I've been across Canada, the USA, England, and Wales.
The travelling thread - where have you been to? - and did you enjoy yourself while there?
Sat, 2010-02-13 10:12
#1
Boom Boom
The travelling thread - where have you been to? - and did you enjoy yourself while there?
Sat, 2010-02-13 10:30
#2
Wow boom boom, that's a lot of travelling.
I've been to Winnipeg (lived there for awhile) and really loved it. Winnipeg is cold but the city has a huge heart and it is such a great place. New Brunswick, where a large portion of my relatives are from. Loved it but the town we went to didn't even have street lights, nor a store. Loved swimming in the creek though and travelling around.
Spent a few summer in Gatineau, Quebec - lots of fun, loved the people, had a great time.
Went to Cuba a few times and loved loved loved Cuba! Such nice people, great fun and it was really nice walking around Havana with my camera.
Went to Amsterdam about 9 years ago and loved it! Best time ever! Took me some time to get used to the fact that the bartenders don't get tips. That was an odd experience.
Travelled to the following places in the US for concerts and/or road trips - Youngstown, Ohio, Austin, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, Scottsdale, Arizona, Buffalo and Maine.
My future and ideal travel destination is Tokyo or Osaka, Japan.
Sat, 2010-02-13 10:35
#3
Boom Boom
More specifically I've travelled from Ottawa to Victoria, up north to parts of northern BC, then back to Banff in Alberta, and, going east, through northern and southern Ontario and Quebec to the Labrador Straits, and across the Straits to St. Anthony, Newfoundland. South from Quebec to New Brunswick. I've never been to PEI, the northern Territories, or the Yukon. Alberta - especially Calgary - is the only province and city I'd like to forever stay away from in the future. Too bloody hot! And Banff to me is a tourist trap.
In the US I've been to the border states of New York, Michigan, and Vermont, down to New Hampshire, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Florida, then west to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and north to Colorado. I love New Mexico, although it can get very hot in the desert, but it's a dry heat. The Rocky Mountain chain starts in Ruidoso, very cool even in the summer. Arizona - especially Phoenix - is deathly hot in the summer, but I enjoyed Tucson. I'd love to spend my retirement in New Mexico, but the expense of moving and the possibility of Customs hassles turn me off. New Mexico has the best food in the US in my opinion.
In England I've been through Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Chester, and a lot of smaller cities and towns, too many to list here. Cheshire is gorgeous. Chester is like a medieval town mixed with the new. I'd love to live there. McDonald's in England hasn't got a clue, so stick to local food. Fish 'n Chips in Cheshire is the best!
In Wales - well I've been through coastal Wales and a bit inland. I'll have to check on the spelling of some of these places, but I remember Caerfernaon. I've been in a couple of Wales castles. I have friends who own a farm in Wales, and life is pretty rough for them.
Future visits will be to Italy and France if I ever save up the $$$ necessary. I'd stay out of the cities and just enjoy the amazing countryside. I doubt I'll ever travel back to the US, Customs sounds like too much hassle nowadays, and I'd avoid America in principle anyway, until they end their wars of conquest.
Sat, 2010-02-13 12:21
#4
That does suck PB. The not being able to travel part I mean.
Last trip to the US for me was about 3 years ago. I am far too afraid to go again by plane, although I tend to get far less hassle by bus.
Sat, 2010-02-13 12:36
#5
for the most part, I've lived my whole life in a huge bubble that stretches from London in the west of Ontario, to Peterborough in the East, Buffalo New York to the South, and Sudbury to the North. Needless to say, I've not done a lot of travelling.
I once had the opportunity to go to Edmonton on an exchange when I was in grade 7, which was absolutely awesome and I really enjoyed. When we were driving from Edmonton to Calgary we got stuck in a twister and were getting buffeted all over the high way. It was cool.
When I was real young my parents took my little sister and my grandma and I on a trip to the E. Coast for a week, which was pretty neat. Did the trail, saw the bay of fundy.
One summer we went for two weeks on a trip through rural America, which was very interesting. Rural Pennsylvania, rural New York, West Virgina, Ohio, Kentucky, and then back up into Canada through Michigan. We did typically American things like go coaster chasing - however, my dad and I got vetoed when we were in Cincinatti and wanted to see the Rock n Roll hall of fame.
When I was in high school, and this was about 7 years ago now, my family came into some money - we hadn't been on a trip in while, so my parents, my sister, and I got to go on a cruise. I wasn't preciesely enamored - except that my dad let me get loaded. There were some awesome things, though. When were in Mexico I spent a lot of time speaking to locals who knew English and just asking them questions and picking their brains. I'd never been anywhere 'warm' before. It was neat. Saw the ruins of Tulum - which was wickity awesome.
