A question for all of the English fforumites?

If you were to come to the states for the first time, what would you want to see or do? I have two people coming here for interviews at the end of August and I need to make sure they have something to do for a week but without boring them. Neither individual has any definite ideas other than the typical tourist stuff which will take about a day.

Ideas for what you would want to see or do would be much appreciated.

Well, I'm not English, but I'm gonna answer anyway (rude little thing, aren't I?). I really want to see a redwood forest. Not one that's been all sorted out by the US version of the Enviromental Society, but a real, untouched, honest-to-goodness redwood forest.

Kaz you aren't rude at all. Redwood forest huh? They are all out West. None on the East coast. I don't know how many are left that are untouched either.

That's rather sad come to think of it.

which bit of the USA again? I vaguely remember it's a hell of a lot bigger than the UK, and saying 'Mt McKinlay, the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty' may present some problems...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Think East Coast. New York, Boston, Washington D.C. etc. Statue of Liberty is on the list already. One of the top tourist attractions. Unfortunately so is ground zero.

I was completely bowled over the first time I saw the Library of Congress. Probably our most beautiful <and useful> public building. Please take your visitors to see it, if you're going to Washington.

Well, it depends on what they're interested in. Me, I'd like to visit Gettysburg (preferably out of the tourist season ...) and the Library of Congress sounds good, but other than that I'd probably be happy just trundling around New England looking for nice places to stop and have a drink in. Most of what else I'd like to see is a bit further West (I agree with Kaz re redwoods, also Grand Canyon, and I should dearly like to see some bison on the prairie).



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

Hi Tracy,

I'm a Kiwi, but I'm going to be rude like Kaz : Metropolitan Museum of Art. Definitely high on my list.

from ilovespike :) (Intrigue, you'll notice a change from "moy")

P.S You might be interested to know that the theme for my school's ball this year is "Urban Scrawl": based on New York.



&quot;What I need is a strong drink and a peer-group.&quot; -Ford Prefect

Relatively new person to the Fforum but I'll tell you my best things about East Coast first time I visited. Staten Island ferry, MoMA, Guggenheim, Central Park, especially the Alice in Wonderland sculpture. Same designer as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens I think. Also looking at the different architecture - Woolworths building, Chrysler, Empire State etc.

Boston looked a bit too English for me. I was ther specifically not to be in England. There were parts that looked like Covent Garden and the duck pond was very English villagey but it was interesting to note.

I also loved to see live sports, don't know what will be applicable but seeing live baseball or basketball is thrilling. Even watching it in bars was pretty darn good.

Also any film buff would want to go in Tiffany's just to relive Breakfast at....
FAO Schwarz was fun too. Oh hell I just love the whole of NY and even though I'm not American I feel homesick for it.

The bits of the US that I've been to and really liked was San Francisco and Yosemite (probably a bit far to travel !). I've never done the East Coast. Transfer a JFK doesn't count, does it. I would like to visit upper New York state although I've heard it's most impressive in the fall (see that, lapsing into the vernacular). The other stuff in NY itself has already been mentioned.

Arkham, Kingsport, Innsmouth, Dunwich... :-)

What about the Smithsonian?

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Warning! Product may contain Newts...

Bah! Straight to the NY Library. Not for the books, I just want to see it, after reading Contest by Matthew Riley. And Central Park. Where do the ducks go in Winter? I don't care, it's just from Catcher in the Rye.

Not forgetting Postcard Row, Harpers Ferry (if it's there), one of those trees the cars can drive through, Golden Gate Bridge and one of those TV studio tours.

Almost forgot - what, no moy? I'm moytified!



Post Edited (07-25-03 14:21)

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Those who forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas. Living here you tend to take things for granted that anyone else visiting for the first time is bowled over by.

MOMA and the Library are definitely on the list. Staten Island Ferry huh? Well, ok.

Central Park is wonderful(just not at night and alone) so I'm sure they will spend time there as well.

If you think of anything else, let me know.

Rhode Island - Lovecraft country! If nothing else, they can see some old buildings, eh?



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&quot;Whisky-wa-wa,&quot; I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

Ya Tracy, I know what you mean when you say you take it for granted. I live near Washington DC and am completely surrounded by tourist attractions. But when I have guests come to town, I always try to take them to at least a couple of out of the way not as frequently visited places like the US Botanical Gardens (one of my absolute faves!) and we always try to go to Baltimore's Inner Harbor and go to the Baltimore Aquarium.

And then I always try to take people to Monticello, too. That's Thomas Jefferson's house down in Charlottesville, VA. It's a beautiful drive from here and an absolute must-see during the autumn. We get visitors here so often we really could be a bed & breakfast, and I love it. However, I get bored seeing the same things all the time plus my back doesn't always work...so I usually give my visitors a pop-up map and great directions and put them on the Metro train into town and let them explore to their hearts content, then I come pick them up, feed them dinner and then we go hang out or go take in some of the sights at night (which are the most spectacular, I think.)

Oh by the way, Minervas_owl, are you from Richmond, VA??? just saw your Richmond.edu tag... perchance do we have another quasi local??

Way back up the thread Ground Zero was mentioned as a tourist attraction. Excuse me??? Why on earth would the place of the world's greatest terrorism strike and the most deaths in one day be a tourist attraction? Am I the only one who thinks this macabre and disgusting?

I just saw an architectural programme about New York, so now I'd like to go to the Guggenheim, it looks great! And wear rollerblades, and zoom down the spiral...

And I'd go to New Jersey and see the Quick Stop store out of the Kevin Smith movies. And I'd go to a basketball game. Oh, and definitely shopping. Macys.



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Do something pretty while you can...

Um, which bit of America would I *not* want to see ? Er, Florida possibly, although the keys might be nice. Actually, there's still so much great stuff I haven't seen over here yet, and it's much @#$%& to get to !

Mind you, I have a friend who's an expert on getting @#$%& flights to the USA, and if I could stay with fforum friends, instead of having to pay for a hotel......... I've got a passport.


Note to self: probably not a good idea to book with BA.
Though by the time I've got enough money, they'll probably have sorted things out.

Why on earth would the place of the world's greatest terrorism strike and the most deaths in one day be a tourist attraction?

Maybe some people would just like to pay their respects in person?

Tracy, I spent a year on the east coast and Loved The Mall in DC, Everything in Boston, the obvious things like empire state, Lady Liberty. Also the guy in Dc thats a big statue half buried ? can't remeber the name.

wish I'd seen:
Niagara Falls
A Baseball Game
an Ice Hockey Game