Vacations: Where To Go, What To See, Where To Eat

[riley702]

3 hours ago, Zola said:

I also hope people we meet over there will be able to understand our broad and eclectic accents? More so with some of the words we come out with, which is standard fare over here, but might cause a lot of confusion over there - not least the word "pissed" (which over here means being drunk or annoyed); "fag" (over hear means cigarette), "bonnet" (to your car hood), "tights" (to your panty hose), "knackered" or "shagged" (your tired).. and a shed load more!

Just don't ask us about "fanny packs" ha!

Oh, yeah, I've heard about the Brit meaning of fanny packs! LOL. Pissed usually just means mad over here, fag means gay and will get you raised eyebrows, and shagged means had sex.

[Bastet]

10 hours ago, Zola said:

I also hope people we meet over there will be able to understand our broad and eclectic accents?

We have our share of those, too, and you'll be among fellow tourists, so you might hear quite a collection.

As for British expressions, while it's true that Americans as a lot are unfortunately not as well-traveled as many of their global counterparts, we do get out some.  Plus, we like British TV shows. ;-)  And, again, you'll be among tourists.  So, you may certainly say the odd word here and there that gets you a confused look, but in general you won't have trouble being understood.  But do, indeed, speak of cigarettes, not fags!

Are you planning a week in each of the five locations, or will some get more time than others?  You could spend a lot of time in D.C. and the surrounding area without running out of things to see and do!  And it has a good public transportation system (something not true of many American cities), so getting around is easy.  I used to go for a week at a time every few years as a kid/teen (my dad went a lot on business, so my mom and I would occasionally tag along and make a vacation of it) and a couple of times as an adult, and while there were a few things I made repeat visits to, I mostly did new things each time.  I haven't been in many years now, and really should get back.  But I digress ... I've been to all your destinations (although my time in Baltimore was limited), so I look forward to hearing of your adventures - and am happy to answer any questions I can.

When I got behind the wheel to drive in Ireland, it felt so weird!  But I adjusted quickly.  The only other time I've dealt with the steering wheel and car being on the "wrong" side was in England's Lake District; otherwise, I've traveled by train.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Bastet

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, Zola said:

Of course, I do sometimes worry about a worst-case-scenario of having five women in their 20s stuck in a the middle of nowhere because our RV has broken down!

Are y'all renting an RV?  If so, for the whole trip, or are you going to do DC and Baltimore separately (hotels), and fly out west to rent an RV there?

And just to clarify, when you say "Red Rock, UT," are you talking about the Zion area, or the Arches (Moab) area, or both? 

 

57 minutes ago, Bastet said:

But do, indeed, speak of cigarettes, not fags!

Or better yet, don't have anything to do with them.  Just yesterday I was doing the Narrows Hike in Zion National Park, where the hike into the slot canyon is in the river, as in you're actually walking in the river between the soaring walls.  It's really fun, but some asshole had to smoke his cigarette right at this spot where you have to decide whether to go right or left around a big boulder, and both look pretty deep so you spend some time pondering.  The smoke just hung in the air there because it had nowhere to go.  (I made a conscious effort to not look to see if he threw the butt on the ground because I just didn't want to know.)

Fortunately, either left or right meant wading in waist-deep water, and he was apparently put off by that and turned around to head back so we didn't have to deal with him again.

[Bastet]

9 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Just yesterday I was doing the Narrows Hike in Zion National Park, where the hike into the slot canyon is in the river, as in you're actually walking in the river between the soaring walls. 

I've done that hike; it's beautiful.  Have you hiked to Angel's Landing?  That's quite a view, but it's not for the faint of heart; if you can handle Narrows, though, you can handle that one (unless the combination of heights and narrow trails would make you uncomfortable).  That doesn't stop it from being crowded, but hopefully not too bad during the week this time of year.  I also like the Upper Emerald Pool (you ditch a fair number of people after the first two).  I like the Kolob Canyon section of the park a lot, too.  Well, I like the whole place, it's beautiful. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I've done that hike; it's beautiful.  Have you hiked to Angel's Landing?  That's quite a view, but it's not for the faint of heart; if you can handle Narrows, though, you can handle that one (unless the combination of heights and narrow trails would make you uncomfortable). 

