#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Travel the World Travellers Tales Forum >  >  USA Trip

## DrWilly

Recently I had a bit of time off between jobs (long story) so decided to visit the US and see some family. To be honest, the whole flying after COVID thing did not thrill me, and the preflights paper work and proof of vaccinations and etc were a bit of a palaver. Of course just as we were thinking of booking we also discovered the Mrs KW's passport had less than six months in it. And with her consultants and embassies here all had 4 month waitlists just to get appointments to apply for a new passport, let alone how long it took to obtain the ruddy things. This necessitated a couple of trips home for MrsKW to get a new passport made up, and then a visit to the American embassy for visa. Both of which were fairly painless. 

Then, armed with passports, vaccination certificates, COVID free certificates, hotel bookings, flight bookings, et al. (I ended up with a massive folder of paperwork) we embarked on a trip via Doha. 



First plane I had boarded for many a year. 

 

I even nicked a spoon for Mendy, but turns out he already has one from Qatar and doesn't want it. 



Damn, it's a long way. 



Our first sight of land... 



But it's not all that interesting...

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## DrWilly

Landed in Washington DC late afternoon, by the time we checked into a hotel there was time for a light snack for dinner, some shopping and a walk. 



I think the flags were at half mast due to some shooting or another. 





Hello Biden's!




Shitty hotel, I don't really recommend it other than location.

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## DrWilly

The next day was a trip to some museums. Washington DC has some great museums and they are all free. On the way we spotted this bike. 



His politics are clear. 



Walked past this building, not sure what it is. But it's impressive. 


Then we discovered that our first stop; The National Air and Space Museum, which I had been talking up to my youngest who loves Dinosaurs and Space (in that order) was closed. Bugger.

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## bsnub

> Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator


That's what I see.

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## misskit

Only the bike pics don’t show for me.

Hope you are there for a while. The Smithsonian takes days to see it all.

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## Cujo

Are you going to drop in on Bsnub?

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## Stumpy

Green owed DW.

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## katie23

@willy - the first 2 attachments in post #3 can't be seen

Looking forward to more pics & stories.

Btw what are the green & brown (maroon?) passports? The blue ones are Australian. Thnx.

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## happynz

Thai passports are brown. hth

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## DrWilly

> That's what I see.



Bugger, will get back to them later and see if I can fix.


ETA - fixed?

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## DrWilly

> @willy - the first 2 attachments in post #3 can't be seen
> 
> Looking forward to more pics & stories.
> 
> Btw what are the green & brown (maroon?) passports? The blue ones are Australian. Thnx.


We are a mixed family.

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## hallelujah

Cool thread, willy. Keep 'em coming. 

I love a good trip to the US and the opportunity to stock up on baked beans.

Funnily enough, a year ago last week, me and snubs were on the tear in NY moving from baked bean joint to baked bean joint. What a week that was!

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## DrWilly

Yeah, didn’t eat no baked beans. Did eat dishes of grit?  It objected to paying $197 per breakfast for them!

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## hallelujah

> Yeah, didn’t eat no baked beans. Did eat dishes of grit?  It objected to paying $197 per breakfast for them!


Those $1 pizza places will be a saviour if you've got little mouths to feed on a family trip over there...




> Did eat dishes of grit? !


I've still got no idea as to what grits are. I was meaning to try them, but there's just so much good stuff to eat over there...

When it comes to breakfasts though, I am a fan of Denny's. I'm sure our resident yanks will rip me for this.  :smiley laughing:

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## Topper

Keep it coming Willy!




> I am a fan of Denny's.


Denny's was the place to stop in to sober up after the bars closed.  I don't think I've eaten at one during the day.

Grits are wonderful....add a bit of butter and they're damn tasty.

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## Cujo

How were ollies burgers?
Great thread, green owed

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## Backspin

> When it comes to breakfasts though, I am a fan of Denny's. I'm sure our resident yanks will rip me for this.


Dennys is the favorite of drunks that either havn't gone to sleep yet or have just woke up at 2pm and want breakfast

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## sabang

> I've still got no idea as to what grits are.


Polenta, by another name.

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## russellsimpson

Would have been nice if you could make it up into Montreal and some of the eastern townships of Quebec.doctor.

Bon voyage

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## Mendip

> I even nicked a spoon for Mendy, but turns out he already has one from Qatar and doesn't want it.


Apologies if I sounded ungrateful... it's a damn fine spoon but I do have a lot of Qatar cutlery.

