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Post by pippsheadache on Oct 18, 2018 19:27:15 GMT -5
Long winded? No, my dear friend. You were eloquent, as always. You were on point and captivating. Since I am quite certain I will never travel to much, if any of the world outside the USA, I was thrilled to read that we have co-experienced a few of America’s natural wonders and that they do rate highly on your list. I also better understand those stretches of time through which we suffered your absence and what a privilege it’s been for this tiny group that you’ve enjoyed being with us. You could make a post easily as long as this one about each individual place you’ve traveled and I can at least speak for myself and say that I would be just as captivated by each post. How wonderful that you also have a wife that has enjoyed these travels with you.It’s truly remarkable to have someone to co-experience journeys as you have. You’re both very fortunate... You are far too kind Inger. As always generous with your praise. And of course I am sure you realize you live within reasonable driving distance of some of the most beautiful parts of not only the United States, but the whole planet. We lived for three years in Santa Fe, not all that far from where you are, so I passed through your neck of the woods many times on my way to Denver, where I had a lot of work back in the 1980s. My wife and I have made multiple visits to Rocky Mountain National Park -- we are hikers -- not many places on earth where you get to see that alpine tundra -- what an experience to be hiking at 12-13 thousand feet. You really have to take it easy unless you have the lung capacity of a Martian. Very near you is Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, a beautiful ride. Durango and Silverton in western Colorado -- Mesa Verde. Utah is practically one big national park. Bryce is like almost nothing else on earth. I hope you have spent or plan to spend some time in Grand Canyon. Stay in the park, hike below the rim (99 percent of visitors never get below the rim), visit the less-crowded North Rim. Yellowstone remains the grand-daddy of them all. It is in my opinion the greatest national park in the world because of the variety of scenery, wildlife, strange geological forms, network of trails. The United States is a young nation, but Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the world. Even in the mid-19th century, when people were understandably more focused on simple survival than appreciation of natural beauty, they understood that Yellowstone was something special. If you haven't done so, at some point try to spend at least three or four nights inside the park. Even in the crowds of summer, it is very easy to get away from the parking lot mobs by simply hiking a mile or so from a trailhead. The vastness of Yellowstone is hard to fathom sometimes, especially for people in the East. The park itself is two and a half times the size of the whole state of Delaware. You mentioned being at Niagara Falls. That is nothing to sneeze at. Again, it certainly ranks among the most impressive falls in the world, even though it is surrounded by tacky shops and wax museums. So you've seen a few things, pardner. If I can help nudge you to see a few more, then I'm doing my job!! |
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Post by rizzuto on Oct 18, 2018 19:53:21 GMT -5
It's a dangerous business, Inger, going out your door.
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Post by inger on Oct 18, 2018 20:41:17 GMT -5
Long winded? No, my dear friend. You were eloquent, as always. You were on point and captivating. Since I am quite certain I will never travel to much, if any of the world outside the USA, I was thrilled to read that we have co-experienced a few of America’s natural wonders and that they do rate highly on your list. I also better understand those stretches of time through which we suffered your absence and what a privilege it’s been for this tiny group that you’ve enjoyed being with us. You could make a post easily as long as this one about each individual place you’ve traveled and I can at least speak for myself and say that I would be just as captivated by each post. How wonderful that you also have a wife that has enjoyed these travels with you.It’s truly remarkable to have someone to co-experience journeys as you have. You’re both very fortunate... You are far too kind Inger. As always generous with your praise. And of course I am sure you realize you live within reasonable driving distance of some of the most beautiful parts of not only the United States, but the whole planet. We lived for three years in Santa Fe, not all that far from where you are, so I passed through your neck of the woods many times on my way to Denver, where I had a lot of work back in the 1980s. My wife and I have made multiple visits to Rocky Mountain National Park -- we are hikers -- not many places on earth where you get to see that alpine tundra -- what an experience to be hiking at 12-13 thousand feet. You really have to take it easy unless you have the lung capacity of a Martian. Very near you is Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, a beautiful