As it happens, a combination of heights and narrow trails makes me extremely uncomfortable.  So Mr. Outlier did the Angel's Landing hike by himself a few years ago.  Plus I saw a recent photo that looks like the Hillary Step on Everest, with the crowds.  Ugh. 

We're planning to do one called Observation Point.  At the top, you're allegedly looking down at Angel's Landing, which should be a pretty good view.  It's not as notorious as Angel's Landing when it comes to danger, but I don't know if that's just because not as many people do it, or because the dropoffs aren't a huge deal.  If it gets too scary, I'll be happy to just stay put and let Mr. Outlier go on, or go back down by myself.

[Moose135]

Sounds like a great trip, @Zola!  I think I mentioned it earlier, but other than Red Rock, I've been to all of your definite spots, and I'd be glad to try to answer any questions you might have.  Don't worry about people understanding your accents - when I was out at the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley a couple of years ago, I ran into people from England, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Japan, and a few other countries, so folks are used to hearing a mix of languages and accents.

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

We're planning to do one called Observation Point.  At the top, you're allegedly looking down at Angel's Landing, which should be a pretty good view.  It's not as notorious as Angel's Landing when it comes to danger, but I don't know if that's just because not as many people do it, or because the dropoffs aren't a huge deal.  If it gets too scary, I'll be happy to just stay put and let Mr. Outlier go on, or go back down by myself.

I've done that one, too.  I checked my notes on it, and it will definitely be better for you than Angel's Landing, given your discomfort with the height/narrow trail combination (narrow trails, yes, especially once you hit Echo Canyon, but not with the steep dropoffs; you'll feel safely tucked in, I think), but it's also more strenuous than the trail to Angel's Landing, so be prepared.  It's rather relentlessly uphill for what seems like a long time (the scenery doesn't change - you're a bit boxed in - for a lot of the uphill stretch, so it feels even longer than the few miles it is) and takes a good while round trip.  It's definitely the only hike you'll want to do in a day!  You can branch off along the way to Hidden Canyon, but that will make it a really long day (unless you just want to go to the mouth of the canyon and look out).  Oh, and per a grumble in my notes, because you start out on a paved path (from Weeping Rock), the last section of your relaxing downhill hike (you come back the way you came) is on pavement, and that's a little hard on the knees.

[Zola]

Thanks for all the great advice, guys!

We haven't worked out precise details with regards our chosen destinations, so I will get back to you on the specifics once we've agreed on a plan (although I might need your help during that planning process).

What we have agreed on is to fly from London or Manchester to Las Vegas, hire an RV and drive to those first three destinations (which will occupy the first four weeks of our five week trip); And then from Red Rock, we might return to Las Vegas and fly out to Washington DC, and spend our final week there and Baltimore, before flying out from Dulles back to the UK. (does that sound feasible?)

That's the initial plan at least, but subject to change no doubt. But the adventure begins on Friday 5th October, and ends on or around the 9th November. 

[annzeepark914]

@Zola:  Your vacation sounds wonderful!  You folks are brave, driving an RV, but at least it will be while you're out in the "wide open spaces".  While you're in the metro DC area, I hope you get to see some autumn foliage.  Re: Baltimore?  Know exactly where you're going while there.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 5/31/2018 at 9:47 PM, Bastet said:

I've done [Observation Point hike], too.  I checked my notes on it, and it will definitely be better for you than Angel's Landing, given your discomfort with the height/narrow trail combination (narrow trails, yes, especially once you hit Echo Canyon, but not with the steep dropoffs; you'll feel safely tucked in, I think), but it's also more strenuous than the trail to Angel's Landing, so be prepared.  It's rather relentlessly uphill for what seems like a long time (the scenery doesn't change - you're a bit boxed in - for a lot of the uphill stretch, so it feels even longer than the few miles it is) and takes a good while round trip.  It's definitely the only hike you'll want to do in a day!  You can branch off along the way to Hidden Canyon, but that will make it a really long day (unless you just want to go to the mouth of the canyon and look out).  Oh, and per a grumble in my notes, because you start out on a paved path (from Weeping Rock), the last section of your relaxing downhill hike (you come back the way you came) is on pavement, and that's a little hard on the knees.

