Where are the coolest places to which you've ever traveled?

[AreaCode707]

Entertain me on a lazy day-dreamy Saturday afternoon.

What was it like? What did you do? How was the food? How long did you go? What did you love about it? What didn't work for you? Pics?

 

[SandEagle]

Hong Kong. absolutely stunning

 

[AreaCode707]

Hong Kong. absolutely stunning

With your incredibly detailed description I can just see it now!

 

[MotionMan]

Entertain me on a lazy day-dreamy Saturday afternoon.

What was it like? What did you do? How was the food? How long did you go? What did you love about it? What didn't work for you? Pics?

Ephesus

We had a great tour guide with lots of background information.
We walked through the entire ruins.
There was no food. All of the restaurants have been closed since the 15th Century.
We were there for a day during our Greece/Turkey Cruise.
There was no working plumbing.

MotionMan

 

[ringtail]

``

 

[Destiny]

Xel-Ha in Cancun... I want to go back!

 

[shortylickens]

Theres some neat places in Iceland not many people know about. Just the natives and those of us stationed there and the handful of tourists. Its the worlds biggest secret.

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[amdhunter]

I went to this really messed up industrial looking area in Brooklyn that was scary as hell. Guys in groups everywhere with thick jackets in 90 degree weather, and no cars/people for about 1/2 mile in any direction.

I don't know where the area was, or how the hell I ended up driving through there, and it was scary as hell, but it was definitely a cool place to go.

I never knew Brooklyn could be so scary. It's an infinitely shittier borough than The Bronx will ever be

 

[olds]

Kitzbuehel Austria. Great skiing, food and beer.

 

[MontyAC]

Nice, France. Great weather, scenery and food.

Hong Kong. Great food but way too crowded.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Our National Parks. I bring great food and invite the backpackers with their freeze dried whatevers to come enjoy. Camping is great!

 

[Craig234]

A few off the top of my head -

Taking the train through the Swiss Alps to Zeurich. The beauty was amazing with the hills and valleys with villages.

From the web for a sample:

The food wasn't especially memorable, but good - main thing was it's an expensive place.

I think they said the average home price - in the 1990's - was over a million dollars.

I just spent one night there. The Lindt chocolate factory is there too...

Another neat visit was to Buckingham Palace when it was open for tours. Seeing the history, the rooms for knights, the original 'green room' where guests wait for the visit to the throne room next door (where the term 'green room' comes from in theatre, I assume)... being a few feet from the throne, it was tempting to sit in it, but no.

Also got to stay in the best suite in a small hotel on former royal grounds of Henry XIII near Windsor castle, big canopy bed with a forest...

Another neat place was the grounds of Blenheim palace... you could walk there and be alone and it was as if you owned the place.

As I recall, the family who Blenheim palace was given to by the Queen must send her a banner every year, or ownership reverts to the crown. Picture:

 

[cyclistca]

Lhasa, Tibet

Zion Park, Utah

Paris, France

London, England

 

[SagaLore]

Alaska was pretty cold.

 

[velillen]

Germany

I got to go as a "exchange student" for a month. The German kid came to my school and my family for a month in october and the next july i got to go to his school and family for a month.

It was amazing. I was 16 at the time and just the whole country was amazing. Toss a american teenager into a country that doesnt care if you drink and see what happens haha. Went to a few "city parties" where they like close the main street down and have music, vendors and beer gardens all over. Met so many interesting people. Old timers who talked about the war, people who came from the states and lived in germany now, and just plain germans who wanted to practice their english


Even the school part was fun. They learned British english so it was fun to be in class and they would ask a question with British slang and i would all confused just like the students. And o my their school right outside had this mini golf course (literally it could be considered part of the school campus it was so close) and y American friend and i would skip out of some classes (we didnt always have to go to classes...it was option in a way) and go there and have a couple believe they called them cola-wiessen. Basically 3/4 or so beer and a 1/4 coke. Played a lot of mini golf and ping pong during the courses that offered nothing for us as exchange students except to talk to the workers there and try to talk in german.

Ill honestly never forget the 18 hours of traveling and coming to my exchange families home and trying to talk in German to them and them in broken english and them feeding me a meal i still to this day have no idea what it was and it was amazing. the 5 year old brother and 7 year old sister looking at me like i was an alien. Trying to learn about me and me about them. Its such a life experience to be in that situation and is amazing! If i ever have kids its definitely a must do for them if they are even slightly interested.

 

[OlafSicky]

Canada it was too cool up there

 

[kranky]

Alaska, Kenya, Bangalore India, and Yellowstone.

Alaska had an otherworldly landscape populated by rugged individualists. Rode the Alaska RR from Anchorage to Talkeetna (could pass for Berkeley North) to Denali NP. Fabulous. Got a great photo of Denali on a rare day of no clouds (as the locals say, "the mountain was out").

