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Baltimore has a very nice tourist district with an aquarium, a tall ship, and a ferry ride out to a revolutionary war fort. I visited Baltimore and did not die! I should have bought the T-shirt!
I think you could make a nice little visit with some rental cars of TN with Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis all nearby. You could also do a fun little triangle with Sr, Louis, Omaha, and KC but again a rented car would be a must.
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How much does a rental car run to? In terms of cost.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I’m also super nervous about that, as I’d be driving on the other side (the wrong side) of the road. And I’d want a manual transmission, because that’s what I’m used to.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/07/15 14:23:09
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Easy E wrote: Baltimore has a very nice tourist district with an aquarium, a tall ship, and a ferry ride out to a revolutionary war fort. I visited Baltimore and did not die! I should have bought the T-shirt!
Yeah, some okay-ish restaurants too, but the tourist district is small, stray a few blocks from there and things get sketchy. I've been there a couple of times and I grab a hotel not far from the port, drive in, park my car, then everything you want to see will be within walking distance.
I did venture outside of the tourist area a couple of times just to see what the vibe was like and the surrounding areas gave me a sketchy sort of vibe. Those sorts of areas exist in most cities but it was impressive how quickly it switched from "nice tourist area" to "wouldn't want to get caught down a dark alley".
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I visited Baltimore, as you say, nice tourist area, but I probably wouldn't spend more than a couple of days there.
It was close to a decade ago I was there, not sure what'd be like these days, a local might have a better idea.
I’m also super nervous about that, as I’d be driving on the other side (the wrong side) of the road. And I’d want a manual transmission, because that’s what I’m used to.
I got used to it pretty quick. The main thing was sitting on the wrong side of the car while driving. Good luck finding a manual in the USA, lol, they love their automatics. I did drive manuals while I was over there, and I got used to them pretty quick, but manuals weren't the first car I jumped into (not for lack of trying, I just couldn't find them). In Oz I've driven manuals since day 1, they're the only cars I've owned, and I adjusted pretty quick.
I lived over there for a while, the only time I got confused was when I had been over there for a year, flew back to Oz and drove here for a few weeks, then flew back and drove over there, it seemed to confuse my brain and there was 1 time after that back-and-forth that I drove on the wrong side of the street But it was an unmarked road so I'll blame that, haha. The centre lines in the US are yellow and every other marking is white, so that helps a bit.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2022/07/15 16:38:26
Easy E wrote: Rental cars are super expensive right now.
Most places downsized the fleet during COVID, and have had a hard time upgraded with new vehicles due to the chip shortage.
At least, that is the "official' answer.
Part of it is that, another part of it is that the majority of rental companies work with local US auto dealers (for instance, I work at a Chevy store, and we use Enterprise for rental coverage beyond what our pathetic fleet of loaners can handle, especially for multi-day things). Due to availability of repair parts, we sometimes had up to 30 or 40 rental bookings with that local Enterprise. . . Per Day. And that Enterprise location handles my dealer as well as the VW, Subaru, Ford/Lincoln, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, and Hyundai dealers. So you can imagine the pressure put on the entire system if the other dealers have similar issues with their supply chains (I know for a fact the Ford dealer was hurting as much as we were with backordered stuff)
The "best" part of it all, for me, is that GM covers up to, I think 50-70 bucks a day for rental coverage if your car is down in the shop for warranty work. . . At its worst, the cheapest/smallest rental was 80-100 bucks a day.
Not at all sold on a rental car. I do love driving (I do a 140 miles round trip commute twice a week, so I better love it!), but not sure I’d want to do it as a holiday.
Much more keen on pitching up in a city and exploring it.
If I do go back to NYC, and I can book in at the New Yorker again (it’s not great, but it’s clean and centrally located, so plenty good enough. Shame the attached diner is a bit crap. Those chicken tenders were vile. And my fries soggy), then I’ll be nicely located for a train station and bus station to head much further afield should I fancy seeing more.
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Olthannon wrote: My ex was American and about 10 years ago we went for a road trip through parts of the South. We went from Washington DC through Tennessee to Memphis and then went back through Georgia to Savannah, up through the Carolinas and back up to DC.
Washington DC is pretty cool, lots of museums. I particularly liked the Spy Museum and the Newseum. Both really interesting, something a little more unusual. The Smithsonian is real cool. There was also the Museum of the American Indian that was really worth going to see.
The Newseum unfortunately closed some years back.
