FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: iAmBaronVonTito on September 12, 2008, 01:42:21 PM
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i need some suggestions:
cancer mom is almost out of cancer, which means i can move back to memphis (happily). however, with the economy the way it is and the cost of living/wages in memphis being MUCH lower than phoenix, i am going to have one chance (before a long dry spell) to travel to the cities i havent been to or only visited once, years ago.
the trip from phoenix, az to memphis, tn will take a month to complete; i am leaving in the spring (april/may). i am budgeting everything now and need ideas for attractions to see while i am in town (usually 1-2 nights). i will be in the following cities in this order:
LOS ANGELES, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
PORTLAND, OR
SEATTLE, WA
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA
WINNIPEG, MB, CANADA
OMAHA, NE
CHICAGO, IL
DETROIT, MI
AKRON, OH
TORONTO, ON, CANADA
NJ/NY
PHILADELPHIA, PA
BALTIMORE, MD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
NORFOLK, VA
KNOXVILLE, TN
NASHVILLE, TN
...i need the insider's guide. also, if you have suggestions for other cities along the way, drop it. im looking to check out local eateries (i'm vegetarian), museums, parks, gardens, zoos, aquariums, or further suggestions.
alright, let me have it.
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In Toronto, if you happen to be there on a Saturday, check out the Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation. It's a small gallery that always has amazing shows, but is only open Sat., 12-5. There are lots of cool small galleries along Queen St. W. (particularly between Ossington and Dufferin). The Katharine Mulherin galleries are especially good.
I think Queen St. W. is probably where you'll want to hang out. Cosmos Records and Rotate This are both good for vinyl and in that neighbourhood. There's lots of veg-friendly places along that strip. Terroni's Pizza is fantastic, Squirly's is a good bar, and Irie Foods has good Caribbean food - there are also a bunch of cheaper roti joints that are terrific.
Be sure to take a wander through Kensington Market. Good food, record stores, vintage clothes, and a generally cool atmosphere. It's right next to Spadina, which is the main downtown chinatown, which is also worth a look.
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I'm biased, but I would say make it to Charlottesville instead of Norfolk. It's got UVa, Monticello and other historical sites, really excellent restaurants and parks. Norfolk has a naval base and a lot of busted neighborhoods.
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Don't forget Cincinnati. You could see the zoo and also the giant touchdown jesus.
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Don't forget Cincinnati. You could see the zoo and also the giant touchdown jesus.
And hit the Creation Museum on your way out of town!
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alright, JC, i'll seriously consider stopping in OH between chicago and detroit.
or should i even go to detroit? i hear lots of things, but never good things. the music history has me hooked and ive never been there- worth it?
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Don't forget Cincinnati. You could see the zoo and also the giant touchdown jesus.
And hit the Creation Museum on your way out of town!
ew buoy, ive read about that monstrocity. is it worth the $60 ticket? i dont know.
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I went to the creation museum and it caused a panic attack, which I never suffer from. I couldn't get out of that place and the security people were following me around. It was horrible! But I did like the models of adam and eve getting to know each other, although I found eve's lack of nipples kind of bizarre.
Detroit is alright. Go to Zug Island. There are a lot of smokestacks and vacant houses around there. I like the way it looks. I usually end up stuck out in the world's nicest suburbs surrounded by the world's nicest people and I don't fit in.
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My experience in all those cities has been quick (through touring and road trips) but there are a couple of extra fun memories of a couple places for me.
In Baltimore, there's a great place to get breakfast called the Paper Moon Diner. I don't know if it's "cool" to eat there or not, but the food was great and it's so visually stimulating it's almost an overload. I recommend.
I had lots of luck at the thrift stores in Portland, if you're into that. There are quite a few, and most had a great selection and were really cheap. And if you're into fun kitschy (if a bit over-hip) hotels, the Jupiter Hotel http://www.jupiterhotel.com/ (http://www.jupiterhotel.com/) in Portland is where it's at. The rooms all have this crazy mod theme, and they give you free condoms in your room and stuff. The doors are also chalkboards, which is really fun. It's above a trendy nightclub, but the noise barely comes through, and they provide earplugs. It's a nice break from the standard chain hotels.
I don't know what their rates are (it was comped when I stayed there) but I can't imagine it being too insane. There's a really good breakfast place right downstairs, and a good thrift shop right around the corner.
