Feedback Friday (#8)
Here's one for ya . . .
Everyone's heard the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" or "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" or possibly even the ever popular "Spend some time in Cincinnati, it's positively unsucky".
Well, get that prescription for motion sickness pills refilled and pack your bags because I've decided that we're all gonna venture out on a little trip for this week's edition of Feedback Friday. In less time (and most assuredly) less work than it took Orville and Wilbur to bravely go where no man had gone before and engage on the very first cross-yard flight, we will be heading out into our own Great Wide Openness.
I've been thinking about this one and I want to hear all about where you like to go when you visit a new city. Even if you have never really considered it, I just bet that you do feel drawn to certain places that most cities have. Some people have to go to the tallest bridge and toss a 3lb. bag of onions off, and some people feel uncontrollably compelled to hit the local Turkish Laundromat, while still others can almost always be found dancing the night away down at the Royal Order of Chiropractor's Assistants Meeting Hall (That place can get a tad crazy. Just ask that dude that was wearing the "Party-Naked.Com" T-shirt who was taking all the pictures.)
Seriously, when you get off the plane in Atlanta (or Phoenix or Montreal or Timbuktu), there has to be at least one place that you already know you want to see without even opening the guide book. Maybe it's a sports stadium or a concert arena or a Wendy's restaurant. When I go some place new, I personally like to spend some time in that city's independent bookstore (if they have one). I also have a soft spot for aquariums and local breweries.
Okay - I'm a geek, but hey . . . let's hear what you have to say and see if it's any better.
This should be fun -
Ben O.
Everyone's heard the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" or "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" or possibly even the ever popular "Spend some time in Cincinnati, it's positively unsucky".
Well, get that prescription for motion sickness pills refilled and pack your bags because I've decided that we're all gonna venture out on a little trip for this week's edition of Feedback Friday. In less time (and most assuredly) less work than it took Orville and Wilbur to bravely go where no man had gone before and engage on the very first cross-yard flight, we will be heading out into our own Great Wide Openness.
I've been thinking about this one and I want to hear all about where you like to go when you visit a new city. Even if you have never really considered it, I just bet that you do feel drawn to certain places that most cities have. Some people have to go to the tallest bridge and toss a 3lb. bag of onions off, and some people feel uncontrollably compelled to hit the local Turkish Laundromat, while still others can almost always be found dancing the night away down at the Royal Order of Chiropractor's Assistants Meeting Hall (That place can get a tad crazy. Just ask that dude that was wearing the "Party-Naked.Com" T-shirt who was taking all the pictures.)
Seriously, when you get off the plane in Atlanta (or Phoenix or Montreal or Timbuktu), there has to be at least one place that you already know you want to see without even opening the guide book. Maybe it's a sports stadium or a concert arena or a Wendy's restaurant. When I go some place new, I personally like to spend some time in that city's independent bookstore (if they have one). I also have a soft spot for aquariums and local breweries.
Okay - I'm a geek, but hey . . . let's hear what you have to say and see if it's any better.
This should be fun -
Ben O.
posted by Ben O. | 10:12 PM
21 Comments:
I love how you say "this should be fun" at the end of your posts. Have you ever been disappointed?
* Used Bookstores
* The "downtown" shopping: especially cute clothing stores while my husband wanders around aimlessly
* Gardens: Don't you love visiting beautiful gardens?
* Resaurants that the locals eat at.
* The "rich housing* district. I love looking at poshy-posh houses in other places.
Any thrift store, Salvation Army or Goodwill within a 10 mile radius.
Souvenir shops. We buy a shot glass wherever we go and I love looking at all the little knick-knacks and t-shirts, mugs, etc etc.
Apart from that though, I get my kicks looking at old buildings and cathedrals.
And sitting at coffee shops watching the people.
Of course if there's an Eiffel Tower or Colisseum around I like those too.
I will be checking out the zoo it it has one, bookstores, and perhaps a bar or two.
MOM is back -- I actually have been out of town for a couple of days. Sadie Lou, I am liking you more and more all the time. A couple of posts back, you listed nearly all of my favorite bands; you don't like snow; (I also like it better from the inside of a lodge, with hot chocolate in my hand); and you approach a new town just about the way that I would. Except that I like to check out any local antique shops that are nearby and a quilt shop if there is one. Back to the snow part, I am probably the only one in our immediate family that doesn't like to ski, but I have never refused to go on a trip for that reason - I just stock up on good reading material, and have lunch ready when they come back from the slopes. Oh, yeah, Ben, sorry to ignore you. But Sadie Lou and I are getting acquainted . . . MOM
Sadie - quit stealing my mom.
Used bookstores rock. I hate that "Half-Price Books" is not in Colorado. I think it would go over wonderfully here.
Terri - no shot glasses, but tons of pint glasses. I love the Guinness "Tulip" style glasses that are everywhere in Dublin. (come to think of it I miss Dublin big time.)
Arkie - Denver just had one of it's annual free days at the downtown zoo. It was great.
Does nobody else like the Aquarium? How can you beat spending the day looking at all the little fishies?