I hope you know the offer was much appreciated!  :Smile:

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## DrWilly

> Keep it coming Willy!
> 
> Denny's was the place to stop in to sober up after the bars closed.  I don't think I've eaten at one during the day.
> 
> Grits are wonderful....add a bit of butter and they're damn tasty.


I didn’t notice any Denny’s, but then again I wasn’t drunk and out at 2:00am much either. 

Another thing I had to watch is bacon. It’s alright for most people, but when my family cannot eat pork and breakfast consists of pork sausages, pork bacon and scrambled eggs with bacon bits in it then it’s kinda hassle (Same with salads we ordered in the evening or for lunch).




> How were ollies burgers?
> Great thread, green owed


burp. Trying to find a photo: all I found so far was the chicken wings. They had sectioned off a bit of footpath so diners could eat outside. which was nice enough at 7:00 when it was still light and the sun was up, but once the sun disappeared it got cold. At least for the expats from SE Asia.




> Would have been nice if you could make it up into Montreal and some of the eastern townships of Quebec.doctor.
> 
> Bon voyage


Would have been nice if I could have gone West and spent a week camping in the Rockies or walk the Appalachian trial…but I only had 2 weeks.




> Apologies if I sounded ungrateful... it's a damn fine spoon but I do have a lot of Qatar cutlery.
> 
> I hope you know the offer was much appreciated!


Not at all buddy, I risked life and limb, or a caning  to get that spoon. Worst of all MrsKW was not too impressed. “Why are you taking that spoon, we have spoons at home: mind you, I got the last laugh later in the trip when we needed a spoon in the hotel room and I just happened to have one handy. I even resisted saying I told you so! For 5 minutes.

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## DrWilly

My eldest managed to fly out also. It was the first time we'd seen him since 2019. He'd grown a bit since then.

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## DrWilly

One aspect that fascinated us about Washington DC was the buildings and architecture (of which I know absolutely very little), but the buildings all appear very grandiose.

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## DrWilly

A short walk down to the Museum promenade (not sure what it is really called). For those not familiar, the centre of Washington DC has a bunch of museums spread around a public park. with Capitol Hill, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and White House at different ends. 



Everywhere is within walking distance, and the footpaths are clear and the temps were lovely (Spring).



We were tourists, these squirrels were cute. 







The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was first on our list. As MissKit mentioned, you really need days here. But I don't think the KW gang would last that long.

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## S Landreth

^^I dont know if you know it, but I believe the picture you posted (second from bottom) was the Trump Hotel for a short time.




> Did eat dishes of grit?  It objected to paying $197 per breakfast for them!


Grits! And its not just for breakfast.

Next time you and family are in DC try The Wharf

Nice start. Looking forward to NY

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## DrWilly

> ^^I don’t know if you know it, but I believe the picture you posted (second from bottom) was the Trump Hotel for a short time.


I did realise that. Didn't realise he had divested himself of that one. The kids weren't impressed (they are not fans) 




> Next time you and family are in DC try The Wharf


Awesome tip. Thanks!

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## DrWilly

26-07-2022 06:29 AM
Joe 90
*Thread: USA Trip*
Would be a great thread if you posted full size pics, and you have a go at me for posting the occasional thumbnail.


Erm, they _are_ full size pics... or are you seeing something different?

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## bsnub

> A short walk down to the Museum promenade (not sure what it is really called). For those not familiar, the centre of Washington DC has a bunch of museums spread around a public park. with Capitol Hill, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and White House at different ends.
> 
> Attachment 90468
> 
> Attachment 90469
> 
> We were tourists, these squirrels were cute.


Can't see the pics again.

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## DrWilly

> Can't see the pics again.


What a palaver. 

Are they fixed now?

Is it too many pics in one post?  :Shrug:

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## katie23

^I can see all pics now. I only put 2-3 pics in a post due to the pic posting difficulties here. 

Wow, your eldest son has indeed grown. He seems to be a tall dude. What's his height? My guess is 6'3" or 6'4".

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## Joe 90

> Is it too many pics in one post?


You can post up to 20 pics in one post full size.

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## DrWilly

> ^I can see all pics now. I only put 2-3 pics in a post due to the pic posting difficulties here. 
> 
> Wow, your eldest son has indeed grown. He seems to be a tall dude. What's his height? My guess is 6'3" or 6'4".



Good guess. He is about 6'4"






> You can post up to 20 pics in one post full size.


