Hey guys,

I'm planning on travelling around the USA next year, after working at a summer camp. So, I just have a few questions for those of you who live in the United States, but also for anyone who's been there and would like to offer advice/tips/ideas.

1. Where do you recommend I go?

2. What do you recommend I see while there?

3. Is there any place you would advise me to stay away from?

I'm able to travel for about a month after finishing working at a camp (will probably finish at the camp - wherever it ends up being - mid-August), so I'm trying to work out a list of places/things and possible routes.

Thanks guys! I know that those of you who live in the USA will be able to provide me with some wonderful ideas/advice and tips for your home town/city/state. I look forward to reading all you have to say!

~Anna.

Anna, keep in mind that the US is Very Big. What part of the country is the camp in?

Oh, I know it's very big. But the thing is, I don't know what camp I'll be at just yet. I just want to get general ideas/advice for places that you guys enjoy - anywhere in the country, that is - and make up my mind where to go and what to see from that once I know exactly what state my camp will be in. At this point anything would be helpful!



~Anna.

I'm going to echo Lisa on this one - it's a very big country. <g>

Give us an idea of what you're looking for in general. Do you like the outdoors? History? Scenery? How much time are you going to be able to spend traveling around? How extravagant is your budget going to be? Are you traveling alone or in a group?

I'd pick a general theme (and area of the country) and go from there.

Sorry guys - guess I should know by now to be more specific.

Um... I like museums (art and things like the Museum of Natural History), I like the outdoors, though not hiking up hills. Hiking on the flat is fine.

I love food - I'm a foodie and willing to try most things. Regional dishes etc.

I'm already planning on being in NYC, LA, Washington DC and Boston at some points. San Franciso and Yosemite too. I know they're on opposite sides of the country, but I will fly between them. I suppose it's in between that I'm wondering about. Do you recommend things like the Grand Canyon? If so, would you recommend the horse treks down to the bottom - things like that? And since I like musical theatre (and general theatre) is it wise to try and get last minute cheap tickets for a show on Broadway in NYC? Has anyone found this particularly difficult?

I also like stuff to do with television and the movies, but do not want to visit celebrities houses. Ugh. Just...maybe get tickets for being in the audience of a TV show that's taping? Hmm...

I will be going to places like Disneyland/Universal Studios. I'm a kid at heart!

I love history. Any history. A friend over here recommended the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. I really enjoyed learning about civil rights in history at school, so I was wondering about this place...

I will possibly also be in Georgia, depending on whether my friend who I'll be staying with for a while moves (she and her husband are in the Air Force, though she will be getting out of it very soon as she's pregnant).

Um...what other information would you like? I'm trying to be specific. I'm sorry I wasn't originally. My budget will be roughly just over $200 USD a day. May vary depending on where I am.

I will (hopefully) mostly be travelling with a group. I hope to make friends at the camp and travel with some people for at least part of the time. I have a month in which to travel.

Thanks guys. Anything else you need to know, don't hesitate to ask. I just want any ideas at all.

~Anna.

Hey, Anna,

Is this that same friend you wanted to try and contact in this other post ?

That's cool!

Now, as for places to go, if you likes airplanes (especially the military ones), and if you pass by Dayton, OH (just north of Cincinnati, OH), they have a VERY COOL Air Force Museum there, just by the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It's FREE, open every day from 9 to 5, they even have the old presidential airplanes. Here's the web page for the National Museum of the US Air Force .

malu

Thanks for the idea/tip, malu!

Yes, it is the same friend. I was so happy when I got in touch with her again. She's having a baby in November (a little girl apparently!) and I get to be an honourary aunt. So wherever she is, no matter what, I will be visiting and staying with her at some point during my travels. Bringing fun NZ-style gifts.

~Anna.

By the way, if you DO plan on going to the Museum, read this about visiting the Presidential and Research & Development/Flight Test Galleries (which have the presidential planes, among others, and are inside the base). To have a chance of going to see them, get to the Museum as it's opening and ask one of the Museum personnel where to sign up for the Presidential Gallery shuttle. The seats of the shuttles run out fast.

malu

I was supposed to go see the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis when I went - but we ended up having time to visit only ONE place during my trip, so that was a no-brainer: we went to Graceland. It's a cool place to see. (and you can believe I found a way to exclaim "great shades of Elvis!" while I was there)

I'm sure the Grand Canyon must be a great place to visit - haven't been there yet, but that's definitely a place I want to go to.

