10 Things I love about the USA

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Deefstes, I am so happy you had good travels while visiting our beautiful country. I have been to all but 2 states. My Father was in the Navy and my ex-husband was in the Army. I have driven across this entire country 5x in the last 15 years. North to South and East to West. There are so many places that I would recommend, but I think my favorite was living in Washington State. Oregon is a close second. I spent many of my days while living out there hiking, biking, camping, and just enjoying the beauty of the Cascade Range and the volcanoes such as Mt. Rainier and St. Helens. Crator Lake in Oregon has to be the most peaceful place I have ever been. I didn't want to leave. Now that I dive, I found out you can dive that lake and that is another dive trip on my to do list!

It is always intriguing to see our country from another's perspective. I have family that we brought over from the Baltic States in the early 90's. They were from a very poor country and basically had nothing. To witness their reaction for the first time in a large grocery store, it is something I will never forget. They broke down in tears and just couldn't fathom having everything available to them in such quantities and having the choice and freedom to have as much as they wanted. We just don't understand sometimes, how wonderful this country really is. Freedom creates amazing success and freedom is priceless.

I hope you will visit us again very soon!

Carolyn:shark2:

 

[gypsyjim]

I too have had the chance to visit all but 2 states. As a child our family drove xcross country several times, camping, trailer-ing and touring. I've hitched, driven, hoped freights and motorcycled all over since then and there is still so much I haven't seen!

From land so flat you can see for days, on roads as straight as a ruler as far as you can see, to the white topped mountains you see across those plains for days before you reach them, with their roads that take your breath away, as they turn and twist and seem to hang in space over spectacular valleys.

From the riding the winding green back roads of Vermont and Maine, to the driving threw the wildly carved rocks in multicolored browns and reds of the Badlands, and then driving on Highway 1 in Northern California, where the Pacific Ocean is a couple feet away, but hundreds of feet below you. From canoeing the Everglades in Florida and seeing alligators and a million or more birds at one time, to fishing in Puget Sound in Washington State and watching the Killer Whales play near your boat, there is so very very much to experience in this country.

It would take several lifetimes to see it all, and explore every nook and cranny, and then you'd still round a bend in the road one day and see something you've never seen before!

 

[krbailey]

oh i love their funny green money... its so cute!

hubby likes how their toilet water swirls in the opposite direction to ours

but grocery shopping was an experience... yellow stuff in a can does not make it cheese guys

The direction of water swirl has very little to do with your location (or the Coriolis effect). The determining factors are the shape of the drain and the way the the water is introduced. It will swirl both ways in each hemisphere.

I didn't spend 6 years in college for nothing! Or did I? I don't remember - too intoxicated most of the time.

"Christ. Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the **********ing Peace Corps" - John "Bluto" Blutarsky

 

[Deefstes]

The direction of water swirl has very little to do with your location (or the Coriolis effect). The determining factors are the shape of the drain and the way the the water is introduced. It will swirl both ways in each hemisphere.

As has been proven by the Mythbuster

 

[D_B]

Deefstes ... Thank you for your perspective

It is a big country, the land and the things to see in it are almost endless .. one thing I've learned to do more of is be a tourist in your own locality .. much to do, and much to see


Research, in space, on the ground, and in seemingly non productive areas too .. we need to keep spending the dollars for it ... you can not know how it will help the next great advance in medicine, science, or in technology (look at that thing your your accessing SB with right now)

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

Deefstes,
Thank you for your kind observations. I read several forums and most of the time folks from other countries are slamming my good old USA. It's nice to hear a visitor from another country appreciate the good thing things we have.

I find that most of the bashers have never been here and the only thing they know is what they see on their news programs. I'm amazed how many think everyone in the US walks around with a gun in their pocket and eats 3 meals a day at McDonalds.

 

[Rhone Man]

11. Cheerleaders. How much more interesting would cricket be if we had those?

 

[psumike]

Abita Amber - It doesn't get any better

 

[Wayward Son]

I find that most of the bashers have never been here and the only thing they know is what they see on their news programs. I'm amazed how many think everyone in the US walks around with a gun in their pocket and eats 3 meals a day at McDonalds.

so you've seen me about?

 

[Deefstes]

I find that most of the bashers have never been here and the only thing they know is what they see on their news programs. I'm amazed how many think everyone in the US walks around with a gun in their pocket and eats 3 meals a day at McDonalds.

That is probably true but, to be fair, the most ignorant people I've encountered were in the US. Many were quite surprised to hear that I'm from Africa when I'm white, considered South Africa to be a province of the country Africa, and heard a rumour that Nelson Mandela is no longer president. But you've got a very good point, it's the people who don't travel who promulgate bad stereotypes.

11. Cheerleaders. How much more interesting would cricket be if we had those?

It's becoming more common in rugby and cricket these days but I have to be honest that I'm not a fan. The recent IPL had cheerleaders and it was terrible! Either way, I'm quite happy to leave cheerleaders as number 11 on the list because, even though I don't have a clue how American football works, I'll watch it for the cheerleaders