The Observation Point hike was fine for this acrophobe because, as you said, I felt safely tucked in even though there were dropoffs.  But the trail was almost always at least 3 or 4 feet wide, and usually had rocks or vegetation on the drop-off edge, which help psychologically.  I could have done without the kids sitting right on the edge of the rock outcropping at the top, over the chasm.  I live my life in fear of a rogue gust of wind.

We went early, so the relentless uphill at the beginning was in the shade.  On the way down, people were going up it in full sun, and I was surprised they weren't dropping dead as they walked.  There's no way I would have made all the way to the top if I'd had to do that beginning climb in the sun.

Mr. Outlier added the Hidden Canyon detour at the end, and reported that I would have been scared on parts of it.  While he did that, I stopped at the museum on the way back and watched the introduction movie.  It was a real treat because they had the air conditioning set on about 50 degrees.

I don't really like to hike, so of the two I did in Zion, I liked the Narrows better because it was unusual--walking in the river.  Boy were my legs sort the next day, from having to push my feet through water for 6 miles or whatever, plus the shoes I wore turned out to hold water, so it was like walking with lead weights.  But yeah, I liked that one more that the one with the epic climb and majestic view.  Go figure.

[Zola]

On 01/06/2018 at 6:36 AM, Zola said:

Thanks for all the great advice, guys!

We haven't worked out precise details with regards our chosen destinations, so I will get back to you on the specifics once we've agreed on a plan (although I might need your help during that planning process).

What we have agreed on is to fly from London or Manchester to Las Vegas, hire an RV and drive to those first three destinations (which will occupy the first four weeks of our five week trip); And then from Red Rock, we might return to Las Vegas and fly out to Washington DC, and spend our final week there and Baltimore, before flying out from Dulles back to the UK. (does that sound feasible?)

That's the initial plan at least, but subject to change no doubt. But the adventure begins on Friday 5th October, and ends on or around the 9th November. 

I found this rather useful link that will certainly help plan our route around Utah's National Parks.

It's quite a long but very indepth article, that has certainly opened my eyes; and certainly adds a little more flavour to what we originally had planned. 

But as the article stresses - "less is more", even if we are going to be in that particular neck of the woods for four weeks.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g28965-c177493/Utah:United-States:Trip.Planning.html

[StatisticalOutlier]

Hey, @Zola, remember that I recommended that you avoid the summer if at all possible?  We left Arches National Park in Utah at noon today (Sunday), and counted 120 cars queued up to get in.

So far, I've found on the ground a towel that someone had brought with them from Australia and a packet of tissues that someone had brought from China. 

[Blergh]

13 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Hey, @Zola, remember that I recommended that you avoid the summer if at all possible?  We left Arches National Park in Utah at noon today (Sunday), and counted 120 cars queued up to get in.

So far, I've found on the ground a towel that someone had brought with them from Australia and a packet of tissues that someone had brought from China. 

