Memphis, the biggest city in Tennessee, epitomises the old and new South of the United States. Once a major slave-trading centre, in the 1960s it was the focus of civil rights action. Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated there, and the National Civil Rights Museum in the city is his memorial. It has always been, and still is, a major musical centre for blues, country, jazz … [Read more...] about Memphis: City of two kings
USA
Houston: space, history and food
Houston claims the honour of its name being the first word spoken on the moon. Remember what Neil Armstrong said: “Houston, the eagle has landed.” Today the Houston Space Centre isn’t nearly as important as it once was because the space programme isn’t as important as it once was. It is still the Texan city’s most visited attraction with over a million visitors a year. … [Read more...] about Houston: space, history and food
Lake Charles LA, beautiful and quirky
Take a beautiful national park complete with nature trails, wildlife, including alligators and pink cranes, add a beach, some casinos, plenty of local history, some great local food and a rum distillery and you have Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana. Lake Charles is about 2-3 hours drive west of New Orleans and about the same distance east from Houston, Texas. It’s a town … [Read more...] about Lake Charles LA, beautiful and quirky
Civil rights in the United States: using the law to get around the law
In the southern states of the US the economic importance of slavery and the accompanying belief in the inherent superiority of the white race led to a system of racial segregation that was sanctified by law and practice. Though frequently challenged it became very difficult to change. This is the story consistently told by the leading civil rights museums I visited in … [Read more...] about Civil rights in the United States: using the law to get around the law
Boston’s Freedom Trail: Free to explore history
Boston’s Freedom Trail walks you around the sites of the events that make Boston the cradle of the American Revolution, although Philadelphia and other places do play a part. Take your map and walking guide and start at the Boston Common, a beautiful swathe of green in the heart of the city, and admire the State House built between 1795 and 1798. Now with a gold-leafed dome, … [Read more...] about Boston’s Freedom Trail: Free to explore history
Chicago colourful, contradictory and very much its own
Chicago, America’s self-styled second city is a special place defined by four factors: the magnificence of its buildings, as the cradle of electric blues, its long history of gangsterism and its blood brother political corruption, and its rather special food – deep dish pizza and the Chicago hot dog. On a quest to get a feel for all those elements I found one common factor: … [Read more...] about Chicago colourful, contradictory and very much its own
It’s all about the base
Thick versus thin. Multiple toppings versus plain and simple. Modern innovation versus traditional and authentic. These are among the many questions pizza lovers love to argue about. The thin crust style is associated with New York and its street food. Big triangular slices slightly burnt with sauce, cheese and basil (and just those if you are a purist), which are hard to … [Read more...] about It’s all about the base
Slave to history
Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana in the deep south of the US, is a drawcard for viewing alligators in the swamp, catching crawfish and its rich history of architecture and a “colourful” way of life. But among the highlights are the low-lights of Louisiana: its history of slavery. There are about 140 plantations you can visit along the Mississippi River … [Read more...] about Slave to history
New Orleans: Good times and better times
New Orleans is one of those places that everyone wants to go to, based largely on its reputation as a fun, party town with jazz, blues, southern food, and a laidback vibe associated with its tagline of The Big Easy. Just about everything you have heard about New Orleans is, or has been, true at some point. First-time visitors should do all the things that first time visitors … [Read more...] about New Orleans: Good times and better times
The Robert Johnson mystery
Eric Clapton, arguably the greatest living blues-rock guitarist, called Robert Johnson "the most important blues musician who ever lived". Quite a compliment from a living legend whose own status was marked out with "Clapton is God' graffiti on buildings in the 1960s and 70s. I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson," says Clapton. "His music … [Read more...] about The Robert Johnson mystery