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There are many places in the US I'd like to see, but it's a big country so you need plenty of time, and money. The best way seeing the country is probably to go for at least six months, rent a car, and prepare for plenty of driving and long distances. So far, a trip like that haven't been a priority of mine, but maybe... one beautiful day...
Still, I have been in the US a couple of times, and enjoyed the places I've seen so far:
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Cleveland
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We were visiting a friend in New Jersey when he figured out that it was a good idea to go to Cleveland for a baseball-game(!). Unfamiliar with the distances, we thought it wasn't a bad idea - and it wasn't, but a long drive through the nothingness of Pennsylvania.
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We drove up to Cleveland at daytime, and all we saw for hours were vast forests. On the way back to New Jersey, we drove at night - and learned that even though it looks like we're the only ones on the road, there's always a state patrol coming from who knows where as soon as you drive a little bit faster than the speed limit allows.
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I really like Cleveland - it's a charming city, where the pace of the daily lives is set at "Comfortable".
It's also the city of a zillion bridges - or so it seemed. Bridges of all shapes and sizes, and never more than a block or two between them.
The Cleveland docs is definintely worth visiting. It's a perfect place to have lunch and/or dinner, and in the
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evening you can enjoy a pulsating nightlife - there's something for every taste and preference. A sightseeing boat can also be recommended, and there are plenty to chose from. If the weather isn't all that good for outdoor activities, try a visit to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
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Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers
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My first, and so far last, baseball game - and I don't think I've ever had so much fun at a sports event.
Even with "lessons" and explanations from our American friends, I didn't really understand much of the game itself - but it was a very special atmosphere there, and I haven't experienced anything like neither before nor after this event.
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Cleveland Indians won the game, and that certainly helped getting the crowd even wilder - which I, at an early stage, would think of as impossible as most people went totally bananas when the game started.
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Top of page
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Florida Keys
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Arriving in Miami, we decided to drive directly to Key West, and then slowly work our way up again. The highways are probably some of the world's most monotonous, but just off the major roads you'll find wilderness areas, lakes and rivers, and unique subtrobical
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flora and fauna. Florida Keys are made up of hundreds of tiny islands, of which only 45 is populated. US Hwy 1 is the main, and sometimes the only road there.
At Key Largo, you enter the Conch Republic. The Conch Republic was formed as an answer to the US Customs and US Border Patrol putting up a roadblock at Key Largo to try to catch smugglers, illegal aliens, and other. This resulted in huge traffic jams, and the tourists started disappearing. The Conchs formed their republic, declared war on USA, surrendered, and then requested foreign aid... ;o)
People who are born and raised in the Conch Republic are referred to as Conchs - a title difficult to earn, as you even after living there for 8-10 years are only rise to the rank of a "freshwater conch".
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Key West
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Key West was first populated by European settlers, and developed as a naval base in 1822. With a distance of only (90 miles) from Cuba, it soon became a focus area of mass immigration and political activities for refugees. In 1935, a hurricane ended most people's enthusiasm, but the importance of the naval base during WWII breathed new life in to the place.
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Key West is the capital of the Conch Republic. It is an idyllic town - sadly totally overrun by tourists, especially from the countless number of cruice ships visiting. This has inevitably lead to the locals becoming cynical, and we remember Key West as being all about money - lots of money!
Being fair, I also remember Key West for the spectacular sunsets, the nightly sunset celebrations, the special architecture and the walks in quiet, narrow streets. Did I forget to mention Hemingway? Eh, well - we did go to see his house... but skipped a visit to Sloppy Joe's. A must-eat in Key West is their delicious lime pie - don't miss it!
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Key Marathon
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Fishing! Key Marathon is all about fishing, and some diving.
We dove with the guys on Capt Hook's - and they're probably great guys to take you out fishing also.
Is there more to say about Key Marathon? Not really.
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Key Largo
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Our only reason for stopping at Key Largo was John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - and we were looking forward to visit Jules "Undersea Lodge", an underwater hotel(!). The thing we didn't do during our stay was to visit the park, as we met several divers who told about crowded boats, stressed and unhappy divers, and dive operators who could use a good, long vacation.
Before arriving, we were recommended to see one special dive shop, which we did, but the experiences on our two tank dive trip made us regret wasting our money, so we decided that diving Key Largo was something for "everybody else".
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However, I had one of my most special experiences when visiting Dolphins Plus, and that was the close encounters with the dolphins. In the morning we participated in a structured programme, which was fun, but after all - the dolphins earned their fair share of fish by playing with us. In the afternoon we went back for the unstructured programme, which was something completely different. We swam with untrained dolphins who could choose whether to get close to us or not. Instead of "chasing" them around, a couple of us just reminded in the middle, just looking at them passing. After a short while some of them started getting curious at the strange people not chasing them around, so they came to us and sort of "invited" us down for a swim. I swam down with one of them, only to discover that five more came to join us. When I got eyecontact with one of them, something happened inside me and I got kind of religious - now I believe in Neptun! It was a fantastic experience, and I'm looking forward to my next chance of studying dolphins outside aquariums.
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the numerous insects that bite. We were there late summer/early autumn, and I was pretty close to freak out completely before we got away from the most massive mosquito attack I've ever experienced. If you're going during summer, at least make sure you're out of the park before sunset!
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Miami can be trendy - or not, it depends on what you make out of it, and your expectations of what it should, or maybe could, be. Despite high crime rates, Miami is USA's third most popular city for international tourists. It is also a city swarmed by oh-so-trendy people - moviestars, singers/muscicians, fashonists, supermodels, and their likes.
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