Interesting Places In North America

[chenchow]

To organize the threads in this Special Interest Group much better, I have decided to spilt the sharing of experiences of various traveling experiences into various continents.

So, this thread is specifically for interesting places that you have known or been in US or Canada.

[chenchow]

To organize the threads in this Special Interest Group much better, I have decided to spilt the sharing of experiences of various traveling experiences into various continents.

So, this thread is specifically for interesting places that you have known or been in US or Canada.

[chenchow]

I will first start by sharing what I believe is the mini World - Las Vegas.

Las Vegas has long been dubbed as the Casino place etc, but what amazes me when I visited Las Vegas was not the casino. We can get the casino in Genting and the odds and machines are almost the same... More so, there are lots of people smoking there...making it so unbearable to me... although i was just walking by...

However, I think the architecture of various hotels at Las Vegas really made it a dream destination. I would suggest that if you are going to visit Las Vegas, go on weekday (the hotel rate is much more affordable, where you can get like 3 star hotel for USD40 or so from Expedia, Orbitz etc, or you can bid via priceline for good price for 4 to 5 star hotel.)

Live on The Strip, that's how they call the long line of hotels, where all the main hotels are located. From one end, it started with Mandalay Bay, where there is a huge marine park, with sharks, whales etc. I didn't go in, as I was to visit Sea World in San Diego after that... It cost about $20 or so.

Then the next hotel was the Luxor, a Pyramid with Sphinx. Inside the hotel , the Pyramid is the hotel, and your room is facing inside, where when you walk on the corridor of the rooms of the hotel, you see the middle part of various ghostly architecture of Egypt. It was a nice visit.

Then the next one was Excalibur, where it is build based on Medieval Times. So, you live in castle. There are horse shows of Medieval Times for you to watch and the architechture is great.

I don't think I am going to go one by one, but as you see, there are a number of hotels from the above three, to New York hotel, Paris hotel, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Aladdin, Sahara, Imperial Palace, Venetian, Caesars Palace, etc...

Each come with a fantastic design... So, basically you are visiting the whole world...

For instance, Venetian. It is the nice city of Venice, with people on sampan inside. Go to www.venetian.com, Go to Exploring the Places and go to Grand Canal Shoppe. The things that you see are really what you see in the hotel. It is indoor. Magnificent~!

The other one worth mentioning is Aladdin, where you get to visit North Africa. There are desert storm indoor once per hour. Imagine with the ceiling darkens and rain and lightning... It is awesome...

And many more... I will leave it to others to describe...or if I have more time, I will be back to describe more...

Hope more people will post!!!

[chenchow]

I will first start by sharing what I believe is the mini World - Las Vegas.

Las Vegas has long been dubbed as the Casino place etc, but what amazes me when I visited Las Vegas was not the casino. We can get the casino in Genting and the odds and machines are almost the same... More so, there are lots of people smoking there...making it so unbearable to me... although i was just walking by...

However, I think the architecture of various hotels at Las Vegas really made it a dream destination. I would suggest that if you are going to visit Las Vegas, go on weekday (the hotel rate is much more affordable, where you can get like 3 star hotel for USD40 or so from Expedia, Orbitz etc, or you can bid via priceline for good price for 4 to 5 star hotel.)

Live on The Strip, that's how they call the long line of hotels, where all the main hotels are located. From one end, it started with Mandalay Bay, where there is a huge marine park, with sharks, whales etc. I didn't go in, as I was to visit Sea World in San Diego after that... It cost about $20 or so.

Then the next hotel was the Luxor, a Pyramid with Sphinx. Inside the hotel , the Pyramid is the hotel, and your room is facing inside, where when you walk on the corridor of the rooms of the hotel, you see the middle part of various ghostly architecture of Egypt. It was a nice visit.

Then the next one was Excalibur, where it is build based on Medieval Times. So, you live in castle. There are horse shows of Medieval Times for you to watch and the architechture is great.

I don't think I am going to go one by one, but as you see, there are a number of hotels from the above three, to New York hotel, Paris hotel, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Aladdin, Sahara, Imperial Palace, Venetian, Caesars Palace, etc...

Each come with a fantastic design... So, basically you are visiting the whole world...

For instance, Venetian. It is the nice city of Venice, with people on sampan inside. Go to www.venetian.com, Go to Exploring the Places and go to Grand Canal Shoppe. The things that you see are really what you see in the hotel. It is indoor. Magnificent~!

