Excursions

I would like to see members post about their state or country. If anyone is visiting your state or country, what would you recommend us tourists to visit there? For example, if you visit southern CA, I will recommend it's beaches, art museums, hollywood, indian gaming, outlet shopping, flea markets and cities that have a rich history full of antiques.

Tyger, I'll first talk about Brazil.
If you go to Brazil now, prepare to feel rich. Because of the devaluation of the Real (our money), one dollar that about 3 years ago bought one Real, now buys three.
Don't be afraid to go to Brazil. In Rio and São Paulo you should just behave as you would in some parts of NY or LA and other big cities in the world, otherwise, it's a safe country to travel if you don't go around like a Christmas tree full of jewelry. I've never been robbed in Brazil, but someone stole my pink bike in Japan, one of the safest countries in the world.

How to travel around: buy an Air Pass. It's much less expensive than you think and you'll be able to cover a good part of the country travelling by plane. There are different kinds from 3 to an unlimitted number of tickets, the standard one being 5 tickets for about 400 dollars.

Places to visit: Iguaçu falls (the largest in water volume in the world). Just wonderful.
http://www.smilies.org/basesmilies3/1040740707.gifRio de Janeiro : a beautiful scenery, a city between the mountain and the see, with a big lake in the middle and clean beaches. One of the only big cities in the world that is worth seeing because of its geography! Close to Rio, one hour by car, go see Paraty . Very nice place to find artcraft and Portuguese colonial architecture, protected by Unesco. It's a city that was abandonned for about 200 years and remained incredibly conserved. It has been all restaured.http://www.smilies.org/basesmilies3/1036946290.gif Paraty is the name of a fish very common in the region.
I would go to the Amazonian region (Manaus or Belem city, you pick one) where you can find lots of excursions.http://www.smilies.org/basesmilies3/1036946487.gif
Northeastern region: any city is ok. My favorite is Natal . http://www.smilies.org/basesmilies3/smiliee.gif Salvador in Bahia is very famous worldwide because of its colonial architecture, part of the world heritage.
The south is not known to attract tourists, but if you have time, go see the blond Brazilians, descents of Germans, Ukranians, Polish, Italians and all the other immigrants that built this mixed country.

Well in Baltimore/Washington/Virginia we have things like


The federal government,
the smithsonian institution,
all the memorials, (lincoln, jefferson washington)
harborplace (dy's been there with me)
the national aquarium
the science center
the US Constellation
NASA
Walter Reed Army Hospital Civil War Museum (a little known utterly facinating place)
Cherry blossoms (only in april)

and of course BigBri and myself.

New York City

Well, let's see, there are restaurants....Tavern on the Green, Motown, Serendipity, Hard Rock Cafe, Chevies and such depending on your taste.

Theatres all over. Off Broadway shows and off/off shows which are just as entertaining as Broadway. Museums, Art shows, Planterium, Bronx Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Hall of Science (one of my fav places as a kid), shopping, of cause, where the WTC used to stand, China Town, Littly Italy, West Village, East Village, Central Park (which has a ice/roller skating ring and zoo), FOA Schwartz toy store, Empire State Building and lots more.

I've done it all, now I just get in my car and drive out of NY most of the time. Its just as exciting.

Paris