Domestic destinations with taste of "foreignness"?
Jun 19, 2015, 7:24 am
#33
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: EWR
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wow. Wasn't expecting so many answers in just a few hours!
For me, "foreignness" is a combination of variety of good International food, architecture and a pronounced local culture/energy (e.g. the bustling people in NY, or the "edgy" SF) .
Quebec City and Montreal seems both good idea!
For me, "foreignness" is a combination of variety of good International food, architecture and a pronounced local culture/energy (e.g. the bustling people in NY, or the "edgy" SF) .
Quebec City and Montreal seems both good idea!
Jun 19, 2015, 7:47 am
#34
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
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Posts: 5,678
Oh no. Not restraining order type.
Reading trip reports makes me want to travel. But the vast majority of trip reports are for long haul international trips. Which is great, but I also wonder is there anything domestic (or closer like Canada) that gives a taste of things for less time or budget.
Reading trip reports makes me want to travel. But the vast majority of trip reports are for long haul international trips. Which is great, but I also wonder is there anything domestic (or closer like Canada) that gives a taste of things for less time or budget.
How long of a trip is "too long" for you in terms of getting to and from the destination?
Are you only interested in land travel vs. flying?
Where are you located?
"Domestic" or "North America" doesn't always equate to shorter than international. For example if you're in Boston, non-stop flights to and from Ireland are pretty much the same time as flying nonstop between BOS and LAX. From many parts of the southern US Mexico, Central and even northern South America are not that far in terms of flight time especially with a non-stop from hubs like IAH or MIA.
Budget? Depends - one can spend a lot of money on some domestic trips and can also find affordable international trips. Miles and points help in either case.
Jun 19, 2015, 7:49 am
#35
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East Los Angeles will give you a south of the border experience without a passport.
Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley will transport you back in time 45 years.
The Grand Canyon has more foreign tourists than Americans.
Top it off with a afternoon at Disney repeatedly riding through "It's a Small World".
Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley will transport you back in time 45 years.
The Grand Canyon has more foreign tourists than Americans.
Top it off with a afternoon at Disney repeatedly riding through "It's a Small World".
Jun 19, 2015, 8:18 am
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Oh no. Not restraining order type.
Reading trip reports makes me want to travel. But the vast majority of trip reports are for long haul international trips. Which is great, but I also wonder is there anything domestic (or closer like Canada) that gives a taste of things for less time or budget.
Reading trip reports makes me want to travel. But the vast majority of trip reports are for long haul international trips. Which is great, but I also wonder is there anything domestic (or closer like Canada) that gives a taste of things for less time or budget.
Jun 19, 2015, 8:21 am
#37
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Jun 19, 2015, 1:45 pm
#38
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: FAT
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In fact, almost 20% of the population in Montreal is trilingual.
Jun 19, 2015, 3:50 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 588
I don't know that it's entirely clear what your criteria are...
How long of a trip is "too long" for you in terms of getting to and from the destination?
Are you only interested in land travel vs. flying?
Where are you located?
"Domestic" or "North America" doesn't always equate to shorter than international.
Budget? Depends - one can spend a lot of money on some domestic trips and can also find affordable international trips. Miles and points help in either case.
How long of a trip is "too long" for you in terms of getting to and from the destination?
Are you only interested in land travel vs. flying?
Where are you located?
"Domestic" or "North America" doesn't always equate to shorter than international.
Budget? Depends - one can spend a lot of money on some domestic trips and can also find affordable international trips. Miles and points help in either case.
Thanks. It's all good points.
Chicago area based.
NY is actually a great example of what I was looking for. An easy 2 hour ORD-LGA on AA with 15,000 Avios RT. Fly out ORD say, Friday after work, comes back Monday night last flight or Tuesday morning first flight. Plenty of hotels possible on points or by bidding.
4 hours ORD-SFO is still fine.
The thought process behind the question is that, sure it feels great to burn 100K+ UR/MR/UA/AA, fly F/J to Europe or Asia, have a great 2 weeks vacation.
But I could also spend the same amount of miles / money to go on say 5 different 3-4 days trips in the US/Canada over the year.
I know off-peak AA to Europe is just 40k in Y, but 10 hours of travel time each way for a 2 days on the ground is not ideal.
Last edited by Ragnarok; Jun 19, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Jun 19, 2015, 3:57 pm
#40
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Does SJU count as domestic? No passport needed, but the history, food, and culture is very unique from mainland USA.
Jun 19, 2015, 4:23 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CLE
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Posts: 3,669
I want to do a book called around the world in Cleveland, OH. There are lots of ethnic neighborhoods--Greek and Russian Orthodox and Polish neighborhoods where the churches reflect the ethnic origins of the first residents. Restaurants with ethnic foods still exist.
I haven't been to every large city in the US, but I'd guess most of them (particularly in the old industrial northeast with eastern European immigrants and the western US with Asian immigrants and places in the US southwest with Latino immigrants) have neighborhoods which reflect the origins of these immigrants. I don't mention British and western European immigrants because I think these became what we think of as American and thus don't qualify, although you can visit places with lots of Tudor and fake British architecture.
I haven't been to every large city in the US, but I'd guess most of them (particularly in the old industrial northeast with eastern European immigrants and the western US with Asian immigrants and places in the US southwest with Latino immigrants) have neighborhoods which reflect the origins of these immigrants. I don't mention British and western European immigrants because I think these became what we think of as American and thus don't qualify, although you can visit places with lots of Tudor and fake British architecture.
Jun 19, 2015, 8:09 pm
#43
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,893
I want to do a book called around the world in Cleveland, OH. There are lots of ethnic neighborhoods--Greek and Russian Orthodox and Polish neighborhoods where the churches reflect the ethnic origins of the first residents. Restaurants with ethnic foods still exist.
I haven't been to every large city in the US, but I'd guess most of them (particularly in the old industrial northeast with eastern European immigrants and the western US with Asian immigrants and places in the US southwest with Latino immigrants) have neighborhoods which reflect the origins of these immigrants. I don't mention British and western European immigrants because I think these became what we think of as American and thus don't qualify, although you can visit places with lots of Tudor and fake British architecture.
I haven't been to every large city in the US, but I'd guess most of them (particularly in the old industrial northeast with eastern European immigrants and the western US with Asian immigrants and places in the US southwest with Latino immigrants) have neighborhoods which reflect the origins of these immigrants. I don't mention British and western European immigrants because I think these became what we think of as American and thus don't qualify, although you can visit places with lots of Tudor and fake British architecture.
Jun 19, 2015, 8:11 pm
#44
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Jun 20, 2015, 3:37 pm
#45
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Arizona. The desert south of Tucson with Organ Pipe National Monument is great. Sedona with its red rocks, Canyon de Chelly up in Navajo Country and many other spots.