Where else in the USA.........

[bubba gump]

Can anyone suggest somewhere to go one holiday in the States.
I've been to New York and Las Vegas and was looking for somewhere else to visit.
I like sightseeing, shopping and eating.
I would like some nice weather too, so if you suggest somewhere, whens the best time of year to go.
Thanks in Advance.

[VillageVicar]

That's a loaded question for america! But I will start with your inerest in food, then add weather...and then shopping!

My top recommendations would be: Atlanta as an arrival point (shopping) then driving into the North Carolina Mountains- Cashiers, Highlands, Brevard, traveling through the Cherokee Indian Village, then down into Pigeon Forge Tennessee (Dollywood). Then back to Atlanta..if this appeals to you..let me know and I'll expand on it for you.

Next would be Savannah Georgia/jacksonville Florida...Using either Orlando or Atlanta as your arrival point...then driving to Savanna...warning..it's six hours from Atlanta and 5 hours from Orlando..but indeed worth it! That would take you to St Augustine Florida..Amelia Island, Sea Island Georgia and up to Savannah...beautiful historic land with some of the best food in america.

Let's start with this...if it's not your geographic interest..I'll take you elsewhere. :-)

I think BBWCHAT would agree with me on the food of the south! :-)

Be well

Fr Bill

[VillageVicar]

I forgot to add�the reason I took you to Atlanta, up through the Carolinas and then down into Tennessee was so that you could visit some of America�s most famous outlet stores, plus two of the best regarded shopping centres in the united states �Lennox Square and Phipps Plaza in Atlanta. You will indeed have shopped till you dropped!

Regards

Fr Bill

[JK2]

San Francisco - and the best time to go is Spring or Autumn.. It can get cool & foggy in the summer but I went in October a couple of years ago and the temp was in the 80's. It's a really great city, easy to get around. Good restaurants & shopping and good sightseeing. Alcatraz, Pebble Beach/Carmel/Monterey. Sausalito/Muir Woods etc etc.. I 've been 3 times over a period of 25 years and enjoyed it each time.

[VillageVicar]

I agree with JK2. It's indeed lovely there. I probably wouldn't have added it to the equation, only because of the 'food' being in your priority list. Northern California certainly has good food, particularly Pacific seafood. But there isn't a 'heart flavour' for Northern California cooking. It does change once you move south of Los Angeles into the San Diego area, where you have the Mexican flavours of cooking. Having said that, one of the best basque restaurants I've ever attended outside of the Bilbao area is in the old district of San Francisco.

If you chose to go that far west, I might encourage you to fly in to LA, take the train to San Francisco (immediately alongside the ocean from San Luis Obispo) then on up north to Seattle where the food flavours capture the traditions of Indian lore, then fly back from there.

Good suggestion JK

Be well

Fr Bill

[JK2]

I think there is more than enough to do in the San Francisco area without having to go too far - depending on how long you are there for. However if you have enough time, you could do as I did the first time I went.
We flew to LA, had a few days there, drove along the coast - Big Sur - stopping at Santa Barbara & a few other places like William Randolph Hearst's Mansion - stayed for two nights in Camel/Monterey area & then went on to San Francisco - flying back to London from SF.

I personally much prefer SF to LA

[vehelpfulguy]

I was going to say San Francisco, so I agree with JK2.

Lovely relaxed city with plenty of places to go, without it being too touristy. Great city for strolling around.

Loads of great places to eat.

The Cable cars, Pier 39, Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate bridge, Golden Gate park and so on.

Lots to do around SF as well.

Picture here of fishermans wharf and the piers

http://www.wildnatureimages.com/images%202/041 004-117..jpg

[vehelpfulguy]

Plus there are some wonderful old wooden houses in SF, like these

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/ac210web1/files/vic torian_houses.jpg

As you wander round you can admire these lovely old buildings.

Many US cities have rather bland modern "downtown" areas but SF has still got a lot a character.

Plus SF has some wonderful "hills" giving you great views as you go round the city, like this (Alkatraz in the distance)

http://members.cox.net/travelreflections2/sf/S FHillsViews.JPG

[bubba gump]

Thank you for all your reply's,
Didn't think I'd get so many so soon.
San Francisco sounds like a good place to visit.
Is there any particular area or hotels that you could recommend?

[VillageVicar]

When it�s on my own �dime� I stay at the Cartwright hotel. Located at 524 Sutter Street, it�s just a easy roll downhill to Union Square, the Street Cars, Post Street (posh shopping) and all the most famous points of San Francisco.

http://www.cartwrighthotel.com/index.html


May I ask please, is it your intention to stay in one city? The reason I ask is that San Francisco and Los Angeles are called �common rated� cities, which means you can fly into one city and out of another without the airfares being any higher. If you like spectacular views, I�d either hire a car and drive out to Carmel, or alternatively take the train from San Francisco (Oakland) to Los Angeles, where the train follows along side the Pacific Ocean. You could also visit the beautiful Ojai and Santa Barbara, the homely California capitol of Sacramento and if you�re on the train, arrive at one of America�s most beautiful deco railway stations.

Just a thought. I won�t waffle on now. Just share your thoughts and I�m sure there are plenty of us who can contribute ideas.

Bon voyage

Fr Bill

[jno]

right now is a great time to see the autumn colours of New England (I've just come back) - take a fly-drive trip round Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, maybe New York and Maine. Motels from about $60 per room per night. Bargain.

