be sure to try shrimp and grits – a cornmeal porridge topped with succulent prawns. Sweet treats abound, not least in pecan pie: the state’s famous nuts are combined with vanilla, eggs, butter and corn syrup and encased in buttery pastry. Georgia’s peaches are widely considered the best in the country; in season (May to September), try them in a cobbler.

South Carolina

A Charleston favourite is she-crab soup – a creamy, bisque-like soup made with crab meat, crab roe, cream and sherry. Shrimp (prawns) play a large role in many dishes here, with the best served almost straight out of the Atlantic. Try them in shrimp and grits, or combined with spices and sausage. Hummingbird cake is filled with bananas, pineapple and pecans, and topped with cream cheese frosting.

Midwest

Michigan

Michigan’s cuisine is a reflection of its diverse cultural influences. Greek and Macedonian immigrants brought the iconic Coney dog – a hot dog topped with beef chilli, mustard and onions – while Cornish miners introduced pasties, which are especially popular in the Upper Peninsula. The state has long been celebrated for its cherries, which are known for their tartness.

Wide, open skies, expansive plains and fertile farmland – as well as the long shorelines of the Great Lakes – characterise this inland region. The Midwest’s rich soil is one reason why agriculture has long flourished here, and its food and culture have been shaped by immigrant and Native American communities.

Ohio

Don’t miss Cincinnati chilli. Flavoured with spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice and cocoa, it’s served over spaghetti or hot dogs and layered in what is known as “Ways” –the 3-Way is served over spaghetti and topped with cheese, while the 5-Way also has kidney beans and onions.

Missouri

Missouri’s food blends hearty Midwest and Southern influences. A St Louis speciality is toasted ravioli – stuffed pasta is breaded and fried before being served with marinara sauce. Don’t miss a Kansas City-style BBQ, famous for its slowsmoked meats and tangy-sweet tomatobased sauce; burnt ends are always a favourite. Another St Louis treat is gooey butter cake, with its custard-like topping.

South Dakota

Look out for Native American dishes in this Midwestern state, especially fry bread – crispy, deep-fried dough that’s often used as a base for tacos or served with honey, icing sugar or wojapi – a dip made from berries. Arguably the state’s most iconic dish is chislic – deep-fried cubes of meat (often lamb, beef or even venison) served with a side of garlic salt, which you’ll find across South Dakota.

Wisconsin

Sample cheese curds for a taste of Wisconsin’s celebrated dairy produce. Famously squeaky, these fresh cheese pieces have a springy texture and often appear on menus breaded and fried. German ancestry is common in Wisconsin and can be seen in Germaninspired bratwurst sausage. Wisconsin State Fair (August) is synonymous with cream puffs, a pastry filled with sweet cream.

Indiana

The Midwest influence on Indiana’s cuisine is particularly apparent in a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, in which a large, breaded and fried pork cutlet is served in a bun that is often too small for it. Other local favourites include fried biscuits and apple butter, and sugar cream pie – made with all the ingredients its name suggests, plus a dash of nutmeg, it’s simple but decadent.

Iowa

The state’s farming culture is celebrated in its food, not least in a Maid-Rite (or loose-meat) sandwich. A classic diner dish, seasoned, minced beef is served in a bun and usually topped with mustard, ketchup and pickles. In summer, try Iowa sweetcorn, usually boiled or gilled and simply served with butter. Dutch apple pie, topped with a crumbly streusel, is the perfect way to round off a meal.

Minnesota

Minnesota’s hearty dishes reflect the state’s Scandinavian roots and love of comfort food. For many, this is encapsulated by a Juicy Lucy – a cheese-stuffed burger that oozes melted cheese with every bite. Another must try is wild rice soup, in which native wild rice is served in a creamy broth. Rhubarb is abundant here, and pies are the best way to sample this tangy crop.

Nebraska

Beef is big business in this Midwestern state, which has a reputation for its quality and flavour. Savour its taste in a steak or a hearty beef stew, or in runza, a baked pastry filled with minced beef, cabbage and onions, introduced by the state’s German-Russian immigrants. For dessert, try kolaches, a sweet pastry with a fruit or cream cheese filling.

North Dakota

Heavily influenced by the Scandinavian and German heritage of many of its settlers, North Dakota’s cuisine leans towards hearty, comforting dishes. Try creamy knoephla soup, made with dumplings, potatoes and chicken, and lefse, a traditional Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes, and often served with butter and sugar. For dessert, there’s kuchen, a German-inspired pastry with a custard or fruit filling.

Illinois

Don’t miss Chicago deep-dish pizza, a larger-than-usual pie with layers of cheese, sauce and toppings baked in a thick crust, or an Italian beef sandwich, often dipped in au jus and topped with spicy giardiniera (pickled vegetables). A Chicago-style hot dog is fully loaded, served in a poppy seed bun and topped with mustard, chopped onions, relish, pickle, tomato and pickled peppers.

Kansas

Hearty food is the order of the day in this Great Plains state. A BBQ speciality in Kansas City, burnt ends are tender but crispy, caramelised chunks of beef brisket. Rooted in the Volga German community is bierock, a pastry filled with minced beef, cabbage and onions. Finish off with Kansas dirt cake – layers of crushed Oreos, cream cheese and a vanilla custard.

West

California

The diversity of California’s landscapes is reflected in its cuisine, ranging from Baja-inspired fish tacos, topped with fresh salsa and creamy slaw, to avocado toast, usually garnished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and chilli flakes. While sourdough can be found pretty much everywhere now, you can’t miss out on trying the real deal in San Francisco – perfect with clam chowder.

Arguably some of the US’s most striking landscapes can be found here, including vast canyons, towering redwood forests and surreal, natural rock formations. The coast, too, plays a vital and varied role in the West, from classically beautiful beaches and sand dunes to sea stacks and vibrant old fishing towns.

New Mexico

Native American, Mexican and Spanish influences combine here. Among the most celebrated dishes is green chile stew, made with roasted hatch green chiles, pork and potatoes. Another local favourite is enchiladas with red or green chile – the tortillas are layered with cheese and then smothered in a rich, spicy sauce. For dessert, try biscochitos, an anise-flavoured cookie.

Montana

The rugged terrain of this state is often reflected in its food. Try a bison burger, which shows off this lean, flavourful meat and is often served with huckleberry BBQ sauce. Another dish to sample is a hearty elk stew, made with tender meat and root vegetables. With pristine rivers and lakes, Montana is also famous for freshly caught trout, often prepared grilled, smoked, or pan-fried.

Idaho

The landlocked state’s rich agricultural heritage is apparent throughout its food, not least in Idaho potato soup, which showcases its most famous crop. Idaho’s signature dish is arguably finger steaks – strips of deep-fried, battered beef steak. Huckleberries (called bilberries elsewhere) thrive on the state’s mountains; try them in a slice of sweet, tart huckleberry pie in late summer.

Utah

Comfort food reigns supreme in Utah. Don’t be put off by the dour name of funeral potatoes – often served at family gatherings and potlucks, it’s a deliciously cheesy and creamy potato casserole. A mix of ketchup and mayonnaise, fry sauce is perfect for dipping fries in or spreading on burgers. At drive-through soda shops, fizzy drinks are served with extras like cream and flavoured syrups.

Nevada

The classic shrimp (prawn) cocktail was made famous by Las Vegas casinos, featuring large prawns served in a tangy sauce. In northern Nevada, sample the regional speciality of Basque cuisine, with dishes like a hearty oxtail stew pairing beautifully with red wine. Las Vegas is the place for dessert, where you can sample a huge variety of tempting sweets in a buffet, from cheesecake to chocolate fountains.

Oregon

Cuisine in this Pacific Northwest state is heavily influenced by its diverse landscape and abundance of fresh, local ingredients. One delicacy is Dungeness crab, often steamed and served with melted butter; look out too for rockfish and albacore tuna. Keep your eyes open for marionberries, a kind of blackberry that has a sweet but tart flavour, which you can find in everything from pies to smoothies.

Arizona

The state’s rich Southwestern cuisine offers a melting pot of flavours, from chimichangas (a deep-fried burrito filled with meat, cheese and beans, often topped with salsa and guacamole) to Sonoran hot dogs, wrapped in bacon and loaded with beans, tomatoes, onions and jalapeños. Cool off from the desert heat with a refreshing bowl of prickly-pearflavoured sorbet.

Wyoming

This Western state’s cuisine reflects its name as the Cowboy State, not least in the likes of bison steak – a lean cut of meat, often served with a side of rich wild game sauce, made from the dripping and stock of elk, deer or bison. Wyoming’s many pristine rivers are home to trout, best served as trout almondine, where the freshly caught fish is sautéed with butter and almonds.

Colorado

The state’s appropriately rugged cuisine matches its mountainous terrain. If you’re feeling adventurous, kick off with a plate of Rocky Mountain oysters – contrary to their name, they’re in fact breaded and fried bull calf testicles. Those feeling a little less daring might prefer a bowl of green chile, a spicy stew made from roasted hatch green chillies, pork and tomatoes.

Washington

Farm-to-table experiences are a highlight of this Pacific Northwest state, often accompanied by fantastic local wines and beers. Inland, look for chanterelle mushrooms from the forests, while seafood is the main attraction on the coast. Sample cedar plank salmon, which gives the fish a smoky flavour and has its roots in Native American cooking techniques. In summer, try Rainer cherries, often for sale by the roadside.

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Pacific

The Pacific region covers two vastly different states: Alaska, with its icy fjords and vast wilderness, and Hawaii with its tropical ecosystems, volcanic islands and stunning beaches. In both, the connection between land and sea, for the people and the landscape, is intrinsic.

