Famous Places in America.

[NoshowJones]

I have been to Graceland twice, visited the Theater in Washington where Lincoln was assassinated, also the house across the road, and see the bed he died in. Have been in Dallas and seen the place and spot where Kennedy was assassinated, been to the Alamo in San Antonio, saw the place where Jim Reeves's plane came down not far from a main road on the outskirts of Nashville. Visited the place in Los Angeles where you see the footprints of the stars.

Anyone else like to tell of any famous places they have been to in America?

[macahoom]

Famous, but only because of the film:

 

Fargo, North Dakota.

[KhunLA]

Way too many to list, famous is relative.

 

Elvis's childhood home ... maybe.

Growing up in Philly, PA, so much history

1st Bank, 1st Library

Ben Franklin home/grave

Thomas Paine

Betsy Ross

Carpenter's Hall/Liberty Bell

Valley Forge

Gettysburg

 

Hershey's Chocolate

 

Brandywine Valley

Dupont's Gunpowder Factory of days past

 

That's just local stull, within a few hours of driving.

National Parks and Dive sites

USCGC Duane in FL waters was quite memorable.

lovely & challenging (advanced divers only)

 

Niagara, ... real waterfalls, not downhill streams as in TH, with few exceptions.

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Been to Graceland also, 2002 was working in Batesville , MS.

On the same trip , driving round killing time came upon the Crossroads monument ( where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil ).

Working in Fort Worth had a drive to see the “ x” marks the spot where Kennedy was shot one evening , a colleague was looking it up on the internet and it said “ beware of fake touts trying to sell you a tour “ as he read this out 3 dubious looking fellas were approaching from different directions !

Threw up on the last train from New York to Norwalk, Conn after a day visiting the sights, damn you Jäegermeister…. never again !

Had a visit to Muscle Beach , CA while working in Ontario, CA, and saw the sights there. Also from there had a drive ( 4 hrs ) to Vegas , stayed around 4 hrs then drove back !

Worked for an American company for 32 years and visited maybe 70 times to many locations. Had an American brother in law ( we married Brazilian sisters) for 20 years and had many great winter/summer vacations in Denver.

 

Consider myself very lucky, had many great visits there, some not so great ????, and made many lifelong friends.

 

Would have liked to have seen Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore but the opportunity never arose.

[Lacessit]

Valley Forge, Washington's winter quarters. Soldiers sleeping on wooden planks.

 

Dealey Plaza, Dallas, where Kennedy was assassinated. The hair on the back of my neck was at attention, 20 years after the event.

 

Pine Valley Golf Club, rated the #1 golf course in the world for decades.

 

The Alamo in San Antonio.

 

Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

 

Yosemite National Park.

 

Fisherman's Wharf, San .Francisco.

 

Central Park, New York.

 

As a non-American, I would say the celebration of its history by the nation is impressive.

[NoshowJones]

12 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Valley Forge, Washington's winter quarters. Soldiers sleeping on wooden planks.

 

Dealey Plaza, Dallas, where Kennedy was assassinated. The h neck was at attention, 20 years after the event.air on the back of my

 

Pine Valley Golf Club, rated the #1 golf course in the world for decades.

 

The Alamo in San Antonio.

 

Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

 

Yosemite National Park.

 

Fisherman's Wharf, San .Francisco.

 

Central Park, New York.

 

As a non-American, I would say the celebration of its history by the nation is impressive.

"Fisherman's Wharf, San .Francisco" Yes I have been there too.

"Dealey Plaza, Dallas, where Kennedy was assassinated." I spoke to a man who witnessed the whole thing and said after he was shot the car immediately drove of fast away up the road.

[NoshowJones]

32 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Way too many to list, famous is relative.

 

Elvis's childhood home ... maybe.

Growing up in Philly, PA, so much history

1st Bank, 1st Library

Ben Franklin home/grave

Thomas Paine

Betsy Ross

Carpenter's Hall/Liberty Bell

Valley Forge

Gettysburg

 

Hershey's Chocolate

 

Brandywine Valley

Dupont's Gunpowder Factory of days past

 

That's just local stull, within a few hours of driving.

National Parks and Dive sites

USCGC Duane in FL waters was quite memorable.

lovely & challenging (advanced divers only)

 

Niagara, ... real waterfalls, not downhill streams as in TH, with few exceptions.

 

You mention Gettysburg, I would have liked to have visited Manassas where the Battle of Bull Run was, also the Little Big Horn where Custers last stand was.

I was also at Niagra Falls.