I'd totally suggest you visit Alaska, but that's kinda far from the rest of the country to begin with... It's so worth seeing, though. Magnificent place.

Las Vegas might be fun to see as well. I haven't yet, but it's on my list.

I believe it doesn't really matter which state you're in - you can find great things to visit anywhere in the US. It's just a question of doing a bit of research on the state or the city where you'll be. I have yet to go anywhere where there wasn't anything really fascinating to do or see.

Wouldn't it be fun if a group of us could get together and see Vegas? I'd love that. *wistful*

I've been to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and it is very good.

Because it's so relevant, I'll add another warning about the size of the US. Also, public transportation is not always quick or easy. Ground travel times between U.S. points of interest can quickly eat up your time.

The Grand Canyon is pretty, but it's also quite out of the way. I personally wouldn't recommend that you spend the travel time or budget it would requre for you to get there.

If you love history, you can spend FOREVER in the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. (best part...they're free!) I'd seriously recommend a week in D.C. alone, unless your travel companions are the type who will eventually complain, "Another museum??!!" You can get a lot of information about the Civil Rights struggles in D.C. museums...Memphis is fun, but considering all the other places on your agenda, you might need to save it for another trip. If you do go to Memphis, you have to do the Graceland tour. Totally cheesy, but I really did gain an appreciation for the man after going there.

Musical theater exists in L.A. too (either national touring shows or permanent shows like Wicked). I love attending tv show tapings...my favorite source for free tickets is On Camera Audiences .

Oh, and if you pay full price at any amusement park, you are out of your mind. Discounts or coupons are always available.

I'll also add a plug for San Diego (my home town...but I'm not biased or anything!). You could easily spend a week there on attractions (Zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park museums, day trip to Mexico) and lying on the beach during the perfect summer weather.

Las Vegas is fun (less fun when you're dragging along a 3 year old...but hey, we had a free trip!). Summer = HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A few days would be plenty if you go. Alaska is gorgeous, but we took two weeks of driving to hit major points of interest...hard to justify based on the other items on your itinerary.

You say you want to see Boston, New York, and Washington DC. That could take up most of your month right there. If you like museums and history, allow at least a week in Washington! And you might want to squeeze Philadelphia or Baltimore in there too. You don't say how you will be traveling. One of the things I envy about the northeastern part of the U.S. is that they actually have decent train service, so you could travel between all these cities by train. That is generally not practical in the rest of the U.S. You will either have to fly between cities or spend days in a car, so I would choose 2 or 3 additional areas you want to visit and spend a week in each one. (Thirty years ago I traveled by bus, but I tried that again about five years ago and it was "the trip from hell"; I will NEVER recommend bus travel to anyone!). Once you get to your destination, public transportation is generally poor, so plan to rent a car in each city that you fly to. (Washington DC is an exception; take the Metro there.)

If you go to Georgia you may want to go another 400 miles south and visit Disney World in Florida. If you do, plan to also visit Daytona Beach and the Kennedy Space Center; you might also want to travel to the Gulf side of Florida (maybe around Clearwater?). Keep in mind that Florida is extremely hot in August, so you may have to plan your sightseeing for the morning and evening, with a stop somewhere air-conditioned in the middle of the day. On the positive side, there are sometimes very good prices available in Florida during the last part of August; I do not know if it is because it is so hot or if it is because all the children in the south have already gone back to school by then.

There's also a lot to see in the middle of the country, but because your time is short, my next recommendation would be to fly to Salt Lake City and drive to Yellowstone. You'll see some spectacular geological formations and scenery, and you can do some of the "old west" stuff like ride horses and go on a chuckwagon cookout. Then, if you really want to see LA, you can spend your remaining time in California. I have never been to Los Angeles but I have spent one day in San Francisco and it was beautiful. I only had time to drive over the Golden Gate bridge and up into some of the farm country, then that evening I rode a cable car and visited Chinatown, but I know there is a lot more than that to see. I also believe that Las Vegas, with its gambling casinos and shows, is within driving distance of Los Angeles, but someone from the west coast will have to confirm that.

