xbt2316

Taupe79, I hope you enjoy your weekend in Tucson... but I hope you follow up with a trip report describing what you saw and and what you did there... in my case, I can't imagine a reason to spend any time in a place like Tucson, Arizona... perhaps I need some more data... or perhaps I'm uninterested in what Tucson has to offer...

Shea, you've got it wrong... I readily admit that Chicago is a little faster, a little more exciting than DFW...

By the way, Shea, when you went to school, did they teach you what paragraphs were?

DFW has a pretty enormous visitor base... out of 13 million people who enter DFW each year, about 7 million are casual, non-business visitors... many reasons for leisure travelers to visit.

So you stay in FW when in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, do you Shea? And why do you think that is significant? If you like it there, good for you... most people have a different intrerest than you... your experience and interests are not the norm.

xbt2316

By the way, Malasherbes, you'd better brush up on your snail-eating appetites before you take your trips to France...

TheWeasel

I think since the OP has already stated she's made a decision, it's high time to stop debating Dallas vs. Tucson (and every other place). I also think in the future it would be more helpful if people could post relevant info, and then let the OP take it from there, rather than trying to "win the battle of the cities". There's a lot of good stuff here on all sides, but some of it is too over the top, and some of the responses are a bit petty, don't you think? I think in general most people are smart enough to see through the hype and pick out what's important to them, so why bother with all this nonsense and quibbling. Let it go and spend that time doing something more productive.

paula1470

Shea-You're right xbt had to have the last word. And it is true, if I had any interest in Dallas (which I don't as I have been there!), xbt would have driven me to go somewhere else. LOL

ChristieP

EXACTLY, Paula!!! ;-)

rjw_lgb_ca

I was one of those 13 million people who entered DFW last year-- four times, in fact.

To change planes and get somewhere else.

Again we find someone belittling cities that aren't his beloved home town-- without ever having actually been to the cities in question. A tiny suggestion: Your credibility would be a bit higher if you visited a place before declaring it to be of no value to anyone.

Shea

See, I told you xbt would respond in his negative put-down style.
Oh, by the way, I thought this was an informal site.
I guess I will have to brush up my grammar for the Dallas expert.

Malesherbes

MMMMmmm xbt...one of my favorite appetizers. I like mine with butter and garlic, in the shell of course, not that sissy pastry puff. How about you??

By the way, it's MalEsherbes, and it is French....

xbt2316

OK, MalEsherbes, suit yourself...

BTW, afer your meal, what does your man think of your breath?

If you're interested, I can send you some Tahitian Noni juice.

xbt2316

OK, people, whether you like it or not, I will continue posting information about the DFW area.

If you think that writing about science museums alienates people, or if paragraphs about interesting neighborhoods is a turn-off... well, I disagree. I think it presents people with options they didn't know about before.

rjw_lgb, you were not one of the 13 million people who stayed overnight in DFW last year, you were one of the 60 million who transited the DFW airport. Sorry, I'm not responsible for whatever attitudes you have about the place, or how they obscure your vision.

Paula, if you don't have any interest in the DFW area... well, I probably don't have any interest in your town... so what?

Regarding Tucson... yes, I don't know anything about the town, but I'm not automatically discounting it's value... the more concrete info I have about the place, great. I don't have a lot of interest in small cities because they are too limited in what urbanity they can offer, but I have a lot of interest in knowledge for its own sake.

And Mal sherbet... the purpose of this forum is not to allow people like you to harass people like me...

paula1470

xbt-I think you are missing the point here. You can keep posting all you want about Dallas-that is your prerogative-and I am sure for those visiting Dallas your information will be very helpful. However, you just kept on and on about Dallas, even when the OP took the city on her list.

As rjw said, though, it doesn't help your credibility that you haven't even visited Tucson but continued to say things against it. Some people like Tucson, others don't but visit it first before you make judgement.

The reason I said I wasn't interested in Dallas is because I have been there many times. I have visited friends there and attended meetings and conventions in the city. I have nothing against Dallas although it wouldn't be my choice for a vacation destination. But I can say that because I have been to Dallas and made my own decision.