Alaska

Alaska’s cuisine is a celebration of the sea and the wilderness. Start with king crab legs, famous for their sweet, tender meat, which are best enjoyed dipped in melted butter, before moving on to wild-caught salmon, usually served grilled or smoked. Unsurprisingly, the dessert show-stopper is baked Alaska, which combines cake, ice cream and meringue, torched golden brown.

Hawai’i

The islands’ Pacific Ocean location is intrinsic to food here, combining with diverse cultural influences to create a vibrant cuisine. Arguably the most famous Hawaiian dish is poke, a raw fish salad typically seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and spring onions. Hearty comfort food can be found in loco moco, a dish of white rice topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg and gravy.

Hot wing history and artistry

One of the US’s most iconic dishes, Buffalo wings has a history weighted in the restaurants and cooking of the New York State town in which they were invented.

In July of 1857, the Clarendon Hotel in Buffalo, New York, served a main course that would eventually put this Rust Belt city on the culinary map. In serif font, between lamb chops in piquant sauce and stewed mutton with vegetables, was listed: “Chicken wings, fried”.

A year later, a “ragout of chicken’s wings” recipe was recorded in The Modern Cook by Charles E Francatelli, which advised covering wings in a creamy lemon sauce. Another recipe, published in an 1894 Buffalo newspaper, directed home chefs to place cooked wings on top of pureed peas. One thing is clear: at this time, Buffalo wings were a far cry from the heat-packed dish they are today.

In the following century, however, Buffalo wings still didn’t look like the kind you see on Super Bowl Sunday commercials. Instead of being made with butter and Frank’s RedHot sauce, they were breaded, fried and tossed in tomato-heavy mumbo sauce – a sweet-and-tangy sauce hailing from Chicago and Washington, D.C. that resembles BBQ sauce in texture and taste. These wings were whole, meaning that they were not separated into flats and drums before cooking; a preparation that can be traced back to Black restaurateur John Young, who in the 1960s owned and operated a spot called Wings ’n Things in the Fruit Belt neighbourhood of Buffalo’s East Side (1313 Jefferson Avenue, to be exact). Young had been inspired to specialise in wings after hearing about a thriving D.C. restaurant that had done the same.

The 1960s were rocked by race riots across American cities; Buffalo was no different and experienced several throughout the summer of 1967. The Queen City’s atmosphere was tense and Young decided to leave Buffalo in 1970 for Illinois. When he returned to Buffalo in 1980, he realized that “everybody started [making] chicken wings” in his absence, as he said in an interview with The New Yorker that same year. Young wasn’t mad, but instead happy to see others find success with their spinoffs. He also acknowledged that Teressa Bellissimo of Buffalo’s Anchor Bar was the first person to cut Buffalo wings into drums and flats. Bellissimo complemented her wings with blue-cheese dressing, which remains Buffalo denizens’ pairing preference to this day.  Wings ’n Things no longer exists. But Young’s daughter, Lina Brown-Young, continues to make wings in her father’s footsteps

Lina Brown-Young continues to make wings in her father’s footsteps at the East Side’s historic Broadway market.

at the East Side’s historic Broadway Market. She bottles and sells her father’s signature mumbo sauce too, available in select shops and online.

Many restaurants in Buffalo make wings in the aforementioned butter-and-hot-sauce style, which is still damn delicious in its own right. Of note is Bar-Bill Tavern in the nearby village of East Aurora, New York – a favourite of Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen – as well as Gabriel’s Gate in the heart of Buffalo’s historic Allentown district.

This spread from top right: Wings with John Young’s Original Spicy Mumbo Sauce; John Young; The oldest known menu from Buffalo to feature chicken wings from The Clarendon Hotel; Anchor Bar; Diners enjoying wings inside Anchor Bar.

GETTING THERE Flights from the UK to Buffalo Niagara International Airport usually involve a connection in New York City or Chicago.

GETTING AROUND The NFTA offers buses and a metro rail into the heart of downtown Buffalo.

BEST TIME TO GO September to February if you want to experience the excitement of football season.

FURTHER INFORMATION visitbuffaloniagara.com

Words: Alana Pedalino Photos: Dreamstime, John Young’s Original/Nathan Peracciny

Rico’s

Puerto Growing for resistance: army

of farmers

Words: Robyn Wilson

Puerto Rico’s varied landscape and tropical climate have given

rise to a thriving and sustainable agricultural industry

The rich smell of melted chocolate scents the air along Ruiz Belvis, an unassuming slip of a street in Puerto Rico’s western city of Caguas. It’s a strong indication you’ve reached Montadero Chocolate, a small bean-to-bar chocolate factory nestled in the city, which is known as one of the island’s commercial hubs.

Through its doorway, machines churn vats of the liquid confectionary, while employees carefully hand paint bonbons infused with local flavours like vanilla, coffee and passionfruit.

Using cacao beans grown only from Puerto Rican farms, Montadero Chocolate prides itself as being a ‘single origin’ chocolatier and one of a growing number of sustainable businesses and farms on the island that are opening their doors to foodies keen to experience their produce firsthand.

“Every Saturday, we have workshops for customers, so they can learn about the history of chocolate [on the island], the process and the quality,” says Germán Ramos, Montadero Chocolate founder, who refined his Grandma Mita’s family chocolate recipe into what the company uses today.

“They’ll learn about the difference in flavours between high-quality cacao and low-quality cacao, tasting from the fruit to the end product, and then they’ll make three chocolate bars with [whichever flavours] they want.”

A trip to the cacao-bean farms can also be arranged (although this must be done directly with the farmers), to meet the growers and see where Montadero Chocolate sources its cacao beans.

Central to the business is the mutually beneficial relationships with the farmers, explains Germán. He pays them higher wages (as part of Montadero Chocolate’s fair-trade rules) and upskills them around techniques in the fermentation process of

Opposite page: A treelined

This page: Montadero Chocolate creates artisanal bonbons and bars made with cacao sourced directly from Puerto Rican growers.

Previous spread, left to right: Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan; View of the lush hills of Salinas.

street in San Juan.

the cacao, while in return getting greater control over the quality of the beans he receives.

“The fermentation is one of the most important processes in the cacao industry because badly fermented beans will end up tasting like soil or wet wood,” says Germán. “High-quality fermented beans will always taste like coffee, wine, berries, nuts. These are the flavours we like in high-quality chocolate.”

This interconnectivity with farmers can be seen all over the island. Sparked by an economic downturn in 2006, a worker’s movement sought to give locals more control over the economy. Then, in 2017, the devastation brought by Hurricane Maria amplified the economic challenges faced by the island. With around 85% of its food imported and the storm reaping havoc on its ports, it became critical to develop more resilient food chains.

Leading the charge was Frutos del Guacabo, an agrotourism farm in the north of Puerto Rico that today runs tours and sensory culinary experiences for tourists throughout the year.

Set up by Efrén Robles and his wife Angelie Martinez in 2010, the farm is part of a network of 50 farms that supply over 200 restaurants and hotels on the island with fresh, local produce that flexes with the varying needs of chefs and their menus.

Frutos del Guacabo also acts as a test bed to grow new produce, the learnings for which they share among the network to enable others to grow and scale up their own production.

“Part of our project is to minimise that consumption [of imported food] and promote more local and sustainable production on the island, but our farm does multiple things,” says Efrén.

“We do a lot of workshops with chefs who might bring their team to the farm to develop new dishes. Or we run tours, where tourists could be here for three

“We work long hours but it’s in a family environment. It’s grown organically over time and we’ve fallen in love with it.”

hours to smell, eat and learn about the different produce we grow to understand how and why we are growing these ingredients.”

Also home to a herd of inquisitive goats, Frutos del Guacabo runs cheesemaking workshops headed up by one of Efrén’s sons, Adrian. In effect, the whole operation is a family affair.

“It’s my favourite thing about the farm, bonding with my family,” says Efrén, whose other son Jezmuel is also involved in the farm. “We work long hours but it’s in a family environment. It’s grown organically over time, and we’ve just fallen in love with it.”

Other farms, where tourists are encouraged to interact with the produce and the culinary process, have also set up on the island, like Crystal Díaz’s El

Pretexto – Puerto Rico’s first culinary lodge. Here there is a similar desire to reduce the island’s reliance on imports at the same time as connecting with guests through a love and fascination of food.

“At university, my final dissertation was about the transformation of Puerto Rico’s food system through technology and self-management and community-level projects,” says Crystal. “That started a question spiralling. I’d always loved food but at this point I started to wonder why we were importing so much and wanted to understand the historical, economic and political reasons for this.”

In the months that followed, Crystal took farming classes and eventually bought a plot of land in Puerto Rico’s mountainous region of Cayey, with a vision to build a farm-to-table concept

Photos: Frutos Del Guacabo

lodge. That same year, she and three other founders set up an app that connected local businesses with farmers to give them better access to local produce across the island.

“I wanted to work as a little lab to demonstrate that Puerto Rico could go back to [low levels of imported food] that we had 60 years ago,” she says.

Today, guests can make reservations to either stay at the lodge or join one of their farm-to-table experiences or pop-up dinners, although she’s clear El Pretexto is not a restaurant.

“This is my home, so I didn’t want that restaurant lifestyle. I want to cater for people who really appreciate what we’re trying to do, who understand that it takes time to grow food [and] cook slower.”

Travel to the centre of the island in the winding mountains of Jayuya and this agrotourism trend continues at Hacienda

San Pedro – a fourth-generational artisan coffee plantation, with a shop and museum on site (as well as other coffee shops located in the capital, San Juan).

