Anybody else bored of traveling in their home country and prefer only international locations?

How is that possible? There are regions/ places of the US that feel like a foreign country (I guess that's relative to where you live), and there are plenty of interesting sites in such a huge country. You can easily go to Queens and feel like you're in multiple lands with so much diversity in foods, cultures, languages spoken, etc. My favorite regions in the US are still the Southwest and West - amazing natural scenery I will never tire of. I spent my early years in Europe and 20+ years in CA, and I can't get enough of that state either. I still haven't seen large swaths of it, mostly in the north and the Sierras. I think both types of travel (international and domestic) are great and I don't take any for granted. It's a gift to be able to travel and enjoy new places, no matter where you go.

I am never bored by travel any where. We travel both internationally and domestically every year.
There are parts of the US that don’t interest me just as there are places in the world I do not have desire to visit. I have been in 48 states and many foreign countries and can’t wait to travel somewhere new soon.

It’s interesting, I am in Philadelphia right now for several days for a conference and haven’t been here in about 30 years. As a child, I was amazed by all of the historical sites. I said to my mom on the phone last night that I think all of my overseas travel has jaded me because seeing these things now doesn’t hold the awe that it did for me as a child, although I certainly appreciate them and what they mean to m as an American. I think part of the reason is that America has such a short history compared to other places and for me, it’s hard for the Liberty Bell to compete with the Colosseum! But I’m at the point where any extra travel money I have, I go to Europe. I figured that when I am older and maybe not in great health, I can visit things closer to home.

Fortunately it's not either or for us. Just wondering what parts of the US that you have visited and are bored to death. Have you already checking off the Western National Parks and Monuments and eastern historic sites? And I read somewhere that it would take 10 years or more of eating out breakfast, lunch and dinner to try every restaurants and cafe in San Francisco.

I traveled extensively for business before retirement to places like California, Seattle, Florida, Virginia. I don' t have the domestic travel bug in me any longer.
We now live on a large lake in our front yard with 2 championship golf courses down the street. We also keep a RV in the mountains, and that's about the only place we travel to.
We do make a European visit yearly--often getting there on a repositioning cruise in April. Otherwise, we're sticking close to home--other than doctors' visits for my wife.

I’m at the point where any extra travel money I have, I go to Europe. I figured that when I am older and maybe not in great health, I can visit things closer to home.

My wife and I say that often. We used to go to the West Coast, especially California, a lot, but then we switched to yearly trips to Europe, mostly France. However, we've started to travel to Quebec province regularly the last several years. It's like going to France in a lot of ways, but it's only a 4 hour drive.

I'm Canadian and have visited Europe 5 times in the past 4 years now that our kids are grown. I'm finding that the more I visit Europe the more appreciation I have for Canadian history, especially after visiting the UK and France because of their strong historical influences on Canada. We're not going to stop visiting Europe but it has added ideas for a bucket list for home.

I like both. At home we mostly take off in our RV hoping to find some beautiful country to explore and just chill out a bit plus play tourist in the nearby towns.
I'm certainly braver and more willing to just head out with a map and a vague plan.

Outside the US I do enjoy the variety and differences compared to our normal lives. I'm actually fascinated by weird things like plumbing and bath fixtures.

On the other hand I read mostly British novelists because their live feel so different from my own. Makes for better escape-ism.

Sometimes, but I do love US travel too.

Where the US excels vs. other countries is the national parks and other outdoor areas. Sure you need to drive through the familiar interstate stuff to get there...but there’s nowhere else like the Grand Canyon. Or Joshua Tree. Or Yellowstone. Or about 1000 other places. You can visit these just driving through and stopping at viewpoints but if you are able to stay and walk even a few miles it is less crowded and better.

forshamina, i feel exactly the same as you. Europe is like a treasure box for me, the US is meh. As you said, basically the same culture everywhere here, but Europe is different cultures, fascinating history, incredible and old architecture, amazing food we can’t get here, different languages, gorgeous scenery, different lifestyle. I can never get enough of Europe.

Boredom is a state of mind. Go to Yosemite and listen to all the different languages being spoken. This country is filled with beautiful natural parks, many different cultures, and different ways of doing things. Santa Fe is very different from NYC or Chicago. Denali NP is very different than the Everglades NP. We travel extensively around the world and and love the differences and the similarities.

Funny this should come up. My brother and his wife are visiting us from Dodge City, KS this week. My husband and I feel like tourists. We went to the Brooklyn botanical Gardens, free tour at the Brooklyn museum, subway to a Yankee game in the Bronx, ferry from Brooklyn to Wall Street, went to the Old Customs house/American Indian Museum, museum and lunch at Fraunces Tavern, a day at the beach on Long Island, Dim Sum in Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, a tour of the Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg, Nathan's Hot dog in Coney Island, and pizza, pizza, and more pizza. We are having so much fun we ask each other why we don’t do more tourist things since we live right here. Sorry they are leaving tomorrow and hubby has to return to work. We take our own city for granted and hopefully we won’t any longer. Don’t know where you live, but there are many wonderful cities to visit all over the US.

Canadian and I'd much rather travel to Europe. We drove to Toronto 3 yrs ago and I felt a bit like it really wasn't a holiday. I know we should go out west to BC, but there are so many places I want to see in Europe - and honest to God, it costs about the same for us to fly to the UK vs BC, and flights to UK are faster! Thinking about travelling out west does not ignite any excitement in me at all.

Unless I cross an ocean to do any travelling, I would rather stay home.

I could say the same for places I’ve been to more than once in Europe! I’ve been all over the world with a few exceptions, and I am still in awe with the beautiful National Parks and Monuments in this beautiful country of ours! We leave on a road trip in two weeks for a visit with grandkids and then on to many parks in the 4 corners area. I’ve seen them all, more than once, but hubby has not. I find a short walk along a trail exhilarating! Nature at its best! But, this will most likely be my last visit in this area.
I don’t need to see anymore major tourist must sees in Paris, Rome, London, etc. I’ve been to these places too many times. We will be doing more traveling to places in Canada, the US and lesser traveled places in Europe once we see Spain and Portugal next year.

There’s still a lot of the US I need to see. I’ve yet to make quality visits to many of the national parks, even here in the western US; I’ve not yet been to Alaska; I’ve not spent a meaningful amount of time in Hawaii; I think I’d likely enjoy driving around parts of New England; I’ve yet to see much of the PNW.

For me, it’s not so much that I’m bored with the US or that none of it interests me. Rather, I can only take so much vacation time per year. Further, each trip requires some logistics - getting someone to look after my pets, making arrangements at the office, and so on. So when I do find myself considering options for those vacation days, I tend to feel like a big overseas trip is the best way to do it. Why burn up vacation days for a drive up to Wyoming? I’d rather it be a grander affair, and visit an entirely different country. Granted, I suppose shorter vacation drives to places in the US could be fairly easily done (take the dogs with me, so that I don’t need a sitter!), but it’s hard to turn down an opportunity to jet off to Europe.

