I visit many of the boards here, and contribute when I've got something I think will be helpful. I have personal and business travel experience all over the US, so sometimes advise depends on which type of travel. I'll be heading further South at the end of June, and eventually I'll have more to contribute about North Carolina...meanwhile I'll be making quick trips to Chicago, NY and LA, and will still be out and about enjoying DC and Baltimore. No big international trip planned for this year ...the move will be quite enough excitement I think.

Robyn.... glad to hear Bloomsburg is blooming! I grew up near by.. and as I recall our football team always used to be YOUR football team! -

I go on the US board a lot because we are heading for Washngton DC and points East and I needed guidance. I also look at posts about my hometown San Diego but rarely know the answers as hotels are not my thing here.

The board I do go on a lot is the airline board. I got a fabulous airfare home from our trip out of Boston in June and the people there have really helped me...I have learned a lot about airlines and airfare.

That's a good question and my answer is: I never thought of it! Who would want to come to Albany NY? So I just went there and did a search, and lo and behold, people are asking about it! I'll have to pay attention now and see if I can help. (Although we don't stay in hotels, we do eat out once in a while and we drive to nearby places now and then!)

First, to Kavey -- I posted this clarification on the US board & forgot to do so here. I lived in NYC for many years and when I read questions asking for good places to stay around Times Sq, etc., I "withhold" my opinion because the inquiror might be from Europe, Asia or anywhere and altho I have extensive knowledge of the city, my extemp comments about suggesting a stay elsewhere may just confuse them....hence, my withholding say, "how bout a B&B on 23rd St?" Also, I currently live in Santa Fe, NM (another big tourist area) and find a lot of questions about where to travel in the SW a tad annoying.....like should we drive from the Grand Canyon to Taos, NM in 5 days....that's what I mean about withholding. Obviously, if there is a simple retort which could clarify a giant mistake, I try to do so but sometimes the itineraries boggle this mind!

I meant to say driving . . . in 2 days!
sorry.....

Thanks for clarifying...

Certainly I'll give different advice depending on the circumstances... if someone's been to London 10 times they'll be looking for different information to someone who's visiting for the first time or someone who's a local...

So, I do adapt my advice, yes.

I don't often post on the US board, but I do browse it every few days.
However, a few minutes ago, I did post a few tidbits about Kentucky Derby week.

<b>Grandma</b> - It sure is a small world! Bloomsburg and the area is growing by leaps and bounds. If you haven't been here in the last 3 years, you wouldn't even recognize Buckhorn.

At first I thought maybe you grew up in Berwick, since they always win, but I don't think Berwick and Bloomsburg were in the same football league. I grew up in Bucks county and relocated to Bloomsburg in 1978 as a young bride, so I don't know much about local football, except for the &quot;Dawgs&quot;.

Nice chatting with you. Peace.

Robyn &gt;-

Robyn.... the last THREE years?! I haven't been there in the last Thirty years - (The university was still Bloomsburg State College then.) My team was called the Mountaineers. (As opposed to the nearby Millionaires...). Anyhow, I remember the area as beautiful. And your description seems to put lie to James Carville's impression of PA: &quot;Pittsburgh and Philadelphia surrounded by Alabama.&quot;

Peace and Joy -

Grandma, 30 years! You would never recognize this area. It has changed so much in the last 15 years that I have been here.

You should come back for a visit! I love it in the fall!

Every once in a while I do check the US board for questions about South Dakota. Of course, everyone wants to know about the Black Hills and the Badlands. Although I live in eastern South Dakota, I have stayed in and toured the Hills enough times to give adequate advice. (My good friend from Pierre often checks in to answer the same questions!) No, I don't withhold info - everyone should visit the tourist traps at least one time. As for the rest of our state, most people just want to know where to sleep and eat along I-90. They never want to visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, Fort Sisseton (earthen Civil War fort in NE part of state), or the Falls of Sioux Falls.