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Featured Replies

22 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Cincinnati, OH? CINCINNATI, OH?!?!?

Ya could have just said Ohio, and left it at that.

44 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Cincinnati, OH? CINCINNATI, OH?!?!?

It's a nice town. Definitely the best in OH. Top five destination in America is, uh, generous.

It's a nice town. Definitely the best in OH. Top five destination in America is, uh, generous.
Free turkeys from the sky on Thanksgiving.
44 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

It's a nice town. Definitely the best in OH. Top five destination in America is, uh, generous.

It's their chili, no doubt

Lubbock
Bakersfield CA
Vidor
Muleshoe
Clute

Have I been to the Clute Mosquito Festival? Yes. Yes I have.
2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:


Have I been to the Clute Mosquito Festival? Yes. Yes I have.

Chicken fried skeeters?

In no order:

Laredo

San Antonio

Birmingham

Philadelphia

Hard to come up with 5. Maybe throw in New Orleans or Miami

If we are including Cities That No Longer Exist, 1990s Austin, 1980s NYC.

10 hours ago, tchookem said:
10 hours ago, gmr548 said:
It's a nice town. Definitely the best in OH. Top five destination in America is, uh, generous.

Free turkeys from the sky on Thanksgiving.

As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!

I’m the furthest thing from being anti-Texan, but that’s a little ridiculous.  The last time I was in Charleston I bought a bottle of booze from a bar/liquor store that has been open since the late 1600’s, and was surrounded on all sides by pre-Civil War buildings.  An entire neighborhood of them.  South of Broad in Charleston is the best time capsule we have in this country.  We don’t have plaques on houses like this in Dallas.
5CA833D5-1D1D-418C-948C-4DC5F222D067.thumb.jpeg.035f3f4cd09ae9c1b24e585eeb0d249d.jpeg

I went to Italy in high school. A couple of fellow students asked the teacher chaperone “do we have buildings this old in Memphis?”.

Lahaina, Kailua, San Diego, Park City, NYC

Edited by HornPhD
I misread the original post

Cincinnati, OH? CINCINNATI, OH?!?!?

Don’t ever decide at the last minute to try their chili/spaghetti abomination for the first time at the Cincinnati airport and then get on a plane home. Just… don’t do it.

Don’t ever decide at the last minute to try their chili/spaghetti abomination for the first time at the Cincinnati airport and then get on a plane home. Just… don’t do it.

They put cinnamon and nutmeg in that awful Greek soup they call chili. That says all you need to know.

Those that have been to Charleston and Savannah... similar? Totally different?

Been to Savannah, liked it. But everyone seems to be mentioning Charleston.

The Driftless Area - Confluence of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.  I grew up west of here but always admired it's beauty and loved visiting.  I live in the western reaches of it now and absolutely love it.  It's nationally undiscovered and is a rugged, beautiful place with forested rock wall canyons, clear spring fed streams, excellent kayaking, mountain biking, and hundreds of miles of paved trails.  A killer beer scene (Toppling Goliath and New Glarus are both located in the Driftless) and lots of vibrant small towns like Decorah, IA, Lanesboro MN, and Virqoua WI as well as fun little cities like La Crosse, WI and Dubuque, IA.  Outsiders almost seem to universally fall in love with it.

Lake City, CO - one of the last untrampled places in the state.  Absolutely beautiful.  It lacks a major ski area, but that's a big part of what it's keeping it from being steamrolled.  Some of the best 14ers and offroading that Colorado has to offer are near here, and it feels like the old mountain town's last stand to me.

The Black Hills - beautiful and unpretentious.  Gets a bad rap as a tourist trap, and there is some of that going on, but it's so easy to get away from.  An island of real mountain life surrounding by the bleakest parts of the Great Plains.  Stark, beautiful, and undeniably cool if you know where to look.

New Orleans - there's nothing I can add that hasn't already been said.  If it was close to mountains, it would be utterly perfect.