But after that, I've stayed very sedentary due to the massive amount of debt I have above my head. In the past 6 years the furthest from my home town that I've gone is Ottawa and I'm kind of not allowed to travel or anything. It really fucking sucks.
Sat, 2010-02-13 12:45
#6
eh, erased whiny post
all i want to do is travel to russia - it is pretty much my only goal in life.
Sat, 2010-02-13 13:47
#7
Boom Boom
I have a huge box of photographs from most places I've travelled, and just looking through them now I see I have photos from everyehere except Burlington and New Hampshire in the US (my parents had a beachfront cottage in Rye Beach, NH, and we rented summer homes all over Vermont, but the best was facing Lake Champlain).
So, here's a list of places I've been for which I have also taken photographs:
Canada: Ottawa, Kanata, Petawawa, Wawa, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cornwall, Parry Sound, Sault Ste Marie (and ever community between Sudbury and Sault Ste Marie), Windsor, Kemptville, Belleville, Deseronto, Kingston, Merrickville, Timmins, Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Sturgeon Falls, (and every small community between North Bay and Cochrane), Sudbury, Hearst, Peterborough, London, Mississauga, Oakville, Toronto, St. Catherines, Niagara Falls, Moosonee, Nakina, Geraldton, Kirkland Lake, Hamilton, Moose Factory Island, Owen Sound, Atikokan, Soiux Lookout, Nakina (Ontario); Quebec City, Montreal, Trois Rivieres, Laval, all of the Eastern Townships, the Gaspe, Baie Comeau, Matane, Rimuski, Val Dior, Temiskaming,all of the Lower North Shore, Sept-iles (Quebec); Halifax (NS); Fredericton (NB); all of the Labrador Straits, St. Anthony (Nfld and Labrador); Winnipeg, Brandon (Man); Regina, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, (Saskatchewan); Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Calgary, Banff, Red Deer, Edmonton, Jasper (Alberta); Cranbrook, Penticton, Revelstoke, Golden, Kamloops, Hope, New Westminster, Surrey, Vancouver, and Victoria(B.C.)
My favourite parts of Canada remain the Ottawa Valley and the Lower North Shore of Quebec. (I've lived here on the Lower North Shore since 1995, and I love it)
USA: Bangor (Maine); Burlington, Stowe, Montpelier (Vermont); Rye and Rye Beach, (New Hampshire); Rochester, Syracuse, Elmira, Plattsburg, Buffalo, Niagara Fall's New York City, Long Island (New York ); Detroit (Michigan); Baltiimore (Maryland); Washington (D.C.); Winchester, Richmond, (Virginia); most of the Civil War sites and other historical cities in both Virginia and West Virginia; Durham, Raleigh, Fayetville (North Carolina); Cleveland (including a day long visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), Columbus, and Medina, (Ohio); Savannah, (Georgia); Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, Orlando (Florida); Dallas, Fort Worth (Texas); Albuquerque, Roswell, Los Alamos, Lincoln, Las Cruces, Socorro, White Sands, Ruidoso, (New Mexico); Tucson, Phoenix, (Arizona); and Denver, (Colorado).
The only US state I'd really like to return and live is New Mexico - it really is gorgeous.
England: Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Chester, Uttoxeter, Macclesfield.
I guess Chester is my favourite English city so far.
Wales: Conway, Colwyn Bay, Bangor, Caernarfon, Snowdon, Criccieth, Portmadog, Llangollen, Rhos-on-sea, Conwy Castle, Llandudno, and indeed all over North Wales.
Caernarfon is so gorgeous it's out of this world. The castles of Wales are breathtaking. I have friends who own a sheep farm near Conway, I'd love to live there permanently. Very rough, rustic, very hard life, but simply wonderful.
Sat, 2010-02-13 13:47
#8
In Canada I've only been to BC, Ontario (I live in Toronto) and Quebec (as well as Cold Lake AB).
Ive been to 34 States in the US as well as the following countries
England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Barbados, St Lucia, St Maarten, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St Thomas, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, Vatican, San Marino, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany (East and West), Austria, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Lichenstein, Monaco.
Sat, 2010-02-13 13:53
#9
Boom Boom
Bacchus, you're a world traveller! 
Sat, 2010-02-13 14:40
#10
I love traveling, and have enjoyed the experience everywhere I have been, even if when there were not pleasant.
