Some say it’s one of the most beautiful places in the States, and with good reason. Yellowstone National Park consists of almost 900,000 hectares of lakes, canyons, rivers, ranges and some pretty wild geothermal action with a generous side of grizzlies, wolves, bison and other creatures. On its eastern edge, where Montana borders Wyoming and about 50 kilometres from Old Faithful Geyser, you’ll find this glorious campsite.
You can choose from a variety of tents; take the suite option and enjoy your own indoor bathroom with freestanding tub, timber deck and wood-burning stove all in a secluded location with uninterrupted views of the landscape. During the day you can choose from a range of activities, from horse-riding to hiking, fly-fishing to mountain-biking, all of which can be organised by the hosts.
Perched above the waters of Humpy Cove on a private island near Anchorage in Alaska is a string of cool yurts. Each has its own timber deck overhanging the bay and, even if you never venture further than here, you’ll still be stunned by the surroundings. Harbour seals frolic in the cove and porpoises feed here, otters and Steller sea lions are frequent guests to the area and, during spawning season, black bears can be spotted fishing for salmon.
Each of the yurts is fully kitted out with a kitchen (although you need to bring all your food for your visit), private shower and a barbecue out on the deck. During the day, jump in a kayak and watch out for Willy, as killer whales frequent the waters year-round. You can also take out skiffs and stand-up paddleboards. Take a walk through the forests, bait a line to try and catch your dinner, go tide-pooling on the shore or take in the breathtaking scenes on a cruise.
If you’re driving up the famous 101 freeway along the central Californian coast, the landmark Madonna Inn is hard to miss, and downright impossible to pass up.
A bizarre mix of Wild West bordello, Fred Flintstone’s cave and the Playboy mansion, Madonna Inn features rooms fitted out with unique themes, including kitsch details such as mounted buffalo heads, old prairie wagons, bold animal prints and showers (and urinals) carved out of rock. Try one of the trio of merry-go-round themed rooms for a whimsical slumber that’s sure to induce sweet dreams.
Where else but Las Vegas – city of sin and excess – would you find an eating den that is such an unashamed peddler of super-sized fast food? The Heart Attack Grill is the baron of big-bastard burgers: obscenely humongous grease towers, dripping with almost 10,000 calories. You are considered a patient here, not a customer, and the wait staff (nurses) will take you through a menu that defies all sense of dietary restraint.
Choose between the Quadruple Bypass Burger and, because you’re a serious glutton, the Octuple Bypass Burger, and see if you can stomach up to 1.8 kilograms of beef. Grab a side of Flatliner Fries (cooked in pure lard) and wash it all down with a Butterfat Milkshake. Diners who weigh more than 350 pounds (159 kilograms) get unlimited free food. Finish the Quadruple Bypass Burger and you’ll receive a free ride to your car in a wheelchair, which is handy because heart attacks aren’t uncommon here.
Who says you need to be a professional parachutist to dabble in an extreme sport outlawed in many jurisdictions? In Twin Falls, Idaho, Tandem Base lets you fling yourself off the 150-metre Perrine Bridge, the Snake River sliding by below, while strapped to a trained accomplice. (Did someone say murder–suicide?) This is one heart-stopping rush and a unique opportunity to experience skydiving sans aeroplane, without the risk of being arrested.
On its website Tandem Base warns that the activity is “not safe but… can be performed safely”. If you are thinking of chickening out, know this: a 102-year-old granny took the plunge on her birthday.
By 1926, the gray wolf – thought to be a danger to man and livestock – had, for all intents and purposes, been eliminated from Yellowstone National Park. Of course, as we now know, taking out an apex predator in any ecosystem causes all kinds of problems and, as early as the 1940s, scientists and conservationists began campaigning to reintroduce the wild animals to the region. In 1967, the gray wolf was one of the first animals to be listed in the Endangered Species Preservation Act, but it wasn’t until 1995 that 14 wolves were released into Yellowstone. The latest figures from 2012 show there were at least 83 wolves living in 10 packs throughout the national park. They’re around all year, but the best time to see them is at the height of winter when it’s easy to spot their dark figures against the white backdrop and track their footprints in the snow. Take off with a naturalist into the spectacular Lamar Valley, where you can watch these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. You’re also likely to see bison, elks, coyotes and other wild animals.
You’ve been up all night, trying your luck at the tables and your eyelids are drooping. To cure all symptoms of fatigue instantly, head to SkyJump Las Vegas at the top of the Stratosphere. Standing 108 storeys (or 260 metres) above the earth, toes hanging off the edge of the ledge, your heart will be pounding faster than that of a gambling addict on a roll. This isn’t a free fall, but rather a controlled descent (a bit like a vertical zip-line). Still, you’ll reach speeds of more than 60 kilometres an hour. Be warned: if you wimp out, the folks at the SkyJump gift shop will be happy to sell your friends their famous ‘chicken’ t-shirt on your behalf.
See a slice of New York City many of its inhabitants, including the 4.3 million people who ride the rails each day, often overlook. Led by Bronx-born local Darryl Reilly, you’ll tackle the subway network by carriage and foot, unearthing underground art as you go. Thanks to the Arts For Transit program devised in 1985, almost 200 permanent public works grace the city’s stations, creating a gallery beneath the city that acts as a backdrop for its harried commuters.
Money, apparently, makes the world go round, and nowhere is filthy lucre more celebrated and chased than on New York’s famous Wall Street, where the world spins at a faster pace than anywhere else.
For an authentic taste of life in the financial district, hook up with real insiders like ‘Andrew’ – a trading-trapeze-artist-turned-tour-guide, who went from being a professional blackjack player good enough to be banned from Vegas casinos to vice president of Deutsche Bank – on a tour with the Wall Street Experience. According to the BBC, in a quote proudly emblazoned on the tour group’s website, Andrew “collateralised debt obligations until the market collapsed”. We don’t even know what that means, but we’re not going to lend him our lunch money just in case.
The tour takes you deep into the murky machine of Wall Street, and Andrew regales you with tales from the trenches, the goriest of which pertain to the times when the world stopped spinning and the sky fell in.
Don’t whinge about bad weather – go out and shadow box with it. Several operators in the US offer storm-chasing tours, but one in particular guarantees to put the wind right up you. Ride shotgun with Warren Faidley – the “world’s first full-time, storm-chasing journalist”, according to his business card, and star of the Discovery Channel’s Hurricane Chaser – as he drives his pimped-up mega ute in the general direction of tornados and other angry weather phenomena.
The tragedy in Oklahoma City – when a twister veered violently off its predicted course and killed 18 people, including a veteran storm chaser – underlined the power of Mother Nature’s wrath and cast a shadow over the twister-tracking industry (it attracts its share of red-neck amateurs), but Warren is considered a consummate professional in the field. Based out of Amarillo in Texas, Oklahoma City or Denver – depending on where the whirly action is – Warren’s company boasts a 100 per cent success rate with its stand-by tornado chases. Bring spare undies.
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