The other one worth mentioning is Aladdin, where you get to visit North Africa. There are desert storm indoor once per hour. Imagine with the ceiling darkens and rain and lightning... It is awesome...

And many more... I will leave it to others to describe...or if I have more time, I will be back to describe more...

Hope more people will post!!!

[sim_min]

I took GreyHound from LA to Las Vegas during Christmas in 2001. It was a two night trip. I can't forget how crowded the place was during this special occasion.

I was staying at Sahara Hotel(if i could still remember) which is located at the other end of the The Strip. We chose to walk from our hotel to other hotels and buildings along the strip. But it was too far us to walk! We just managed to complete visiting half of the buildings along the strip after trying our best to walk, we were too tired and hungry!!!!!

SO, the next time, i am going to visit the other half of it!!

[sim_min]

I took GreyHound from LA to Las Vegas during Christmas in 2001. It was a two night trip. I can't forget how crowded the place was during this special occasion.

I was staying at Sahara Hotel(if i could still remember) which is located at the other end of the The Strip. We chose to walk from our hotel to other hotels and buildings along the strip. But it was too far us to walk! We just managed to complete visiting half of the buildings along the strip after trying our best to walk, we were too tired and hungry!!!!!

SO, the next time, i am going to visit the other half of it!!

[chenchow]

I think a good hotel to be recommended is Imperial Palace. Nothing posh, but it is a 3-star hotel and it is cheap. I got a King Size bed for $39 during summer.

The location is good...in the middle of the strip, about 10-12 hotels on its left and about the same number on its right... So, after walking one side, can go back room for refreshment. Heard that by 2006, there will be monorail linking the entire The Strip.

Another reason why I say its location is good, is that it is just exactly opposite Caesar's Palace and just less than 100 meters from Bellagio (the place that they shot Ocean 11), so I guess we can't be wrong with it..

I still have a few more hotels to cover, and one of it is Sahara Hotel...It is too far to walk and I don't have enough time....argh.. I only visited 18 hotels last time I went.

[chenchow]

I think a good hotel to be recommended is Imperial Palace. Nothing posh, but it is a 3-star hotel and it is cheap. I got a King Size bed for $39 during summer.

The location is good...in the middle of the strip, about 10-12 hotels on its left and about the same number on its right... So, after walking one side, can go back room for refreshment. Heard that by 2006, there will be monorail linking the entire The Strip.

Another reason why I say its location is good, is that it is just exactly opposite Caesar's Palace and just less than 100 meters from Bellagio (the place that they shot Ocean 11), so I guess we can't be wrong with it..

I still have a few more hotels to cover, and one of it is Sahara Hotel...It is too far to walk and I don't have enough time....argh.. I only visited 18 hotels last time I went.

[jiinjoo]

If you have more days to spare in Las Vegas, consider making a trip out to the Grand Canyon.

On the way you'll also pass by Hoover Dam, worth stopping by it's visitor center and see the big turbines :)

Best way to get to Grand Canyon IMHO is drive, although I know people who'd rather fly and or take the touring buses from Las Vegas. That drive was the most exciting drive in my life, partially because we got this cool rental car and was driving in the night, speeding down the Arizona dessert without turning the wheel for 3 straight hours :) Journey by car takes anywhere between 7 to 10 hours. Warning - journey there can be boring since it is all dessert.

But Grand Canyon itself is awesome. AWESOME! Be prepared to hike because if not, looking at the scenary from the rim of the canyon is nothing. I suggest you take the south rim since there are more life support there as well as more popular tracks. Go see how 60 year old grandmas walk down the canyon step by step, and how mules carrying tourist line up in a straight file while the tour guide explains the powers of nature.

Hike down to Colorado river - it is quite a feat, but you'll really enjoy it - be prepared to climb back up! It takes around twice as long to go back up the canyon. It will be even better to camp by the riverside.

Peak season for Grand Canyon is Spring and Fall since Summer is too hot and Winter is not safe for hiking. Last time I went during Spring, and it was to crowded - had to fight for camp ground. I heard testimonials from friends who went during early summer - it wasn't that bad. It's hot but since we're all used to tropical weather and knows to carry large amount of water, it's ok.

The canyon is quite big - you can spend many days just hiking. You can also go rafting at the river. Mule riding (wait.. I think those are asses, shoot i forgot what's the diff) is an interesting option if you can afford a few more bucks. And of course if you're rich, there are helicoptor tours available too.

Most important thing - drink lots of water - people die of dehydration every year - think "Grand Canyon is in a dessert" - and you're all set!