Yikes, that kind of 'vacation' can help a person appreciate the 'great indoors' in places such as museums and historic sites not so well trod! What   stories that towel and those tissues could tell of their journeys from Australia and China! LOL

[SunnyBeBe]

Not sure who hasn't made plans yet, but, I happened to have a business matter on Emerald Isle, NC, yesterday and drove down just for the day. OMG, it was beautiful.    I wanted to spend the weekend, but, prior commitments prevented that. I did take a look at a few places to stay.  I normally go to Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, NC, since they have so much to offer with regard to dining, sites, downtown historic district, etc. but, I was impressed with the simplicity of Emerald Isle.  I did see a large waterpark type facility and some restaurants.  These beaches are much less touristy than Myrtle Beach, SC and not as far south.  I saw a lot of license plates from states pretty far north. 

https://www.emeraldisle-nc.org/

https://www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/wrightsville-beach/about/vg-request/

The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, is not too far from these beaches either.  I enjoy going.

http://www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores

[Mindthinkr]

6 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Not sure who hasn't made plans yet, but, I happened to have a business matter on Emerald Isle, NC, yesterday and drove down just for the day. OMG, it was beautiful.    I wanted to spend the weekend, but, prior commitments prevented that. I did take a look at a few places to stay.  I normally go to Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, NC, since they have so much to offer with regard to dining, sites, downtown historic district, etc. but, I was impressed with the simplicity of Emerald Isle.  I did see a large waterpark type facility and some restaurants.  These beaches are much less touristy than Myrtle Beach, SC and not as far south.  I saw a lot of license plates from states pretty far north. 

https://www.emeraldisle-nc.org/

https://www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/wrightsville-beach/about/vg-request/

The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, is not too far from these beaches either.  I enjoy going.

http://www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores

Gee. I would have come out and met you for a cocktail. Let me know when you’re in the Wrightsville Beach-Wilmington area next. There’s so much to do here besides the good beaches. There’s a website called Whatsonwilmington that has so many free things to choose from as well as all other goings on. 

[SunnyBeBe]

7 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Gee. I would have come out and met you for a cocktail. Let me know when you’re in the Wrightsville Beach-Wilmington area next. There’s so much to do here besides the good beaches. There’s a website called Whatsonwilmington that has so many free things to choose from as well as all other goings on. 

OH, okay.  Sounds great.  I like the Bluewater Grill.  So relaxing and great views. I haven't been in awhile though.  Probably great new places too. I'll check out that link. 

Edited June 23, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

OH, okay.  Sounds great.  I like the Bluewater Grill.  So relaxing and great views. I haven't been in awhile though.  Probably great new places too. I'll check out that link. 

 

I like the Bluewater Grill too as it has a great view of the Intracoastal as well as watching the drawbridge go up on the hour. I do know better (and cheaper) places to eat in that area. Let me know. If you are ever staying in WB go to the King Neptune restaurant on a Wednesday night. It has chicken and waffles for $1.95 and $5 glasses of wine. Then go next door to Red Dogs as they have an impromptu bluegrass jam (admission free). They quit jamming early (@9) so it isn’t a late night but a fun and cheap one. 

Edited June 23, 2018 by Mindthinkr
Too not to!

[SunnyBeBe]

Man, you do know your way around WB!  

[Mindthinkr]

5 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Man, you do know your way around WB!  

Yup. I do.  And if any of you are around here let me know. I’ll show y’all a good time. 

[walnutqueen]

48 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Yup. I do.  And if any of you are around here let me know. I’ll show y’all a good time. 

Careful, now ... that statement could be misconstrued!  ;-)

[Mindthinkr]

9 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Careful, now ... that statement could be misconstrued!  ;-)

Lol...of course your mind would go there! I meant I would happily be a tour guide just to make sure everyone knows what I meant. 

[SunnyBeBe]

On 5/31/2018 at 11:37 AM, Zola said:

Just a quick update: my friends and I have finally agreed on where to visit when we fly out to the States in October. We're sticking with our original "Definites" over that 5 week period, and nothing additional to that (the "maybes" can wait till next year). So we're now preparing all the logistics, requirements and "dos and dont's" for those particular areas, along with good places to stay. Our spending budget between the 5 of us will be around $10-15,000 (which includes motels, hotels and transportation etc.) Not sure if that will be enough for 5 people over 5 weeks, but we do have our credit cards as a Plan B.

