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Where have you been, what did you like?

Silke

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Inspired by another thread, I wondered if others have things they'd like to share with people who may be planning a holiday / move, etc.

For instance:
I like the US Deep South. I've been to a few of the states, and there are things I liked, and others I will avoid next time. :)
In North Carolina -- BBQ. OMG, it's delicious! Beautiful Countryside, love the Smoky Mountains. (And I crossed an item off my bucket list there: Being in two places at once. One foot on either side of the state line counts, right?)
Any of the Southern states -- If you see a reenactment advertised...go. It's a fun day out. Go to the camp, too.
Alabama -- I got there in November and thought what I'm seeing in the distance was snow. :) It was cotton... I'd never seen cotton before. On the day I left, I made my friend do an illegal turn...to go steal some cotton. (I still have it.)
Rhode Island -- I loved the slowness of it. Yes, slow. People seem to have all the time in the world. Beautiful, even in Winter.
New York -- I lost my heart to New York. Absolutely adore visiting, but haven't been back since 9/11. People say to take the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Ignore them. Go out there. It's worth it. Also visit the museums.
Chicago -- Architecture. I wouldn't be surprised if it were called Gotham. Love the old skyscrapers, they just look awesome. (If you're into that sort of thing - visit Graceland Cemetery. It's beautiful.)
Houston -- Didn't see much of it, unfortunately. I remember going all goggle-eyed when a pickup passed us, sporting a massive gun rack in back....! Best McD I ever had, lol. I guess you don't stiff the Texans on the hamburgers...
New Orleans -- need to go back. Totally adore the place. Not just Bourbon Street. I admit to being a tombstone tourist. I generally go to the very old cemeteries and look at the tombstones and monuments. (Taphophile, I believe, is the term) New Orleans (Metaire) has one of the most amazing cemeteries (architecture wise) and is well worth a visit. Just don't do what I did, and go in mid July, at noon, during a heat wave.... I nearly got heatstroke, there's very little shade.

Maledives -- go, before it sinks. Absolutely stunning place. Very Zen, great place to just chill. (Which I have trouble doing lol. I ended up doing a diving course, because I'm not a "soak up the rays on the beach" kind of person.)
Egypt -- I've only been to Dahab, but I bet I've seen more of it than most people who go there. I've been in the mountains, in an Oasis only reachable on horseback, or by foot. (It's a LONG way -- 3hrs on horseback. Each way.) So worth it. People were very friendly, not pushy, like they are in some places.
Australia -- (Melbourne / Adelaide / Banrock Station) -- I managed to visit Australia and not see a single kangaroo. Adelaide Art Museum and Gallery is worth visiting. H.J. Johnstone'sEvening Shadows – Backwater of the Murray” hangs there, and left such an impression on me (it's HUGE) -- I ended up having a print of it sent to the UK, framed it, and it hung above the fireplace for 20 years after that. Stunning landscape painting. I must have stood in that room for an hour, just looking at it. (And I'm not an artsy person who goes to galleries.)

Naturally I've been all over Europe, too. :)
UK -- Cornwall. If you are going to the UK, take a trip to Cornwall. It's a 5 hour drive, but you won't regret it. Stunning slate cliffs, wild water, Cornish Pasty (That's Pah-ss-tee, not Pais-tee). Scotland, too. Beautiful.
In London, Highgate West Cemetery. Take a tour. It's a stunning place, even if you're not into cemeteries.
Science Museum is a must. Push the kids off the experiments and play. :p Natural History Museum for the Dinosaurs and creatures. British Museum and Library -- omg, I want to move in there. (Note: You need a reading pass if you want to check out the books in the Library. Apply in advance if you want to look at anything specific.) The British Museum sometimes do tours of the "Backstage Area". Well worth it. (Mummies!)
Germany -- Neuschwanstein Castle. Go. You won't believe your eyes. (This is the castle Disney modeled his fairy castle on -- only the real thing is more stunning than the Disney one!) Go to the Grotto. If you have problems walking, take a carriage up to there. No cars allowed. Also go to the Black Forest. Not just for a cuckoo clock. :p Get into the woods, inhale. There is a reason the area is called an "Aerial Spa".

