The Gipper's Guide to America
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Berea has a nice trail you can hike or bike on.
What would be good is input on trips that can be made on less than a tank of gas, due to the economy.
Berea has a nice trail you can hike or bike on.
What would be good is input on trips that can be made on less than a tank of gas, due to the economy.
I admit, my top travel spots are generally further away than one tank, but here are some suggestions for fairly close trips you can take within reasonable distance of the Cleveland area:
1. Obviously, go on out to Put-in-Bay and the Lake Erie Islands. And be sure to stop at the Crescent Tavern patio in the afternoon to say "F**K You, Westside" who performs there in the afternoons. He runs the movie critic forum on these boards. Go up the Perry Monument if it is open.
2. Niagra Falls is about a 4 hour drive. Despite the cliches, it is an awesome sight. And, believe it or not, there really are things to see and do in Buffalo.
3. Run over to South Bend and Notre Dame. Beautiful campus.
4. Go to Greenfield Village and the Ford Museum in Detroit/Dearborn.
5. Spend a few days in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in our back yard. It is, trust me, an absolute gem. NO other major metropolitan area can boast of an asset such as this so nearby.
6. Maybe a little far, but Louisville has some great things to see: The Louisville Slugger Museum, Churchill Downs, Ft. Knox is nearby.
7. Likewise, Lexington Ky. has some interesting sites, particularly the Kentucky Horse Farm.
8. Also maybe a bit beyond a one tank trip, but go to Cooperstown, NY for the baseball HOF.
9. As long as we are talking HOFs, there is of course, Canton and the Pro Football HOF. Also check out the McKinley Tomb and Museum and the First Ladies National Historic site.
10. You can always go to Mohican to canoe. And while in the vicinity go see Malabar Farm where Bogart and Bacall were married.
11. And of course there is Amish country if you are into that. The area from Millersberg over to Dover/New Philly etc.
12. You could go to the casinos in Wheeling, Detroit, and Presque Isle, Erie PA while you are waiting on the one in Cleveland to open. Wheeling also has that great Christmas Light exhibition. The name escapes me right now.
13. People say the Hocking Hills are great. Old Man's Cave etc. Oddly, I have never been there.
14. You could cross Ohio's eastern border and try to set up a tour of Falling Water in Mill Run Pa. This is Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous structure, or nearly. Also near there is OhioPyle and the Laurel region. There is supposed to be tremendous whitewater rafting there.
15. You can go to either Columbus or Cincinnati. They are big cities with a lot to do. Museums, attractions, restaurants, sports etc.
16. And, if all else fails, you could also visit Pittsburgh. If it weren't for the yumpin' yidiots that follow their football team, the town itself can be quite pretty, or at least, interesting.
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I'm going to have to say the best sunset is at Mallory Square, Key West, Florida. Lots of cool street performers and bars/ restaurants to watch the sun set from.
Hocking Hills is fantastic. The entire area would be a national park if it weren't already a state park.
:neutral_face: -
For a one tank trip, I have a suggestion....Warther's Museum in Dover, Ohio.
Moony Warther was a wood carver of trains, etc & his carvings look MACHINED! For those of you who appreciate a skilled craftsman, this is a MUST SEE. The man had a grade school education but was truly a genius. If you have been there, you know what I mean.
As a side benefit, their gift shop sells their cutlery, which will stack up against others much more expensive. I own 3 different sizes of Warther's filet knives & they simply can't be beat. They make great gifts & are very affordable.
Mike
IN DORSEY I TRUST -
Most Fun Town: New Orleans. (Honorable mention: Chicago)
I have been Bourboned faced on shit steet a time or two.
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Best Sunrise: On top of Mt. Haleakala, Maui. (honorable mention: Quoddy Head, Maine)
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands Gipp
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Mt. Haleakala was an amazing place. I think we have pictures from it, I should post them sometime. It is absolutely breathtaking.
St. John, is a smaller island just off the American Virgin Islands' St. Thomas.
St. John is about 75 % national park, I think it was... and the beach is Trunk Bay.
It has an -underground- park underwater, with stones describing certain places and plants, etc.
two really outstanding places places to go see.
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Best Sunset: Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.
Best Sunrise: Duck, N.Carolina
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands.....no need to change your thought
Best Patriotic site: Arizona Memorial
Best Trees: Magnoila in bloom
Best Single Vista: Death Vally in April when the wildflowers are in bloom....multiple spots
Most Fun Town: New Orleans. (Honorable mention: Chicago) No arguments there.
