This time, Jack’s Corner is at Lincoln Park. At least I think that’s what it’s called. I forget.

As soon as we stepped off the plane at Minneapolis (our stopover on the way to Chicago) the cold hit us like a tonne of bricks. Cold bricks. We weren’t even outside but we still had mist drifting off our breath and we were worried that the -11° Celsius would be a sign of things to come in Chicago.

But when we arrived in The Windy City (not actually that windy) we were greeted by a balmy 2°. After catching up on some sleep on the hostel lobby floor, we left for the United Centre to see the Chicago Bulls take on the New York Knicks.

The game began with a spectacular rendition of The U.S. national anthem. American pride as contagious as the black plague filled the arena and we soon found ourselves proudly singing the words we knew – and shamefully mumbling the ones we didn’t. But thanks to all the patriotic mid-anthem clapping, I don’t think anyone noticed.

Anyway, the game was great! (I think. I didn’t really watch much between all the t-shirt shooting, trampoline dunking, banjo playing, flag waving mascots). Plus, because the Bulls won the whole crowd got a free Big Mac each! Yep, God bless America!

But it’s not just the free Big Macs that make this place so great, it’s the vibrancy that Chicago has to it. Much like Melbourne, it’s not about flashy landmarks but a culture that you can’t quite explain (which makes blogging about it hard).

This is best summed up by our 3rd day in Chicago. Jamie and I began with a stroll through the falling snow as we chewed on our bagel and appreciated the beautiful East-American architecture. We caught the subway into the city and stumbled across Chicago’s Cultural Centre. Its mosaics and marble make it one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen all trip.

Once we came out it was almost dark (4pm) and the streets became even more amazing – especially being Christmas time. We then finished at the Skydeck of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, once the world’s tallest building. #funfact

But just like a good magician, this place left me wanting more. It’s up there as one of the best places we’ve been and I’ll be coming back for sure.

Warning: The following edition of Jack’s Corner may contain partial nudity. Parental discretion is advised.

Welcome to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and Jack’s Corner for this edition of the blog.

They say what happens is Vegas stays in Vegas, but that would have made for a pretty boring blog, so here goes:

After driving 8 hours through desert and hills we finally reached the blinding bright lights of Las Vegas.

This place is exactly what you imagine. A town of casinos with beers, betting and boobs. But what we didn’t imagine, was how expensive these things would be. Let’s just say Vegas isn’t the place to go if you’re on a backpackers’ budget.

But we didn’t let this stop us, it just made our Vegas experience a little more unique. Whether it was with a $10 bottle of rum (I think it was rum) and some card games of our own, a cigar as we watched the famous Bellagio Fountains or some cheap red wine through an IV drip at an aptly named place called Heart Attack Grill.

However, a generous shout from my lovely folks did see us dine on some quality steak from a rooftop restaurant that overlooked the city. Thanks Mum & Dad.

For most of us though, the highlight of Vegas didn’t even involve Vegas. It was when we ventured out for a day to the peace and quiet of the Grand Canyon. Even the second time round, this place was incredible. And it was made even more so by the snow that dusted the rim.

For me this sums up Las Vegas. Even though mankind have built some spectacularly mind-blowing casinos, they are still pale in comparison to the work of nature.

And on that pretentious note I’ll end this edition of Jack’s Corner. Thanks for reading, I’ll be here all month.

This time, Jack’s Corner is situated at the base of Yosemite Falls.

The drive to Yosemite was long, but it was worth the wait. Well, almost – I was hoping it would have been covered in snow.

But nonetheless, it was spectacular. Giant granite domes overlooked the small village, with tall sequoia trees scattered throughout.

We were eager to start exploring as soon as we got there so we did a short walk/boulder climb to the base of Yosemite Falls. It was astonishingly silent compared to the bustle of San Fran.

That night we decided to go to bed early so we could get up at sunrise and go for a run.

But sometimes, plans change, and I couldn’t have been happier! The next morning I peered through the curtains to see if it was going to rain on our run. Then I saw something amazing: Snow, and lots of it!

I immediately started jumping on Wardos bed in excitement knowing that I would finally be able to hike through Yosemite in the snow!

Once I had calmed down, we put on our boots and headed for the top of Nevada Falls.

I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life – other than Heath Shaw’s premiership winning smother in the 2010 Grand Final.

The higher we hiked the more pretty (and slippery) it became. But it was worth the it! See…