​This is where is all began! The “Chris Across the World” series has been a dream for many years. However, in 2010 I decided to start my journey with the United States of America. 

My plan was to visit every state in the United States and film a video along the way. I wanted to share this experience with people who couldn’t travel so easily, and I wanted to show how beautiful the USA was to people interested in visiting. I filmed some blogs along the way, but the final video can be found here: https://youtu.be/quxti3vwabM

This was my American adventure!

Alabama 
The premise of my journey was to visit the most famous, beautiful, and/or iconic places in each state. Some states were quite easy! Like Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Nothing in Arizona comes close to the level of fame, beauty, or iconic nature as the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Some places were a little more tough…What is Alabama’s Grand Canyon? 

Most of the places I went to, I planned in advance. However, with Alabama, I went to the first visitors center I came across and asked them. They recommended the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. And I have to say…I loved it! I am a huge fan of flight and space. I think it’s so cool, and I had a really great time here after filming.

Arizona 
I love the Grand Canyon. There are very few places in the world that actually look better than their photographs, but I believe the GC is one of them. Simply stunning. No words to describe it. If you visit the USA, please go here. It is on my top 5 places to visit in the USA list. ​

California 
Such a beautiful state. One of the longest non-stop drives of the trip was from Las Vegas to San Francisco. I was so excited to get out of the car in San Fran. I was equally excited to film the big beautiful Golden Gate Bridge! As soon as I got out of the car, I asked someone where the bridge was, and they pointed to a giant mass of fog off in the distance. It was completely covered. Couldn’t see a thing. 

So I decided to keep going and fly back on my way to Hawaii. My flight stopped in LAX rather than SFO, so I did the HOLLYWOOD sign…haha

But this is Cali baby~ everything’s good.

Connecticut 
I think Yale University is probably the most famous thing in Connecticut. And I actually lived quite close to their campus. However, I wanted to pay homage to my alma mater: the University of Bridgeport. Although it is not as world famous as Yale, it made a big impact on my life as a student! I had an amazing time there, and am very proud of my school. I hope one day someone can say they learned about UB from my videos and decided to attend. 

Georgia 
At the time, Atlanta was home to the world’s largest aquarium. 8 million gallons of water! The place was packed. One of the most difficult things about filming these videos are getting shots with no people. I literally had to wait until the aquarium closed to get the shot. All of the workers were asking people to leave. I started to walk out with everyone, then ran back really quickly for a final shot. 

Nothing like a little pressure to get the shot…

Idaho 
I wanted to film a potato field in Idaho! However, after my fiasco with fields in Arkansas, I decided to just ask around once I got there. As soon as I drove in, I was deeply impressed how beautiful the silver mining countryside was. It was a really nice part of America that I think not many people get to see very often. 

Also, I wanted to feature my car in at least one of the clips. That car was my best friend for 30 days. We had hard times, as well as good. We bonded. I always say, one of the most amazing things about this journey was that my car never broke down, I never got pulled over by the police, and I never had any accidents. Truly a blessing. 

Illinois 
Chicago had the worst traffic of the entire trip. Bumper to bumper. For hours!! I thought that it would be so hard to live there, but later I found out that it was Stanley cup weekend, and the event was being hosted in Chicago. 

I liked Chicago as a city! It’s quite clean and the people are really friendly. I got some legit deep-dish pizza, filmed in Millennium Park, and called it a day. 

Iowa 
What is the most famous, iconic, beautiful place in Iowa? I had no idea, but when I searched online, the Field of Dreams often came up. I never heard of it, but decided to check it out! The weather was simply phenomenal! I learned that this was part of an old movie set. A few couples that were there were amazed that I visited before watching the movie…haha…That night I watched the movie.

Kentucky 
90% of the time I am filming, I eventually get reprimanded by the police or security. Most of the time they are just doing their jobs and really care about my safety. In fact, in most cases, after they speak with me and I tell them what I am doing, they are all generally really interested in the project. Some even asked me to send them the video when I finished or add them on Facebook…haha…Kentucky was not cool about it. 

