United States People & Culture

Rapidliy growing city and a great pit stop if traveling from Phoenix to Tucson. Very nice helpful people and John Wayne lived there in the old days.

If you go to Salt lake City, keep in mind that it is the Mecca for Mormons. Without stereotyping, Mormons in general are super nice and caring people. Consider your dress and behaviour when there. i know you have rights and I'm not suggesting that you not be yourself. I would liken it to being in a Muslim country where the women cover thier heads. It is only a courtesy to respect thier culture when in thier territory by covering your own head.

Olympia is truly a gem of a town in washington state. I have never experienced such a pure and down to earth culture of people, most of whom seem in touch with not only the environment but also their bodies and spirits. It's proximity to magical rain forests and Mt. Raineer glaciers, as well as raging whitewater rivers, make it one of the few places to which I would consider returning to live for a chapter.

Many people stop here to go up Pike's Peak. At the risk of stating the obvious, it get's VERY cold at the top of the peak. Bring long pants and a sweater even if it is 90 down below. Also, while the cheap doughnuts up top look tempting, they have a tendency to expand in the stop on the descent. For the fit, try biking down the peak.

Great city, many fun attraction, good shopping, nice friendly people. Attractions: boeing factory, space needle, eastern washington wineries. best western underneath the space needle good / central hotel. pike market, indian art.it can be rainy

Nashville is awesome! Take a walk and explore the culture around the Gaylord Arena. Tons of different music, foods, atmosphere!

If you go to Salt lake City, keep in mind that it is the Mecca for Mormons. Without stereotyping, Mormons in general are super nice and caring people. Consider your dress and behaviour when there. i know you have rights and I'm not suggesting that you not be yourself. I would liken it to being in a Muslim country where the women cover thier heads. It is only a courtesy to respect thier culture when in thier territory by covering your own head.

Olympia is truly a gem of a town in washington state. I have never experienced such a pure and down to earth culture of people, most of whom seem in touch with not only the environment but also their bodies and spirits. It's proximity to magical rain forests and Mt. Raineer glaciers, as well as raging whitewater rivers, make it one of the few places to which I would consider returning to live for a chapter.

For a truly shitty experience go to the Inland Center Mall or even worse make your way over to the Carousel Mall. Any real risk taker knows that to really enjoy a city, one must delve themselves into the culture. While making your way to the Carousel Mall, take a stroll on South "E" Street. The cracked streets and beggars are sure to make for a plethora of inspiring vacation photos.

Perhaps you'll find an open restaurant or two, but I doubt it. Who needs it anyway? This is the wild west. So snort some meth, take a shot and head down to South "E" Street for a vacation I can promise you'll remember forever.

Philadelphia to most is not a great city. However once in Phlly many never turn back. The native Philadelphians rarely leave and defend their city with all of their energy.

I, myself am a convert from New York. Philadelphia initially wasn't so great from my perspective but there's a lot to see and do. There's been tremendous improvement over the last decade.

Philly has some of the best eats around. There is always a new opening of a restaurant and the variety is really great. You can always find something unique regardless of the neighborhood you're in.

The other thing about Philadelphia is that it's a city of neighborhoods with distinct cultures and offerings for the city. The Center City is the CBD and just outside of Center City is University City where many colleges are. Philadelphia is another college town (after Boston). While the concentration is very much in University City there are a myriad of post high school institutions that span the city's borders.

Now Philadelphia is in change. A new Mayor, new buildings, 'renovation' of the city.

Nashville is awesome! Take a walk and explore the culture around the Gaylord Arena. Tons of different music, foods, atmosphere!

Great college town!  About 25 minutes away from Kansas City.  Check out the local music venues for shows.  Usually the best ones come around Spring.

GO TO BROADWAY TO SEE WICKED THE MUSICAL AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice night clubs with Cuban music and beautiful malls.

great food, great music, great culture, bad crime. be careful where you go. stay on main roads and don't get lost.

Make sure to bring your camera and lots of extra memory. Bryce Canyon is so amazing. You should go on hikes there, but bring LOTS of water. While you're there, you should also stop by Zion, a similar national park only a few hours away. There is this place there where water that sifted through the sandstone falls on you. It's really cool. At Bryce there are shuttle buses that bring you to select attractions.