[jiinjoo]

If you have more days to spare in Las Vegas, consider making a trip out to the Grand Canyon.

On the way you'll also pass by Hoover Dam, worth stopping by it's visitor center and see the big turbines :)

Best way to get to Grand Canyon IMHO is drive, although I know people who'd rather fly and or take the touring buses from Las Vegas. That drive was the most exciting drive in my life, partially because we got this cool rental car and was driving in the night, speeding down the Arizona dessert without turning the wheel for 3 straight hours :) Journey by car takes anywhere between 7 to 10 hours. Warning - journey there can be boring since it is all dessert.

But Grand Canyon itself is awesome. AWESOME! Be prepared to hike because if not, looking at the scenary from the rim of the canyon is nothing. I suggest you take the south rim since there are more life support there as well as more popular tracks. Go see how 60 year old grandmas walk down the canyon step by step, and how mules carrying tourist line up in a straight file while the tour guide explains the powers of nature.

Hike down to Colorado river - it is quite a feat, but you'll really enjoy it - be prepared to climb back up! It takes around twice as long to go back up the canyon. It will be even better to camp by the riverside.

Peak season for Grand Canyon is Spring and Fall since Summer is too hot and Winter is not safe for hiking. Last time I went during Spring, and it was to crowded - had to fight for camp ground. I heard testimonials from friends who went during early summer - it wasn't that bad. It's hot but since we're all used to tropical weather and knows to carry large amount of water, it's ok.

The canyon is quite big - you can spend many days just hiking. You can also go rafting at the river. Mule riding (wait.. I think those are asses, shoot i forgot what's the diff) is an interesting option if you can afford a few more bucks. And of course if you're rich, there are helicoptor tours available too.

Most important thing - drink lots of water - people die of dehydration every year - think "Grand Canyon is in a dessert" - and you're all set!

[wesleyanne]

hello :)

i have a question :) my friends and i are planning a roadtrip to DC-NY-Boston this coming spring break and we're kinda facing a problem regarding NY. See, considering that most of us have already been to NY and have visited places like Times Square, Central Park, Broadway and all the places that most tourists usually visit, we were wondering if there are actually OTHER interesting places in NY, other than the typical places mentioned above? and if anyone can also give suggestions regarding DC and Boston, it would be truly appreciated :)

thank you~~~

[wesleyanne]

hello :)

i have a question :) my friends and i are planning a roadtrip to DC-NY-Boston this coming spring break and we're kinda facing a problem regarding NY. See, considering that most of us have already been to NY and have visited places like Times Square, Central Park, Broadway and all the places that most tourists usually visit, we were wondering if there are actually OTHER interesting places in NY, other than the typical places mentioned above? and if anyone can also give suggestions regarding DC and Boston, it would be truly appreciated :)

thank you~~~

[chenchow]

Hi wesleyanne, hope that you will enjoy your trip~! Iam sure you will enjoy the roadtrip to DC-NY-Boston.

I have been to those places a few times...DC 4 times, NY 4 times, Boston twice.

I think among the places in New York worth visiting would be United Nations(this is a must visit!), Interpid(Aircraft Carrier - if you haven't been one in other parts of US. The aircraft carrier there was the one that survived kamikaze during WW2), Columbia Uni, Flushing (if you are looking for good and cheap chinese food. Take subway 7 to all the way till the end, take the express one lar), Metropolitan Museum, Natural History museum, a stroll in Central Park, perhaps go to Lincoln Center, Rockefeller, there is an old church across Rockefeller I believe, Little Italy, Greenwich, etc... Yeah, of course Ground Zero and Wall Street... and perhaps cross over to Jersey!

DC, I would suggest that if you are interested in spy stuff, go spy museum. It is the only museum that needs to pay in DC. Then, go to the museums around Smithsonians, besides all those memorials, like Lincoln Memorial etc. Yeah, Arlington Cemetory is a good place to go too... Washington is nice and cheap. Oh yeah, if you are going DC, contact Malaysian Students Department www.msdwdc.org and may be can pay a visit to Embassy!

Boston, I will leave to those who have stayed in Boston to explain further, but prince gave me a good tour when I visited there! Thanks! Basically, campus of MIT, Harvard, BU etc... plus the historical places...oh yeah, the whale cruise if you like, or the Legal Sea Food for lobster are good choice...

[chenchow]

Hi wesleyanne, hope that you will enjoy your trip~! Iam sure you will enjoy the roadtrip to DC-NY-Boston.