I'll add... eventually. :)
So where have you been? Any recommendations?
 

Theedaysleeper

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Mesa Verda National Park in South West Colorado. Seeing the ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings is quite an experience. For those unfamiliar, it is an entire ancient Puebloan city built into the side of a mountain, each dwelling connected by a system of narrow walkways and ladders. I wish I had gone after college so I would have appreciated the history of it more, but I was teenager when I saw it and missed some of the complexity. Take a camera with a telescopic lens, you won't be sorry!
 

Toa and Ross

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@Silke you travelled a lot! Thanks for the list. Now I can add more place to visit at my list.

- Poland, against the border with Germany: beautiful mountains, great if you like walking from one place to another. I went alone wiyh my dog, had a great time.

- Mexico & Guatemala: the Maya route. Beautiful and good to see.
Easy to travel on your own.

- Costa Rica: paradise on earth! The nature is stunning. All those birds, monkeys, butterflies. Hired a car and drove around myself. It was an adventure I'll never forget. Amazingly beautiful. Go there!!
Saw the Quetzal...woohoo!

- Sri Lanka, all those people and colours! Lots of temples, great to see. Bit difficult to travel alone as a woman ( in public transport man think they can touch you everywhere)
Saw a leopard there!

- Panama. See Costa Rica. Paradise on earth.

- Laos such friendly people, beautiful nature, relaxed. Very easy to travel on your own.

- Ecuador Stunning, so clean and beautiful. Very nice people. Saw the blue footed boodie there...yay!
Great travelling on your own.

- South Africa amazing country. So much to see. I hired a car and started in Cape Town, going to some tiny nature parks. Beautiful.
Saw meerkats there! Not so easy to travel on your own but if your carefull you can do it.

- Iran. As a woman you need to cover up (face may be shown). If you don't mind that: go there! Most friendly people on the world. They want contact so with every step you take, people will talk with you. Specially the other women. So beautiful. You keep looking and looking around you and never get bored. First country they didn't think I was pitiful cause I don't have a husband and kids.

Natasja
 

Silke

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@Toa and Ross -- Wow I think you've traveled a lot too! And some awesome places!

Things on my Bucket List:
Montana / Wyoming (I want to see the Great Plains & Yellowstone)
Grand Canyon (I'll be terrified, but hey...)
Egypt Pyramids
Iceland (And Aurora Borealis / Volcanoes / Geysers)
Savannah & St. Louis
Victoria Falls, Cape Town, Africa (In fact, I want to take my dad back to Africa, just once. He spent 3 years there.)
Morocco for the Fantasia
Chile / Peru

Those are what I can think off at the moment.

Other places I've been:

Florida -- I saw pretty much all of Florida...just not from the ground. I did my PPL there and was based in Naples for 6 weeks. I will stay away from the water, if I go back. I managed to get food poisoning from ice cubes... lol. Beat that. (Some genius put tap water in the ice maker.)
 

Xandria

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Tokyo, Japan.
  • Not for the shy.
  • An adventure around every corner.
  • Walk the side streets and alleys.
  • VERY safe.
  • While everything is a rush around you, take your time and let it all sink in.
  • Stay away from the very few tourist or expat areas.
  • Go to lots of shrines.
  • Explore a couple temples.
  • Get lost!!!
  • Very friendly people (but hardly any speaks even remote english).
You either love Tokyo or dislike it. If I could live anywhere it would be there.
 

Victoria D

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If you loved the smokys go out west, the mountains are breath taking! Colorado is beautiful. It's a wonderful trip if you enjoy outdoor activities (hiking, etc). They are very "earthy", and if you prefer the city Denver has plenty to do. You can make a pretty quick drive into Wyoming and see the flat plains (also beautiful!)

I have not traveled outside of the US, but Hawaii has been my favorite so far. It was absolutely beautiful and I loved the culture. I have two brothers that live there, one has traveled the world and says it is by far his favorite place on earth. I will definitely go back.