Visitors can venture up here to see how their Arabica coffee is grown and to learn

10 UNMISSABLE EXPERIENCES IN PUERTO RICO

Explore Puerto Rico's wonders: beaches, history, nature, flavours, and adventure!

1. Mosquito Bay

Kayak through the glowing waters of Mosquito Bay, the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.

2. Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Visit Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a centuries-old fortress with incredible ocean views.

3. Flamenco Beach

Relax on Flamenco Beach, famous for its soft white sand and turquoise water and voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

4. Coffee Plantations

Tour the coffee plantations in the central mountains for a closer look at the island’s coffee-making traditions.

5. Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park

Discover ancient petroglyphs at Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park in Utuado.

6. Guanica Forests

Hike through the dry forests of Guanica to encounter rare flora and fauna.

7. Street Food in Luquillo

Try local flavours at roadside kiosks in Luquillo for a fabulous culinary experience.

8. Camuy River Cave Park

Experience the natural beauty of Camuy River Cave Park, one of the largest cave systems in the Western Hemisphere.

9. San Juan

Walk the historic streets of Old San Juan and admire its attractive colonial architecture.

10. Culebra

This spread: Agrotourism Farm Frutos Del Guacabo in the North of Puerto Rico supplies restaurants and hotels on the island with fresh, local produce as well as running workshops with chefs and food tours for tourists.

Snorkel or dive off the coast of Culebra to see the abundant marine life.

about the crops that Hacienda San Pedro Coffee Shop owner, Rebecca Atienza, used to play among as a child.

“My family house was in the middle of the coffee plantation, so I remember waking up in the morning and seeing coffee flowers blooming. The farm was all white, with this [jasmine-like] smell. It’s a beautiful place with lots of mountains and trees. It’s very relaxing.”

Rebecca says her father Roberto was the first to build a shop inside the farm so customers touring the plantation could finish up with a cup of coffee and learn about their family history of growing the beans – which is not without its challenges.

Recent shortages in labour have meant the team have not been able to pick all of the crop but Rebecca says that through connection with local farmers they have still been able to keep up production.

“We have lost a lot of the coffee this month but at the same time, we have the opportunity to buy coffee from farmers nearby with a similar altitude and soil, which means we can still control the quality.”

There is a strong case to make that understanding where and how our food is sourced can help people make sustainable choices that are good for small farmers, while being equally good for the planet.

Efrén agrees that understanding these networks and where ingredients have come from is interconnected with the agrotourism and farm-table movements.

“It’s important that people get engaged in the food chain,” he says. “To get them outside to understand what is happening on a daily basis using the power of food.”

GETTING THERE  Jet Blue fly from London to San Juan, with a change at New York or Boston.

GETTING AROUND If you’re looking to explore the island outside San Juan, the easiest way is to hire a car. Public transport is available but limited. Commuter flights and ferries will get you out to its other islands like Vieques or Culebra.

BEST TIME TO GO  One of the most popular times to visit Puerto Rico is between December and January for its carnivals, though prices are higher. Consider April and May for milder temperatures and fewer crowds. Note that peak hurricane season is between August and October.

W HERE TO EAT  Be sure to indulge in Puerto Rico’s delicious street food in places like Piñones (to the north of the island) or Luquillo (to the east), which are known for their local food and kiosks. For something a little more upmarket, head to the multi-award-winning 1919 Restaurant in San Juan. Don’t miss a trip to the ‘Pork Highway’ near Cayey for a taste of Puerto Rico’s famous lechón – whole spit-roast pig cooked by family-run vendors.

Opposite page: Crystal Díaz, owner of Puerto Rico’s first culinary lodge, El Pretexto, in Cayey offers farm-to-table experiences and pop-up dinners.

This page: In the centre of the island in the winding mountains of Jayuya, fourthgenerational Hacienda San Pedro Coffee grows its Arabica coffee which can be tasted and purchased in a shop and museum on-site.

W HERE TO STAY  El Pretexto’s eco-lodge (elpretextopr.com) has four villas, two with one bedroom and two with two bedrooms. Boutique Hotel El Convento (elconvento. com) is one of the most historic hotels in Old San Juan. Family-owned paradores and small inns offer a more local and intimate vibe and are dotted around the island; you can find a directory of these on the website below.

FURTHER INFORMATION

discoverpuertorico.com

Grapes&Gastronomy

Far from the Pacific Coast, Washington State’s eastern side is an agricultural idyll. From vineyards to trail feasts, get your fill on a gastronomic road trip through the arid interior.

“He-eey boss!” Justin Owens yodels, his booming call rolling down the darkening hills ahead. It’s sunset, and the sky is luxuriating in a last few dusky minutes of burnished red, mirroring the maple foliage I passed on the drive up to this hillside. A low, reverberating moo echoes from the gloom, then another – the herd has clocked their farmer’s call, and they’re on the move.

I’m at Owens Farms, a family-owned cattle ranch just outside Spokane in Washington State, about to enjoy a multicourse meal beneath the stars. Hickory wood smoke flavours the crisp autumn evening air – Chef Chad White, of Top Chef fame, is cooking over the open fire grate – and I’m sipping a crisp Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine supplied by local winemaker, Liberty Lake Wine Cellars. Only a thin wire fence separates us from Owens’ curious Piedmontese cattle, whose ruby-stained mouths hint at their own recent feast on grape pomace, a winemaking byproduct. Tonight, Chad

is bringing his nationwide ‘Trail Feasts’ dining experience back to his home state, cooking up a menu packed with the breed’s lean beef, as well as foraged and locally grown produce, in a pop-up, off-grid kitchen on a hillside in rural eastern Washington.

Think Washington, and mountains will crowd your mind: snow-capped Rainer and pine-jostled Mount Baker. Seattle might crop up, perhaps Meg Ryan’s knitwear and modern-day vampires. Perhaps, too, Starbucks, Amazon and Kurt Cobain.

But there is another side to the moody, evergreen state. Hit the I-90, cruise through the raincloud-snagging peaks of the Cascade Mountains, across the Snoqualmie Pass, and the climate shifts. The forests of hemlock, fir and cedar thin, then vanish, replaced by a low sagebrush scrub. The knife-edge peaks of mountains fade into the distant horizon as arid undulations and sudden canyon drops come to the fore. Green

Previous spread, left to right: Ripe grapes in Walla Walla; A vineyard in Yakima, wine country.

This page: Arial view of River Canyon in Palouse, Eastern Washington.

Opposite page: Chef Chad White preparing his Trail Feast.

This inland region is semi-arid, sunny and dry. It’s perfect conditions for growing just about anything, but particularly grapes

shifts to sepia hues. Protected from the wet weather of the Pacific Coast by the battalion of mountains to the west, this inland region is semi-arid, sunny and dry. It’s perfect conditions for growing just about anything, but particularly grapes.

My journey through eastern Washington is a food-and-wine-fuelled road trip, heading east from the rocky Yakima Valley, through Walla Walla’s historic vines and finally into the wheatfields that fringe the Idaho border towards Spokane, the state’s secondlargest city. Justin Owens, an eighthgeneration cattle rancher, is just one of many independent producers trying to entice travellers over the Cascades into the state’s rural heart.

Variety is eastern Washington’s forte: amid the vast patchwork of fields throughout the region, I spot apple orchards, wheat fields, lentil crops and lavender rows. Between towns, vast cereal fields stretch unbroken into the distance, serviced by huge, bug-like combine harvesters. But mostly, I see vineyards.

Once centred around the town of Walla Walla and dominated by a few big names, the wine industry now spans the state

There are 21 grape-growing regions in Washington alone, making this America’s second-largest area for wine production after California. Totting up to nearly 25 hectares, the viticulture zone east of the Cascades stretches from Lake Chelan in the north down to the Columbia Gorge and Walla Walla in the south. With latitudes matching Europe’s renowned Burgundy and Rhône Valley, this region produces everything from bold, rowdy reds to light, crisp whites. Once centred around the town of Walla Walla and dominated by a few big names, the wine industry now spans the state, with small,

independent vineyards increasingly making their mark. Take Zillah in the Yakima Valley, sat about an hour from the Washington-Oregon state line: the agricultural town has a population of just 3,000 but is home to 17 winemakers.

“A really cool thing about Zillah, and about the Yakima Valley, is that there are so many wineries in this area,” says Matthew Rawn, standing in front of a crushing pad at Two Mountain Winery, which he owns with his brother. “Zillah has an inordinate amount of estategrowing wineries.”

Matthew, a baseball-capped Kevin Costner look-alike, is explaining the crushing and fermentation process of winemaking. I’m on part two of a threepart harvesting experience in the small town, which is home to over 20 wineries, most of which have tasting rooms located within their own vineyards. Already, I’ve

Photos: Two Mountain Winery, Greg Balkin/State of Washington Tourism, Craft Beverage Yakima

This page clockwise from top: Two Mountain Winery, a family-owned, small-production winery, offers premium estate-grown wines from Yakima Valley; Seasonal dishes with local fresh ingredients at Crafted in Yakima; Single Hill Brewing in downtown Yakima; The Tasting Room at Two Mountain Winery. Opposite page: Palouse Falls State Park Overlook.

tasted fresh grapes straight off the vine with the team at the nearby Dineen Vineyards, who instructed us on how to measure sugar levels in ripe grapes –either using a refractometer instrument or by keeping an eye on how many grapes the birds are scrumping. We’d slurped their Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, gazing out at the hazy coils of the Rattlesnake Hills.

