Miami Holiday

[Macsen]

Calling all United States of Americans!

 

I'm booking my holiday for next Christmas. Is Miami a nice place, with many interesting things to see? Or is it a fetid swampland of decay and corruption?

 

By the Builder's beard I demand answers!

[New Horizon]

Calling all United States of Americans!

 

I'm booking my holiday for next Christmas. Is Miami a nice place, with many interesting things to see? Or is it a fetid swampland of decay and corruption?

 

By the Builder's beard I demand answers!

 

It's a squalid pool of evil. Come to Canada, we need the tourist dollars.

[Vadrosaul]

It's not like you'd purposely venture into the parts that are festering of decay and corruption. Every major city has it's good parts and bad parts. Hopefully the tourism boards are directing people to the good parts.

 

In Vancouver there's an ultra-thin boundary between goodtowne and drugtowne.

[Macsen]

I've been to Canada. It combined my two greatest phobias, French Eskimos.

 

Anywhere on this map I've been to.

 

However, the USA is really 50 countries combined, so you have to go there a few times to see it all.

[Maximius]

Miami doesnt have a ton of attractions unless you are into overpriced restaurants, overpriced boutique shops, and overpriced hotel rooms. Its really just an enormous tourist trap, it doesnt have many museums or historic stuff or really much of anything. Im sure there is something there, but do you want to spend your vacation looking for it? The only thing worth seeing in Florida is the gators, impressive in the flesh I assure you, and the manatees, which I never got a chance to see. The rest of the state is a strip mall, like New Jersey.

 

You should check out NYC. Its way overpriced as well, but it is at least interesting. You can find +anything+ to do in NY. DC has museums but once you leave the park area it is a ghetto. Philly is interesting for its history and thats about it. Dont even consider Orlando, its like Miami except replace the hot mommas in bathing suits with Mickey Mouse and Jesus Christ. Party.

 

I agree with the Canadian contingent, go to Canada, its cleaner, cheaper, and if you get hurt you are covered under their public health system. Here they leave you for stray dogs to pick off.

[Macsen]

I've sucked New York dry already (spent a month living in Brooklyn), and done most of North Florida including Jesus/Mickey-ville.

[Ishtvan]

I've only been to Miami once, but the impression I got was pretty much what Maximus said. Nice beaches, but they are packed with high-rise hotels for tourists.

 

The Florida keys on the other hand were really enjoyable to visit.

[SneaksieDave]

In Philly you'll get shot. In Miami you'll get shot. And everyone's either a criminal or elderly, so don't drive the roads. In Chicago you'll get shot two or three times. And I personally like the idea of going to NYC least of all. But then, I'm not a city person. Nor do I like walking around in a giant bullseye.

 

NJ is the garden state! Strip mall indeed. Forests, rivers, mountains and the historic 66 mile canal. And we take care of our canal, thank-you-very-much, Pennsylvania. We just have a lot of erm... places to shop, too. Hey half of them are probably in the red so that should count for something. Besides, you won't go hungry. All this without mentioning most of the history of this country is right here within a 20 mile radius of the state's center.

 

Re: Canada, I've been to Montreal, once. Was impressed by how clean the city was - not a speck of trash anywhere - and how dirty the stripclubs were. The good kind of dirty. As good as NJ strip clubs, in fact...

Oh also, the weather was fantastic. It was mid summer, and we spent a week up there in the cool dry air. The 8 hour drive back to NJ was in an air conditioned car, so we didn't realize what we were coming back to, till we stepped out into the pea soup that is NJ's 100% humidity/95 degree summer weather. No wonder it's the garden state.

 

Why Miami? Seriously, if I had the choice to instantly go anywhere in this country? I'd choose somewhere with big mountains and miles of wilderness to explore. I've only gone up a 1500 foot mountain (yes you guessed it, in NJ) and loved it - I can't imagine the 15,000 foot ones. I say to hell with beaches and amusement parks and cities and the usual attractions! Discover nature and back roads and charming towns.

[Macsen]

If I wanted mountains and wilderness and mysterious dirt tracks leading up to candy cane houses I'd stay at home. Wales isn't short of those qualities.

 

What I'm looking for is a) Sun. b.) Other, interesting cultures. c) A relaxing place to unwind and be lazy for a few weeks.

[Ishtvan]

The West Coast has a lot of beautiful wilderness areas to explore, mountains to climb, and the climate is nice. It has Sun, and is a relaxing place. Culture I'm not so sure about. It's a longer and probably more expensive flight from where you are though.

