Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic USA travel plans - ideas/tips/advice?

I'd love to meet up with any FoLCs who might happen to be living near where I end up travelling! That'd be fun.

~Anna.

Meh. I alternate between telling people how nice it is, and telling people how awful it is. It probably depends on how hot I am, how many ant-bites I'm covered in, etc.

If you come to Florida in summer, bring a coat. You'll realize why the minute you step inside a building.

I know I don't make it back here very often anymore, but I'd be happy to meet up with you when you're in L.A.

Email address is in my profile.

Oh yes! Yes! Yes! I soo agree with you! What is UP with the air conditioning?! It was like having Africa and the Arctic side-by-side - brutally hot outside but teetch-chatteringly cold inside! Floridians have NO concept of air conditioning levels.

But then, I noticed the exact same thing in Toronto supermarkets. I had left my guard down, as I had left Flroida behind, and wandered in unsuspectingly in my thin cotton blouse. All of a sudden I had stepped into the Ice Age, and my sinuses exploded. I had to stay outside, cowering among the shopping carts, while my uncle bought the groceries.

It's the same here in Texas. It seems the warmer it is outside, the colder they turn on the air-conditioning inside.

I always carry a light coat with me in case I have to stay inside for some time (which is most of the time). People look at me like I'm crazy ("what are you doing with a coat in the middle of the Summer?"), but I don't care.

I think a good idea is to have one of those lightweight rain jackets. That way you can be protected against the rain also.

malu

If you are going to be in or close to Colorado, I'd suggest catching the Rocky Mountains. They are gorgeous in western Colorado. (The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina are pretty awesome, too, but they are a different kind of mountain.)

Anywhere in Alaska is excellent. I loved it there. The next time I go, I would like to explore SE Alaska. Maybe go halibut fishing.
If you are interested in exploring the West, Glacier National Park is wonderful. We were there in late summer, early fall and it was fantastic. There was plenty of widlife around. We could hear the elk at night. Bears were in the campground as well. We had to leave because of them.
Cody, Wyoming is another city to visit. It has the Buffalo Bill Museum. I could get lost there. It has three wings, one for western art, one for Indian history and artifacts and one for guns. It is huge. If you go in the summer, there are rodeos there. Irma's is also a historical place to go. Food's ok but the historical significance is better.
There are also good places to go in South Dakota. I love the Black Hills. Rushmore is wonderful. It was better before the huge parking ramp was built, but it is still worth seeing. In Custer State Park, you can drive through the buffalo herd and look for other wildlife. Wind Cave is there. Crazy Horse Mountain is progressing along so that you can actually see the statue. Summertime also brings Sturgis to life, if you are interested in seeing a wilder portion of the American population. That's where the bikers go. It gets wild. FYI, I have never been to Sturgis, but I have rode my own horse to Rushmore.

I went to the US twice and loved it every time. I'm certainly no expert, but here's what I enjoyed the most:

If you like rollercoasters and theme parks, I STRONGLY recommend Cedar Point, which is a theme park relatively close to Cleveland. It's probably THE best theme park in the world as far as rollercoasters are concerned, certainly the best I've been to. And if you go, ride Raptor for me, will you? If you're staying in Western USA, Six Flags Magic Mountains is also a very good theme park (Riddler's Revenge and Scream are awesome!)

If you like TV things, the Warner Bros Studios tour in Los Angeles is really interesting. You get to see many decors from your favourite shows and it's a lot of fun.

If you like sceneries, go to the Grand Canyon, absolutely. One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen was the sunrise on the Grand Canyon. Breathtaking!

And just for the fun of it, go to Las Vegas. I'd never have thought I'd like Vegas, but in fact I adored it. The hotels along the strip are like monuments you get to visit, and the atmosphere just makes it all... magic.

So that's my 2 ct worth!

Kaethel