Kilted adventures on holiday (v. long)

[staticsan]

I just came back from a 12-day holiday (you USians would call it a 'vacation') in the US. Part of the time I was kilted. On the whole, it was a great experience.

The first kiltedness was the flights over there. I flew Korean Air: 10 hours Sydney to Seoul, then 14 hours to JFK airport. Kilted all the way. The only down was that I needed the blanket eventually because my knees got cold.

On a non-kilted topic, Korean Air is a good carrier to fly with. The service is good - Economy class were even offered wine with their meal! The personal video screen system is pretty classy, with lots of movies offered. I know MAS has such a system, but I think Korean had more movies on offer. And if you do get a personal screen, have a look under your seat: yes, that's a power outlet! I didn't get to try it, though, as I didn't have anything I needed to plug in and only discovered it shortly before landing on the flight back... :-/

Coming through immigration in JFK, I got a comment from the officer directing us to the immigration desks. "I like your skirt". That's the first time I had the 'skirt' comment and I found it didn't bother me, even at 10pm. I was wearing the Snow Camo NeoKilt, so I guess it would have looked more like a skirt to the unaware. I gently corrected her and we had a short exchange where she learned I actually bought from the US!

My next kiltedness was a few days later wearing my MacGregor SportKilt as a tourist in New York City. The previous day I had seen Times Square, gotten the tourist bus from Midtown to Downtown, gone across to Liberty Island, saw the financial district and gotten a subway train back up to Penn Station. The kilted day, I went up the Empire State Building, walked across Central Park and visited one of New York's Museums. Central Park is big... much bigger than I thought it would be. Got a few positive comments - one guy wanted to know where my pipes were (I said I don't play them). One staff member in the musuem came up to be and said she really liked the look - I think she might have been dared by another staff member. Got a comment from a Scottish tourist in the ESB who said he didn't know Ferrari made kilts (SportKilt have a decal that looks like Ferrari's). When I showed it to him properly, he was a bit confused at "SportKilt"... And near Penn Station I had one guy in the street come up to me: "I don't mean any offense or anything, but I gotta ask... you're Scottish or something, right?" I had a ready answer by that point. "Well, I'm Australian, but the kilt is Scottish, yes."

I decided I didn't want to train to Philadelphia kilted. Besides, the next stage I was visiting a heap of friends who I knew from another forum. The host was picking me up from 30th Street Station in Philly, as his house was out past Williamstown. But on the next morning, which was the 'official' party day, I donned the NeoKilt again, to great acclaim. I even got to hand out some the cards and the web address of X Marks, too. One of the ladies posted later on our forum about how she thought my kilt was too long - but she was trying to be cheeky.

My next city stop was Washington DC. I had a day and a half there, and the full day I went kilted in the MacGregor SportKilt again. That involved time in the Air and Space Musuem, riding the Circulator to the WhiteHouse area, a lot of walking to the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and then over the bridge to Arlington Cemetary where I caught a Metro train back to my hotel.

Did I say that was a lot of walking?

I got a comment from the lady serving me breakfast, who thought I was in town for the 4th of July festivities. It took a few comments for her to realize that I wore a kilt because I want to - no other reason. I also got a comment in the WhiteHouse visitor's centre from an assitant about how much she liked tartan. Up near the Lincoln Memorial, I encountered more Scottish Tourists who just wanted to have their picture taken with me - they had kilts, but hadn't brought them A lady in a refreshments kiosk nearby said some nice words - she'd had the opportunity for a good look as business was light at the time and I had stood a while deciding what to have.

And then at Arlington Cemetary's Metro station I had my favourite exchange of the whole trip: "Is it cooler in that or hotter?" (DC had been fairly warm that day, high 80's F/low 30's C.) "It's quite a bit cooler, actually." "But isn't it wool?" "Ah, but this one isn't." "Traditional?" which threw me for a few seconds but when I realised what she meant, I came out with "That's for me to know and you to guess" which I got a good chuckle back in response.

I liked Washington. It was a good place to visit. The Vietnam War Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial got me the most. The former for it's utter simplicity. The latter for the recognition of the man's utter conviction. (If there's one thing Australians really understand in other country's remembrance structures it is war memorials.) I also liked New York, but for different reasons. New York has a lot of it's own history on display, simply because much of it is still functional. Washington also has history on display, but its history of the nation of the USA. New York, I could live in, I think. That wasn't true of the other three cities I visited.

After that, I had an overnight train to Chicago, where I met another friend, then another day on my own and then flew home. I didn't go kilted again, though. In Chi-town, I visited the SkyDeck on the Sears' Tower and walked down Navy Pier. I also made sure I had a ride on the famous 'El'. But I was a bit directionless in Chicago, as I had had a less clear idea of what I wanted to see than in NYC or DC.

Finally, I have to apologize to anyone thinking of meeting up with me whilst I was in the US. I discovered when I'd gotten to NYC and found an Internet kiosk that I didn't know my X Marks password and couldn't logon.

Wade.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Wow. That sounds like an incredibly busy trip. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

[staticsan]

Wow. That sounds like an incredibly busy trip. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

Very tired by the end of it, but yes, I enjoyed it. It was pretty much My Kind of Holiday - a bit of make-it-up as I go, a bit of "I want to be there on that day". It works well for me, on the whole, which is why I do it.

Wade.

[Monkey@Arms]

Wow, you really got around. Glad to hear you had a good visit. I'd love to visit Australia one day.

Best regards,

Jake

[Splash_4]

What a wonderful 'holiday'! I am glad you enjoyed your time here.

[McMurdo]

Sounds like you had quite the little adventure on holiday, glad it was a success.

[McClef]

I beat you on the amount of walking in Washington DC!

I walked from my motel on New York Avenue NE, and all round Arlington, including climbing up to the Lee Mansion. The reflecting pool was dry so I walked down it too!

None of it was kilted alas but will be next time!

[cessna152towser]

Thanks for a very interesting trip report. You visited a lot of interesting places which I have never been to, and it appears that the kilt opened up many good conversations with strangers.

[kiltimabar]

Glad you had such a good time in the USA. I've had so much fun in other countries, including Australia, meeting some wonderful people, that I'm always happy that visitors here have a good time. Makes me feel like we, as a people, are returning the hospitality I've received.