Now, at Two Mountain Winery down the road, Matthew is pressing start on the crush pad, sending jewel-like grapes hurling into a drum to be grated and spat out. Later, at VanArnam Vineyards, winemaker and owner Branden Seymour has us taste-testing funky, sour fermenting fruits alongside barrel-held vintages halfway through their barrel rest. It’s a mark of the ethos that permeates this winemaking community that these three winemakers not only share an audience during this harvest experience, but also picking crews and machinery throughout the year. They mention each other as old friends, not competitors. This is historic land: plateau tribes, including the Spokane and Palouse, have lived in the region for thousands of years. The Lewis and Clark Expedition made their way through areas of what is now eastern Washington in 1805. The region was part of the Oregon Territory from

1848; ghostly dips of old wheel ruts are still held by the landscapes of the Walla Walla Valley. Geographical shifts have altered the land, too: in Yakima County, travellers can hike beneath upright basalt pillars and curving andesite bulges along the community-owned Cowiche Canyon Trail. The Ice Age Missoula Floods that scoured out those cliffs also left silt loam soil deposits across the region, creating ideal conditions for growing grapes.

It’s not all about wine here, though: where grapes grow, so do other crops. About 75 per cent of America’s hop harvest is grown in the Yakima Valley. At the heart of the state, a dozen craft brewers call the sun-burnished streets of Yakima, and its surrounding area, home, including award-winning names like Silent Hill Brewing. At Crafted in town, twice James Beard-nominated chef Dan Koommoo plates up seasonal local produce gathered within a 100-mile radius of downtown Yakima.

A flavour of that agricultural bounty is showcased at the state’s local fruit stands. Ranging from lone grafters selling honey crisp apples out the back of pickup trucks to vast places like Thorp Fruit and Antique Mall, these snack stops have offered locally produced, on-the-go food for generations. Opened in 1944 and still run by the same family, the rustic shelving

1. Salish Lodge, Snoqualmie Named 2024’s #1 Best Resort in the West by Travel+Leisure, this lodge offers unparalleled luxury and scenic views. salishlodge.com

2. The Lodge at St. Edward Park, Kenmore Michelin Key award winner that blends historic charm with modern amenities in a serene natural setting. thelodgeatstedward.com

3. Willow’s Lodge, Woodinville A Pacific Northwest oasis offering cosy luxury, exceptional dining and access to Woodinville’s best wineries. willowslodge.com

4. The Marcus Whitman, Walla Walla

A grand historic hotel offering refined hospitality, farm-to-table cuisine and rich wine country experiences. marcuswhitmanhotel.com

5. Historic Davenport Hotel, Spokane Experience timeless elegance in downtown Spokane, with luxurious rooms, stunning architecture and exceptional service. davenporthotelcollection.com

at Thorp is packed with beef jerky, peanut-flavoured popcorn, marionberry jams and freshly picked fruits. A highlight are the crates full of individually wrapped saltwater taffy sweets. Upstairs, wrinkled leather cowboy boots sit cheek-by-jowl with dime Western novels in an eccentric antiques department.

En route to Walla Walla, I pass generously named towns like Sunnyside, Grandview and Liberty. Travellers can stop off at Frog Hollow Farm, just outside the city, for lunch. The picturesque pick-your-own spot – complete with cherry-red traditional barn and pettable goats – has been run by Jeff and Amy

Dietrich for over 20 years, providing heirloom produce to the public and local restaurants. Amy, decked out in blue overalls, takes me on a quick tour.

“The plot started as a 60 by 60 space,” she says. “As the local food scene grew, so did we.” In early autumn, the cutflower harvest is in full bloom: rows of brilliantly coloured dahlia blooms and scarlet marigolds dance merrily above mountainous piles of gourds and pumpkins.

Walla Walla’s vineyards, located south of the historic college town, are hugged by the Blue Mountains and the Washington-Oregon state line. These idyllic orchard lands are best explored via the quiet rural roads running through them on an e-bike adventure. Kickstand Tours offers day-long dandies through the wine region, soundtracked by upbeat ’80s hits pumping from a speaker lashed to owner Andy Zissermann’s bike. You’ll

page: A table

This page from top right: Crushing grapes in Walla Walla Spring Valley Vineyard, Walla Walla Vineyard; Checking the vines.

Opposite

set for Trail Feast in Spokane.

stop off at three wineries, which might include the Spanish-owned, ultramodern Valdemar Estates, the organically farmed Grosgrain Vineyards, and the historic L’Ecole No.41, located within a stately looking old schoolhouse.

After whizzing through the winelands on two wheels, I leave the pastoral behind and head north to Spokane. Built around a wide, rocky cascade of falls that flows through the city centre, Spokane was one of the first trading posts in the state. It’s retained a small-town feel, boasting easy access to nature both in town and on its outskirts, where the Idaho-Washington border sits. There are wine-tasting rooms here, too – try Barrister’s for a trip down an old-school elevator to the cellar to see the barrels regularly shaken by the trains rolling past on the nearby rail tracks.

It’s near Spokane that, if travellers are lucky, they might find a Trail Feast event

DON’T MISS...

Washington State is bursting with experiences you simply can’t skip. From the iconic Space Needle to world-class wine country and magical nights under the stars, don’t miss these unforgettable stops.

1. Seattle’s Space Needle

Explore the city and soar to the top of this iconic landmark for breathtaking panoramas of the Emerald City and beyond.

2. Pike Place Market

Stroll through Seattle’s iconic marketplace, brimming with fresh seafood, local crafts and street performances.

3. Woodinville Wine Country Tastings

Sip exceptional wines at Chateau Ste. Michelle and other wineries with the hassle-free District Pass.

4. Eastern Washington Stargazing

Enjoy the wine country’s charm, then end your night under a dazzling starry sky.

5. Hike Mount Rainier’s Trails

Explore lush forests and alpine meadows while marvelling at the mighty peak’s snowy summit.

6. San Juan Islands

Spot orcas, kayak tranquil waters and enjoy a wild getaway in these breathtaking Pacific Northwest islands.

lining up with their journey, too. Not all of chef Chad White’s events take place on Owens Farms – so close encounters with cows aren’t guaranteed – but my evening under the stars gives a good sense of the experience he offers visitors to his neck of the woods.

“I love the outdoors,” says Chad, who lives just over the hills from where we’re eating. He tells me he wants to invoke the spirit of the Wild West by taking cooking back to its primary elements and bringing people into unknown locations.

“We give people coordinates and routes to get to them,” Chad says. “It’s often in the middle of the woods. It’s a lot of fun, it’s like ‘Hey, come find me in the woods and I’ll cook for you’.”

GETTING THERE British Airways flies direct from London Heathrow to Seattle Tacoma International Airport. From there, domestic flights to Spokane International Airport take an hour. The drive from Seattle is approximately four hours.

GETTING AROUND Driving remains the best way to explore eastern Washington. Several car-hire companies operate from locations adjacent to both Seattle and Spokane airports.

BEST TIME TO GO Eastern Washington is wonderful to visit year-round. But unless you are visiting for winter activities, visit in spring, summer and autumn when there is little rainfall, and days are sunny and warm.

W HERE TO EAT Don’t miss dining at Dan Koommoo’s farm-to-table restaurant Crafted (craftedyakima.com). Walla Walla’s Salted Mill (saltedmill.com) is another

Where possible, his menu is created using hyperlocal ingredients; for this evening’s meal, even the beef has eaten local. Everything the cows consume comes from a 30-mile radius around Owens Farms.

As we sit down to eat – beef tartare topped with a jerky-spiked tonnato, a golden beet salad, and a porterhouse brisket smoked over mesquite charcoal – the russet-hued hills fade into the darkness, and a white smudge appears high in the sky. It’s Comet TsuchinshanAtlas racing through the stars, making a once-in-80,000-year celestial fly-by of Washington State. “Cows and comets,” someone chuckles across the table. “That’s a Washington show alright.”

restaurant to watch – with a killer cocktail menu.

W HERE TO STAY Spend a night near Seattle at The Lodge at St. Edward Park (thelodgeatstedward.com), a former Catholic seminary transformed into a luxe lodge. Noma alumnus Luke Kolpin is at the helm of the restaurant. Eastern Washington boasts a number of granddame historic properties: Walla Walla’s thirteen-floor Marcus Whitman Hotel (marcuswhitmanhotel.com) is a historic, boutique stay, while The Historic Davenport in Spokane (davenporthotelcollection. com/the-historic-davenport-hotel), is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has retained much of its eccentric original interiors.

FURTHER INFORMATION stateofwatourism.com portseattle.org

Plenty

A long sweep of sand strewn with driftwood and staked out by soaring rock formations

Oregon’s wildly beautiful beaches are a wonderland for hikers, birders and surfers. But when the ocean tide ebbs, there’s a myriad of treasures to discover below the shoreline.

“I’m obsessed and enthralled with everything to do with our oceans,” says Alanna Kieffer, as she skips across the tumble of boulders shielding us from the foaming waves of the Pacific. A collector’s bag over her shoulder, she skilfully places her boots in the clear, dry spaces on the rocks, avoiding the slippery mats of seaweed, razor-sharp clusters of deep-blue mussels and clawing goose barnacles exposed by the receding tide. Bending down, she takes out a knife and carefully severs several samples of each bounty, adding them to her bag, before a wave snakes through and fizzes around our feet.

A drive through a misty forest of old-growth Sitka spruce, stalked by stately Roosevelt elk and gift-wrapped in velveteen moss, has led me to the wonderfully wild beaches of Ecola State Park in northern Oregon, home to eight miles of the Oregon Coast Trail. I meet Alanna on the headland above Indian Beach, a long sweep of sand strewn with driftwood and staked out by soaring rock formations standing sentinel amid the

breakers offshore. We’re here to discover the abundant seaweeds and weirdly wonderful creatures that dwell along the coast’s intertidal zone: the area where ocean meets land, concealed under water at high tide and exposed as the sea recedes.

