San Diego, New Orleans, Ft. Lauderdale, Hawaii, Rochester and then Miami.

[JackBeck]

Between July and the end of September, these are the places I will find myself visiting.

Any suggestions as to what I should do/see/eat while in and out of these areas to get a feel for the local flavor before I get stuck in Jersey again?

[KitchenWitch]

1. Which Rochester?

[JackBeck]

3. Upstate New York.

For a training a co-worker and I are presenting.

We are flying since the train ride would be something like 8 hours.

Whenever I get to a new place, I like to talk to the locals and get a sense of what's going on politically and socially.

As an example, when I was in Little Rock, Ark, about a year and a half ago, the locals shared many eye-opening personal experiences.

[MorningGlow]

35. Upstate NY? WELL THEN!

I agree with the post downthread for tourist-type places to visit. Eat at Nick Tahou's when your stomach is feeling like cast iron. It's a must-visit, but the garbage plate is not for the faint of heart. :D

If you want to meet locals, I'd recommend hanging out at any of several Distillery or MacGregor's restaurant/bars (there are like four of each, but they're local "chains").

Take a walk at Charlotte Beach/pier at Lake Ontario. You HAVE to get a custard (soft-serve ice cream) at Abbott's--there's one at Charlotte. But be warned--it's pronounced Shar-LOTTE. We're not exactly sure why.

Coffee at Java Joe's by the Eastman School of Music downtown.

I'm not too well versed in night life these days, so I'll leave that for others to recommend.

Or, you know, you can hang out with us Rochester DUers--there aren't a zillion of us, but we are the coolest! :evilgrin:

Have a great time on your trip! :hi:

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Not Boston?!

x(

Me sad.

[JackBeck]

4. Not yet...

But I'm dying to get to the Boston area.

Not for nuttin', it's deff if the future plans. Almost all of those listed are work related.

One guess which one isn't...:D

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Hmmm...

The island one? :D

Yes, I want you here, damnit! :bounce:

Series, just take a weekend. It's not that expensive to get up here, and if you go like 1/2 way, we'll come and collect you. Kitteh wants to see yoooooou!

:loveya:

[JackBeck]

9. So very tempting.

Especially when you dangle Kitteh love in my face.

Before you know it I'll be there...

:hug:

[bicentennial_baby]

10. You bettah be...I'm going to cook for you!

:loveya:

:hug:

[JackBeck]

13. Salivatin' here

You and my guy in the kitchen = sniffa and JB rocking clean-up, fighting over which one was better.

:hug:

[flvegan]

6. Oh sure. Visit THAT part of Florida.

Fine. Hurt, me? Not at all.

[JackBeck]

7. Nice post, Jeb.

Like you don't have a car?

}(

[flvegan]

8. Hmmm...Lauderdale, maybe.

Miami...no.

[LeftyMom]

11. San Diego?

C'mon, cant you find a way to get your job to fly you out to NorCal?

[JackBeck]

12. All in good time, my friend.

There are a lot of things in the works that may take us to lots of places, since we have new initiatives in place.

Ever since the promotion, one of my many tasks has been to figure out where to integrate certain programs based on need. NorCal has many things programatically in place for what we normally do, but under this new initiative we've developed, we might be visiting over the next six months.

Obviously, you and others will know before it happens. :pals:

[RebelOne]

14. While you are in Miami, head on over to Coconut Grove.

It's a fun place, especially at night.

[JackBeck]

15. That would have to happen on Saturday night.

I tapped to present two, 2-hour workshops at a major conference, one beginning at 9am Saturday.

And I'm not a morning person.

But by Saturday night, I'll definitely be ready to blow-off some steam!

:hi:

[RebelOne]

17. Saturday night is the best night anyway.

[yellowdogintexas]

33. if you have enough time in Miami, just head on down to the Keys and do

some snorkeling. Visit the Everglades. The Keys are wonderful.