The museum of the American Indian is something of a horror show in how not to do a museum (by committee, with minimal input from the peoples it supposedly represents). Any group that didn't sign on was cut out, and largely goes unrepresented. The rest are badly mis-represented, as various nations are glomped together in weird cultural-mishmashes, language and religious groups that they themselves don't recognize. At times the museum gives the impression of a singular, but divided, people that isn't anyone's lived experience.
Custer has more of an exhibit there (or did, when I gave into my morbid curiosity and went) than many of the tribes he fought. Its pretty much hands down the worst museum experience I've ever had, an error built by bureaucracy and extremely embarrassing (to put it mildly). Go next door to the botanic garden or Air & Space instead.
Olthannon wrote: My ex was American and about 10 years ago we went for a road trip through parts of the South. We went from Washington DC through Tennessee to Memphis and then went back through Georgia to Savannah, up through the Carolinas and back up to DC.
Washington DC is pretty cool, lots of museums. I particularly liked the Spy Museum and the Newseum. Both really interesting, something a little more unusual. The Smithsonian is real cool. There was also the Museum of the American Indian that was really worth going to see.
The Newseum unfortunately closed some years back.
The museum of the American Indian is something of a horror show in how not to do a museum (by committee, with minimal input from the peoples it supposedly represents). Any group that didn't sign on was cut out, and largely goes unrepresented. The rest are badly mis-represented, as various nations are glomped together in weird cultural-mishmashes, language and religious groups that they themselves don't recognize. At times the museum gives the impression of a singular, but divided, people that isn't anyone's lived experience.
Custer has more of an exhibit there (or did, when I gave into my morbid curiosity and went) than many of the tribes he fought. Its pretty much hands down the worst museum experience I've ever had, an error built by bureaucracy and extremely embarrassing (to put it mildly). Go next door to the botanic garden or Air & Space instead.
That's a real shame about the Newseum, it had some great exhibits.
As for the NMAI, I had heard that before I went and I was reasonably dubious. We had actually just been to the botanic garden and still had some time left. I think when I went in 2013, the director was a Pawnee man and had changed up a lot of stuff. I'm not sure if that was the case when you visited?
As a foreigner, it was interesting anyway. Architecturally odd certainly. As someone who has spent a good deal of their working life in a museum, a lot have much more to offer than what you see in exhibits. Unfortunately, the people with knowledge, understanding and skills are underpaid, don't get much of a say in the running of the museum and aren't given much of a platform to make a difference. It is much worse in the UK right now. But anyway, that's enough of that
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/07/19 10:11:27
Being from southern California and growing up in North Hollywood, yes, it is definitely the film capital with lots to see - even if you just get out to Vasquez Rocks in Acton to see the super familiar rock hills that you saw in dozens of TV and movies (remember the Gorn and Capt. Kirk on Star Trek?), the ONLY Universal Studios in the country where they actually filmed just about everything way back when (every other Universal location is just a movie-themed park with no connection to anything they actually filmed), Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Hollywood (Walk of Fame), etc.
That being said, you would need a car to get around and many areas are simply NOT SAFE and traffic will be he bane of your existence.
However, I have lived in Austin, TX for the last couple of decades and it is a super cool town and you can get around with an Uber or two wherever you want to go with some walking downtown. Great food, awesome music, a bit of film industry, soccer, F1 racing, Colorado river, super cool vibe. I could give you a list of the things that are 'musts' to do and maybe even send my adult sons along to keep you company.
My oldest son had a girl from England that came to visit him for holiday twice a number of years ago, she liked Austin so much. On her last trip here they went to Las Vegas for a couple of days, which is definitely a town everyone should experience once in their life.
Someone else suggested Nashville and that is a super neat place to visit, if you are into the country western music scene. Lots of museums and places to ditch into - I enjoyed the few days I was there.
Edit: San Diego is a totally great place. I lived there for a couple of years when I was in the Navy and you can take the trolley down to Tijuana if you a re feeling adventurous and brave. They have great scenic beaches, great parks, the best zoo in the country, great nightlife, etc. I have my middle son living there now, as he is a pilot in the Navy - maybe he could show you a few hangouts.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/07/20 13:12:09
Olthannon wrote: My ex was American and about 10 years ago we went for a road trip through parts of the South. We went from Washington DC through Tennessee to Memphis and then went back through Georgia to Savannah, up through the Carolinas and back up to DC.
Washington DC is pretty cool, lots of museums. I particularly liked the Spy Museum and the Newseum. Both really interesting, something a little more unusual. The Smithsonian is real cool. There was also the Museum of the American Indian that was really worth going to see.