I barely had time to set up my tripod before I could see security approaching out of the corner of my eye. I did one handstand, before they got to me. This time, they didn’t even talk to me. Two security guards just took my camera and tripod and started walking off. Another big one put his hand on my shoulder and told me to get out. I brushed his hand off and ran after my camera. When I got to my camera I asked what the problem was.

//sidenote: I am not a trouble maker. I never ask anyone to move while I am filming. If anyone ever asks me to stop, I always do. The purpose of this trip is not to make trouble or to be a bad guy. 

So I was shocked when in response they said they knew what my agenda was. I fought with them for about 10 minutes before convincing them that I had no malcontent. So I’m not super happy with Kentucky. The security guards could have been a lot nicer…

Maine 
Cape Elizabeth, Maine is home to the World’s most photographed lighthouse. I have no idea how they monitor that record…haha…but it is indeed beautiful. I went in the very beginning of summer, but the water was still sooooo cold for me. Most of the time I spend 2 or 3 hours filming each stunt, but for Maine, I only jumped in the water twice….Tooooo chilly. I have since developed a little better conditioning for cold water…haha

Maryland 
Crabs. Maryland is famous for having amazing crab, but filming something like that is kind of tough. I was at a real loss as to what or how to film in Maryland. This was one of the only states that I just drove into having no clue where to go, or what to film. It was towards the end of my trip, and I stopped by the Gaylord convention center simply because I saw a sign for it. 

It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. I’m not sure if this was the best place to film in Maryland, but I really enjoyed my time there. I think that this clip was edited the most poorly out of the whole video. It is so tough to film on my own. I had to move the camera then run and do the trick before any people got in frame. It was a challenge, and I’m afraid I was not very successful this time. However, Maryland is a beautiful state, with amazing crab. Please go. Please eat. Please enjoy.

Minnesota 
Oh Minnesota…I wanted to film in the Mall of America. The Mall of America is an awesome place. It’s a huge shopping mall with theaters and amusement parks and great stores! It’s really a lot of fun. The largest in the United States. I was trying to film a few stunts inside, but security got really mad at me, and threw me out. 

I went back to my car and drove off. After I got about an hour out of the city, I pulled over for the night. That night, I just kept watching and re-watching the footage I shot. It wasn’t good enough. I felt so bad. Nothing is worse than having to back-track on a road trip..but I couldn’t move forward with out a better shot for the vid. I was worried about the police because they told me I couldn’t come back, so I went early in the morning, and shot outside. I’m not sure if I’m ever allowed to go back in there…

Missouri 
I always always always wanted to go see the Gateway Arch in St. Louis!! I love stuff like this! It’s so cool looking!! I think I must look really crazy when I take pictures like this…

A few years later I would visit the Ring of Life in Fushun, China. They are pretty similar structures. It would be nice if when you stepped through the one in the USA, you would step out of the one in China!

Nevada 
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…haha…I LOVE Las Vegas. I love it! One of the top 5 places I believe tourists should go when visiting the United States. I love the energy, I love the passion. I love the show! Everything in Las Vegas is fun for me. I have been 5 or 6 times now, but it never gets old. Of course this place is not for everyone, but I really enjoy every trip I have ever made to the strip. Show time!

New Jersey 
Some states are super easy to pick a filming location. Arizona = Grand Canyon, Hawaii = beach, etc…Other places…not so much. New Jersey is light on the world class attractions, so I had to improvise a little. I spent a lot of time (and money) on the Jersey Turnpike. It’s not so famous I guess, but people laugh at the stunt, so I was happy with the shot. 

New Mexico 
I really like New Mexico! I like the style. I like the feeling. I like the connection it has with Native American culture. For New Mexico, I went to the Chaco Canyon, which was surprisingly awesome. The weather was perfect that day. I was happy to be outside. I was happy to have this opportunity. I was happy to be back to a place that felt a little familiar. 

