Why? Because it's lovely, beautiful and flat. You can even see the back of your own head. In fact it's so flat that if your dog runs away you can watch him go for three days. I guess that if you've left your heart there it's easy to find - unless a prarie dog grabs it and put it in a furrow. I've never actually lost my heart there in a romantic sense, and I've lived there for nine years. What I love about it is that it's very scenic - even the most mundane task takes on a spectacular meaning. Going to the cleaners, for example - if you have a greasy spot on your jacket and want to walk to the dry cleaners, you'll have the most majestic backdrop. There's Sergio Leone directing it and music playing in the background. You'll walk through the prairie and then arrive at the cleaners and go "Howdy partner." It's straight out of a movie.

The best thing? There are no people; in fact, there are more horses than people, and the people there are all misfits. I admit, begrudgingly, that it's good for those who don't like other people; there's no one who bends your ear.

Advice? Bring a big, loud bell, and hang it around your neck so that the grizzly bears will stay away. A human being to a grizzly is an hors-d'oeuvre.

How do I get there? British Airways (0345 222111) flies to Seattle from £539 return and supplies tickets for flights from Seattle to Billings, Montana, with Horizon for £305 return. Rich Hall performs as Otis Lee Crenshaw at the Pleasance, Edinburgh until August 28. Box office: 0131-556 6550.