Vacation season
It's mid-July. Seeing as how a lack of foresight has led to the US depending on resources from the same country that picked a fight with us, gas is really expensive. If you can afford a good old-fashioned vacation, I've got some personal experiences here.
Washington DC (Spring '98, Spring '04): I like it there a lot. The Metro is the best public transportation in the world, now that Los Angeles doesn't have any anymore. Plenty to see there, too. A few tips:
*You want to schedule your visit to the Washington Monument on a neither hot nor rainy day, and have a lot of patience.
*The best hotels are out in Arlington and Alexandria, just across the Potomac.
*Make time to shop. Plenty of good shopping there. I recommend Union Station and Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, though there is plenty more where those came from.
*You'll probably have to go twice to see everything. Something there is always being renovated. In '98 it was the Washington Monument. In '04 it was the National Portrait Gallery.
*You don't have to drive there at all. You can give Amtrak some much needed business, or fly into Reagan National, Dulles, or BWI. Reagan National is directly connected to the Metro and is right in Arlington, so I recommend that one.
*For good tours of the Capitol, contact your local congressman's office. If you're in NC district 2, ask for Dan Cunningham.
*Don't get your hopes up about the White House, tickets go fast.
Yellowstone (Summer '03): Plenty to see and do out there. The best way to go is to fly in to Salt Lake City, rent a car, and drive the rest of the way. Stop at Smitty's pancake & steak house in Idaho Falls, they're great. If you're interested in a tour, try The World Outdoors. Ask for Sue or Greg. If you're going it alone, make sure you see Old Faithful. The best way to do that is to stay at the Old Faithful Inn. At the Old Faithful Inn, the bison can come right up to the window, there aren't even radios in the rooms, but it's a beautiful building. If you go whitewater rafting, don't get in the front of the boat unless you need to be woken up or are very thirsty. If you're staying in Jackson, the town itself is really nice. It's like, the only town for miles. The Quality Inn 49er is pretty good for those on a budget, but if you're willing to splurge, go for the Snow King Resort. Right next to the Snow King is the Alpine Slide, where a ski mountain in the winter becomes a slide where you can slide down on a little car thing you can make go really fast or make stop.
Atlanta (Fall '04): First off, avoid the MainStay on Sidney Marcus Blvd. When in Atlanta, you have to make time to see everything, but if you only have a weekend, at least go somewhere big, like Six Flags, and make plans to go again sometime. Traffic can be a pain on Friday afternoons, but on Saturday and Sunday, it's not too bad.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN (Spring '92, Fall '03): I have only vague memories of my trip to Dollywood in '92, as I was three, but going there for thanksgiving in '03 was good. I saw Ripley's Believe it or Not! and it was good. I really didn't see much else there, as it snowed the day after Thanksgiving. Plenty of outlet shopping out that way.
Helen, GA (Spring '03): The Alps in the Appalachians. This bavarian themed tourist trap is okay for a few hours, but all the German stuff gets old eventually. If you're in northern Georgia and feel a need to get out of the car for a while, this is good.
South of the Border (Spring '06): Like Helen, it's a tourist trap with a consistent theme, in this case, dated mexican stereotypes. It's good to look around, but it's gotten a bit seedy. Try the ice cream. When I was there, I saw a few hispanic groups there who, as far as I could tell, weren't offended.
Bristol, TN/VA (Summer '04): Where else can you jaywalk across state lines? That interesting bit aside, Bristol doesn't have much, unless you're into country music. Try stopping there en route to somewhere else.
Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach (Summer '00, Spring '04; Spring '03, Summer '05): These are basically ordinary beaches with lots of tourist attractions along them. The thing about Virginia Beach is the city itself goes beyond the beach and into the mainland. My family always did this: Grandmom would rent a beach house at Sunset Beach for a couple weeks and all us Nelsons would make time to get there at some point.
So there you have it. If gas prices are a serious problem for you, try making a trip to your local Toyota dealer and getting yourself a Prius.
Washington DC (Spring '98, Spring '04): I like it there a lot. The Metro is the best public transportation in the world, now that Los Angeles doesn't have any anymore. Plenty to see there, too. A few tips:
*You want to schedule your visit to the Washington Monument on a neither hot nor rainy day, and have a lot of patience.
*The best hotels are out in Arlington and Alexandria, just across the Potomac.
*Make time to shop. Plenty of good shopping there. I recommend Union Station and Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, though there is plenty more where those came from.
*You'll probably have to go twice to see everything. Something there is always being renovated. In '98 it was the Washington Monument. In '04 it was the National Portrait Gallery.
*You don't have to drive there at all. You can give Amtrak some much needed business, or fly into Reagan National, Dulles, or BWI. Reagan National is directly connected to the Metro and is right in Arlington, so I recommend that one.
*For good tours of the Capitol, contact your local congressman's office. If you're in NC district 2, ask for Dan Cunningham.
*Don't get your hopes up about the White House, tickets go fast.
Yellowstone (Summer '03): Plenty to see and do out there. The best way to go is to fly in to Salt Lake City, rent a car, and drive the rest of the way. Stop at Smitty's pancake & steak house in Idaho Falls, they're great. If you're interested in a tour, try The World Outdoors. Ask for Sue or Greg. If you're going it alone, make sure you see Old Faithful. The best way to do that is to stay at the Old Faithful Inn. At the Old Faithful Inn, the bison can come right up to the window, there aren't even radios in the rooms, but it's a beautiful building. If you go whitewater rafting, don't get in the front of the boat unless you need to be woken up or are very thirsty. If you're staying in Jackson, the town itself is really nice. It's like, the only town for miles. The Quality Inn 49er is pretty good for those on a budget, but if you're willing to splurge, go for the Snow King Resort. Right next to the Snow King is the Alpine Slide, where a ski mountain in the winter becomes a slide where you can slide down on a little car thing you can make go really fast or make stop.
Atlanta (Fall '04): First off, avoid the MainStay on Sidney Marcus Blvd. When in Atlanta, you have to make time to see everything, but if you only have a weekend, at least go somewhere big, like Six Flags, and make plans to go again sometime. Traffic can be a pain on Friday afternoons, but on Saturday and Sunday, it's not too bad.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN (Spring '92, Fall '03): I have only vague memories of my trip to Dollywood in '92, as I was three, but going there for thanksgiving in '03 was good. I saw Ripley's Believe it or Not! and it was good. I really didn't see much else there, as it snowed the day after Thanksgiving. Plenty of outlet shopping out that way.
Helen, GA (Spring '03): The Alps in the Appalachians. This bavarian themed tourist trap is okay for a few hours, but all the German stuff gets old eventually. If you're in northern Georgia and feel a need to get out of the car for a while, this is good.
South of the Border (Spring '06): Like Helen, it's a tourist trap with a consistent theme, in this case, dated mexican stereotypes. It's good to look around, but it's gotten a bit seedy. Try the ice cream. When I was there, I saw a few hispanic groups there who, as far as I could tell, weren't offended.
Bristol, TN/VA (Summer '04): Where else can you jaywalk across state lines? That interesting bit aside, Bristol doesn't have much, unless you're into country music. Try stopping there en route to somewhere else.
Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach (Summer '00, Spring '04; Spring '03, Summer '05): These are basically ordinary beaches with lots of tourist attractions along them. The thing about Virginia Beach is the city itself goes beyond the beach and into the mainland. My family always did this: Grandmom would rent a beach house at Sunset Beach for a couple weeks and all us Nelsons would make time to get there at some point.
So there you have it. If gas prices are a serious problem for you, try making a trip to your local Toyota dealer and getting yourself a Prius.
posted by Anonymous at 9:03 PM
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