I have been to those places a few times...DC 4 times, NY 4 times, Boston twice.

I think among the places in New York worth visiting would be United Nations(this is a must visit!), Interpid(Aircraft Carrier - if you haven't been one in other parts of US. The aircraft carrier there was the one that survived kamikaze during WW2), Columbia Uni, Flushing (if you are looking for good and cheap chinese food. Take subway 7 to all the way till the end, take the express one lar), Metropolitan Museum, Natural History museum, a stroll in Central Park, perhaps go to Lincoln Center, Rockefeller, there is an old church across Rockefeller I believe, Little Italy, Greenwich, etc... Yeah, of course Ground Zero and Wall Street... and perhaps cross over to Jersey!

DC, I would suggest that if you are interested in spy stuff, go spy museum. It is the only museum that needs to pay in DC. Then, go to the museums around Smithsonians, besides all those memorials, like Lincoln Memorial etc. Yeah, Arlington Cemetory is a good place to go too... Washington is nice and cheap. Oh yeah, if you are going DC, contact Malaysian Students Department www.msdwdc.org and may be can pay a visit to Embassy!

Boston, I will leave to those who have stayed in Boston to explain further, but prince gave me a good tour when I visited there! Thanks! Basically, campus of MIT, Harvard, BU etc... plus the historical places...oh yeah, the whale cruise if you like, or the Legal Sea Food for lobster are good choice...

[wesleyanne]

thanx chenchow! that did help....

unfortunately the roadtrip might not work out since it takes almost 18 hours to drive from Georgia to Boston! and I heard its not very advisable to drive in New York, traffic, parking rates and all, hence, flying sounds like a better option :)

so, here are more questions :) I heard there's a bus that goes from Chinatown to Boston? Does anyone have any idea about this? as for university tours, what would be good places in the universities to visit? and how's the weather up north at the moment? :) does it rain a lot?

oooh, and the whale cruise sounds interesting...do you have more info on that? and finally, are there any really good, not too expensive malaysian restaurants in NY or Boston that anyone can recommend?

Thank you!

[wesleyanne]

thanx chenchow! that did help....

unfortunately the roadtrip might not work out since it takes almost 18 hours to drive from Georgia to Boston! and I heard its not very advisable to drive in New York, traffic, parking rates and all, hence, flying sounds like a better option :)

so, here are more questions :) I heard there's a bus that goes from Chinatown to Boston? Does anyone have any idea about this? as for university tours, what would be good places in the universities to visit? and how's the weather up north at the moment? :) does it rain a lot?

oooh, and the whale cruise sounds interesting...do you have more info on that? and finally, are there any really good, not too expensive malaysian restaurants in NY or Boston that anyone can recommend?

Thank you!

[sim_min]

i need info about road trip to NY too..and places around it..
I m planning to drive all the way from Nebraska to NY...but if driving is not adviseable...then what can i do?? there are about 5 of us in a car..so i thought driving would be better...
any advice??btw, i m probably the only one who is driving for this trip.... :roll:

[sim_min]

i need info about road trip to NY too..and places around it..
I m planning to drive all the way from Nebraska to NY...but if driving is not adviseable...then what can i do?? there are about 5 of us in a car..so i thought driving would be better...
any advice??btw, i m probably the only one who is driving for this trip.... :roll:

[wesleyanne]

sim_min, isnt NY also around 18 hours drive from Nebraska?
I'm not sure, so correct me if im wrong :) if it IS 16 to 18 hours away, are you SURE you still wanna be the only driver? hehehe
in that case, then i think flying would be better, no?

The reason we didn't make it was cos the car rental including gas prob costs about the same as flying and one of the drivers backed out so im flying instead. I know when we were planning this, we had at least 2 drivers for the whole journey :) so you might wanna consider that :) and you really need to know your roads and directions cos there is a high probability of getting lost :)

BUT one of the best things about having roadtrips are the experiences, the experiences of getting lost, arguing, whining, getting tired, etc etc etc, which personally i find to be a forever cherishable, unforgettable experience :) haha

sorry, cant give you much advice and be more of a help since im not completely familiar with NY myself :)

[wesleyanne]

sim_min, isnt NY also around 18 hours drive from Nebraska?
I'm not sure, so correct me if im wrong :) if it IS 16 to 18 hours away, are you SURE you still wanna be the only driver? hehehe
in that case, then i think flying would be better, no?