ride. Durango and Silverton in western Colorado -- Mesa Verde. Utah is practically one big national park. Bryce is like almost nothing else on earth. I hope you have spent or plan to spend some time in Grand Canyon. Stay in the park, hike below the rim (99 percent of visitors never get below the rim), visit the less-crowded North Rim. Yellowstone remains the grand-daddy of them all. It is in my opinion the greatest national park in the world because of the variety of scenery, wildlife, strange geological forms, network of trails. The United States is a young nation, but Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the world. Even in the mid-19th century, when people were understandably more focused on simple survival than appreciation of natural beauty, they understood that Yellowstone was something special. If you haven't done so, at some point try to spend at least three or four nights inside the park. Even in the crowds of summer, it is very easy to get away from the parking lot mobs by simply hiking a mile or so from a trailhead. The vastness of Yellowstone is hard to fathom sometimes, especially for people in the East. The park itself is two and a half times the size of the whole state of Delaware. You mentioned being at Niagara Falls. That is nothing to sneeze at. Again, it certainly ranks among the most impressive falls in the world, even though it is surrounded by tacky shops and wax museums. So you've seen a few things, pardner. If I can help nudge you to see a few more, then I'm doing my job!! Been to the Grand Canyon, but I must confess to being a rim-hugger. That was way back in 1994, and with wife #1. I did back my 1990 Chevy Lumina van up to the wall around the south rim in such a way that my physically handicapped son could comfortably stick his head out and look over the edge. Our destination that year was Colorado Springs, and of course we had taken the drive from MD, so it was quite an adventure for me at the time. At that point in my life a few trips to Charleston, SC to see my mom and sister were my longest treks. Since then I’ve had a hankering to be well west of the Mississippi River. We rode the Durango-Silverton Scenic Railroad this year. I’ve been atop Pikes Peak more times than I can recall. rode the Cog for the first time this year, just before it was shut down. They’re still trying to decide whether to reopen it or not. We’ve done Rocky Mountain National Park. If I could recommend one thing for you to see if you ever get back this way, it would be The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Like the Grand Canyon, it’s much more enjoyable from the rarely visited north rim. The little town of Crawford nearby is delightfully quiet and quaint. We were treated like royalty at The Mad Dog Cafe... The Toltec and Cumbres Railroad is on our list for “soon”. I promised Ruthie we’ll get to the Grand Canyon. From here we’re best routed through the Painted Desert, also a beautiful site, though lonely... Two summers ago we were near Yellowstone and decided to bypass, mostly because we had so much more planned, including dinner with our now missing poster, Utah...though we definitely want to go there and to Glacier NP. Ruthie has kin in Spokane, so we’ll be back up north again, likely many times...Coure de Alene is a beautiful city up that way...and all of Idaho is gorgeous...(in the summer, at least)... How did you like Sante Fe, Pipps? |
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Post by domeplease on Oct 19, 2018 9:04:41 GMT -5
Pippsheadache: Are you the one that has travel to 100 countries??? If so would love to hear about some of these trips. Thanks Hi Dome -- first, thanks for starting a thread like this and for keeping politics to the politics thread. You sound like a well-traveled guy yourself. I haven't quite hit 100 countries -- I am somewhere in the mid-90s -- but by this time next year I should have made it, because we will be visiting friends in West Africa (Mali and Ghana), an area of the world I have never visited (we will also get to Senegal and probably Togo and Benin). It is NOT tourist country, and I am getting old, and visiting the difficult places is something I need to do in the very near future because obviously we never know what fate has in store for us. My wife and I have been to many other parts of Africa -- it is probably my favorite continent to visit because life is so unlike what we experience elsewhere -- but not the more forbidding West. I certainly defer to Chuck on Singapore. We loved it there -- it seemed like Beverly Hills with humidity -- orderly, clean, efficient. No blade of grass is higher than any other blade of grass. But definitely not a place to get crosswise with the law, unless caning is on your bucket list of life experiences. I remember they had T-shirts there which read "Singapore -- it's a fine city. Fine for spitting, fine for littering, fine for jaywalking" etc. One of the reasons we wanted to go was to stay at the original Raffles Hotel, which is a tourist destination in its own right. You have your own private butler, they give great historical tours of the hotel, and it has its own on-site museum. Of course it has the Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was