Duck and Cover

Me and my Mrs. have been talking for ages about visiting the United States of A. My question to you, (American) DACcers, is that what places would you recommend?

The trip would most likely be only a couple of weeks long at max. I doubt there will be any point in our lives where we could just say 'fuck it all' and spend a month or two abroad. Even if money wasn't an issue.

So - recommendations?

Places worth seeing? Things that are so 'American' you can't visit US without seeing/experiencing? The best price/quality ratio? Places to avoid?

I'm all virtual ears.

If you want to see something only this continent can offer, I'd say go see the Grand Canyon or Niagara falls. Main problem with Niagara Falls is the cool part of it is in Canada, so you wouldn't be visiting the US.

The South is nice. Good food and nice people. Stay out of trailer parks.

The two places I'd love to visit in the U.S. are Yellowstone Park and the Grand Canyon.

I bet Mount Rushmore would be nice.

The Grand Canyon is pretty beuno. Some of my best vacation memories are from visiting it.

Just got done with Niagra Falls myself. It's a supreme tourist trap and I mean it in the truest sense of the word. It's nice, but Retlaw's point about having to go into Canada a lot is true.

New York City is a pretty neat place to visit. They've got a lot of art and history museums that I think most people should see at least once. Might not be the most interesting thing for the missus, but still.

Mt Rainer in Washington State (near Seattle) was kind of cool when I traveled, but when you're like me and never seen snow the appeal is somewhat magnified, so might not have the same effect. That and there's really not a whole lot worth seeing in the Seattle area except that big needle building thingy.

Hey, if you visit the Grand Canyon, I'll be in Flagstaff, which isn't much of a drive away. Coffee shop, maybe?

Vegas is expensive, and I don't really know if it's really zen with your style, so maybe put that on hold.

Manhattan Island is also a big, flashy place that's expensive and in your face. You might have more fun there than Vegas, though.

California's a real vacation place, and while it's almost entirely a relaxing environment (not taking into account the freeways or oil derricks), there's not much so incredibly memorable that you couldn't exchange it for anywhere else.

I would suggest Seattle, perhaps; another great city, and despite what Stainless just said, the Space Needle not only has a great view at its observation deck, but just adjacent to it is the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum, both in a warped purple building. Both are interesting and entertaining. Might find something you like around Pike Place, if not the fish or coffee.

Hey, thanks guys! Nice recommendations all the way.

@Walt: wife's a history buff, so she'd probably love those. She's always begging for me to come to museums with her.

@Manoil: when it comes to enviroments, it's the arid/hot/desert type of stuff that I find exotic. I've seen my fair share of snow, hills and woodland.

Grand Canyon is starting to sound real nice.

There's a place here, called key's view...pretty cool though there's a long hike involved.

Also Mt. San Jacinto, there's a cool tram that takes you up it, and some waterfalls n shit. Go in winter is my suggestion.

Lots of german tourists come here, fannypacks and all.

Well, there's always the Red Square in Vegas if you get tempted to visit it.

Visit the Gettysburg battlefield and memorial cemetery.

rad resistance wrote:Visit the Gettysburg battlefield and memorial cemetery.

Terrific idea if you want to die of boredom.

Manoil wrote:Well, there's always the Red Square in Vegas if you get tempted to visit it.

I've already seen live(?) version of Lenin and I only need to jump on the Baltic Train to see more of the headless stone versions of him. Thanks, but no thanks. I bet if you came to Paris, you wouldn't want to go to Disneyland

yeah, I hadn't factored in that possibility

I'm not disappointed, though. If you go to the Grand Canyon, I'll only be a short trip away (and Catman said he'll definitely be driving up if you do decide to drop into Flagstaff and say hi)

I don't really know of anything besides Disneyland and Universal studios in california. I've never been to the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls but they sound like cool things to see.

I imagine the great red woods and the petrified forest would be cool.

POOPERSCOOPER wrote:I don't really know of anything besides Disneyland and Universal studios in california.

Redwoods, half-dome (or any part of yosemite) , Big Bear, Fort Point, Tahoe, Mammoth Cave...

Went to yank land a few years back, timed it right and got to see the shuttle launch, fucking amazing highly recommend it. If they still do it?

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html

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