Author Topic: Our summer holiday in the USA!  (Read 21377 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2011, 12:28:52 pm »
Fabienne, that's great news!  We New Yorkers will be sure to make ourselves available for a little sightseeing, especially if it involves good food!  ;D

Yes, indeed, those New Yorkers sure know how to show you a good time!  ;D

:-* Meryl)
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2011, 02:25:54 pm »
Fabienne, that's great news!  We New Yorkers will be sure to make ourselves available for a little sightseeing, especially if it involves good food!  ;D

That's great Meryl. I'm already looking forward to good brokie company and good New York food.  :)
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2011, 02:44:32 pm »
This is my home turf, where I grew up. Seriously, trust me on this--the region has been over-exploited and over-commercialized. It is no longer the rural, old-fashioned haven of my childhood. If you cannot fit this into your itinerary, you won't be missing anything. Don't make it a priority over something else, say, Cape Cod, example.

I'm sorry if this seems a bit of a downer. I'm sure you and your family will have a wonderful trip, wherever you decide to go.  :)

I was hoping to hear your point of view on this ,Jeff. I've already visited a few websites dealing with rural Pennsylvania and I have to agree that some of them had a bit of a Disneyland feeling about them. 'Come join us for a real Amish buggy ride' and that sort of thing.  :-\

Having said that, I don't mind doing some real touristy things, as long as you know that what you're getting is a touristy version of things. We stayed at at the Rafter Six Ranch in Alberta in 2007, which of course was a 'hotel with lots of horses', the 'cowboys' who accompanied you on the trail were of course also working in the tourist industry (although they looked like the real thing of course). I didn't mind. Frankly, I'd be more worried about feeling like an intruder, going to watch 'the strange Amish people'.

We'll see what we'll do. But thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's information knowledge like this that can really make a difference. We'll probably be travelling by car from Washington to Cape Cod and wouldn't like to do this in one day. So Pennsylvania looked like the state to visit next.
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2011, 02:51:18 pm »
Congrats Fabienne! That sounds like a wonderful vacation! And there's lots of things to see and do up along the Northeast coast! Have you been to the U.S. before?

Maybe the next time you come over you and your family can explore the the Midwest and visit cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Cincinnati. (And we have lots of Amish here in Indiana too! ;) )

I hope you and your family will have lots of fun. I'm sure you will. And as you know we have many Brokie members living up there in the Northeast! 8)

Thanks David. I've never been to the US before, my husband has visited New York and Washington, but that was a very long time ago.

And yes, I'm looking forward to some good brokie reunions too.  :)
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2011, 02:59:40 pm »
Yay!  I hope I get to see you!

Ahhh, of course! I'll look forward to getting some good tips on Boston and the surrounding area.  :)
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline louisev

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #15 on: January 28, 2011, 03:54:35 pm »
if i'm still in Washington by then I could show you around!!
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline brianr

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #16 on: January 28, 2011, 07:12:18 pm »
I presume you know about the new electronic visa required by the USA
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html
I was told that I did not need to take a copy with me as it was on the USA customs computer. This is true but fortunately I did print it out as Lufthansa would not have let me board the plane in Munich until I produced it.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #17 on: January 28, 2011, 08:00:13 pm »
I was hoping to hear your point of view on this ,Jeff. I've already visited a few websites dealing with rural Pennsylvania and I have to agree that some of them had a bit of a Disneyland feeling about them. 'Come join us for a real Amish buggy ride' and that sort of thing.  :-\

Having said that, I don't mind doing some real touristy things, as long as you know that what you're getting is a touristy version of things. We stayed at at the Rafter Six Ranch in Alberta in 2007, which of course was a 'hotel with lots of horses', the 'cowboys' who accompanied you on the trail were of course also working in the tourist industry (although they looked like the real thing of course). I didn't mind. Frankly, I'd be more worried about feeling like an intruder, going to watch 'the strange Amish people'.

We'll see what we'll do. But thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's information knowledge like this that can really make a difference. We'll probably be travelling by car from Washington to Cape Cod and wouldn't like to do this in one day. So Pennsylvania looked like the state to visit next.

I'm glad if I was able to be helpful. I didn't mean to be a wet blanket. There is so much to see and do between Washington and New England, and I'm sure the time you will be here will go by very fast. I would hate to see you waste time on something inauthentic and disappointing.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Monika

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2011, 01:51:40 am »
I presume you know about the new electronic visa required by the USA
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html
I was told that I did not need to take a copy with me as it was on the USA customs computer. This is true but fortunately I did print it out as Lufthansa would not have let me board the plane in Munich until I produced it.
That´s interesting to hear. I almost thought they had given up on the electonic visa because I have never been asked about it once. I wonder why you just have to show it at some airports.

Offline brianr

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #19 on: January 30, 2011, 01:49:17 pm »
That´s interesting to hear. I almost thought they had given up on the electonic visa because I have never been asked about it once. I wonder why you just have to show it at some airports.
When did you last visit the USA? it only became compulsory in June 2010. Do not try to travel there now without it.