With all the rankings complete, all that's left is to post some closing thoughts.
During the month of July we stood at the highest point east of the Mississippi and swam in the waters off Key West. We saw the USS Alabama in Mobile and tried our luck in Atlantic City. We saw wild alligators and dolphins, went underground into huge caverns, explored an old gem mine, saw Civil War battlefields, walked the streets of the oldest cities on the continent, and crossed many huge bodies of water by boat, ferry, tunnel, and bridge.
This was my third "vacation of a lifetime" along with a month long adventure in Europe and a month long trip around the world. I may not get a 4th one, so I'm glad we made the most of it. Even our worst day was fun, which is a real testament to how many amazing sights there are in this country (although good company always helps too!) :)
I start work in September, so I am grateful for the time I was given. I doubt I'll have another month off until retirement, so it was time well spent. I'm glad we made the choice to explore this country even though it always sounds more exotic to go abroad. It's tough to compare trips, but I can say that this one held its own against my solo backpacking trips which really says something.
We now have a list of places to return to, which was always an objective for this trip. We still have a list of new places we need to see, so perhaps we can work off a few destinations over the coming years.
This trip was educational in many ways. I enjoyed learning all of the history in our stops. It was as varied as the history of settling the Everglades to shipping in Wilmington to the space program in Florida. The trip was also an interesting study in American culture. Regional differences still persist, although much of the difference appears to be a derivative of wealth rather than different ways of life. The south is still slower paced and friendlier overall, but it's tough to see it in Atlanta or Miami. Only the smaller southern towns retain that charm and I'm not sure for how long.
Erin found a number of cities potentially interesting places to live. I'm not ready to leave my New York paradise, but it was fun to see so many options. I'm sure if we ever decide to relocate, this trip will help us narrow the options.
A few random thoughts in closing.
1. Cell phone service is not universal in this country. Check out an AT&T or Verizon map. We spent many days without service.
2. Wifi is not universal in this country. Hotels and coffee shops don't always have connectivity.
3. It's nice to disconnect. It's hard, but you find yourself paying attention to everything around you. (Even if you do miss major news events.)
4. Most beaches are exactly the same. Go to a close one unless you're going to the Caribbean.
5. Driving in Orlando rivals any other city for frustration.
6. Every major city and many minor ones have a Martin Luther King Jr street. It's probably 2nd only to Main Street.
7. It's really hot during the summer. I wasn't ready for 100 degree heat with high oceanic humidity.
8. Public transit outside NYC (and perhaps Chicago, DC, and Boston) is barely usable.
9. Gas prices vary wildly. In SC, we found it for $3.12/gallon. We saw $4.09/gallon in Florida.
10. Palm trees apparently grow all the way up the coast, although we think any north of Maryland were artificially planted.
Finally, I hope everyone gets the chance to do this someday. It always seems impossible to schedule anything extensive like this, but you really do get a different experience over a longer period of time than you do in a weekend. I realize I was able to do this on a shoestring budget by cashing in hotel points and using rental car discounts. Not everyone gets access to those perks. Still, you can make it happen. Sell your house, buy an RV, and that covers both categories at once! But seriously, I always encourage everyone to pursue their dreams while their health is still in tact. You typically regret the things you don't do way more than the things you do.
After more than two years of writing blog entries, I am taking a hiatus. If you liked this adventure and haven't already read adamrtw.blogspot.com or adaminnyc.blogspot.com, you might find them entertaining.
I hope you enjoyed following along as much as we enjoyed the real thing!
During the month of July we stood at the highest point east of the Mississippi and swam in the waters off Key West. We saw the USS Alabama in Mobile and tried our luck in Atlantic City. We saw wild alligators and dolphins, went underground into huge caverns, explored an old gem mine, saw Civil War battlefields, walked the streets of the oldest cities on the continent, and crossed many huge bodies of water by boat, ferry, tunnel, and bridge.
This was my third "vacation of a lifetime" along with a month long adventure in Europe and a month long trip around the world. I may not get a 4th one, so I'm glad we made the most of it. Even our worst day was fun, which is a real testament to how many amazing sights there are in this country (although good company always helps too!) :)
I start work in September, so I am grateful for the time I was given. I doubt I'll have another month off until retirement, so it was time well spent. I'm glad we made the choice to explore this country even though it always sounds more exotic to go abroad. It's tough to compare trips, but I can say that this one held its own against my solo backpacking trips which really says something.
We now have a list of places to return to, which was always an objective for this trip. We still have a list of new places we need to see, so perhaps we can work off a few destinations over the coming years.
This trip was educational in many ways. I enjoyed learning all of the history in our stops. It was as varied as the history of settling the Everglades to shipping in Wilmington to the space program in Florida. The trip was also an interesting study in American culture. Regional differences still persist, although much of the difference appears to be a derivative of wealth rather than different ways of life. The south is still slower paced and friendlier overall, but it's tough to see it in Atlanta or Miami. Only the smaller southern towns retain that charm and I'm not sure for how long.
Erin found a number of cities potentially interesting places to live. I'm not ready to leave my New York paradise, but it was fun to see so many options. I'm sure if we ever decide to relocate, this trip will help us narrow the options.
A few random thoughts in closing.
1. Cell phone service is not universal in this country. Check out an AT&T or Verizon map. We spent many days without service.
2. Wifi is not universal in this country. Hotels and coffee shops don't always have connectivity.
3. It's nice to disconnect. It's hard, but you find yourself paying attention to everything around you. (Even if you do miss major news events.)
4. Most beaches are exactly the same. Go to a close one unless you're going to the Caribbean.
5. Driving in Orlando rivals any other city for frustration.
6. Every major city and many minor ones have a Martin Luther King Jr street. It's probably 2nd only to Main Street.
7. It's really hot during the summer. I wasn't ready for 100 degree heat with high oceanic humidity.
8. Public transit outside NYC (and perhaps Chicago, DC, and Boston) is barely usable.
9. Gas prices vary wildly. In SC, we found it for $3.12/gallon. We saw $4.09/gallon in Florida.
10. Palm trees apparently grow all the way up the coast, although we think any north of Maryland were artificially planted.
Finally, I hope everyone gets the chance to do this someday. It always seems impossible to schedule anything extensive like this, but you really do get a different experience over a longer period of time than you do in a weekend. I realize I was able to do this on a shoestring budget by cashing in hotel points and using rental car discounts. Not everyone gets access to those perks. Still, you can make it happen. Sell your house, buy an RV, and that covers both categories at once! But seriously, I always encourage everyone to pursue their dreams while their health is still in tact. You typically regret the things you don't do way more than the things you do.
After more than two years of writing blog entries, I am taking a hiatus. If you liked this adventure and haven't already read adamrtw.blogspot.com or adaminnyc.blogspot.com, you might find them entertaining.
I hope you enjoyed following along as much as we enjoyed the real thing!