Since you are a L&C fan I hate NOT to recommend visiting Kansas, but as someone who once routinely drove 400 miles across that state each week, I do not recommend it unless you are VERY interested in agriculture. (I was, but most people are not.) Do take a look at it when you fly over it; the pattern of fields, laid out in square "sections" of one mile on each side, makes the view interesting.

Keep in mind that most of the cities you have mentioned can be quite expensive. I hope you will find friends to travel with, because if you cannot find someone to split hotel costs with, you may not have enough money for sightseeing and/or transportation. On my recent trips, even to fairly low-cost areas, I have had trouble finding a hotel room for less than $80 to $125 per night, and I know cities such as New York are much more expensive than that. It is best if you can book your hotel rooms in advance on the Internet, because you will get better rates than someone who walks up and asks for a room. There are some alternative solutions such as college dormitories and youth hostels, but I have not used any of those lately so I cannot offer any advice there.

I could go on forever, but I will stop now and hope that what I have written so far is of some use. I hope it works out well and that you have a great trip.

I have to put a plug in for D.C. My favorite activity ever is hanging out at the National Gallery of Art and then walking across the street to stick my feet in the sculpture garden fountain. I could stay outside there all day!

Where in Georgia is your friend? I have a lot of military nearby, but they're mostly Army, so I was just curious...

JD

I adore Boston and I know I've mentioned it before, but I can't help but go fangirl on it. I lived there for four years and would just love the opportunity to be back. Boston in the fall (October mainly) is just amazing. The weather is cool, the people are out, there's tons of activities and the foliage is just breathtaking--especially if you walk through the posh neighborhoods in the back bay. The back bay, the charles river, the restaurants, the art museums. If it's culture you want to see Boston has it up the wazoo. The city has an elegance and a history that is hard to find anywhere else in the US. At the same time the fact that there are 50+ colleges around that area guarantees that it remain a vibrant, young city.

I sound like a tourist brochure don't I? *Sigh* I just love that city.

Moving on--I did a loop two summers ago from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon area and back through Arizona etc. The Grand Canyon didn't impress me much, it was full of people and really didn't strike me as wonderful. Interesting, but not something I'd go specifically to. However, there are a lot of other parks that make it worth visiting. In the loop I made we went to Bryce Canyon, Zion Park, Sedona (a cute town in Arizona if I'm not mistaken), and some other places. Together they made some awesome sights. So if possible I would try to hit up several locations instead of spending 4 days at the Grand Canyon and looking at it from all sides like my mother wanted so desperately to do .

But enjoy, traveling is always an adventure.

Ooh if you're in the neighborhood you should go and see Yellowstone Park! Middle of August might be a little too late for you to see bears, but there are a lot of beautiful geisers and such!

And visiting Kansas, hmm. I don't know, I don't really think you should. I've been there about 10 times now, but that's only because I have family living there. Aside from a bowling alley and a swimming pool, there is not really much there to see.

Oh and if you're interested in airplanes - they have an airventure every year up in Oshkosh. My dad dragged me over there (yes, I still travel with my folks when I'm going over to the US. But hey, if they're paying ), and I recommend buying a one-day-card and NOT the one-week-card (or you have to be REALLY into airplanes).

A few years ago (must have been the beginning of July), when I moved back from San Diego to New Hampshire, my friend and I took two weeks to travel the country by car.

Our route was: San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco, where we stayed for a couple of days to tour the city and visit Alcatraz. From there we went to Las Vegas, then on to the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest etc. Next planned stop was New Orleans (of course we ended up staying in additional towns along the way). From there we went to Washington, DC and last but not least Boston.

Amazingly enough that trip wasn't even all that expensive. I think we paid $1,000 each, including gas, hotels, food, and sightseeing. Of course it helped that we didn´t have to rent a car.

I have also been to Rhode Island (Tennis Hall of Fame), Florida, New York City, Niagara Falls, and Chicago.

Thankfully I lived in the US for several years to be able to make all these trips.

I love every place I have been to and I still want to see Seattle, Yosemite, Mt Rushmore, and Denver. No idea when I will be able to that though since i am back in Germany now.

I wish you a terrific time. Let us know where you have decided to go, ok?

Natascha

Wow... I come back after a few hours and look at the responses! You guys are awesome!

JD, my friend is in Grovetown. At least, that's the most recent address I have for her.

