The Clueless Abroad - Ingo's first trip to the US (Northeast) - Trip Report
Dec 6th, 2007, 03:19 PM
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>am I doing this wrong?
Yes, here you get your presents on the evening of the fifth, when St. Nikolas and Krampus come to either bring presents or take the bad children with them. That was scary, but I new I couldn't have been THAT bad.
Yes, here you get your presents on the evening of the fifth, when St. Nikolas and Krampus come to either bring presents or take the bad children with them. That was scary, but I new I couldn't have been THAT bad.
Dec 7th, 2007, 09:06 AM
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I remember this holiday from when I was 4 years old in Austria. St. Nikolas and Krampus (the devil) came to our house and scared me half to death. Fifty years later and I still can recall it as if it were yesterday.
Dec 11th, 2007, 09:11 PM
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Ingo! What a great trip report. I can't wait for another chapter. What a wonderful descriptive way to experience the northeast without even leaving your computer.
I am headed to San Francisco on Friday. We have reservations for the tasting menu with wine pairings at Gary Danko Friday night. Can not wait! I hear the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse on Monday in the city and north bay but that won't stop our wine tasting trip.
We will toast you like we did Stephen in Germany last May.
Enjoy the Christmas markets and please give your parents my best.
I am headed to San Francisco on Friday. We have reservations for the tasting menu with wine pairings at Gary Danko Friday night. Can not wait! I hear the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse on Monday in the city and north bay but that won't stop our wine tasting trip.
We will toast you like we did Stephen in Germany last May. Enjoy the Christmas markets and please give your parents my best.
Dec 14th, 2007, 09:07 AM
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Sorry to all for the delay. Christmas season has its distractions ;-)
Thanks for all the nice comments and thanks for reading at all! Btw, I *did* put out my shoes for St. Nicholas day and they were indeed well filled with chocolate and cookies the next morning.
apseals - thanks for the nice comment. You know that I am jealous, eh? Wine tasting and stuff, huh? Season's greetings to you and your family. I'll think of y'all when eating Stollen and drinking Glühwein tomorrow on the Christmas Market.
And now on to the next chapter:
Friday, 12 Oct
As mentioned above we could get the John Jeffries only for two nights. That meant we had to change hotels that day. We checked out in the morning, left the luggage in a storage room in the hotel and headed out. The weather was slightly better than the days before - a mix of clouds, blue sky and showers. We walked along Charles River to the Museum of Science. We bought a souvenir for a neighbour back home in Germany in the museum shop but decided not to go inside. Instead we had a look at the monstruous vehicles that are used for the Boston Duck Tours (which obviously start at the MoS), waited till another shower was over and then took the "T" to the Museum of Fine Arts. Our friend Karen had once more given us passes that provided substantial discounts on the admission fee (Big Thanks!!). The museum is huge, the collections are fantastic. We started with ancient art and continued with the great European Old Masters and superb Impressionists. I always find it moving to see work from my own region in art museums elsewhere and thus was thrilled to find three figures of animals made of Meissen porcelain. It seemed to me they were presented as a highlight in the Baroque collection and it made me appreciate the about 40 pieces of that series in the porcelain collection back home in Dresden even more.
Gazing at all these works of art made us hungry. The main restaurant looked fancy and was deserted, the cafeteria looked inviting but was crowded so we finally decided to grab a late and quick lunch from the salad buffet in the self-service restaurant. Not a bad choice, but nothing to write home about either.
We continued our visit of the museum with Asian art - and that one was *really* amazing. The Chinese furniture and the Buddha room were particularly beautiful. We concluded the tour with American art - my parents *loved* the old furniture and the pictures by John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer.
Mentally exhausted and a bit tired we were picked up by our friend Bob in front of the museum. He drove us back to the John Jeffries, we got our luggage, then the van from the nearby garage and drove to the hotel where Bob had made reservations for us for the remaining two nights in Boston - the Hyatt Summersfield Suites Hotel in Burlington outside the city.