Not at all bored with US travel. I love the parks and cities. I’m really not bored with any travel, from trips within my home state to other states, Canada, and overseas.

For me, the difference is that I spend significantly less time researching & planning a trip within the US than when it's a trip to Europe. Since researching helps build the momentum & excitement for a trip, it can seem that a US trip will be less interesting. But, I think it's comparing apples & oranges - or in our case, pineapple, apples & oranges! My husband comments that a trip in the US is much more relaxing because everything's more familiar, i.e. less decisions throughout the day. We usually take three trips a year with different purposes:

1. Feb. or March - a few weeks in Hawaii or Arizona to soak up the sun and feel like winter is finished. This is a relaxation trip with some laid-back sightseeing (exploring Volcano National Park). We're happy with a moderate condo.

2. A US trip to use our Delta companion ticket. This trip is to explore a state or two that we haven't visited, yet, or to meet relatives in a fun location. If we're not meeting relatives, we enjoy staying at a B&B to learn more about the area from a local. This year we loved our time in Newport, Rhode Island & NYC. It's a more energetic trip, but still relaxing. It's mainly a trip to enjoy each other in a new setting or connections with family and to learn more about our country's history, food, a local entertainment style.

3. A 2-3 week trip to Europe. This is full research planning, train & local transportation, exploring festivals, etc. to create a portfolio of possibilities for the places we're staying. Then we were arrive, we do what sounds fun in the moment. This is the one that I always create a photobook afterwards.

There are still places in the US on our bucket list, but my husband never has meetings in those places-whereas from Oct 2019 to May 2020, he has meetings in Rome, London, and Paris-free airfare for him and free hotel.

Nope, not bored at all! I like to do both. I was in Knoxville this spring and had a wonderful week visiting the touristy towns, doing the touristy things, seeing the natural beauty and trying local dishes.

And just got back from a road trip down the coast, exploring San Simeon, Cambria (adorable!) and Morro Bay with my dog.

I do think I'm trying harder to take as many international trips as I can, while I'm able, saving some of the big US trips for an age when I can no longer travel internationally. Or maybe that's just an excuse for prioritizing the international trips!

Wait a minute.....are you trying to get me to think about the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, Carlsbad Caverns? Is this some sort of a reverse psychology deal? Is it your wish to have me recollect the fantastic times I've had in Utah, or Maine or Montana? The uniqueness of Quebec, the allure of New Orleans, Glacier Bay in Alaska or the Redwoods of northern California? The Aztec ruins of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula?
OK - it worked - I'm ditching my passport. What the hell - it's pretty nice right across the street!

For me, I wouldn't use the word 'bored'. However, I have traveled so much more in the US that I am ahead in that matter and there are not too many exciting places remaining here for me...but there are still a few trains I've yet to ride and northern islands to enjoy. I'd say the level of excitement is not the same when traveling in the US. There's adventure in traveling to a country where you don't know the language, the culture, and the history. I still travel in the US and enjoy it, but it is missing that level of excitement, especially when compared with traveling abroad without advanced reservations...that was always great fun and rewarding. However, I haven't done since 2000 as my husband is more inclined to want security than adventure. LOL. YMMV.

The first time I ever traveled at all was not in Calif or elsewhere in the USA but going solo overseas to Europe in 1971 when I was 21 on that big momentous trip... the first time away from home, the first time away from my folks, the first time on a plane, ..all on a 3 month charter flight departing from OAK to London Gatwick.

Did I hear the same comments as you on why don't you travel first in the USA (or CA) than going to Europe on my first big trip? Certainly...not interested in that sort comment.

I would not use the word "bored" regarding traveling here. It is just different as to means, sites and places say going to Paris or Berlin. In 1971 it was unthinkable for me to be exploring and visiting Germany (and elsewhere in Europe) without including a stay in Berlin. Likewise , when I went back on the second trip in 1973, then it was going to Paris and Berlin.

I like traveling in the US (including Quebec) but I like being back in Europe more. It's not a matter of boredom but rather specific interests.

We tend to "mix up" our destinations during the year. So far, not bored with our choices. Living in the PNW we look forward to a warm climate come spring. We head to Hawaii for several weeks in March/April. In the past we have gone to California. Arizona, Florida, the Caribbean, South Seas, Austalia and NewZealand. Now Hawaii keeps calling us back!

Early summer we may head to the Oregon Coast, Canada, San Juan Islands, Eastern WA. (wine country) and stay at a favorite BnB. We also like to do "staycations" around our area. Just enjoy being tourists.

In the fall we have been traveling to Europe for 3-4 weeks. Guided tour mixed with self guided before and or after. We like doing self guided tours as well. We also enjoy visiting our favorite lake in Eastern WA. early October to see the changing colors in the mountains along the way.

Anybody else bored of traveling in their home country and prefer only international locations?

Not me

I like travel. So for me, US, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Antartica, all have something that makes me want to visit. I have been doing more travel to Europe the past 20 years because I had a good job and lots of disposable income and tour companies have made it easy to learn your way around. Also, I figure the long plane flights are easier to handle when you are younger.

What I don't like about travel in the US is the long driving stretches and lack of good train service through most of the country. I drive enough on a day to day basis. Covering the same stretch of Interstate over and over leaving home for any US destination gets old. So I fly close to where I'm going and rent a car on arrival. And I never have trouble finding something local and unique to do without relying on the same old fast food places and chain hotels. I've done most big cities that I have any interest in. The smaller towns are what I will be focusing on over the next few years.

From my perspective (German) of course there are a very few natural places in the US that are worth seeing but the list is imo or interest just a handful. I visited New England, Phily (5 weeks for business), Florida, Texas, California.

I can understand that "bored" feeling because I am very interested culturally and in the US there is nearly nothing culturally I like to explore because nearly nothing has a depth or seems worth to explore - I am sure that I missed some things that might be worth it. But why if I have a continent full of culture and history and natural beauty infront of my door.

What I really do not understand is what happened to the cultural roots of the US citizens? Nearly nobody has a family history there longer than 250 years - so less than 10 generations. Where is all that cultural heritage gone or how was it further developed? Nobody seems to be able to bake a simple good bread in the US (polarising statement). As German I can recognize some rests of German culture somewhere (e.g. German belt) which are somehow mixed up with a stressed, cost-cutting, flat-fun Brit / American style that makes it taste-less.

Another thing is that I never felt absolutely safe in the US - the firearms issue is just one of the reasons.
In Germen countryside or in Norway I can leave my car open for 2 days and it is cleaned when I re-use it - ok little exaggerated but nothing happens at all. Even on UAE countryside I feel safer and more welcome than in the US.

By the way: In the 80s I first visited the US as a teenager and I was surprised by the service and customer prientation which seems to be totally gone now. New England was really a horible experience especially compared to the prices they take. If I want luxury and excellent customer experience I would also prefer European best places or even UAE to the US - they all have German or Swiss directors (or people who learned it there) for their main customer related functions.

