Hurlshot's 2016 Summer RV Trip

[BruceVC]

Im going off script here:

 

My favorite country for partying is Thailand. Sweet jesus the debauchery.

 

My favorite country for "the nicest people you will ever meet in your life" goes the Chile. Well, Valparaiso Chile anyway, in the early 90's.

I'll be honest I have no interest in seeing the Far East, I still love going on holiday to Europe and the UK because there is always so much to see

And the USA is always amazing especially when you realize each state  is like a different country its very exciting 

[ShadySands]

If we are extending it to countries then I've been to 12 including the US and my favorite was probably Costa Rica

 

Least favorite... I dunno, maybe Bahrain or Qatar because I actually have some pleasant memories of Iraq

[Guard Dog]

Alabama is really two states in one. If you draw a line across the state at Dothan, everything south is more like west Florida. There is a saying in these parts, "attitude follows latitude". The rest of the state is much more Alabamaish I guess. I love the city of Montgomery. Unlike a lot of older major cities in the south it never saw any fighting during the Civil War so there are a lot of pre-civil war buildings still around. I just think that is cool. Birmingham is pretty non descript but there are a lot of steel mills around so it doesn't smell so good.

 

Mississippi is just, ok I guess. I have nothing good or bad to say about it. It's like we needed something to put in the space between Tennessee and Louisiana so we put Mississippi there. It isn't good it isn't bad. It's like vanilla ice cream. If that's all there is you'll eat it but you won't go out of your way for it.

[BruceVC]

If we are extending it to countries then I've been to 12 including the US and my favorite was probably Costa Rica

 

Least favorite... I dunno, maybe Bahrain or Qatar because I actually have some pleasant memories of Iraq

You have done some impressive traveling young grasshopper 

 

I have worked on projects in most Sunni states in the ME, yes they treat you fine as a white person but I didnt like any place because of my views on SJ

 

I felt the most comfortable in Bahrain but that was because of the bars and Russian hookers, they were the best people for me to have a normal conversation with and this is hard to believe but meaningful conversation is important to me 

[ShadySands]

I hated the bugs, the food, the humidity (I looked it up when I was there and I'm pretty sure my phone said it was Jell-O outside), and most of the people I met. Probably the least friendly state I've been too

[Guard Dog]

If we're talking countries I've been to the big three in North America, Japan, South Korea, The Philippines, The Bahamas, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and whatever the hell you want to call Diego Garcia. It's not really a "country".

 

Japan was my favorite. South Korea looked like a lot of fun but I didn't get to see much of it. The Philippines and Kuwait were not having their best times while I was there so hard to say if I'd have like them otherwise. 

[Gfted1]

Ive been to a bunch of US states but while I was in the Navy: Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Virgin Islands, and Chile (all in the 90's). More recently, the missus and I have taken a shine to any all inclusive resort in Mexico. 

[kgambit]

I hated the bugs, the food, the humidity (I looked it up when I was there and I'm pretty sure my phone said it was Jell-O outside), and most of the people I met. Probably the least friendly state I've been too

 

That pretty well sums it up.     It's just a downscale version of Louisiana.   

[Hurlshort]

I have never been outside of North America. I want to travel the world, but I have never had the time, money or opportunity.

 

I have been to 25 states. I hope to see them all eventually, but the east coast is a long drive. I like that I have seen most of them from the road, I do not think you get a full measure of a place if you just stay in the cities.

[ShadySands]

Well Bruce, when I went to Qatar and Bahrain it was Ramadan so there wasn't much going on. I was deployed in Iraq at the time and barely knew what day it was let alone what holidays were going on. We had a joke that every day was Tuesday because we worked 7 days a week in 12 hour shifts so there was never really a beginning or end to the week. Monday didn't work because there was no weekend to at least reminisce about and hump day had too much hope since it would mean you were halfway done so every day was Tuesday. Anyway, one day I randomly got offered a 4 day break to Qatar. Normally these spots are fought over and usually taken by senior enlisted and officers but I was so burned out that I didn't even think to care about why it was being offered to me so I just accepted. It wasn't until I was already on the plane did I realize everything was closed and I was pretty much resigned to stay on base the whole time I'd be gone. On the bright side my trip was extended a bit due to who cares why so I got to spend some time in Bahrain too but really all I did was putter around base and sleep... oh, and get a pedicure because the base had a spa/salon and my feet were beat from wearing boots 18/7

[Gromnir]

Im going off script here:

 

My favorite country for partying is Thailand. Sweet jesus the debauchery.

 

My favorite country for "the nicest people you will ever meet in your life" goes the Chile. Well, Valparaiso Chile anyway, in the early 90's.

valparaiso is pinochet's hometown.

 

gonna stick with usa as that were the original query, but honestly, we would need a map to figure out total numbers.  quick count in our noggin says 28 as lowest possible number. have visited many states, but for a considerable # we only saw a hojos and a couple gas stations (and yes, Gromnir is that old that we can honest reference hojos).... or just the airport. for example, we musta driven through ohio literal a dozen times, and never stopped anywhere o' note. 