With rush hour in full swing (on a Friday!) it took us quite a while to get there from downtown. The traffic was a nightmare again. The hotel turned out to be close to the Interstate and two shopping malls but still in a quiet location. The one-bedroom apartment was large, equipped with a kitchen, A/C. The room had a strong smell after disinfection/cleaning stuff but that went (almost) away after awhile with the window open and the fan on full speed. Pool etc. were closed (seasonal). I was very glad they provided an office room with free internet access / printer etc.
Off we drove to Bob's and Karen's house where we were invited for dinner. Their neighbours and landlords of our wonderful rental apartment up in the White Mountains came over for a drink and chat. We enjoyed meeting them very much; very nice folks (and once again I recommend their apartment in Bartlett, NH - it was perfect.). After a quick tour of the house (we loved the ambience and the stuff that they brought from their many travels!) we were treated to a wonderful meal. We were introduced to squash (I hope I got *this* one right; don't want to make another fauxpas like with the 'corn on the cob', LOL) which we liked a lot (it's going to be a big hit here soon; our garden will provide the whole neighbourhood with it ;-)). Everything was delicious; from the sweet potatoes to grilled pork and dessert ... Time flew by and we had to say good night. I will admit here (Bob - I was too embarrassed to tell you earlier) that we *did* get lost. We simply missed the (barely noticeable and not well signposted) turn to the Interstate. After 3 miles of driving we knew something was wrong. Turned around, asked at a fuel stop, but the guy sent us to the right, the gal to the left. It took about 20 minutes of criss-crossing the streets in the suburb and one more asking at a grocery (that was about to close) until we found the Interstate. Heavens! Once on the Interstate we easily found our exit and the hotel. Peace. Out.
Thanks for all the nice comments and thanks for reading at all! Btw, I *did* put out my shoes for St. Nicholas day and they were indeed well filled with chocolate and cookies the next morning.
apseals - thanks for the nice comment. You know that I am jealous, eh? Wine tasting and stuff, huh? Season's greetings to you and your family. I'll think of y'all when eating Stollen and drinking Glühwein tomorrow on the Christmas Market.
And now on to the next chapter:
Friday, 12 Oct
As mentioned above we could get the John Jeffries only for two nights. That meant we had to change hotels that day. We checked out in the morning, left the luggage in a storage room in the hotel and headed out. The weather was slightly better than the days before - a mix of clouds, blue sky and showers. We walked along Charles River to the Museum of Science. We bought a souvenir for a neighbour back home in Germany in the museum shop but decided not to go inside. Instead we had a look at the monstruous vehicles that are used for the Boston Duck Tours (which obviously start at the MoS), waited till another shower was over and then took the "T" to the Museum of Fine Arts. Our friend Karen had once more given us passes that provided substantial discounts on the admission fee (Big Thanks!!). The museum is huge, the collections are fantastic. We started with ancient art and continued with the great European Old Masters and superb Impressionists. I always find it moving to see work from my own region in art museums elsewhere and thus was thrilled to find three figures of animals made of Meissen porcelain. It seemed to me they were presented as a highlight in the Baroque collection and it made me appreciate the about 40 pieces of that series in the porcelain collection back home in Dresden even more.
Gazing at all these works of art made us hungry. The main restaurant looked fancy and was deserted, the cafeteria looked inviting but was crowded so we finally decided to grab a late and quick lunch from the salad buffet in the self-service restaurant. Not a bad choice, but nothing to write home about either.
We continued our visit of the museum with Asian art - and that one was *really* amazing. The Chinese furniture and the Buddha room were particularly beautiful. We concluded the tour with American art - my parents *loved* the old furniture and the pictures by John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer.
Mentally exhausted and a bit tired we were picked up by our friend Bob in front of the museum. He drove us back to the John Jeffries, we got our luggage, then the van from the nearby garage and drove to the hotel where Bob had made reservations for us for the remaining two nights in Boston - the Hyatt Summersfield Suites Hotel in Burlington outside the city.
With rush hour in full swing (on a Friday!) it took us quite a while to get there from downtown. The traffic was a nightmare again. The hotel turned out to be close to the Interstate and two shopping malls but still in a quiet location. The one-bedroom apartment was large, equipped with a kitchen, A/C. The room had a strong smell after disinfection/cleaning stuff but that went (almost) away after awhile with the window open and the fan on full speed. Pool etc. were closed (seasonal). I was very glad they provided an office room with free internet access / printer etc.