In that case, I have no idea why they do or don't work here.






> Are you going to drop in on Bsnub?


This was an East Coast trip only.

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## Ravers98

Thank you DrWilly, brings back memories for me

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## DrWilly

My favourite part of the museum. Master KW's too! Being as he is eight life is about T.rex's and all things Jurassic.  



Most of the skeletons are set up in 'life poses', which is interesting. Beats the museums in Bandung.





The sheer size of these guys is incredible. 



They had plenty of interactive displays, like this which the kids liked. It bugged me a little, because they can play with computers at home! Look at the damn fossils will ya!

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## DrWilly

Glow in the dark scorpions? I never knew that. 




The elephants are interesting, but what's that sign we spot over the other side of the hall?

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## DrWilly

Mendy will be proud. MissKW was super interested in the Geology, Gems and Minerals section. We spent another hour or so here.

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## Hugh Cow

Your motorcycle friend looks like he may be up for a new engine soon by the looks of those pipes. BTW, the other pics were great.

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## Backspin

> Your motorcycle friend looks like he may be up for a new engine soon by the looks of those pipes. BTW, the other pics were great.


Running er too lean ?

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## DrWilly

The butterfly exhibit was closed.... a good thing too as we were all getting a bit tired.

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## hallelujah

Why Washington, Willy (I know you said earlier in the thread it was a family visit)?

I'm hoping to do Route 66 in the next few years, and I'd also like to go to New Orleans and the west coast, but I've never heard great things about Washington.

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## S Landreth

> I've never heard great things about Washington.


You’ve never heard about Washington’s Cherry Blossoms?

Not my picture below but I do have plenty of them.

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## Reg Dingle

> The butterfly exhibit was closed.... a good thing too as we were all getting a bit tired.


Bored shitless more like.

Where's the fukkin Disneyland pics?




> Mrs KW


Why Mrs King Willy and  not  Dr?


Big feet...Big socks eh? :Smile:

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## hallelujah

> Youve never heard about Washingtons Cherry Blossoms?
> 
> Not my picture below but I do have plenty of them.


Flowers. Meh. I saw them in Japan and Korea anyway.

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## panama hat

Excellent thread, Willy . . . haven't seen many of these on your FB . . . 





> Quebec


Ah, now that's the nicest region in North America  :Smile:

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## Mendip

> My favourite part of the museum. Master KW's too! Being as he is eight life is about T.rex's and all things Jurassic.


Ummm... the Tyrannosaurus Rex was from the late Cretaceous.  :Smile: 


One of my favourite bits of dinosaur trivia...

_Stegosaurus would have been a fossil by the time T. rex evolved. And since Tyrannosaurus lived 66 million years ago, that means Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus lived further apart from each other in time than Tyrannosaurus lived from us. It's hard for us to wrap our heads around so many years._




Those are fantastic dinosaur exhibits. We hope to visit the Natural History Museum in Kensington next week to see something similar.

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## Mendip

> Glow in the dark scorpions? I never knew that.


Willy, you can get an ultra violet torch from Lazada and walk around with the kids at night spotting scorpions, if you get many down your way. The big black ones we sometimes get in Korat light up like a Christmas tree.

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## cyrille

> Those are fantastic dinosaur exhibits. We hope to visit the Natural History Museum in Kensington next week to see something similar.


Do post up a pic and tell us dinosaurs were big.  :Very Happy:

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## Switch

Good thread Willy. I suspect the grown ups enjoyed it as much as the kids.

Much better than pics of them staring at their phones in some fast food joint.  :Smile:

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## DrWilly

> Ummm... the Tyrannosaurus Rex was from the late Cretaceous. 
> 
> One of my favourite bits of dinosaur trivia.


Cretaceous, Jurassic… I knew I shoulda just said a long fecking time ago. :angry: but in all seriousness that’s a fantastic pirate of trivia that I will now be able to revel Master Willy with. 

Thanks. We also went to the Natural History museum in NYC, but I haven’t finished covering Day 2 yet, let alone Day 14! 




> Excellent thread, Willy . . . haven't seen many of these on your FB . . .


I’ve pretty much given up on BoredBook and Instagram. Mostly leave it to MrsKW. 




> Why Washington, Willy (I know you said earlier in the thread it was a family visit)?
> 
> I'm hoping to do Route 66 in the next few years, and I'd also like to go to New Orleans and the west coast, but I've never heard great things about Washington.


