I was a kid when I first got all wide-eyed at the idea of The USA as a travel destination. Looking back, this was certainly no surprise. After all, my dad worked at a US naval base in West Ruislip, England, while I was growing up.

He brought home Coca Cola, Mountain Dew, Reeses, Butterfingers and Almost Home cookies. We had American friends and celebrated The Fourth of July.

Moreover, I found myself glued to American cinema and TV shows like The Wonder Years and The Cosby Show. Musically, I was schooled on the likes of The Mamas & The Papas, The Beach Boys and The Eagles.

Eventually, us Thomases made it stateside ourselves with a series of family holidays to Florida. We hit all the theme parks, including Disney World and Universal Studios. We also hung out on the beaches of Tampa Bay. And drove through Georgia to see friends in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

My first trip to the US as an independent adult came in May 2007 when I spent a week in New York City. For years The Big Apple was my favourite metropolis. Thus I considered myself very fortunate to return in late 2012 to interview the actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

Over the years I’ve made numerous visits across The USA. Hence I have plenty of cherished memories for the Leighton Travels archives. I’ll never forget paying tribute to John Lennon in NYC’s Central Park. Or indeed following in the footsteps of Streep and Eastwood at Roseman Bridge in Iowa.

Furthermore, I’ll always cherish having my own day off in Chicago with all the Ferris Bueller sights. And indeed my stroll through Washington DC’s historical Arlington Cemetery.

To find out more about these adventures, and many more, why not visit The USA through my travel articles on:

Chicago

Florida

Iowa

New York City

Tennessee

Washington D.C.

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