Off we drove to Bob's and Karen's house where we were invited for dinner. Their neighbours and landlords of our wonderful rental apartment up in the White Mountains came over for a drink and chat. We enjoyed meeting them very much; very nice folks (and once again I recommend their apartment in Bartlett, NH - it was perfect.). After a quick tour of the house (we loved the ambience and the stuff that they brought from their many travels!) we were treated to a wonderful meal. We were introduced to squash (I hope I got *this* one right; don't want to make another fauxpas like with the 'corn on the cob', LOL) which we liked a lot (it's going to be a big hit here soon; our garden will provide the whole neighbourhood with it ;-)). Everything was delicious; from the sweet potatoes to grilled pork and dessert ... Time flew by and we had to say good night. I will admit here (Bob - I was too embarrassed to tell you earlier) that we *did* get lost. We simply missed the (barely noticeable and not well signposted) turn to the Interstate. After 3 miles of driving we knew something was wrong. Turned around, asked at a fuel stop, but the guy sent us to the right, the gal to the left. It took about 20 minutes of criss-crossing the streets in the suburb and one more asking at a grocery (that was about to close) until we found the Interstate. Heavens! Once on the Interstate we easily found our exit and the hotel. Peace. Out.
Dec 14th, 2007, 09:42 AM
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Saturday, 13 Oct
Big day! It was the day of the Boston Fodor's GTG that I was dying to attend. I had built the itinerary around the GTG so that I made sure to be in Boston that day. Bob and Karen showed up soon after 9 am at the hotel while we still were at breakfast.
That breakfast deserves to be mentioned. A buffet was set up in the middle of a dining room. The hotel was fully booked and the room was clearly too small. People floated in, grabbed a (paper) cup of 'coffee', sat down with a muffin, got up, ran out. Or they just grabbed a cup of tea, stood there and chatted a bit, walked out. Very few people took the time to toast slices of bread, take a (paper) plate, load it with butter, jam and/or scrambled eggs and actually sat down for more than 5 minutes. Of course, it was understandable with all the noise from people's chatting/screaming and two TVs blaring (different TV stations).
In the meantime we were introduced to Carol, another Fodorite who was staying at the hotel. The plan was that my parents would explore the Harvard area while I attended the GTG. So we took the van and Carol rode with Bob and Karen. I dropped off my parents at Harvard Square and off we drove to the Hotel @ MIT where the GTG took place. Traffic was a nightmare again - probably the Red Sox are to blame, they played the same afternoon at Fenway Park.
I had a blast at the GTG. I enjoyed thoroughly meeting the real persons that I had only known virtually so far. A special treat were the hugs from Mimi ;-) I won't start listing the folks I met here; I might forget a Fodorite and don't want to upset someone. It was of course *way* too little time to chat with everyone who attended. Particular thanks to Karen and Bob for the wonderful job of organising the GTG and for the funny gifts. A wonderful idea was that everyone had to tell a short travel related story for introduction. We had some very good laughs!! Buffet was very good, the wine as well.
As much as I hated it, I had to leave after lunch to pick up my parents. I also decided NOT to join the Fodorites for dinner (sorry, but it was logistically not doable) so said goodbye to everyone. More hugs Paid the parking fee (hey, had no intention to buy the place!) and drove to Harvard. Right, there were my parents, waiting more or less patiently at the sidewalk. Finding a parking space was mission impossible. Drove around 20 minutes and finally found a spot quite far from the main square - and with a limit of one hour. Our main goal was to see the glass flowers in the Museum of Natural History, so we headed in that direction. Again we had passes from Karen (isn't she the best?) to get in FREE. These glass flowers were totally amazing. I thought I could smell the flowers! Very delicate, absolutely fascinating. They were made in Dresden by the Blaschka brothers. I have seen their house and stood on their grave. (Side note: robbers from Eastern Europe broke into their house a few months ago. The Blaschka family sold the house decades ago, but it is still a private house and the family that lives there now takes care of the artsy ambience.) So - a real treat for us.
