Bucket list USA One city at a time

Parent Cafe
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<p>–well you’re right on that account. But that’s what the cooler in the trunk is for! While H and I were tooling around in the desert last fall, we agreed that if there were great restaurants it would be PERFECT.( But then again it wouldn’t have that wonderful emptiness) Nothing ruins the desert like a crowded parking lot and the need for reservations.</p>

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<p>Here are a few more for San Diego -</p>

<p>Hike Torrey Pines (or play golf)</p>

<p>Breakfast at Brockton Villa overlooking La Jolla Cove (have the egg steamers or “Coast” toast)
Grab a cheeseburger at Jeff’s Burger’s at La Jolla Shores for lunch
Dinner at Piati’s at La Jolla Shores (bread and dipping sauce is to die for!)</p>

<p>Make sure to drive down La Jolla Shores Drive from Torrey Pines Road. The view on a beautiful day is incredible and is one of the reasons I never tire of living here.</p>

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<p>

This is the road that basically goes from UCSD down to La Jolla Shores and I agree - it’s a spectacular view of the ocean driving down it. A variant is to go from UCSD on Torrey Pines rd down Expedition Way (one steet away from La Jolla Shores Dr) towards the Birch aquarium and then down to La Jolla Shores. This also has the spectacular view.</p>

<p>I don’t play golf so I neglected to mention ‘Golf’ for San Diego - there are zillions of golf courses around here and the weather outdoors is almost always perfect.</p>

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<p>PITTSBURGH! (most pleasant surprise of a city we ever had!)</p>

<p>The Carnegie Museums, the Warhol Museum, and the Childrens Museum if they still have all the Mister Rogers stuff there</p>

<p>The Duquesne Incline</p>

<p>One of the best aviaries we have ever been to</p>

<p>Fallingwater - what a beautiful place! About a hour and half away but worth the trip</p>

<p>No more tours of the Heinz plant though : (</p>

45

<p>Lexington, Ky this September</p>

<pre><code> the World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park
the Keeneland Sale of Yearlings, auction of baby racehorses, free to watch
eat at the Springs Inn Hotel restaurant
</code></pre>

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<p>NW Wyoming</p>

<p>hang around in Jackson Hole (especially if you love to ski), see the Grand Tetons, then follow up by going through Yellowstone National Park. Beautiful.</p>

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<p>Charlottesville,VA:</p>

<p>Monticello
UVA Campus
Michie Tavern
James Monroe’s home (can’t remember name right now, might be Ashlawn?)
James Madison’s home (nearby)</p>

<p>The area is beautiful.</p>

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<p>Portland, OR</p>

<p>In town: Powells Bookstore, Willamette Jet Boats, shop/eat N.W. 23rd.</p>

<p>Easy day trips: Multnomah Falls, Mt. Hood (Timberline Lodge), Wine tours (Willamette Valley/Yamhill County) Oregon Coast.</p>

<p>Interesting article from yesterday’s Oregonian: Urban Walkabouts
[10</a> enticing urban walkabouts help you explore Portland and its unique suburbs | OregonLive.com](<a href=“http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/08/10_enticing_urban_walkabouts_h.html]10”>10 enticing urban walkabouts help you explore Portland and its unique suburbs - oregonlive.com)</p>

<p>Hidden Gems: Tualatin Hills Nature Park, Philip Foster Farm (Oregon history)</p>

<p>Breakfast: Pine State Biscuits
Lunch: Bunk Sandwiches
Dinner: Pok Pok (check out Diner 2010 on Oregonlive website for many more ideas)</p>

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<p>Wash DC hidden gems:</p>

<p>Old Post Office pavilion elevator ride to tower (nice alternative to long lines at the Wash Monument.
Tour of 7th floor rooms at State Department (instead of the well known White House tour).
Roosevelt Island.</p>

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<p>The Old Post Office tower in DC is a standard stop for our family! We went there on our first trip to DC and now when anyone visits, they are sure to stop! (Plan your visit there around lunch and you can grab a quick meal on the main floor - kind of an ethnic food court.)</p>

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<p>An easy day in Washington DC -
Shop at the Eastern Market - you can easily spend several hours…
Stop at Capitol Hill books - a really cool used book store literally stacked floor to ceiling in books. Look for Foreign Lang books in the bathroom :wink:
Catch lunch at a nearby bistro (eat outside if the weather is nice) or sports bar.
Walk down the hill to National Park and catch a ball game.</p>

