(re)Covering America

Two Italian journalists, husband and wife, who have lived in New York for 25 years, recount America through two coast-to-coast road trips as "special correspondents" for the Italian Cultural Institute of New York. The first journey retraced the pioneers' trails-from New York to Oregon and back through the northern states along the Canadian border. The second led them from New York to San Diego, following the Atlantic coast to Georgia before crossing the southern states. In total, they covered 20,000 miles in 105 days. Their central theme was the discovery of "The Other America," far from the tourist circuits yet close to the nation's authentic heart. Along the way, they uncovered architectural curiosities like the University of Texas at El Paso campus, inspired by Bhutanese temples, and unexpected beauty such as the Crystal Bridges Museum nestled in the woods of Bentonville, Arkansas.