North Carolina 
First in flight! Many states have really nice places to visit, but North Carolina has a location that changed history for all of humankind. I have always loved the open sky and flight. When I was younger, I even thought about becoming a fighter pilot, just to spend more time up there. I love flight! I think it is absolutely incredible, and it was here that Wilbur and Orville Wright took the longest maned flight in history up to that point. It was a monumental time, and they made a memorial for the occasion. It was fun to film there because very few people were visiting the memorial at the time, and very little security! 

Ohio 
Some states are quite easy to find a iconic place. Some, not so much. What is iconic in Ohio? I had no idea, but after a little bit of research, I found this giant Longanberger basket building. It’s actually the headquarters for the Longaberger basket company, which at one point, was quite famous. The area was very nice, and there was a plaque near the front door that said:

“Our footprints are the same…the difference lies in where we leave them and what we choose to do when we are there.”

Or something like that…That quote really resonated well with me. After being on the road for quite some time it made me realize that where I go, is not nearly as important as what I do there. I want to bring people happiness. I want to be a positive influence wherever I go. I really liked this quote and it has stuck with me since Ohio.

Oklahoma 
Slightly bitter-sweet. I visited the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial. It was a terrible thing that happened on April 19, 1995. A bomb went off in the city, killing over a hundred people, and injuring far more. However, much like Hiroshima, Oklahoma turned this tragedy into something really beautiful. The memorial is incredible. A truly lovely, peaceful place in the city. 

Rhode Island 
My first stop on this journey. Many people asked me what I was doing, and they all laughed when I told them that this was my first state. 

Everyone always asked me how many states I had done so far. People laughed less and less as I completed more and more sates….haha

Newport has always been close to my heart. It is located very close to my University, so I often made trips there on the weekends. I really like the feeling of Newport. 

Known as the Sailing Capitol of the World, there are many sailboats. I often associate sailing with adventure! Taking a boat out was really exciting for me. I love the feeling of going with the wind! The captain even let me steer for a while. It was exhilarating. Something I would like to do more of in the future. 

South Dakota 
Mt. Rushmore was fun because there were a lot of kids and families there. I started to draw a crowd whilst performing. I finished filming, but I still kept doing some tricks because the kids really liked it. People really give me energy. 

There is a surprising amount of controversy regarding this monument and the Native American community. It’s really interesting to me. 

Texas 
I won’t forget the Alamo. I wanted to find a bunch of people I could jump over. Only 1 tourist would let me jump over her kids…haha…They were really cool kids though. I sat and spoke with them for a while after filming. The Alamo was a challenge for me because it was jam packed with tourists, security was everywhere because hollywood was there filming a movie, the sun was not facing in the right direction…so many things went wrong. To be honest, I am not very happy with the Alamo clip. It is a cool place, but I don’t think my video did it justice. 

Everything is bigger in Texas.

Vermont 
I was more excited to eat Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream than anything else. Of course I can eat Ben and Jerry’s anywhere, but there was something even sweeter about eating it in it’s home state of Vermont! I also went to the Capital building in Montpelier. Which, by population, is the smallest capitol in the United States. I found some kids visiting the state house and played with them for a while.

Washington 
Seattle is an interesting city. Very different than the rest of the USA I feel. I filmed the Seattle Space Needle and a Frappuccino from Starbucks (the first Starbucks was started in Seattle). The Space Needle is in the middle of a really nice park area. It was built in 1962 to withstand winds over 200 mph and an earth quake up to 9.1 on the Richter scale!! 

Wisconsin 
There were many frustrating times throughout my trip, however, nothing compared to the frustration I had trying to film Wisconsin’s stunt. I found a decent place to set up my camera and started filming. ​I knew exactly what I wanted to do: throw the football, run and catch it. Easy, right? not so much. I literally tried to do this for 3 hours. I failed every, single, time. For 3 hours…I was going to go crazy…

Then I saw this guy coming up to me from across the field. He told me he worked across the street and had been watching me for over an hour. He was on his lunch break and wanted to see if I needed help.

He threw the ball to me, and I caught it mid-backflip on the first try. I was exhausted, and grateful beyond words. He asked me to come for some lemonade at his office. I met his secretary who had been to every Green Bay packers home game for the past 50 years.