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In San Francisco, make sure not to miss Paxton gate:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paxton-gate-san-francisco
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One other suggestion - from your itinerary, it looks as though you may be traveling from Vancouver BC to Winnipeg MB on the Canada side of the border. I've never done the coast-to-coast drive, but I don't think there's much there. It'll be a long, flat and empty drive. Maybe appealing in a Two-Lane Blacktop kind of way, but otherwise probably a bit dull. Also (without having been there) my impression is that Winnipeg is kind of a dump - Canada's murder and arson capital!
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Beth, thanks for the jupiter hotel link. ive heard of this hotel from friends who tour frequently (who i think have heard it from other touring friends). it looks fun.
Nicksy, i was being a creep on your website and secretly hoped you would feed me suggestions on SF. thanks.
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One other suggestion - from your itinerary, it looks as though you may be traveling from Vancouver BC to Winnipeg MB on the Canada side of the border. I've never done the coast-to-coast drive, but I don't think there's much there. It'll be a long, flat and empty drive. Maybe appealing in a Two-Lane Blacktop kind of way, but otherwise probably a bit dull. Also (without having been there) my impression is that Winnipeg is kind of a dump - Canada's murder and arson capital!
ive gathered this as well, unfortunately. not to mention, i should have gathered this from The Weakerthans line, "...I hate Winnipeg." as im getting more of an idea of what each city is about, im thinking of ditching winnipeg and just going straight to omaha.
P.S. i'm taking this entire trip alone. its going to get rough.
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Oh my. In that case, I'll compile a fuller list.
Presidio Pet Cemetary:
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/historyculture/pet-cemetery.htm
Musee Mechanique: (Fisherman's Wharf is a scary place, but this is worth it)
http://www.museemechanique.org/
Adobe Books:
http://www.sfstation.com/adobe-books-b4974
Needles and Pens:
http://www.needles-pens.com/
Taqueria Cancun: (Best Burritos)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-cancun-san-francisco-2
Alemany Flea Market:
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/891387/san_francisco_ca/alemany_flea_market.html
49 Geary:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/49-geary-art-galleries-san-francisco
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um, LA has some cool stuff, I'll make a better list later
but food wise check out Pure Luck. It's one of my favorite places to eat in the city. also if you like Indian food check out Paru's
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In LA, go to that taco truck by the Echo. So so good.
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um, LA has some cool stuff, I'll make a better list later
but food wise check out Pure Luck. It's one of my favorite places to eat in the city. also if you like Indian food check out Paru's
In LA, go to that taco truck by the Echo. So so good.
in LA, im usually eating at california vegan, some weird place in pasadena, and a few places off sunset. none of them involve taco trucks, pure luck, or paru's.
...now they do.
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Beth, thanks for the jupiter hotel link. ive heard of this hotel from friends who tour frequently (who i think have heard it from other touring friends). it looks fun.
Yeah, it's great for touring because you get sick of the same old shit chain hotels after a while. They have this awesome artist who does the shower curtains there, and best of all, you can buy one. I bought this one for 40 bucks downstairs.
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/355046420_69193ac0e5.jpg)
Totally worth it. We get compliments every time someone uses our bathroom.
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I'm pretty sure taco trucks are the opposite of vegan...
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No Boston?
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I'm pretty sure taco trucks are the opposite of vegan...
not vegan...vegetarian. i eat cheese burritos at taco trucks. i would be a very miserable vegan.
No Boston?
ive been debating boston for a while. im sort of back tracking if i hit up boston...but i want to check it out and think it will be worth it. what should i do while im there ALG?
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I'm a somewhat new resident myself, but it depends on how much history you're into.
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NATIONAL TREASURE is my favorite movie!
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If you go to Cincinnati, Shake It Records is worth a visit. It's one of the best stores around.
If you decide to go through Columbus, let me know and I can recommend some places and things and people.