Finally do not get me wrong. I fully respect the US culture and the American way of life (or all of them) but I find nearly nothing interesting that fits my cultural, historcial or nature scenery interests I do not find in Europe (except the mentioned handful).

Kristen and Susan - thats what I miss in America.. the longer history, thousand year old monuments, palaces, forts, mausoleums, churches etc. After seeing the ancient structures in so many different places of the world, a lot of our historical sights seem boring in comparison. I think thats what bores me about US - too much new stuff and no old world charm that you see in Europe and Asia

MarkK - America emphasizes the “melting pot”. There is a unspoken expectation that immigrants will lose their culture to form a anglicized American culture. Here in Texas, we are supposed to have some “German culture” .. mostly centered around food. But after eating REAL German food in Germany and Austria, I cannot believe what I was eating all these years in Texas. So we do have old Europe culture, but its barely there and not visible to the naked eye lol

Doug.Spindler I laughed when you compared Las Vegas’s Venetian Hotel to Venice. Even before I visited Venice Italy, I was horrified at the sight of Venetian Hotel and those cheesy gondolas with flashy lights they have floating in the fake canal. Why do we have to take other people’s beautiful culture and turn it into a grotesque and cheap copy. Apologies to all Italians for what Vegas did to Venice.

Bored with U.S. travel? Among others, we've probably done 9 or so hiking trips just around the Southwest and can't ever imagine the landscapes of places like Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, Goblin Valley, Little Wild Horse Canyon, Strike Valley, Grand Canyon, Bandelier, Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon. etc. ever getting old. Add a dose of adobe architecture, prehistoric indigenous ruins, brightly colored arts and crafts, spicy green and red chiles and the rich blend of Spanish and Indian influences and, well, there's never been a dull moment! It's certainly a lot different than our part of the upper Midwest.

Same language? It's not unusual to hear more foreign languages in the National Parks and Monuments than English. We've shared trails with other outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world.

What Kathy said.

Those visitors from other parts of the world want to experience something out of their ordinary, too.

Doug.spindler and MarkK - I mostly agree with you. MarkK, for scenery try the US west, Utah, Arizona, California for our national parks. Those are worth coming here. But we have visited them many times and prefer to visit countries in Europe for the history, architecture in the old towns, food, and atmosphere. To experience these things not just see them.

Years ago on the plane coming home after a change in Washington DC, there was a high school group from the midwest on the plane. I overheard a boy comment that it would be nice to have grown up near the ocean, seeing it. I wondered if growing up/living near the coast gives one a different perspective on the limits or lack thereof in life. I also wonder how growing up and living in Europe in towns and countries with so much history affects ones outlook on life. Visiting these places gives me a different perspective, maybe a better understanding of the world, other people in it, and our place in it.

That's another big reason why we prefer to visit other countries.

How can anyone get bored with Hawaii or Charleston or Yellowstone or Washington DC?

Never. Ready to go anytime, anywhere.

What Kathy said.

Ditto in agreement.

There is a lot of stuff to see and do in the US, some examples: Cahokia Mounds near St Louis, amazing and very interesting, exactly the 1000 year old monuments someone said were lacking in the US, actually parts are up to 1400 years old. Also IIRC there are 2 settlements in the US continuously occupied for 1000 years, maybe Taos and Acoma? My pet peave: Europeans who think that the USA is only 240 years old, when that of course is not the age of the country, but the age of the government, and quite a long age by European standards where the age of the large majority of governments is less than 100 years.

Also art museums: There are world standard art museums and they house many regions and eras of art under one roof, and that leads to all kinds of interesting personal growth, going from Italy to Africa to the South Pacific in one visit. This is far less common in Europe although it can happen, e.g. Louvre, Vatican (although I think the Vatican art collection is a bit crappy), and I know the British Museum has a Japanese room because I badly needed air conditioning once. Personally I have really enjoyed the Frederik Meijer Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids, MI and the Oriental Institute in Chicago, few Americans have even heard of these.

I think a major problem is that most Americans are unfamiliar with their own country (unlike say Australians or Canadians) and don't know where to send outside visitors. How many Americans, for example, can name their own UNESCO World Heritage sites? And the trend to weekend in Vegas, or Orlando, or Austin (overrated I think) abandoning the longer driving trips of old doesn't help at all. But that so much of interest does not attract the foreign throngs is quite a good thing.

Also would add that it would be easy to design a cross continent European drive and see only motorways, fast food, and modern buildings. One of the hazards of staying at Airbnbs is one often ends up in newer areas and sees that outside of the "Old Towns" Europe looks a lot like the US, and people lead similar lifestyles.

"How can anyone get bored with Hawaii or Charleston or Yellowstone or Washington DC?"

I've never been to Hawaii or Yellowstone. But for Washington DC, I'd agree it's hard to imagine anyone getting bored since there is so much to see. On the other hand, I thought Charleston was a one day maximum sort of place. There's nothing much to visit and mostly it just desperately bangs on about being "historic" even though it's not very old at all.

To return to the original question, we've certainly visited more places in Europe during the last few years than we have our own country. When our children were young we did take them to see many places in Britain (just as my parents did with me). But in more recent years we've rather dropped England for the rest of the world. Our theory is that eventually we won't want to travel far and then we'll see again Britain's gems.

There's nothing much to visit and mostly it just desperately bangs on
about being "historic" even though it's not very old at all.

"Charles Town" is as old as colonization and, of course, inhabited by Native Americans way before that, can it get much older than that? It sounds like a US history lesson is in order. Compared to other places in the US, it actually is "very old" and has layers and layers of history (colonial, revolutionary, civil war, etc.), not to mention a prominent role in the slave trade. Some of the oldest slave descendants (Gullah) still shape the culture there, and you can see remnants of their life on the many plantations scattered throughout. Their presence is still felt in the many regional dishes and beautiful basketry as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina

Across several posts, there seems to be a preoccupation with "old", "very old" and "ancient" as if modern and new are somehow inferior and uninteresting. What if New York never evolved from New Amsterdam?

NIck, apparently you didn't do much eating in Charleston or go to the beach or go during Spoleto for the concerts or see the dungeon where the British kept colonial prisoners during the Revolution. Understandably, you wouldn't feel the need to see Fort Sumter, but Americans should see it (once). I hope you did a carriage ride while you were there.

Hello - NO. Matter of fact after 3 trips to Europe in the past 18 months we are looking forward to traveling the in US (well and Canada) in 2020. Maybe you just haven't thought outside the box when you travel in the US. We never ever eat at fast food restaurants whether or not we are on vacation. The same language??? Really? I think your husband has a great idea ... catch up and don't visit the "tourist areas" of the US that might be why you have such a negative opinion of the US

Over the years, I've realized that one of the best things about traveling (anywhere) is returning home! I love to travel and explore new places, however, I also appreciate so many things about living where I do in Canada.

Being retired, we tend to travel during the spring, autumn, or winter months - and enjoy our own region's many attractions, festivals, special events and outdoor activities during the summer. We have about a dozen favorite places in the USA that we've returned to multiple times and we've never been bored at any of those places.