New Orleans, for me, wasn't worth a second trip. I was much younger when I went so that could have something to do with it, plus I hated the muggy weather. I would love to go to Maledives! That is a great suggestion. Oh- and go southern states! I grew up in Kentucky / Tennessee and in my opinion there's no better place. Thanks for a great read!
 

Anita Eccleston

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Wow you guys are all seasoned travellers !
I’m afraid we have seen nothing compared to you guys
We lived in South Africa 6 yrs
Visited all over Spain
Visited most of Portugal
Visited Ibiza
Visited Greece
Visited the Vatican in Rome
Travelled all over the United Kingdom
England as stunning country side theatres museum so many tourist attractions
Same with Scotland and Wales both stunning with lots of culture
We visited Malta
Visited Belgium
@Silke i also loved to see old churches and cemeteries , the cemeteries in France are totally awesome the resting place of many war hero’s who lost their lives so we could live free !

Where I live in Newton Le willows is next to burton wood where the American airforce were based ( lots of babies were born in this time lol )
We have a cemetery here of soldiers graves who lost their lives
The village I live in was bombed in the war one side of the street totally gone and we have plaques on the walls showing dates they were rebuilt
Hugs
Anita & Cleo xxx ❤️❤️❤️
 

Silke

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As I said, I'm a "Taphophile" and honestly, I find old cemeteries totally intriguing. It always makes me wonder what the people were like.
If in London -- Highgate West is a must. (Get a photography pass if you want to take pictures)
highgate-egyptian walkway.jpg

Egyptian Walkway at Highgate West Cemetery.

Highgate003.jpg

I mean...where else are you going to see anything like this?

Highgate006.jpg

This tree stands on top of the (circular) crypts. The entrance to the Crypts is through the Egyptian Walkway.
Everything there is pretty overgrown and you can only go in with a guided tour, because if you wander off on your own it could be dangerous.
If you go to Highgate East, that's where Karl Marx is buried. Boring place tho. :)

Everything below was taken at Metaire, New Orleans. (mostly Millionaire's Row)

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NewOrleans2000-019.jpg

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That's why I go to those old cemeteries. :)
 

Lickleone

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I come from South Africa so have been to quite a few African countries and islands, I’ve lived in New York and Florida and I’ve been to 43 of the US states about every town in each of those and more then once.

I now live in the UK and been to a few in Europe

I’ve been to Israel

Every country has pros and cons but I’ve loved them all for different reasons

There is many countries I still wish to go to but my list is obscure would probably look very different to a normal list


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Staceyxxx

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Wow some adventures here so exciting! Iv been about Europe, Goa n Florida! But my most exciting trip was in November I went trekking through the jungle in Uganda to see wild gorillas and went on Safari! I love animals, but of course the Sphynx cat is my favourite, closely followed by any cat! Haha..! Xx
 

Staceyxxx

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Some pics
 

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Anita Eccleston

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We should all thank god for our sight and for making the world a beautiful place , I dislike it when people , my self included say the world is a terrible place ! The world is a beautiful place it’s mankind that’s horrible
We have some beautiful countries each with its own wonders , those of you who have seen so much are very fortunate ! As am I myself for the things I’ve seen , when we lived in South Africa we visited a mountain called gods window as we walked up and up the clouds surrounded the mountain it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen , it was like you could walk across the clouds ( obviously not or down the mountain you tumble )
@Silke the thing that I find most interesting is the head stones , here in the uk now you don’t see people mounting magnificent head stones any more , in fact I would say most are cremated then buried. With a small plague on top
In our grave yard here in Newton -Le-willows we have two amazing cemeteries and they have some huge monuments on the graves one thing that stuck me was so many babies and young children
My interest grew as a child we took rubbings from the convent grave yard of nuns who had passed ( I went to a convent school ) so that’s where it began for me and I love churches the older the better
I’ve never heard of the term “ tophophile “
Before see you learn something new every day thank you
Hugs
Anita & Cleo xxx❤️❤️❤️
 
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