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the route so far:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=phoenix,+az&daddr=san+diego,+ca+to:Los+Angeles,+CA+to:San+Francisco,+CA+to:Portland,+OR+to:Seattle,+WA+to:Vancouver,+BC,+Canada+to:Omaha,+NE+to:Chicago,+IL+to:Detroit,+MI+to:Toronto,+ON,+Canada+to:New+York,+NY+to:Philadelphia,+PA+to:Baltimore,+MD+to:Washington,+DC+to:Norfolk,+VA+to:Knoxville,+TN+to:Nashville,+TN+to:memphis,+tn&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=41.869561,-87.055664&sspn=20.527844,34.49707&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=4
i did take out winnipeg (thanks, Bryan) and from the looks of it, i could manage to visit Cincinnati, Columbus, and Akron on my way north. i can always budget it in, then toss it out last second if i find i dont have enough money.
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My only thought is that you may want to go "Omaha, MINNEAPOLIS, Chicago" but only if you've never been.
MPLS has some great vegi places, the Walker Art Museum and a decent small-sized art gallery scene. But 1st Ave and the Triple Rock are there and those places are worth the trip alone.
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I recently drove from Toronto to Vancouver.
Winnipeg is pretty cool. There is a pretty vibrant arts scene there.
There is a part of town called the Exchange District which is full of old factories which is pretty much all art spaces now.
I think that Burton Cummings has an interest in a restaurant chain there called "Salisbury House".
I was only there for a day, but I had a good time and didn't feel too threatened by murdering arsonists.
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Any particular reason you're wasting valuable vacation time in Omaha? heh heh
I guess I still don't think of it as a vacation city.
Um ... The Henry Doorly Zoo is pretty rad, though (http://www.omahazoo.com). Well, for Nebraska, it's rad. My favorite place to eat there is in the Old Market downtown. It's called La Bouvette and it's an open-front bistro-type place with hundreds of wines to choose from and fancy cheeses and muscles and stuff. There are a bunch of restaurants in the Old Market to choose from, though, that one's just my favorite. There are a few art galleries in that area as well (The Beemis, The Jocyline)....... If you just wanna grab a beer later at a fine establishment with an awesome jukebox, go to The Brothers (3812 Farnam St.). Bars are non-smoking here, in case you're not used to that. I also like O'Leaver's and I just enjoyed a Centro-matic show at the Slowdown, which is the venue/bar that all that Saddle Creek Records $$$ bought. It was co-designed by sound guys. Great sound.
You know, if you give me an estimate on when you'll be in town I can let you know about any shows or anything that may be interesting. I'm only 45 mins away in the capital city.
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I thought this was gonna be about the Todd Phillips movie.
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If you go to Cincinnati, Shake It Records is worth a visit. It's one of the best stores around.
If you decide to go through Columbus, let me know and I can recommend some places and things and people.
Oh yeah, Shake It is probably the best record store in the world. I'm going to sell them things tomorrow.
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Okay, here's some info on Portland:
The Comedians of Comedy had mixed feelings about the Jupiter Hotel. (http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/contentDetail.do?id=D81F2344BF5AC7BBB2731BC612F247E9884EEEB65B62F333) I've never stayed there, but I've heard mixed reviews. If you're going to be in town multiple nights, I'd recommend staying there one night and then going to a Motel 6 or something for the rest of your stay. The Doug Fir Lounge is right next door, and they might have a show worth seeing when you're in town. PBR mentioned the Doug Fir when he was in studio with PFT.
Speaking of vegan taco trucks, Portland's got 'em. Taqueria Los Gorditos (http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-los-gorditos-portland) serves vegan options, and they are about to open a second truck that is all vegan. Just don't make the mistake of getting the burrito. It's okay, but the other options are so much better. I recommend the regular vegan tacos, the nachos with soyrizo, or the mulita.
Nutshell (http://www.altportland.com/eatdrink/food/foodn/nutshell.shtml) is a really great all-veg place. Some of the best vegetarian food I've had. There is some controversy in the vegan community about them because owner has another restaurant that serves foie gras, so a lot of vegans boycotted Nutshell, and b/c of that, Nutshell stopped being all-vegan. It's a shame, because it's a great restaurant and it's not the chef's fault that the owner has some other restaurant that is lame.
The Farm Cafe has this really great herb-crusted tofu that is so good. Even if you hate tofu.
Portland also has some great breakfast places. Juniors, Jam, and Laurelthirst Pub are my favorites.
A divey bar that has really strong drinks, pool, and darts is The Triple Nickel, but their veg options are limited. Other good bars: Tube, Bye and Bye, Laurelthirst, Goodfoot. Barfly (http://www.barflymag.com/) is a great resource for finding the perfect Portland bar for your needs. Their searchable directory is really great.