You say: "When I vacation, I want to see something out of the ordinary".

Have you visited the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites throughout the USA and Canada (both natural and cultural)?

Have you experienced architectural tours in Chicago, New York City, Santa Barbara CA, Scottsdale AZ, Newport RI, or Honolulu HI (there's more to beautiful Hawaii than beaches!)?

How about architectural tours in Canada: Quebec City, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Victoria, to name just a few?

What do you do while traveling internationally that you could do near home? Try being "a tourist in your own town" or region. We're all creatures of habit, and sometimes "we turn off our senses" in our daily routines.

I have not traveled outside North America and Europe, but is there another country in the world that offers the diversity in geography and culture that the United States offers? The United States has world-class cities including in several respects the most impressive national capital anywhere, extraordinary regional cuisine, great museums, soaring mountains, moving battlefields and other historic sites, incredible beaches and coast lines, impressive vineyards, and a range of spectator sporting events unmatched anywhere else. And if one reason for travel is to understand others, what better country to more fully understand than a continental nation that is the world's leading economic and military power--and that seems to be experiencing considerable political change.

I understand that some--perhaps many--believe that we are inundated with political news and seek to avoid reminders of our nation's politics at this time. I understand that in this country there are large areas that are economically and culturally challenged, perhaps severely, and that are not pleasant to stop in or travel through. And yes, we do love our fast-food and other chain restaurants.

But to answer the original question posed, I am not bored with travel inside the US (though I may be bored with repeating certain types of vacations). I love visiting Europe and hope to return several times in the future (I have visited Europe six times and do read these forums). But there is hopefully room on my plate for travel inside the US as well.

Finally, for anyone who is so bored--and if you are bored, you are certainly entitled to your opinion--please let me know if you somehow gain access to tickets to the Masters (my luck in the Masters lottery has not been good) and want to sell them because Augusta in April does not hold the same appeal as Paris or Rome.

And if we were to expand geography of the query to Continent as in North America from country, there are more wondrous North American places to visit that I have money, time or energy to visit. For example, just checking of the "Still Standing" small Canadian towns: https://www.cbc.ca/stillstanding/episodes/

If I am there, I most definitely will see Fort Sumter, one the two forts still in Federal hands when the firing on Sumter commenced.

Charleston was one the absolute worst defeats suffered in the Revolution....another incentive to see the place. Between Washington DC and Boston, I will go back to both but people-wise, I didn't care for Boston at all, but that does not precluded return visits; it's still an exceeding interesting place culturally and historically.

True, how can one be bored with Washington DC, I went there the first time in early Dec 2016, spent about a week there....enlightening, interesting, The next time back will be in the summer of 2020 or 2021.

but is there another country in the world that offers the diversity in
geography and culture that the United States offers?

Brazil is the first thing that popped into my head, and there are many others (China, India, Mexico, and on and on). Not to the exclusion of everything else but, in terms landscapes and biodiversity, South America is pretty damn amazing. The Amazon itself is one of the most unique places in the world and unparalleled for wildlife diversity.

Not bored, exactly, just not nearly as thrilled by the US compared to glorious Europe. I live near San Francisco and will say that I never tire of going there, always a treat. I'd like to visit Cape Cod and Austin, TX, and will eventually re-visit New York City and Boston. I'm going to need a brief respite once summer is over--due to my job I really can't take time off in summer--and think I'll visit Carmel for 3 days--though I'd much rather pop on over to London for the same length of time :)

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/these-american-destinations-feel-like-youre-visiting-another-country/ss-AADz9bg?ocid=ientp

ok take out the Las Vegas slides but the rest are interesting

Certainly one of the things I enjoy most about travel to Europe is all the remarkably (and remarkable!) old history - castles, cathedrals, and even just strolling down streets with structures and surfaces that have been there for many hundreds and even thousands of years. Further, something I love about city centers across Europe that I can't find in the parts of the US I've mostly lived is just how walkable they are.

I'm far from bored by the US, though - we're a hodgepodge of regions and accents, little ethnic enclaves and islands, melded cultures and unique histories.

Big east coast cities like New York and Boston are so completely different from the Southern California cities I'd lived in as to make them almost foreign - the hustle and bustle of cities like New York, the row houses and brownstones of some older east coast neighborhoods, revolutionary and civil war battlefields and sites. Even California and the West had a lot of new and different things - I was truly a stranger in a strange land my first time visiting a rodeo; San Francisco seemed so different from Los Angeles; venturing off the interstate for long road trips sent me through fascinating old mining towns and places I never knew existed; some of California's old Spanish missions are amazing time capsules. And then the melding of cultures have created almost entirely unique ones - fusion cuisines, Los Angeles' China-, Thai-, Korea-towns and little Armenias and Persias and Saigons, all easily visited in a single day. Indeed, one year while living in the LA area I made the conscious decision to start taking public transit to work, instead of driving - buses and the metro, rather than the freeway commute. Taking that commute at surface level, as opposed to just freeway onramp to freeway offramp, showed me just how little I knew about the metropolitan area I'd lived in for several years, and how much of it I'd never seen or experienced. Further, we do have truly ancient history here - it's just that we unfortunately worked so hard to eradicate it and wipe it out that it's harder to find. A Native American would disagree we lack ancient history, though. Looking through the layers, is a castle built by Norman conquerers in England or English conquerers in Ireland so much different than something Spanish conquistadores built over Incan sites in Peru, or Native American sites in California? Would a native to Seattle find their city not much different from Miami? Would I say Reno is anything like Vegas? Admittedly, I hadn't really lived in the US until I was 18 (despite being from the US) but I felt I knew the US Southwest quite well, Southern California especially. But even something like Ken Burns' "The West" documentary series introduced me to so much of the region's history I never knew existed.

So that I tend to not plan vacations around and through the US really says nothing about what it might lack, so much as it does just my personal preference to go elsewhere. Perhaps I just take what's nearby for granted. I certainly wouldn't say we're lacking in things worth seeing or experiencing, though!

I'm surprised/shocked/amused over how some of you Americans are so hard on yourselves, criticizing your own country, and the perceived boorish behaviour of your citizens when you travel overseas. Not once have I heard a European complain about those damn Americans. As a Canadian I've visited the US many times for business as well as vacation and I can't think of an occasion that I didn't have a great time or see wonderful sites. I've also had a great time visiting other parts of Canada as well as Europe. In my experience in Europe as well as Canada it appears only to be the Americans complaining about Americans. Yes, I can recall a couple of examples of boorish behaviour by tourists, but if they hadn't announced themselves as Americans then I would have had no idea where they were from (i.e. in one instance in Venice while getting Fined for riding the Vaporetto without paying "How were we supposed to know, we're American."). I was on an RS tour in May where there were 26 Americans and just two of us 'nice Canadians" and there wasn't a boorish one in the bunch or even one that wasn't proud of their country. We traded vacation ideas for Europe, Canada and even the US and so I like to think the complainers about your own country and its people are a small minority. Just my two cents.