 

You could always go to Boston. There's always stuff to do there, and it actually has some character, being the oldest city here, but it's probably cold right now.

 

In Chicago you'll get shot two or three times.

 

Hey, I grew up in Chicago, and I was hardly ever shot at!

[Domarius]

In Philly you'll get shot. In Miami you'll get shot. And everyone's either a criminal or elderly, so don't drive the roads. In Chicago you'll get shot two or three times.

Haha, and I thought GTA was comical exaggeration

[obscurus]

If I wanted mountains and wilderness and mysterious dirt tracks leading up to candy cane houses I'd stay at home. Wales isn't short of those qualities.

 

What I'm looking for is a) Sun. b.) Other, interesting cultures. c) A relaxing place to unwind and be lazy for a few weeks.

 

 

Then I suggest you go to Broome in Australia (Western Australia), or perhaps The Sunshine Coast (Queensland). Or Kakadu in the NT. Very nice places, very different to what you will see in Wales, or the US for that matter.

 

you will get all of the above (moreso in WA than Queensland - QL is more resort/tourist oriented).

 

Broome is a great place, and has some very interesting history and quite a unique culture (a mish-mash of Anglo-Japanese as a result of the longstanding Japanese presence), loads of sun, gorgeous beaches. I'd recommend it to anyone. Bring plenty of sunscreen if you come to Australia though, your pasty Welsh skin will look like cooked bacon within minutes of getting off the plane if you don't...

 

Personally, I would have to be paid a lot of money to go to America, and even then I would stear clear of the Eastern States. Places like California, Nevada, Arizona strike me as the least annoying parts of America, though they offer little I can't find in Australia. If you want to go to the Americas, I would suggest Mexico - cheaper than the US, interesting culture, Sun, and a good place to be lazy.

Edited January 9, 2006 by obscurus

[SneaksieDave]

If I wanted mountains and wilderness and mysterious dirt tracks leading up to candy cane houses I'd stay at home. Wales isn't short of those qualities.

 

/cries out of envy.

 

I forgot you were coming from a rainy European perspective. (No offense to sodden dreariness - I love it! Some of the time!)

 

Yes, then Miami would be okay. But if that's what you're looking for, most people leave the continental US to find that at the Bahamas or Hawaii. I imagine LA is good for that, too, but again with the bullets thing...

 

Haha, and I thought GTA was comical exaggeration

 

Best part is, Philly has Camden (NJ!) right across the river, which I believe is the highest per capita violent crime ridden city in the US, several years running. This from a state trooper friend who "loves working the beat there."

 

b.) Other, interesting cultures

No, seriously. Miami??

 

I'd definitely like to see Australia. A friend has friends there, and I've seen their home, and it's enough to make you puke. It's this beautiful architectural wonder (one of those new age, split level, everything is windows and decks, etc. places), built into/on the side of a mountain overlooking a beach and the friggin ocean. I think he said the equivalent US price was $70k. Ugh. There is just soooo much available space out there. That, and NZ one day. Mmm.

 

I would suggest Mexico

That's a decent point. Plenty of sun, and definitely cool cultural stuff, if you go see the old Mayan/Aztec cities and structures (it's the only thing that's going to get me down there). All that, as long as you don't mind getting hepatitis from the food, monezuma's revenge (sometimes for life!) from the water, and tetanus from a dirty shank in a small city where you stopped to see a "chica y burro" show, which got raided and you paid a cop $4 American to let you go. Don't fall for the shoe-shine swindle!

 

Hey! That's from a Mexican ex-girlfriend's own description, so I'm allowed to say that.

[obscurus]

A friend of mine came back from Mexico recently, she had a great time, though you are right, it has some rough edges you need to be careful about, particularly the food... I don't think it is gernerally as bad as people make out though.

 

Same with Africa - there is some great stuff to see there, but you have to be very careful which African nation you visit (some are quite hostile to Westerners), and there is a big risk of catching some very nasty incurable diseases, or being mauled by an angry hippopotamus if you don't take precautions.

 

The risk factors in some places might make you a little less relaxed, so you could also, try Cuba, the Bahamas or one of the other nice spots in the Gulf of Mexico, there are some really nice spots there, they are quite safe really as well. Hawaii is a fantastic spot, lots to see, lots of relaxation to be had in the sun.

 

Mauritius is a superb spot to visit too...