[NoshowJones]

35 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Been to Graceland also, 2002 was working in Batesville , MS.

On the same trip , driving round killing time came upon the Crossroads monument ( where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil ).

Working in Fort Worth had a drive to see the “ x” marks the spot where Kennedy was shot one evening , a colleague was looking it up on the internet and it said “ beware of fake touts trying to sell you a tour “ as he read this out 3 dubious looking fellas were approaching from different directions !

Threw up on the last train from New York to Norwalk, Conn after a day visiting the sights, damn you Jäegermeister…. never again !

Had a visit to Muscle Beach , CA while working in Ontario, CA, and saw the sights there. Also from there had a drive ( 4 hrs ) to Vegas , stayed around 4 hrs then drove back !

Worked for an American company for 32 years and visited maybe 70 times to many locations. Had an American brother in law ( we married Brazilian sisters) for 20 years and had many great winter/summer vacations in Denver.

 

Consider myself very lucky, had many great visits there, some not so great ????, and made many lifelong friends.

 

Would have liked to have seen Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore but the opportunity never arose.

I never noticed an X at the spot where Kennedy was shot. I stood on the exact spot and looked up at the window. It showed you the exact spot on a photo up in the museum. I have also been to Vegas, did you go to Circus Circus?

Edited April 1, 2023 by NoshowJones

[Jingthing]

 Corn Palace

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

7 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

I never noticed an X at the spot where Kennedy was shot. I stood on the exact spot and looked up at the window. It showed you the exact spot on a photo up in the museum.

 

Taken Aug 2011

[NoshowJones]

4 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

 

Taken Aug 2011

I was there back in the mid eighties, the cross wasn't there then, I certainly didn't notice it.

Anyone know when the cross was put there?

Edited April 1, 2023 by NoshowJones

[Andrew Dwyer]

33 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

I was there back in the mid eighties, the cross wasn't there then, I certainly didn't notice it.

Anyone know when the cross was put there?

There is a few articles on Google but the general consensus is that it wasn’t officially marked by the city.

This guy claims to be the first:

 

”

The X had been a popular photo spot, despite its location in a busy traffic lane.

Robert Groden, an author and Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorist, said last week that he first painted the X years ago.

But as seen in footage of that Dallas thoroughfare, the X was back Tuesday.

What’s not known is who put it there. “ ( from an article after the road was resurfaced 2013 )

 

Over the years it has worn away and Road resurfacing has eradicated it but it always reappeared within a week or two, Unofficial touts are thought to replace it to supplement their income.

Edited April 1, 2023 by Andrew Dwyer

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Hershey's Chocolate

Hershey PA, the whole town smells like chocolate, street lights are/were shaped like Hershey Kisses.

 

Used to run AirFreight (by truck) PHL-MDT (Harrisburg), and yea, a lot of air freight isn't by air, even PHL-MIA, which I loved doing.   Anyway, while killing 8ish hours at MDT area, I'd do local deliveries & pick ups, and loved going to Hershey, as it seemed every loading dock had a box of candies (rejects) and help yourself.

 

If you ever asked for directions, most people tell you near a bar, restaurant, shopping mall as reference.  Me, chocolate factory, or in Lititz, Lancaster, Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, or the Amish Apple fritters bakery, or another confectionary factory/Wilbur Chocolate.  Depending where I went to that day, means another kg added on, but also another smile.

[Dcheech]

Sundowner Motel, 6101 Central NE, Albuquerque

It was remodeled eight years ago, but still has touches of the old gone to seed, original. The place where Bill Gates & Paul Allen started Microsoft. After, you can double up, do a 'breaking bad' tour of the city.

[pgrahmm]

I'm sorry - too much to itemize & almost all of what has already mentioned....

 

The one day of travel that jolted/ affected me enough to give me a  serious, sober pause was the Civil War battlefields where 10,000's to 100,000's of men died during a single day.....While unable to visualize the carnage each place; the heart was very heavy that day....

[GinBoy2]

Grand Canyon

Central Park

Times Square

Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island

911 Memorial

Mount Rushmore

Crazy Horse Memorial

USS Arizona memorial

Alcatraz

Mt Rainier

Yosemite

 

....the list is endless, but these are some of my top ones

 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Had one trip from Hawaii cross country to Boston but nothing that noteworthy. Liked Memphis and New Orleans and Washington and New York and all the usual places.  Highlight I suppose were the big tree forests and wild beaches east of Seattle and Bainbridge Island where family lived. Not long after Snow Falling on Cedars came out set in the same beautiful area. 