[BOSSHOG]

16. New Orleans

Are you staying in the quarter? Lots to see, do and eat and its all within walking distance. Also an IMAX theatre and an aquariam, all within walking distance of the quarter. Live music in most places every night. You'd have to stay for a couple of years to hit all the good restaurants, but may I recommend "Pralines" Soul Food for awesome chicken and the Alpine Bistro for a nice inexpensive place to have a Po-Boy. Also, you can take a swamp tour right from most Hotels in the quarter. Its a visit to a swamp with lots of alligators and they are most active in the summer time. Chalmette battlefield is just a few miles east of New Orleans, where the battle of New Orleans was fought. It will be incredibly hot and humid. Dress comfortably. Hope you have a great summer adventure.

[jobycom]

20. Don't forget beignets at Cafe du Monde. And if you like ice cream...

Cafe du Monde isn't just for tourists. My mother, who grew up in New Orleans, used to eat there with her father, back in the forties, at least. The building is original, and it's on the edge of the Quarters, along the levee. You can eat beignets, walk up the levee, and see one of the most gorgeous views you'll ever see, down the river and under the bridges. At sunset is stunning.
http://www.cafedumonde.com/

And there's the Creole Creamery for ice cream. Quick story on that. My mother grew up near there, on Magazine Street. The CC isn't that old, but someone here on DU told me about it, and since I was going to New Orleans the next weekend with my parents, and since my mother is an ice cream fanatic, I took her there. She couldn't figure out where it was from the description, but as soon as we pulled up outside it, she gasped. It was in the old McKenzie Bakery building--the McKenzie sign is still there. Her mother had worked there for a couple of years, probably back in the forties, and she had spent a lot of time hiding under the counter and in the store rooms!

So, the ice cream is new, but the building is a legitimate old NOLA building. And the neighborhoods around it are classic NOLA. http://www.creolecreamery.com/

One more tip. If you are on the levee and a man walks up and bets you five dollars that he can guess where you got your shoes, just wink at him and say "I
got them on feet." I hope he's still up there, actually.

[BOSSHOG]

22. Way back in the olden days

when we were young and more adventurous my wife and I would stay overnight in the quarter about every three months and nothing beats Cafe du Monde at 2:00 in the morning. They have about three shops scattered around the quarter but ya just can't beat the ambience of the original.

[jobycom]

23. Yeah, gotta go to the original.

They have a stand in the airport, IIRC. Or am I thinking of the mall right there at Canal and the river?

[BOSSHOG]

28. There is one

at the Mall (as of about six months ago.) I think PJ's has the coffee shop at the airport but they have a very good product as well.

[JackBeck]

21. We were trying to avoid a mid-July trip

But it was the only time we could schedule to do more outreach and present our 1-day follow-up training.

I was hoping you'd offer some advice. This is my third time to New Orleans within the last six months. Even though each time it's been for work, I've managed to find my fair share of trouble. }(

I've already been to the aquarium, but since it was late afternoon, missed the IMAX show. We usually stay at the Sheraton, which location-wise, kicks ass.

Can't wait to indulge in your food suggestions!

[BOSSHOG]

25. When I was a young lad (not too long ago)

I lived for "trouble" in the quarter but I've slowed down quite abit since the good old days. Pralines Menu is killer, and a side order of Fried Okra is enough to serve a table of four. "Country Flame" on Iberville could be considered a dump but they specialize in Cuban Food that I'm sure tastes like it was made in Havana. And ya can't beat a Lucky Dog. You'll taste it for a week. Enjoy your stay.

[MountainLaurel]

36. More NO ideas

On Magazine Street: Ignatius (traditional NO food), Reginelli's (pizza), Nile Cafe (Middle Eastern), Le Boulangerie (bread and pastries), Taqueria Corono (Mexican)

On Prytania in the Garden District: Creole Creamery (ice cream)

On Carrollton (accessible via St. Charles streetcar line): Lebanon Cafe. Cannon's on St. Charles is also good.