If you love to hike, one of my favorite places in the world is up Adam's Canyon. It is a hiking trail off Hwy 89. My husband proposed to me on top of the hill after viewing the two waterfalls on this beautiful trail.

Lots of great hiking to be had at Zion National Park. Most are not paved or even have an evident trail to follow. There are rocks you sometimes have to climb over and streams to cross so go prepared. Bring water, a walking stick, camera, good hiking boots, an extra pair of socks and boots so you can change into them if your gets wet. There are deer, goats, and mountain lions in the area. There are short trails and very long trails making it easy for everyone to enjoy.

Bring your hiking boots...and sunscreen. Because once you see the gorgeous red rock mountains surrounding St. George, you'd be crazy not to want to hike them. I once knew a girl who was unprepared and braved the terrain in heels! Don't be that girl..

Every Sunday Campbell hosts an open-air farmers market in the middle of Campbell Avenue. They close the street to all traffic so that the vendors can sell everything from fish to flowers to fruit and candles. Its a must do. They also have great festivals like St Patrick's Day with the handful of Irish Bars around the historic Campbell area, as well as an Oktoberfest.

1. dont get lost on the subway
2. watch your back

Rialto Is A City In the Inland Empire, a city filled with gangs drugs and a lot of mixes of different races. Party's every weekend fill this city with ambiance.
Bring Protection when ever visiting IE.

If you drive a car into San Francisco, be prepared to either parallel park or pay a premium for a lot.

For parallel parking, you may have to do so on a very steep hill so prepare yourself! For lots, expect to pay about $5-10 for a couple hours, $25 and up for overnight in private lots, and around $50 per night even when you are a guest at a major hotel.

When using Metro escalators, please stand on the right side and walk on the left side .

Make sure to bring your camera and lots of extra memory. Bryce Canyon is so amazing. You should go on hikes there, but bring LOTS of water. While you're there, you should also stop by Zion, a similar national park only a few hours away. There is this place there where water that sifted through the sandstone falls on you. It's really cool. At Bryce there are shuttle buses that bring you to select attractions.

Virginia Beach is situated three and a half hours car drive south from Washington DC and about an hour north of the Virginia and North Carolina state borders. The city is relatively small and has no public transportation, so driving is the best way to get around. However, the streets are not built in perpendicular fashion and street names tend to repeat themselves or vary by "drive," "street' or circle." Streets also tend to loop around. All this however, is a throwback to the English system if you have experienced London or other cities. After all, Virginia was the first English colony in America that thrived. The food is "American", but I found a great Japanese place not far from where I lived. The owners are Chinese but the chefs are Korean. I know the owners through their daughter who attended the same church as I did. You can also find typical "Southern" food, also known as the Golden Corral and Waffle House, also known as places where you can feel your arteries harden as you eat. There is the beach, of course, and the Broadwalk. However, the hotels and restaurants tend to be seasonal there as winter in Virginia Beach brings rainstorms and the occasional snow flurry. Temperatures can drop down to 40F/ 5C. Virginia Beach itself has plenty of activities during the summer, but for quieter beaches, head just south. Nestled between Little Creek and Virginia Beach is a much quieter area with houses instead of hotels on the Broadwalk. The people there are all government workers of some sort, whether NASA at Langley to the north, Navy personnel at Norfolk, Oceana, or Little Creek, or Air Force (also at Langley), or retirees from the government. People tend to be friendly but busy and the pace is much slower compared to other cities.

