Loved your piece on exotic locales like Branson (where I lived for quite awhile in a former life). I just want to say that Americans have NEVER been looked upon favorably abroad. While LaFayette may
have loved us enough to fight in our Revolutionary War, Charles Dickens hated pretty much everything American and so it's been ever since. My 3-year stint in the Portuguese Azores (back in the day)
is memorable as the only place I've actually had rocks and bottles thrown at my head. Other indignities have been more subtly executed. I've traveled far and wide and thoroughly enjoyed most of it,
but give me the dear old USA on any day, and may the rest continue to blow each other up.