Greater Des Moines (includes Ames) - (insert collective eye rolling here) this is where I cut my teeth, where I went to school, where I had some of the best years of my life.  Des Moines is a vibrant and rapidly growing mid-sized city that punches above it's weight in big city type amenities but lacks the hellacious traffic, super high crime areas, and excessive bustle that negatively define city life for some folks.  There's a contagious energy and high quality of life.

8 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Those that have been to Charleston and Savannah... similar? Totally different?

Been to Savannah, liked it. But everyone seems to be mentioning Charleston.

Definitely different.  As you know, the old part of Savannah is like stepping back in time.  Everything slows down, it's quiet and peaceful.  The older parts of Charleston have more "buzz" to them.  It just feels like a bigger city, although I don't think it really is.

By recollection, the architecture is different, too.  Historical homes in Charleston can be very colorful, less of the brick understated Federal style of Savannah.

Go check out Charleston, it's amazing, even if I prefer the pace of Savannah more.

On 2/18/2022 at 11:29 AM, mdmost said:

San Francisco Bay area

New York City

Seattle

Haleakalā National Park, Maui

Yosemite National Park

 

Forgot Hawai'i in my list. Kauai is magical. We also enjoyed the big island on another trip.

Your kids won't find Charleston all that interesting. It's an eating-and-drinking town with a few historical things to see/do. It's kind of like a cleaner version of NOLA.

On 2/20/2022 at 6:31 AM, Underdog said:

Good call on Pittsburgh, beautiful city.  

Interesting. Never been and never heard it described as such. I'll defer to those who have been. 

On 2/20/2022 at 8:07 AM, gmr548 said:

It's a nice town. Definitely the best in OH. Top five destination in America is, uh, generous.

I took the list as "your personal favorites" vs. "define an objective 5 best destinations".

I know damn well most people would laugh at my list.  But it's what I like.  Which is what I understood the assignment to be.

Edited by Al_4_ISU

10 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

Interesting. Never been and never heard it described as such. I'll defer to those who have been. 

Pittsburgh - well known as the filming location for the hit 1980s movie Flashdance. Here's some photos of that charming city.

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1 hour ago, Wally Pryor said:

Interesting. Never been and never heard it described as such. I'll defer to those who have been. 

Should make an effort to visit, recommend summer to see a Pirates game in PNC.  

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

The Driftless Area - Confluence of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.  I grew up west of here but always admired it's beauty and loved visiting.  I live in the western reaches of it now and absolutely love it.  It's nationally undiscovered and is a rugged, beautiful place with forested rock wall canyons, clear spring fed streams, excellent kayaking, mountain biking, and hundreds of miles of paved trails.  A killer beer scene (Toppling Goliath and New Glarus are both located in the Driftless) and lots of vibrant small towns like Decorah, IA, Lanesboro MN, and Virqoua WI as well as fun little cities like La Crosse, WI and Dubuque, IA.  Outsiders almost seem to universally fall in love with it.

Lake City, CO - one of the last untrampled places in the state.  Absolutely beautiful.  It lacks a major ski area, but that's a big part of what it's keeping it from being steamrolled.  Some of the best 14ers and offroading that Colorado has to offer are near here, and it feels like the old mountain town's last stand to me.

The Black Hills - beautiful and unpretentious.  Gets a bad rap as a tourist trap, and there is some of that going on, but it's so easy to get away from.  An island of real mountain life surrounding by the bleakest parts of the Great Plains.  Stark, beautiful, and undeniably cool if you know where to look.

New Orleans - there's nothing I can add that hasn't already been said.  If it was close to mountains, it would be utterly perfect.

Greater Des Moines (includes Ames) - (insert collective eye rolling here) this is where I cut my teeth, where I went to school, where I had some of the best years of my life.  Des Moines is a vibrant and rapidly growing mid-sized city that punches above it's weight in big city type amenities but lacks the hellacious traffic, super high crime areas, and excessive bustle that negatively define city life for some folks.  There's a contagious energy and high quality of life.