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

I'm sorry - too much to itemize & almost all of what has already mentioned....

 

The one day of travel that jolted/ affected me enough to give me a  serious, sober pause was the Civil War battlefields where 10,000's to 100,000's of men died during a single day.....While unable to visualize the carnage each place; the heart was very heavy that day....

Yes, mind boggling, imagining the carnage, and lack of medical facilities.  Not exactly any M.A.S.H. units in those days.  Slicing & dicing without anesthesia, if even lucky enough to be taken off the battlefield.

 

Haven't been, but when I see photos of Arlington Cemetery, and seems to go on forever, and just a fraction of the dead from silly wars.  Add to that all the grieving family & friends .. that's a bit thought provoking.

 

Even for my insensitive uncompassionate self ... ????

[KhunLA]

Just reminded of one, from reading another thread ????

 

Bessie Smith's gravesite, finally got a headstone, paid for by Janis Joplin, was located at a cemetery down the street from my hometown house, actually right behind a friend house.

 

Regular spot, the cemetery, for us, young teens to get drunk, out of the limelight, and PoPo, to avoid another overnight in their krappy accommodations.

[Furioso]

In late 1992, my friend worked in the Whitehouse in the downstairs Communication Center. Between X-Mas and New Years he signed me into the Whitehouse. The sign-ion was in the East Wing, then we walked down the corridor towards the White House Residence building. Before I knew it we turned a corner and walking down the center hall of the White House Residence. The main thing my friend wanted to do was take me to the middle of the White House, where I could do a 180 to see out the North, then the South Portico. However, this day they were prepping the White House for transition from President Bush to incoming Bill Clinton. As we walked down the center hall the White House Usher(Head of Staff and Operations), stopped us. I remember he said to my friend, "no unauthorized tours today". My friend actually got a little smarmy with the Usher(I have long stories about the trouble my friend got himself in to), I was nervous, cooperative, after 10 seconds we turned around. My friend then said "let's go downstairs through the kitchen".

 

Yep, a quick walk downstairs and we were walking below the main floor(Center Hall) all the way through to the other side, through the West Wing to the Executive Office Building. In the EOB, we walked past the Vice Presidents office and into the Indian Peace Treaty Room. I looked out a window towards the White House Residence and the side is not painted white, it's not painted at all..just the front and back are painted white. Before I knew it I was blindsided tackled and slammed to the floor of the Indian Peace Treaty room. I just knew I was going to jail..alas it was just my friend playing a joke on me.

 

That's about all I remember but I've got a bunch of unbelievable stories about my friend and his travails/trouble that he caused working in the White House for 2 1/2 years. 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Furioso
minor corrections.

[bunnydrops]

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

 Corn Palace

 

I forgot I went there. Same year I was at Little America with its 55 gas pumps and Emperor the Penguin. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/8448

[frantick]

Mt. Rushmore hundreds of times because I grew up 20 miles from there. 

 

Crazy Horse. Will be majestic if it ever gets finished. For some reason I always think, looking at it, that the man vs horse head proportion is not right so it'll never get completed. 

 

Drove by the Corn Palace in Mitchell, to Taco John's, but never went in. 

 

Niagara Falls on 9/11. Interesting trip driving through PA as the plane was crashing, catching news highlights at the stops along the turnpike. 

 

Fisherman's Wharf, enjoyed many times prior to the city's downfall. 

 

Redwood forest, amazing. 

 

Burney Falls, scuba diving. 

 

Grand Canyon, only from 30,000 ft. 

 

Hoover Dam. 

 

Various other sites. 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

19 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Had one trip from Hawaii cross country to Boston but nothing that noteworthy. Liked Memphis and New Orleans and Washington and New York and all the usual places.  Highlight I suppose were the big tree forests and wild beaches east of Seattle and Bainbridge Island where family lived. Not long after Snow Falling on Cedars came out set in the same beautiful area. 

Should be west. No one cares but 

[LaosLover]

A very weird place if you ever have a couple of hours between flights in Charlotte, North Carolina (like, why would you?), is evangelist Billy Graham's birthplace -a pristine throw back interior of a money'd 30's house. If you remember homes in black in white early 50's sitcoms, this is the apex of the style.

 

Nearby, is his reconstituted 1964 world's fair pavilion, where Jesus beats communism -without breaking a sweat, obviously.

