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I lived in a NSW town of 24,000 and in the first year our house was broken into while we were asleep in bed. Racial tension between the Aborigines and Italians boiled over and an 18 year old was beaten to death in the main street.
I now live in a New England town of 60,000, no murders in 2008 despite the laxest gun laws in America.
EVERY country has problems, there is NO nirvana.
Australia is not the utopia you continually try to paint it as.
I never said Aus was a utopia they are your own words.
...although now that you've shown us those awesome pics of Utah Vichel and knowing how much MM loves the place I would like to see some of those fabulous rock formations. They just look amazing. I was in Kalbarri National Park in WA a few years back and it felt like the mini me version of The Grand Canyon. I'd love to see that sometime. Last night there was a competition on the tele for a trip for two to Seattle and I have to say that I loved it there so much I'm bustin to go back again. Plus I've always wanted to see Gracelands, Yosemite, New York (I'll do my quick dart in there this next trip) Hawaii, oh and Field of Dreams!!! Actually when I think about it, the USA as a tourist destination is so HUGE I doubt you'd ever manage to see it all BUT you'd still have a lot of fun trying I reckon!
Yes, the US could keep you busy most of your lifetime. It is such good value for tourists. We never feel ripped off. You have so many choices for every budget, for every taste. And the customer service is fantastic. No is not a word in their vocabulary. If they don't have it, they'll go out of their way to help you find someone else who does. Just love that! And if something's not up to scratch, complaining about it is completely accepted, not dismissed as "whinging". In fact, it'll likely result in a discount!
Utah is certainly Canyon Country. There are some areas of it which make me think of Australia's Kalbarri country. But ... no flies! Or at least far, far, far fewer of them. That's one thing my husband and I were saying all the time on our hikes - "If this were Oz, we'd be driven up the wall swatting at the friggin' flies! All 72 trillion of them!"
If anyone's ever in Utah, up around Arches and Canyonlands - don't miss Dead Horse Point State Park. It's right next to Canyonlands, not out of your way at all. That was our favourite out of all the parks actually. The vastness of the place was jaw-dropping. And a bit of trivia: in the movie Thelma and Louise, where they drove off the cliff ... it's in Dead Horse Point State Park.
Yes, the US could keep you busy most of your lifetime. It is such good value for tourists. We never feel ripped off. You have so many choices for every budget, for every taste. And the customer service is fantastic. No is not a word in their vocabulary. If they don't have it, they'll go out of their way to help you find someone else who does. Just love that! And if something's not up to scratch, complaining about it is completely accepted, not dismissed as "whinging". In fact, it'll likely result in a discount!
Yes! I only managed to enjoy the fabulous customer service for a month but gee it made an impact! And the variety of choice is mind boggling!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vichel
Utah is certainly Canyon Country. There are some areas of it which make me think of Australia's Kalbarri country. But ... no flies! Or at least far, far, far fewer of them. That's one thing my husband and I were saying all the time on our hikes - "If this were Oz, we'd be driven up the wall swatting at the friggin' flies! All 72 trillion of them!"
Well there's a bonus! The only comparison I have is climbing Mt Rainier and being swallowed alive by mozzies BUT the bites don't itch like at home! We must have all the blowies over with us.
It sounds perfect Vichel!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vichel
If anyone's ever in Utah, up around Arches and Canyonlands - don't miss Dead Horse Point State Park. It's right next to Canyonlands, not out of your way at all. That was our favourite out of all the parks actually. The vastness of the place was jaw-dropping. And a bit of trivia: in the movie Thelma and Louise, where they drove off the cliff ... it's in Dead Horse Point State Park.
Awesome! I'm so glad you're having such a great time and I'm loving reading your updates! Hope you have a great day today!
(oh btw did Mr Vichel post a few days back? There was this one post and it sounded like whoever posted it was travelling with you! )
(oh btw did Mr Vichel post a few days back? There was this one post and it sounded like whoever posted it was travelling with you! )
Yeah, I saw that. Some of a previous post of mine quoted, and that's it. Nothing else. No, that wasn't Mr Vichel. Probably just a simple mistake. Someone hit the Send button before they wanted to. I've done that before.
Yeah, I saw that. Some of a previous post of mine quoted, and that's it. Nothing else. No, that wasn't Mr Vichel. Probably just a simple mistake. Someone hit the Send button before they wanted to. I've done that before.
If anyone spoke out in the Us about its system they would propably get shot or arrested. I saw on the news some american tried to demonstarte outside washington and he was arrested, you call that a democrarcy thats why people in the US there are afraid to but I notice many Americans are not afraid to say the truths in the anonymity of the internet and good on them for having the nerve for doing that. I also admire the Americans who have published websites exposing american evils
The Internet has become a place where real truths are spoken . If you cannot handle that don,t use the internet. this is soft compared to [domain blocked due to spam] forums
Yes we also know of the human abuses of your justice system with 25 percent of the worlds prison population.
Yes, that's probably more the case in dangerous neighbourhoods.
I was also thinking of things like road rage or getting to a fight with a stranger. In America they could just get out their piece and blow you away (not to say all Americans are that trigger-happy, but it just adds another possibility). People say they need them for protection but it kind of reminds me of the nuclear arms race and would make me feel a little uneasy...
I'm an American, have lived here all my life. Besides the hunting rifle my neighbor had hanging on his wall when I was a kid, I have never even seen a gun in person. I think perception is a lot greater than reality- very, very few people here carry guns out in public- the small minority who own handguns don't carry them out in public, they keep them hidden away at home for security or for sport. Please don't buy into the hype you may see on TV, it's not at all like you see in the shows or movies!
Sooo anyway I think we've established that pretty much all of the Australians here aren't/wouldn't dream of dismissing the USA as a travel destination EXCEPT for one of us who is more than happy to avoid the evils of the US in favour of living the Great Australian dream.
I'd say it's a win for America either way!
I say it is also a win for the IGNORE feature of C-D for those who see fit to use it; it helps your eyes see less psycho babble.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Europe has a much older human history, so it obviously far surpasses the US in terms of historic site - the 1800s is ancient in America
Although a few American cities offer urban charm every city in Europe has incredible urban corridors filled with shops, restaurants, and people. Places in America that have ANY urban shopping corridors are so rare that they are considered tourist destinations.
The one area that the US far surpasses Europe is in natural attractions. It's not that there are no beautiful natural areas in Europe, but there are just so many natural wonders of all different types in America - the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone's geysers, the Mesa cliff dwellings, etc etc
I say it is also a win for the IGNORE feature of C-D for those who see fit to use it; it helps your eyes see less psycho babble.
Shame it doesn't work in RL, hey?
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Plus I've always wanted to see Gracelands, Yosemite, New York (I'll do my quick dart in there this next trip) Hawaii, oh and Field of Dreams!!! 
Actually when I think about it, the USA as a tourist destination is so HUGE I doubt you'd ever manage to see it all BUT you'd still have a lot of fun trying I reckon! 
We must have all the blowies over with us. 
