What can I say, I just love writing these posts! I’ve written three other posts exploring some of the libraries that have welcomed my book into their communities, you can check them out here and here. It’s so much fun to virtually travel around North America with Wild One and discover all sorts of fascinating places. Perhaps one day I’ll get a chance to visit them all.
Austin, Texas is near the top of my USA travel wish list. The city is famed for its vibrant arts and culture scene, and calls itself the live music capital of the nation, with more than 250 music venues. It’s also famed for its annual SXSW festival and conference, which celebrates “the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries”. While doing some research for this post I was thrilled to notice the prominent LGBTQ section on the city’s official travel site, which boasts that “unlike many places, which have only one or two areas known as ‘gay districts,’ Austin’s LGBTQ residents are truly everywhere. And proud of it!” Music, technology, arts, culture and a welcoming, inclusive spirit – Austin is the place to be!
While we’re on the subject, fewer American cities are as intrinsically linked with music as Nashville, Tennessee. The spiritual and commercial home of country music, Nashville has become a popular tourist destination for music lovers who prefer their tunes delivered with a twang. The city is filled with live venues offering a variety of music styles, there’s a Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and you can visit the studios where Elvis Presley recorded 200 songs. And if that isn’t enough for you, Nashville is also home to the world’s only life-sized replica of the Parthenon. I’m not making that part up, I swear.
As a teenager I was obsessed with crime procedural television shows, and my two favourites were Law and Order (set in New York City), and Homicide: Life on the Street, which took place on the mean, crime-riddled streets of Baltimore, Maryland. While the series was brilliantly written and acted, it did little to promote Baltimore as a place to visit, much less live. The Baltimore tourism board would very much like to change that, and have actively promoted the city as a vibrant and welcoming place to be. There’s a burgeoning craft beer scene, a thriving theatre community, and several historic districts to visit and explore. And of course, there’s baseball for those so inclined. It seems the city is much more than just murder and life on the street!
Oh, the Mile High City! Denver is another city that sits high on my must-see list. Denver has a thriving, world-renowned beer industry (I don’t actually drink beer, but the Raincity Software Engineer is quite a beer snob), and is an absolute paradise for railway lovers. Once again, the official travel guide prominently advertises the city as an LGBTQ-friendly destination, which again makes my heart happy – no one should ever be afraid to travel somewhere because of their identity or orientation! Denver also boasts SEVEN arts districts, meaning there’s something for just about every art lover in this mountain city! Oh, and there’s also a hockey team, should you be a fellow Canadian traveller in need of an NHL fix.
Thank you so much, friends, for travelling around the US with me today! Have you visited any of the cities I mentioned? Where would you recommend I travel next?
I’ve requested our Moscow, Idaho library purchase it!
Moscow, Idaho – what a wonderful name for a community! ♥ I love that I’ve been able to learn about so many new places. 😊