Family visit put us in the region, but Washington DC is an easy visit, as I mentioned the Smothsonian Museums ( four or 6 of them) are excellent and all free. I’ve only covered one morning  far. One hassle was that Spring time is school tour group time and their was loads of teenagers in big groups with slightly frazzled teachers supervising them all over the place and hundreds of coaches parked out front.

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## DrWilly

> Do post up a pic and tell us dinosaurs were big.


Donyou ever give it a rest?

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## DrWilly

> Bored shitless more like.
> 
> Where's the fukkin Disneyland pics?
> 
> Why Mrs King Willy and  not  Dr?
> 
> Big feet...Big socks eh?


Fuck Disneyland and their queues and plastic fun, I could have saved 20k and just taken them to HK dinesyland or Sunway theme park or legoland instead. We didnt fly 10;000 miles or whatever it was to waste time in Disney. Besides walking around the view Capitol Hill, the Whitehouse and all the museums was free! Had the space and flight museum been open we would have seen the first lunar lander that Armstrong (the real one) & Buz Aldrin landed with, touched an asteroid and moon rock, seen the stages of Rocket development and one of Amelia Erbarts planes. 

as for Mrs instead of Dr I suppose I could promote her

and MrKW Jnr is a chip off the old block, thats all I am saying

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## DrWilly

Lunchtime! 

We decided to try some hotdogs and other assorted delights on menu form the food trucks surrounding the Smithsonian Musuems. 

Expensive af! 

https://youtube.com/shorts/tNhjPHHAswQ?

Pretty shitty. This was apparently a lamb gyros. 



We decided to try out the next museum



Some big dude. 



Fuck, we're bored! Let's go!

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## DrWilly

After a rest in the hotel (kids on Roblox, adults on social media) we wandered up the block for an Italian dinner. Ristorante TOSCA (Northern Italian food) sounded good. Here's their Facebook page for better food pics than mine. Ristorante TOSCA - Home 



The food was very good, but the prices matched.





They made this one up for the little fella who wasn't much interested in anything on the menu. By the time it had arrived he'd completely fallen asleep at the table (roughly 7:30pm) and we could not wake him up. We took it to go and he ate it in the middle of the night when he woke up hungry. Mendy's airline spoon came in real handy then! 




Ravioli. Simply divine! 



Octopus leg. Very good.

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## aging one

> Octopus leg


 :Smile: 

Perhaps tentacle?

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## bsnub

> he food was very good, but the prices matched.
> 
> Attachment 90604Attachment 90605
> 
> They made this one up for the little fella who wasn't much interested in anything on the menu. By the time it had arrived he'd completely fallen asleep at the table (roughly 7:30pm) and we could not wake him up. We took it to go and he ate it in the middle of the night when he woke up hungry. Mendy's airline spoon came in real handy then!
> 
> Attachment 90606
> 
> Ravioli. Simply divine!
> ...


Not sure what you are doing but this keeps happening.

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## DrWilly

> Perhaps tentacle?



Suppose so  :Smile:

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## DrWilly

> Not sure what you are doing but this keeps happening.



Neither am I. Which pisses me off, no end. Have to edit the post, delete all the pics which show on my laptop and then uploaded them all again! 

:angry:

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## DrWilly

Washington DC had been good, but it was time to move on. We'd pre-booked some seats on an Amtrak train to Philadelphia. I was not prepared for how large, ornate, and clean the train station was (barring the homeless tent city camped outside of it).

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## Norton

Great stuff mate. Green owed.

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## cyrille

Think you might be suffering the curse of the apple, willy.

Maybe you need to convert the pics to twentieth century jpegs?

Good thread anyway. 

 :Cool:

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## bsnub

> Great stuff mate. Green owed.


Agreed!

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## Joe 90

> Agreed!


You two not meeting for a beer?

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## DrWilly

> You two not meeting for a beer?



I think this has been mentioned before, but perhaps a visual will aid.

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## bsnub

I could not be further from where he vacationed that said I would meet Willy for a beer or two or ten any day.  :Smile:

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## DrWilly

So a relatively short (about 2 hours) but comfortable train trip saw us arrive in another grandiose train station in Philadelphia. 





A taxicab is exactly what we needed. Checked into a Hilton, to be honest they don't look much like the Hilton's we see in SE.Asia but they are priced at the same point. But again we were paying for location, in this case close to Reading Terminal Market "One of America’s largest and oldest public markets, housed since 1893 in a National Historic Landmark building, the Market offers an incredible selection of locally grown & exotic produce, locally sourced meats and poultry, plus the finest seafood, cheeses, baked goods, and confections. You’ll find everything you need to create a memorable meal, from cookbooks, to table linens, to kitchenware, to fresh cut flowers, and more. Plus the widest variety of restaurants under one roof."