 

am understanding gd feelings 'bout ca, even if we find such pov to be limited.  ca is enormous and diverse. we got rainforests, deserts and some o' the most picturesque mountain settings you could hope to imagine, and not all is having the tourist density o' yosemite.  is areas so rural and remote that they makes brigadoon seem positive avant-garde by comparison.  surf mavs in the morning and ski tahoe in the afternoon? channel islands is perhaps our favorite national park.  dunno. as much as there is places we dislike in ca, we find it difficult to dislike ca as a state simple 'cause it offers so much diversity.

 

favorite state?  

 

is a weird question as we typical thinks o' specific destinations rather than entire states.  for example, we likes any number o' places in illinois, but the state?  we do like corn and tornadoes can be kinda pretty in a terrifying kinda way, but we would be hard-pressed to call illinois our favorite state.

 

ny State is a possibility.  am knowing the tendency is to think o' the city as somehow representative o' the state, but that is far from the truth.  got rural beauty AND all the cultural necessities Gromnir requires.  for example, as much as we like eastern idaho, there is gonna be a paucity o' elite theater and music not to mention a stunning shortcoming insofar as our dining requirements is concerned. 

 

have said elsewhere that we dislike the south.  is a problem for Gromnir.  we don't like the humidity + heat combo and we has had less than favorable dealings with... southern culture.  so pretty much anything south o' dc and east o' new mexico is verboten.

 

dunno, the more we consider, the more we think ca is the winner for us.  sure, most areas is relative expensive, but we ain't hurting for cash. is actual difficult to think o' something we want and can't get in ca... other than watching a notre dame home game live and in person.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps we has spent a considerable amount o' time outside o' the US, particularly in asia and especially japan.  am always happy to come home.

[Guard Dog]

Following what Shady said. I say I've been to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but really all I saw of the former was desert and all I saw of the latter was the airfield at Al Jarah. Kuwait City was east of us but you couldn't see s--t because the skies were all black from the burning oil wells. Most of the city didn't have power I understand anyway. The rest of the parts I saw were either from the back of a dragon wagon or looking over a sandbag wall while on watch. There was no liberty for us to travel around and it probably wouldn't have been a good idea anyway. But I was only in Saudi Arabia for a week and Kuwait for a month. The rest of the time was at Diego Garcia. I had it a lot better than most on that count.

 

I was in the Philippines right after Mt. Pinatubo erupted. Clark Air Force Base in Olongapo had it's RADAR and navigational systems knocked out and we deployed to get flight ops going again. The problems there was once the equipment is set up there wasn't much that needed to be done and the Marine Corps does not like it's Lance Corporals having nothing to do. So we shoveled volcanic mud 12 hours a day. But we did get to go off base at night which was fun.

 

I don't know if military deployment really counts as "visiting" a country. If you are stationed there then yes. But a deployment is a whole other animal. For me that will mean crossing off everything but Japan, Canada and Mexico.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Guard Dog

[Gromnir]

oh, and for californians who has not actual visited the channel islands

 

https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/index.htm

 

'ccording to the site, only 30,000 people visit the islands annually.  compare to yosemite which gets 4 million visitors.

 

as a teacher, hurl gets summer vacations... am recollecting that summer is a good time for seeing blue and humpbacks 'round the channels.  grey whale migration is winter.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps the little island foxes that is seeming everywhere is more insidious and clever than raccoons, and they will 'mark' everything. 

[Guard Dog]

One thing I love about the US is the National & State Parks. I don't think you could visit every one of them in one lifetime even if you wanted to. Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Great Smokey Mountain alone would take years to see all of. 

[Gfted1]

Oh yeah, I forgot about going to Dubai (UAE). Of course during Gulf War 1 it wasnt the glittering jewel it is today. Oppressive, ridiculous heat and cabbies of questionable hygiene aside, we always had a good time there. Sometimes in the middle of the day large spires would start broadcasting a prayer or something and the bars would stop serving until it was over, which was kinda a bummer. But we learned to overcome and order a crapton of drinks before prayers started to hold us over until the bar reopened. Hilariously Dubai has almost as many Filipino women as the Philippines. 

[Guard Dog]

Oh yeah, I forgot about going to Dubai (UAE). Of course during Gulf War 1 it wasnt the glittering jewel it is today. Oppressive, ridiculous heat and cabbies of questionable hygiene aside, we always had a good time there. Sometimes in the middle of the day large spires would start broadcasting a prayer or something and the bars would stop serving until it was over, which was kinda a bummer. But we learned to overcome and order a crapton of drinks before prayers started to hold us over until the bar reopened. Hilariously Dubai has almost as many Filipino women as the Philippines. 

That was one upshot of the Navy, you did get around a bit more than the other services. After we left Kuwait we went back to Okinawa on the USS Dubuque. A flat bottom gator freighter. It was a long (long) trip but I got to know most of the crew. They hit all the major ports in Asia within a year.  

[Gfted1]

Yep. All those locations I listed were visited more than once during my two WESTPAC's. Good times but definitely a young, single persons game.

[ManifestedISO]

Plus if you've never been stuck on I-5 during a hot afternoon rush hour you don't know the meaning of the word "hell." And it matters not where you are because the bitch is log jammed from Imperial Beach all the way to Mt. Shasta.

