I first visited the USA in 1978 in my late twenties.
I had visited well over 60 countries at that time and then as now and like most others I had a good idea of what to expect before I arrived. I should stress that it is not due to any conceit on my part but because then as now American culture and media dominates all of the western world.
So, without visiting the USA most of us are familiar with Manhattan and its skyscrapers, Las Vegas and the Strip, the Grand Canyon, Beach life in Hawaii and California, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges. American Diners and Burger joints, Freeways and the Staten Island Ferry are familiar to us without ever leaving home such is the dominance of American cinema and TV.
But what never fails to impress the first-time visitor to the USA is the magnificence of the USA’s varied landscapes.
To be honest, other than a few distinctive local landmarks, there is little to distinguish one American city from another with the same franchised stores lining the streets through the never-ending suburbs. It is only the climate that distinguishes Cleveland from Dallas.
By contrast outside of the cities the USA boasts an unrivalled range of landscapes from the dry deserts of the southwest to the Alpine peaks of the Rockies and northwest and encompassing a wide range of Natural ecosystems in between.
And as well as providing the foundation for the most impressive and varied collection of National Parks to be found anywhere in the world it is usually the case that when you leave the freeways and drive the backroads you will be immersing yourself in beautiful scenery.
For those who appreciate the Natural World the USA is an absolute delight.
In recent years the rest of the world has had to live with the consequences of an imbecile in the White House, his MAGA policies and the mindless chants of U – S – A from his often brain dead followers. International order is just a plaything for the man who does because he can rather than because it is right and the sad reality is the USA is a bitterly divided country that would be hard pressed to make the top 50 in any category for ranking the world’s leading and most responsible nations.
But thankfully what has not changed is the magnificence of the American landscapes.
In late 2024 I drove from Seattle to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia before returning via the southwest and as a Geographer I can never drive past a viewpoint without admiring and recording the view.
What follows below is a selection of the images that I recorded.
Keechelus Lake is located in the Cascade Range of Washington State.
The Columbia River Washington State.
Yellowstone River, Montana.
Yellowstone River, Montana.
Yellowstone National Park Wyoming near Mammoth Hot Springs.
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
The Snake River Overlook was immortalised by Ansel Adams in 1942.
And 82 years later – The Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Moulton Barns, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Moulton Barns, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Moulton Barns area, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Schwabacher Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Schwabacher Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Firehole River, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
The Beartooth Highway, Wyoming.
Mt Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Monument, South Dakota.
Custer State Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia.
The Sandia Mountains, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Round Rock, near Chinle, Arizona.
Round Rock, near Chinle, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Recapture Reservoir and Abajo Peak near Blanding Utah
The Abajo Mountains from Monticello Utah.
The Needles Overlook, near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
The Needles Overlook, near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
The Needles Overlook, near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
The Needles Overlook, near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
The La Sal mountains from near the Needles Overlook, Utah.
The Colorado River from Hatch Point, Utah.
The Colorado River from Hatch Point, Utah.
The La Sal Mountains from Anticline Overlook, Utah.
Wilson Arch, Moab, Utah.
The Colorado River near Moab, Utah.
Valley of the Colorado River near Moab, Utah.
Arches National Park, Utah.
Park Avenue, Arches National Park, Utah.
Arches National Park, Utah.
North Window, Arches National Park, Utah.
Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah.
Arches National Park, Utah.
Arches National Park, Utah.
Arches National Park, Utah.
Arches National Park, Utah.
©Michael Bromfield 2026
Notes from a Nomad 