I love the suggestions so far. Especially the Smithsonian idea (which I was going to do anyway, but I think I'll have to limit myself in terms of museums... *sigh*). I also love the Boston idea - a friend over here recommended walking tours there. Has anyone done one of those?

As for Graceland, I like Elvis' songs, but I'm not so into the man himself. But if people think that the Smithsonian museums have more than enough civil rights stuff, then I'll skip Memphis. I would like to go somewhere in the south though... Just to try real barbecue. Told you I was a foodie. Or is there somewhere not in the south that you can tell me has great barbecue? Hmm...

Yellowstone might be a bit out of the way... But we'll see. I'm definitely going to Yosemite. I stayed there back in the summer of '96 in the housekeeping camp and loved it. Looking to do that again, but to stay a little longer. A day or so. We just stayed overnight, then left.

San Francisco I think will definitely be a place on my list from now on. Plenty of people have recommended it to me, including my parents who went there a few years ago.

Thank you, everyone! Any more suggestions?

~Anna.

As far as visiting Georgia . . .

This summer we had a 16-year-old exchange student from France living with us. Since I am interested in history I drove her to Cherokee, NC, which has some Native American history and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (It also has a gambling casino but we didn't go there.) She enjoyed white water rafting but for the rest she was bored, bored, bored! Back in Atlanta we took her to CNN headquarters, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and a Braves baseball game. She liked the Coca-Cola museum the best. I would have liked to take her to the Atlanta History Center and to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, but I knew she wasn't interested. I also wanted to take her to Destin, FL, (6 hours away) or to Orlando (8 hours away) but we couldn't find the time. Later in the summer I took a different group to Savannah, GA, and to Tybee Island (a small beach town). I enjoyed that as much as anything we did all summer.

Oh god, yes! That would be all kinds of awesome!!

OK, I'd better move away from this thread before I get overexcited and start planning things right away. *lol*

I grew up very near Grovetown, so I know exactly where that is! However, I can't think of too many great, touristy things to do in the Augusta area. But Atlanta has lots to do, and Savannah and Charleston are both lovely southern, coastal cities that would be a fairly easy drive from Grovetown, if you were interested.

Must second (or third or fourth!) the plug for Washington DC! It sounds like it would fit your interests to a T, and the Metro makes it a pretty easy place to get around.

Oooh! I'm in!

Caroline

St. Louis is known for it's bbq, and it's got the famous arch (highly claustrophobic, though!). Under the arch is the Museum of Westward Expansion with a fabulous exhibit on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but the Museum of Natural History (again, part of the Smithsonian in D.C.) had a fabulous exhibit on the expedition which can now be found online. By the way, the Museum of American History is currently closed for renovations, but is scheduled to reopen in Summer 2008, hopefully in time for your trip.

Notable Places in the USA (AKA Heaven on Earth but with more crime):

NEW YORK

Good Points: Northern New York State hosts the beautiful Niagara Falls, a huge, awe-inspiring must-see, beautiful in any season. Also a short hop away from Canada for you hockey fans. NF also has a casino, a *really* low-priced gas-station/store run by the Senneca nation, and a couple museums (including one on modern art, IIRC).

New York City, of Frank Sinatra song fame, of course has all the bright lights and tall buildings, including the Empire State Building (sans giant ape) and DC Comics head quarters. There's also a whole bunch of other stuff. *EVERYTHING* is in NYC.

Bad Points: Keep an eye on your wallet in NYC. Also, unless you're used to watching thousands of large-screen televisions at once, you may spend the first few days with your eyes glued to the sidewalk.

The City of Niagara Falls is, alas, very empty at the moment, but there is still an active tourist industry.

Philadelphia

Good Points: Our nation's first capitol and the birthplace of the revolution, Philly is brimming with history. Museums, statues, and fountains are everywhere. Also, Philly is noted for being the vessel by which God gave us Hoagies, Cheese-steaks, and Soft Pretzels.

Bad Points: Crime, graffiti, and the fact that few people born in Philadelphia manage to escape. Oh, and most of the people who make the hoagies are now living in...

Florida

Good points: Fun! Sun! Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, and even a theme park based on African animals and *beer*! You name it, we have a theme park for it. Also beaches; lots and lots of beaches. Of course, the crown of the state is Sarasota, a city built by art-loving circus people! (I kid you not, see the Ringling Art museum and watch the movie about John and Mable Ringling). Whereas South Florida is much like Yankee land (only sunnier and more up-beat); North Florida has all the rustic charm of Dixie, with cotton-covered country-side, Southern hospitality and people who say 'Ah' instead of 'I'.
Also, Florida is a *wonderful* place to be in winter.

