IMPORTANT: READ THIS FIRST
I'm writing this post in an attempt to get more reader feedback to my blog. So, please read this post, but if you do so (during October 2009) you MUST write a comment. This applies regardless of whether you know me well or just a little, or have stumbled here by chance. If you're not willing to write a comment, stop reading now!
Wednesday 11 November is a public holiday in the United States (Veterans Day: others might know it as Armistice or Remembrance Day). Given that I have no classes on Tuesday and Thursday, and only a couple of tutorials I don't mind missing on Friday, this public holiday gives me six days off. I decided that this would be my best chance to take a break without obligations: in future I'll have research to do even if I have a few days off classes.
I decided that since I had such a good time on my open house holiday in March and April, I would imitate its pattern. This means that I'll visit a number of places for a very short time, allowing me to see or do the most interesting things in a variety of cities. I'll travel mainly on overnight buses, which are economical and avoid wasting daytime when I could be doing something (and I found my overnight bus trip surprisingly comfortable in April). I will be able to visit either three places for two days each, or two places and have an extra two days.
For someone relying primarily on his feet and secondarily on public transport, large cities are best. I've thus formed a shortlist of 20 cities. The list is mostly the 20 largest cities in the central-east US (see the map above). I've added cities just outside this region and/or smaller than this, if they appear in "25 Ultimate Experiences USA", a book given to me by Joe for the birthday before I moved to the US. I've also deleted cities I've already visited.
Your job is to give feedback on which cities you think I should visit. Your contribution can be as short as one suggestion and a sentence telling me why, or as long as you choose.
Here are the cities, in order of population.
Nashville, TN
Washington, DC (ultimate experience: witnessing power in action)
Cleveland, OH
Raleigh, NC
Cincinnati, OH
Pittsburgh, PA
Toledo, OH
Lexington, KY
I look forward to hearing from you all, and I'll keep you updated when I make my plans. I will take your thoughts into account while doing so!
While on the subject of lists, here are this week's football rankings.
1 Alabama
2 Boise
3 Iowa
4 Louisiana State
5 Auburn
6 Wisconsin
7 Cincinnati
8 Texas Christian
9 Virginia Tech
10 S Florida
11 Florida
12 Miami
13 Stanford
14 Kansas
15 Texas
16 S California
17 Oregon
18 Arizona
19 Notre Dame
20 Michigan
21 Georgia Tech
22 Boston
23 Missouri
24 Ohio State
25 Baylor
If you want more comments, you have to interact with your readers. I've been posting and i get nothing in reply. Do the north east, the shellfish is great in the fall and you pop into philips exeter academy to see the inspiration for every john irving novel.
ReplyDeleteYour comments have largely been unrelated to my blog, so if there's anything in them worth replying to I'll put it in an email.
ReplyDeleteBut for this one: I agree that the northeast is worth visiting, but I decided this trip isn't the time. The first reason is that I have six days in a row, so I want to travel a reasonable distance. I can visit the northeast on weekends or long weekends. Secondly, I expect it will be cold by then, so I'd rather head south.
I just wandered in here randomly and know nothing about america (did you get there on an overnight bus?) but hope you're having fun. JJ
ReplyDeleteI think you should go to Baltimore because Anthony De Nozo from NCIS used to be a Baltimore cop. Carl.
ReplyDelete@Jacqui: yes that's fine. Those who do know the US can give suggestions. I also just want to get people into the habit of commenting.
ReplyDelete@Carl: interesting suggestion. Baltimore is famous as the scene of crime dramas... unfortunately because it has the reputation for being the scene of crimes!
Regardless of relevence, you need to acknowledge every post with a riposte. If you don't respond, how do we know you even read the comments? Otherwise, you'll end up with only your brother, sister and best friend commenting.
ReplyDeleteBaltimore is also the setting for Homicide: Life on the Street, which is my favourite TV procedural drama. You could do Boston (Ally McBeal), Baltimore (Homicide), DC (West Wing), Cleveland (Drew Carey) and Pittsburgh (Queer as Folk). Uncertain if that order is most direct, but the idea of you going on a TV reality tour of the Atlantic North East is very embiggening.
The only one of those shows I've ever seen is The West Wing, and I am planning to include DC on my trip so I can visit a friend studying at Georgetown.
ReplyDeletehello, matt.....thats a coercion if ever Ive seen one!!... Wellll. i would like you to visit Nashville [becauce most,,mmm, maybe some! country music is better than Elvis's and Mr jacksons combined!].... and then savannah because to me it is evocative of the true south..just a vibe i get from too much reading.,,, so wherever you choose to visit, it will be fun a] because you are ON HOLIDAY! and b] because it will be somewhere new and therefore [hopefully] exciting, .even if you dont ever want to go back.
ReplyDeleteand yes i do enjoy your blogs... I am just a slack typist/ correspondent... they would never give me a job on the ABC.
beautiful time of year here at Watta...one day summer in the air, next day back to winter... but every day, Spring is in the air!!
Have fun, and get me a Hank Williams CD wouldja??
love from Helenxx
Yes, those places did look interesting. I hadn't heard of Savannah before reading the '25 ultimate experiences' book, but it does seem to have a lot of the true South (although it also has some differences: it's one of the few places in the US one can drink alcohol in public). Unfortunately, I've been looking into what visiting these places would involve, and they're a bit far away for this particular trip. I'll be visiting Philadelphia (a very historic city) and Washington (where I'm going to meet with a friend).
ReplyDeleteThe weather here is also alternating: between rainy and sunny. The days are lovely when it's sunny, but it's rather cold when it's not (ie. rainy days, and nights).
I think that you should go somewhere in Carolina but only because I go for the Panthers (Madden)
ReplyDeleteI've actually decided Carolina is a bit too far. I'll be visiting Eagle and Redskin territory instead.
ReplyDeleteSo Miami is out of the question then? Mind you that would be a better destination in Jan when it is really cold in MITland!
ReplyDeleteSo i reckon you should make the best of the intermediate weather and go to Canada...Thats a city in USA right!!! :P
Yes, Miami is out of the question. I may indeed go somewhere warmer over the new year break.
ReplyDeleteAs for Canada, I never really considered it (perhaps because I was always thinking of heading south). I've spent one day there, and I'm sure I'll spend a little longer there in future, but not that near future.
Hi Matt
ReplyDeleteWell as I don't know anything much about most of those cities - go somewhere warm!
Mark From Yass
Yes, that's part of the reason for my plan to head south. I suspect the weather will be fairly similar, but I'm hopeful it won't be any colder.
ReplyDeleteI am finding it cold so far: people who have lived here for longer say it's become cold unusually early, but I think on the whole it's just something I need to get used to. We're expecting a top of 9 degrees today (it was similar yesterday, which made playing soccer rather chilly).