[begin_within]

18. As far as San Diego,

See La Jolla Cove and take a swim if you like. If it's too crowded at the Cove, just keep driving south on Coast Blvd. and it gets less crowded as you go, and just as pretty. Further down in La Jolla, at Neptune Place, is Windansea Beach, made famous in the book "The Pump House Gang." You could even rent a kayak and paddle around La Jolla Bay. If you like nude beaches, drive up Torrey Pines Road to the Salk Institute turnoff, go past the glider port, park and hike down the hill to Black's Beach. Even just the view from the top of the cliffs is worth the drive over there. Also right next to the parking lot is Torrey Pines golf course where the U.S. Open was just held. If you like old hotels, visit the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado and the museum downstairs to see the pictures of "Some Like it Hot" being filmed there.
For a great view of San Diego, drive down Point Loma to the Cabrillo National Monument.
For the 1960s feel, head shops, rock and roll, visit Ocean Beach just north of Point Loma.
Balboa Park has many museums and of course the world-famous zoo. There is also the Wild Animal Park (north on I-15 to San Pasqual) as well as Sea World and Legoland.
The back country is beautiful. I would recommend driving east on Highway 8 about 40 miles, then turn north on Sunrise Highway, go up through Mt. Laguna Recreation Area, stop and enjoy the quiet and beauty (Laguna Campground is a great spot). Also admire the view of the desert 6,000 feet below. If it's a clear day you will be able to see all the way to the Salton Sea and possibly the beginning of Arizona. Keep going north on Sunrise Highway and turn to go Julian, a small mining town that is now a tourist town famous for apple pie and apple cider. Eat the apple pie at "Apple Alley Bakery" on the east side of Main street - the best pie in my opinion. Drive back either on the 78 through Ramona, or on 79 south (preferred) through the Lake Cuyamaca area and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This was a gorgeous thick forest but was devastated in the 2003 Cedar Fire, and is slowly coming back to life. The lake is a great rest stop, also Paso Picacho campground and Green Valley Falls campground. This will lead back to Interstate 8 and take that west to get back to San Diego. This is my favorite drive in the county.
As far as places to eat, there are thousands. For Mexican food I would recommend Old Town Mexican Cafe, in Old Town. There are so many other places to eat it would be hard to make recommendations without knowing what types you like.

[JackBeck]

32. That's quite a list!

I'll see what I can do! I'm only there for two nights, with a Friday "Summer Summit" meeting taking up an entire day.

Lucky coincidence being it's my birthday weekend, and we're staying in Coronado, but plan on making our way to downtown San Diego for some celebratory debauchery Friday evening! ;)

[begin_within]

34. The "Gaslamp Quarter" in downtown is where most of the restaurants, bars and nightclubs are

You'll have a lot of fun if you want to go out and eat fancy food and drink and listen to some live music, etc. Sounds like you won't have any time for sightseeing. There is a ferry now that goes between downtown and Coronado, so in theory you could walk wherever you want to go. Happy birthday!

[JackBeck]

39. I had no idea about the ferry.

That will definitely help us with our transportation options.

:pals:

[begin_within]

40. Before the bridge was built, the ferry was the only way to get to Coronado,

other than driving all the way down to Imperial Beach and then up the Silver Strand, a long drive. But when the bridge opened in 1969, the ferry went out of business. About 10 years ago someone started up the ferry again as a tourist attraction. This would enable you to get from Coronado to downtown San Diego and back without driving. Here is a web site about it:

http://www.sdhe.com/san-diego-bay-ferry.html

[Wcross]

19. Rochester.

Make sure you visit Nick Tahoes for a garbage plate!
http://www.garbageplate.com/


Here is a link to things to do in Rochester;
http://rocwiki.org/Front_Page

Sites to Visit
Artisan Works, a gallery and workspace for local artists, shares a winding maze of space networked together with the Metal Museum and Elizabeth Collection, all under (or not under) one roof. Many working artists lease studio space here and become part of the visitor experience.