Bad Points: Any time other than February, though, it's just *really*, *really* HOT. Also, be wary of the South American menace known as FIRE ANTS. These bugs are *not* your typical, happy-go-lucky ants. They have red heads & bodies and black bottoms, and they are on a mission to destroy humanity. Fire-ants bite *and* sting, the result being something that hurts like----Michigan. They have also been known to gang up on people. If you look around the ground virtually *anywhere*, you may see cones of sand/dirt with a hole going down the center, or a *HONKIN' BIG PILE* of dirt/sand with so many holes it looks like swiss cheese.
That's them.

Keep your feet *covered*, or else wear something that will not impede the need to immediately wash your feet with a hose.
Also, we get mosquitos the size of B47s.

California

Good Points: .... Wait, gimme a minute.... Okay. Full House was filmed there.

Bad Points: California is the place where we keep our crazy people. A few normals may have gotten mixed in either through employment issues or just sheer accident, but mostly it is a very large asylum which borders on being its own country. Approximately 90% percent of California's population suffers from the delusion that they are brilliant actors who will be discovered and put in movies someday. Avoid this place at all costs.

Also, California oranges are woefully inferior to Florida oranges.
And we have better theme parks.

Florida rocks.

United States Cuisine:
Regional dishes in the US include Chinese Food, Itallian Food, Mexican Food, Tex-Mex, and Hamburgers.

What else do you expect from a nation that was founded and built by foreigners?

Of course, if you want to shoot for 'Classic Americana', you may try Cracker Barrel. CB is a combination restaurant/store that serves southernish dishes and has cool old-timey American things on the walls like 1900's advertisements for this new-fangled thing called "detergent".

I think the folks in Boston would take issue with that statement.

ETA: Not all of California is a brainless wasteland. If you're going to be in/near San Francisco, take a drive north over the Golden Gate into Marin County. Visit the Marin Headlands, go see the Muir Woods and, if you have enough time, take a drive up to Point Reyes. It's absolutely gorgeous.

Or head south and drive along the Big Sur coast. It's also gorgeous.

Sue (born in CALIFORNIA!)

I double QotC's opinion on Cracker Barrel. And they are *almost everywhere* (according to their map, "more than 530 locations in 41 States"), except in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, Maine, Vermont, Hawaii, and Alaska. The states that have more CBs are on the East Coast. Here's the website: www.crackerbarrel.com

malu

I really want to see Mt. Rushmore too. Someday over the rainbow, I hope. I've been to Seattle. I have an infatuation with big cities and sky scrapers, so I loved Seattle, San Francisco too.



I've also been to Vegas, and *that* was quite an experience. I suppose the fact that I was on my honeymoon might have had something to do with it, but I loved Vegas. And if you want to see the Grand Canyon, I recommend taking a trip by helicopter--expensive but totally worth it. We actually got to fly into the Grand Canyon, and then we landed on a ranch for a barbeque. They also had horse back riding, although my husband and I didn't do that. The whole trip to the Grand Canyon and back took about half of a day. It was amazing.

Me too! I was just talking to my husband the other day about going back to Vegas next year, only this time, as a group. I'm dying to see that place again.

I'll stop my rambling now. I hope you have an awesome vacation!

Wow, even more responses. You guys are just fountains of information! I always think that it's best to get the info from the people who live there. If any of you ever want to know about New Zealand, feel free to ask.

Sue, I LOVE the Big Sur coastline. I have been to the States once before, but we only went to California. I like crazy people. I loved all of the coastline between LA and San Diego. Gorgeous. Absolutely spectacular. I especially liked the sea elephants.

~Anna.

It is pretty far away from everything else, so probably not in your plans, but I figured I'd let you know if you wanted to come up here and needed somewhere to stay and/or someone to show you around I'd be happy to oblige. It's definitely an amazing place.

Jessi

Jessi, I am so tempted to go to Alaska, just because of the gorgeous scenery that I've seen in pictures. I want to see it up close!

At this point...we'll see. If I did come, I might just take you up on your offer!

~Anna.