Fortunately, I won't be driving during the trip, primarily because my small brain can't cope with driving on the right side of the road, with the car steering wheel on the left. Just as well we have 2 peeps in our party that don't mind doing the driving.

 

Getting excited now! 

Your trip sounds awesome.  Are you intending to rent RV for the DC and Maryland portions, fly out west and then RV or rent RV in the start and drive the entire way?  I wasn't clear on your transportation mode. 

[Blergh]

Here's a travel tip I haven't seen gain much distribution but I think vital to anyone flying to a foreign destination: Before you board the plane, make sure you have ONE working pen on your person because inevitably one will be required to fill out customs forms, visas,etc. and rarely will flight attendants have enough pens for the entire plane. Also, try to fill those out ASAP after takeoff once the flight is smooth so one won't have to scramble doing it during the landing,etc.

[Mindthinkr]

22 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Here's a travel tip I haven't seen gain much distribution but I think vital to anyone flying to a foreign destination: Before you board the plane, make sure you have ONE working pen on your person because inevitably one will be required to fill out customs forms, visas,etc. and rarely will flight attendants have enough pens for the entire plane. Also, try to fill those out ASAP after takeoff once the flight is smooth so one won't have to scramble doing it during the landing,etc.

I always carry pens and usually a few crossword puzzles and some note paper or legal pads. I’ve written some really good poems on planes and once did one for a guy sitting next to me for him to give to his wife for their anniversary. 

If traveling in the U.S. I also suggest taking postcard stamps. It’s not always convenient to find a post office and most places you stay at will cheerfully mail them if they are pre-stamped. Sometimes I’ll even do stickers with peoples names and addresses on them so all I have to do is write a small sentiment them add the label and stamp.  It’s easier than taking my address book and all the kids in the family (and friends kids and grandchildren) love getting mail. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/20/2018 at 1:53 PM, Mindthinkr said:

 all the kids in the family (and friends kids and grandchildren) love getting mail. 

That makes me happy.

[emma675]

I'm going to Italy!! It's one of my three bucket list trips and I'm finally going in September. 

We're doing a tour starting on the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Pisa, Florence, Tuscany and ending in Venice. 

We booked an extra day in Rome and Venice for shopping (our tour days cover the museums and touristy stuff), so if anyone has store recommendations I'm game!

Edited July 25, 2018 by emma675d

[ABay]

It sounds like a beautiful trip! 

[Katy M]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/25-international-tourist-traps-to-avoid-—-and-where-to-go-instead/ss-AAA9aBS?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP#image=50

MSN posted a thing about tourist traps to avoid.  I've only been to three places on this list: Pisa (the tourist trap) and Siena (the place you should go instead).  I'll admit that if I could only do one or the other, I would pick Siena, but I wouldn't really say that Pisa should be avoided.  Yes, it's only 3 buildings but they're interesting.  And, I took a gondola ride in Venice.  Overpriced?  Probably. But, it's kind of a quintessential Italian experience.    So, I'm not really tempted to take any of the advice.

 

14 hours ago, emma675 said:

I'm going to Italy!! It's one of my three bucket list trips and I'm finally going in September. 

We're doing a tour starting on the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Pisa, Florence, Tuscany and ending in Venice. 

We booked an extra day in Rome and Venice for shopping (our tour days cover the museums and touristy stuff), so if anyone has store recommendations I'm game!

I don't have any store recommendations, but just wanted to say I love, love, love Florence.  I think it's my favorite European city that I've been to.

[auntlada]

Watch your wallet/purse in Rome. Be aware of who is around you at all times, and never carry your money in your back pocket or a purse hanging from your shoulder. Watch out for your front pocket, too. A guy in our group had his wallet stolen from his front pocket while riding the bus to the Vatican. That route is apparently popular for pickpockets because tourists take it a lot.

[ABay]

Rome is the only place I've ever felt targeted as a tourist on my own. 

[Mindthinkr]

On 7/25/2018 at 3:09 PM, ABay said:

Rome is the only place I've ever felt targeted as a tourist on my own. 