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<p>ihs- no hidden gem restaurants in Page, because they change so often, though if you are a Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives fan, the Ranch House has a pretty good coffee shop breakfast and the RDs drive in is amazing after a day on the lake. Great little chocolate malts.</p>

<p>Avoid the Dam Bar & Grill, foods not bad, service is atrocious. </p>

<p>The Mexican places are quite decent.</p>

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<p>Honolulu–where to start?<br>
My favorite is the best shaved ice places with heavenly syrups & toppings.
Hanauma Bay snorkeling
Dim sum in any of so many restaurants
Sea Life Park
Iolani Palace (the only palace that occupied by royalty in the US)
Glass Bottom Boat tours
Whale Watching Tours (Jan thru April)
Body Surfing at Bellows Air Force Base beach
Surfing on the North Shore
Eating all the different foods found in our island state</p>

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<p>^^HIMom, your island is spectacular!</p>

<p>I’ll add: brunch at Roy’s in Ko Olina.
Walking up the hill through the wonderful tropical botanical gardens and taking a dip in Waimea Falls. [Waimea</a> Falls Park](<a href=“http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/waimea_valley_adventure_park.html]Waimea”>http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/waimea_valley_adventure_park.html)</p>

<p>(We’ll be back soon :))</p>

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<p>This is a great thread… makes me want to go to Nebraska, and other places!</p>

<p>Anyone have ideas for Montreal? Weekend trip fast approaching…</p>

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<p>Santa Fe, NM–</p>

<p>Museums-Museum of International Folk Art, Palace of the Governors, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, etc., etc.</p>

<p>Taos and the High Road–A round trip of about 165 miles.</p>

<p>Hiking in the Sangre de Cristo mountains (southern rockies).</p>

<p>Great food, great weather and many historic sites.</p>

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<p>Indianapolis:</p>

<ul>
<li>Speedway (Indy 500)</li>
<li>Children’s Museum (one of the BEST in the nation)</li>
<li>NCAA Hall of Fame</li>
<li>Connor Prairie (working pioneer village with interpreters in character…awesome!)</li>
</ul>

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<p>Mom55:
Haven’t been to Montreal in a while, but I saw this the other day:
<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/travel/15hours.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/travel/15hours.html&lt;/a&gt;
Fun city for walking around, European feel, especially in the old town.</p>

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<p>Albuquerque and Santa Fe</p>

<p>Albuquerque</p>

<p>Gondola to the top of Sandia Mountain, bonus if you go at sunset.<br>
Rio Grande Botanic Garden and Rio Grande Zoo.
Petroglyph National Monument</p>

<p>variety of restaurants along Central Avenue, for a good greasy spoon breakfast/lunch place try the Frontier restaurant near the UNM campus.</p>

<p>Take the Turquoise Trail behind the Sandias up to Santa Fe, there are some fun towns with artsy areas along the way.</p>

<p>Santa Fe</p>

<p>Lots of interesting galleries in Santa Fe
Governors Palace and New Mexico Museum give a good intro to Santa Fe and NM history
Museum of the American Indian is interesting and has a great view of the area surrounding Santa Fe.</p>

<p>Shed restaurant has good authentic NM cuisine.</p>

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<p>Everybody knows the obvious places in New York City so take yr choice: The Met (museum and opera), Broadway shows, Empire State or 30 Rock for the view, Ground Zero, Times Square, Central Park, riding the subways (if you’re from somewhere without any this is pretty amazing), Yankee Stadium, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, etc etc </p>

<p>So some hidden gems:
–Anything you see of interest playing at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) with awesome theaters and an an awesome mix of mainstream and offbeat programming in theater, dance, music and film.<br>
–Go kayaking for free on the Hudson River (in season).
–Visit a Korean indoor water park in Queens. Which are a combination spa, massage, restaurant, and water park—and all very family friendly. They’re called jim jibang if my spelling correct .
–Watching the cricket matches in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
–Attending a big summertime ethnic parade. Take your pick: Greeks, Puerto Ricans, Israelis, West Indians, which I here is the biggest parade in the nation every Labor Day), among many.
–Going to a poetry slam on the Lower East Side. The Nuyorican Poets Caf</p>