Betty Meyer's Bullwinkle Cafe - Elsewhere there must be several like it, but here in Rochester, Bullwinkle is unique. It's open “only on Saturday nights” for a down-home sing-along featuring songs from the pre-recording era, early recordings, show-tunes, and popular songs.


George Eastman House - Once the home of George Eastman (founder of Eastman Kodak Company), the house expanded into an adjoining a museum for photography and a world-renowned school for film preservation.


Legal Wall - Graffiti Paradise


Mary Jemison & Sam Patch Tour Boats - Scenic tours of the Genesee River and the Erie Canal. The Mary Jemison docks at Corn Hill Landing on Exchange Blvd. in Rochester and the Sam Patch is located on Schoen Place in Pittsford.


Memorial Art Gallery is a great gallery for a city Rochester's size.


Mount Hope Cemetery - The first Victorian cemetery in the country, formerly located south of the city, retains its original park-like atmosphere.


New York Wine and Culinary Center, a recently completed gourmand's delight and gateway for New York agriculture, food and wine, offers a place to taste wines from all over New York. You can compare chardonnays from Long Island and the Finger Lakes, while learning and enjoying what makes each different.


Public Market - On big mornings like Sundays, Thursdays, and especially Saturdays, people come from all over Monroe County and the region to hawk and sell or to buy produce, groceries, plants, and wares, or to sit and relax, gather for coffee, or watch the bustle.


Rochester Museum & Science Center, on a campus of several sprawling buildings, combines interactive displays about science and the history of Rochester.


Strong National Museum of Play, formerly Strong Museum and focused at children, recently grew even more awesome. Founded on the toy collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, but now targeted to adults as well as children, the museum features interactive galleries, playscapes, and even a small butterfly zoo shaped like a butterfly.


Susan B. Anthony House - Currently undergoing restoration, this home of feminist and patriot Susan B. Anthony, is a mecca for women's suffrage. You can stand in the very room where the meetings were held and in the room where she was arrested for voting.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

24. In Fort Lauderdale, try the Water Taxi.

I think it is roughly $10 for the entire day, and you get to go all up and down the Intercoastal.

At the end of the route, there is a fun restaraunt called Shooters with pretty decent food. Nothing fancy, but worth an eat.

[Arugula Latte]

26. Hawaii? ... What island?

Kauai is my favorite. :loveya: You can still get a sense of old Hawaii there (although not so much in Poipu).

[KamaAina]

30. Assuming it's O'ahu:

Sea Life Park, sort of like a less commercialized Sea World. Dolphins, baby!

The Arizona Memorial and adjacent USS Missouri (unless you're one of those knee-jerk anti-military America-haters, of course :-) )

Hula: the real thing is presented not in your hotel lobby but at an outdoor stage on Waikiki Beach, Friday (and Sat.?) evenings.

About fifteen different kinds of ethnic food, available nearly everywhere except Waikiki. Even the food court at Ala Moana Center will do in a pinch.

[Arugula Latte]

31. The first time I went to Hawaii, when I was a kid, we went to that

famous big outdoor marketplace by Waikiki (forget the name but it has the tiki type huts selling all sorts of touristy stuff...). We had lunch there, and the little birds would land right on your table and take your crumbs. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and that became one of my best memories from that trip. Funny what you latch onto when you're a kid.

[ellisonz]

37. That would be...

...the International Marketplace.

[Arugula Latte]

38. Yep, that's the one.

I was dazzled by all the stuff when I was eight; now I just think "Oh gawd. More trinkets."

[JackBeck]

41. We're staying in Kailua.

A girlfriend of ours is turning 40 and her wife subsequently made us swear that we wouldn't miss it.

Twist our arms...

All the other cities listed, though, are for work. Thank Jeebus I signed up for some frequent flier miles.

[Taverner]

27. See them now before they're underwater...

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

[KamaAina]

29. Underwater?

The Big Island and Maui peaks are all over 10,000 feet high -- high enough for it to snow in the tropics! Even O'ahu tops out at just over 4,000 feet.

So if our islands go underwater, well, all I can say is, hope you're SCUBA-certified...