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Then you were either in north central or northwest Minnesota. Northeast Minnesota is actually hilly (rises to 2,300 feet at Eagle Mtn) and the drive along Lake Superior is remarkable. Check out the Split Rock Lighthouse on a 300 foot sheer rock cliff and further northeast is the village of Grand Marais. You were just in the "wrong" part of northern MN.
Oh good because I hate flat places. Its depressing.
If Owen can compromise and visit a city with 90,000 population, he might enjoy Duluth and its Glensheen mansion tour, too. The North Shore of Lake Superior is a beautiful area.
My dad has been harping on for years about going to Cape cod. I think I will give that a miss, far too cold in the summer and of course there isn't much to do. Florida for me thank you very much.
I have never considered visiting Texas or New Orleans before, but after your post, you almost convinced me. My favorite sunny places have always been California, Florida, Hawaii.
I have never considered visiting Texas or New Orleans before, but after your post, you almost convinced me. My favorite sunny places have always been California, Florida, Hawaii.
Oh my, you are really missing something if you don't visit the southern US. Here are a few of my photos to whet your appetite:
Just took this one in south Texas a few days ago:
On the banks of the Frio River:
River Walk in San Antonio a few weeks ago:
Nightly jam session in Luckenbach, Texas:
Church in the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina:
Waving for beads at Mardi Gras in Shreveport, Louisiana:
LOL, you know - I've met Europeans before who thought this was a logical plan. Many people traveling to the US really have no true concept of just how BIG the US is...
My comment was a gentle side swipe at the 'typical American tourist visiting the whole of Europe in 3 days' - "Oh, it's Tuesday - this must be Belgium!"
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...I mention these two cities because they are often overlooked by travelers from overseas, and they are so distinctly and uniquely American and yet seem to have less ugly urban sprawl than many other big cities.
Fort Worth isn't called Cowtown for nothing. Europeans wanting a taste of the wild, wild West with a healthy dose of artistic culture thrown into the mix should definitely check out Fort Worth - and it's Tex Mex food, which is like nothing they can find anywhere in Europe. They can check out a rodeo, a cattle drive, terrific food and shopping, and the Arts district all in the same day.
They can fly into DFW airport directly from many places in Europe...
DFW is indeed readily accessible - If you don't mind flying with that Airline - The one that got me to the right country (but the wrong airport) only one day later than I'd booked, (Well, I was one day late - my luggage was 3 days late and they lied about that.) When I complained they ignored the complaint. - I'd rather walk than go by AA.
A few (quite a few!) years ago at least one of the major US airlines had a deal which offered a package of up to 6 internal flights (at the time, it was $50 per sector) with a transatlantic return. You could fly into a hub, make 6 flights with whatever length layover you wanted, return to that hub and fly home again.
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...From there, they can drive south, through Austin, and check out the funky groove down on 6th Street. They can also spend a day at the famous Schlitterbahn water park - WOOOHOOOOO!!!!! Talk about fun! Or they can "float the river" on inner tubes - that's fantastic fun as well.
Austin is indeed well-worth seeing (and the hill country to the North is, IMO a very attractive part of Texas) but I wouldn't want to spend much of my holiday driving through Texas.
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From Austin, they can then meander through the Texas and if they want, they can spend the night in Houston (New Orleans is an 8 hour drive from Austin and Houston is right between the two cities).
If I was going to Austin, I'd probably carry on South to San Antonio and spend a day or two there before heading to New Orleans.
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Anyway - New Orleans is often considered the most European of American cities - but it's still so unique that it would probably fascinate most Europeans. It's such a vibrant mix of French, African, Southern, and even Irish influences, and it's lazy, decadent flavor is very addictive. There are so many ways to see the city - walking tours, horse drawn carriages, or just simply wandering the streets for hours with no tour guide and no formal plans. You just about can't make a poor restaurant choice there, there's so much terrific food. Ahhhhh, to sit in a bar in the French quarter on a summer evening, listening to some of the best jazz in the world and people watching - it's so much fun! And there are many historic sites, museums, city parks that are cool and green, riverboat rides, etc. It's a terrific destination - and so picturesque!
Come south!
I do like New Orleans. - When we lived in LA and in MS, it was our 'local' destination for short breaks. Unless things have improved significantly, I'd be a bit leery about wandering about outside the accepted 'touristy' areas - particularly at night, however.
It's difficult to recommend a city unless you know exactly what the people you're recommending it to are looking for and when they want to travel.
If you really want sunshine - and you're going in summer time - you'd be hard-pushed to beat New Mexico or Arizona. There will be a lot of sun, little chance of rain, lots of sand (in many places) but you'll have to walk quite a way to get to the sea.
Orlando is a popular destination for British tourists - in July and August, too!
I doubt that many of those who go there do so to visit Orlando itself. - Mickey, Minnie and the theme parks are probably quite an attraction however.
At this time of year, Florida is fairly full - with snowbirds and students on 'Spring Break'. It'll probably stay that way until late April, then slow down for a bit - though I doubt that Orlando is ever really quiet.
My comment was a gentle side swipe at the 'typical American tourist visiting the whole of Europe in 3 days' - "Oh, it's Tuesday - this must be Belgium!"
Oh, I gotcha. My comment was a gentle side swipe at Europeans who think they can comfortably visit NYC, DC, Williamsburg VA, Busch Gardens, Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle in a week! DRIVING. LOL!
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DFW is indeed readily accessible - If you don't mind flying with that Airline - The one that got me to the right country (but the wrong airport) only one day later than I'd booked, (Well, I was one day late - my luggage was 3 days late and they lied about that.) When I complained they ignored the complaint. - I'd rather walk than go by AA.
Ugh, I HATE AA and absolutely categorically refuse to fly on that airline. Thankfully, DFW offers MANY more airlines than AA for international travel. I personally really like flying on British Airways and am looking forward to doing JUST THAT in a few months when we go on vacation to the UK! Woohoooo!!!
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A few (quite a few!) years ago at least one of the major US airlines had a deal which offered a package of up to 6 internal flights (at the time, it was $50 per sector) with a transatlantic return. You could fly into a hub, make 6 flights with whatever length layover you wanted, return to that hub and fly home again.
When we went on vacation to Germany (and several other countries) a few years ago, our travel agent offered us a similar deal, so I guess they're still going strong (this was in 2010). We opted to rent a car and just drive however.
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Austin is indeed well-worth seeing (and the hill country to the North is, IMO a very attractive part of Texas) but I wouldn't want to spend much of my holiday driving through Texas.
To each his own! I guess it would also depend on the length of time one had to spend.
We have some friends from Belgium who love the American South. They fly into DFW and then drive south through Texas (different routes) pretty often. They love it!
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If I was going to Austin, I'd probably carry on South to San Antonio and spend a day or two there before heading to New Orleans.
San Antonio is a great city and well worth the side trip. However, it's due south of Austin - not east, which is the direction you'd need to be going to actually get to New Orleans. Houston isn't that far from New Orleans and is east of Austin. But you could do both - because SA is only 45 minutes south of Austin anyway! Then on to Houston and New Orleans! Or just fly out of SA to New Orleans if you prefer. Houston is an interesting city but it would definitely be the "throw away" if time was limited, which is usually the case on vacation.
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I do like New Orleans. - When we lived in LA and in MS, it was our 'local' destination for short breaks. Unless things have improved significantly, I'd be a bit leery about wandering about outside the accepted 'touristy' areas - particularly at night, however.
Have you been to NO since Katrina and the clean up and reconstruction? It's vastly improved, in my opinion.
I still wouldn't go to ANY low income areas in ANY city after dark, however.
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Florida for me thank you very much.
