If you had to pick the iconic American landscape, what would it be?

[Becky2844]

@Simplicio

Not exactly a landscape with “minimal human construction”

:smack:

[AHunter3]

I’ll go with this one or a close equivalent.

[AHunter3]

@Terminus_Est

Something like this came to mind.

Cool, I just downloaded that update earlier today

[Trinopus]

@Terminus_Est

OP specified no or minimal signs of human construction. A village is very much human construction. Similarly, “amber waves of grain” may be quite American, but I think a farm still qualifies as human construction.

Oh, boogers, I missed that bit.

Still, that just makes me want to reject the premise. Without human influence, it isn’t “American.” It’s just earthlike. America is what we have made of it.

[Trinopus]

@Bridget_Burke

. . . Which battles were fought in New Hampshire? No offense–I was born there. But in an old mill town, not one of those quaint places.

I started by saying “New England,” where a handful of important battles were fought.

Agreed that Virginia is important also.

And mill towns are also very definitely part of Americana.

[Enright3]

nevermind

[OldGuy]

How about Old Faithful erupting.

http://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/yellowstone-considering-old-faithful-lodging-improvement-plan21299

[LC_Strawhouse]

@Shalmanese

Let’s say you were an art director and you had to chose a single static nature shot that had to represent the idea of America, what would you choose? The shot has to be one of nature with no or minimal signs of human construction and has to be instantly recognizable to anyone across the globe as representing “Americanness”.

Animals would be a good visual clue. Any Plains/Rockies/Southwest landscape with a herd of buffalo, bald eagle or armadillo would work.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Same as the OPs.

[Suburban_Plankton]

@Dale_Sams

Nothing is more American than this.

I dunno…that looks like Cestus III to me

[Ken001]

@Trinopus

As alien as it is to my way of life, I’d vote for a New England village, with pointy-steeple church, perhaps in the autumn with all the fall colors.

Looks like Germany to me.

Eg. http://www.colourbox.com/preview/3632855-176403-german-village-at-the-river-weser.jpg

[scr4]

@Shoeless

Do they burn the prairie in other countries? Because something like this was the first thing I thought of.

Is that different from stubble burning? It used to be common in many countries.

[clairobscur]

@OldGuy

How about Old Faithful erupting.

http://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/yellowstone-considering-old-faithful-lodging-improvement-plan21299

Geysers make me think of Iceland, not America.

[Hopeful_Crow]

@LC_Strawhouse

Animals would be a good visual clue. Any Plains/Rockies/Southwest landscape with a herd of buffalo, bald eagle or armadillo would work.

I was watching the National Parks series on PBS when it occurred to me that a herd of bison grazing on the plains, perhaps with the Rockies in the background, would be perfect. Though I’m sure Canada has its share of bison, I’m sure more people think, “America” when they see them.