USA trip - Bingo

[HJG]

Hey all. As we wait for our flight to the USA for a month, the wife and I thought it would be fun to find and tick off as many USA things as possible throughout the trip - with those things being put forward by you lot of course.

The trip is:

Boston > Newport > New York > Columbus > Indianapolis > Milwaukee > Chicago > Charleston (WV) > Charlotte > Atlanta > Montgomery > New Orleans > Houston > Austin.

Looking forward to the list of things we need to find!

[DavePanda]

Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte

https://www.nascarhall.com/

Coca Cola Museum & Delta Airlines Museum in Atlanta

[Whoozit]

The Alamo, in San Antonio. Not a million miles from Austin.

ETA also the tomb of Marie Laveau in New Orleans.

Edited by Whoozit on Sunday 30th July 21:05

[djc206]

Boston- Because it’s just a very weird place the glass globe at the Mary Baker Eddy Library. Food tour of the north end, we did it with Anthony from the “politically incorrect food tour”. Walk the freedom trail. Bit of a weird recommendation but if you wear them the converse headquarters are in Boston and you can get some things in the shop that you can’t get elsewhere (annoyingly). Harvard tour.

Chicago- obligatory photo with the bean. Middle finger in front of Trump tower. Walk the river or take the river architecture tour. Beer and live music at Navy Pier.

New Orleans - Crown and Anchor English pub or more specifically the view back towards the city from it (mostly a joke recommendation btw). Bacchanal for a better recommendation of where to spend an evening. Do not confine yourself to the French quarter, the garden district is beautiful. Frenchmen is better than Bourbon. GW Fins for good seafood (you’ll need to book). If your missus likes champagne Effervescence on N Rampart is nice. There are a few dive bars along there that are great. Louis Armstrong park opposite. WWII museum is really impressive. If your hotel doesn’t have a pool and you fancy it the Country Club in Bywater has a nice vibe.

Austin - you’re in Texas, shoot something. We did it at the imaginatively named “the range”. Rainey Street used to be good but I’d be inclined to head up Red River Street for some live music in a dive bar instead. BBQ, Franklins is the most famous but google will find you one without a massive queue. Head outside the city towards Fredericksburg, Salt Lick BBQ is on the way. Luckenbach is also out there. Beautiful part of the world full of friendly folks, mediocre beer and great food.

Houston - space center [sic]

[Slow.Patrol]

Whale watching can be done from near Boston

South of Indianapolis is Bowling Green. Home of the Corvette factory and Museum.

You can also do tours of Indianapolis and there is another car museum there as well.

Chicago has loads of tall buildings and interesting street art.

ETA Might be too late as you have to pre book, but the Level 9 tour at Houston Space Centre was awesome

https://spacecenter.org/exhibits-and-experiences/n...

Edited by Slow.Patrol on Sunday 30th July 21:15

[Essarell]

HJG said:

Hey all. As we wait for our flight to the USA for a month, the wife and I thought it would be fun to find and tick off as many USA things as possible throughout the trip - with those things being put forward by you lot of course.

The trip is:

Boston > Newport > New York > Columbus > Indianapolis > Milwaukee > Chicago > Charleston (WV) > Charlotte > Atlanta > Montgomery > New Orleans > Houston > Austin.

Looking forward to the list of things we need to find!

That’s an interesting route, is it in that order to coincide with any particular event?

[HJG]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far!

The route was planned to see different parts of the USA as last year we did Miami >Nashville > Denver > Lake Tahoe > San Francisco > Paso Robles > Vegas

We've got a couple of internal flights (NY to Columbus and Chicago to Charleston).

August probably the hottest and most humid month weather-wise but only time of year we can do it.

[h0b0]

djc206 said:

Chicago- obligatory photo with the bean.

Wife and daughter recently visited Chicago. When my son and I greeted them at Newark airport on their return my 11 year old son shouted loudly “did you flick the bean?”

OP, Do a tour the Vanderbilt “Summer cottage” called the breakers. Walk the cliff walk to see the other mansions in Newport. It’s been a while since I was last there but we used to stay in the Mill Street Inn which is in a great location.

Drive a nascar. I have done it at two locations in Connecticut. I very much enjoyed it. You can also visit a casino on your way from RI to NYC. Mohegan sun or Foxwoods.

You can drop into Mystic for pizza. I wouldn’t recommend it but if that’s your thing, you can stop by.

I flew a plane out of Linden airport. We went down NYC and headed off to Jersey shore to have a play. It was my first time flying but the crazy Russian let me do everything from taxi to take off.

