MOST people know Glasgow as the friendly city on the west coast of Scotland where the patter flows. Others may recognise it as a creative and musical hub which consistently punches above its weight.

But few realise there are at least 20 cities in the US which have the same name.

Now adventurer Mike Slavin wants to visit the other Glasgows inspired by his beloved Dear Green Place.

During his epic solo road trip, which will take him across dozens of states, the retired computer programmer hopes to discover more about the other communities and towns that share the name.

His trip, which will cover thousands of miles, will begin on April 8 when he sets sail on a cruise from Southampton to New York on the liner the Queen Mary II.

Mike, 67, said: "I've always had a fascination with America and one day I thought would visit the small towns. I was watching TV programme about Glasgow in Montana and I looked for it on the internet map and discovered there were 17 Glasgows in America.

"It was almost by accident and dictated my trip. I'm retired and I've been wanting to go to rural America.

"It's a bit self-indulgent, but I'm sure it'll be fascinating. I am also going to be documenting how these place names came about.

"I reckon it'll take me a year to complete."

After his six-day ocean liner journey across the Atlantic, Mike will travel to Chicago where he'll catch a train to Seattle.

It's on this trip he'll stop of at first Glasgow across the Pond, Glasgow, Montana.

The explorer, who will chronicle his travels in an online blog, plans to hire a campervan and head to doppel-ganger towns in Oregon and California before heading back to the east coast.

Before he set off on the coast-to-coast journey the father-of-two, who grew up in Penilee but now lives in south east London, scoured the map to discover places with any reference to Glasgow.

He has also contacted the sheriffs in every town to inform them a stranger in town will be passing through.

The trip, inspired by American travel writer Bill Bryson, found 31 features listed by the United States Geological Survey with the word Glasgow in their name.

Of these, part of Renault Monroe County, Illinois, was last recorded as Glasgow in an atlas of 1876.

Another in Cloud County, Kansas, settled on the highland sounding spelling of Glasco and nine more have influenced names such as Glasgow Landing, New Glasgow and West Glasgow.

A total of 21 places in America were simply called Glasgow and range from a tiny town in Fallen Timber County, Pennsylvania, which has 63 inhabitants, to the largest Glasgow in Kentucky which has a population of 14,000.

Most of the places Mike plans to travel to are in the Mid West and the East Coast with Glasgows in Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa and Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia earmarked for a visit.

He added: "One of the main reasons I'm doing this is to find out why they called these places Glasgow. I'm going to be travelling entirely alone and I haven't even got an itinerary yet. After the first few Glasgows, I'll probably play it by ear.

"I'm not going to do any walking, I'm too old for that and I think the days of hitchhiking are over.

"I plan to hire a camper van and in most states I'll be staying in cheap $40 motels."

Back in the original Glasgow, which was founded in 1190, Mike yesterday collected gifts of pennants and greetings from the Lord Provost in George Square which he'll take to each town and city leader.

In the friendship letters, Lord Provost Bob Winter welcomes visitors and invites its ex-pat citizens to come home so Glasgow can continue to flourish.

He writes: "Mike Slavin is from a well-known family in Glasgow, Scotland, and is an excellent ambassador for the city.

"I am sure the Glasgows in the USA are every bit as friendly as the original Scottish version and that you will give Mike a great welcome.

"2009 is the 250th anniversary of our national bard, Robert Burns, which is being marked in Glasgow and throughout the country by a year-long Homecoming Festival.

"We especially welcome visitors who can trace their roots to Scotland, and who have retained their pride in the national identity of their forebears.

"I would extend that heartfelt welcome in particular to those fortunate people who can claim to be citizens of Glasgow." Mike's journey could take him to Glasgow, Virginia... Glasgow, Kentucky... Glasgow, Montana... ...and Glasgow, Missouri ONE of the smaller Glasgows is in the mountainous state of Montana and has a population of just 3572.

The town lies on the banks of the Milk River and is the centre of vast cattle ranching region where herds of buffalo once roamed the prairies.

In contrast to our own weather, its climate is relatively free of smog and rain and has abundant sunshine, low humidity, and moderate to strong winds. Elsewhere, in the north east state of Pennsylvania, the borough of Glasgow in Beaver County has just 63 inhabitants, with just 27 households and 17 families living there. Glasgow, Kentucky, is the largest town on Mike's schedule, with a population of 14,000. The city was once thought to have been named after Glasgow, Virginia, but was actually named after a John Matthews, a native-born Glaswegian, and is well-known for its annual Highland Games. Glasgow, in the state of Missouri, was originally home to European settlers in 1836.

Records show 13 men purchased land thought to be a suitable site for river traffic and began selling lots to settlers. They named the settlement after one of the founders, James Glasgow. Because of its prime location on the Missouri River, the City of Glasgow became the next great river port on the Missouri, second only to St Louis.