I am so grateful for their help and hospitality. Wisconsinites are pretty awesome.

Alaska 
Alaska was tough for me. I wanted to film somewhere with snow. I imagined the transition of scenes from a snowy Alaska to the sun-drenched grand canyon rock in Arizona would be great! The only problem was that it was summertime in Alaska… which turned out to be a blessing in disguise; Alaska is BEAUTIFUL in the summer. 

But! I really wanted to get snow! So I decided to fly to Mt. McKinley, which is the highest peak in North America (20,237 feet - 6,168 m). There would definitely be snow there!! However, in order to land on the ice, the weather has to be just perfect. It’s a bit dangerous for the pilots if the weather is bad. The day I got the flight, the weather was just awful. All morning it was raining and super windy. I had to drive from Anchorage to Talkeetna (114 miles - 184 km), so it was a bit of a risk. But I took the risk, and about an hour after I got there, the clouds parted, the wind died down a bit, and we were able to take off. 

Alaska is in my top 5 favorite states.    

Arkansas 
I wanted to film a cotton field in Arkansas. It wasn’t cotton season. So I had to film in an empty field…haha

Colorado 
Did you know there were sand dunes in Colorado?? I had no idea! Colorado has a lot to offer. But no other state has sand dunes quite as impressive as theirs. The weather was great, I was out of the car, and it was a blast rolling down those dunes!! 

Delaware 
There were very few places I had to go to twice, but Delaware was one of them. I really wanted to film at the Nemours Mansion, and the first time I went it was closed! It was in Delaware that I had to make the decision to continue my journey South or start to head West. I chose South at the literal flip of a coin. 

Florida 
Disney is amazing. I love Disneyland. I had such a great time at Disney!! Hard to get a shot with no people, but I tried my best ^^ Disney makes me so happy!! 

Hawaii 
Best feeling ever. Hawaii was my last state. I remember sitting a boat in Rhode Island and a lady asked me why I was filming. I told her about my project: an attempt to visit each state in the USA. She was really impressed and asked how many I had been to so far. I told her: 1. She kinda scoffed at my answer. Many people asked me the same question. As my number grew, the reaction of people changed. It was really nice. 

I remember the day after I finished filming in Hawaii. I couldn’t move my legs. I could barely walk. I literally was filming everyday for the last 30 days. Working out constantly and driving when I wasn’t working out. It was pretty exhausting…but in the good way! 

That feeling was…unforgettable. 

Indiana 
Little is more famous in Indian than the Indy 500. A wicked fast car race that is very very loud! Strangely enough, I remember the hotel I stayed in here more than anything else. It was a really bad hotel, but the people running it were simply amazing. It made me realize, I would much rather stay somewhere not so good with really nice people than somewhere really nice with not so good people. That’s my style I think!

Kansas 
Sunflowers!! Nothing ever happens exactly as I planned. I wanted cotton in Arkansas, Potatoes in Idaho, and I was searching high and low for a sunflower field in Kansas. Alas, it was not sunflower season I guess. However, although things don’t always work out the way I envision, most of the time, it turns out okay! 

In Kansas, I drove for miles upon miles searching for a good sunflower field. Eventually, I just pulled over on the side of the road, and shot the video in an open field. For me, even though I was kinda frustrated at not finding any sunflowers, in the end, I was really happy with this shot. This field was so nice, and I left Kansas feeling grateful for the beautiful weather, and positive energy I got from the natural beauty of the United States.

Louisiana 
New Orleans was probably the most highly anticipated location on my list to visit. I was really excited to visit that city, and it did not disappoint! There is something different about New Orleans. The people, the culture, the atmosphere, it’s all really wonderful. I highly recommend a trip to New Orleans to anyone visiting the United states for the first time. Most people go to New York and California, but Louisiana has a side of the US that is not often portrayed in movies or tv. I really enjoyed my time there. 

On a separate note, N'leans had, by far, the hottest weather I experienced on the journey. It was hot. And not just like, stay outta the sun hot. It was wet. Humid beyond anything I have experienced in the United States before…haha…but their gumbo, jambalaya, beignets, and spunk easily make up for the heat!