 

Not to mention the world's largest Thomas Kincaid painting (of ye olde rugged cross). Kincaid is generally regarded to be the worst famous painter who ever lived. There's a scripture-quoting talking cow for the kids too. Truly first rate BBQ sandwhich in the restaurant. Take a moment to snark at his grave on the way out.

 

In a similar vein, Baton Rouge evangelist Jimmy Swaggart (got defrocked for having a prostitute urinate on his face) has an abandoned city of faith, now used for anti-terrorist training to wander around in, like you're in a Walking Dead episode.

 

If you go on a Sunday, you can see people having Jesus epileptic fits and talking in tongues. Usually, Assembly of God churches (the most bed bug crazy) are closed to outsiders. You will be hugged within an inch of your life. 

 

Jimmy's cousin was Jerry Lee Lewis and his 85 year old self still plays the same minimalist piano style at the service.

[Jingthing]

I have one that might trump them all.

Because to visit it you'd need to travel back in time. 

The People's Temple (originally a Jewish temple) -- the home of the Jim Jones massacre in Guyana cult at 1839 Geary Street San Francisco -- had a history before Jim Jones and also after it.

 

Jonestown - Massacre, Guyana & Cult - HISTORY

 

For a brief period of time there existed one of the most amazing art/architecture installations I've ever seen anywhere in the world. 

 

 Canticle of the Sun of Saint Francis of Assisi

 

Jerry's Brokendown Palaces: Theatre 1839 (Temple Beautiful), 1839 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA (jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com)

 

While open to the public for that brief period of time it wasn't exactly brimming with crowds so I feel very privileged to be one of rather small number of people to have experienced this.

 

It would have been a permanent attraction, but the historic building burned to the ground and the site now houses a Post Office.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/1/2023 at 5:36 PM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Had one trip from Hawaii cross country to Boston but nothing that noteworthy. Liked Memphis and New Orleans and Washington and New York and all the usual places.  Highlight I suppose were the big tree forests and wild beaches east of Seattle and Bainbridge Island where family lived. Not long after Snow Falling on Cedars came out set in the same beautiful area. 

Yes I have been in new New Orleans, took the night train there from Memephis, also seen the Statue of Liberty from the top of the Empire State Building.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/1/2023 at 7:54 PM, Furioso said:

In late 1992, my friend worked in the Whitehouse in the downstairs Communication Center. Between X-Mas and New Years he signed me into the Whitehouse. The sign-ion was in the East Wing, then we walked down the corridor towards the White House Residence building. Before I knew it we turned a corner and walking down the center hall of the White House Residence. The main thing my friend wanted to do was take me to the middle of the White House, where I could do a 180 to see out the North, then the South Portico. However, this day they were prepping the White House for transition from President Bush to incoming Bill Clinton. As we walked down the center hall the White House Usher(Head of Staff and Operations), stopped us. I remember he said to my friend, "no unauthorized tours today". My friend actually got a little smarmy with the Usher(I have long stories about the trouble my friend got himself in to), I was nervous, cooperative, after 10 seconds we turned around. My friend then said "let's go downstairs through the kitchen".

 

Yep, a quick walk downstairs and we were walking below the main floor(Center Hall) all the way through to the other side, through the West Wing to the Executive Office Building. In the EOB, we walked past the Vice Presidents office and into the Indian Peace Treaty Room. I looked out a window towards the White House Residence and the side is not painted white, it's not painted at all..just the front and back are painted white. Before I knew it I was blindsided tackled and slammed to the floor of the Indian Peace Treaty room. I just knew I was going to jail..alas it was just my friend playing a joke on me.

 

That's about all I remember but I've got a bunch of unbelievable stories about my friend and his travails/trouble that he caused working in the White House for 2 1/2 years. 

I never got into the White House, but did stand outside at the iron railings.

[LaosLover]

Continuing my tour of decidedly un-famous places in the American South, we now turn to Muddy Water's birthplace, a tiny old shack, located literally next to some muddy water. 

 

Just a small sign noting it, with a plea not to take pieces of it away as a souvenir. How many dopey blues fetishists would bother? Many, the shack was riddled with dings from idiots helping themselves.

 

Noble ZZ Top had a section of the cabin fashioned into a guitar to auction off to preserve the place. It's since been moved to the town with a Muddy Waters Disney-like audio-animontronic singing when you press a button. The old crossroads vibe is gone forever.

 

A waitress asked me why I was in Clarksdale. I told her. She responded, "If tourists will come down here to look at a sharecropper Sh shack, we'll throw up a couple of dozen of them."

 

But "sharecropper" was not the adjective she actually used.