We spent the remaining time walking around Harvard Campus and enjoyed the University's brass band playing in front of John Harvard Statue. Can someone out there tell me why everyone wants to touch John Harvard's big toe? Anyway, we had a good time there, loved the vibrant atmosphere of the area, the small shops/cafés and the architecture - and the weather. It was crystal blue sky and sunny.
Driving back to the hotel took about 40 minutes - and we did NOT get lost this time. Yeah! ;-) Grabbed some sandwiches at the mall (a rip-off) and retreated to our apartment. My parents were really tired and looked forward to some rest, then packed the suitcases. I took advantage of the free internet access in the office room.
Big day! It was the day of the Boston Fodor's GTG that I was dying to attend. I had built the itinerary around the GTG so that I made sure to be in Boston that day. Bob and Karen showed up soon after 9 am at the hotel while we still were at breakfast.
That breakfast deserves to be mentioned. A buffet was set up in the middle of a dining room. The hotel was fully booked and the room was clearly too small. People floated in, grabbed a (paper) cup of 'coffee', sat down with a muffin, got up, ran out. Or they just grabbed a cup of tea, stood there and chatted a bit, walked out. Very few people took the time to toast slices of bread, take a (paper) plate, load it with butter, jam and/or scrambled eggs and actually sat down for more than 5 minutes. Of course, it was understandable with all the noise from people's chatting/screaming and two TVs blaring (different TV stations).
In the meantime we were introduced to Carol, another Fodorite who was staying at the hotel. The plan was that my parents would explore the Harvard area while I attended the GTG. So we took the van and Carol rode with Bob and Karen. I dropped off my parents at Harvard Square and off we drove to the Hotel @ MIT where the GTG took place. Traffic was a nightmare again - probably the Red Sox are to blame, they played the same afternoon at Fenway Park.
I had a blast at the GTG. I enjoyed thoroughly meeting the real persons that I had only known virtually so far. A special treat were the hugs from Mimi ;-) I won't start listing the folks I met here; I might forget a Fodorite and don't want to upset someone. It was of course *way* too little time to chat with everyone who attended. Particular thanks to Karen and Bob for the wonderful job of organising the GTG and for the funny gifts. A wonderful idea was that everyone had to tell a short travel related story for introduction. We had some very good laughs!! Buffet was very good, the wine as well.
As much as I hated it, I had to leave after lunch to pick up my parents. I also decided NOT to join the Fodorites for dinner (sorry, but it was logistically not doable) so said goodbye to everyone. More hugs
Paid the parking fee (hey, had no intention to buy the place!) and drove to Harvard. Right, there were my parents, waiting more or less patiently at the sidewalk. Finding a parking space was mission impossible. Drove around 20 minutes and finally found a spot quite far from the main square - and with a limit of one hour. Our main goal was to see the glass flowers in the Museum of Natural History, so we headed in that direction. Again we had passes from Karen (isn't she the best?) to get in FREE. These glass flowers were totally amazing. I thought I could smell the flowers! Very delicate, absolutely fascinating. They were made in Dresden by the Blaschka brothers. I have seen their house and stood on their grave. (Side note: robbers from Eastern Europe broke into their house a few months ago. The Blaschka family sold the house decades ago, but it is still a private house and the family that lives there now takes care of the artsy ambience.) So - a real treat for us.We spent the remaining time walking around Harvard Campus and enjoyed the University's brass band playing in front of John Harvard Statue. Can someone out there tell me why everyone wants to touch John Harvard's big toe? Anyway, we had a good time there, loved the vibrant atmosphere of the area, the small shops/cafés and the architecture - and the weather. It was crystal blue sky and sunny.
Driving back to the hotel took about 40 minutes - and we did NOT get lost this time. Yeah! ;-) Grabbed some sandwiches at the mall (a rip-off) and retreated to our apartment. My parents were really tired and looked forward to some rest, then packed the suitcases. I took advantage of the free internet access in the office room.