The local police in this town are all run by a corrupt town government. They prey on tourists and will throw you in jail for J-walking. Don't go drinking in Sheridan and I'd say stay in a tent. Even the locals are extra suspicious. The man who runs the campground on the edge of town came to me everyday I stayed there wanting to know when I was leaving and one day even confronted me while I was in the shower. He screamed at me "He this ain't the damned Hilton ya know, quit wasting all my water." He said "I seen ya taking those hour long showers!" This kind of startled me because I hadn't visited the shower house before this occasion and because I had just turned on the water. To make matters worse my rental car's muffler fell off and so it made a hideously loud noise when ever I pulled in and out of the campground. He would come out of his office and scream at me to slow down. At the end of my stay there, he had made a list of drummed up paranoid complaints about me and in told me that he was glad to see me go. I found the whole town of Sheridan from the police to the monument to "All the innocent murder victims of abortion," very paranoid of outsiders. They all wanted to know why I'd go backpacking in the Big Horns, and why I'd go backpacking in the Big Horns without a rifle or at least a pistol. Well that's my rant. Just keep your nose sterile clean in Sheridan because it's a cute town full of very paranoid people.

Washington is a great place to learn about our government and see awesome monuments and learn alot.

We visited Alexandria on our visit to Egypt. Regrettably, we could not go to the central market area because out guide said it was too dangerous. Apparently, Alexandria is a hotbed for anti-government Muslim activists and the fear that the will kidnap tourists is high. One the positive side, we stayed in an oceanfront hotel and the views across the Mediterranean were spectacular. The new library is awesome. Every meal we had was good...Egyptian food revolves around a lot of grilled meats and all those dishes one associates with the Middle East: fabulous cured olives, babaghanoush, deep-fried falafels with tahini sauce, etc. The icea cream in all of Egypt is good, but it is especially good in Alexandria and Cairo (they use tradional Italian recipes from before WW II. By the way, if you are a WWII buff, El Alamein is nearby and a visit to the Allied and to the German cementeries is a definite MUST!

If you like watermelon, or chickens this is a good place for you. Hope Arkansas is famous for it's watermelons. Bill Clinton was born here but the watermelons are still the best thing they produced. Washington State Park is close by.
From 1863-1865, Old Washington was the site of the Confederate capitol of Arkansas after the fall of Little Rock to Union forces. The original Arkansas Confederate capital, where the refugee government fled, still exists in the park. It is a part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark, a reference to Camden, the seat of Ouachita County in southern Arkansas.

This is a little Iowa town that 99.99999999 percent of the population won't want to see. There are no attractions. Just 8 streets and 500 dogs...however if you were in the area 60 years ago, the place was a hotspot. The dance hall (which is now a car garage) was graced by performers like Benny Goodman and Glen Miller. People used to come on the train from Chicago to hear music and to dance. The bar is now apartments and hotel doesn't exist anymore, but pictures of the old dance hall are worth seeing. Stop by the extremely tiny and rustic-looking town hall/post office and ask to see pictures of what the town looked like before 1950 (when fires started destroying the businesses) or before 1929 (when the depression started destroying the little town's economy)....

Serendipity 3, Dylan's Candy Bar, and Economy Candy are a must for sweet sugar fixes

If you like thrift shopping, be sure to check out the PTA Thrift store (off of Jones Ferry exit off of 54;15/501). This store has a little bit of everything. It's small, but well run and proceeds benefit the schools. Very competitively priced items.

Within a half mile heading into town there is Club Nova. They have mostly clothes ranging in very decent prices. They also have a "specials from .25 to 100" in order to rotate products out that have been there over three plus months, as well as other sporadic sales.

Both places are FAR better priced than GoodWills. The specials and sales put them over the top. GoodWill stores do not do this. They have set prices.

If you forget items of clothing, I recommend hitting these places first. It benefits the local economy and they have great clothing. Every once in a while the people who inspect the items may miss a broken zipper or small detail... or someone may have broken a zipper trying on clothes. It never hurts to ask for a discount in private.

Thrift stores are usually my first stop if I forget an item of clothing.

Activities, Food Restaurants, its a very small town. South West of Columbus. The people are very laid back and a working class community. a regular public school and very interesting stores. such as antique shops and small space toy stores and a farm attraction called thomas' farm.and is also the birthplace of dave shepelle. antioch college is also located there. the sports that are popular in yellow springs are soccer, football, basketball, softball, swimming. Downtown is filled with family businesses and boutiques and a very old fashion feel. however the cost of living is high. On the upside the economy is very good. if you are the type of traveller who looks for old fashion town with a small amount of people that live close together that has a lot of agriculture then yellow springs Ohio is a good place to visit to take some photos.