The reason we didn't make it was cos the car rental including gas prob costs about the same as flying and one of the drivers backed out so im flying instead. I know when we were planning this, we had at least 2 drivers for the whole journey :) so you might wanna consider that :) and you really need to know your roads and directions cos there is a high probability of getting lost :)

BUT one of the best things about having roadtrips are the experiences, the experiences of getting lost, arguing, whining, getting tired, etc etc etc, which personally i find to be a forever cherishable, unforgettable experience :) haha

sorry, cant give you much advice and be more of a help since im not completely familiar with NY myself :)

[jiinjoo]

I super agree on Not driving from Nebraska to NY - you'll be super worned out (save the car) and yes driving in NY can be horrifying experience. Why don't you go hunt down cheap tickets? An alternative if to take the bus / train, but that doesn't make a good tradeoff compared to driving. You can considering renting the car once you reach NY though...

On the other hand, the subway experience is really cool in NY - you can get a week long pass and take as many trips as you want.

It's hard to get lost in Manhattan - the streets are in rows and columns :D


Which whale cruise you're talking about? The one whale watching that I did was in the west coast (around San Juan island, can go from near Seattle or Victoria (BC)). It was AWESOME :) it is not a cruise at all, just whale watching - we took a speed boat and followed the radar to track down the whales, once within 300m, we turn off the engines and slowly float towards them. They literally swim beneath the boat - and I was like 1 inch away from them! :) You also get to see them "performing" all sort of instinct-actions. Definitely worth the short hour long trip for 60 CND (probably 40USD).

[jiinjoo]

I super agree on Not driving from Nebraska to NY - you'll be super worned out (save the car) and yes driving in NY can be horrifying experience. Why don't you go hunt down cheap tickets? An alternative if to take the bus / train, but that doesn't make a good tradeoff compared to driving. You can considering renting the car once you reach NY though...

On the other hand, the subway experience is really cool in NY - you can get a week long pass and take as many trips as you want.

It's hard to get lost in Manhattan - the streets are in rows and columns :D


Which whale cruise you're talking about? The one whale watching that I did was in the west coast (around San Juan island, can go from near Seattle or Victoria (BC)). It was AWESOME :) it is not a cruise at all, just whale watching - we took a speed boat and followed the radar to track down the whales, once within 300m, we turn off the engines and slowly float towards them. They literally swim beneath the boat - and I was like 1 inch away from them! :) You also get to see them "performing" all sort of instinct-actions. Definitely worth the short hour long trip for 60 CND (probably 40USD).

Wesleyann:
As you probably know, I was at MIT for 3 years -- naturally I think Boston is the best of the three cities, striking just the right balance between culture and modernity.

I would suggest flying to any of those cities and taking the Amtrak train in between the cities. Amtrak has a program that allows non-US citizens (i.e. with a Malaysian passport) to buy a 5-day or 15-day pass for a reasonable amount. Check their website for details. While the Chinatown bus is a cheaper option, it's a hassle getting to and from the bus terminal. And furthermore, the train ride is smoother and more comfortable.

BTW, how long will your visit to these 3 cities be?

Places to visit:

NY/Manhattan - depends on what your preference - there're just too many things to do in Manhattan. You can get a good guidebook when you arrive. I like the arts scene in NY, the Met opera for instance offers cheap student discount for its superb world-class opera performances. Most Broadway performances are fantastic - but they all burn holes in pcoket (if you're on student budget). Plus I heard shopping is a big thing in NY.

Boston - definitely, definitely visit the MIT campus, even at the expense of visiting Harvard (OK just joking). While the MIT campus is unique in its own way, Harvard has an interesting campus too. As for museums, you won't want to miss the JFK museum. BTW, you may also want to check the hotel rates at hotwire.com. I was in Boston a week ago and got a great deal of $60 a night for a 3.5 star hotel. And most hotel rooms can accomodate 2 people.

DC - Unless you're in town on the President's invitation, probably it's just worth a 1-2 day visit. The Smithsonian museums are fantastic - basically a museum city for tourist. Of course, politics rules the city, but I heard you'll have go to the right clubs in the evenings to get to hear all those political chatters.

If you would like to visit Princeton, a university with charming gothic buildings, do tell me. You can get to Princeton from NY in under an hour and the half by train. I may be free to bring you and your friends around. In any case, its worth visiting to see how those rich people and their kids are living.

Wesleyann:
As you probably know, I was at MIT for 3 years -- naturally I think Boston is the best of the three cities, striking just the right balance between culture and modernity.