The Newseum unfortunately closed some years back.
The museum of the American Indian is something of a horror show in how not to do a museum (by committee, with minimal input from the peoples it supposedly represents). Any group that didn't sign on was cut out, and largely goes unrepresented. The rest are badly mis-represented, as various nations are glomped together in weird cultural-mishmashes, language and religious groups that they themselves don't recognize. At times the museum gives the impression of a singular, but divided, people that isn't anyone's lived experience.
Custer has more of an exhibit there (or did, when I gave into my morbid curiosity and went) than many of the tribes he fought. Its pretty much hands down the worst museum experience I've ever had, an error built by bureaucracy and extremely embarrassing (to put it mildly). Go next door to the botanic garden or Air & Space instead.
That's a real shame about the Newseum, it had some great exhibits.
As for the NMAI, I had heard that before I went and I was reasonably dubious. We had actually just been to the botanic garden and still had some time left. I think when I went in 2013, the director was a Pawnee man and had changed up a lot of stuff. I'm not sure if that was the case when you visited?
As a foreigner, it was interesting anyway. Architecturally odd certainly. As someone who has spent a good deal of their working life in a museum, a lot have much more to offer than what you see in exhibits. Unfortunately, the people with knowledge, understanding and skills are underpaid, don't get much of a say in the running of the museum and aren't given much of a platform to make a difference. It is much worse in the UK right now. But anyway, that's enough of that
The architecture is actually an interesting story (with a couple layers of issues, the primary architect was removed due to 'disagreements'), but his plans were still followed). The roof is supposed to open, and the circular area at the base of the spiral ramp is supposed to be a ritual space. I don't know if it has ever been used that way (past the opening ceremonies), but that was the design intent. I know they've used a space outside for events & rituals, however. But it is very interesting, which is a change from a lot of the 21st century monuments and museums (design and groundbreaking was done in the 90s), which are symbolically pretty empty. Most older stuff in DC has layers of symbolism.
But yeah, I went not long after it opened (I lived down there for several years, and a friend and I regularly went to various museums- we decided to take a look I think in 2005?) Let's just say I agreed with the Washington Post critiques of the initial opening.
As for having more to offer- oh yeah. Definitely feel that from my own work. Unfortunately, their collection has a lot of issues- its primarily based on the 'collection' of George Heye, a fairly typical 19th/early 20th century 'collector' and for some reason is explicitly exempt from the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which is hugely problematic.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/07/20 16:12:32
Nah, plenty of the US is still fine. It's the coastal very large city areas that are going to hell in a handbasket. Just don't hang out in San Fran, New York, etc...
I would say maybe start somewhere like Portland or Seattle, but immediately get a long distance rental car and drive cross country. Go through Glacier National Park, drive down to Yellowstone, maybe Craters of the Moon. Then drive down to Texas and fly out from there, or if you're willing for a little bit longer travel keep going along the coast and fly out of Florida.
You'll get to see the best landscapes in the world.
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
For natural beauty, I would put Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce and Zion above the Grand Canyon. I’d also put the Tetons above Yellowstone, but Yellowstone is definitely worth a visit. Jacksonhole was way more crowded and frustrating than any big, coastal city.
California has Yosemite, of course, along with the 1/101 coastal drive, Mt Shasta, Big Bear, Tahoe, the Bay, etc.. The deserts are amazing (especially during the superbloom), the mountains are beautiful places to hike and camp, and the beaches are fabulous. In one day, you can start at the Salton Sea, walk on a beach made of skulls (fish and bird skulls, anyway), drive to the desert of Anza Borrego, walk past the cacti and butterflies, drive over the dry mountain into a forest, past a lake overlook, up to Palomar, play in the snow and the woods, then continue on past the protected wetlands and experience sunset on the beach. You can hike Mt Whitney and drive down to Death Valley past the Alabama Rocks and the Star Wars Canyon.
For big cities, New York is my favorite to visit. I’ve been there twice and would love to go again and again. Seattle was a blast. I used to live in San Francisco and fell in love with that city, although the tech bro gentrification seems to have sapped some of its character. I’d recommend parts of Oakland for foodie purposes: dim sum in Oakland Chinatown beats SF Chinatown’s, and there is a place called Cafe Colucci I can’t recommend highly enough. We always make time to eat there when we are in the area. San Diego is also a fun city to spend time in, and has some rather legendary nightlife for a single young man, especially during/after Comicon.