first concocted (so they say.) Touristic, but fun. A step back in time. Singapore is easy for anyone. We also liked the Changi area near the airport, lots of cutting-edge restaurants and a rather moving WWII POW camp to visit. From there we took a train to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, going past the old rubber plantations. Interesting to see, and KL is a very dynamic city as well. Nice blend of old and new. If you go to Singapore, you pretty much have to go to KL. But again I am on Chuck's turf here. Everyone has his own travel philosophy. At first, I wanted to see all the "travel poster" sites -- Eiffel Tower, Parthenon, Coliseum, Great Pyramids, Great Wall, Taj Mahal, Sydney Opera House, Corcovado, Machu Picchu, Gibraltar, Table Mountain, Chichen Itza, Mount Fuji, Kremlin, Petra etc. -- those are all amazing things to see and it is a privilege and frankly an undeserved blessing to have done so. But over the years my wife and I have focused more on two things: being in situations where we spend time interacting with locals -- always independent travel, always going to local markets, eateries where locals go, visiting native encampments off the tourist map -- and doing nature adventures. One of the single greatest experiences we ever had was mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda. Strenuous, but moving and exhilarating. Highly highly recommended. Also it is hard to top wildlife safaris in Africa -- Serengeti, Masai Mara, Okavango Delta in Botswana, South African game parks -- and other incredible experiences like the Galapagos, Australian wildlife, you name it. I would love to do Antarctica, but my wife is reluctant, so I am still working on her. Time is short. There is so much beauty in the United States that if that was all I ever saw, I would be happy with it. Jeez, Yellowstone is one of the greatest places on Earth. Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain National Park, Badlands, Bryce, Zion,Smokey Mountains, Carlsbad, Everglades -- you name it, all of our national parks are magnificent (although Yellowstone and Grand Canyon are always at the top of my list.) I always tell people that I am a bad guy to ask about where to go, because I love every place I have ever been. Okay, some more than others, for sure, but every place has something amazing to offer. The world is spectacular, even with all the crap that has gone on at all times in recorded history. You just have to pick your spots and take advantage of opportunities. As you can probably see, next to baseball, travel is the topic I love most. Okay, and music. Sorry and a bit embarrassed for being so long-winded. What a great post thanks!!! I learned a thing or two...again, thanks, for putting quality time into this post.
I certainly defer to Chuck on Singapore. We loved it there -- it seemed like Beverly Hills with humidity -- orderly, clean, efficient. No blade of grass is higher than any other blade of grass. But definitely not a place to get crosswise with the law, unless caning is on your bucket list of life experiences. I remember they had T-shirts there which read "Singapore -- it's a fine city. Fine for spitting, fine for littering, fine for jaywalking" etc. One of the reasons we wanted to go was to stay at the original Raffles Hotel, which is a tourist destination in its own right. You have your own private butler, they give great historical tours of the hotel, and it has its own on-site museum. Of course it has the Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was first concocted (so they say.) Touristic, but fun. A step back in time. Singapore is easy for anyone. We also liked the Changi area near the airport, lots of cutting-edge restaurants and a rather moving WWII POW camp to visit.
From there we took a train to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, going past the old rubber plantations. Interesting to see, and KL is a very dynamic city as well. Nice blend of old and new. If you go to Singapore, you pretty much have to go to KL. But again I am on Chuck's turf here.
Do Me's Thoughts: Trust me I will NOT EVEN THINK for a second, of doing the few things I have left on my Bucket List, in Singapore (When in Rome do as the Romans do...). But, I cannot wait to get there. Will TAKE the train to Kula Lumpur (Thanks for that); How much did the Raffles Hotel run you? Again great POST!!!
Everyone has his own travel philosophy. At first, I wanted to see all the "travel poster" sites -- Eiffel Tower, Parthenon, Coliseum, Great Pyramids, Great Wall, Taj Mahal, Sydney Opera House, Corcovado, Machu Picchu, Gibraltar, Table Mountain, Chichen Itza, Mount Fuji, Kremlin, Petra etc. -- those are all amazing things to see and it is a privilege and frankly an undeserved blessing to have done so.
But over the years my wife and I have focused more on two things: being in situations where we spend time interacting with locals -- always independent travel, always going to local markets, eateries where locals go, visiting native encampments off the tourist map -- and doing nature adventures.
Do Me's Thoughts: We think the same...I am also a FOODIE, so trying all kinds of new food is Key for my Travels.