 

EDIT: According to a book I read by a retired SAS security expert (can't remember the title, dang it), the USA is not only in the top ten most dangerous countries list for tourists, it is the number one most dangerous English speaking country, and is regarded as only slightly less dangerous than Iraq, Somalia or the Congo, or Columbia. The liklihood of you being killed or beaten in the USA is higher than in the Gaza strip, or Afghanistan. My brother was there a while back, just after 9/11, and he said it was one of the scariest trips he'd ever taken - a collegue he was travelling with of Korean extraction was held and strip searched at the airport by paranoid security officials, and he said that driving on roads in LA was like driving in a big dodgem car ring. Mind you, I would not come to Australia right now if you are Muslim or vaguely Middle Eastern in appearence - some of my fellows seem to be afflicted with some kind of paranoid nationalism virus that causes them to attack people who wear funny hats...

 

But we like Welshmen, why, we even named one of our states after Wales.

Edited January 10, 2006 by obscurus

[sparhawk]

Who really wants to go to a country where he is treated like a criminal? I know that I would never go to USA. If I have to give my fingerprints and are viewed as if I were a criminal, I think this country doesn't really need my tourist dollars. There are other countries which are also nice, and offer the same. If I ever feel to go to jail, I might reconsider, but then again it is cheaper to stay here.

 

I was always fond of the USA, but when I grew older this changed, and by now I'm pretty anti-america nowadays.

[OrbWeaver]

I don't do travelling at all, because I can't be bothered with the hassle and risk. I was mentioning this to a colleague, and saying how I did not want to go to some country and find myself arrested for some ridiculous law that I did not even know about and held without trial with no legal rights - thinking of places like Iran or Saudi Arabia.

 

Her response: "You don't have to go to America."

[sparhawk]

I came to the conclusion that Iran or Saudi Arabia is probably much safer then America. Why? With Iran you at least know that it is dangerous and take appropriate precautions. In Amercia your are under the assumption that you are in a democratic country and things that may happen in Iran can not happen there, but they can. False security is IMO much worse then open danger.

[Maximius]

NJ is the garden state! Strip mall indeed. Forests, rivers, mountains and the historic 66 mile canal. And we take care of our canal, thank-you-very-much, Pennsylvania. We just have a lot of erm... places to shop, too. Hey half of them are probably in the red so that should count for something. Besides, you won't go hungry. All this without mentioning most of the history of this country is right here within a 20 mile radius of the state's center.

 

 

NJ is the SuperFund state, every resident lives within 5 miles of an evironmental disaster. There is a lot of beautiful wildlands left but development is spreading like cancer through an old mans body. Take care of canals? Remember Love Canal? Or Toms River, where the benzene leaking up through the ground was so strong that it stank up the park where children play? Where the water in the drinking fountains gave off fumes? Or what about Chemical Alley, the wasteland in Northern Jersey of distilleries and laboratories that looks like the cityscape from the movie Bladerunner?

 

Of course PA is not any better, we build schools on toxic waste dumps here. Bucks County, one of the nations wealthiest counties, one of the new "hot" places to live, is riddled with toxic dumps and landfills. I would seriously love to sit a new homeowner down and ask them how they arrived at the conclusion that moving here was wise. They probably dont have an inkling of the risk they are putting themselves in. Or they would scoff and get back to worrying about their mortgage or something really relevent.

 

Max, who is not bitter or cynical.

[Macsen]

Maximius has put me off the planet earth. I think I'll go to space instead.

[OrbWeaver]

Maximius has put me off the planet earth. I think I'll go to space instead.

 

...where you can enjoy a nice dose of ionising radiation to mask the effects of all those Earthly toxins.

[Maximius]

Maximius has put me off the planet earth. I think I'll go to space instead.

 

 

So you be vacationing at home then?

[sparhawk]

If the FBI, Homeland Security or CIA reads this forum, then they will arrest you Maximums, because you are a threat to the touristic industry of the US.

 

I guess these organizations are big fans of our mod, because they can learn a lot about stealth here. I wonder how many of them already infiltrated our mod, masking as developers, modelers, just hangers on.

[Macsen]

I wonder how many of them already infiltrated our mode, masking as... just hangers on.

 

What a preposterous suggestion!

[sparhawk]

That response really gave you away now, Macsen.

[Maximius]

The only thing going for the ongoing encroachment on civil liberties here and abroad is that the idiots who are doing it are so clumsy and "in your face" about it. The President not only admits his pigs at the NSA are spying on citizens, he says we are not going to stop. What a great way to polarize political efforts against him! The man is too stupid to even play the game of "freedom and rights" correctly, you are not supposed to blatantly scoff at such notions, you must treat them with a religious reverance while simultaneously ignoring them in practice.