Alanna is the founder of Shifting Tides, which offers foraging tours of the Oregon Coast. “I started the company with sustainability and education in mind, as a way to not only connect people to this nourishing place, but also the nourishing food it provides,” she says, as we walk along the beach under a bleached spring sky. “A key focus is how we can keep our environments healthy while feeding the bajillion people on the planet, and looking at how food systems can shift and be sustainable.”

Like many of the people I meet road trippin’ around Oregon, Alanna doesn’t hail from here, but the state’s spectacular Great Outdoors reeled her in, and the energy that comes from an active life immersed in nature emanates from every pore. Laid-back and bronzed, she’s

We’re here to discover the abundant seaweeds and weirdly wonderful creatures that dwell along the coast’s intertidal zone

strong and agile, with limbs toned from clambering over rocks and surfing rather than beating a treadmill, and a tumble of silky, salty hair that would put a mermaid to shame.

“I grew up in New York City and Pennsylvania, far away from the ocean, but I wanted to be a marine biologist from a very young age,” Alanna tells me as we skip the incoming waves rolling onto Indian Beach. “I wanted to study the ocean, so my family moved to the west coast when I was 15 and we fell in love with Oregon. I got a job as an

Previous spread, left to right: Indian Beach in northern Oregon; Alanna Kieffer. This page: Alanna Kieffer foraging. Opposite page, from the top: Cooking mussels and seaweed; An ocean-inspired feast.

but that forest continues far beyond the shoreline: there is a stunningly beautiful and vitally important forest out here that lots of people aren’t even thinking about.”

environmental educator for the Haystack Rock Awareness Program in Cannon Beach and never looked back.”

Alanna studied biology with a focus on marine science at Oregon State University, before teaching students about the ocean on Santa Catalina Island down the coast in California, where diving amid the kelp ignited her passion for the towering underwater forests that stretch along America’s Pacific coast. Returning to Oregon, Alanna made it her mission to protect this precious underwater environment, both for its beauty and benefits.

“The kelp forest is a hugely important ecosystem,” explains Alanna. “Lots of towns along the Oregon Coast claim to be ‘where the forest meets the sea’,

The fastest-growing plant in the ocean, giant kelp can shoot up to two feet in one day and reach heights of up to 175ft. Found in cool coastal waters, these “trees of the sea” form dense floating canopies on the surface of the water and provide a critical habitat for more than 700 marine species, including fish, sea anemones, starfish, sharks and seals. Kelp also plays a key role in protecting the coastline and regulating the climate, sequestering carbon up to 30 times faster than terrestrial forests.

“As Oregonians, we depend on the health of these waters for every aspect of our lives,” says Alanna. “Throughout the years, we’ve witnessed both positive and negative changes in our marine ecosystems, but there are lots of cool sustainability projects happening along the coast, and plenty of exciting ways to

interact with the ocean.”

Alongside educating residents and visitors about coastal habitats through Shifting Tides, Alanna is also co-founder of Oregon’s Winter Waters seaweedcentric food festival and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Oregon Seaweed, the largest land-based seaweed farm in the United States.

The edible Pacific dulse seaweed they produce is sold to shops and restaurants in Oregon and Seattle, shipped worldwide, and used by innovative chefs to make everything from soups to salad dressings and stir-fries. A staple in the diets of coastal and Indigenous communities from Ireland to Scandinavia and the US for centuries, this nutrient-rich sea vegetable was historically used for cooking and as a medicine for digestive and thyroid health. Oregon Seaweed is now introducing the benefits of the marine algae to a new generation of eco-conscious consumers.

“Growing and eating Pacific dulse is another way for us to connect with our coastal waters, while contributing to its health in a positive way,” says Alanna as she sets up a camping stove back at the headland and fries up a little of the lacy, deep red dulse from the farm, along with the nori and kelp we’ve foraged at the beach. Unlike some oceanbased aquaculture operations like fish farming, which are harmful to marine environments, Oregon Seaweed’s dulse is grown in tanks using only the sun’s energy and fresh seawater pumped from the ocean. For every four pounds of seaweed grown, one pound of carbon is sequestered. “It’s a fast-growing, highprotein, carbon-absorbing vegetable and it’s very versatile. Some compare

it to bacon when it’s pan-fried, and you can also bake it into crispy chips: it’s a sustainably produced ocean kale,” says Alanna with a smile as she offers me a little, fresh from the pan.

As we sit and eat the smoky-tasting gift from the sea, watching the eternal waves of the Pacific rolling to shore, I notice the inky, swirling strands of kelp entangling Alanna’s arm in a tattoo. Shrugging off her hoodie, she reveals more: a nautilus shell, pelican and siren, each indelibly linking her to the sea. “I’ll always love the ocean and everything in it,” she says. “My mission is to inspire others to feel the same.”

GETTING THERE British Airways flies direct from London Heathrow to Portland International Airport in just under ten hours.

GETTING AROUND First Nature Tours (firstnaturetours.com) offer bespoke itineraries throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on sustainable, regenerative travel. Purely America (purelytravel.co.uk/oregon) offers self-drive holidays and escorted tours in Oregon and beyond.

BEST TIME TO GO Oregon has yearround appeal, from balmy summer days at the beach to stunning leaf peeping in autumn, thrilling snow sports in winter and hiking through wildflower meadows in spring.

W HERE TO EAT Sample dishes crafted with Oregon Seaweed’s Pacific dulse in restaurants such as The Knot Bar at the Bowline Hotel (bowlinehotel. com) in Astoria, which offers a seaweed charcuterie platter including sesame wakame salad, onion seaweed jam, dulse cream cheese and house-made seaweed crackers.

W HERE TO STAY Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa in Astoria (cannerypierhotel.com) offers suites and rooms overlooking the Columbia River.

FURTHER INFORMATION To book an Oregon seaweed foraging experience, visit shiftingtidesnw.com Find out more about the seaweeds of America’s Pacific Northwest coast at oregonseaweed.com. For further ideas on planning your Oregon adventure, head to traveloregon.com

A merica

THE USA Celebrating the best of

The JRNY America Awards celebrate the very best in American tourism, shining a spotlight on the destinations, experiences and organisations that make exploring the United States truly unforgettable. These prestigious awards recognise excellence across a wide range of categories, from the most inspiring travel initiatives and top destinations to the exceptional services and experiences that define the US tourism industry. Each award highlights the creativity, dedication and passion that drive the travel sector, honouring those who have made significant contributions to enhancing the visitor experience and promoting the rich diversity of America’s landscapes, cultures and communities. Whether it’s exploring small towns, enjoying world-class accommodation or embarking on transformative adventures, the JRNY America Awards celebrate the very best that the country has to offer.

2024Winners

3

5 4

1 State of the Year

WINNER: California

SILVER: Utah

BRONZE: Oregon

2 City of the Year

WINNER: San Antonio

SILVER: New York City

BRONZE: New Orleans

3 Best Food City

WINNER: San Antonio

SILVER: Tucson

BRONZE: New Orleans

4 Best Outdoor Region

WINNER: Utah

SILVER: Oregon

BRONZE: Colorado

5 Accessible Destination of the Year

WINNER: Orlando

SILVER: Mesa

BRONZE: San Antonio

6 Best Tourism Experience

WINNER: Mardi Gras (New Orleans)

SILVER: National Museum of African History and Culture (Washington DC)

BRONZE: Universal Studios

8

7 Best Conservation Initiative

WINNER: Save Crystal River (Florida)

SILVER: Turtle Hospital (Florida Keys)

BRONZE: Regenerative Tourism (Hawai’i)

8 Best New Tourism Initiative

WINNER: Destination Crenshaw (Los Angeles)

SILVER: Florida Keys Eco-Experience Trail Pass

BRONZE: Edelman Fossil Park & Museum (New Jersey)

9 Best US Tour Operator

WINNER: America As You Like It

SILVER: Intrepid Travel

BRONZE: Frontier America

Photos: Dreamstime, Destination Crenshaw

18 Charleston unmissable restaurants in

Charleston’s Southern charms remain timeless yet its restaurant scene has the progressive dynamism of a major metropolitan city. From steakhouses to neighbourhood seafood joints, there’s always something new to eat around every historic corner.