Dec 16th, 2007, 07:27 AM
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Ingo--Touching the toe of the John Harvard statue is supposed to bring good luck
http://harvardmagazine.com/1999/05/pump.html
http://harvardmagazine.com/1999/05/pump.html
Dec 16th, 2007, 09:42 AM
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Sunday, 14 Oct
After a good night's sleep and another fight at the breakfast buffet we checked out. The two nights cost us slightly more than $210 - very good value for the money. We said goodbye to Bob and Karen, then drove to our other friends' house in CT. We barely made it in time to return the car at Bradley Airport.
The afternoon was spent at the local applefest. We *loved* it. Shuttle service to the fest's location was organised with school buses - a unique chance for us to ride in one of those. We enjoyed it very much. The applefest was obviously a big deal in town. We were surprised by the variety of things that were offered. The craftwork was amazing. Our friend was involved in a charity event: his club had set up a booth where - for a small donation - everyone could have a photo taken of themselves with the biggest pumpkin of the year in the area - and truly, the pumpkin weighed 476 lbs., the biggest I have ever seen. Of course I have a photo of our little group with the giant pumpkin! We also had some tasty food (chicken if I recall correctly), bought a bit chocolate here, had a cookie-tasting there etc. All the little things that made the afternoon so enjoyable. Afterwards I volunteered to help cleaning the place and returning the other, smaller pumpkin to their owner. Gave me quite the feeling of being part of the crowd, not just a visitor. We had a farewell dinner at home (again delicious), chatted till late night and thus went to bed much too late for an early start the next day.
Monday, 15 Oct
Breakfast, loading our luggage (Did I mention we had four suitcases, one duffle bag, three backpacks now? Our friends suggested we should rent a freight train from Berlin back home, LOL!) into the (rental) van, piled ourselves into the van and off we were - our friend had volunteered to drive us to Newark airport. We were soooo glad they did ... it was another long trip, but the scenery was quite nice, especially when we crossed the Hudson River. We had excellent lunch in a small Portuguese restaurant in Elizabeth near Newark Airport (nice neighbourhood). Soon it was time to head to the airport where we said goodbye. Checking the luggage, security, passport control etc. were easy. Departure with a slight delay (traffic jam on the runway) about 6.15 pm. The flight back was uneventful. The lavatories worked, the TV monitor worked, the staff was unfriendly - we didn't care much.
Tuesday, 16 Oct
The sunrise above the clouds seven hours later was stunning. We arrived a bit early in Berlin-Tegel (8 am), baggage claim was fast (one suitcase was a bit damaged and all suitcases came out quite dirty - what did Continental do with them during the flight?), passport control even faster, customs officers were not seen at all - we rushed through.
Only 30 minutes after landing we purchased a "Berlin-Brandenburg" ticket, good for buses, local and regional trains in those German states for up to five persons (and unlimited luggage, lol). I had bought a "Sachsen" ticket in advance, before we left, so all the trains back home were covered. We took bus TXL to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, hopped on the regional train to Elsterwerda, where we changed to another regional train to Dresden-Hauptbahnhof. We had a quick lunch there at the very good Marché restaurant, then took the commuter train S1 to Pirna, changed there to the regional train to Neustadt. Upon arrival in N. my father bought some food in the nearby grocery, my mother guarded the luggage (she almost disappeared behind the "mountain" of suitcases and backpacks!) and I took the bus to our neighbourhood, got the car and picked my parents plus luggage up at the train station. Back at the house at 3.45 pm.The logistics had worked perfectly.
Well, that's it. Took me longer than I had thought to write this trip report. The pictures that I found worth posting are all uploaded and to see on Worldisround. Here is the link once more:
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/339201/index.html
Feel free to comment. Thanks to all who took the time to read my report. And even more thanks to all who helped making this an unforgettable trip - my/our friends in the US of course in first place, but also the Fodorites who responded to my questions. I will probably post another chapter in a few days with final thoughts on the trip, our experiences, observations, some helpful links/tips.
For now I wish all of you a peaceful Advent and Christmas time and safe, happy travels.
Ingo
After a good night's sleep and another fight at the breakfast buffet we checked out. The two nights cost us slightly more than $210 - very good value for the money. We said goodbye to Bob and Karen, then drove to our other friends' house in CT. We barely made it in time to return the car at Bradley Airport.
