pnestor

A quick thought!

I am from Ireland and use this forum to plan many of the trips I take. The advice from those that have traveled the areas I want to visit is invaluable.

But I stray now and then to the Ireland 'topics' area and find that I could not give better advice then those that take the time to help out with Itineries etc, mostly folks from the US.

So question, do you really know your own country?? Do those that spend two weeks there a year know it better then those that live there 12 months of the year?

indytravel

Being from the US I think I know my own state quite well. I don't think I know the entire US at all. In fact I have yet to set foot in Vermont, N. Dakota, Oregon, Alaska or Hawaii.

I looked at some stats. Coincidentally Ireland and Indiana are fairly similar in size and population: Ireland at 70,000 km2 with 4 million people. Indiana at 93,000 km2 with 6 million people. Not to mention they both start with the letter "I" and each have 7 letters in their names. I think I'm running out of similarities now.

By the way Indiana is the smallest continental state west of the Appalachians. It's number 38 out of 50. (Have to qualify with "continental" 'cause Hawaii is smaller.)

celine13

What an interesting question!

I never thought of it but now that I ponder about it, I don't think so. All this while, I call myself Malaysian but I doubt I hardly know much about the country at all after having lived in the UK and Australia for far longer.

The ironic thing is I find myself offering travel advice on the Europe, Asia and Australia Forums!! Just goes to show how small the world has become

bigboy72712

This is why I like this site, it makes sense most of the time. As an American
I really don't know much travel infomation about this country.

offwego

Is the US is too big to "know"?

I know my city/surrounding area well and I know lots about the state I live in.

I also know about other cities I have lived in, but sheesh-- it's a big country. It's alot to "know"!

pnestor

I think that it is interesting to put yourself in the position that if asked to be a tour guide for not only your own country, but city...could you do it!!??!

I think that those in the US have a better argument for not knowing about or having visited their country. Its huge! But Europeans don't really have an excuse for not knowing about their own countries!!!

Agree ? No?

elina

That is a good question, and it came also into my head a few years ago when I realized that every single holiday I am somewhere else than in my own country, and that there are whole regions where I have never set my foot. That year I decided to do something about it. At first my husband was against it and tried to suggest all kinds of exotic places, starting from Tibet where he knew I really wanted to go. But homeland travel it was, and has been every once and awhile ever since. The way I do it: I play a real tourist, and do the same touristy things I do when I travel abroad. I search for small, idyllic inns or cottages, visit almost every church and museum, do the nature-related things that are geared for tourists (like white water rafting), take particular care when choosing places to eat and eat the stuff that is typical for that region, find out where village parties are, and so on. Everybody should try it, that opens your eyes to the things you don't notice because you take them for granted.

Grasshopper

I feel like I have spent half a lifetime getting to know California! And now I'm starting to make a dent in Colorado. The US is so huge. And there are all those European destinations that I'm still working on making "old friends". I hope I can live long enough to see everything I want to see!

Patrick

What an interesting thread. This is somewhat related:
I'm often surprised at how many Americans are major European travelers -- going every year to a particular country or to Europe in general, yet have never toured the US much at all.
I've stood next to Americans at some pretty sight in Europe, like a mountain view or the coast of Ireland and hear them say, "well, we don't have anything like this in the US". I love playing devil's advocate and asking if they've ever visited the Rockies, or the Big Sur coast, or whatever and often they hesitate then say "no". So I wonder what it is that make people WANT everywhere else to be more special than their own country.

I try to do both, but admit that I actually travel more in Europe than I do in the US. In 2001 we altered our plans and spent 5 months driving from Florida to Alaska via Maine one way and California the other. And next summer we're looking at revisiting the states rather than Europe (if I can stand not getting to Europe). And I must shamefully admit I've never been to the well visited Caribbean Gardens right here in Naples, Florida where I've lived for 28 years, but what would you like to know about Versailles???

pnestor

It makes interesting reading! The main reason I started the thread is because I had to recently play Tour Guide to my girlfriends parents/family on a recent trip they made to Ireland.

I started to try and plan what to do and discovered that I knew little about my relatively small country.

In the end I turned to this forum and the fantastic advice that vistiors to my country had given to others planning trips to Ireland.

So in answer to my own question - No I couldn't be a Tour Guide in my own country!!!

SiobhanP

Pnestor its so true. I know Dublin as well or better than a local because I am not originally from here. If you asked me about the south west of Irelland though I only have a few things to say as I am not familiar with it.