I have to say Tennessee would not be one of the first places I'd send someone who's visiting the country. And that's not a knock on the place, it just doesn't rate that way like plenty of other states and cities.
I can say it's a vacation that my wife and I really enjoyed. Between Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Cades Cove, Tuckaleechee Caverns, etc. There are a lot of things to see and do that are historic, natural, and touristy. A nice slice of the USA that isn't just a big city.
Just tossing the suggestion out there for Mad Doc to consider.
gorgon wrote: I have to say Tennessee would not be one of the first places I'd send someone who's visiting the country. And that's not a knock on the place, it just doesn't rate that way like plenty of other states and cities.
I agree, it might be "nice" but it certainly isn't a vacation destination for someone coming here from a foreign country. You can find the same scenery in half the Eastern US and outside of scenery and Civil War museums, there isn't a whole lot there. I would definitely do the national parks out West, or cities like NYC, Chicago, or Miami before Pidgeon Forge TN. That's a dream vacation for your uncle who's obsessed with NASCAR and collects Case pocket knives with Confederate flags on them but probably not very exciting for anyone from Europe.
These from techsoldaten's post seem like pretty solid suggestions to me. IME, Miami can be a little divisive, but it's certainly an interesting American place. San Diego might be the all-around nicest American city I've visited.
Spoiler:
techsoldaten wrote: I enjoy Las Vegas because of the painted deserts, the mountains, the good dining options and the culture. There is never a lack of things to do, safe to say I've never been bored there. As mentioned before, there are a lot of hobby shops. If you time it right, you could be there for the LVO. Airfare tends to be cheaper than other places, they have an international airport and receive visitors on direct flights from all over the world.
I enjoy Austin because of the live music, the food options (Lockhart is the home of East TX BBQ and about a 30 minute ride outside of the city), the historical buildings and bars. It's a different pace, I tend to be full up on BBQ and want to relax in pools. San Antonio is even better, they have gondolas and the Alamo (along with other bits of Texas history.) Airfare is a little sillier, it's common for a flight to be cancelled.
I enjoy Miami for the beaches, the water sports, the Cuban culture and the art. I've stayed at condos on the beach and spent time in spas, which are outrageously awesome. The town is spread out, you would want to take an Uber between places, but you will not have a bad time doing so because there is so much to see. Miami has an international airport as well, I've received guests there from all over the world.
I enjoy San Diego for the convention center area and the waterfront. They have one of the best food selections on the West Coast, you can take a tour on battleships, and everything is relatively cheap. They have a lot of hobby shops as well, but not as many as Las Vegas. San Diego has an airport, but I'm not sure if you can get an international flight from the UK.
Personally, I'd look at these places before anywhere else in the US. When it comes to travel, I'm usually on business and want a place I can explore while I'm there. If business is not involved, I'm heading for the outdoors. Let me know if you want to talk national parks, which is a whole other ballgame.
Also, as others have said, Boston might scratch your itch.
It's obviously full of history, fun (lots of young people at all the local colleges bring that energy), and just generally kind of an interesting mix of old and new. It's not far from NYC, but definitely has a different vibe. Driving around there absolutely sucks, but Boston has a pretty good public transit system for an American city. Which might be up your alley, MDG.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/08/05 14:45:33
gorgon wrote: Do you really think the touristy sections of major cities are filled with gunfire?
When a city has more instances of indiscriminate gun violence and crime than another locale, do you REALLY need to assume that all the shooting is happening where you'd intend to visit/tourist at? Don't be obtuse. My point is that supercities like that have some MAJOR issues and really don't reward with enough to deal with the bs. I dread every time I need to go to Chicago, for instance.
A low-key southern vacation spot isn't nearly as bad as some people in the thread are selling it as.
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
If violent crime is a concern, definitely avoid bigger cities along the west and east coasts. Though you are quite unlikely to be the target of random violence, it's really not that bad as long as you aren't walking through the most scuzzy of areas. The bigger concern is stuff like pickpocketing and petty theft, stuff which tourists are absolutely a target of and will be everywhere in touristy areas. Definitely don't go to San Fransisco or NY if you want to avoid that. It's not really even illegal in CA anymore.
But like anything, stuff like that can be avoided with a little self-awareness. There are plenty of videos online about how to avoid pickpockets. Don't leave valuable stuff in your car, etc... If an area seems shady, it probably is.
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
gorgon wrote: Do you really think the touristy sections of major cities are filled with gunfire?