Best Small Town: Blowing Rock, N.C.
Best Consistent Architecture: Santa Fe, NM.....I can stick with that
Campiest Attraction: International Tow Truck Museum, Chattanooga, Tn.
Nicest College Campus...University of Alabama
Nicest State Capitol building: Montpelier, NH
Best Tall Building: Empire State Building
Best Statue not called Liberty: Mt. Rushmore
Best Scenic Town Setting: Oxford, Mississippi
Best City Park System: Savannah, Georgia
Gawdiest Display of Wealth: Newport, Rhode Island....I agree
Best Stadium: Wrigley Field
Best preserved Western Town: Tombstone, Ariz. (honorable mention: Lincoln NM)
Best hiking for the average person: Great Smoky Mts
Best Lake: Lake George, NY
Best Mountain Range: The Grand Tetons
Best Casino: Bellagio
Best Aquariam: Tennessee aquarium, Chattanooga
Best Breakfast/Dinner combination: I'll go with Brennans, New Orleans
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. -
I'm going to have to say the best sunset is at Mallory Square, Key West, Florida. Lots of cool street performers and bars/ restaurants to watch the sun set from.
Hocking Hills is fantastic. The entire area would be a national park if it weren't already a state park.
I'm going to have to say the best sunset is at Mallory Square, Key West, Florida. Lots of cool street performers and bars/ restaurants to watch the sun set from.
Hocking Hills is fantastic. The entire area would be a national park if it weren't already a state park.
I have been to the sunsets at Key West on 2-3 occasions. The party atmosphere is cool, but for the spectacular sunset itself, it cannot compare to Cape Flattery.
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For a one tank trip, I have a suggestion....Warther's Museum in Dover, Ohio.
Moony Warther was a wood carver of trains, etc & his carvings look MACHINED! For those of you who appreciate a skilled craftsman, this is a MUST SEE. The man had a grade school education but was truly a genius. If you have been there, you know what I mean.
As a side benefit, their gift shop sells their cutlery, which will stack up against others much more expensive. I own 3 different sizes of Warther's filet knives & they simply can't be beat. They make great gifts & are very affordable.
Mike
For a one tank trip, I have a suggestion....Warther's Museum in Dover, Ohio.
Moony Warther was a wood carver of trains, etc & his carvings look MACHINED! For those of you who appreciate a skilled craftsman, this is a MUST SEE. The man had a grade school education but was truly a genius. If you have been there, you know what I mean.
As a side benefit, their gift shop sells their cutlery, which will stack up against others much more expensive. I own 3 different sizes of Warther's filet knives & they simply can't be beat. They make great gifts & are very affordable.
Mike
Yes, I have been there. The amazing part were the "trees" that he carved that folded down into themselves. Here is a photo:
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Best Sunrise: On top of Mt. Haleakala, Maui. (honorable mention: Quoddy Head, Maine)
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands Gipp
*****************************************
Mt. Haleakala was an amazing place. I think we have pictures from it, I should post them sometime. It is absolutely breathtaking.
St. John, is a smaller island just off the American Virgin Islands' St. Thomas.
St. John is about 75 % national park, I think it was... and the beach is Trunk Bay.
It has an -underground- park underwater, with stones describing certain places and plants, etc.
two really outstanding places places to go see.
Best Sunrise: On top of Mt. Haleakala, Maui. (honorable mention: Quoddy Head, Maine)
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands Gipp
*****************************************
Mt. Haleakala was an amazing place. I think we have pictures from it, I should post them sometime. It is absolutely breathtaking.
St. John, is a smaller island just off the American Virgin Islands' St. Thomas.
St. John is about 75 % national park, I think it was... and the beach is Trunk Bay.
It has an -underground- park underwater, with stones describing certain places and plants, etc.
two really outstanding places places to go see.
Trunk Bay is perhaps the best known of the St. John beaches, but there are several on that island, any of which are great.
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Mt. Haleakala is a wonderful place! I have a picture hanging in my office that I took while we were there. Did you do the bike ride from the top down? That was one of my favorite parts of our trip....riding the bike through a cloud, amazing!!
Mt. Haleakala is a wonderful place! I have a picture hanging in my office that I took while we were there. Did you do the bike ride from the top down? That was one of my favorite parts of our trip....riding the bike through a cloud, amazing!!
Yes, I took the bike ride, though it was clear the day I did it. No cloud. For those that don't know, you ride a bike from the top of the mountain, which is about 11,000 feet tall to sea level. And it is all downhill coasting, you really only have to pedal about twice.