The afternoon was spent at the local applefest. We *loved* it. Shuttle service to the fest's location was organised with school buses - a unique chance for us to ride in one of those. We enjoyed it very much. The applefest was obviously a big deal in town. We were surprised by the variety of things that were offered. The craftwork was amazing. Our friend was involved in a charity event: his club had set up a booth where - for a small donation - everyone could have a photo taken of themselves with the biggest pumpkin of the year in the area - and truly, the pumpkin weighed 476 lbs., the biggest I have ever seen. Of course I have a photo of our little group with the giant pumpkin! We also had some tasty food (chicken if I recall correctly), bought a bit chocolate here, had a cookie-tasting there etc. All the little things that made the afternoon so enjoyable. Afterwards I volunteered to help cleaning the place and returning the other, smaller pumpkin to their owner. Gave me quite the feeling of being part of the crowd, not just a visitor. We had a farewell dinner at home (again delicious), chatted till late night and thus went to bed much too late for an early start the next day.
Monday, 15 Oct
Breakfast, loading our luggage (Did I mention we had four suitcases, one duffle bag, three backpacks now? Our friends suggested we should rent a freight train from Berlin back home, LOL!) into the (rental) van, piled ourselves into the van and off we were - our friend had volunteered to drive us to Newark airport. We were soooo glad they did ... it was another long trip, but the scenery was quite nice, especially when we crossed the Hudson River. We had excellent lunch in a small Portuguese restaurant in Elizabeth near Newark Airport (nice neighbourhood). Soon it was time to head to the airport where we said goodbye. Checking the luggage, security, passport control etc. were easy. Departure with a slight delay (traffic jam on the runway) about 6.15 pm. The flight back was uneventful. The lavatories worked, the TV monitor worked, the staff was unfriendly - we didn't care much.
Tuesday, 16 Oct
The sunrise above the clouds seven hours later was stunning. We arrived a bit early in Berlin-Tegel (8 am), baggage claim was fast (one suitcase was a bit damaged and all suitcases came out quite dirty - what did Continental do with them during the flight?), passport control even faster, customs officers were not seen at all - we rushed through.
Only 30 minutes after landing we purchased a "Berlin-Brandenburg" ticket, good for buses, local and regional trains in those German states for up to five persons (and unlimited luggage, lol). I had bought a "Sachsen" ticket in advance, before we left, so all the trains back home were covered. We took bus TXL to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, hopped on the regional train to Elsterwerda, where we changed to another regional train to Dresden-Hauptbahnhof. We had a quick lunch there at the very good Marché restaurant, then took the commuter train S1 to Pirna, changed there to the regional train to Neustadt. Upon arrival in N. my father bought some food in the nearby grocery, my mother guarded the luggage (she almost disappeared behind the "mountain" of suitcases and backpacks!) and I took the bus to our neighbourhood, got the car and picked my parents plus luggage up at the train station. Back at the house at 3.45 pm.The logistics had worked perfectly.
Well, that's it. Took me longer than I had thought to write this trip report. The pictures that I found worth posting are all uploaded and to see on Worldisround. Here is the link once more:
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/339201/index.html
Feel free to comment. Thanks to all who took the time to read my report. And even more thanks to all who helped making this an unforgettable trip - my/our friends in the US of course in first place, but also the Fodorites who responded to my questions. I will probably post another chapter in a few days with final thoughts on the trip, our experiences, observations, some helpful links/tips.
For now I wish all of you a peaceful Advent and Christmas time and safe, happy travels.
Ingo
Dec 17th, 2007, 07:52 PM
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Ingo--
Great trip report. I am overwhelmed by all of the planning you had to do and how well you adapted to changes along the way. I was exhausted just reading it but loved every word.
We fly home from San Franciso tomorrow after some wonderful meals and wine tasting in Sonoma. Merry Christmas to all!
Great trip report. I am overwhelmed by all of the planning you had to do and how well you adapted to changes along the way. I was exhausted just reading it but loved every word.