Time is short = BINGO!!! I cannot imagine folks who have NEVER travel the World. I just do NOT understand it.
Shit, I used to travel on the Cheapest Flights, stayed at the Cheapest Hostels; worked in restaurants to get free meals while traveling; even made friends on flights that put me up in there homes for my trip; etc. etc. etc.
AGAIN = Great Post. You put a huge SMILE on my face. Thanks.
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Post by badbadnotgood on Oct 19, 2018 9:46:48 GMT -5
Let me try to fit into the discussion without reading because your texts are pretty big. My last trip was to Armenia this winter and I had a great experience. A small country with delicious food, beautiful nature and interesting places to see. There are also nearby countries which are also interesting t see(Georgia, Azerbaijan). I had a little time so I left them for the next time. Tour was nice, big thanks to onewaytour.com/private-tours/. Next time in Yerevan, make sure to see Matenadaran. |
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Post by kaybli on Oct 19, 2018 10:22:06 GMT -5
Let me try to fit into the discussion without reading because your texts are pretty big. My last trip was to Armenia this winter and I had a great experience. A small country with delicious food, beautiful nature and interesting places to see. There are also nearby countries which are also interesting t see(Georgia, Azerbaijan). I had a little time so I left them for the next time. Tour was nice, big thanks to onewaytour.com/private-tours/. Next time in Yerevan, make sure to see Matenadaran. Welcome to the board, badbadnotgood! 
Interesting username!  |
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Post by pippsheadache on Oct 19, 2018 15:31:55 GMT -5
Let me try to fit into the discussion without reading because your texts are pretty big. My last trip was to Armenia this winter and I had a great experience. A small country with delicious food, beautiful nature and interesting places to see. There are also nearby countries which are also interesting t see(Georgia, Azerbaijan). I had a little time so I left them for the next time. Tour was nice, big thanks to onewaytour.com/private-tours/. Next time in Yerevan, make sure to see Matenadaran. Let me join the welcome to the board, BBNG. The Caucasus is one part of the world I have never visited. Armenia gets great reviews from people I know who have been there. If you have made it to Armenia, my guess is you are pretty well-traveled. That isn't usually a first destination, unless perhaps you are of Armenian ancestry. I hope you will continue to contribute to not just the travel thread, but to the baseball side of things as well. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Oct 19, 2018 16:00:47 GMT -5
If I could recommend one thing for you to see if you ever get back this way, it would be The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Like the Grand Canyon, it’s much more enjoyable from the rarely visited north rim. The little town of Crawford nearby is delightfully quiet and quaint. We were treated like royalty at The Mad Dog Cafe... The Toltec and Cumbres Railroad is on our list for “soon”. I promised Ruthie we’ll get to the Grand Canyon. From here we’re best routed through the Painted Desert, also a beautiful site, though lonely... Two summers ago we were near Yellowstone and decided to bypass, mostly because we had so much more planned, including dinner with our now missing poster, Utah...though we definitely want to go there and to Glacier NP. Ruthie has kin in Spokane, so we’ll be back up north again, likely many times...Coure de Alene is a beautiful city up that way...and all of Idaho is gorgeous...(in the summer, at least)... How did you like Sante Fe, Pipps? Inger, we did pass all-too-briefly through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison many years ago -- on the way to Crested Butte, which I am sure you also know. Great area indeed. I also love the historic Old West and mining towns scattered off of Interstate 70 -- Georgetown, Leadville, others I am not remembering. I have some vague recollection that Leadville is the highest-altitude town in the US. Neat history involving among other things the Unsinkable Molly Brown. Back down your way there is the very strange Great Sand Dunes National Park -- how did all that sand show up in the middle of the Rockies? --worth a look anyway. Not too far from you is the Jack Dempsey Museum in Manassa, if you like boxing history. There is a Kit Carson home in that general area, I think it is on the New Mexico side of the border. As for Santa Fe -- it was the first place I lived that wasn't on either the East or West coast, and it was much more of an adjustment than I would have expected back then. We are talking over 30 years ago, so things do change. It is just a beautiful place, full of history, great regional cuisine, breathtaking scenery, all the good stuff. To me it was the proverbial "nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." In fact my wife and I had visited there about a year before I found we were being sent there to live, and we couldn't believe our good fortune. However, I learned that things did not proceed quite as efficiently in Santa Fe as they had in other places