I would suggest flying to any of those cities and taking the Amtrak train in between the cities. Amtrak has a program that allows non-US citizens (i.e. with a Malaysian passport) to buy a 5-day or 15-day pass for a reasonable amount. Check their website for details. While the Chinatown bus is a cheaper option, it's a hassle getting to and from the bus terminal. And furthermore, the train ride is smoother and more comfortable.

BTW, how long will your visit to these 3 cities be?

Places to visit:

NY/Manhattan - depends on what your preference - there're just too many things to do in Manhattan. You can get a good guidebook when you arrive. I like the arts scene in NY, the Met opera for instance offers cheap student discount for its superb world-class opera performances. Most Broadway performances are fantastic - but they all burn holes in pcoket (if you're on student budget). Plus I heard shopping is a big thing in NY.

Boston - definitely, definitely visit the MIT campus, even at the expense of visiting Harvard (OK just joking). While the MIT campus is unique in its own way, Harvard has an interesting campus too. As for museums, you won't want to miss the JFK museum. BTW, you may also want to check the hotel rates at hotwire.com. I was in Boston a week ago and got a great deal of $60 a night for a 3.5 star hotel. And most hotel rooms can accomodate 2 people.

DC - Unless you're in town on the President's invitation, probably it's just worth a 1-2 day visit. The Smithsonian museums are fantastic - basically a museum city for tourist. Of course, politics rules the city, but I heard you'll have go to the right clubs in the evenings to get to hear all those political chatters.

If you would like to visit Princeton, a university with charming gothic buildings, do tell me. You can get to Princeton from NY in under an hour and the half by train. I may be free to bring you and your friends around. In any case, its worth visiting to see how those rich people and their kids are living.

[__earth]

Hey prince,
Why don't you write make your recent posts as an article for remag?
It would be a great reading.

[__earth]

Hey prince,
Why don't you write make your recent posts as an article for remag?
It would be a great reading.

[wesleyanne]

Thanx everyone for the advice!!! Truly appreciate it!

Which whale cruise you're talking about? The one whale watching that I did was in the west coast (around San Juan island, can go from near Seattle or Victoria (BC)). It was AWESOME :) it is not a cruise at all, just whale watching - we took a speed boat and followed the radar to track down the whales, once within 300m, we turn off the engines and slowly float towards them. They literally swim beneath the boat - and I was like 1 inch away from them! :) You also get to see them "performing" all sort of instinct-actions. Definitely worth the short hour long trip for 60 CND (probably 40USD).

I don't know exactly which whale cruise/watching this is, but what you have described seems like an awesome experience and hopefully I'll get the chance to experience it for myself too :)

Other than that, does anyone know of some really really good and not too expensive Malaysian restaurants in New York or Boston other than the "Penang Restaurant"? I'm seriously craving Malaysian food ;)

That aside, thanx again~ hope all of you have a great, awesome, fun spring break! Mine starts tomorrow, and I'm really excited about the entire trip!!! :D and if you're having your midterms soon, good luck!!!

[wesleyanne]

Thanx everyone for the advice!!! Truly appreciate it!

Which whale cruise you're talking about? The one whale watching that I did was in the west coast (around San Juan island, can go from near Seattle or Victoria (BC)). It was AWESOME :) it is not a cruise at all, just whale watching - we took a speed boat and followed the radar to track down the whales, once within 300m, we turn off the engines and slowly float towards them. They literally swim beneath the boat - and I was like 1 inch away from them! :) You also get to see them "performing" all sort of instinct-actions. Definitely worth the short hour long trip for 60 CND (probably 40USD).

I don't know exactly which whale cruise/watching this is, but what you have described seems like an awesome experience and hopefully I'll get the chance to experience it for myself too :)

Other than that, does anyone know of some really really good and not too expensive Malaysian restaurants in New York or Boston other than the "Penang Restaurant"? I'm seriously craving Malaysian food ;)

That aside, thanx again~ hope all of you have a great, awesome, fun spring break! Mine starts tomorrow, and I'm really excited about the entire trip!!! :D and if you're having your midterms soon, good luck!!!

[__earth]

there's one at broadway. its not penang. Can't remember where it is but i think its somewhere around 71st - 51st street.

[__earth]

there's one at broadway. its not penang. Can't remember where it is but i think its somewhere around 71st - 51st street.

[jiinjoo]

Nyonya?

[jiinjoo]

Nyonya?