[vehelpfulguy]

Early days I know, but if you DO decide to go to San Francsico check the weather for when you are going.

SF is right on a fairly thin strip of land, like this

http://www.visitingdc.com/images/san-francisco -bay-area-map.jpg

It is surrounded by water and has the Pacific one side and San Francisco bay the other.

This is good in one way, because if never gets REALLY hot, but never gets REALLY cold.

BUT it does mean it can some times be chilly when other places in the US are sweltering (part of why it is nice to go there).

All over SF are people selling sweat shirts. A lot of people dont think they need jumpers when they go to SF, and have to buy them when they are there.

There are probably more SF sweatshirts sold in the US than any other city.

But the weather does allow you to get great pictures like this (no I did not take it)

http://www.tunnelsinger.com/GGbridge%20fog%20n orth%20tower%20visable%20closer.jpg

[BBWCHATT]

Bubba - you might get a lot more "bang for your buck" at some of these places - although you will probably need a rental car to really enjoy them:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g54171-Char leston_South_Carolina-Vacations.html

Great low country cooking.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?where=body&r eturnTo=&pid=214&SearchTeaser=%28your+destinat ion%2C+hotel+or+attraction%29&q=Boston&submit. x=26&submit.y=7


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?where=body&r eturnTo=&pid=214&SearchTeaser=%28your+destinat ion%2C+hotel+or+attraction%29&q=Philadelphia&s ubmit.x=22&submit.y=4


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?where=body&r eturnTo=&pid=214&SearchTeaser=%28your+destinat ion%2C+hotel+or+attraction%29&q=South+Beach&su bmit.x=26&submit.y=8


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?where=body&r eturnTo=&pid=214&SearchTeaser=%28your+destinat ion%2C+hotel+or+attraction%29&q=Atlanta&submit .x=29&submit.y=2


BBWCHATT
The old la

[VillageVicar]

Oh BBW I'm so disappointed! Didn�t you know? You�re supposed to be the ambassador to the South! The gatekeeper for the Chatanooga Choo Choo! The Innkeeper to Southern Hospitality! Indeed, I love Boston! Miami is great too! But it was the FOOD this Bubba was in search of! Fried chicken, smothered pork chops, peach cobbler, collard greens and ham hocks, creamed corn, fried okra, chocolate cobbler, and A Nehi Orange drink with a Moon Pie! All pushed back with a large bowl of grits, hash browns and a pecan waffle!

I was going to take him up the gastrointestinal delights of I-85, leave him in Commerce Ga, at the Outlet Store�trundle him across to Dillons for dinner, then up to Sevierville for a steak dinner, then back to Dollywood for Country ham and grits with red-eye gravy�then a fast ride down I-75 with a scramble stop at the Waffle House at the state line�whisking him on into A�lana for a farewell �all-the-way dog, glorified steak, order-O-rings and a PC� at the varsity.� And if his colon could cope�a drive-by emergency pick-up of a caramel cake and a few boxes of cornbread from Rhodes Bakery. And we could bid him a fond farewell beneath the red light at the Krispy Kreme plant on Ponce De Leon Avenue!

BBW, Y�all gots to show Bubba what good cukin is all about, ya heah?

Smile

Fr Bill

[Theland]

I think I'll give up the day job and become a priest!

[VillageVicar]

And Bubba...if you want to see where Forest came from..you've just got to do Savannah! I'll fill your hat with 'popcorn shrimp' hushpuppies and 'Florida lobsters..'
Bubba gotta eat!

You can do the Okefenokee Swamp, the back bayous of Savannah, and the old cemetery from �Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). (a true story by the way.)

And dollar for dollar, the �deep south� is the best value for money in America.

And as an elderly man in 'Osh Kosh' overalls once said to me, 'Ain't no earthquakes in Georgia.'

Oh crum, now I�m hungry! :-)

Fr Bill

[bigmamma]

Wow Fr Bill , have you been to America , how wonderful , I am wanting to go to see New York before I actually can't travel any more . :-) xxx

[jno]

don't believe everything you hear from men in overalls, Vicar

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states.php ?regionID=10

[VillageVicar]

Bigmamma: Oh my yes! I think I shared in another thread some time ago that I escort small unique groups of people or families on a regular basis to different parts of the world. The income derived covers all of my expenses for travel and transport for my work in Moldova and has been a primary source of funding for buildings and development.

I�d love to show you New York. I just recently took a young lady who has aggressive multiple sclerosis. It was a journey she never thought she�d be able to accomplish due to the advance stages of her disability. It was an honour to escort her.

I escort a lot of �shopping trips� for people. Some of the people are absolutely obnoxious � especially their children, but then some are a real delight where we have the most wonderful conversations.

I do hope you get to go. It�s a magical city!

Fr Bill

[VillageVicar]

JNO: that was quite interesting..in fact, it was on Tybee Island where I was standing when the man said that to me. Bless his socks, he was about 90 and you could see the harsh life he endured through the roughness of his hands. I thought it was a cute comment.

Thank you again...in fact...I knew more about hurricanes on the east coast of the states than I did earthquakes!

Be well

Fr Bill

[bigmamma]

Fr Bill , was that the same lady with MS who you take to the supermarket ? The one where you wrote a funny post answer in a parking for disabled thread ? :-) xxx