[Tennessee]... having been the place where women were given the right to vote

!?!?! Wyoming gave women the right to vote in 1869! You are listening to some weird local propaganda there, or they taking credit for being the state that pushed the ratifying states total to 36? Being a laggard state isn't something to be proud of. Also, I don't believe the guy who said it was New York's fault, they play what makes sense financially, what people want to hear.

Donna: Those links are all storefronts mimicking European styles. The actual places that seem culturally foreign: New Orleans (a lot of Louisiana, actually), Santa Fe (a lot of New Mexico, actually), the Navajo/Hopi Reservations.

@Richard from Lafayette

I will be walking the gorgeous 18 holes of Augusta National one day next April. A friend won the lottery for 2014, I finally won this year for 2020, and another friend also won for 2020 - same day (they happen to live in Aiken so we have a place to stay). Keep trying - it does happen. Can't wait to go back!

I guess I can find good things just about anywhere. And while I love the places we've been to in Europe, I also love the places we've traveled to in the US. But, we typically don't do big cities but prefer national parks (off season), nature and the outdoors.

There's a lot of the out of the ordinary here in the US, but you have to find it yourself.

Half of my family heritage is 9 CENTURIES in length. We are unable to go further back because records have been lost to fire in GERMANY.

There are so many CITIES, STATES and NATIONAL Parks to travel to, how could I be BORED.

There are sites in the US that are not available in Europe. The open pit cooper mine in the Salt Lake Valley is one of the few in the world. Many Australians work for RIO TINTO due to their experience in the field of open pit mines.

Seattle, SLC, Santa Barbara, Washington DC, Miami, Nashville, upstate NY and many more sites are very, very different.

In the North America travels I found Quebec, New Orleans, San Antonio, Memphis, and Washington DC to be the most interesting and enjoyable. There is a difference. Boston is very interesting but I didn't get the big enjoyment out it as was the case in New Orleans , Memphis and DC.

It's all a matter of priorities and esoteric interests.

Tom_MN - I've been to a couple of the places listed.... I have to respectfully disagree. Leavenworth (has some great events like their May Day Parade and Fredericksburg (has a great Oktoberfest), St Augustine has some amazing architecture and museums. Vail Colorado does look like it's in the Alps. And yes, there are some great places in New Mexico that really feel like you have stepped back in time. And if you want to speak another language - Little Havana hits the spot!

Let me give you another reason why travel/vacationing in US SUCKS! Family and I recently vacationed in Nashville for 5 days. ....

For heaven's sake, Doug, we have 3,000 miles of country from sea to shining sea! To base the value of U.S. travel on a single location that 'sucks' for you is just silly. I have to wonder just how much of the U.S. you've chosen to explore in any sort of depth, and how much of it you've laced up a pair of boots to do? Trust me, the many, MANY foreigners we have encountered on our travels domestically have been effusive in their astonishment over the vastness of our country and its multitude of varied landscapes. It has been great fun and hugely rewarding to have been able to have been friendly ambassadors for visitors we've encountered from abroad.

We will forever remember having a well-earned, post-hike brew with a dentist from Poland on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were sharing a bench on the lodge patio in front of this ridiculously gorgeous VIEW and listening to a couple of American bus-tour ladies behind us complain loudly that it wasn't all THAT great and that they'd had to walk too much and the shopping sucked... After they thankfully left he wryly commented on how some folks needed to stay home.

I wonder what locals might have to say about your assessment of Venice, Italy as, "...kind-a-like New Orleans French Quarter crossed with Disneyland with a dash of Las Vegas" and running out of interesting things to do after just one day? Really?

It's OK if you prefer travel abroad but to generalize the whole of U.S. travel in such a derogatory term as 'sucks' is probably raising eyebrows amongst both citizens and visitors who've found plenty of reasons to think otherwise.

Mark:

I don’t define culture by inanimate objects like old buildings or old art. Those things aren’t really a part of the current culture that surrounds them. They are relics of bygone cultures, and objects that all humans equally can take some ownership of.

I’m tired of:

Europeans who project the achievements of long ago as somehow elevating their own current cultures to some higher plane.

Europeans who denigrate New World countries as having inferior cultures

And Europeans who fawn over aboriginal people as having some gnostic, lofty culture

My point is all peoples have a culture, none of more (or less) value than any other. Cultures are living things, they are all the same size, and they’re all valid.

Donna: so putting a Dutch or Bavaria facade on an American building doesn’t change the country or culture underneath.

I don't know if all cultures are necessarily equal based on what they are/were allowed to do legally to their own people.

Bored? We rarely go to the same place twice. There are too many places we haven't seen in the States and elsewhere, and too little time to repeat ourselves, as tempting as that may be.

The desert SW and West is calling me. Charleston, Gettysburg, Boston and the history, culture, and architecture therein is boring? The narrow streets and alleys. Wow.

I agree that at times it seems a lot of places are the same with their fast food and hotel chains, especially adjacent to the interstate, where you can travel all over hell and creation without seeing anything.

Not bored at all. Everyone mentions the big cities and they are wonderful, filled with fine resturants, museums, shopping, and monuments, New Orleans, NYC, Chicago, DC, San Fransciso, Charleston, Boston, to name just a few cities that are filled with culture and more. But have you been to our National Parks, the Grand Canyon, Franconica State Park in New Hamspshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont, Camden State Park in Maine. Those are only the cities and states I have been to which were wonderful and just as interesting and fun as Europe.

Have you taken a road trip, go to a state you have not been to and explore the small towns and cities or the State or National Parks and stay at a small bed and breakfast or inn? It is truly beautiful and different. There is so much to see in this country and every state is worth seeing.

I stay away from fast food restuarants, modern architecuture and look for wonderful scenery, small shops, small resturants to dine in and small hotels or bed and breakfasts to sleep in. There is plenty of choices to make a different kind of vacation and not be bored or feel like your with the masses.

I went to Charleston and as a day trip we went to a beautiful plantation that had a restaurant on the premises so at the end of a beautiuful day touring this lovely plantation, we had dinner there too.

So start reading up, watching YouTube free videos and let your mind wander and find the most amazing things and places to see right here in the United States! It will be worth your while.

Nope! The US is so large I can't imagine seeing it all in my lifetime! We did a National Park trip this summer (several NP's, several NM's, and two state parks) and thoroughly enjoyed it! I'd really like to visit East Coast NP's next.

When Europeans ask where I'm from and I say "San Francisco", their mouths drop and they say, "Why would you live here when you're from there?"

Germans love planning giant, month-long road trips to see New York, Florida (yes, Florida!!), "Route 66" and the Southwest, and of course, good ol' California which some people are slagging off for reasons I can't comprehend.

I love Germany and Europe and am very grateful that I live here, but remember, Germany is the size of Montana. My home state has much more natural and ethnic diversity than any country in Europe.