Massachusetts 
I love Boston. People always talk about how great New York City is…and indeed, NYC is like no other city in the world. However, I really really like Boston as well. There is an older feel to the city. I thought about filming at Harvard or maybe MIT, but Quincy Market has such a rich culture to it. I really like the market area at dusk. There are so many street performers, small shops, and delicious foods! Boston is great, and has amazing characters. 

The bin I jumped into in the video is actually a rubbish bin…haha…I got really dirty, and on my last attempt, the bin fell over and a policeman came to have a talk with me…

Michigan 
I thought about filming in Detroit. In fact I was on my way up there to film at some car manufacturing plant, but I kept seeing signs for lake Michigan. So I pulled over and took a break. I was just warming up and playing around on the beach, when i decided to trying filming some stuff. 

The trick I did in Michigan was not too difficult, but in Philadelphia I tried to do the same trick about a thousand times, and couldn’t land it once…not once! I don’t know why. I struggled so much with this simple trick. Every time I did it in Philly, I failed miserably. Then, the first time I tried in Michigan, I landed it. I have no idea what was wrong with me in Philly at that time…haha

Mississippi 
It is surprisingly difficult to find a Mississippi River boat that would allow me to jump off. 

Montana 
By far, the most surprising state for me. I had visited most of the states prior to filming this video, but Montana was a big surprise. I had no expectations what so ever, but this place blew me away! It is so unbelievably beautiful here. Honestly, I think it’s one of the nicest places I visited on the whole trip. 

I loved Montana, and if I ever have to go back to the USA, I think I would like to live in Montana. Really my style place. I tried to find a horse in Montana, but nobody would let me do a backflip off their horse :/

Nebraska
Nebraska taught me a valuable lesson. The entire trip, I always prayed for good weather. Not so much for me, but for the people who watch the final video. I really wanted to make the United States look good. I mean, this is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. I wanted that to shine through in the video. So I was always worried when I was driving to places. On my way to Chimney Rock in Nebraska, it was pouring rain…and even worse: it was foggy. So foggy! I drove for 6 hours in complete fog. It was difficult to see 10 feet in front of my car. I was going to film a mountain that nobody would even be able to see. 

I was feeling really bad about it. But after 6 hours, I arrived and the sky cleared up. It was still a little cloudy, but at least you could see the rock! And it made really stop worrying about stuff like that. Even in the rain, America is quite beautiful. 

New Hampshire 
New Hampshire is not the coldest place I have ever been to, however, it is the coldest I have ever felt in my life. I was driving to the Mt. Washington Resort, which is home to the fastest recorded winds in history, when I decided to stop for the night and sleep in the car. It was a little chilly throughout the day, but nothing like the night. When I woke up there was ice on the windows. I woke up shivering, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I could literally smell the cold. 

That was one of the most memorable nights of the trip for me. I can’t forget that feeling. 

New York 
NY was tough for many reasons. There is so much here! What to film? The statue of liberty? Empire State building? Times Square? Broadway? I was overwhelmed with NY. I went to college not to far from the city, so thankfully, I knew my way around. I’m glad I started with NYC and Boston. I feel like driving in those two cities helped prepare me for the rest of America. Everywhere else was so easy. I love New Yorkers! I am totally not like a New Yorker…haha…but I love them! Even the cops were cool in NY. I literally get yelled at everywhere I go. However, in NYC they gave me an hour to film before approaching me. 

I wanted to use an Apple in the shot somehow to represent the “Big Apple”. After dropping a ton of apples, and drawing crowds of people, the police came up and really politely asked me to move on. I was really impressed with their professionalism, and downright kindness. I gladly packed up. I even got a pic with them before I left. 

The most amazing thing about my trip to NYC was that I didn’t die after taking bites of apples off of the ground in Times Square…haha…I only miss 5 things about the United States, but one of them in NY style Pizza…yum.