I had lived. Things like getting the cable guy to come out on the first two or three or four or five times you had an appointment. Or going to a movie only to find the film had been canceled because the projectionist did not show up. Learning that stated hours of business had little relationship to when a place was actually open. A passive acceptance that at some point, your home was going to be broken into. I think once every 4-5 years was considered acceptable. Having said all of that, we really did love our time there and look back at it fondly. We did learn that things do not always operate the same way in Santa Fe as they do in New York or Philly or Los Angeles or San Francisco. That was important to learn, although I still prefer efficiency to laxness. It did become overwhelmingly touristic and very chi-chi -- it was transitioning to that while we lived there, as rich Californians and New Yorkers moved in -- it has lost some of its genuineness, no more dog-eared shops around the plaza these days. Still, I think it is among the most interesting smaller cities in the US that you can visit. It is truly unique, very charming, and food food food. I would highly recommend going there to anyone who hasn't had the pleasure. You can still find the real stuff if you dig around. |
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Post by inger on Oct 19, 2018 18:00:43 GMT -5
If I could recommend one thing for you to see if you ever get back this way, it would be The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Like the Grand Canyon, it’s much more enjoyable from the rarely visited north rim. The little town of Crawford nearby is delightfully quiet and quaint. We were treated like royalty at The Mad Dog Cafe... The Toltec and Cumbres Railroad is on our list for “soon”. I promised Ruthie we’ll get to the Grand Canyon. From here we’re best routed through the Painted Desert, also a beautiful site, though lonely... Two summers ago we were near Yellowstone and decided to bypass, mostly because we had so much more planned, including dinner with our now missing poster, Utah...though we definitely want to go there and to Glacier NP. Ruthie has kin in Spokane, so we’ll be back up north again, likely many times...Coure de Alene is a beautiful city up that way...and all of Idaho is gorgeous...(in the summer, at least)... How did you like Sante Fe, Pipps? Inger, we did pass all-too-briefly through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison many years ago -- on the way to Crested Butte, which I am sure you also know. Great area indeed. I also love the historic Old West and mining towns scattered off of Interstate 70 -- Georgetown, Leadville, others I am not remembering. I have some vague recollection that Leadville is the highest-altitude town in the US. Neat history involving among other things the Unsinkable Molly Brown. Back down your way there is the very strange Great Sand Dunes National Park -- how did all that sand show up in the middle of the Rockies? --worth a look anyway. Not too far from you is the Jack Dempsey Museum in Manassa, if you like boxing history. There is a Kit Carson home in that general area, I think it is on the New Mexico side of the border. As for Santa Fe -- it was the first place I lived that wasn't on either the East or West coast, and it was much more of an adjustment than I would have expected back then. We are talking over 30 years ago, so things do change. It is just a beautiful place, full of history, great regional cuisine, breathtaking scenery, all the good stuff. To me it was the proverbial "nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." In fact my wife and I had visited there about a year before I found we were being sent there to live, and we couldn't believe our good fortune. However, I learned that things did not proceed quite as efficiently in Santa Fe as they had in other places I had lived. Things like getting the cable guy to come out on the first two or three or four or five times you had an appointment. Or going to a movie only to find the film had been canceled because the projectionist did not show up. Learning that stated hours of business had little relationship to when a place was actually open. A passive acceptance that at some point, your home was going to be broken into. I think once every 4-5 years was considered acceptable. Having said all of that, we really did love our time there and look back at it fondly. We did learn that things do not always operate the same way in Santa Fe as they do in New York or Philly or Los Angeles or San Francisco. That was important to learn, although I still prefer efficiency to laxness. It did become overwhelmingly touristic and very chi-chi -- it was transitioning to that while we lived there, as rich Californians and New Yorkers moved in -- it has lost some of its genuineness, no more dog-eared shops around the plaza these days. Still, I think it is among the most interesting smaller cities in the US that you can visit. It is truly unique, very charming, and food food food. I would highly recommend going there to anyone who hasn't had the pleasure. You can still find the real stuff if you dig around. It sounds like you stopped at the south rim of the Black Canyon. It’s no slouch, but for my