Yes, you may not be interested in my city. I live in the San Diego area so most people are very interested in where I live. However, if you didn't like San Diego, I wouldn't care and certainly wouldn't keep shoving it down your throat. Just one less car on the freeway is the way I look at it. LOL

Anyway, enough of this discussion. Maybe you can agree that everyone is entitled to their own tastes and opinions.

paula1470

meant to say "took the city off her list".

xbt2316

OK, Paula, if you are from San Diego, you'll happily read that I am interested in your city. It does have some interesting places to see, such as the Gaslamp District and Balboa Park.

Other than that, however, it is just a lot of people jammed up into Southern California... Sure, you may have been to Dallas and a lot of other cities. Whether or not you are interested in what you see, that is a matter of your own attitude, your ability to perceive things, your general interests in life.

I can guarantee you that Dallas has a better cultural life, much more urbanity than San Diego. Do you really care? Should you? That's up to you.

If you wrote extensively about your city, as I do about Dallas, I wouldn't be offended. Why should I be? The more info, the better...

As for putting down Tucson... no, I plead not guilty. True, I don't know anything about the place, nor do I expect much out of the town, but I definitely look forward to learning more. Don't you?

paula1470

xbt-I will not disagree that So. California is tons of people on the freeways, I deal with that everyday.

Yes, Dallas is probably more urban than San Diego, I don't diagree with that either. I think most people come to San Diego to visit the ocean, enjoy the great weather and just relax.

You wrote:
"Whether or not you are interested in what you see, that is a matter of your own attitude, your ability to perceive things, your general interests in life." That is exactly what I am trying to get across. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. After you have expressed your opinion,then let it go. The traveler will make their own decision. People come to this board to get valuable information but don't need it forcefed to them

I am glad you like Dallas-I am sure it is a great city in many ways. I think you would be pleasantly surprised by Tucson especially if you enjoy beautiful scenery and cultural museums. I do hope you give it a chance sometime. As for me, I have been going there all my life as many of my family members live there and I grew up in Arizona.

Shea

Comparing San Diego to Dallas, gimme a break. San Diego is one of the top tourist locations in the U.S.

Please, no one else respond to this thread. Maybe he will shut up.

xbt2316

Paula, after your recomendation... maybe I will make a stop in Tucson. I have a knack for taking the pulse of places, often sometines very different than what the Chamber of Commerce promotes. Tucson is a place that strikes me as 'authentic'.

Shea, mabye you should just go aweay.

MikePinTucson

Taupe79,

I do hope you enjoy the time you spend here in and around Tucson. As I had mentioned, I do have an awful lot of links that I can send you by email. That would be easier because the links in an email will be clickable. I do hope the weather cooperates -- AND that you don't have too much difficulty finding lodging if the Gem & Mineral show is in progress.

xbt2316 -- I certainly would welcome you here and would be happy to also send you clickable links on things to do and see. You, and Taupe79 to, might be interested to know that, although Tucson is located in the Sonoran desert, at an elevation of around 2600', a visit to the surrounding mountain ranges will take you through 4 distinctly different climate zones. So when you reach the mountain peaks (over 9,000 feet high, you find yourself surrounded by towering pines instead of cactus.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/index.shtml

xbt2316, perhaps I will even end up taking a trip, or a stopover, in Dallas. In which case I would certainly look to you for things to do and see. Because you absolutely DO know that area.

xbt2316

MikePinTucson, I certainly appreciate your offer. The four climactic zones in the mountains sounds pretty good... pine trees in the mountains... excellent. What a dramatic change from desert scenery to arboreal...

If I travel to Tucson next summer, I shall certainly solicit your help. Likewise, if I can offer some travel tips about my region... please feel free...

paula1470

xbt-Glad to hear you are opening your mind about Tucson. However, I don't know that I would visit in the middle of summer. Your impression then might not be so good. Arizona is absolutely glorious in the spring and fall. As I am sure you know, the summer temps are usually over 100 but you can get good hotel rates and escape the heat by heading for the mountain top.

xbt2316

Thanks for the heads-up, Paula. I understand what you mean about summer.

Do you have a monsoon season in the spring like Phoenix does?

Actually, I'd be looking for a campsite in a state park, plenty of pine forest, and probably a place with showers. Any thoughts?