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Best Sunset: Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.
Best Sunrise: Duck, N.Carolina
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands.....no need to change your thought
Best Patriotic site: Arizona Memorial
Best Trees: Magnoila in bloom
Best Single Vista: Death Vally in April when the wildflowers are in bloom....multiple spots
Most Fun Town: New Orleans. (Honorable mention: Chicago) No arguments there.
Best Small Town: Blowing Rock, N.C.
Best Consistent Architecture: Santa Fe, NM.....I can stick with that
Campiest Attraction: International Tow Truck Museum, Chattanooga, Tn.
Nicest College Campus...University of Alabama
Nicest State Capitol building: Montpelier, NH
Best Tall Building: Empire State Building
Best Statue not called Liberty: Mt. Rushmore
Best Scenic Town Setting: Oxford, Mississippi
Best City Park System: Savannah, Georgia
Gawdiest Display of Wealth: Newport, Rhode Island....I agree
Best Stadium: Wrigley Field
Best preserved Western Town: Tombstone, Ariz. (honorable mention: Lincoln NM)
Best hiking for the average person: Great Smoky Mts
Best Lake: Lake George, NY
Best Mountain Range: The Grand Tetons
Best Casino: Bellagio
Best Aquariam: Tennessee aquarium, Chattanooga
Best Breakfast/Dinner combination: I'll go with Brennans, New Orleans
We agree on quite a few, don't we:
Best Sunset: Indian Rocks Beach, Fla....west coast of Fla. right? Its OK, I still prefer a Pacific sunset.
Best Sunrise: Duck, N.Carolina...I have not been to the Outer Banks at sunrise. Could be very nice.
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands.....no need to change your thought
Best Patriotic site: Arizona Memorial..this was a tough choice. AZ Memorial in my top 3, but I had to pick one.
Best Trees: Magnoila in bloom...I am a little prejudiced against the magnolia simply because I have one in my yard and it won't bloom for me. But I planted it for the very reason that they are beautiful in bloom.
Best Single Vista: Death Vally in April when the wildflowers are in bloom....multiple spots...I was there in the fall, so I didn't get the wildflower bloom. Great vista though.
Most Fun Town: New Orleans. (Honorable mention: Chicago) No arguments there.
Best Small Town: Blowing Rock, N.C...have not been there
Best Consistent Architecture: Santa Fe, NM.....I can stick with that
Campiest Attraction: International Tow Truck Museum, Chattanooga, Tn...not been there. Probably a hoot.
Nicest College Campus...University of Alabama..most bigger schools suffer in the "nicest campus" category merely because of their size. Duke and Notre Dame are much smaller in student body size than people realize. Kenyon is only 1600 students.
Nicest State Capitol building: Montpelier, NH..this could be. Like I said, I chose Olympia more for the setting than the building
Best Tall Building: Empire State Building
Best Statue not called Liberty: Mt. Rushmore
Best Scenic Town Setting: Oxford, Mississippi...I can't imagine any town in Mississipi being in a more scenic setting than the red rocks of Sedona....(and as a general rule, I think Mississippi is a much prettier state than most people give it credit for...though I have not been to Oxford)
Best City Park System: Savannah, Georgia
Gawdiest Display of Wealth: Newport, Rhode Island....I agree
Best Stadium: Wrigley Field
Best preserved Western Town: Tombstone, Ariz. (honorable mention: Lincoln NM)
Best hiking for the average person: Great Smoky Mts ...I stayed away from any true "mountainous" area in this category. I have no doubt that the Smokies and the Appalachian trail and many, many parts of the west are superior hiking than our local park...but they might be a bit rugged for an average person.....and I count as an average person a mid-50s overweight dude like me
Best Lake: Lake George, NY...that is a very good one for sure. I took a boat tour on Lake George.
Best Mountain Range: The Grand Tetons
Best Casino: Bellagio ....I was going for the out of way, stuck in a corner, homey style casino. For the grandiose Las Vegas casino I hear Bellagio is the cat's meow. But I have not been to it or the Venetian which may be its main competition.
Best Aquariam: Tennessee aquarium, Chattanooga ....have not been to that one, but I have been to many others, Monterray, Boston, New Orleans, Honolulu, Oregon coast, Seattle,etc. and of all those, Baltimore was best.