I watched a pickpocket scene in Venice. They had kids in on it so always be careful. They say to put rubber bands around a wallet and is makes it harder to remove but an inside jacket pocket or money belt are good options. The worst targeting I had was in a museum in Paris. If there are tourists, there are opportunists. 

I came here to ask...does anyone have any suggestions for Bermuda? 

[starri]

On 8/6/2018 at 10:51 AM, Mindthinkr said:

I Hey I came here to ask...does anyone have any suggestions for Bermuda? 

My recommend would be “don’t.”  

But I’m also someone who loathes beaches and due to a rather unusual health issue, can’t really go in bodies of water for any appreciable length of time, and there’s very little else in Bermuda. 

[auntlada]

15 hours ago, BooksRule said:

Mine is a 2007, bought in late 2006.  Brand new (with around 200 miles on it--that many only because it had to be driven in from another dealer in order to get the color I wanted).  I now have a little under 117,000 miles on it.  I would have more miles, but I live very close to work and I know a long commute can pile on the miles. 

Peeve:  Website links that don't go anywhere.  I'm planning a trip and want to read reviews and check out websites for restaurants, shops, and such (mainly used book stores and interesting-sounding thrift stores).  But half the links aren't good anymore.  It's a pain when all I have is an address and can't find out if the place is worth making a detour off my interstate route to visit. 

Where are you going? Maybe someone here can help you out with info.

[walnutqueen]

I can almost guaran-fuckin-tee you that Beautiful B.C. is the place to visit if you cannot afford the travel to New Zealand.  Take the ferry into the Inside Passage and save yourself major $$$s.  

Gentle Englishwoman Zola will rue the day she threw over specfuckingtacular B.C, for some dry desert dirt.  :-D

[Blergh]

walnutqueen,

 

 I haven't done the Inside Passage but I have visited both Vancouver and the smaller capital city of Victoria, BC and both are quite amazing to see with plenty of historic sites, comforts and amenities of city life AND both in very close range of some truly  spectacular nature venues! So if one likes the 'great outdoors' but likes good food and comfortable lodging, those are well worth it! 

[BooksRule]

Quote

Where are you going? Maybe someone here can help you out with info.

Actually, I just got back a few minutes ago!  It was a conference in Charleston, but I ended up in full days of meetings and didn't get to do too much.  And then, I had some trouble with the rental car (the front 'lip' below the bumper came loose).  I had planned on making a couple of side stops along the way home and doing a few errands local to the area before I hit the road for real, but I wanted to get the car back to the rental place before they closed today, so I made a beeline back, stopping only for gas and to get something to eat.  I did manage to get to the local Trader Joe's, so I stocked up on my favorite cookies and a couple bottles of cheap wine!

[DeLurker]

2 hours ago, BooksRule said:

, so I stocked up on my favorite cookies and a couple bottles of cheap wine!

The important stuff!

[annzeepark914]

Hoo boy...I just read online that a woman was murdered Tuesday on Royal Princess.  She was strangled and pushed over the rail (she was on the Lido deck, about the 15th or 16th deck) and landed on one of the rescue boats.  At 4:00 AM. She was seen struggling with a "muscular man".  Another article said her husband was cooperating with the police (Aruba...that'll go well, right?) We're taking the Royal Princess on a cruise over New Year's. We've never done a cruise in the Caribbean.  Can you tell I'm a worry wart?  Why would someone be up at 4:00 AM anyway?

[Mindthinkr]

9 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Why would someone be up at 4:00 AM anyway?

A night of dancing and drinking? Arguing. Post coitus.  In NY bars don’t close until 4 am so it’s not uncommon for people to be out and about on their way home at that hour. Some go out for breakfast and some just head for their beds. 

[walnutqueen]

13 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Why would someone be up at 4:00 AM anyway?

