Go West Odyssey: How I Saw America in 19 Days  (Hardcover, NS Rajan)

This richly illustrated book by NS Rajan captures a personal account of a first-time visitor to the USA, chronicling the most memorable travel experiences on a 19-day drive from the East Coast to the West Coast and back. From the obvious to the unexpected, Rajan takes you on a joy ride through national parks, the Grand Canyon, bustling and always busy New York, the sin city Las Vegas, the sun-kissed beaches, glamorous Los Angeles, the Golden Gate bridge, the Tufa towers, Amish country, out-of-the-way museums, sandstone marvels of Arches NP, historical and geographical monuments and much, much more. Visiting a foreign land for the first time is very exciting. Especially when it is the USA, with its vast and varied topography, unique and vibrant culture, and places of great historical and spectacular value — the visit becomes exhilarating indeed. Rajan, an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) (Retd.), recorded detailed observations and experiences of his six-month visit to the US in the Summer of 2011. The first part chronicles his long walks and discoveries in New York City. The second part is a detailed diary of his cross-country, coast-to-coast road trip covering nearly 8,000 miles in 19 days, driving end-to-end through 18 states and passing through two more. Rajan takes you on a joyride through the massive landscape of America, capturing the variety of the land, its people, and the way of living in the US. His ruminating accounts create a riveting picture of the various American states, with the panorama changing all the time. The book does not purport to be a ‘guide’ to the US. The firsthand accounts of the places Rajan visited, peppered with his humour and witticisms, and also useful information about their importance and history, make Go West Odyssey a delightful and handy reference book for first-time visitors.