A wander through, enjoyed a few items here and there. Kids loved the sweeties shop. They had some lovely tomahawk steaks at very reasonable prices, but I can't cook a Q in the hotel room!



We didn't take many pics, but here are a couple from the net.

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## DrWilly

Of course when one is in Philly one has to have a Cheesesteak sandwich, or two. 





These were massive. The thing in the middle back picture was a Mac & Cheese Burger, the unfortunate thing was they forgot to mention it included Bacon, which my daughter discovered half way through and she cannot eat. So I swapped with her. She got my steak sandwich and I got a half eaten Mac & Cheese with bacon monstrosity. 

And then we managed to visit the home of Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, Geno's. 

Slightly more understated, but the taste was good. Paired nicely with an IPA (not pictured)

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## Joe 90

Making me hungry now :Smile:

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## bsnub

Yum! Green owed!

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## DrWilly

After venturing down a subway we changed our minds and decided walking and Uber's will do the job sans piss smell.

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## DrWilly

The centre of Philly has plenty of ornate historical buildings. 









And the missus managed to fit in a bit of shopping at Macy's.

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## Joe 90

Brilliant travel thread, green owed!

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## DrWilly

We wandered down a tree lined boulevard (not too hot to walk around here, unlike most of South East Asia, and the streets are clear of vendors, rubbish, potholes and rogue motorcyclists)  to Rocky's statue and steps (not really his steps, but featured in the first or second film for his training regime). 





After all that hard work an ice cream for the kids was needed. 



And a pint for the old man. 



Not you! You're only 20! (which hurt, because in Australia he has been able to legally drink since he was 18). Besides, I don't think the moustache fooled anyone.

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## DrWilly

Philly also has it's seedy nature. 

Homeless, shootings (someone was shot and killed on this corner later this same evening...), drugs and so on. Which was a bit of a surprise to my family that thought "But isn't America a rich country?"





Stopped in for a quick drink. 



Loads of excellent IPAs in this country. 

And kids and mom went to the ice cream shop. Which had a queue! On a Tuesday night. At 9:00pm!

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## bsnub

> Loads of excellent IPAs in this country.


Excellent pics Willy. We do have plenty of awesome beer, that is for sure, and I am not talking about shit Budweiser.  :Smile:

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## hallelujah

> Excellent pics Willy. We do have plenty of awesome beer, that is for sure, and I am not talking about shit Budweiser.


A mate and I (he's from Ohio) were discussing this and I love the choice (I've been in places with 50 plus on tap- all well kept from what I was able to surmise), but as someone who doesn't like IPA, it can sometimes be a bit dispiriting too given they seem to be about 95% of the selection.

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## hallelujah

> Of course when one is in Philly one has to have a Cheesesteak sandwich, or two. 
> 
> Attachment 90665
> 
> Attachment 90666
> 
> These were massive. The thing in the middle back picture was a Mac & Cheese Burger, the unfortunate thing was they forgot to mention it included Bacon, which my daughter discovered half way through and she cannot eat. So I swapped with her. She got my steak sandwich and I got a half eaten Mac & Cheese with bacon monstrosity. 
> 
> And then we managed to visit the home of Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, Geno's. 
> ...


The size of those portions! I was just looking at a pic with my missus holding up a burger with some extras on the side from a few years ago and it's almost bigger than her head.

I love a trip to the States. An amazing place.

Green owed (I don't have the rep power you do  :Smile: ).

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## katie23

^Yes, the portion sizes! They are huge!

I remember that I ate a combo meal at a food court (I think it was in Wash DC train station). It was a combo meal: calzone + veg salad + soda. I knew how big the calzones were, since they were on display. I didn't expect that the salad would be good for 2-3 ppl and the soda was in this huge glass! Secretly, I thought - no wonder these ppl are obese. 

I only ate a portion of the calzone (took the rest home). I finished the salad but couldn't finish the drink. (In PH, sodas in combo meals are usually 250 ml. That drink was maybe 500 or 750 ml).

Great pics, willy. Keep 'em coming.

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## DrWilly

What I don't get is the drink cups are huge, but the soda is free flow. You could just have a normal glass and get up each time you need another one... Oh I get it now!