When a city has more instances of indiscriminate gun violence and crime than another locale, do you REALLY need to assume that all the shooting is happening where you'd intend to visit/tourist at? Don't be obtuse. My point is that supercities like that have some MAJOR issues and really don't reward with enough to deal with the bs. I dread every time I need to go to Chicago, for instance.
A low-key southern vacation spot isn't nearly as bad as some people in the thread are selling it as.
As someone who lived in Oakland for a while, and now lives in a smaller “gunfire city”, I think the news have made you more afraid than you really need to be. Especially if you are just staying in the parts of the city with hotels and museums and shops. Cities are not as dangerous as they are portrayed any more than rural folk are all Deliverance and Texas Chainsaw.
However, it would help us give Mad Doc Grotsnik better advice if he could weigh in with more specifics on what he really wants to get out of a vacation.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Grey Templar wrote: If violent crime is a concern, definitely avoid bigger cities along the west and east coasts. Though you are quite unlikely to be the target of random violence, it's really not that bad as long as you aren't walking through the most scuzzy of areas. The bigger concern is stuff like pickpocketing and petty theft, stuff which tourists are absolutely a target of and will be everywhere in touristy areas. Definitely don't go to San Fransisco or NY if you want to avoid that. It's not really even illegal in CA anymore.
But like anything, stuff like that can be avoided with a little self-awareness. There are plenty of videos online about how to avoid pickpockets. Don't leave valuable stuff in your car, etc... If an area seems shady, it probably is.
Lol whut?
Seriously?
I’ve lived in CA my whole life, including in San Francisco, been to marches and massive block parties, rode the BART standing room only, and no one has ever tried to pick my pocket. The only person I know who ever had his pocket (attempted) picked was my Dad…when he was in Paris.
But I agree with your advice not to leave stuff in your car, and always to be aware of your surroundings. That’s good advice anywhere.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/08/06 15:32:13
Grey Templar wrote: If violent crime is a concern, definitely avoid bigger cities along the west and east coasts. Though you are quite unlikely to be the target of random violence, it's really not that bad as long as you aren't walking through the most scuzzy of areas. The bigger concern is stuff like pickpocketing and petty theft, stuff which tourists are absolutely a target of and will be everywhere in touristy areas. Definitely don't go to San Fransisco or NY if you want to avoid that. It's not really even illegal in CA anymore.
But like anything, stuff like that can be avoided with a little self-awareness. There are plenty of videos online about how to avoid pickpockets. Don't leave valuable stuff in your car, etc... If an area seems shady, it probably is.
Lol whut?
Seriously?
I’ve lived in CA my whole life, including in San Francisco, been to marches and massive block parties, rode the BART standing room only, and no one has ever tried to pick my pocket. The only person I know who ever had his pocket (attempted) picked was my Dad…when he was in Paris.
But I agree with your advice not to leave stuff in your car, and always to be aware of your surroundings. That’s good advice anywhere.
Yeah, didn't you know all major cities in the US were burnt to the ground and all crime legalized in the past 3-4 years?
At least according whichever news channel the above posters are obviously watching.
I prefer to buy from miniature manufacturers that *don't* support the overthrow of democracy.
I just find it odd that people who believe media stereotypes so readily keep advising a poster, who if I recall described himself as ethnically ambiguous, to visit the South, considering the news stories.
It’s almost like it’s unfair, even rude, to push such biased descriptions about places people are unfamiliar with. And all to convince a poster who loved visiting NYC so much he wants to visit the USA again that all American big cities like NYC are terrible places for him to visit.
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
I will admit I am perhaps overstating the crime in SF, it's not a wasteland(yet) but relatively speaking it is quite bad and has gotten a lot worse than it was over the previous decades.
Will everybody who walks around the touristy areas get pickpocketed or have their car broken into? No, you've most likely still got a 90%+ chance of not getting victimized. But it is a fact that there has been a meteoric rise in petty crime in this big cities as a result of lenient DAs and laws.
I work for Costco. We don't even call the cops when we catch someone shoplifting stuff anymore. Unless its for $1000+ they won't do anything. On the chance they do show up, they just wag their fingers and let the person go. Anybody who does get arrested, they're let go on no bail.
What we are being is honest. Petty crime is massively up. Take that into consideration.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/08/08 03:56:56
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
But it was an unmarked road so I'll blame that, haha. The centre lines in the US are yellow and every other marking is white, so that helps a bit.