[__earth]

i totally can't recall the name. Let's Google!

boy, bill must really be boiling whenever ppl use let's google instead of lets search for it.

[__earth]

i totally can't recall the name. Let's Google!

boy, bill must really be boiling whenever ppl use let's google instead of lets search for it.

[chenchow]

With this spring break season, hopefully those who go traveling, after you come back, please share your trips here~!

[chenchow]

With this spring break season, hopefully those who go traveling, after you come back, please share your trips here~!

[wesleyanne]

With this spring break season, hopefully those who go traveling, after you come back, please share your trips here~!

well, im back from spring break and its funny cos everyone else is just starting theirs ;)

my trip to NY and Boston was awesome and the environment there is just sooo different than Macon which was what i needed :) well, except for the weather. considering it was about 20 something degrees celcius when I left, I found NY and Boston to be COLD! haha :)

was snowing in Boston when I went which was exciting i guess, since its the very first time I actually got to walk in snow ;) visited quincy market, which I really liked. didnt get to go for the whale watching thingy, but we did visit the bay area which was beautiful, of course! I think we spent most of our time in MIT and Harvard cos I was accompanying a friend in her search for grad schools. er...I personally wouldnt recommend visiting the MIT campus for fun unless you're there for a purpose :) Harvard, on the other hand, is awesome! loved Harvard Square! stayed at Harvard for a night. the dorms in Harvard are pretty nice. oh yeah, we also headed down to UMass, Lowell and thats another campus thats really not pretty.

I personally liked New York better than Boston :) since we stayed at 5th avenue, we spent most of our days walking to Chinatown, Korea Town, Soho, Times Square, Broadway etc. Visited NYU as well, and visited tons of restaurants, including Nyonya which has such good food! oh yes, also accompanied my friend to the physics dept of Princeton for more grad school info. Princeton is sooo beautiful. took tons of pics since the weather (when we were there) was gorgeous.

hmmm...thats about it. spent most of the week visiting physics depts of unis which was interesting nonetheless, even though I'm not a physics major ;) but yeah, New York and Boston are incredible cities :) and I would seriously love to go back again, when its warmer :)

[wesleyanne]

With this spring break season, hopefully those who go traveling, after you come back, please share your trips here~!

well, im back from spring break and its funny cos everyone else is just starting theirs ;)

my trip to NY and Boston was awesome and the environment there is just sooo different than Macon which was what i needed :) well, except for the weather. considering it was about 20 something degrees celcius when I left, I found NY and Boston to be COLD! haha :)

was snowing in Boston when I went which was exciting i guess, since its the very first time I actually got to walk in snow ;) visited quincy market, which I really liked. didnt get to go for the whale watching thingy, but we did visit the bay area which was beautiful, of course! I think we spent most of our time in MIT and Harvard cos I was accompanying a friend in her search for grad schools. er...I personally wouldnt recommend visiting the MIT campus for fun unless you're there for a purpose :) Harvard, on the other hand, is awesome! loved Harvard Square! stayed at Harvard for a night. the dorms in Harvard are pretty nice. oh yeah, we also headed down to UMass, Lowell and thats another campus thats really not pretty.

I personally liked New York better than Boston :) since we stayed at 5th avenue, we spent most of our days walking to Chinatown, Korea Town, Soho, Times Square, Broadway etc. Visited NYU as well, and visited tons of restaurants, including Nyonya which has such good food! oh yes, also accompanied my friend to the physics dept of Princeton for more grad school info. Princeton is sooo beautiful. took tons of pics since the weather (when we were there) was gorgeous.

hmmm...thats about it. spent most of the week visiting physics depts of unis which was interesting nonetheless, even though I'm not a physics major ;) but yeah, New York and Boston are incredible cities :) and I would seriously love to go back again, when its warmer :)

[__earth]

you are kidding me. You stayed at the 5th avenue?
when i was in new york, i stayed at broadway, 113th just to reduce cost. How much did you pay for the room?

[__earth]

you are kidding me. You stayed at the 5th avenue?
when i was in new york, i stayed at broadway, 113th just to reduce cost. How much did you pay for the room?

[wesleyanne]

you are kidding me. You stayed at the 5th avenue?
when i was in new york, i stayed at broadway, 113th just to reduce cost. How much did you pay for the room?

er...didnt pay a thing ;) stayed with relatives :)

[wesleyanne]

you are kidding me. You stayed at the 5th avenue?
when i was in new york, i stayed at broadway, 113th just to reduce cost. How much did you pay for the room?

er...didnt pay a thing ;) stayed with relatives :)

[yekban81]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Why don't you guys put some photo too as well.