I get to knowa place from just walking and taking public transport. It always gives me the feel and grid map of a city/town

BTilke

I would have to be quite the scholar to be an expert on a country as large and diverse as the U.S. I know certain parts pretty well--eastern Pennsylvania, the PA Dutch country, the Pacific NW, but there's a lot I don't know about large swathes of U.S. I know parts of France pretty well, too, even though it's not my country, from having studied there, having lived with a French famiy, and having been there more times than I could count. But I'm always learning something new--about both my own country and the places in Europe we visit...one of the great pleasures of travel!

sheila

I think I do. I try to take at least a week's holiday in Scotland every year, and I've lived here all my life and I walk and watch birds all over the place, and, to be honest, since I started to hang out here, I take more note of visitor related stuff both on the ground and in the newspapers.

grandmere

This reminds me of when we were invited to a party at friends' house, in honor of a large group of Spanish parents who were visiting their high school age children who were studying here in Pgh. Some of the folks knew a lot about USA, more than I in some cases-- eg, the relative height of Niagara Falls to Victoria Falls, etc.! I was impressed!

Ryan

I'd say as it relates to my home in New York City, it depends. There are many things about NY that I know that a tourist likely won't know from spending a few weeks here. But, I couldn't begin to give advice on which hotel is better than another or which bus tour to take.

In terms of general knowledge, a local will certainly know more in most cases when it comes to things like dining and transportation options. But I'd suggest that as it relates to many items that are of interest to a tourist, one who was a tourist could have an equal knowledge.

clevelandbrown

The last time we visited the Grand Canyon, I listened to the people around us talking and concluded that I and my family were the only Americans there. I also have difficulty coming up with answers when someone from afar asks what is interesting to see in my home town; I think its perhaps because to me something is very familiar, while to a stranger it would be something new.

Giovanna

My husband and I have been to almost every state in the U.S., but do we know them well enough to offer advice--NO! In fact, have a friend from the east who has been asking me for extensive info on San Francisco. I can help with sites to see, etc., but am no help at all with hotels. I don't stay in them--we live across the Bay.

We have been traveling the U.S. this year and have had wonderful trips. We went to Denver in April to celebrate our 50th anniversary and renew our vows at the church where we were married. Hadn't been there for years and it was interesting being a tourist in the city I grew up in.

We went to Washington, D.C. for the WWII Memorial dedication and had a wonderful time. Barely made a dent in the wonderful museums and other places of interest, but we did cover a lot of ground in the week we were there.

We're off to New Orleans next month and haven't been there for sometime. I know it will have changed and am hoping I will love it as I have in the past and not hate it because of the changes!

Back to Do I know my own country? Somewhat, some states more than others and my own state fairly well.

LilyLace

Great question! I think that I know alot about my country (USA). I find too that most of my business associates in other countries know alot about where they live as well. I do however know a large number of people who haven't a clue!

I think we frequent travelers seem to have a greater knowledge (the old "experience is the best teacher" I guess)than someone in my neck of the woods for example. Alot of people from my area have never been out of the state let alone the country. The majority have never been on a plane or in a taxi.

I remember a few years ago when I took a small group of friends to NYC for the day. It was Christmastime and very crowded so I told the other other 5 ladies that should anyone get lost from the group to just take a cab back to the Empire State building and wait inside the little Pub for the rest of us. A simple plan to me. Imagine my laughter when, after they all agreed, I over heard one say to another "I wouldn't know how to take a cab, would you?" The response: "No, I've never been in one in my life!"

tcreath

This is a great question that I've thought to myself occassionally as I noticed that I give much more advice on the Europe boards than the US boards. I'm from Illinois (St. Louis area) and I know my own state and surrounding ones pretty well as my husband and I take lots of weekend getaways. I've been to most of the states. While I can't say that I know enough to give anyone good advice about most of them, I know enough to answer questions. I love to travel. I'm much more interested in Europe right now, as I'm only 25 and have only been to Europe twice, as opposed to almost yearly trips around the U.S. when I was younger.

The U.S. is simply way too large for most of us to know a great deal about more than just certain areas. I agree with Patrick though; so many U.S. citizens travel all over the World without having traveled very much in their own country and therefore assume that we have "nothing like this in the States". While I love traveling and I love Europe, I still think the U.S. has great things to offer and many places that are on my "to visit" list.

pnestor

SiobhanP -

You would be one of the people that I mentioned that give such valuable info to so many on the Ireland topic forum, and its nice to see good positive feed back for Dublin.

In fact I've used one or two of your Restaraunt recommendations and have discovered parts of my own city as a result.

Could you give the same kind of advice about the place you come from?