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Post by fredfreddy44 on Jul 30, 2024 2:35:04 GMT
I live in San Jose, so....never.
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quiltz
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,850
Location: CANADA
Jun 29, 2014 16:13:28 GMT
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Post by quiltz on Jul 30, 2024 19:45:13 GMT
Playing the tourist today in Niagara Falls with relatives from Manitoba. It's a nice day with a bit of a breeze, so not too bad. Went to the Falls, Niagara on the Lake and Port Dalhousie. Port was very busy with the Royal Henley Regatta happening. Bought some fresh peaches & apricots. Now they are on the highway to go back to Toronto, lucky them. There is so.muc.construction EVERYWHERE!   Plus, they aren't used to highways that are more than 3 lanes each way (6). In Toronto, the 401 gets to about 12-14 lanes across (6-7 each way, including collectors). |
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Gem Girl
Pearl Clutcher
......
Posts: 2,686
Jun 29, 2014 19:29:52 GMT
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Post by Gem Girl on Jul 30, 2024 22:50:08 GMT
In Toronto, the 401 gets to about 12-14 lanes across (6-7 each way, including collectors). I find it interesting that you call it " the 401." It seems mostly to be a California thing to speak of highways that way, here in the USA. In the Mid-Atlantic, we'd call it "Route 401," or just "401" as in "Take 401 until you get to...." Some segments of highways are named for people, too. To answer the original question, almost never. We don't get guests from out of the area much now that both of our families have aged. |
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casii
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,525 
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Post by casii on Jul 30, 2024 22:55:14 GMT
We live about an hour north of DC so we often get relatives who come here for the free B&B when they want to visit. They'll also possibly hit several Civil War towns like Harper's Ferry, Antietam, Gettysburg.
Then we block out a day for the town I'm near, Frederick, which is full of great food, shopping, arts and historical sites. I play 'tourist' in Frederick whenever I can. Ha
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Post by gar on Jul 31, 2024 12:33:01 GMT
In my immediate vicinity in England there is a lot of history - the market town next to my village dates back to before 9th century, was home to the first ever Royal mint, land was held by Saxon kings and William the Conqueror's army crossed the river here in 1066. I have taken walking tours around the town and there are public garden which were the original grounds of the Medieval Castle and there is a lot of info posted around the ruins and moat. I also live 30 mins from a very famous university city but haven't done nearly enough looking around there  |
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Post by Linda on Jul 31, 2024 12:48:20 GMT
I live rural - other than the springs and the local historical museum (open Saturdays and sometimes Wednesday), there isn't really anything touristy.
But we always take visitors...somewhere in the surrounding couple of hours. When my sister and BIL came last we went to St Augustine and the Castillo and Fort Mantanzas - next time we're headed to Homassasa Springs.
But we do tend to be fairly regular visitors (several times a year) at the art musuem and natural history museum at UF. We like to go to various small town festivals in the region and various parks/springs. We've been at least once to pretty much every museum/historical site in about an hour radius
We like to get out and explore.
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Post by fkawitchypea on Jul 31, 2024 12:48:23 GMT
Especially if you live in a tourist area....how often do you go out and be a tourist? For the past two weeks I've had first my ds and his family (fiancée, and her two dds), then the three of them left, ds is still here, and now we have my dh's cousins from Denmark. In this time I have been to: -- zoo -- walking around all the monuments and memorials around/near the Tidal Basin (Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson, MLK, FDR, Vietnam, WWII, Korean, Washington) -- Pentagon 9-11 memorial -- Arlington National Cemetery -- boat ride from Alexandria to Georgetown, walk around Georgetown and to see the Exorcist steps, then back to the waterfront for lunch, then back on the boat -- Great Falls Park -- I drew the line at the Natural History Museum because I knew how crowded it would be. Omg... We still have the Portrait Gallery planned, and the Twilight Tattoo at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Also, it's a million degrees outside, although not quite as bad as a few weeks ago when it was Hell's Back Porch, as my ds says.  I am ready to be done! lol. Of course I like to see ds and family since we don't get to see them often (they live in Georgia), and we haven't seen the Danish side of the family for quite a few years. But I suggested that the next time they come they choose the fall, not the middle of the summer. omg How often do you play tour guide for visitors? Do you do everything with them, or let them go off on their own? The Danish cousins will be doing a few things on their own but of course dh wants to spend a lot of time with them since they're his family. I don't want to seem like a party pooper which is why I've also been going along with a lot of the activities. Dh is leaving for a week in August to go visit his family in New York and I plan not to leave the house once in that time. No cooking, no talking, nothing.  Dh is going to take my car because it's newer and I don't like him to take his old commuter car on such a long drive. And I won't drive his car, so that's my excuse not to leave the house while he's gone. I was just in DC visiting ds last week. He is already bored of the touristy things but we took a scooter ride through the monuments at night and that was a blast. If you go to twilight tattoo tonight wave to the boys loading the canons! One of them is ds. |
