Starting in New York
When I go to America, I want to start on the East Coast. Flying to New York will bring me right to one of the most popular cities in the US.
I’m going to spend three days in New York and see some of the most famous sights. They recommend a boat trip out to the Statue of Liberty.
This large monument was a gift from France to the new nation about a hundred years after it got its freedom. Next on my list is Ellis Island.
This is the island where so many immigrants made their first steps on American soil. Manhattan is full of skyscrapers and I plan to get to the top of the Empire State Building, one of the most famous constructions in New York.
Bus, train, plane or car?
The agent then wanted to know how I was going to travel around in America. The alternatives were Greyhound buses, Amtrack trains or simply buying an air pass from one of the bigger airlines. Since the USA is the home of the cars and the driver’s license, I decided to rent a car. They gave me a special deal where I could return the car on the West Coast. Finally I booked an airline ticket from San Francisco back to New York.
Chicago
On the way across America I have chosen to follow a northern route since this is the area where so many Scandinavians settled when they came over. The first big stop after New York will be Chicago. Did you know that they have a copy of one of the Norwegian Viking ships there? It was taken there for the World Fair in 1893. Chicago is the most central point in the country when it comes to passenger trains. From there you can travel all directions on Amtrack.
Minneapolis
The next stop on my trip will be Minneapolis in Minnesota. A brother of my great grandfather moved there when he was young. His children and grandchildren have kept in touch with our family in Norway. Now I’m invited to see them in their home. It will be a nice change from the motels along the road. They have written to me and said that they expect to give a big Norwegian party. Most of my relatives in America are members of a lodge called “Sons of Norway”. This organization of Norwegians in the US even arranges tours to Norway. A cousin of mine made such a trip a few years ago. Since then we have been writing to one another regularly.
The Rockies
The country west of Minneapolis is called the prairie. This is basically farmland all the way up to the foot of the Rockies. The Rocky Mountains are very high and have some fantastic parks. I plan to go to Yellowstone Park first and then on to Glacier Park. On the other side of the mountains I will visit Seattle first before I travel down the coast to San Francisco.