I used to take traveling in the US for granted, too, when I was younger. Now I appreciate it much more. Also this whole discussion seems to leave out places outside the US and Europe, which is a shame. Europeans don't do this - I think I'm the only person I know here who hasn't traveled in Asia! And lots and lots of people I know have made big trips to Brazil or other places in South America.

Anyway, I'm happy to travel just about anywhere - it's a luxury and a privilege to be able to travel anywhere. Lots of people can't afford to take trips at all.

Would I go back to the places already visited in the US as listed above, the answer is an absolute yes, even to Boston.

Then there is the "bucket list" of US cities to be visited ...Baton Rouge, Charleston, Columbia, Montgomery (this a repeat visit), Atlanta, Mobile, Kansas City, Gettysburg, upstate New York.

Let me give you another reason why travel/vacationing in US SUCKS!
Family and I recently vacationed in Nashville for 5 days. I'm from California, never been to Nashville so not sure what to expect.

Doug, as a native of SF from many generations, you didn't even try to have a good time nor did you really attempt to find any good food in Nashville. As RS would say, you traveled with a bad attitude. You went to Tennessee to validate all your negative generalizations.

We live in a massively large country with wide and varied landscape. We may not have the long and layered history of Europe, neither do folks from S.America but, what we do have is a very detailed history, that is rich in human and natural achievements. Europeans flock to the US for a variety of reasons....our cities are different than there's, we have enormous swaths of wilderness, forest, desserts, alpine and lake regions, we have music variety that Europeans only find on the fringes (thanks to the web, things are much closer), we have food variety that isn't available widely (thanks to a immigration policy that's more liberal than Europe BTW), it's warmer here too.

Spend some time with twentysomthings from Italy, Spain, France, elsewhere, they all want to come to the US, because they can get away from the hidebound dogma that their culture has. They can make Italian food the way they want, bake bread and make pastries they way they want, put whatever on the menu and not have to deal with a community of cultural cranks, browbeating them and their relatives about how much of a screw-up they are because they dare go against the way it's always been done. Lets not fall down this rabbit hole of minimizing the US because it doesn't compare to someplace else. Understand what makes each place unique.

I was in Nashville once,,,at the Greyhound Station in 1991 where I had to transfer buses to Memphis, since the rental car I had in Knoxville had already been turned in before I decided to take Greyhound from Knoxville to Memphis. What I should've done was to stay a couple nights in Nashville, see the sights, and then proceed to Memphis riding Greyhound.

Of course most of us want to travel across the pond - be it Europeans/beyond coming to North and South America, or us folks over here wanting to go to Europe and beyond.

I remember our private driver we had on the Amalfi Coast who was besotted with California. I can't quite recall if he said he wanted to move to Los Angeles, or if he lived there for a bit, but he loved it.

Or our Australian couchsurfers who said one of their best memories was bicycling thru our very own Annapolis Valley - the sun was rising over vast swaths of farmland with the Bay of Fundy beyond and she said she bet that the people there didn't even notice stuff like that. We have so many surfers from overseas who are travelling across Canada and they love the wildness and wide open spaces. Living here, I love the history of Europe and the teeming cities. I see wide open spaces here all the time (but I was taken with the Alps and the lavender fields).

My God - I live a few hours from one of the most beautiful drives anywhere on Earth (Cabot Trail) and I've been there 3 whole times in my 45 years on earth! Most of us get a bit jaded by what is around us and it doesn't seem special anymore.

I am currently visiting Pittsburgh and am so intrigued by its history, innovative pioneers and how it’s reinvented itself a few times. Boring, no. I am hearing a few different languages being spoken in the breakfast room at the hotel. Did you know the Pittsburgh Agreement in 1918 led to the formation of Czechoslovakia after WWI?

At age 76 I prefer Asian travel- Cheap and interesting to me! I have been to 47 states. I can do West Virginia/ North Dakota and Alaska when I am older and not able to do long flights and extensive walking. All in all, I can travel longer on my retirement money in Thailand/ Central + South America etc. There are fewer hostels in the USA. The cost of food and especially USA lodging is so $$$ // our public transport is not as easy to arrange as in other countries. I do not care to drive and Amtrak is not always reliable so I prefer getting a cheap ticket to places outside of the USA.

Ask me again when U.S. legislators vote to improve and extend infrastructure for rail travel and Amtrak prices go down. Neither I nor my husband are confident drivers and I prefer the wonderful public transportation, both local and high speed, all over Europe.

The main problem , aside from money, even when that is not the most pressing problem, is that I can't travel in the same manner as I do in Europe and Germany.

I don't drive over there so I can rely on the train or bus. If I don't drive here, the remaining options are not always attractive, I have no problems taking Greyhound or AmTrak for 8-12 hours but that means I have to adhere to their schedule.

Accommodations are expensive in the US. If I can get a flight from SFO or OAK , non-stop preferably , or even with one lay-over, say in Seattle, to London for under $550 or less, it's cheaper than going to DC or New York, flight included, even more so currently with the GBP relative to the $

Our rule of thumb is EU for history and architecture, USA for scenery. If you have never traveled west of Denver, you have no idea how spectacular this place is.

My first traveling outside of Calif was to the South, ie to TX which some may label as the Southwest The next opportunity after Europe trips and those within CA in between were really in the South...Atlanta, Montgomery, Knoxville. That was in 1991, now the focus is still that region with Memphis and New Orleans being highlights and enlightening experiences.

I often hear people say: But there is so much to see in the US...

That is true, but I feel energized by traveling to other countries. It is good to learn about other cultures, and to compare/contrast them to our own. Sometimes we visit places in the US (like Portsmouth NH and Savannah GA) and a describe them as having a European feel.

My husband just informed me that he is tired of going to Europe and wants to go to the Dakotas for vacation next year.

Cala, I've heard it referred to as being "Europed-out." That doesn't mean someone never wants to go back to Europe, but maybe a break of a year or two is in order.

The Dakotas. Interesting. I would like to see a trip plan for that.

I hear a lot of German being spoken while hiking various trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Just throwing that out there. I should be painting the bathroom, but that's really boring.

For those who are tired of traveling to Europe - have you visited eastern Europe or countries less popular with US tourists? Last year we spent 4 weeks visiting Romania and Bulgaria. We hope to visit Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in May. Far different from European countries most Americans visit, which admittedly we have also visited, yet with so many beautiful and historical sights. If you want to explore and understand the world there are many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa that Americans rarely think about.

That being said, there's nothing wrong in visiting the sights here in the US. We have traveled over twelve western states visiting national and state parks to see the beautiful scenery that has no comparison and a few eastern states for other sights. But for history, architecture, and good food we like to explore Europe.

@Carol-we are going to Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia this fall. I thought Eastern Europe was up next, but apparently not.
@Big Mike-I think he's "Europed out" because by the end of May in 2020, he will likely have been there 5 times in 14 months, all but one of which are for work. I will send you a PM with our Dakotas itinerary as soon as I get it mapped out. I am resorting to an atlas and hope to also go to 3 other states I haven't been to-Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota, as well as a Lewis and Clark site in Montana.