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Post by monklady123 on Jul 31, 2024 13:01:21 GMT
Especially if you live in a tourist area....how often do you go out and be a tourist? For the past two weeks I've had first my ds and his family (fiancée, and her two dds), then the three of them left, ds is still here, and now we have my dh's cousins from Denmark. In this time I have been to: -- zoo -- walking around all the monuments and memorials around/near the Tidal Basin (Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson, MLK, FDR, Vietnam, WWII, Korean, Washington) -- Pentagon 9-11 memorial -- Arlington National Cemetery -- boat ride from Alexandria to Georgetown, walk around Georgetown and to see the Exorcist steps, then back to the waterfront for lunch, then back on the boat -- Great Falls Park -- I drew the line at the Natural History Museum because I knew how crowded it would be. Omg... We still have the Portrait Gallery planned, and the Twilight Tattoo at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Also, it's a million degrees outside, although not quite as bad as a few weeks ago when it was Hell's Back Porch, as my ds says. I am ready to be done! lol. Of course I like to see ds and family since we don't get to see them often (they live in Georgia), and we haven't seen the Danish side of the family for quite a few years. But I suggested that the next time they come they choose the fall, not the middle of the summer. omg How often do you play tour guide for visitors? Do you do everything with them, or let them go off on their own? The Danish cousins will be doing a few things on their own but of course dh wants to spend a lot of time with them since they're his family. I don't want to seem like a party pooper which is why I've also been going along with a lot of the activities. Dh is leaving for a week in August to go visit his family in New York and I plan not to leave the house once in that time. No cooking, no talking, nothing. Dh is going to take my car because it's newer and I don't like him to take his old commuter car on such a long drive. And I won't drive his car, so that's my excuse not to leave the house while he's gone. I was just in DC visiting ds last week. He is already bored of the touristy things but we took a scooter ride through the monuments at night and that was a blast. If you go to twilight tattoo tonight wave to the boys loading the canons! One of them is ds. Is this the one at the barracks? or at Iwo Jima? or both? We live close to Iwo Jima and plan to go next week. Hopefully your ds will discover all the non-touristy things to do. There are so many fun hidden gems in and around DC. Also, how long has he been here? Even ordinary touristy things like walking around the monuments are better in the cooler weather. This heat is just discouraging.  |
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Post by fkawitchypea on Jul 31, 2024 23:09:04 GMT
Is this the one at the barracks? or at Iwo Jima? or both? We live close to Iwo Jima and plan to go next week. Hopefully your ds will discover all the non-touristy things to do. There are so many fun hidden gems in and around DC. Also, how long has he been here? Even ordinary touristy things like walking around the monuments are better in the cooler weather. This heat is just discouraging. I didn't know there was one at Imo Jima! He does the ones at the barracks. He just sent me a picture of him at the last twilight of the season. We tried to get there twice but both times it was brought inside and obviously they can't shoot a cannon inside (LOL). He has been there for a year and has done a lot of the free stuff. He runs the National Mall several times a week for PT and has been to all of the Smithsonium museums. Now that his girlfriend has a car (she lives in Annapolis) they have started to explore some of the other areas. They are just broke military kids  We did go to the Wharf last week, first time I have been there and that is a lot of fun. Just not something they can do without mom paying the checks! If you have any hidden gems that are free or low cost, please let me know! |
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Post by fkawitchypea on Jul 31, 2024 23:10:00 GMT
I don't know how I posted my comment in a quote from you. Sorry!
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Post by katiekaty on Jul 31, 2024 23:38:58 GMT
Before Covid we used to explore as a tourist on a Saturday or Sunday at least every month or so. We occasionally now but need to get back to doing it more frequently! We live in the west Houston area so there is tons out there to do and not a lot of cost. I think I am going to start planning once I get back from my visit to Wisconsin to Madison and everyone!
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Dh is going to take my car because it's newer and I don't like him to take his old commuter car on such a long drive. And I won't drive his car, so that's my excuse not to leave the house while he's gone. 
We did go to the Wharf last week, first time I have been there and that is a lot of fun. Just not something they can do without mom paying the checks! If you have any hidden gems that are free or low cost, please let me know!