money the remoteness of the north rim and the different angle added to the charm. Believe or not, I have been to ManMannassa and saw the JD Museum. Those little towns on the south end of the San Luis Valley are pitiable for their quaint poverty. But the folks living there wouldn’t have it any other way. And doggone, it does get mighty cold at night in thst entire valley. I got to see a herd of wild horses a bit north of Mannassa, too. They were pretty far away, but sho’ nuf, I saw them! Are you aware there is now an alligator preserve near to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument? The guy that owns it started with a talapia farm. As the farm grew he began to have a waste disposal issue and brought in a gator at suggestion of a friend, followed by another and another and do on until people started to stop to see them. Now he’s got several dozen gators and a bit of a tropical forest and charges admission to let folks in. He even has a white gator that was famous for being in a movie that I forget the name of... |
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Post by pippsheadache on Oct 19, 2018 19:30:39 GMT -5
It sounds like you stopped at the south rim of the Black Canyon. It’s no slouch, but for my money the remoteness of the north rim and the different angle added to the charm. Believe or not, I have been to ManMannassa and saw the JD Museum. Those little towns on the south end of the San Luis Valley are pitiable for their quaint poverty. But the folks living there wouldn’t have it any other way. And doggone, it does get mighty cold at night in thst entire valley. I got to see a herd of wild horses a bit north of Mannassa, too. They were pretty far away, but sho’ nuf, I saw them! Are you aware there is now an alligator preserve near to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument? The guy that owns it started with a talapia farm. As the farm grew he began to have a waste disposal issue and brought in a gator at suggestion of a friend, followed by another and another and do on until people started to stop to see them. Now he’s got several dozen gators and a bit of a tropical forest and charges admission to let folks in. He even has a white gator that was famous for being in a movie that I forget the name of... Well I have to admit that does not sound like a typical setup for an alligator preserve. I'm glad there is some living creature that likes to eat tilapia. Near as I can figure out, tilapia is any fish that can't otherwise be identified. Kind of a living version of Oscar Meyer Sandwich Spread (I know you remember that one, Inger!!) Happy to know you've visited the Manassa Mauler's Museum. Dempsey had a hold on his generation that was always hard for me to figure out -- he lost twice to Tunney, and almost nobody talks about Tunney as one of the greats (well, Ali did actually -- he was a counterpuncher like MA) -- but Dempsey clearly had charisma and fought like a barroom bouncer. My grandfather was a big Dempsey guy -- he saw their first bout (not the famous long count, which was in Chicago) in Philly in 1926. He and 120,000 others. Listening to him talk about Dempsey was like me or Jwild or MrG talking about Mickey Mantle. Hero worship. I guess the last thing we need is a boxing thread. Shouldn't hijack a thread that is already off-topic. Back to travel -- anyone else here ever traveled in Africa? Dome, you've been to 30 countries -- care to elaborate a bit? Other than the US, a few of my personal favorite countries to travel in -- France, UK, Greece, New Zealand (paradise), Australia, Japan, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Chile, South Africa. Almost any island in the Caribbean (not as part of a cruise. Totally different experience.) Most beautifully situated cities -- Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Cape Town, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sydney. Cities normal people usually don't like but I do -- Mexico City, Cairo, Damascus, Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Athens. Oh yeah, I could throw in LA here too. I think you have to live there to get it. Favorite US cities -- New York (always number one), Chicago, San Francisco (they have some serious issues to address, even with the natural beauty). Also love LA, Miami, Boston (only to visit), Nashville, Charleston, San Diego. And of course Philly -- it's home -- will never live up to its potential (it wouldn't be Philly if it did) because of a high percentage of morons living there. And before anybody says anything, I moved out to the more civilized suburbs where I grew up in 2009. Happy to hear anybody else's thoughts. There are no wrong answers, these are just opinions. |
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Post by inger on Oct 19, 2018 19:52:15 GMT -5
The MLB thread reminded me that I can brag that I lived in Paris for three years, though it was Paris, KY. And I did once make a trek to Paris, TN...No Paris, TX for me though...
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Post by inger on Oct 20, 2018 0:04:44 GMT -5
Pipps, would you offer an opinion on the part of the USA that owns the best climate that has pleasant summers with a touch of winter? To make it MUCH more difficult, let’s disallow California.