Thanks, cala. I would guess travelling though the Midwest and West would involve some fairly long drives.

edit: Rita, when I see your name I think of the Beatles' song. I hope that's OK.

Cala, your husband is a genius! try to convince him that you only need to visit the Black Hills of South Dakota. We have Custer State Park and several national parks and monuments. Badlands National Park and the Minuteman Missile Nat. Historic Site make a great day trip. So does Devil's Tower (a short drive over the border into Wyoming). For culture, there is Native American culture (if you seek it out).

@ Rita thanks for the info but we're trying to cover as many states that we haven't been to as is feasible(although it's just the Dakotas for him) Rapid City is getting more time than anywhere else though, since Badlands Park and Custer Park are on my list.

Cala, the information about your husband's travel for work makes a difference in the responses you receive. Traveling for work is not the same as leisure travel. Even if you see some sights you still have the pressure of work and it's probably exhausting. The schedule you described would probably make anyone tired of going to Europe. We haven't been to Albania but have been to the other countries you're visiting. They're very interesting with lots of great scenery and historic sights. I hope you have a great trip!

Doug Spindler,
Your take on Nashville is what many tourists see. There is more to Nashville, but you have to get away from the downtown honky tonk bars and crowds along lower Broadway in order to see it. You have to do some research and find the parks, restaurants and beautiful neighborhoods far away from downtown. The people who live in Nashville enjoy it very much.

I moved to Nashville to take a job years ago.
Lived in New York City before that, a city I enjoyed living in. Lots of art museums, concerts of all descriptions, from classical music to Paul McCartney. Add great restaurants, lots of parks to walk or run in, and tons of historic buildings to see, such as the Empire State Building, sights up and down 5th Avenue, and the Dakota building where John Lennon lived. Lots of history in NYC. The Egyptian rooms in the Metropolitan Museum are almost as good as the ones at the British Museum in London. The modern architecture of the Guggenheim Museum (Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) is something to see, as well as its very fine art collection. I miss New York and would recommend it as a vacation destination.

There are interesting destinations all over America; national parks, beaches, historic sites, interesting cities with museums.
Currently I prefer the UK, with its castles and ancient sights.

After 24 trips in 48 years I have not reached the point of being "Europed out"...a good term.

A ton of places to see still in Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Czechia, Hungary, Belgium, eastern and North Germany and, of course,tons of places (small towns and cities) in France

eg, Soissons, Laon, Dijon, Troyes, Noyon, Nantes, Poitiers, Orleans, the greater Metz area, Grenoble, Bordeaux, etc, etc, before I can even imagine being "Europed out" which just won't happen.

Rebecca, you might enjoy a visit to Liverpool.

I think you are right, Big Mike. I'm quite a Beatle fan!

We had Europe fatigue about 5 or 6 years ago. That’s when we started exploring other destinations. Went to Turkey and LOVED it! Went to Machu Pichu and Cusco and other places in Peru and it made me wonder what took us so long to get to South America. Then went to Chile and Argentina (torres del paine, buenos aires,el calafate) and although the tourism is still undeveloped - 3 five star hotels in torres del paine and they cost more than what you would pay in Europe because there is no competition. we had fun. We went to Puerto Rico which we absolutely LOVED. So yeah, there are plenty of international destinations close to home that some of us Europe-centric travelers never go to but should

Haha! What Doug said.

I have been mixing it up a little with a bit of South America and North Africa which were fantastic trips
but I still prefer anywhere in Europe.

I can’t possibly understand being bored traveling within the US. The diversity of locales in our country is absolutely spectacular.

Anybody who gets bored of traveling in a country as large and diverse as the US must have a very low boredom threshold. That's all I can say. I don't even get bored traveling withing 100-200 miles of my own home, guess it takes a lot to bore me.

No, absolutely not. We cut our travel teeth on 2 and 3 week road trips across America for decades. We have visited all 50 states multiple times and have every intention of continuing. Yes, we travel to Europe and other international destinations, but the idea of being “bored” with travel in the US completely escapes me. Some of the greatest cities in the world do exist in this country too. I might go out on a limb here, but as far as beaches, mountains, deserts, forests, canyons, geysers, waterfalls, national parks and monuments and every sort of scenic natural wonder you can imagine I’d say America might have a slight advantage?

Denny, I agree. What other single nation has that kind of diversity in landscapes?

What other single nation has that kind of diversity in landscapes?

• New Zealand
• China and probably many more in Asia
• Mexico
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Chile
• Ecuador
• Peru
• Russia....

I get both sides of this discussion.

Would you folks really get bored visiting Monticello, Mt. Vernon, Montpelier, Skyline Drive, Antietam, Gettysburg, and the free museums of Washington DC? And I'm including a rather compact area for all of these sites.

Ouch, Doug Spindler....OUCH re: your review of Nashville.

I am now curious where you stayed (hotel/location of hotel), what your itinerary included, where you dined, and how much research you did before your trip. When you mentioned you asked locals re: where to eat, I am curious if the locals were foodies or those who may not have dined at some of the nicer, local chef-owned restaurants (of which there are many at various price points). Did you go to the Bluebird? Did you pack a picnic and make it to "Music in the Vines" (free, and right outside Nashville on Kix Brooks' farm)? Did you enjoy charming downtown Franklin? Did you walk/hike around Radnor Lake? Belle Meade Plantation? The Hermitage (both the home of Andrew Jackson and also (a separate place) the lovely downtown hotel)? Cheekwood? Casual dinner on 12South? So many local festivals, there is usually something special happening.

What were your interests coming to Nashville?

Downtown has a lot to offer, but also a lot of crowds to avoid (especially on weekends and evenings), totally packed on game/concert/convention nights.

The next time you plan a trip to Nashville, send me a PM, so I can fill you in on some "backdoor" places to enjoy (depending on your personal interests).

But, if you just went downtown and flowed with the masses of other tourists, well, that's what you experienced..........................a very limited and narrow view of Nashville. Bless your heart!. Oh, and the Parthenon is a structure that was left over from the original World's Fair that Nashville hosted wayyyyy back when. It was such a significant structure, it was left to stand (and now Centennial Park surrounds it).

Re: the OP's question. No, not tired of the US. After globe trotting for over a decade to all 7 continents and Europe many times, we are actually taking a travel break, and will do more US travel to enjoy some places we had not yet visited before checking out a few more distant locales. Bored? Far from it. Heck, I do not even get bored sitting on the swing looking at my own garden :) Happiness, contentment, and interesting things are where you choose to find them..............far, far away or very close to home.

Happy travels!

"I get both sides of this discussion.
Would you folks really get bored visiting Monticello, Mt. Vernon, Montpelier, Skyline Drive, Antietam, Gettysburg, and the free museums of Washington DC? And I'm including a rather compact area for all of these sites. "

Big Mike,
No, I would not get bored with that itinerary. Some wonderful sights there.
The D.C. Museums are fantastic.
I always enjoy a vacation to Virginia and the D.C. area.

