I’m not taking a vacation this year, for various reasons, so may I live vicariously through you? Where did–or are–you going this year? Weekend in Havana? Christmas in Connecticut? Springtime in the Rockies?
Well, you sure picked the wrong year to live vicariously through the Keller family. From 1995 through 1998, we’ve been to 43 different U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces, and Washington DC, but this year (for us) is the year of vacationing cheaply.
But we still have something to offer.
July 4th weekend we took a 3-day trip to Virginia and North Carolina. We spent July 4th itself in Colonial Williamsburg, made a barbecue in a nearby public park after closing and returned for a spectacular fireworks show that night. We drove to Mann’s Harbor, NC, where we spent the night in a nightmarish situation described in the MPSIMS forum in the “Lying Customers” thread.
July 5th we went to see Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island, although it was a bit of a disappointment; all there was there are a few artifacts from the Lost Colony, not even guided tours of teh area (at least not at the time we were there, 10 AM). Things went better at our next destination, the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. Then back to Virginia…Newport News to see the Mariners Museum (incredible exhibits about seafaring, navigation, exploration and tatoos!), and the Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach. Then north to Dumfries (near Washington, DC) to spend the night.
Tuesday was split between two activities: a guided tour of the Pentagon (not bad, but really not worth the bother. All you see are offices and portraits) in Arlington, and George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon (good, but the museum was closed because the air conditioning had broken down. This was during the big heat wave, remember.) Still plenty of interesting stuff to see there, though.
Next weekend we intend to tour Maryland, with a single stop in Virginia (the Newseum in Arlington) and Delaware (the Treasures of the Sea exhibit in Georgetown).
Chaim Mattis Keller
ckeller@schicktech.com
“Sherlock Holmes once said that once you have eliminated the
impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be
the answer. I, however, do not like to eliminate the impossible.
The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it that the merely improbable lacks.”
– Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective
Hey Chaim -
Where in MD are you planning on going? (Just asking since I live here and all…)
MPSIMS incoming!
Nickrz
GQ Mod
Flora, you picked a good summer to ask about our vacation. The Cats in the Hats went on our honeymoon 
in June. 3-week grand tour of Europe: Paris, Venice, Vienna, Brussels and London.
Venice was our favorite: all the things that people say about it are true. It is truly magical. We did everything except the gondola ride, which cost a fortune; you can get almost the same effect by riding the vaporetto (boat bus) at night. There are NO CARS.
We also saw this big, international biennial modern art show. It was very strange. I don’t think I’ll ever understand modern art. However, we did get a nice picture of a sculpture of some giant mice, done in some kind of black stone (not marble; something softer). I have no recollection of what they were supposed to represent.
In Vienna, we went and saw the magnificent Lippizaner stallions - twice. Actually, that was the primary reason that we went to Vienna. We also went to the ballet (standing room tickets cost less than $1 apiece, and the view was excellent).
In Paris and London, we went to museums mostly. Of course, we went to museums in Venice and Vienna too. We were only in Brussels one day, so we didn’t do much except walk around and get rained on.
If you absolutely insist, I’ll list the museums we visited, but to be perfectly honest, they are starting to run together. 3 weeks is a long time to be away from home. It was worth it, though!
The Cat In The Hat
I’m thinking of going to Dublin. I’ve just started doing research so it’s still in the planning stages. Actually, I should start a new thread and ask for ideas from the TM!
I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
Alexandre Dumas the Younger (1824-1895)
Falcon -
Sunday we’ll be in the Washington suburbs - The NASA Goddard center and a trolley museum in Wheatley, and then we’ll head to Baltimore and check out Fort McHenry. (That’s the day we’'l be doing the Newseum in Arlington)
Monday, all Baltimore. The Science Museum and the game at Camden Yards.
Tuesday, Baltimore and vicinity. There’s an African museum that sounds interesting, and a “historical electronics” museum in Linthicum Heights. (After that is when we’ll be heading to Delaware.)
Chaim Mattis Keller
You missed out on my twice a year Alaska vacation, but I will keep you informed when I go again.
I’ll be in Las Vegas in October, maybe before. Hell, at $69.00 r/t, a 50 minute flight (actually, with the time change, you get there 10 minute before you leave), and a total blast of a city, I go as much as possible.
Me and a friend are thinking about driving the coast to Seattle. We did it last year and it was great.
I am going to visit my dad in Germany later this year, but until then you may have to settle for my Vegas or Seattle update.