Best Breakfast/Dinner combination: I'll go with Brennans, New Orleans...Is that the place right on Bourbon St.? that has the champagne breakfast? If it is the place I am thinking of, we only stayed about a block from it, but did not eat there. We did the Cafe du Monde of course, the ACME Oyster House, Tipitina's, Pat O'Brien's, etc. but not Brennan's
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Yes, that's it....Breakfast at Brennens is a must on your next visit.
I love Acme Oyster House...and do love Commanders palace....last time sat upstairs overlooking the courtyard.
Just talking NO has me wanting to go again...but I am not the foodie I once was...down about 50 lbs in the last year and a half and hope to be down close to 20 by fall.
On some of the ones I didn't change on the list, I have been to most you mention....I couldn't think of any better options or agreed in total...like the Savannah parks....I know they have parks all over the place....Clevelands Metro system is pretty nice as well....and the western town...there aren't that many to choose from.
As for the Smokies....there are lots of hiking areas that don't require great endurance and are more hollow walking than vigorous mountain trails..trust me...I don't do that.
As for Oxford....I could of...or in retrospect switched that with Blowing Rock...Blowing Rock is up in the Carolina mountains and Oxford is what you envision in old southern charm. Consider those a swap.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. -
QUOTE (ballpeen @ Apr 9 2010, 09:42 AM) *
We agree on quite a few, don't we:
Best Sunset: Indian Rocks Beach, Fla....west coast of Fla. right? Its OK, I still prefer a Pacific sunset.
How about right at home at Edgewater Park?
Best Sunrise: Duck, N.Carolina...I have not been to the Outer Banks at sunrise. Could be very nice.
Sorry, I don't get up before noon.
Best Beaches: St. John, US Virgin Islands.....no need to change your thought
I'm afraid of the water, and beaches in general.
Best Patriotic site: Arizona Memorial..this was a tough choice. AZ Memorial in my top 3, but I had to pick one.
Mount Rushmore
Best Trees: Magnoila in bloom...I am a little prejudiced against the magnolia simply because I have one in my yard and it won't bloom for me. But I planted it for the very reason that they are beautiful in bloom.
Crape Myrtle in bloom.
Best Single Vista: Death Vally in April when the wildflowers are in bloom....multiple spots...I was there in the fall, so I didn't get the wildflower bloom. Great vista though.
Top of Split Mountain, Wyoming. Sorry for us geriatric crowd- it's a 25 mile uphill hike, and then get to the top of a 13,500' mountain. Unforgettable view, even 30 years after the fact.
Most Fun Town: New Orleans. (Honorable mention: Chicago) No arguments there.
Love Chicago, never been to NO.
Best Small Town: Blowing Rock, N.C...have not been there
Talkeetna, Alaska.
Nicest College Campus...University of Alabama..most bigger schools suffer in the "nicest campus" category merely because of their size. Duke and Notre Dame are much smaller in student body size than people realize. Kenyon is only 1600 students.
Tossup: Wisconsin and University of Colorado
Gawdiest Display of Wealth: Newport, Rhode Island....I agree
Kennebunkport Maine has to be in the running....
Best Stadium: Wrigley Field
Never been.... I'll nominate Arrowhead for football.
Best hiking for the average person: Great Smoky Mts ...I stayed away from any true "mountainous" area in this category. I have no doubt that the Smokies and the Appalachian trail and many, many parts of the west are superior hiking than our local park...but they might be a bit rugged for an average person.....and I count as an average person a mid-50s overweight dude like me rolleyes.gif
Zion National Park, Utah. As adventurous or as flat as you like.
Best Lake: Lake George, NY...that is a very good one for sure. I took a boat tour on Lake George.
Crater Lake, hands down.
Best Mountain Range: The Grand Tetons
As a mountaineer, I'll qualify that as yeah FROM THE ROAD. Even so, when you hike the Lupine Meadows trail up to about the 9,000' level and break above the treeline, you don't even recognize the Tetons as being the same mountain range- whole 'nother world. You see all the details (like the Great Chimney on Middle Teton)-in case you're wondering- it's a tube of volcanic rock that got shot up 2,000' though granite way back when.
Details you miss even with binoculars from the Snake River overlook. That said IMHO, when you get off the road the Tetons aren't even the most spectacular mountain range in Wyoming. The Wind Rivers in the Gannett Peak area- most folks don't realize the Grand Teton isn't the highest mountain in the state- and further south the Cirque of the Towers region are every bit as spectacular- but you gotta do some serious hoofing to see the view.