TIL that driftless does not mean what I thought it did. I have visited the area often but had never heard the term before.

18 hours ago, HornPhD said:

Lahaina, Kailua, San Diego, Park City, NYC

Kailua is pretty meh.  Maybe Haleiwa instead?

Re: Pittsburgh. Never been, but have seen pictures of the city that always caught my eye. Don't know that I'll ever make a trip specific to visit but never heard a bad word about it.

TIL that driftless does not mean what I thought it did. I have visited the area often but had never heard the term before.

No one used it when I was a kid, but the last 10-15 years it’s really come on. That area is so different from the rest of its surrounding states and there’s been an organic increase in regional identity.
4 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Lake City, CO - one of the last untrampled places in the state.  Absolutely beautiful.  It lacks a major ski area, but that's a big part of what it's keeping it from being steamrolled.  Some of the best 14ers and offroading that Colorado has to offer are near here, and it feels like the old mountain town's last stand to me.

 

Yep.  Hinsdale County might have the fewest miles of paved roads of any county in the Lower 48.  Went through Lake City once as a kid, so I don't recall it very well, but I do remember thinking that it was unspoiled.  

Just now, Carl Spackler said:

Yep.  Hinsdale County might have the fewest miles of paved roads of any county in the Lower 48.  Went through Lake City once as a kid, so I don't recall it very well, but I do remember thinking that it was unspoiled.  

I've stayed there 3-4 times, and by far the most common license plate outside of Colorado there is Texas.  Talked to a few guys in bars there who were up fishing from Texas.  Seems like that's the draw for the majority of them.  I've been there for 14ers.

On 2/18/2022 at 11:33 AM, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Nashville
New Orleans
Chicago
Norman LA
Austin
 

“If I made 10 million dollars a year I’d choose to live in Norman over Commiefornia”— DT posters on the football board 

I certainly didn't mean to pick a fight, but as Americans we tend to think of North American history through the lens of British colonialism and the American Revolution.  But there were things going on in the Southwest of NA that don't really get talked about until Texas opened up to Americans.  But yes, as a "metropolis", Charleston has more buildings that are preserved and still used than San Antonio.

The San Antonio missions are a World Heritage site and old as fuck. Charleston is full of drunken baboons that are more southern genteel than NOLA.
50 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I've stayed there 3-4 times, and by far the most common license plate outside of Colorado there is Texas.  Talked to a few guys in bars there who were up fishing from Texas.  Seems like that's the draw for the majority of them.  I've been there for 14ers.

Lake City has some great offroading, as you mentioned, but all the side by sides tearing around town really ruin it for me.  Hate that noise.

Monterey Peninsula is my number one.

 San Diego

Santa Fe/ Taos

Boulder / Estes Park

Flagstaff / Sedona

 

I used to rank Austin in my top five but I’m fucking done with cedar, traffic, and the weather here.

 

I am big on outdoor activities as you can probably tell.

I've seen Fort Collins on one or two lists. It is an awesome place to live. Lots of sunny days, good health care, great natural resources, bike paths, university town. I once thought the same of Austin (20+ years there) until the hordes descended. Hopefully the horrible air pollution Colorado endured last summer won't be an annual thing because I'm not sure I can take much more of that.

I've also seen Santa Fe on a couple lists. Tried living there for a few years, doing split city living with Austin. Between the 7500' elevation, general dustiness, and horrible juniper allergies (or maybe it was ragweed, or maybe both I forget), I never felt comfortable there. The air at 5000 feet in northern CO is much more comfortable to me for everyday living. Then there's the matter of Santa Fe having a severe shortage of decent medical professionals. Lots of doctors who were probably at the bottom of their class or who just sucked at their jobs and decided to give up trying and relo'd to Santa Fe. 