A fun place to go is the nickel arcade (http://pdxguide.org/browse/southeast/theaters/avalonwunderland/). You pay an admission fee of $2, and all the arcade games accept nickels instead of quarters. Even the really new and fancy arcade games cost no more than 20 cents per game. They also have skee-ball and other Jersey Shore boardwalk-type games. There's also a retro arcade that serves alcohol in downtown. It's fun, but not as much bang for your buck.
You should check out the vegan mini-mall (http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/2008/01/vegan_minimall.php). There's an awesome vegan bakery (they have a vegan buffet on Sundays, $10 for all you can eat) called Sweetpea, a store called Herbivore that sells clothing and cookbooks (including Joanna's cookbook), an all vegan market called Food Fight with loads of junk food, and a vegan tattoo parlor.
If you're interested in touristy stuff, you can check out the Rose Garden (free!), the Japanese Garden (kinda pricey), and the Chinese Garden (a little less pricey). I've heard that the Chinese Garden is best in the rain. There's also the Shanghai tunnels, but you have to call at least a week in advance to get a tour of those.
Finally, before I end up writing a Fodor's on Portland: Powell's, Voodoo Donuts, the Aerial Tram, Velveteria (velvet painting museum), Stark's Vacuum Museum.
There's loads of other stuff that I'm not covering, but I think this post is already too long. Check out The Dirt Cheap Guide to Portland (http://web.pdx.edu/~nac/pdxdirtcheap/) and the Zinester's Guide to Portland (http://pdxguide.org/) for any info I didn't cover.
I know I mentioned a lot of stuff and you're only going to be in town for a day or two, but I wanted to cover all your bases. Sorry if I was a bit vegan-centric. Portland is such a veg friendly town, and almost every restaurant has vegetarian options.
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this is great! I'm taking all of these things and throwing them on the table to consider in my budget. I love the veg-friendly food suggestions and attractions from everyone. this is brilliant.
mokin, no worries. I looked at every link (and made a mental note to buy joanna's book) and took notes down. if anything else comes to mind, post it.
thanks everyone!
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I recently drove from Toronto to Vancouver.
Winnipeg is pretty cool. There is a pretty vibrant arts scene there.
Apparently I don't know what I'm talking about! (This is not unusual for me.)
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My husband said the motown museum was one of the biggest disappointments of his life. You can see the recording studio, but the top of the museum, says he, is a waste of time. Beware!
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My only thought is that you may want to go "Omaha, MINNEAPOLIS, Chicago" but only if you've never been.
MPLS has some great vegi places, the Walker Art Museum and a decent small-sized art gallery scene. But 1st Ave and the Triple Rock are there and those places are worth the trip alone.
More like Winnipeg, Minneapolis, Chicago". Skip Omaha completely, unless you're like a huge Conor Oberst fan and want to meet his mom or something. Heading through Mpls is the better stop and the shorter travelling distance between Winnipeg and Chicago.
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(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e218/eymanjr/Creation%20Museum/downloads035.jpg)
Adam and Eve
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e218/eymanjr/Creation%20Museum/downloads046.jpg)
The little people dying as Noah sails by on his happy boat.
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e218/eymanjr/Creation%20Museum/downloads040.jpg)
Dinosaurs
Unfortunately, there are no Jesus and the Dinosaurs action playsets in the gift shop. The check out girl, who is probably the ho that sicked the security team on me, told me I'd be more likely to find something like that at some mall store where my little nephew shops.
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i'm going to disagree with mokin here and suggest that for the price of one night at the jupiter, you can spend two nights at one of the mcmenamin's hotels: the kennedy school (http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=57&category=Location%20Homepage), which is located in a former elementary school, or white eagle hotel (http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=60&category=Location%20Homepage), which is reputedly haunted. mcmenamins are fantastic! they all have restaurants and bars attached to them--the kennedy school has a movie theater in it. if i were coming in from out of town, this is where i'd want to stay. it's not your typical hotel experience because there is no TV, no room service, and you have a sink in your room but communal showers, but the price reflects all of that. extremely highly recommended!
if we're back in portland by the time of your road trip and you want to get dinner or go to the arcade, feel free to PM me or mokin. we won't be offended if you don't.
good luck! we have a road trip coming up, too, and i'm excited. i'm not excited about the fact that it takes $60 to fill our tank right now, but whatever.