We fly home from San Franciso tomorrow after some wonderful meals and wine tasting in Sonoma. Merry Christmas to all!
Dec 26th, 2007, 07:11 PM
#93
Ingo:
This trip report proves that your insights into travel in Germany are not just because you live there ... your descriptions of your trip to New England are equally insightful.
You should read the book "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville published in 1835 ... a detailed description of America in the early 1800's as seen through his eyes during his travels from France.
Lee & Ginny
This trip report proves that your insights into travel in Germany are not just because you live there ... your descriptions of your trip to New England are equally insightful.
You should read the book "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville published in 1835 ... a detailed description of America in the early 1800's as seen through his eyes during his travels from France.
Lee & Ginny
Dec 30th, 2007, 11:11 AM
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Thanks again for the nice comments.
Hi Lee & Ginny! Thank you! <blushing> I'll get that book. Btw, finished some weeks ago the book "America, the last best hope" Vol. I by William J. Bennett. Fascinating. I learned a lot about early American history. Certainly from a quite Republican point of view.
Happy New Year and happy travels in 2008!
Hi Lee & Ginny! Thank you! <blushing> I'll get that book. Btw, finished some weeks ago the book "America, the last best hope" Vol. I by William J. Bennett. Fascinating. I learned a lot about early American history. Certainly from a quite Republican point of view.
Happy New Year and happy travels in 2008!
Jan 6th, 2008, 11:20 AM
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Just found this thread and I actually read all 93 postings. Glad you had such a great personalized trip with friendly fodorites. Thanks for the thorough report Ingo.
Hope you'll make it to the other coast on your next trip to the US!
BTW how does the foliage in New England & in Saxony compare? Same color range?
Hope you'll make it to the other coast on your next trip to the US!
BTW how does the foliage in New England & in Saxony compare? Same color range?
Jan 7th, 2008, 10:01 AM
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Hi DAX and thanks. Cannot believe you actually read all the posts! LOL That's quite a job to do ...
Well, the foliage ... in Saxony we lack the intense red colours. They are found in some places in Saxon Switzerland (National Park) e.g. but only locals know where ;-)
Otherwise it is quite similar. Like everywhere it depends on the weather. But with proper weather in summer/fall foliage can be spectacular in Saxony as well. It happens a bit later, though, end of Oct and tended to peak in the first days of Nov in the last years. Climate change I guess.
Oh, I am already planning a trip to the Southwest and California ;-)
Cheers, Ingo
Well, the foliage ... in Saxony we lack the intense red colours. They are found in some places in Saxon Switzerland (National Park) e.g. but only locals know where ;-)
Otherwise it is quite similar. Like everywhere it depends on the weather. But with proper weather in summer/fall foliage can be spectacular in Saxony as well. It happens a bit later, though, end of Oct and tended to peak in the first days of Nov in the last years. Climate change I guess.
Oh, I am already planning a trip to the Southwest and California ;-)
Cheers, Ingo
Jan 10th, 2008, 03:48 AM
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I remember how nice and unusual the Sachsen Schweiz National Park was. It reminded me of being in southern Utah though of course there's nothing like it to make a fair comparison. Let me know when you are coming to California so I can return your favor and hospitality in Dresden.
Jan 16th, 2008, 02:42 PM
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What a fun report, Ingo! I know you from the Europe board, and our travels to Berlin and Dresden. I'm only on the US forum to research some NYC questions and am happy that I stumbled on your report.
I was born in Pittsfield, and we spend time every summer in Maine, although we live in the SE US now. I was in New England in October, but later, and caught the peak foliage in southern NE. It was really late this year.
Great to read your perspectives. Thanks again for the report.
We'll be traveling to your area in March - 3rd visit to Berlin in a year - but probably not in Dresden this time.
I was born in Pittsfield, and we spend time every summer in Maine, although we live in the SE US now. I was in New England in October, but later, and caught the peak foliage in southern NE. It was really late this year.
Great to read your perspectives. Thanks again for the report.
We'll be traveling to your area in March - 3rd visit to Berlin in a year - but probably not in Dresden this time.
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ginder
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Sep 25th, 2006 11:25 AM