This cosy and celebrated spot serves Southern dishes with global touches

2/ King BBQ

Corrie and Shuai Wang, owners of popular Jackrabbit Filly, opened this Chinese BBQ joint as a Southerninfused reference to the foods of Shuai’s upbringing and time spent in Flushing, Queens. Menu favourites include five-spice duck legs, piquant Dan Dan noodles and shrimp toast sliders, all washed down with their trademark cocktails. eatkingbbq.com

3/ Ma’am Saab

1/ Lowland

Located in downtown Charleston’s historic LequeuxWilliams Home, this cosy and celebrated spot serves Southern dishes with global touches. Don’t miss the tender Cheryl Day biscuit or the oddly outstanding celery salad with walnuts, dates, mint and cheddar. lowlandcharleston.com

As Charleston’s only Pakistani restaurant, Ma’am Saab has cultivated loyal fans for its butter chicken — tender thigh meat served in a pool of fragrant garam masala, cumin and chilli powder sauce. Alongside the colourful dishes are creative cocktails. maamsaabchs.com

4/ Wild Common

James Beard nominated Chef Orlando Pagán’s four-course seasonal menu changes often, though recently included a gorgeously marbled Australian wagyu steak and addictive Carolina sourdough bread made with Carolina gold rice. wildcommoncharleston.com

5/ Hannibal’s Kitchen

Hannibal’s serves up soul food informed by the region’s Gullah Geechee people (descendants of the West and Central African enslaved). Expect comfort classics like collard greens, rice and beans, and shrimp and grits, all at fair prices. hannibalkitchen.com

6/ Obstinate Daughter

James Beard-nominated chef Jacques Larson has lured in hungry diners here since 2014, with his eclectic Southern food, featuring Lowcountry produce and seafood, served with a Mediterranean twist. theobstinatedaughter.com

7/ Lewis BBQ

For true Southern and CentralTexas style BBQ, Lewis is about as good as it gets –some devotees even claim the smoked brisket changed their lives. Arrive early to avoid disappointment, particularly as it frequently sells out. Or opt for the pulled pork, hot guts sausage, and spare ribs with a side of creamy macand-cheese and spicy corn pudding. lewisbarbecue.com

8/ Zero George

With a setting fit for first dates and anniversaries, Zero George occupies a row of restored homes from 1804. Step past the flickering gas lanterns of the courtyard to the Southern-style porch to start with Champagne and caviar. During the spring and autumn, diners settle into the patio to experience Chef Vinson Petrillo’s cuisine. zerogeorge.com

9/ Sorelle

Opened in 2023, Sorelle quickly became a Charleston hit, with locals piling into the elegantly restored townhouse and stylish marble bar faster than the kitchen could hand cut the pasta. Blending Southern Italian flavours with Lowcountry ingredients, Chef Nick Dugan’s menu shines with dishes like ‘pillows of gold’ ricotta tortelloni and bistecca alla Fiorentina. sorellecharleston.com

10/ Chubby Fish

The secret’s out on Chubby Fish. This corner seafood spot doesn’t take reservations, which means eager diners start queuing up at 4pm to grab the first seats at 5pm. It’s worth waiting for James London’s creative food, however: don’t miss the fried oyster roll, charred lamb ribs with romesco sauce, and grilled wreckfish drizzled with beet butter. chubbyfishcharleston.com

Photos: Lizzy Rollins, Courtesy The Restaurant at Zero George, Courtesy Sorelle

11/ Makan

A serendipitous stopover in Kuala Lumpur led James Wozniuk down the lifelong path of studying and cooking Malaysian cuisine. This is Makan’s second location (after Washington, D.C.); with dishes like spicebird roast chicken and spicy hakka noodles, Wozniuk captures the traditional flavours of this underrepresented cuisine. makanchs.com

12/ The Ordinary

Set in a renovated bank, The Ordinary’s high ceilings, dark booths and tall windows create an intoxicating blend of old New York City with Southern hospitality. The kitchen, in the old vault, turns out shellfish towers, glistening oyster platters, and Lowcountry-inspired mains like red snapper with rock shrimp and sweetcorn. eattheordinary.com

13/ Vern’s

Vern’s gained buzz for its inventive wine list and modern American menu. This downtown bistro blends a cosy neighbourhood feel with a sustainably minded menu. Expect low-intervention wines like Aligoté from Sylvain Pataille to pair with the likes of rainbow trout atop a bed of Carolina gold rice. vernschs.com

16/ Palmira

14/ Bintü Atelier

After living in New York for nearly 20 years, Bintou N’daw relocated to Charleston where she opened this West African spot in July 2023. Paying homage to the cuisine of her homeland, she turns out dishes authentic to the recipes of the region while sourcing ingredients like black-eyed peas and okra from the American Southeast. bintuatelier.com

15/ Marbled & Fin

Possibly the best restaurant to open in 2024, this stunning space offers a contemporary spin on the classic steakhouse. Large cuts of expertly cooked steaks span wet- and dry-aged USDA Prime as well as Australian and Japanese wagyu. Just be sure to budget accordingly: finery plus impeccable service come at a premium. marbledandfin.com

Winning Texas Monthly ’s top spot for best BBQ is already high praise; earning it with distinctly Puerto Rican flavours shines a spotlight on this underappreciated cuisine. Standout dishes from Pitmaster Hector Garate’s menu include sofrito-simmered beans, whole-hog BBQ, and beef cheeks so tender that each bite melts into an unctuous pool of spice and flavour. palmirabbq.com

17/ Kultura

Chef Nikko Cagalanan, a Filipino immigrant, left nursing to cook the nostalgic dishes of his childhood. He made the right decision, given the slew of accolades he’s since received. Cagalanan gives traditional Filipino dishes a modern twist, like his grandmother’s arroz caldo which he tops with smoked caviar, mushroom XO and chilli crisp. kulturacharleston.com

18/ Honeysuckle Rose

Created by husband-and-wife team Ryan and Kelleanne Jones, this prix-fixe concept launched to instant acclaim. Set in a corner townhouse, it has a relaxed dinner-party vibe, featuring a ’90s rock and hip-hop soundtrack and tastefully framed nudes in the bathroom. Prepay and enjoy. honeysucklerosechs.com

Florida’s Saving manatees

Marine habitats are under threat around the world, but one community in Florida’s Crystal River is determined to turn the tide.

Say you’re heading to Florida and most people will picture Orlando: America’s undisputed theme-park capital of the world. But while Universal has The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Walt Disney World is home to the Magic Kingdom, just two hours away there’s a Gulf Coast wonderland that dazzles with magic of the natural kind.

Every winter, the city of Crystal River becomes Florida’s main attraction with the arrival of hundreds of manatees: gentle marine mammals that leave the Gulf of Mexico as the temperature drops and head to the bath-warm waters of Kings Bay from November to April. While the manatees’ huge size – they can weigh more than 500kg – gives the impression they’re insulated with thick blubber like whales and dolphins, they have just an inch of body fat, which leaves the warm-blooded mammals susceptible to cold stress syndrome, pneumonia and hypothermia.

Kings Bay is the natural hot tub they need. Fed by over 70 natural springs, which pump more than 600 million gallons of fresh water a day from the

Florida aquifer, maintaining a constant temperature flow of 22.2°C (72°F), the bay hosts the largest concentration of manatees in the world. Crystal River is one of just a few places where people can legally swim and snorkel with them, and their gathering draws thousands of human visitors each year, eager to enter their watery realm.

Manatees are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, so there are strict guidelines in place to ensure snorkeltour operators and their guests behave responsibly, including no touching or chasing of the manatees, and practising passive observation instead.

Established in 1983, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was created specifically for the protection of the manatees, but the sanctuary was hit by a devastating storm a decade later that pushed large amounts of saltwater into

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Everyone can play their part in protecting the world’s manatees and our precious marine ecosystems.

1. Swim responsibly

Take time to do some research before you choose a company for your manatee snorkel adventure and always follow their strict notouch guidelines. The Adventure Center at Plantation on Crystal River offers small-group snorkel tours of Kings Bay that practice passive observance under the guidance of expert marine biologists. plantationadventurecenter.com

2. Practice safe boating

If you’re heading out on the water, always follow manatee protection zone signs and speed limits, and wear polarised sunglasses, which can help you to see manatees in the water. Gulf Coast Expeditions offer sunset nature cruises within the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge to look for manatees and birdlife. gcexpeditions.com

3. Report sick or injured manatees

If you see an injured or sick manatee, or anyone harassing them, report it by calling the toll-free Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Wildlife Alert Hotline on 1-888-4043922, noting the location, or text the FWC on 847411, including the keyword “FWC”. myfwc.com

4. Visit a rescue centre

Help fund the rehabilitation of rescued manatees by visiting one of Florida’s federally permitted acute care facilities, including Ellie Schiller Homosassa  Springs Wildlife State Park (homosassaspringswildlife.com) and Zoo Tampa (zootampa.org). The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature also has a manatee rehabilitation programme in Bradenton (bishopscience.org).

5. Support marine conservation

Spread the word about the urgent need to protect manatees, and support conservation organisations like Save Crystal River (savecrystalriver.com), The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (manateerescue.org), Save the Manatee Club (savethemanatee. org) and Ocean Conservancy (oceanconservancy.org), which are working on the frontline of manatee protection and marine ecosystem restoration.

the bay’s freshwater system, triggering an explosion of an invasive blue-green algae called lyngbya. Smothering the native eelgrass beds with mats of sludge, the lyngbya destroyed the main food source for the manatees, which eat up to 10% of their bodyweight in seagrass a day: the manatees were starving.

In 2012, after years of declining water quality and clarity around Kings Bay, driven by the lyngbya, human development, pollution and nutrient runoff, a group of concerned citizens formed Save Crystal River, a non-profit group on a mission to restore the freshwater habitat to its former, natural glory and rewild the seagrass for the manatees.

“We wanted the next generation of residents here in Crystal River to experience the bay as we did when we were kids,” says Lisa Moore, president of Save Crystal River. Once we realised what was happening to our water, and our dolphin and manatee populations, we knew we had to act.”

Securing $1.6 million in funding from the Florida legislature, the group enlisted the expertise of aquatic restoration organisation, Sea & Shoreline, and began the ambitious Kings Bay Restoration Project, clearing the algae and other pollutants from the bay, and replanting over 100 acres of native seagrasses that had been lost. After ten months of data collection, Kings Bay had seen nearly a 50% increase in eelgrass.