Quote:
------------------------------------------------------
United States Cuisine:
Regional dishes in the US include Chinese Food, Itallian Food, Mexican Food, Tex-Mex, and Hamburgers.

What else do you expect from a nation that was founded and built by foreigners?

-------------------------------------------------------

I agree completely with the description above, but remember that we also have Kansas City barbecue, Memphis barbecue, North Carolina barbecue, Texas barbecue (all different); Chicago-style pizza, St. Louis-style pizza, New York-style pizza; Maryland crab cakes, Philly (Philadelphia) cheesesteak sandwiches, and Southern fried chicken. Anyone care to add to the list?

(And I know I've heard of St. Louis style barbecue, but as someone who grew up there, I think of it as a place for incredible Italian food and German-style food with beer.)

Ooh - if you stop in Boston you have to do the Duck Tour! I was downtown yesterday & reminded of how fun it was when I saw the boats all over town! It's great fun - especially for a kid at heart

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

Oh - and in terms of cuisine, don't forget the seafood! New England Clam Chowder, Maine Lobster, fried clams, fried shrimp, fried anything, really....

And I'm throwing in Texas, though I see it's already been mentioned, because well... I just love it. If you're into nightlife and live music, Austin is great. It's the live music capital of the world, I believe. There's the riverwalk in San Antonio which is also an extremely fun activity. And the Alamo is interesting, if you like history things. It's one of those things that every person in Texas has seen like five times (in my case, many, many more). Anyway, wherever you go, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time!

Laura

I agree. It's really funny because I spent my first three years there looking down at the tourists that quacked up on Newburry Street. Then when my family came up to visit me for graduation, they made me do it with them and I had a total blast. It's pretty pricey last time I checked (like 37~ dollars), but worth it.

alcyone

Ooh, that Duck Tour sounds like lots of fun! But it won't make me look like too much of a tourist, will it? Not that I won't be a tourist, I just don't want to stand out as one.

Mmm... All that food sounds so good. I love watching Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and drooling over the food she's trying. I'm determined while over on the East Coast to try clam chowder and lobster. I know lobster might be a little expensive, but I'll splurge on it.

And all that pizza you mentioned... How did you know that pizza's my favourite fast food?

I'm looking forward to all of it. Any cusine. The weird and wonderful! I love Chinese, German specialities, the lot!

And Laura, the Alamo sounds like fun. I may just have to add that to my list of maybes...

Ooh, I love travelling and seeing and trying new things. I can't wait until next year!

~Anna.

It is.

....

Maybe that's why most Americans are so fat?

Don't worry about looking like a tourist on the Duck Tour - there's always a good mix of people involved. I've been on it as a college student with visiting family, on a first date, and at one or two other random times over the years. It is pretty pricey (I may have only paid for myself once, come to think of it ) - but it's truly fun. The boats all have different names, and the tourguides are pretty entertaining! Money well spent, I'd say

I'm so excited for you for your trip - it sounds like you're bound to have a great time!

I guess you'll have to count me in as one of the "few normals". I don't live in the LA area, so maybe it's a lot different there, but I don't know any actors - or even wannabe actors. I assume that Mary's post was joking in her comments...

Let me second Groobie's recommendation for San Diego. I lived there for 6 years and absolutely loved it. You can't go wrong with a visit there - even if you've already been there. Go again!

Kathy

Nah-ah honey, rum is from the Caribbean. If you're not an island, you totally don't count.



alcyone

I'm just going to go out on a limb and guess that QotC works for the Florida Tourist Bureau.

And that she's never had chocolate from anywhere in Europe. There's such a huge difference between that creamy perfection and the waxy stuff that Hershey's produces.

I know I have a Galaxy bar around here somewhere...

Back on topic - if you do actually go to Florida, don't miss St. Augustine. I thought it was absolutely awesome.

I agree that Florida is a wonderful place to be in the winter. Not that that helps Anna much.

St. Augustine is lovely, but it's like Laura with the Alamo - I've been there probably once for every year of my life so I'm a little numb to it's charms. But if you're going to be in the area, email me. (I live in Jacksonville, 40 minutes north.)

Wouldn't it be cool just to tour the North American continent and stop to visit FoLCs along the way? I know where a good number of you live and goodness you could see most of the US and parts of Canada that way!

Lisa (who wonders if she says 'Ah' instead of 'I'. Probably.)

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