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## bsnub

> I've been in places with 50 plus on tap- all well kept from what I was able to surmise


Seattle is really the apex of it all, too. We have 174 breweries in and around the city, and many of them have brewpub attached to them. I have over the years often asked myself how the hell they all can stay in business but they seem to find a way. 



Seattle Has More Breweries Than Any Other City in America - Seattle Magazine

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## bsnub

> Yes, the portion sizes! They are huge!


That ain't nothing. You should see the all-you-can-eat buffets. Dilly would be the size of a piano.  :Smile:

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## Mendip

> Mendy's airline spoon came in real handy then!


Just imagine how handy a complete set would have been!

I'm sensing a convert! Welcome to the wonderful world of airline cutlery collection. Not only a fascinating hobby but useful as well.

This is a great thread. I've never been to The States other than transiting through LAX one time but will now have to think about a trip sometime.

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## malmomike77

> And then we managed to visit the home of Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, Geno's.


Christ that takes me back, last time i had one was in the Volcano Club on Ascension Is in 2002.

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## hallelujah

> That ain't nothing. You should see the all-you-can-eat buffets. Dilly would be the size of a piano.


Would be?!??!?!?!?

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## Topper

> And then we managed to visit the home of Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, Geno's.


Pat's Steaks is the original home of the Philly Cheesesteak.  Geno's is a wannabe pretender.

You should have taken the time to visit the Franklin Science Museum, I do believe that's where Rocky's statue is.





> We have 174 breweries in and around the city,


There's one up in Poulsbo that me and the two waitress's has a very special relationship.  I've forgotten the name of the brewery, but Shari and Grace I remember vividly.

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## DrWilly

> Just imagine how handy a complete set would have been!


The young fella was eating spaghetti bolognese with a spoon. A fork would have been most useful.




> I'm sensing a convert!


No. 




> Welcome to the wonderful world of airline cutlery collection. Not only a fascinating hobby but useful as well.


You're beginning to sound like Sheldon Cooper now...

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## DrWilly

> Pat's Steaks is the original home of the Philly Cheesesteak.  Geno's is a wannabe pretender.


Haha, I was waiting for a Pat's Steak's fan to chime in. Friendly rivalry or more to it?





> You should have taken the time to visit the Franklin Science Museum, I do believe that's where Rocky's statue is.


We did visit the outside of the Science museum, but I think the kids had already had enough of museums by this stage.

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## DrWilly

We enjoyed a pub meal, the bacon burger and brisket burger were both quality. 



The kids and wife shared a vegetarian pizza. Not pictured, because vegetarian.

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## DrWilly

After the pub food we felt like going slightly more upend of dinner and chose to visit the Oyster House. Oyster House "*Oyster House* is an East Coast seafood restaurant and raw bar, serving *Philadelphia's*freshest fish and shellfish."

It was superb. They were so good we had seconds. And had a nice IPA or two on the menu.

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## malmomike77

Willy, they aren't showing

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## DrWilly

> Willy, they aren't showing



Oh ffs. Thanks. 

ETA:  how about now?

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## malmomike77

yep, good now

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## MarilynMonroe

Looks like a nice family trip! 
Those oysters look fab! I spent four days in Washington D.C when I was with the high school band. Went to all the museums which are quite cool. 
Enjoy your time! In regards to the portions sizes and buffets you can see why obesity is so high in the USA.

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## Topper

> In regards to the portions sizes and buffets you can see why obesity is so high in the USA.


How are you doing with your weight loss program?

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## Looper

Top thread Willy

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## DrWilly

Having had a few days in Philadelphia it was now time to go inland for a bit. While transport between the big cities is easy, there was not the same train network going to smaller American towns and Uber was quoting me at $270 for a two hour trip!

I checked for a hire car and discovered that I could hire a car in Phily, drive it for 4 days and then leave it in NYC for less than the one Uber. 

Problem solved! 

As I was traveling without internet I had downloaded Maps.me  a handy little app that has roadmaps but does not require an internet connection to work. You can download the areas you want to visit and then use it offline. I think it pings telephone towers to find your exact location so it works much the same as Google Maps, but a few seconds behind real time. I've used it all over Eastern Europe and SE Asia without a problem and without maps fuckking me.

However, the turnpikes and roads and 13 different exits around Philadelphia was a different story, after a few wrong turns, lunch then a few more wrong turns I managed to commandeer my son's phone (who did have roaming data) and then got it sorted, albeit a few hours late.