Thanks for checking in Mom . . . I'm glad your trip went well.
Ben O.
Fish shmish. I like dolphins though. We used to go watch the dolphins at the oceanarium in my hometown in SA when I was little. I was distraught to read that Dolly the Dolphin died earlier this year - she'd been like the city's own pet for twenty years or something.
But I digress.
U liked Dublin eh? Were u here long? Methinks I've been here too long. No self-respecting South African uses words like 'methinks'...
I love zoos and aquariums! The best aquarium I've been to is Shedd in Chicago. I also went to the worst zoo there, too.
I love visiting any specialty food stores in ethnic areas. Pottery shops, jewelry shops, artisanery stuff.
I will hit the shopping centres, little gift shops, restaurants, bars, etc. I also like to just drive around and take in the atmosphere of the place I'm visiting. If it has a beachfront, that is always a bonus!
Hi Mom,
We are kindred spirits! Remember that from Anne of Green Gables?
I love antique stores! My little town is like overrun with them. I would enjoy going some place else and seeing what they have to offer--it's the same OLD stuff in our antique stores.
Quilting shopes! How fun. I'm not a sew-er (sp). In fact, I'm prone to fits of jealousy over people who are accomplished crafters.
I'm crafty, but not in any way to do with fabric and needles. I tried knitting once and couldn't even complete a scarf. :(
It's very rare to meet someone that doesn't like snow activities as much as moi.
It's comforting to know there are people out there that would rather read and be warm & cozy as opposed to freezing cold and miserable. *rolling my eyes*
Hi Ben! I liked your top tens on my blog. I was in a weird mood that day. I didn't want to choose all them old things so I went with some originality and got a stern rebuking from my fans.
*sigh*
People are so hard on me...
*wink*
I guess it all depends on the city and the research I have put into it prior to going. What a boring answer I know!
We, more than likely, would go to a sports venue and part take in lots of beer drinking!
Okay people - doesn't anyone out there like beer?
Sadie - you and my mom need to get together and go antique shopping. (I can't believe I just said that.) We'll try not to be so hard on you.
Terri - We were only in Dublin for a few days, but I really enjoyed it. I am a total U2 freak and our family heritage is Irish, so it sort of felt like I had finally seen a place that made me a little more complete . . . if that makes any sense whatsoever. I love Guinness too, so that doesn't hurt.
Coyote - Never been to Chicago, but I would love to go to the Shedd Aquarium if I ever make it up there. I'm also one of those doofuses who likes to see baseball games in cool (read - "character-having") ballparks. Wrigley is a no-brainer.
Buddess - I don't do enough shopping in places we go. I think that is an under-valued activity when travelling. I love how you said "centres". I prefer the "r" before the "e". I should petition congress on changing it over here.
Jen - that doesn't sound boring, just prepared. Beer can't possibly be too boring.
Ben O.
Thrift stores, mom n pop cafes, pawn shops, movie theaters, zoos. I prefer places the locals recommend over touristy areas.
Mom is so popular . . .
Come out and play Mom.
Ben O.
How strange people keep saying "zoos". I don't really like zoos. I think all of us try so hard to pretend like those wild animals are happy all locked up in their cages but we know their not. Poor animals. Oh yeah, and monkeys scare me.
I would love to hang with your mom.
I had the opportunity to got to Wrigley and see a ballgame on the same trip, but declined because I didn't want to sit in the heat (it was HOT that August) and swelter watching something I do not enjoy at all. My in-laws scalped my ticket and they weren't offended.
I'm late but what the heck.
I always like to check out old cemetaries. Especially if I'm in the South.
Great blog Ben!
Ben O. - I personally like to spend some time in that city's independent bookstore (if they have one). I also have a soft spot for aquariums and local breweries.
Actually, that's really cool. Independent bookstore in Chico, CA is Lyon's books. Had a big Harry Potter party when book 6 came out. Every once in awhile, an author would pop in for book signings.
Our local brewery is Sierra Nevada. You may have had their Pale Ale. I prefer their Wheat and Crystal Wheat, but neither of those get exported much.
No aquarium.
I wanted to add, I like planetariums and dinosaur museums too.
Hey Zombster - thanks for commenting.
I like that beer alot. We have a couple of beers here too. New Belgium, Left Hand, Odells, Great Divide . . . and that little one called Coors.
Gotta love going to see authors. I try and see them speak and sign everytime I can.
Ben O.
Bars, stationary shops, and getting lost, in no particular order. And once the getting lost part has been achieved (which doesn't usually take long), whatever I stumble upon.
I'm late, but what the heck.
Yarn stores
Used bookstores
Local restaurants (I hate chain restaurants as a general rule)
Cool non-chain clothing stores (found two great ones in New Orleans back in January)
And I understand the dislike of Zoos because I had the same feeling for a long time, but I reached the point where I realised that without zoos we'd be short a whole lot of animals which are now "simply" endangered. Some zoos really need to update and get the animals out of cages and into more "natural" exhibits, but that takes money and if people don't support the zoos, where will the animals go? It's a double-edged sword and I understand that.
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