Hi All, there have been several posts lately about the coming of spring and the long winter. And why not? For you folks up north it has been a wicked season. Record snowfalls, record temperature plunges. My native Ohio is suffering through days of below zero temps. I can remember that my college didn't let the female students wear slacks unless it was below 20 degrees. Of course that's not a rule now, but I can imaging those frost-bitten young ladies would be doubling up the snowpants in this weather!
Here in South Florida, we have had record numbers of tourists and temporary residents - nearly double what some recent years have produced. Our streets are crowded with traffic, the restaurants have long wait lines, even the real estate brokers have smiles on their faces. So this made me wonder... I know what brings people to my neck of the woods - the sun-warmed beaches. But what brings them to your area? Do you have a spot that draws tourists in one or all of the seasons? I'd love to know if I've been there. Come on, someone from Wisconsin, tell us about the Dells! What is the favorite tourist destination within a few miles of your house?
It can't stay cold forever. Maybe your recommendation will bring us all scurrying to your house!
Stay warm and read or stay warm and write!
Cynthia
p/s Me and Sparky on vacation
Here in South Florida, we have had record numbers of tourists and temporary residents - nearly double what some recent years have produced. Our streets are crowded with traffic, the restaurants have long wait lines, even the real estate brokers have smiles on their faces. So this made me wonder... I know what brings people to my neck of the woods - the sun-warmed beaches. But what brings them to your area? Do you have a spot that draws tourists in one or all of the seasons? I'd love to know if I've been there. Come on, someone from Wisconsin, tell us about the Dells! What is the favorite tourist destination within a few miles of your house?
It can't stay cold forever. Maybe your recommendation will bring us all scurrying to your house!
Stay warm and read or stay warm and write!
Cynthia
p/s Me and Sparky on vacation
Cynthia, because we here in northern Indiana are under two feet ios snowpack and another 15 inches predicted for Sunday, it's hard to remember how gorgeous our 4th of July can be. The old grande dame Victorian mansions along the two main residential avenues are in their glory under leafy cool canopies of Maple and oak trees. The lawns are lush green velvet and the profusion of red geraniums, white roses and blue salvia with a Us flag flying on nearly every front porch is a joy to behold. Yes, in the summer our town is filled with weekenders from Chicago who come to ski and boat on our lakes. We have the largest 4th of July parade in
ReplyDeleteIndiana, so you are right. Better times are in the future. Just not yet! In the meantime I'll buy more bulbs for forcing and throw another log on the fire.
You brought back some memories – when women weren’t allowed to wear slacks. I worked in a bank during my summer breaks from college and never had to deal with Connecticut winters. However, some of my friends who worked all year round hiked more than a mile through two feet of snow wearing snow pants. They were sent home because they didn’t have the proper clothing for the bank – this when the roads weren’t plowed, schools and business were closed and no customers dared make the same trek.
ReplyDeleteAs far as places to visit - Arizona is brimming with all types of adventures.
Here in the middle of the cornfields, there isn't a lot of tourism going on; however, Peru, Indiana (the county seat) is the Amateur Circus Capital of the World and the circus and its attendant festival and parade are a lot of fun and fill the town up for a while. Plus, Cole Porter was born and raised here.
ReplyDeleteWe here in the Seattle area are having a wonderfully mild winter. No snow and even some sunshine. As far as tourist destinations, we have Mt. Rainier to the south and the San Juan Islands to the north. Truly a scenic country.
ReplyDeleteAstoria, Oregon, draws a lot of tourists interested in history and architecture. We're the very end of the Lewis and Clark Trail, boast Fort Stevens, where the group wintered, and the salt cairn they built in Seaside. Gorgeous old homes dot our hillside, and the most beautiful scenery is everywhere you look. And we're having such a mild winter. It's raining right now, but Oregonians just take it in stride. Come on up!
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed touching base here yesterday. I popped in early and didn't see anything new. I'll have to say the weather all over is strange this year and I feel sorry for folks digging out of more snow than they normally have. We had such nice weather, but now they're predicting rain and winds. High winds tear up our much needed trees, so I hope it doesn't stick around.
ReplyDeleteWhen the season is right, sporting events bring people to Baltimore: Ravens football, Orioles baseball, Blast soccer. People come from all over the world to see some one-of-a-kind museums: Babe Ruth, Edgar Allan Poe, B&O Railroad and a whole slew of others. Of course there are plenty of historic and historical things to see, like the original Washington Monument, the USS Constellation, our Navy's first ship, and Fort McHenry, birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. The Baltimore Zoo, Science Center and National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor draw folks of all ages. Like any 'big city,' we're proud of our restaurants, too, and since our nation's capitol is a short 45 minute drive, visitors often zip back and forth to see DC sites, too.
ReplyDeleteAs a WISCONSIN born 'n' bred gal, I highly recommend The Dells. If you're going there, you might as well take a short side trip to see Witches Gulch, the Timbavati Wildlife Park, and the Bavarian Village!
But you know what? I'd love to escape winter's wrath in Florida, every winter. Larry and I spent a long, relaxing weekend with good friends in Venice, and I've developed a new appreciation for the state's Gulf coast!