As far as Baltimore - I love it! My job takes me there at least one time each year. I usually stay in the Days Inn about a block from the Inner Harbor and almost next door to Camden Yards (I can see the clock tower from my hotel room). Depending on who I am there with, I usually take the Amtrack to D.C. or else hang out at the Baja Beach Club. Another fun town.
>^,^<
KITTEN
Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language.
We are leaving this Wednesday to drive from Michigan to the Gettysburg area then onto Washington DC/BWI area and home again by the following Wednesday. My husbands best friend lives north of Gettysburg and we are going to do the periennial favorite Mooch off a friend plan. (It’s never reciprocal as no one actually ever wants to visit here!)
ESSAY-from my 8-8-99 posting:
chracters: Kerry (7), boy; Tracy,(4) girl,sunbear(45), mrs. sunbear(or ms.)(about same)
We are back from Denmark. We’ve actually never done anything this ambitious in Europe, with 2 small kids. We’ve done it with one! We traveled quite a bit on buses and trains. That meant lugging suitcases around. The American Tourister broke on the way back, one lock was open. The Samsonite barely survived and has a missing lever. I’m thinking that you might get more years out of a good soft sided suitcase. Suggestions?
The first week was in Copenhagen where my wife took a translation class. We took part in two social events, otherwise I took the kids around town. Which meant dealing with moms with enormous baby carriages on buses, telling us to make room. I did not have the sense to stick Tracy in the temporary stroller on the bus. THEY would have had to make room for us. She did fall asleep in the stroller every day and really does not fit anymore. We went to Tivoli (amusement park) 3 times, a kids’ science museum (one mom scolded me for taking a picture of Kerry and her kid). Lunch was mostly ice cream and hot dogs. The kids never liked the Danish ketchup. Trains and buses use an easy punch card ticket. No cash can be used.
The second week took us to a family living in a farm house, a distant relative Inge, to whom I spoke mixed up swedish and danish, Legoland (Disney quality rides, medium size), and another family on Fyn. I had found them in a Kids’ museum here in last year and we saw them a couple of times. Their one daughter has some speech problems but was communicating well with Tracy, since she compensates well by reading “body language”. It’s a bit of a problem with the one bathroom homes they have. At one point they were showering 3 girls in the bathtub. Temperatures were 80-90 F, so we did need showers. Other inconveniences were stuffy trains and stores. No air conditioning and no ventilation even. The Copenhagen McDonalds and Burger King were messy and skimpy on ice, as are all restaurants.
There were some relaxing evenings with families, and most of the time we were not terribly rushed. We stayed in 3 homes and visited one that were way out in the country. Which in Denmark is still only a short taxi ride from the bus or taxi. But it has become very fashionable in Denmark, and the homes can be quite expensive, even though the driveway is gravel and the home needs repair. The magazines on homes show similar pictures of two story homes, where the top floor is the attic. Quite efficient use of space. Tracy fell down stairs where they were too steep and she attempted to bring down a doll in a stroller. The remodeling materials and solutions in the homes are quite similar after you look at a few homes. The walls are usually concrete, lined with wood paneling.
In a railroad museum in Odense has an unsafe engine set up for kids. Kerry and Tracy, acting like normal kids, managed to get a cut on her head. The local emergency room put some glue on the cut and gave us no bill.
The trains run fairly smooth, and connections are now fast, thanks to the Store Belt bridge. The bridge to Sweden is almost finished, so soon there will be no more ferries.
Our travel agent in Massachusetts messed up our tickets badly. Icelandair covered that by sticking us in business class for one leg of the trip.
Dragging the kids home in the middle of the night was some job, both were half asleep. I look forward to a trip 2-3 years later where they will carry more of their stuff. Game boy kept Kerry from getting bored and I has too many batteries along, so no problem.
sorry for the few typos: taxi from bus or train…etc.
You people go to way to many interesting places! I just got back from a week in Weyburn, southern Saskatchewan, visiting my mother and sister. Nice to see them, but the town isn’t exciting.
On the other hand, I took some time early in the summer to do the local-tourist thing around Vancouver, B.C. I’m sure most of you can think of all those places in town that you hardly ever go to, just because you’re too busy right now, and can put it off till next week, next month, next year …
Bob the Random Expert
“If we don’t have the answer, we’ll make one up.”
Also, in Denmark, we had to deal with three holy coins.Will post this as a topic.
[[I’m not taking a vacation this year, for various reasons, so may I live vicariously through you? Where did–or are–you going this year? Weekend in Havana? Christmas in Connecticut? Springtime in the Rockies?]]
Panic in Detroit?