North Dakota 
Rugby, North Dakota is the geographical center of North America. I drove for  a loooooong time to get to this monument. It’s in-between like a gas station and a convenient store…haha…Absolutely nobody was there. I couldn’t figure out why!! I love stuff like this. I think it’s so cool! I like being at the highest point of some place, or the lowest, or hottest or coldest or driest. Stuff like that really interests me. 

Oregon 
Most people know how beautiful northern California is. However, not nearly as many people realize that it just keeps getting more and more pretty as you drive up. Oregon is one of the most underrated states in the US I think. It has the beauty of Northern California, and the people are very friendly. When I went, everything was so lush and green. 

I started to head toward Cannon Beach to film the giant rocks coming out of the ocean, however, I just had a terrible experience with fog in San Francisco, and I didn’t want that to happen again. It was pretty rainy, so I filmed in Portland on my way there. I spent a good 3 hours in the Lan Su Yuan. It left a good impact on me. It reminded me that even in the rain, the USA can be truly beautiful. 

Additionally, at first I thought that the scene did not look very “American”, but the truth is, America is so diverse! That is one of her best qualities! I really enjoyed the gardens that day. 

Pennsylvania 
Philly was both a struggle and a blessing. Easy choice for Pennsylvania: Independence Square. The first time I went, I simply could not stick the landing of the trick I was trying to do. It had rained the day before and the grass was still wet. Thus, it was really tough to get a good grip. My filming was mediocre, it was still a little cloudy, and I just wasn’t really happy with the shot. 

The blessing was that I passed through Philly twice on the trip. On my way back from the west coast I tried to film in front of Independence Hall again. It went much more smoothly the second time around. 

South Carolina 
People often ask me what is the scariest thing you have done? I think that they expect an answer like jumping off a building in a burning suit, or crashing through glass after laying a rapidly moving motorcycle down…but the truth is, most of the stunts you see in movies and tv are really well organized. Most production crews take really good care of the stunt team, and nothing ever feels too dangerous. I like walking atop high places, flipping off of stuff, and jumping from one ledge to another. I do not like being in alligator infested waters…haha

The only thing worse than being in alligator infested water, is having to do it twice…

Tennessee 
Elvis Presley is awesome. I think every generation has some performers that push the bounds of what is typically considered “normal”. Elvis Presley had such a cool style, and was truly a unique individual. Someone many generations could look up to. Although he passed away many years ago, I believe he will live on through his music for a long time. 

Utah 
Arches National Park was an easy choice for Utah. Although the entire state is beautiful (especially Bryce Canyon and Salt Lake City), nothing is more famous than the picturesque Arch in Arches National Park. That being said, it was actually a bit tricky to film there! Not a lot of people, but the people that were there, always seems to be right in the shot. Also, it is pretty steep and windy! If I slipped on the sand, I might plunge to my death down the cliff below. 

Utah is a naturally beautiful place. 

Virginia 
The Luray Caverns were stunning. I am a huge sucker for natural beauty, and the Luray Caverns did it for me. I really enjoyed walking through the caves. Of course it would have been better 100 years ago when they were first discovered, but I used my imagination : )

West Virginia 
I really really want to jump off the bridge. There is one day of the year that people are allowed to BASE jump off of the New River Gorge Bridge, and this was not that day. Would have made a cool video though!! It is a beautiful bridge, and the drive to get there was also extremely pleasant. 

Wyoming
When I first got to Wyoming, I was really excited to go see “Old Faithful”, a geyser in Yellowstone National Park. The wildlife in the park is fantastic! Bison! This was America’s first National Park. 

The trip was too fast, and I felt I missed a lot of really great places….but I am so grateful for all the experiences I had and all the friends I made a long the way. Every country has positives and negatives. Sometimes we get too caught up with the negative things we see in the news, but when you travel in a country and meet the local people, it truly gives you a more clear and balanced view. I love the United States of America. It is really an amazing place, and although there are problems, I love the people. They are kind-hearted, wild, friendly, passionate, and truly all have a sense of adventure in their eyes when you talk with them. 

Thank you USA ^_^

✕