Oasis In American Wasteland

A trip to the States for a Canadian mother and son was largely disappointing and depressing, save a thriving urban homage to America's grand age of discovery:

Our first stop, Pittsburgh, was a gem – a once-mighty steel town grand with elegant edifices to American industry. We ate giant workers' sandwiches stuffed with fries and coleslaw at the famed Primanti Brothers, walked the steel bridges and marvelled at the still-functioning Heinz 57 factory, which was a dead ringer for Willy Wonka's.

After Pittsburgh, the road turns post-apocalyptic and nature rules the ruins of globalization.