Canada, I have lived in 5 provinces, visited the rest, plus 1 territory. I have found all of them to wonderful places and have enjoyed them all.
I have visited about 15 of the US states. I fell in love with Utah.
I was shocked the disparity of wealth in LA, and there was no buffer, you would have areas that looked like a developing country, and two blocks away would be a Rolls dealership. I understand the LA riots better after being there, and am shocked that it hs gone almost 20 years with out a reoccurrence. On the other hand, I remember playing with my daughter in the surf next to the Santa Monica pier, and it seemed like a magical place.
Europe, I have visited the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta. I love Europe, the history and culture. I love the juxtapositions of the various styles and forms co-existing, classical, renaissance, gothic, modern. However it is europe that forces you to confront the face your a tourist, looking for a authentic experience by going to the same places everyone does. The conflict of the tourist is that you always wish there were less tourists at the places you want to see. You want to see the authentic nature of the places your visiting, but destroy the authenticity of the place by your presence. Heisenberg's uncertainly principle applied to travel. For that reason the magic moments for me were not seeing the ruins of Pompeii or the wonders of Paris, it was the unplanned things you don't find in the tourist books. I remember finding a bread vending machine in this little village in northern France, and a little bar in Barcelona.
I lived for a few months in India, it was a wonderful place, the people were friendly and welcoming. Again the overwhelming history of the place.
I passed through the UAE a couple times. It is one of most distributing places I have been. The fact that Dubai is so modern amplifies the effect. It looks like a western city, but culturally it it is very foreign, classism, racism, and near to slave like conditions for the guest workers that do the grunt work are on full display. There is no pretext, it is blatant. However, walking through the suks, was a treasured experience.
Finally Afghanistan, I debated putting this one in. It is hard to talk about Afghanistan. All my interaction were through a bubble of westerness and potential violence that made seeking out the authentic experience a little difficult. There were moments however, I watched school kids playing soccer. They were so into the game they forgot we were there, they just were kids playing a game. I remember sitting outside one evening with one of our interpreters, overlooking the Arghandab, chatting about out families, and the future.
Well I rambled on more than I planned.
Sat, 2010-02-13 15:00
#11
Boom Boom
Next on my agenda? France and Italy, if I can ever save some $$$.
Sat, 2010-02-13 15:13
#12
"Next on my agenda? France and Italy"
My memory of rome is of beautiful women on scooters zipping through the traffic that had me white knuckled as a passenger.
Sat, 2010-02-13 15:23
#13
Boom Boom
I'm more attracted to the countryside than the cities. I wanna be under the Tuscan sun.
Sun, 2010-02-14 19:01
#14
B9sus4
Well.. today I went down off the mountain. Went to the supermarket. Got bananas, bagels, beer. No shit. But lately every time I go down the hill I feel like I'm on a set of one of those zombie movies.. ie., contemporary zombie movies. I'm goddamned spoiled by living on a mountain infested with a (supposedly) world class university. It twists your head, man. It does.
But.. IBEW.. I've Been Every Where. In this country. And a bit down south. Best place of all.. up north. All along the DEW line from Alaska to where I could look across the water to Greenland. I've been stalked at 20 below by Arctic wolves. And shat at by huge ravens.
Nay. It's the people. I recommend you go there. I really do. I tell this to everyone. You're a Canadian.. you should see this country. It's fucking fantastic. It's the best. BUT.. not for everyone. I'll admit that. Too boring for most people. Most people don't relate to nature very well. It scares 'em or something. I mean, yeah, it's scary alright. But not for the same reasons.
Canadians are beautiful. Canadians are tough. Incredibly tough. So tough.. they don't even know it. I'm astounded by it.
Sun, 2010-02-14 20:21
#15
Boom Boom
Most people don't relate to nature very well.
I have a home right beside the water on Quebec's Lower North Shore on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in a tiny community of 100 people. We are remote with no connecting roads to anywhere, although a connecting road is under construction to Natashquan and should be completed in two years. I have lived on the Lower North Shore since 1995 and honestly can not see myself living elsewhere - but I do love to travel.
Wildlife abound here. Every evening two gorgeous red foxes come to visit, and many varieties of birds use my feeding stations, and a hawk and a vulture prowl occasionally. Beras and moose and rabbits live less than four miles outside this village. We get I think four varieties of whales in our harbour, and the occasional shark.
I love it here, although normally we get more snow in winter than I can handle by myself. However, this winter we've had less than two inches of the white stuff.