At that hour, I'm usually already on my second cup of morning coffee!  ;-)

[annzeepark914]

4 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

A night of dancing and drinking? Arguing. Post coitus.  In NY bars don’t close until 4 am so it’s not uncommon for people to be out and about on their way home at that hour. Some go out for breakfast and some just head for their beds. 

OK.  But she was 52.  She must have been an energetic 52.  I have never been high energy so those late hours were done in my 20's.  Such a rotten thing to happen, though. RIP dear lady :>(

[emma675]

She could have been up early to watch the sunrise and hit the buffet before everyone else, too.

Edited November 17, 2018 by emma675d

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

OK.  But she was 52.  She must have been an energetic 52.  I have never been high energy so those late hours were done in my 20's.  Such a rotten thing to happen, though. RIP dear lady :>(

I'm older than that, and there are times I find myself up that late just watching an old movie and playing on the computer.  I've been out photographing the start at night in the mountains, and by the time I drive home, then start looking at my shots, I'm up even later.

[Bastet]

Proof of how very much I am not a morning person - about half a dozen reasons why one wouldn't have gone to bed yet at 4:00 a.m. (especially on vacation) immediately sprang to mind when I read the question, but I never once thought about the possibility of someone having already slept and gotten up that early until I read those responses.  Heh.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Bastet

[JTMacc99]

I woke up around 4:00 A.M. this morning. Rolled back over and went back to sleep until the alarm went off at 5:50. Dragged myself out of bed, had coffee, some fruit, fed some animals (cat, dogs, guinea pigs), then put on the appropriate gear and went outside for the next two hours to deal with the freaking 8-10 inches of snow that fell yesterday here in lower NY state.  

I don't take a lot of vacations, and rarely to someplace all warm and island like. A few more storms like this one, and I might change that "rarely" to "frequently".

Edited November 16, 2018 by JTMacc99

[Moose135]

4 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

I don't take a lot of vacations, and rarely to someplace all warm and island like. A few more storms like this one, and I might change that "rarely" to "frequently".

One winter back on Long Island, when we had stupid snowstorms every week from December through February, I joked that I was going to tie the snow shovel to the hood of my car and drive south.  When someone asked me "What's that thing?" that's where I was going to live.

[BooksRule]

Quote

One winter back on Long Island, when we had stupid snowstorms every week from December through February, I joked that I was going to tie the snow shovel to the hood of my car and drive south.  When someone asked me "What's that thing?" that's where I was going to live.

I've always lived in the deep south where we rarely have snow (when we do, it's never more than about an inch and is usually gone by lunchtime).  The only snow shovel that I've ever seen 'in person' was one that my neighbor owned.  He used it to scrape mud and accumulated dirt from the gutter in front of his house.  He moved out to Texas a few years ago, but I don't know if he took the shovel with him.

[emma675]

We rarely get snow in North Texas but I swear we handle it just as well as it looked like Manhattan handled it yesterday, lol.

Edited November 17, 2018 by emma675d

[JTMacc99]

12 hours ago, emma675 said:

We rarely get snow in North Texas but I swear we handle it just as well as it looked like Manhattan handled it yesterday, lol.

There were multiple things that happened in this area with that storm, all bad. 

It was way too early for significant snow, so preparing for it, both commuters and city/state departments, wasn’t really done seriously. 

The forecast underestimated the strength of the storm by 50%.

It went from nothing, nothing, a few snowflakes, a shitload of snow on the ground very rapidly right before the evening commute. 

So that added up to: no salt or sand already on the roads, immediately snow covered roads, nobody leaving work early therefore EVERYONE getting on the roads at exactly the same time the roads became treacherous, everyone pissed off and blaming someone else. 

[harrie]

Our roads (in CT) were pre-treated with a chemical mix, we had plows loaded with salt/sand mix ready to go, and we were still socked.  The storm just came on extremely quickly and its intensity was underestimated, as you point out, @JTMacc99 - I left work early when sleet started, and when I reached home 45 minutes later, I was crawling on snowy roads.