Edited by Chopper

10 minutes ago, Chopper said:

I've seen Fort Collins on one or two lists. It is an awesome place to live. Lots of sunny days, good health care, great natural resources, bike paths, university town. I once thought the same of Austin (20+ years there) until the hordes descended. Hopefully the horrible air pollution Colorado endured last summer won't be an annual thing because I'm not sure I can take much more of that.

I've also seen Santa Fe on a couple lists. Tried living there for a few years, doing split city living with Austin. Between the 7500' elevation, general dustiness, and horrible juniper allergies (or maybe it was ragweed, or maybe both I forget), I never felt comfortable there. The air at 5000 feet in northern CO is much more comfortable to me for everyday living. Then there's the matter of Santa Fe having a severe shortage of decent medical professionals. Lots of doctors who were probably at the bottom of their class or who just sucked at their jobs and decided to give up trying and relo'd to Santa Fe. 

Biggest downside to Ft. Fun is the distance to the ski areas, but I agree it's a very nice place.

Napa/Sonoma

Telluride/Ouray/Durango

Chicago

Denver

San Diego

 

I love to visit CA, but couldn't live there.  Taxes are too out of control.  

4 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

Interesting. Never been and never heard it described as such. I'll defer to those who have been. 

I haven't been to Pittsburgh since I rolled through there back in the early/mid '00s for a Stars road trip there and to Philadelphia. I enjoyed both cities immensely. The historic stuff in Philly is as good -- if not better -- than DC. Walking into the building where they signed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution is chill-inducing.

Edited by C-Man

On 2/18/2022 at 10:09 AM, jimmyjazz said:

Savannah, GA

NYC

 Chicago

Newport, OR

St. Pete Beach, FL

May I ask why? Genuinely curious.

On 2/20/2022 at 12:27 PM, RDCanecutter said:

 

Laredo

What the...?

32 minutes ago, yoladu said:

May I ask why? Genuinely curious.

That whole section of the Oregon coast is stunning.  I just picked Newport almost at random, because I stayed there for a couple of nights.  

33 minutes ago, yoladu said:

May I ask why? Genuinely curious.

I eyed that area too. It's gorgeous and accessible. But then I read the Oregonian's articles about how genuinely fucked and woefully unprepared the entire state of Oregon is for a shift in the Cascadia fault. Hell, OR doesn't even have good monitoring of their active volcanoes. At least CA has building codes that have helped them prepare. Oregon hasn't done squat.

40 minutes ago, DougHdTx1968 said:

Utica

That tomato pie, though. 

6 minutes ago, Chopper said:

I eyed that area too. It's gorgeous and accessible. But then I read the Oregonian's articles about how genuinely fucked and woefully unprepared the entire state of Oregon is for a shift in the Cascadia fault. Hell, OR doesn't even have good monitoring of their active volcanoes. At least CA has building codes that have helped them prepare. Oregon hasn't done squat.

Well, that's a buzz kill.

5) New Orleans

4) Chicago (would be higher but winters there suck ass)

3) San Diego

2) Maui

 

 

 

1) Anywhere in Texas. Seriously

6 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

5) New Orleans

4) Chicago (would be higher but winters there suck ass)

3) San Diego

2) Maui

 

 

 

1) Hutchins, TX

Just wanted to try that to see how ridiculous it would be. 
 

In all seriousness, why?

5 hours ago, Your Mom said:

Kailua is pretty meh.  Maybe Haleiwa instead?

I prefer Kailua. My sister and her family have lived there for about 20 years. When we visit, we feel like locals. Plus, it’s tough to beat sunrise at Lanikai Beach or up at the pillboxes followed by a breakfast sandwich at Kalapawai Market. 

I probably should have included Maui, which is the extent of my travels in Hawaii.  We stayed a few miles north of Lahaina.  Wow.  I didn't really want to go, I didn't want to fly to a postage stamp in the middle of the Pacific, but our 10th anniversary came up and my wife cranked up the heat to go.  I'm glad she did, that place is magical.

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