 

There is no getting used to it. Once in awhile I bail for the Birmingham exit, stop at VG's in Cardiff--the best donuts in the county--and finish the commute up the coast highway through Encinitas, Leucadia, Carlsbad, and finally South O'. Takes twice as long to get home, but, ocean. And donuts. Very Good donuts.

[Hurlshort]

Yeah, I-5 is not fun.  I will be driving it in two days as the home stretch.  Speaking of driving...

 

Day 16 - The drive along Highway 70 West from Denver into Utah is probably the most scenic one I've ever experienced.  You climb into the Rockies, passing Veil and Aspen, then transition into the mesas of Grand Junction, and then it turns into another world as you go through Capitol Reef and Goblin National Park.  It was fantastic, here are some pics, somewhat in order.

 

 

 

 

I'll put Utah in another post...

[Hurlshort]

 

 

 

[Gromnir]

 

'cause we boasted 'bout the channel islands national park earlier, we were recalling the visitor center video is available online.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[ShadySands]

So many good tunnels on I-70

[Leferd]

The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, California, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

 

The Dutch are the friendliest, followed by the fine folks from Kansas City who know what burnt ends are supposed to taste like. Singapore and Japan have the best foods. Indonesia has the worst mosquitos, and Cologne has the tallest cathedral. East Coast turnpikes suck.

[BruceVC]

Well Bruce, when I went to Qatar and Bahrain it was Ramadan so there wasn't much going on. I was deployed in Iraq at the time and barely knew what day it was let alone what holidays were going on. We had a joke that every day was Tuesday because we worked 7 days a week in 12 hour shifts so there was never really a beginning or end to the week. Monday didn't work because there was no weekend to at least reminisce about and hump day had too much hope since it would mean you were halfway done so every day was Tuesday. Anyway, one day I randomly got offered a 4 day break to Qatar. Normally these spots are fought over and usually taken by senior enlisted and officers but I was so burned out that I didn't even think to care about why it was being offered to me so I just accepted. It wasn't until I was already on the plane did I realize everything was closed and I was pretty much resigned to stay on base the whole time I'd be gone. On the bright side my trip was extended a bit due to who cares why so I got to spend some time in Bahrain too but really all I did was putter around base and sleep... oh, and get a pedicure because the base had a spa/salon and my feet were beat from wearing boots 18/7

Was there an army base on Bahrain...Qatar is quite nice but not as good as Bahrain 

 

But I need to mention something important, I know you dont care for these details but its bothering me

 

 

I went to Bahrain when I was working in Saudi  for one of those 3 one month projects I did. If you have been to Saudi you will know the Saudi's must be the laziest nation in this earth....almost NO local Saudi works. They just pay for other people to work

 

So my managers on this project were Jordanians, very friendly and just nice people. It was interesting because none of them actually liked the Saudis, they said they arrogant but like me they paid well

 

Now these Jordanians use to drink in Bahrain and use the services of the Russian hookers but they were all married and to be  honest they had no respect for women generally and absolutely no respect for hookers

 

And they kept telling me these really crude and offensive jokes about women thinking I would find them funny and we have strict policies at work around codes of conduct and what we can and cannot ever say to customers so I couldn't even tell them I was offended by there humor

 

And then to make things worse, and this was  during the morning when we getting drunk and there were no Russians,  they confirmed a story I heard about these illegal and truly reprehensible brothels in the Saudi desert that no foreigners are allowed to visit. These brothels are old school medieval structures and when hookers go there for these hectic parties they never get to leave...seriously they dont allow them to leave and apparently they get literally mass raped and horribly abused...to death which can take weeks and the girls are kept in chains or in cages but they never escape because these isolated brothels are in the desert. Of course this is illegal but its apparently something that happens 

 

So this made me feel very uncomfortable and when we met the Russians I was very detached from any sexual experience because of what they told me so I paid my date but spent the 2 days partying and drinking with her...no sex but she was very good company...but the guilt never left me of what may befall these girls

 

I needed to tell you this because you are one of the  forum members who I do respect due to what you have done with your life and your military service. If you said to me " I cant believe  you have paid for services of hookers or strippers in your life " that wouldn't bother me as its true but I dont want you to think I paid for sexual services with ladies in a country like Bahrain knowing how some of the girls get abused...or just never get to return home

 

So in closing, yes I absolutely do support gender equality and my time with the Russian girls was more about companionship

 

I know you dont  really judge anyone on these forums as you keep your own council but I wanted to explain what I really did in Bahrain so there is no assumptions  about my integrity ( as much as people think I have, I do and some peoples view on me does matter   )

Edited July 12, 2016 by BruceVC

[ManifestedISO]

*Channel Islands National Park*

 

'cause we boasted 'bout the channel islands national park earlier, we were recalling the visitor center video is available online.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

The Torrey Pine is a local icon, thought by most to be unique. I never knew Santa Rosa is the only other place in the world where it grows. I must visit.  

 

 

Also, this is awesome:

 

Edited July 12, 2016 by ManifestedISO