“The restoration project has improved the health of the bay by sequestering

excess nutrients, creating cleaner and clearer water, and providing a sustainable food source for manatees year-round,” explains Jessica Mailliez, Senior Environmental Manager at Sea & Shoreline. “In the winter we have nearly 1,000 manatees using the bay as a warmwater refuge, and now around 10% of those manatees stay all year, as there is plenty of food and clean water. Visitors can swim with manatees throughout the year, which is a boost in tourism dollars that benefit our city and county.”

To the people who call Crystal River home, the manatees are much-loved neighbours, and their friendly faces are seen on everything from road signs to post boxes and billboards in what’s now considered to be the Manatee Capital of the World. The Save Crystal River project is inspiring the next generation through the Grasses for Classes and Book, Line and Thinker programmes, which see local schoolchildren exploring the bay by boat to learn about the ecosystem, before planting their own eelgrass in a tank, documenting its growth in the classroom, and planting it at Hunter Springs Park in the spring. Education is key to protecting the manatees from the multiple threats, such as habitat loss, pollution, boat strikes and climate change, which continue to impact the world’s marine life.

While they have no natural predators, manatees’ slow movement and their preference for shallow seagrass beds puts them in constant danger of being struck by boats, while entanglement in fishing gear and other debris can also be harmful. In Kings Bay, strict speed zones apply, but collisions remain one of the major causes of injury. Florida has a

Above: Mooring at Kings Bay Plantation Opposite page, from the top: A manatee in Crystal River; Plantation on Crystal River.

DID YOU KNOW?

Crystal River is a sanctuary for manatees, especially during winter months, when they gather in its warm, 22°C spring-fed waters. Known as gentle giants, they are herbivorous mammals that can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Crystal River is one of the rare places where visitors can legally swim alongside thesecreatures.endangered

Wildlife Alert Hotline for people to report injured manatees and several accredited critical care facilities along the coast.

“Our primary mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and return manatees to the wild, and we have a strong success rate in achieving this goal,” says Molly Lippincott, Senior Curator of Florida Mammals and Manatees at ZooTampa. “Many are able to recover from serious injuries and illnesses to be successfully released back into their natural habitats. However, some sustain irreversible and permanent disabilities, such as severe impairments to their ability to swim, that would make survival in the wild unlikely. These animals remain in our care and often serve as ambassadors, helping to raise awareness about manatee conservation.”

With climate change impacting weather patterns around the globe, our oceans and the creatures that call them home need more protection than ever. In Crystal River, the return of the seagrass and the manatees shows that community-driven conservation works, and in a way that benefits locals and tourists alike.

By replicating the inspiring success of Save Crystal River, perhaps there’s a chance for all of us to help turn the tide.

GETTING THERE Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to Tampa, from where it’s just over an hours’ drive to Crystal River. America As You Like It (americaasyoulikeit. com) offers a ten-night Florida fly-drive that includes flights, car hire and three nights at Crystal River.

GETTING AROUND Hire a car to make the 75-mile drive from Tampa to Crystal River, and to explore the wider area.

BEST TIME TO GO You can swim with manatees year-round in Crystal River, but the best time to see them is from November to April.

VisitFlorida.com Photos: Plantation on Crystal River, Nile Young Photography/Plantation on Crystal River

W HERE TO EAT Refuel after your manatee swim at Tea House 650 (teahouse650. com), a relaxed local cafe in a traditional Floridian historic home, complete with a veranda.

W HERE TO STAY With stunning views of Kings Bay, Plantation on Crystal River (plantationoncrystalriver.com) is as close to the manatee action as you can get. Housed in an elegant mansion with a lagoon-style pool, Aveda spa and water-view suites, rooms and villas, the resort also has an Adventure Center that offers manatee snorkelling tours and boat, kayak and SUP rentals.

FURTHER INFORMATION

DiscoverCrystalRiverFl.com

MUSIC MORE than

Chicago’s electrifying blues scene is reflective of the people that moved into the city in the early 20th century, and continues to shape the windy city today.

“Damn right, I’ve got the blues,” crooned Buddy Guy back in ’91 – a soulful declaration that resonates through Chicago to this day. Here, blues isn’t just music; it’s cultural heritage that runs through the windy city’s veins, forged by waves of immigration from the US’s southern states.

Born from the heartfelt sounds of the Mississippi Delta and electrified on Chicago’s streets, this blended genre rewrote the rules, amplifying not just sound but gritty determination.

The distinctive sound of the Chicago blues begins with the Great Migration in the early 20th century. Thousands of African Americans moved north, driven by hope for better lives and freedom from the brutality of the South’s Jim Crow Laws and limited opportunities. They brought with them the acoustic blues, a musical

expression of resilience, heartache and survival. Music producer and host of the Where is MY hit single podcast Luke Jones explains, “Delta blues was born of necessity. It was a way for an individual to tell a story, with only their voice and a guitar.” But when this deeply personal sound reached the noisy nightclubs of Chicago, Luke says, “it needed to be amplified with electric guitars, drum kits and microphones.”

The city’s fast pace, loud urban soundscape and boundless energy demanded something stronger –something louder. So, musicians like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Willie Dixon adapted.

They plugged in their guitars, turned up the volume and gave birth to electrified blues. As Jacqueline Dixon, daughter of blues legend Willie Dixon, puts it,

Chicago added “a new attitude” to the blues.

This electrifying transformation “generated sounds that had never been heard by many in that way before,” Jacqueline explains. It was a new sound that “took the world by storm” and “helped to minimise the stigma that the blues was about lack and loss”. This allowed listeners to feel “elevated, enlightened and energised.”

Venues across the South and West sides, like the Checkerboard Lounge in Bronzeville and lively Maxwell Street Market, became the beating heart of this new scene. Here, legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf crafted the city’s soundtrack—often recorded at the landmark Chess Records Studio.

This electrified sound didn’t stay local for long, though; Chicago blues “set the template for rock and roll and all the other guitar-based genres that followed,” says Luke. The Rolling Stones named themselves after a Muddy Waters song,

and artists like Led Zeppelin drew heavily from Chicago’s unique sound, which continues to influence artists worldwide.

Today, Chicago’s blues scene thrives in historic venues that keep the genre’s traditions alive while embracing fresh sounds. Kingston Mines, the city’s oldest and largest blues club, draws fans night after night with back-to-back sets from established musicians and emerging artists, capturing the depth of blues culture.

Buddy Guy’s Legends – a club owned by the eponymous blues icon – also offers an intimate, powerful experience of raw blues energy. From local talent to international stars, every Legends performance pays homage to the city’s rich musical past and explores its everevolving sound.

For local musicians like Wayne Brooks, Chicago blues isn’t just a sound, it’s in his blood. “I was born into the blues scene by way of my late great father, Chicago Blues Master Lonnie Brooks,” he says, describing a legacy that began before he was even born. “He was my biggest influence… he’d put headphones on my mother’s stomach playing Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Magic Sam and, of course, his own music.”

For Wayne, carrying this legacy isn’t a choice – it’s a duty. “I feel responsible and obligated… to keep this music as authentic as possible,” he says. But he knows tradition must evolve, adding, “To help Chicago blues not only survive but thrive, we have to create music that speaks to today’s people.”

As Clinée Hedspeth, Commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, remarks, “Blues music is a powerful testament to the city’s rich history… it’s more than just a sound, but a continuous thread in the fabric of our society.”

GETTING THERE Chicago O’Hare International Airport is served by direct flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

GETTING AROUND Much of Chicago is very walkable; alternatively, make use of the city’s L train system.

BEST TIME TO GO Spring to autumn, for milder weather. Come in June for the celebrated four-day Chicago Blues Festival.

FURTHER INFORMATION choosechicago.com

Opposite page: Performing at Buddy Guy’s Legends. This page from the top: Chicago Blues Festival; Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends.

Pensacola is your oyster

The Florida coastal town of Pensacola is the ideal destination of indulging in the Gulf Coast’s ocean bounty.

“I’m going to grill it with some olive oil, lemon and just a pinch of herbs,” says Dave. He’s built like a burly American football linebacker and he’s telling me what he’s going to do with the fish that he just caught at the end of Pensacola Beach Pier. “It’s the first time I’ve caught a blue runner,” Dave says in his gruff Southern drawl, “so I don’t want to overpower the flavour of the fish.”

Dave is one of many locals who jostle for space to cast their rods over the end of the pier into the deep emerald-green Gulf waters. I ask a Vietnamese-American family how their fishing is going and

the father tells me that they’ve caught some Spanish mackerel, and that he’s going to braise it with bamboo shoots. A newly married couple have caught some kingfish, which they are going to use in a Creole fish stew.

The popular Florida coastal town of Pensacola is not only known for its stunning white-sand beaches – the crystal-clear waters here provide some of the finest ocean bounty along the Gulf Coast, and fresh seafood is always on the menu. The local restaurateurs have been diving into the local seafood for years. Or rather, they’ve been getting someone

else to do the diving for them. “We have a local guy who spear catches all of our fish,” James Briscione, executive chef of Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, tells me. “He just brought in two amazing black groupers.”

I don’t get to try the black grouper at Angelena’s, but I barely squeeze out of the restaurant doors after devouring a who’s who of other seafood critters: yellowfin tuna crudo, Gulf shrimp mafaldine, squid ink bucatini and a crawfish tortellini that surprises my palate with the additional flavours of andouille and leek. Each dish is as exquisite as the next – you know it’s good when you can’t stop eating even though you’ve eaten your body weight in food.

Pensacola is nicknamed “The City of Five Flags” due to its history under Spanish, French, British, Confederate and US rule.

YOU KNOW?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I need something simple for breakfast the next morning. Porridge perhaps? I just didn’t expect prawn porridge. The most popular breakfast at Native Café is shrimp and grits, which is made from ground corn and is a mainstay of Southern cuisine.