In case someone dont know how, here's the procedure quoted from I-Qing post:
let?s learn some HTML here...

first of all upload your picture in the ReCom gallery...

now for eg if you want to upload ReCom banner to this thread...

right mouse click the banner and click Properties

it will display the address (URL) of the banner or picture..
copy the address and insert it to the following HTML Tag

<.img src=ADDRESS.>

for example Recom banner... the Address is http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/themes/Blue/images/banner.gif

insert it to this tag

<.img src=.>

becomes like <.img src = http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/themes/Blue/images/banner.gif.>

There are no dots . before and after < and >.. i put it to disable HTML effect
no space between src = and the address... now try it with your pictures u upload in the gallery...

<img src=http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/themes/Blue/images/banner.gif>


Here's a recommendation of a photo hosting website: http://photobucket.com

[sanghanuman]

Talking about nice places, I went to New Orleans last Spring Break. I think that that place is extraordinarily eccentric in its own way, and is a good choice for travelling in the USA.

I was there for 4-5 days. I stayed at the Frech quarters. I was expecting to hear people speaking French there but nope, only the road names are in French. Sometimes you can hear people talking to their friends and family in French on telephone, but not on the street.

Nawlins is famous for its European taste in architecture and food too. Cajun food is uniquely New Orleans' original taste. You can get stuff like blackened fish or shrimp, Po Boy sandwiches etc. Try 'em all..they are pretty interesting. For girls, I suggest that you share your food with a friend because their portion is big, big, BIG!

There's this one caf? called Caf? du Monde. They have the best caf? au lait and french doughnut called beignet. Me and my friends, we like to chill there every evening. Like mamak i tell you!

Go for the ghost, voodoo and graveyard tour. Even though it is too clich? and people will definitely recognize you as a tourist, those tours are pretty fun. Since it is the law that French Quarters must remain the same from the outside (you can change ownership and redecorate the inside of the buildings), so every story that they have for you, you can actually see and touch the place..

At night, French Q is as lively too. The famous Bourbon street is pretty scandalous at night. And yes, even if it's not Mardi Gras, you can see girls and boys gone wild once in a while. I dont go to bars so I dont know what it's like there. Should be fun for you guys who do.

For those who seek night life minus the bars, try checking out the House of Blues concert schedule. I was lucky because NERD and Black Eyed Peas were having a show..

Weather there is perfect too. Plus minus 60F (in Spring). It is a bit smelly in and around the French Q. Thanks to the drunk people who vomit and pee at their pleasure.

Even though it sounds like everything is in French Q, you have to venture a little further to see the real people of New Orleans. Big ol european style mansions and caf?s are nice to visit. There's a museum that I went to. If you like museums, you could check that out.

There you go.

[sabishii]

Hey guys, if you wanna check out about destinations, a good site to recommend is wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page

I'm planning for my holidays too, and that site is pretty useful. and another interesting site is http://www.thingstodo.com/

happy travelling.. ^^

[boafan]

I think a good hotel to be recommended is Imperial Palace. Nothing posh, but it is a 3-star hotel and it is cheap. I got a King Size bed for $39 during summer.

hey! i stayed at Imperial Palace the last time i went 2 Vegas!! :D
yeah Excalibur is AMAZING...i went there to watch the well..excalibur??lol...anyway..the exterior of the hotel is extremely superb..with those castle towers..i had to crane my neck in the cab to view da towers..lol..hehe...da special thing bout all the hotels in vegas is that they all have casinos..and shows..and during nightime..u can see all those neon lights..itz simply colourful..oh yeah..and that time i went to vegas..it so happened that the erm..sumthing music awards was held at MGM ..so u could practically see helicopters in the sky..lol..

[strikingstar]

Nyonya?

Nyonya is the best Malaysian restaurant I've been to in the States. (Then again I haven't been to many). If you're in Manhattan, look for it. It's on Grand Street. Pretty good food at reasonable rates. Paying USD9 for nasi lemak from Penang is just painful.

[Jules_Verne]

anyone up for road tripping in summer? probably sometime after the midwest games or july. just holla~

[kaze]

^bump

Anyone want to share their experience here? This land is so huge, and so many Malaysian studying in the US, there has got to be something.

p/s: Someday, I would like to make a road trip to the Grand Canyon. :nuts If anyone had been there, do share it here. :)