Lancaster is home of the Amish, they don't use electricity, internal combustion engines, iPhones or other modern conveniences. But they are happy to take your money with their farm produce and give you a horse & cart ride around their homes. 





A one room school house. They go to school up to the age of 14, because they they get to work the farms. 












You can book online. Who makes the webpage and monitors it for them, I don't know.

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## bsnub

> As I was traveling without internet


Who exactly does that in 2022?

 :Confused:

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## Edmond

^ Went all Amish on us, I reckon.

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## DrWilly

After Lancaster we drove onwards to Scranton to visit some family. 



We stayed in an OK AirBnB. But it was small, I think they took a small townhouse then cut it in half to make it into two townhouses. But it was comfortable none the less. This is the house across the AirBnb, but you can see they are small to start with. 









A few nice decorations made us forget the size of the rooms... not really. But they had wifi, Netflix, a coffee maker, kitchen, washing machine. So all good. 



We chose a local Mexican take out for dinner. 



While we were waiting for our food there was some kerfuffle that started with a customer angry she was waiting too long (and it was a hot day) and demanding her money back, but because she paid on card the staff said she needed her supervisor to come in to authorise it and could she please wait 30 minutes? Some telling and swearing and threats and then police called as the dispute escalated. 

We just wanted our tacos.



And some IPAs I'd bought from a supermarket.

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## DrWilly

> Who exactly does that in 2022?



I was supposed to have roaming. But I didn't. 

 :Shrug:

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## malmomike77

^^ not showing

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## DrWilly

Seen, but no, just no! And it wasn't just one, there were several curry donut shops! 



We did some family stuff, just visiting and park for the kids and a picnic. 



On the Sunday there was some local fair/market set up in town. This was worth a few hours. 



A stage was set up and a few local school groups and other brands and singers took turns warbling on the main stage. 




And food trucks! 

Decent food trucks. Not like the tourist traps in DC. Heaven! 





And finish with a shaved ice. 



Later that evening for dinner we had steaks, ribs and enjoyed an IPA looking over the back garden with squirrels and what not. 



Now, that's a money shot Mendy.




Sometimes, it's the simple things that are the most enjoyable.

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## Mendip

> Now, that's a money shot Mendy


I'll have to take your word for it!

Not showing, I'm afraid.

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## DrWilly

Yep, the old TD photo gremlins at it again. I appear to have to upload everything twice!

 :tantrum:

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## DrWilly

And this was delicious! Called a cactus flower, but it's really only a fancy set of onions (half) rings.

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## qwerty

Great thread Willy!  Although I'm from the US I've actually never been to DC and Philly - they certainly look like they are worth a trip!

When I took my wife to California a few years ago we got into the habit of ordering one dinner and sharing it.  It wasn't to be cheap, the portions were just so huge that we couldn't finish a complete single meal.

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## bsnub

> Seen, but no, just no! And it wasn't just one, there were several curry donut shops!


Curry is the name of the owner. It is a chain of donut shops, but the donuts are not curry flavored. You should have gone in and had a look.

 :rofl: 

Anyway great pics and thread! Keep it going!

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## malmomike77

> Curry is the name of the owner. It is a chain of donut shops, but the donuts are not curry flavored.


Thank God for that, there is still hope  :Smile:

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## bsnub

> Thank God for that, there is still hope


I knew there was something fooked with that, as curry is not even very popular for most Americans. Here in Seattle it is more prevalent, but get out of the cities where he was and not really a thing.

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## malmomike77

You just know someone has threatened to sue when the get their Curry Hotdog sans curry  :Smile:

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## bsnub

> Curry Hotdog sans curry


Maybe so, but you made me think of something that I loved to eat while I lived in Deutschland. A lovely currywurst...



Not my pic of course.

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## katie23

@willy - thnx for the pics. You take great food pics - very instagrammable.  :Wink:

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## aging one

Hey Willy nice to see you like Lagunitas IPA's from Sonoma County. Good thread mate.

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## DrWilly

Next up, another road trip to Manhattan. As I said earlier, we booked into Washington DC and leave via NYC. The cities are surprisingly close and easy to visit. 





Not a bad hire car. Managed to fit 5 and suitcases 



Once we got to NYC we headed out to the Rockefeller centre to visit the top. Touristy, but why not? The kids enjoyed it and it was not too crowded. The choice was Rockefeller so that we could see the Empire State Building rather than visiting the Empire State Building. We arrived in time for sunset, but it was an overcast day so we didn't bother. I think it was only a quarter for the binoculars. 