I am somewhat hesitant, but the large grilled shrimp over spicy cheese grits, topped with fried and green onions, turns out to be like a creamy risotto and has just enough of a kick of spices to help wake me up. My server asks if I want dessert. For breakfast? She tells me that I can’t miss the Key lime pie with their famous walnut crust, so I order it for take out, but have just a little taste. And then eat the whole thing.

I really liked my breakfast, so I pretty much have the same thing for dinner. But that’s also because I couldn’t come to Pensacola and not have the “Worldfamous” Grits à Ya Ya from the Fish House

Restaurant, which overlooks Pensacola Bay and Seville Harbor. The restaurant sure is popular with the world-famous crowd: the wall outside is filled with signed photos of happy diners, including Mariah Carey, Shaquille O’Neal, Elton John, William Shatner and even a real space commander, Neil Armstrong.

I start with half a dozen mild and creamy Gulf Coast oysters. Each oyster is like a meal itself. The Ya Ya is smoked Gouda grits topped with perfectly seasoned shrimp, applewood-smoked bacon, and a spinach and portobello mushroom sauce. No wonder Neil Armstrong was over the moon when he had it.

I end my seafood odyssey, or more like seafood gluttony, with lunch in two states. The Flora-Bama Yacht Club straddles the border of Florida and Alabama and is only a 20-minute drive along the panhandle from Pensacola. Sitting outside with the sand between my toes, I graze on smoked tuna dip and raw Gulf oysters, which the locals serve with saltine crackers. For my main course, I order a fish I haven’t heard of before. The

blackened Gulf tripletail comes served with “creamy Cajun dirty rice”, which wasn’t dirty at all and not particularly creamy, but the fish was firm and white with flaky, sweet meat.

After lunch, the beach beckons but I remember what my mum used to say: wait an hour after eating before you go for a swim. Better make that two hours. After all that serious seafood feasting there’s a good chance I’d sink.

GETTING THERE Pensacola International Airport is connected to the UK via US gateways including New Orleans, Orlando, Chicago and Atlanta.

GETTING AROUND Although the city is not far from the airport, hiring a car gives you the freedom to beach hop and move easily between all that seafood.

BEST TIME TO GO July and August are hot and steamy (and it’s also US school holidays), so spring and autumn are probably the best times to visit.

FURTHER INFORMATION

visitpensacola.com

Clockwise from the left: Fsherman on Pensacola Beach Pier; The Fish House Restaurant; Lifeguard station on Pensacola Beach; Shrimp and grits at Native Café.

A road of wonder and weight

Words: James Draven Photo: Xxxxxxxxxx

Take a road trip along Idaho’s Sacajawea Historic Byway to experience a remote culture, faraway landscapes — and history that isn’t quite so distant

The brakes hiss and my eyes dart onto the rear-view mirror. The road behind stretches, empty to its vanishing point. I know nothing of this land.

Pulling over, my tyres crunch against a gravel shoulder. I step out onto the mottled, grey asphalt of the historic byway and plant my feet either side of the yellow centre line. I stopped because I saw a sign.

The air is warm and laden with the scent of sagebrush. The landscape has an ancient quality, the kind your bones sink into. Towering blue peaks rise defiantly against the horizon. Those that are not bearded with grass are jagged with white and black, remnants of battles

Historic Byway. Having cruised around much of Idaho already, I had expected silent awe. What I hadn’t anticipated was the quiet sense of reckoning — a weight not of the stone and soil itself, but of the stories it bears. This is Sacajawea’s land, or it had been, once.

This road winds east to west through the valleys and mountains of Idaho. It stitches a seam between two eras — one before Sacajawea guided Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery through these lands, and the one after, where her name is pinned onto plaques, byways and statues, and minted onto commemorative gold dollar coins. It seems scant recompense.

The air is warm and laden with the scent of sagebrush. The landscape has an ancient quality, the kind your bones sink into

fought between time and stone. On the verge beside me a noticeboard tells the tale of Sacajawea’s return to her ancestral homelands. I’ve started this story and this road trip at the end.

Setting out from the small town of Salmon, Idaho, I’m driving east for around 135 miles on State Highway 28 — a stretch of road designated as the Sacajawea

Sacajawea was born in 1788 in what is today named Idaho, though it wasn’t known as that when her people, the native Lemhi Shoshone, lived free here. At the age of 12, she was abducted by a raiding party of Hidatsa and traded like a commodity: sold into marriage — though enslaved might be the truer word — as one of the wives of a French Canadian fur trader named Toussaint Charbonneau.

In the winter of 1804–5, famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark reached the Mandan-Hidatsa settlement in which Sacajawea and Charbonneau were living, and employed Charbonneau as a translator for their legendary expedition. Since he lacked knowledge of Sacajawea’s native language and the party needed to communicate with the Shoshone people

to procure horses for their mountain crossing, they decided that the pregnant 16-year-old Sacajawea would join the expedition. This young, native woman’s fate, and that of her unborn child, was thereby decided by white men, if you can imagine such a thing. On 11 February 1805, she gave birth to a son named Jean Baptiste.

En route, Sacajawea made significant contributions to the expedition, including salvaging critical documents, instruments and medicines almost lost to the Missouri River. She foraged edible plants, and crafted moccasins and clothing for the party. Lewis and Clark named a tributary of Montana’s Musselshell River in her honour, and today her name is inseparable from the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Yet, the story most often told — of her as a willing guide and heroine of westward expansion — is an oversimplification at best and a deliberate obfuscation at worst.

By mid-August — southwest of Salmon, Idaho, not too far from where I stand — the expedition encountered a group of Shoshone people that turned out to be led by Sacajawea’s brother, Cameahwait. This reunion between lost siblings

was not a homecoming for the young abductee, however, but a bargaining chip used to facilitate negotiations for the horses Lewis and Clark needed.

Returning to my car, the byway’s curves demand attention as the surrounding peaks seem to lean closer, their forms cutting into the deepening sky. Around a bend, I arrive at the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural, and Education Center, which tells her story with a balance that American textbooks often lack, recognising Sacajawea’s resilience and ingenuity without masking the context of colonial violence that defined a life thrust into a narrative of European conquest.

Sacajawea bore her infant son on her back as she traversed unforgiving terrain. She translated, negotiated and helped

forge alliances. Hers was the voice that bridged gaps in understanding, the steady presence that defused hostility. The very fact of her presence — a Native woman with a child — offered reassurance to tribes wary of the white men’s intentions.

Sacajawea was indispensable, yet her agency was never fully her own. She was a tool of necessity, in the service of men who held her survival in their hands.

Previous spread: Sacajawea Historic Byway.

This page from the top: Fishing in Wallace Lake near Salmon, Beautiful wildflowers.

Opposite page, from the top: Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural, & Educational Center; Salmon Birch Creek Valley Charcoal Kilns, near Leadore.

This byway has led me to moments of wonder and weight in equal measure,

each turn revealing a new facet of the land’s beauty

The story of Lewis and Clark is often told as one of triumph, of American ingenuity blazing a path westward.

Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, their expedition sought to map the unknown, to chart a route to the Pacific, to claim and categorise. But what is celebrated as discovery was, for the people who already knew this land intimately, the beginning of erasure.

Long before government boots struck the soil, it had been home to countless tribes. It had carried their histories, their songs, their memories. Sacajawea’s knowledge wasn’t just valuable — it was stolen, co-opted into the service of an American Dream she never shared.

Driving again, past a bronze statue of our heroine, the descent into the Snake River Plain marks a transition in landscape and mood. The road flattens, the horizon widens and raptors slice through the sky between the outstretched arms of crop irrigation systems.

I drive by beehive-shaped, 19thcentury charcoal kilns as shadows lengthen, and peaks begin to fade into silhouettes. By the time I reach the end of the road, the sun is a golden coin sinking into the quicksilver waters of Mud Lake.

This byway has led me to moments of wonder and weight in equal measure. Each turn revealing a new facet of the land’s beauty — the babbling Birch Creek, wind-rippled prairie, cascades of wildflowers, the sharp outline of an eagle circling high above — but beneath the beauty was the inescapable presence of history. It was there in the wind that whistled through the canyons and in the Lemhi River that flows without pause, carrying its burdens to places unseen.

The land whispered its truths as I drove, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether we’re willing to truly listen — or whether we’re content to keep driving, leaving the hardest parts of the story in the rear-view mirror.

GETTING THERE There are no direct flights from the UK to Idaho, but there are lots of indirect routes. The fastest, at around 12 hours total travel time, is usually via Denver or Seattle.

GETTING AROUND You’re going on a road trip, so you’ll need to hire a car. There’s lots to explore beyond the tarmacked tracks, so rent a 4x4 at the airport to make the most of your time in Idaho.

BEST TIME TO GO Unless you’re visiting specifically for ski season, the best time to visit is from spring to autumn, although you might decide to avoid the height of summer if you’re planning on lots of hiking

or cycling. Temperatures are often warm and sunny even in early October, with the added beauty of autumn colours.

W HERE TO EAT In Salmon: Wally’s Cafe for breakfast; The Shady Nook for outdoor space and a full menu; and Highlander Beer taproom for gargantuan portions of nachos. Copper Rill, in Idaho Falls, is a good spot for dinner.

W HERE TO STAY Redfish Riverside Inn (redfishriversideinn.com) in Stanley; Three Rivers Ranch (threeriversranch.com), near Ashton.

FURTHER INFORMATION visitidaho.org

Photos: Visit Idaho, Dreamstime

This page, from the top: Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural, & Educational Center; Wild lupines.