And if you want to count Alaska as part of America, don't even get me started about the views you can get from a flightseeing tour of the Denali Wilderness. McKinley is such a huge mountain, it's visually bigger (from the nearest road outside the park 46 miles away) than the Grand Teton is from the Snake River overlook- you can see Denali from the Alpine Meadows overlook in Anchorage- 180 miles away on a clear day- I kid you not.
Best Casino: Bellagio ....I was going for the out of way, stuck in a corner, homey style casino. For the grandiose Las Vegas casino I hear Bellagio is the cat's meow. But I have not been to it or the Venetian which may be its main competition.
Been to Vegas once, and did a grand tour of all the Casinos- but I'm not the gambling type. If you're into betting on the Browns, the Sports Book at Harrah's may be of interest.
I'll throw in one extra that interests me- and that's Best Steakhouse. Tough Call, but I'll vote for Bern's in Tampa, Florida. I May be jaded because they have no competition when it comes to Best Wine list in America- actually, it's the best in the world. Honorable mention to the Heford House in Kansans City, and our local Pine Club here in Dayton.
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Best Small Town: Blowing Rock, N.C...have not been there
I was there last weekend and I am ready to move there.
"Welcome to Rose Bud" ~ Funny Farm.
I was there last weekend and I am ready to move there.
"Welcome to Rose Bud" ~ Funny Farm.
Told you it was a great place.
Pat and I usually go up twice a year....once in the spring and once tucked somewhere in between browns and gator football games.
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Told you it was a great place.
Pat and I usually go up twice a year....once in the spring and once tucked somewhere in between browns and gator football games.
I forgot all about Blowing rock, it has been years since we have been there. Back in the 80's when we lived in Charlotte we would take the kids up there. We also spent a lot of weekends in ashville, Cherokee and Gatlinburg. Charlotte is an ideal place to live if you dont mind the congestion it only a 3 hour trip one way or another to the beach or the mountains. I left Charlotte back in 1989, within the 7 years we lived ther the traffic got so bad that the normal 15 minute drive to work became a 60-90 minute drive by the time we moved out and back to Ohio.
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Yes, that's it....Breakfast at Brennens is a must on your next visit.
I love Acme Oyster House...and do love Commanders palace....last time sat upstairs overlooking the courtyard.
Just talking NO has me wanting to go again...but I am not the foodie I once was...down about 50 lbs in the last year and a half and hope to be down close to 20 by fall.
On some of the ones I didn't change on the list, I have been to most you mention....I couldn't think of any better options or agreed in total...like the Savannah parks....I know they have parks all over the place....Clevelands Metro system is pretty nice as well....and the western town...there aren't that many to choose from.
As for the Smokies....there are lots of hiking areas that don't require great endurance and are more hollow walking than vigorous mountain trails..trust me...I don't do that.
As for Oxford....I could of...or in retrospect switched that with Blowing Rock...Blowing Rock is up in the Carolina mountains and Oxford is what you envision in old southern charm. Consider those a swap.
Yes, that's it....Breakfast at Brennens is a must on your next visit.
I love Acme Oyster House...and do love Commanders palace....last time sat upstairs overlooking the courtyard.
Just talking NO has me wanting to go again...but I am not the foodie I once was...down about 50 lbs in the last year and a half and hope to be down close to 20 by fall.
On some of the ones I didn't change on the list, I have been to most you mention....I couldn't think of any better options or agreed in total...like the Savannah parks....I know they have parks all over the place....Clevelands Metro system is pretty nice as well....and the western town...there aren't that many to choose from.
As for the Smokies....there are lots of hiking areas that don't require great endurance and are more hollow walking than vigorous mountain trails..trust me...I don't do that.
As for Oxford....I could of...or in retrospect switched that with Blowing Rock...Blowing Rock is up in the Carolina mountains and Oxford is what you envision in old southern charm. Consider those a swap.
I am with you on Blowing Rock and Bellagio..........Aquarium is Bmore or Atlanta
Zion and Grand Canyon tough to beat
Sunrise........nice coming out of the ocean............sunset Kona Hawaii or my condo in Myrtle Beach
Central Park NYC is way cool not to mention Yellowstone
Crater Lake tops Lake George
Capital Buidling.......a lot of cool ones..........Capital Grounds... Nashville TN
just a few thoughts
Mountains .......Alps and the Matterhorn as viewed from Zermatt Switzerland which allows NO autos even if not US
The Bath Houses in San Fransico are something only my boyhood dreams are made of.
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Nice to see you here
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Best Stadium: Fenway Park (Honorable Mention: Madison Square Garden (More of an arena, but we are talking sports venues right)
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