Go West Odyssey: How I Saw America in 19 Days  (Paperback, 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, a 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.