Pizza & beer for dinner. 




And not this horse piss. 



A couple of these.

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## PAG

Italian sausage on the pizza?   My personal favourite.

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## bsnub

> And not this horse piss.


 :smiley laughing:

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## DrWilly

> Italian sausage on the pizza?   My personal favourite.



Of course, it was good. Next day we caught the free ferry over to Staten Island for some shopping. It goes past some famous statue built by the French.





After a few exhausting hours shopping we settled on a heart buster meal from Shack Shake. The good news was this fast food place sells their own brewed beer.

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## pickel

Good thread monkeyboy. I love New York.

Outta ammo at the moment.

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## DrWilly

> Good thread monkeyboy. I love New York.



Ta, I do too. Just wish I had more time there, and funds. Darn it was expensive.

MissKW stated that seeing the Statue of Liberty was on her bucket list, so although having sailed past it the day before we needed to book a ticket to visit. You book official tickets here, which was an interesting old fort. 






Travel by Ferry and you see a nice view of Manhattan as you leave. 






It's harder than it looks to set up this type of photo, and then her hands got tired so we gave up. 




Fish and chips lunch bit blurry, but you get the idea. 





This was our boat, it then also takes you to Ellis island which has a museum dedicated to the immigrants to America. It was pretty interesting, but after the museums at Liberty Island, then musuems at Ellis island it becomes a long day.

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## DrWilly

For our final day we booked a trip to the Natural History museum. You need to pre-book online during COVID (and wear masks the whole time in the museum, but nowhere else in NYC are they required). And unlike Washington DC you had to pay entry. About $25 each if memory serves me correctly. 



We took a walk through Central Park (an impressive piece of city planning) to get there and ate a few hot dogs for lunch. 



The museum is housed in a beautiful old building. 



Dinosaurs. Plenty of them! Master KW was running to get to the next exhibit each time... 



I was almost tempted to buy this for Mendy. 



plendy of hands on exhibits for the kids. 



More damn computer games. Life is not computer games you know... 





Final dinner of a pork rack, with a cider. To be honest, I should have stuck with the IPAs. They were better. 






And goodbye NYC... until next time!

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## Neverna

Interesting thread, Willy. I'm out of ammo at the mo. I'll send one when I can.

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## Edmond

Outstanding, what a lovely trip.  :Yup:   :tumbs: 

Cheers for the pics and info.

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## Topper

Nice!  Thanks!

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## Looper

> It's harder than it looks to set up this type of photo, and then her hands got tired


Not to mention her poor huddled masses.

Top thread 

 :Unitedstates:

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## Buckaroo Banzai

> For our final day we booked a trip to the Natural History museum.


Great Thread . with very nice pictures. Enjoyed  reading through it immensely .
Having worked in Manhattan for close to 30 yeas, it brings back memories. Most of them good.  
The Museum is One of my favorite places in the world!! Been there several times. 
Parking the car was probably more expensive than the Museum. LOL
Thank you for Sharing!!  :Smile:

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## misskit

Very enjoyable thread, DrWilly.

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## Mendip

> I was almost tempted to buy this for Mendy. 
> Attachment 91053


Well, don't be shy next time. For future reference I'm a 2XL owing to my broad shoulders. I think that's a Medium in The States.

Looking at your pics, I think that the New York Natural History Museum has done a much better job of the dinosaur display than the one in Kensington, London that I visited recently. I left feeling a bit disappointed. 

You have a wonderful picture of the Stegasaurus which I think is my favourite dinosaur now.

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## Joe 90

One for the rock enthusiasts on here..

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## bsnub

> One for the rock enthusiasts on here..


Chitty's full of that cheap rotgut brandy again. 

 :rofl:

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## Joe 90

I'll have you know I've spent the last couple of days tea total at one with nature wild camping and swimming. 
Invigorating stuff having a waterfall  shower , thread incoming when I get back to normality and the rot gut grog :Smile: 

Yes Mendy, my rocks do smell good :St George:

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## DrWilly

Teetotal. Just saying. 

next time I will buy the shirt, Mendy.

The displays were pretty good, but Im going to take umbrage with them mixing the stegosaurus with the T.rex (I learned from you).

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## panama hat

> I’m going to take umbrage with them mixing the stegosaurus with the T.rex


Jaysus, that's just basic . . . ask any 9-year old male child.  Silly people

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