A while ago, I wrote a post on the things that people have to do while they are in South Africa. But this post got me thinking– what if my friends wanted to come and visit the USA? What things are a must-do and which ones you can pass? What places do they have to go to eat (what can I say, I am a complete foodie!) I got a wonderful opportunity to see a lot of the country through track and field competitions and recruiting trips. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit more of this great nation. 🙂 There are only a few states that I haven’t been to, but still– I got to see a lot of the USA– it is a wonderful country and I am proud and lucky to be an American! 🙂
Anyway, here are some of the places that I think that people must go and see (or stop for a bite to eat) when they are in the USA:
New York City: If you have to go and see one city in the USA, you have to go to New York City. You really get a sense of what America is like from NYC– it’s busy, fast pace, exciting, and there is so much to do and places to eat! In terms of things to do, there are a lot of different museums that are a must do, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, and Ellis Island. Also, you HAVE to go to the Statue of Liberty ( a complete and total must!) New York is also known for it’s shopping– of course you have to go to 5th Avenue and visit all of the wonderful shops!
Another thing to do if you have time is go up state to West Point. I got to visit Kristin while she was attending West Point, and it was completely amazing– you could feel the history around the school. Plus, Kristin introduced me the the FABULOUS Shade’s restaurant— the best pizza ever! 🙂
Los Angeles, California: LA is a city that is so big, you have to at least have a week or two to do everything! It was really neat to live in the “City of Angels” for two years while attending USC, and there was so much to do there! First, you are in entertainment and sport central. From amusement parks to great athletic games– you can’t do no wrong! I highly recommend going to a USC athletic event (I’m a little biased– you don’t want to go to the OTHER school!) 🙂 and to a Lakers game at the Staples Center.
In terms of food in LA– so many places, so little time! I really liked El Cholo’s— best blue corn enchilada ever! Yum!!! And if you want some really good Italian food, a chance to see one of many celebrities or two, and go to a very “It” place, you would want to go to Dolce. I took Kristin to Dolce my first year at USC and it was really cool!
Dallas, Texas: “The stars at night are big and bright…” Okay, I got a little carried away there! 🙂 Dallas is a really fun city to live in– I was there for a year when I was at SMU (I know, I have been to a lot of schools!) 🙂 I had a good time– it’s like LA in many ways– you can go and see the Dallas Mavericks play or Dallas Cowboys play football, or you can go and shop till you drop!
One of my favorite places to eat in Dallas however is go to La Madeleine’s near SMU. Dad said that he went there years ago, and I remember when I first when and had one of their quiches and their amazing tomato soups– I was hooked! I loved their food so much that I nearly fainted when I saw that they had a restaurant in Arizona. I was with the Florida track team for a meet at ASU, and we went to a mall to get a bite to eat, and I saw a La Madeleine’s right there! I was like– I don’t know about you guys, but I am going to eat here! Absolutely fantastic!!! 🙂
Another place that Mom, Dad, and Karla got to go to in Texas was the Big Texan. I saw pictures and I was like- that looks SOOO good! They are known for their 72 oz steak– that is HUGE, but if I was still throwing, I would be up for that! 🙂 But now I am on Jenny, so I have to be good. 🙂
Fayetteville, Ark: Okay, you are probably wondering WHY I have Fayetteville on my list of places to see. You can’t just see the big cities in the USA because you really get a sense of the other side of the country by going to these smaller towns! Fayetteville is also the home of the Razorbacks (University of Arkansas), WalMart, and the Marketplace. Oh yes– I lived at this place my entire time during the NCAA Indoor meets! Their Cajun Ribeye dinner is fabulous dahling! And their Chocolate mess dessert– yummy!!!
Seattle, Washington: From visiting Microsoft to Seattle– it is a great city to visit! I went to Seattle a couple of times for track meets, but I also took a recruiting trip to UW. It was a lot of fun! What is great is that there is a lot to do in the city. You can go and watch athletic events at UW or you can go and see the Seahawks play, or you can take a boat ride and look at Bill Gates’ house! That is what I did on my recruiting trip there– we took a trip and I also saw the house that was used in “Sleepless in Seattle.” Very neato– plus, they have the BEST coffee!! (A must for a Ph.D. student!) 🙂
Well, these are just some of the places that I would recommend people go and see– but the USA is a great country! 🙂 Traveling and exploring is a lot of fun because you really get a sense of what a country is like by the places you go and the people you meet along the way. 🙂
Have a great day and Happy Traveling & Eating! 🙂
Best Wishes,
Karen 🙂
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