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I don't have anything to add here except that I once stayed at a bed & breakfast in Portland that was reasonable and awesome and across the street from a restaurant overlooking the Willamette river and I can't remember the names of anything.
And post when you get to NY/NJ. There are a lot of nice FOT here and we can all go out for drinks and veg food.
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sorry to bring this thread back to life:
ive got to document the craziest thing ive done in my life. i dont own a digital camera, but i do have a polaroid; does anyone know where i can get polaroid film nowadays?
i checked Target and they want $18 for 10 exposures.is it just me or is that expensive for polaroids?
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sorry to bring this thread back to life:
ive got to document the craziest thing ive done in my life. i dont own a digital camera, but i do have a polaroid; does anyone know where i can get polaroid film nowadays?
i checked Target and they want $18 for 10 exposures.is it just me or is that expensive for polaroids?
Polaroid is getting out of the polaroid film business. You need to start hoarding.
Otherwise, check Google shopping. I recently got a chinese-made mechanical watch for less than $30 from somewhere by searching it.
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polaroid is jumping ship...but on their site it said they are making "enough" inventory to last until the end of 2009. i googled polaroid, but got a lot of single-use cameras.
i'll try again. thanks, yesno.
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you go to B+H! (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=0&shs=polarid+film&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=jsp%2FRootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=submit)
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you go to B+H! (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=0&shs=polarid+film&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=jsp%2FRootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=submit)
oh man, $15...it'll have to do. thanks for the link, emily.
ive been looking on craigslist, etc. for people getting rid of it as well. at this point, it'd be easier to find an old super 8+film and document that way- much less hassle. hopefully someone buys up the patent and starts making instant film again.
i appreciate your help guys.
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Come check out Mesa Verde National Park, CO.
...or any of the Parks in the South West. You can't loose.
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Come check out Mesa Verde National Park, CO.
...or any of the Parks in the South West. You can't loose.
i havent left for this specific road trip yet, but in a couple weeks im going to Jerome and visiting some parks up there. no grand canyon (too far), but ive heard from a couple FOTs that the grand canyon was worth the family trip.
they converted me and sparked my interest.
ANYWAY, im checking out Douglas Mansion/Jerome State Park and Montezuma Castle/Well...you been to either of those places?
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I've been to Montezuma Castle and the Well. It's a pretty cool place... and Really close to Flagstaff, AZ ... which makes it really really close to the Grand Canyon's South rim (which is awesome in the winter time. no crowds and snow all over the Canyon. I can't recommend that you try to get there enough.)
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I've been to Montezuma Castle and the Well. It's a pretty cool place... and Really close to Flagstaff, AZ ... which makes it really really close to the Grand Canyon's South rim (which is awesome in the winter time. no crowds and snow all over the Canyon. I can't recommend that you try to get there enough.)
ive been to flagstaff a million times (usually for a show or photo shoots), but i stick to the I-17; montezuma is probably as north as we're gonna go. and it's only $5...im at least getting my money's worth.
thanks for the endorsement, Gagneaux. i'm looking forward to it now.
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It doesn't sound like you're heading that direction, but if you've never been to Zion National Park, you should go. Sometime in your lifetime. It's not the Grand Canyon, but it is amazing. Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon are no slouches either.
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Are you going to get trashed with me in Cincinnati?
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It doesn't sound like you're heading that direction, but if you've never been to Zion National Park, you should go. Sometime in your lifetime. It's not the Grand Canyon, but it is amazing. Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon are no slouches either.
Zion seems to be the place hiking fanatics flock to and combat Angel's Landing. insane. it's on my list of things to do before i leave phoenix, head back to memphis and dust off all my crap in storage back home. cancer mom is almost done with treatments and i dont think i'll be heading out on the road in the winter- i'll have to wait til spring.
at least i have my records.
Are you going to get trashed with me in Cincinnati?
as long as you're buying.
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Are you going to get trashed with me in Cincinnati?
as long as you're buying.
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yes! and if you show up on a wednesday, there's karaoke.
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alright, Julie, i'll tryyy.
im still planning the whole thing out and couchsurfing.com is looking really good right now.