Friends, family living in ideal areas

[Aggie_Ama]

DH and I have the goal to see all 50 states. Sure some aren't that interesting but the US is a HUGE country and I feel a bit annoyed by people who don't try to learn about their country. For me I would love to see every state and every province in Canada. We also want to go out of the country but it does generally require more money and time off. I am not opposed to it but it isn't the most feasible goal.

We have a close friend living in Alaska, so next year we are getting to add a state that is usually very expensive to visit. I have wanted to go to Alaska since I was a kid and having one of our best friends there is just a great excuse!

[Tuckervill]

We were in Montreal a couple weeks ago, just overnight (staying in Vermont).

I was surprised and impressed and grateful to all the people we spoke to. When they said "bon jour" and we said, "Hi", they were almost apologetic that they didn't figure out that we spoke English and not French, and happily repeated everything they'd said in French for us to understand.

I rode for a while with a cyclist in Vermont who said he rode from his home in Middlebury to Montreal and back once a year (150 miles one way). He said the hardest part was trying to find a place to use the bathroom once he entered Quebec. ?? He said the farmers between the border and Montreal tended to speak a dialect of French that even people in Montreal didn't understand. I don't know if that's true, but I thought it was interesting. (By the way, the man was 70 years old.)

Karen

[e.e.cummings]

shootingstar, one of your comments reminded me of a friend of mine who took a cycling trip to Denmark - she came back saying - I could have gotten that landscape in Vermont! It is true, there are places that just look the same.

-We may join friends in Normandy, France next summer (son's best friend, we get along with the parents very well.)
-Dh's best friend is a professor in Calgary, and has a place near Banff - never been, love to go.
-have a friend/colleague in Vancouver - want to go all over again - never been in the summer. She is thinking of renting her place during the Olympics - she wants to get out of Dodge! Hmmmmm....

[shootingstar]

shootingstar, one of your comments reminded me of a friend of mine who took a cycling trip to Denmark - she came back saying - I could have gotten that landscape in Vermont! It is true, there are places that just look the same.

-We may join friends in Normandy, France next summer (son's best friend, we get along with the parents very well.)
-Dh's best friend is a professor in Calgary, and has a place near Banff - never been, love to go.
-have a friend/colleague in Vancouver - want to go all over again - never been in the summer. She is thinking of renting her place during the Olympics - she wants to get out of Dodge! Hmmmmm....

Well, Denmark sounds different enough culturally. My partner has been to Copenhagen twice..with latter trip examining their cycling infrastructure for several days and meeting local cycling advocates. Alot of history there and very different since the city so bike-oriented. So please...I meant sometimes the landscape looks the same....without the local people.

I'm telling friends: unless you're actually attending Olympic event, don't bother visiting us during the Olympics. It's going to be mayhem here in Vancouver. 250,000 extra people (than normal) daily in downtown core. This includes the media, athletes, visitors, security..

I live very close to one of the Olympic venues downtown plus less than 1 kms. radius from 3 major public park /event areas that will be active from 11 am - 11pm minimum during the whole 2 wks. These meet areas will have music, crowds, etc. Groan. The city wants to reduce cars into downtown by....35% in total during the Olympics.

Several other TE Vancouver members live not far also from the ..uh..crowded action. Unless they are taking off outside of Vancouver.