Alternatively, I went with wings air out of Westchester county airport. I flew a helicopter up the Hudson River over the Tappenzee bridge and up to Sing Sing prison. We got close enough to see the guards noticing us and decided to get out of there.

Both the helicopter and plane were booked as “experiences” and went way beyond my expectation.

[parabolica]

djc206 said:

Chicago- obligatory photo with the bean. Middle finger in front of Trump tower. Walk the river or take the river architecture tour. Beer and live music at Navy Pier.

Having just spent a few days in Chicago I definitely recommend the River Architecture tour; really interesting stuff and pretty cheap to do as well if you get the citypass tickets.

[Voldemort]

HJG said:

....USA things....

Drink beer in public out of a bottle hidden in a brown paper bag

Do a 'Challenge' meal, like a 65" pizza or a 70 oz steak

Go to a drive-in movie

[omniflow]

Voldemort said:

Drink beer in public out of a bottle hidden in a brown paper bag

For full points it needs to be a 20oz bottle of Old E (Old English)

[pherlopolus]

Mt Airy is worth a pass through between Charleston and Charlottd, whole town is a shrine to a famous TV show that was filmed there.

Fairy Stone Park has a great lake beach

I would say a visit to Clyde Turner's would be an experience but I believe he died a few years back. https://pbase.com/rsweatt/clyde_turner

I have family in Charlotte and always said it was like going on holiday to the US equivalent of Milton Keynes.

We had a week in Myrtle Beach which was a taste of an American "Blackpool" good fun and good beaches

[Essarell]

How about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland? Or if your route allows a trip up the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Mackinac Island? Then a trip across to Milwaukee on the Ferry? Harley Davidson Museum In Milwaukee.

Or if your route from Columbus keeps you South a cross country trip through the rural farmlands of Indiana & Illinois towards Route 66 then follow it up into Chicago. Be interesting to hear your thoughts on the current state of American cities, they are going through a pretty tough time with crime and homelessness.

When in New York a ride out to the Hampton’s is well worth it.

[Truckosaurus]

As Columbus is on the original list, it is not far to the USAF museum in Dayton, OH - it is the largest aeroplane museum in the world, according to the people at the Pima museum in Tucson which is the 2nd largest.

[Fluffsri]

Cracking trip there. Boston is a nice city, Faneuil Hall is worth a visit, there was a corndog stand on the right as you go in. I don't know if we missed it but, there didn't seem to be a lot going on in Charlotte except the the Speedway Hall of Fame, Belmont was near where we stayed, nice little place for food there called the The Lodge, one of the diners had a 6 shooter on his belt which I thought was great, the girls in the group thought he was going to kill everyone!.

When in the Carolinas, try the Moonshine! Be aware, when it comes to booze, its bloody expensive out there at the mo.

Visit a ship! Charleston has a great big aircraft carrier (USS Yorktown) that is worth a visit or USS intrepid in NYC. Just down the road from the Intrepid is a car club, we tried to go in but it was closed on Sundays. The walkway is cool in NYC and worth a wander.


Have a great time!

[The Gauge]

Boston - Don't bother with the 'guaranteed whale sighting boat trip'. It takes all day and we didn't see a single whale. When I asked how it is guaranteed that we see one the said they'd give us a free ticket to do it again the following week, and if needed give another ticket, and another. We were flying out of Boston the following day so that was useless!!

Bull & Finch pub is where they filmed the outside shots of the comedy series 'Cheers', but not the inside.

They are big on their 'Independence' history in Boston, you can still see the building and balcony that the president stood on to read out the declaration of independence. It started with the Boston tea Party protest where they didn't want to pay taxes to Britain.

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 31st July 09:51

[bakerstreet]

I thought this thread was related to the 'bingo' fuel turn round cut off used by the millitary

Anyways....

USS Intrepid in NYC. Often overlooked due to its location,. but I quite liked it.

[belleair302]

It’s going to be hot so keep well lubricated and go and see some Motorsport museums and tracks.

[geeman237]

If you're going to Montgomery, then consider Barber Motorsports near Birmingham. It doesn't appear to be too far out of your way. I haven't been but heard its good.

https://barberracingevents.com/

Hmm, Charleston WV v Charleston SC.....I think you made an error there lol.....(slightly bias as I live in Charleston SC)

Yes, very hot and humid at this time of year.

For restaurant ideas there is a website called eater.com that breaks out into cities. The recommendations are usually pretty spot on.

[Jobbo]

We were in Boston in June. If you want something as American as can be, Mike's City Diner is wonderful for breakfast. Great food; corned beef hash with eggs over easy and grits was my first proper meal after we got off the plane.