UNITED STATES

At one with nature alongside the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon: green river, red cliffs and blue sky. A three-week trek through the Alpine Lakes region of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state: jagged mountains, snow fields, deep lakes, dense blueberry patches and a raccoon peering out of the outhouse hole.

Lush Hawaiian forests, dry canyons and sparkling coast on the island of Kauai: snorkeling with fish and turtles, 6,000-foot cliffs along the Napali Coast, red rocks of Waimea Canyon and up to the amazing view of Kalalau Beach. Later, when we hiked on the Kalalua Trail, we heard people coming up the trail speaking German … it was the owners of the Swiss Alps hotel where we had just stayed six months earlier! That was quite a coincidence.

This is my home country: a huge land of diverse, overflowing beauty, with plenty of room to travel. And a lifetime of memories. My journeys so far have taken me to 45 of the 50 states, but to complete my United States travel stock photography selection I have yet to visit Alabama, Mississippi, Lousiana, Arkansas and Alaska. And then, I guess the territories, of which I have only visited Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.