Kenya was cool as we stayed with relatives in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi. Spent evenings around a fire with the askaris (guards) who quizzed me nonstop about America. Felt pressure to adequately represent our country. The humorous highlight was pulling out my handkerchief to blow my nose during one of our evening chats. As I put the snot-laden cloth back in my pocket, the conversation stopped ominously. After a minute, one of the askaris asked, "Excuse me, sir. May I ask... why are you saving that?"

Also camped in Masai Mara hearing lions roaring at night while askaris with rifles patrolled the perimeter of the camp. A real National Geographic moment. At a butcher shop to pick up something for dinner, the clerk tried to sell me "head meat, very clean." Can't locate any Kenya photos ATM.

Bangalore was a business trip but even at a four-star hotel I saw enough of the "real" India. The rooms had balconies and there was a small sign on the desk that said "Monkeys can be an occasional problem in Bangalore. Please securely lock your balcony door when leaving the room." Cows in the streets. Traffic that was chaotic. Our business partners would take us to shops in the evening down dark alleys that I never would have dared to enter. We'd go through a grimy door and find ourselves in a brightly lit and modern shop. Jewelry stores all had armed guards at the door. While dining we learned to require bottled water that was unopened as some places would simply refill empty bottles with city water. No pix handy.

Yellowstone was another one-of-a-kind destination with the unique landscape and wildlife. It was very cool but it was just so crowded.

 

[ringtail]

``

 

[7window]

schweiz and amsterdam. street party

 

[skyking]

Loved our stay at Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone. The rustic architecture, the huge fireplace, buffalo out the window. Food was pricey but good, served by an international staff.
Mammoth was just as cool in the fall, because of the elk herds wandering through. We stayed in a cabin there and you got in the habit of looking both ways before stepping out the door of the cabin!
Kranky, we go to Yellowstone at either the first weeks it is open, or the last weeks of September after the droves of motor homes have left. It really helps.

 

[velillen]

O and even though i posted the coolest place ill post the most moving/saddening/interesting. If you read my above post i was in Germany. Well we went to Dachau concentration camp. I will honestly in all my life never forget that. From "Arbeit Mach Frei" on the fence to just see the row after row after row of prisoner housing. The meusem portion was interesting and amazing. Explaining nearly everything about the nazi's and the purpose of the camp. How they tried to make it into a normal housing area after the war by planting rows of tree (which were still there). We went as an all American group. I will honestly never forget the experience. Ive always though of it as a whatever i can handle it and go look at everything and not be bothered. But ill tell you even though its been 50+ years i couldn't go to the crematorium. Just the thought and history of it, both my friend and i without speaking just stood at the walkway to it (like 100 feet away) and couldn't go any further. Didnt even say a word and just spent the next hour in the barracks portion before we even said anything to each other.

Dont think many people experience those types of moments of just sheer magnitude and admiration at the same time that you just cant see it/experience it.

And to this day (7, almost 8 years later) i still dont think i could manage to see that area of Dachau.

 

[JulesMaximus]

A few off the top of my head -

Taking the train through the Swiss Alps to Zeurich. The beauty was amazing with the hills and valleys with villages.

From the web for a sample:

The food wasn't especially memorable, but good - main thing was it's an expensive place.

I think they said the average home price - in the 1990's - was over a million dollars.

I just spent one night there. The Lindt chocolate factory is there too...

Another neat visit was to Buckingham Palace when it was open for tours. Seeing the history, the rooms for knights, the original 'green room' where guests wait for the visit to the throne room next door (where the term 'green room' comes from in theatre, I assume)... being a few feet from the throne, it was tempting to sit in it, but no.

Also got to stay in the best suite in a small hotel on former royal grounds of Henry XIII near Windsor castle, big canopy bed with a forest...

Another neat place was the grounds of Blenheim palace... you could walk there and be alone and it was as if you owned the place.

As I recall, the family who Blenheim palace was given to by the Queen must send her a banner every year, or ownership reverts to the crown. Picture:

My wife and I are good friends with a couple who live about 20 minutes outside of Zurich. We have an open invitation to visit anytime and stay with them. Plus we can use their cars which is cool. We're definitely going to take them up on that soon.

 

[ringtail]

``

 

[JulesMaximus]

I loved Madrid Spain. Spain is actually quite beautiful. The cities are very old and full of history, the countryside is unmolested with no urban sprawl. Lots of olive groves and vineyards. The wines are quite good and the people are friendly.

I could live here.

We took the train from Madrid to Seville. So much better than air travel. Fast, quiet, efficient, and comfortable. Only took about 2 hours.