I’ve reviewed a lot of places on the site Sperlings Best Places, but somehow he seem to me to over rate places that stay warm in winter and about boil your skin off or drain you of every ounce of sweat in summer time...
Pueblo is too hot in the summer, but we get nine months of pretty good weather here (except for quite a bit of damaging wind). I’m thinking if I ever get to relocate, a carefully chosen spot that’s higher in elevation here in Colorado would probably be where I’d want to settle, or a VERY carefully chosen spot in Wyoming, like east of the Bighorns, but no further from the mountains than Sheridan might work. (to me, the key to surviving Wyoming winters would be to find a spot protected from the wind. I don’t mind cold if it’s not too windy).
Yeah. This might not be quite your thing, I know, but I think you’re at least as good a guesser as me...and you’ve seen more than I.
All of that said, I may wind up living out my days here, but you never know...I seem to have developed a bit of a nomadic tendency in the last 19 years... (:
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Post by pippsheadache on Oct 21, 2018 8:49:21 GMT -5
Pipps, would you offer an opinion on the part of the USA that owns the best climate that has pleasant summers with a touch of winter? To make it MUCH more difficult, let’s disallow California. Only because you asked for my two cents, Inger. (And two cents is overvaluing its worth.) Eliminating California does increase the degree of difficulty, no question. Up to the part about "a touch of winter," I was about to launch into rhapsodies about Coronado or Goleta or some of the other pleasure domes on the California Coast. I went through a stretch of about 12 years in my life when I never saw snow unless I deliberately drove someplace to see it, and I can tell you I didn't miss it even one little bit. Anyway, the aforementioned Santa Fe meets some of your criteria, I think, although it gets more than just a touch of winter. It gets those dry, fluffy snows that melt in less than a day, I am sure you are familiar with that in the Rockies. But at 7,000 feet, it does indeed get snow, although summers and falls are beautiful. Albuquerque is at least climatically closer to the description you asked about. A little snow in the higher elevations, but relatively moderate through most of the year. It does get its dry hot days in summer (although not remotely comparable to Phoenix or Las Vegas). I am not a huge fan of the place because I find it a rather bland sunbelt city, but everyone has his own taste and many people I know love it there, with climate playing a big role in that. The area around Flagstaff Arizona also meets many of your weather demands. Lots of neat old Route 66 towns, magnificent scenery in the area, a fairly lively arts scene. You could do worse. I think Reno/Tahoe also fits some of that, depending on which part you hunker down in. In the East, Asheville NC also checks a lot of your boxes. Fairly sophisticated for a small town, beautiful setting, nice change of seasons. Nashville TN as well. Has its moments for sure, and has become a really interesting city without being overwhelming. For that matter, an area you are probably familiar with, the lower Delaware shore, offers some of what you are asking for. But of course there it helps to be not far from the coast or the summer humidity becomes a factor. I think you know that if you want dry, you have to stay West. Every time we have a very rainy year like this one has been in the East, I start grumbling to my wife that I want to move to Yuma, Arizona, which has the least rainfall of any sizeable town in the United States (not counting places like Death Valley). I've been there and know it is a hellish place, like something you would see outlaws inhabiting in a 50s Western. But after a few straight days of pouring rain, I admit I start checking out real estate there. I show my findings to my wife, who usually just glares at me and then goes down to check on the sump pump. |
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Post by greatfatness on Oct 21, 2018 10:06:42 GMT -5
Speaking of travel, I’m flying out of JFK today. How embarrassing is it that the greatest city in the world offers JFK and LGA as the experience people enjoy when they first fly into NYC? Two disgusting dumps. Pretty much every decent city in America has better airports than NY.
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Post by pippsheadache on Oct 21, 2018 10:58:39 GMT -5
Speaking of travel, I’m flying out of JFK today. How embarrassing is it that the greatest city in the world offers JFK and LGA as the experience people enjoy when they first fly into NYC? Two disgusting dumps. Pretty much every decent city in America has better airports than NY. Concur, GF. Plus, at least when I lived there, it was nearly impossible to get to either one by public transportation, which is also not the case in most major cities. It does not make a good initial impression on anyone visiting NYC for the first time. Small consolation, but it was even worse back in the heyday of the so-called Gypsy Cabs. |
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