A question for the non-US X-Markers...

[Sir William]

Yes, but you are American and you directed your questions to those who were not. I don't know anybody in Europe who has some sort of burning desire to "see" Washington (DC), but almost all on my list would receive a nod from most of those same folk (I think). I doubt there is a single city west of the Mississippi that would be on a European's list, and probably Boston and Williamsburg wouldn't be there, either. Florida is widely promoted and popular in the UK, but less so on the continent.

Works for me - that is why I asked the original question.

When I was first stationed in the Washington, DC area I vowed I would never return. Three years later I was back and haven't left (but not that I haven't constantly thought about doing so).

My initial thoughts were that most Europeans would want to visit cities or other places that they'd heard about through films and television. So far, based on the answers I've seen, that seems to be holding fairly constant. I once met someone who wanted to see Dallas for no other reason then they had seen the TV show. Probably why most Americans want to see Paris, Rome and London - those are the cities they have heard about. Ask them what they want to see in those cities and most don't seem to have a clue.

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

Can't comment from a European's perspective, but if they are at all interested in the history of the US, Boston's Freedom Trail...

[macwilkin]

In regards to Rex's comments about Brits not visiting cities west of the Mississippi, I can personally testify that they visit historic sites & national parks. The majority of our international visitors at the Civil War Battlefield where I worked were from the UK, followed by Canadians & Germans. The overall knowledge of Civil War & American history was amazing, and the Brits especially were always friendly.

T.

[ThistleDown]

In regards to Rex's comments about Brits not visiting cities west of the Mississippi, I can personally testify that they visit historic sites & national parks. The majority of our international visitors at the Civil War Battlefield where I worked were from the UK, followed by Canadians & Germans. The overall knowledge of Civil War & American history was amazing, and the Brits especially were always friendly.

T.

Yes definitely, Todd. I think my list did have one or two historic sites and national parks included. And yes, again, the knowledge of American history is, I am sure, quite surprising for you. In fact, a comment heard from returning visitors often enough to be remarkable is that they knew more than the locals. Of course, I suspect that many Americans (especially some on this Board) could say the same thing after visiting Scotland.

I didn't mean to imply that Europeans don't visit western American cities, just that it isn't the city that's the destination. Where a travelling American might want to visit Rome, a European will be more specific and want to visit Forum Romano, Colosseum, Palatino, The Pantheon, Scala di Spagna, Fontana dei Trevi, and more. In other words, it's not the city but places within it that attract.

Of course once again there are issues of market. There are those who go to Rome to just sit in the Piazza Navona all evening and absorb the beauty of the lights, the colours of the buildings, and the absence of traffic. That would be me

Rex

[Downunder Kilt]

I like to do much the same thing ThistleDown. I use the term of "just sitting and watching the passing parade".

[macwilkin]

Yes definitely, Todd. I think my list did have one or two historic sites and national parks included. And yes, again, the knowledge of American history is, I am sure, quite surprising for you. In fact, a comment heard from returning visitors often enough to be remarkable is that they knew more than the locals. Of course, I suspect that many Americans (especially some on this Board) could say the same thing after visiting Scotland.

Not really surprising for me anymore; I think I was surprised waaay back in the early 1990s when I first encountered it as a volunteer right after high school, but I was quite aware of it when I started as a ranger later. It was always a pleasant change to have folks to actually talk to about the site, but it made me sad to think of how many American tourists I met were unaware of their nation's history.

T.

[MacBean]

Colonial Williamsburg; New York City; Chicago for its architecture; Boston for its accent ; Vermont & New Hampshire in the Fall; Grandfather Mountain in a week or so; New Orleans at Mardi Gras; Ohio for the mounds; Wyoming for Yellowstone; South Dakota for the Badlands; prairie enormity; Nevada for the dessert; Arizona for the balloons (and soaring); S California for its culture ; Oregon for its diversity; Washington just because it is there

Rex (t-o-o)

That's a really excellent list. I might amend it slightly from an American perspective? I would suggest the Grand Tetons over Yellowstone and the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tuscon or the Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona as superb desert spots over anything in Nevada. I don't care for Washington, D.C. much either, but art buffs would certainly appreciate the National Gallery and might make that a destination. I appreciate the reason for visiting Chicago and add a recommendation to take an architetural boat tour on the River. Of course, Alaska and Hawaii might make some lists given time and resources.

[ThistleDown]

That's a really excellent list. I might amend it slightly from an American perspective? I would suggest the Grand Tetons over Yellowstone and the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tuscon or the Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona as superb desert spots over anything in Nevada. I don't care for Washington, D.C. much either, but art buffs would certainly appreciate the National Gallery and might make that a destination. I appreciate the reason for visiting Chicago and add a recommendation to take an architetural boat tour on the River. Of course, Alaska and Hawaii might make some lists given time and resources.

doh: Yes, of course, Mark. Thank you. The Desert Museum is superb (although they have a snake house I'll not be going into a second time) and the Botanical Garden provides a sufficient reason to visit Phoenix.

Rex

[rsvpiper]

The trip would be summat like this a few days in NYC then down to New Orleans for the culture(well that's what she who is to be obeyed thinks) via say Daytona for a bit of bike week then over to SFC then up to rockey bits ending up at Hawaii, time allowed

[ali8780]

That's a really excellent list. I might amend it slightly from an American perspective? I would suggest the Grand Tetons over Yellowstone and the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tuscon or the Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona as superb desert spots over anything in Nevada. I don't care for Washington, D.C. much either, but art buffs would certainly appreciate the National Gallery and might make that a destination. I appreciate the reason for visiting Chicago and add a recommendation to take an architetural boat tour on the River. Of course, Alaska and Hawaii might make some lists given time and resources.

There's a garden in Phoenix?

hmm.. How did I miss that I wonder?


And why do I feel the need to warn everyone against visiting Hollywood? Maybe because it's dirty and disappointing and small, and one may find him or herself wishing they had been able to see it in its heyday in the 1930's

We have wonderful canyons in Utah though-- I'd be happy to lead a tour