Sightseeing

[TDK]

I've been to DC over a dozen times, but today was the first time I actually ever SAW anything there, besides the Air and Space museum once. I love sightseeing, I went through the Spy Museum and the Smithsonian, right across the street. The art one.

It was fantastic, I actually liked the Smithsonian more, cool though the spy museum was. There were so many cool art things and stuff.

I and a few others are going to spend a whole day this summer going around to see things.

(As a sidenote; On the way in to DC past langley falls (where the CIA headquarters is), I saw a sign that said "George Bush Center for Intelligence". My first thought was "Oxymoron." =P)

I really want to go see stuff like this in other countries, and other cities and stuff. I'd been to Philidelphia, but we weren't there to site-see, so I only saw the art museum in the School of Fine Arts, which is where we had business anyway (My sister's boyfriend at the time was enrolled there, and we had to pick up some of his sculptures because they can't leave them there for the summer.) and while that museum was great, there's so much cool stuff in Philly, filthy city though it is.

So where has everyone else been? Where would you like to go? Where do you live near? Stories? Pictures?

[Wyndon]

In my experience, sight-seeing is a waste of time. I guess it's amusing and good for some shits-and-giggles, but I guess it depends a lot more on what you're trying to experience.

I for one, when I go to new places (this is more applicable to new countries, but it works in foreign cities as well), make sure to look up what the big things are to do there as a back-up plan. When I go there, I try to get involved in the local scene, see what the local shows/concerts are, if there are some art exhibitions...

My point is, if you're trying to get a feel for new cultures, don't flock to the tourist-magnets that will likely only bring other people like yourself. Rather, try to submerge yourself into the culture there, and see what's going on locally, because that's really the best way to get a sense of what it's like to be there.

I've been to quite a lot of countries and cities myself (hit all the continents cept Antarctica) and I used to be a sightseer. But in the last year or so, I changed up my strategy, and it's much much more enjoyable. I strongly recommend you do so as well.

Just my two cents.

(although yeah, smithsonian is freakin' awesome, >.>)

(edit to contribute to the thread)

I went to Morocco last year. I absolutely loved it. The people there are absolutely fantastic, and I tried some really "interesting" foods (that I will never ever ever try again because I never want to eat another sheep's eyeball). Plus, the hookah there was most excellent.

[TDK]

I don't mean sightseeing just like seeing landmarks and stuff. I want to see everything and experience the culture. But I'm still not going to pass on going to Niagara Falls if I'm in the area.

[Nique]

I kind of enjoy mentally 'placing' myself where I physically am. Maybe it's a coping mechanism for being in unfamilar surroundings, but by taking in and enjoying the locale flavour, be it the landscape, the people, or getting aquainted with locale shops and attractions, I imagine that I sort of belong there.

Induvidual attractions are nice but sort of forgettable induvidually, it's more about exploring and understanding what things are like here, what makes it unique.

[Mobeus]

So far I've been dog-sledding in Canada, wandered around West Virginia at two A.M. (cops really, really don't like that. I got stopped three times in a half an hour), lounged about Tennessee, worked at a carnival in Florida, and I've been to Philly a handful of times.

Being that I live in DE, which is maybe 30-60 minutes away depending on traffic, I'm not sure I should count Philly as a bona fide trip experience, but aside from hearing a dog-sled captain ramble for 15 minutes in Canadian French except, solely, the English F bomb multiple times, it's where more of my stories are.

First Philly trip I was in maybe fifth grade. We were there for some History field trip, and me and my ragtag group of rebel fifth graders wandered off. We got found by some tourists (I want to say Japanese but my memory is wayyyy too hazy to pick out the language at this point), and I was hoisted into the air and hugged viciously by a large Asian man while people took pictures. It was pretty violatory, but it makes for a funny story in retrospect. He wasn't creepy, as far as I can remember, just very very excited that people actually waved and didn't mutter at him.

Second trip involved black vinyl pants, combat boots, a crack head, something I found out later was probably E or something with similar effects, the best strobe lights I have ever seen in my life, and a bunch of really cute goth and industrial girls flailing about on platforms in miniskirts, dyed dredfalls and fuzzy raveboots.

The second trip was significantly better.

Places I want to see are some typicals, like Ireland and Tokyo, England, Russia, France, and Germany (which I just missed out on a free trip to, sadly). American cities do hold a certain interest, but having both grown up in one and gotten some bad mojo PTSD in one I tend to stay away from them these days. Somehow thoughts of foreign cities don't trigger the same response. No idea why.

[bluestarultor]

I've been to DC, Chicago, St. Louis, and several places in Arizona. DC was totally cool with its museums and landmarks, and seeing the Hope Diamond was pretty nifty, but Chicago's museums are almost as good. Actually, I saw a lot of other areas in the neighborhood, too, like Gettysburg. But I saw the library, the Capitol, the mint, and pretty much every monument. The White House was a no-go at the time for security reasons. In Chicago, I've seen the Bean, several museums, Wicked, and the aquarium. St. Louis I was there to study, so I've seen less of it than I could have, but I went to church weekly in the basilica (cathedral, whatever) and did see the arch. Never did get to the zoo. Arizona is where my dad lives, so I've been to Phoenix, Old Tuscon, the Grand Canyon, and the Superstition Mountains.

[Corel]

Although seeing landmarks and touristy places are a lot of fun, the other end of the spectrum is roping some poor soul/a friend of yours who lives where you're visiting to show you the local customs and hotspots. It really depends what you're wanting out of the trip I suppose.

The wonderful thing about Europe is that you can take two steps in any direction (One if your name is Andora) and you're in a different country which can be pretty unique to the last. Makes for fun, diverse trips.

By the way Liechtenstein is a real place and not a myth. For reals.

[TDK]

Originally Posted by Mobeus

black vinyl pants, combat boots, a crack head, something I found out later was probably E or something with similar effects, the best strobe lights I have ever seen in my life, and a bunch of really cute goth and industrial girls flailing about on platforms in miniskirts, dyed dredfalls and fuzzy raveboots.

Sounds like philly. =P

[Si Civa]

Go to Stockholm. I mean seriously. I don't even live in Sweden and I'm Finn* yet I loved that city. But wouldn't live there. Big cities ain't for me, probably.
And it was the location of my first abroad trip ever and happened this year. Which is.. sad.

Museums, art galleries (we visited one and there was Dalí's painting, rad), there's Finnish church in the Gamla Stan, where you can find pretty neat tree and Swede's smallest statue, or so we were told.
And it's near sea and that's awesome always. Even though the sea happens to be Baltic Sea.

And there's people too. Took pictures of them instead of silly land marks.
I also did took nice picture of bike. And I could have taken picture of plastic shopping bag full of empty bottles, but didn't. Kind of shame.

*Finns are supposed to hate Swedes. Because we suck in ice hockey.