Traveling in this country, I would love to go back to Va, and DC for those free museums and more, see Gettysburg, Antietam and Mt Vernon for the first time, and above all, back to Ouebec (if Canada is included) , New Orleans and Memphis.

Only Boston I make an exception and would not be so thrilled at going back but still that does not preclude a return trip there, regardless of my being thrilled or not.

If these choices were, however, up against choices in Germany or France, ie, seeing Rouen, Paris, Soissons, Cherbourg, or Grenoble, Noyons, etc etc or Greifswald, Celle, Schleswig, Weimar, Rostock, . Berlin, Leipzig, Eutin/Holstein, etc, etc. these choices among others in France and Germany get first priority.

Rebecca and Fred, this may sound like Captain Obvious, but if you can visit those sites when school is in session during weekdays not adjacent to a holiday, the experience is much less congested. We found the Washington museums not too crowded in late January, mid-week. Then again we're a three-hour drive away.

Fred, have you been to Cape Cod? Art museums in Boston, then Cape Cod is my idea of a great, repeatable trip. Plimoth Plantation is interesting too.

We decided last night that we were jonesing for another Santa Fe fix. Will try to cue up week #4 or #5 there sometime this fall. Yay. 🌶

"...interesting things are where you choose to find them...far, far away or very close to home."
Maggie, you have succinctly expressed what I have been thinking, reading this topic.
I am looking forward to York and London in the fall, but also to biking 25 miles up to Columbus, WI to see the Louis Sullivan bank again.

How often do we forget or just take it for granted what we have outside our back door. Every morning as I pull onto the freeway for my commute to work, I look to my right and there are the Canadian Rockies. Banff is just over an hour from my door. If I turned north instead of south onto the freeway, I'm just over an hour away from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. A couple of years ago they unveiled an exhibit of a Nodosaur Fossil that was featured on the cover of National Geographic. The fossil is the best preserved armoured dinosaur ever found-just one of the many treasures at the Museum. if I head south of Calgary for an hour I'm at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I'm concentrating on Europe now that my kids are grown, but let's not forget what we have at home.

"Like" button for Allan, well put. I'm sure most of us in North America can say pretty much the same thing about where we live and how quickly and easily we can get to amazing wonders, some not found anywhere else.

Alice, does the Louis Sullivan Bank have some sort of unique architecture? I am usually not inspired by the design of banks, but maybe I should get out more.

Big Mike,
Pack your bags for Iowa:
https://www.grinnelliowa.gov/103/Louis-Sullivan-Bank (From a Google search for Louis Sullivan Bank.)
Wow! We learn so much interesting stuff from this Forum, don't we?

EDIT: I just read the link more closely.........there are apparently 8 of these jewels-of-banks scattered around mid-west states.........so there is very special-interest road trip for those to whom it may appeal...seeing ALL of them :)

Big Mike,
Pack your bags for Iowa:

And from there you can go see the National Farmers Bank in Owatonna, MN. Detail shown here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sullivan#/media/File:WestFaceDetail.jpg.

I've actually been to the Merchants' National Bank in Grinnell.

I would absolutely love to be able to travel more in my home country, particularly in the Pacific Northwest (and British Columbia, even though that is not my “home country”), the Southwest, and in New England.

And I would love to be able to travel more in Europe, too.

I would be happy traveling all over in both places!! Sign me up!!

From the website: [The Farmers and Merchants Union Bank in Columbus WI] "was used as the location for shooting a bank robbery scene in the Johnny Depp film Public Enemies, which was filmed in March, 2008."

Several years ago I was driving home to Vegas from Lake Tahoe after a weekend in the mountains. I'd taken the more scenic drive up from Vegas to Tahoe - going west, to then head north on 395 in California - and was planning on taking the quicker, but arguably less scenic route south in Nevada for the return. This involved making my way east on Interstate 80, then going through the small towns of Fernley and Fallon to get on to highway 95 (random references, but I figured I'd include them for those familiar with the area).

A truck had overturned on 80 just east of Reno, closing the interstate in both directions. This threw me off-course, and I had to take a detour south through Reno to try and cut east between there and Carson City.

At one point, I turned a corner on route 341 and looked ahead of me to discover I'd been transported back in time - I was on Virginia City's main street, heading in to its downtown. It was a detour I'd find myself thrilled I'd been forced to take - a small town, right here in Nevada, that I never even knew existed (had only moved to NV a couple years prior). It was charming, looked like it had barely changed since the late 19th century, and I'd somehow managed to stumble upon it entirely by accident. My car's navigation wanted me to skip downtown and keep heading east to get to the highway, but I couldn't resist finding a spot to park and walking along the main street for an hour or so before continuing on my way, making a mental note to look up more about Virginia City and find my way back as soon as possible. Lo and behold, I'd end up moving to Northern Nevada shortly after all that, so have indeed been able to visit Virginia City a number of times since.

Yes, it caters to tourists in the usual ways - ghost tours, antiques shops and the like. Despite that, though, it's a fascinating little place with a fascinating history. It was in Virginia City - this little town just outside Reno - where Samuel Clemens wrote for a local paper and first used the pen name "Mark Twain". It's where the Comstock Lode was discovered and mined, making it hugely important to the history of the American West, Nevada, and California. Its little Red Dog Saloon played a key part in the 1960s San Francisco psychedelic rock scene. I was astounded by this little town, and it's monumental history, and it reminded I could likely discover countless other places with fascinating history right here in my proverbial backyard.

Absolutely, I love Europe and international travel in general. I'm endlessly entertained simply strolling down streets in foreign cities, and taking in the visuals. What often interests me most about a place - be it a city or sight within that city - is its history, who did what there at some point in its past, and the context within which it has existed. Sure, Venice is stunningly beautiful and a city like no other, but it's made all the more interesting by a history that led folks so many centuries ago to drive piles in to mud and build their homes upon them, with the place they created then becoming a dominant power of its day. Castles are
captivating old structures, made all the more so by knowledge of who lived within those walls and what occurred upon its ramparts however many centuries ago. Lacking context, we'd only know Stonehenge as a bunch of rocks.

Plenty of places in the US have some remarkable history, and remarkable human stories tied to them. When remembering the human history of this land extends well beyond the colonial and is truly ancient, or considering all the natural beauty here as well, there's plenty more remarkable places to see. My not having seen more of the US comes from my neglecting it more than my being bored of it, or simply not having enough time for both grand tours and weekend detours.

Maggie, Nancy, and Alice: Wow! Thanks.

We rotate where we go. One year it is Europe, the next somewhere in the USA (we love the National Park System) and the following year anywhere outside the other areas. That is when we have been to Peru or the Galapagos or lovely Canada. Variety is the spice of life but I can always find something to do from my back door. Fun is fun, no matter where you are.

@ cala...Cape Cod... the same Cape Cod Patty Page sang about in that title song.

No, I have not been there either, even though it was recommended to us when we were in Boston at the end of Aug 2018.