Rapid City, South Dakota, is one beautiful place! The Badlands are just east of it (within an hr) and they are on the edge of the desert and prairie...The Badlands have fossils and such, the hills are rainbow colored, and it makes you think that you are looking at the landscape of another planet!

Rapid City, though - many deep crystal caves to explore near there, near Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse carvings. A beautiful place to visit.

By all means, go to London if you have the time and money. It's a beautiful city with a lot of beauty and history to discover, and there's nothing quite like watching a play at the restored Globe Theatre. (Hint: pay the standing room price, and you're less likely to be stuck behind a pillar than you would paying more for a bench seat.)

Friends have convinced me that Edinburgh should be at the top of anyone's list, though I haven't yet been there myself.

And really, the District of Columbia is nothing to sneeze at. The architecture is all stately and fortified, and the museums are tons of fun.

Needless to say, I'm rather fond of southern California, but frankly, we have too many people out here already.

If I had to choose just one place to recommend out of those I've been to, it'd have to be New Zealand. Absolutely stunningly beautiful landscapes and the friendliest people you could hope to meet.

I'm also quite fond of Kenya, having lived there for several years as a kid. Unfortunately, in the 25+ years since we moved back here to the States, Kenya's deteriorated quite a bit and has gained a reputation as a rather unsafe place to be.

YES, YES!

you all should come and visit.

Chicago in the summertime is wonderful. There are so many parades, festivals, concerts, museum exhibitions... every day I want to do 3 or 4 different things. Come on up, I'll show you around.

New Zealand is beautiful beyond words. And I'll agree-- the people are fantastic. Listen, if you ever have the chance to visit Australia... skip it and go to New Zealand

I also had a surprisingly good time in Albuquerque, NM. I lived there for about 6 months and really enjoyed the hiking and walks that were around. And if you're into skiing, that's just a short drive away.

I'm game, just say when. I have a jonesing for some good art and music and history.

Not to mention, mostly (if not totally) free to get into.

Chimney Rock Park in Lake Lure, NC...if you like hiking, high mountain scenery, and huge waterfalls. It's also the area where The Last of the Mohicans was filmed. And a few miles away, at Lake Lure, is where a scene from Dirty Dancing was shot. Didn't get to go on the lake, unfortunately, since it rained dangerously hard toward the end of the day when I visited.

Ely, Minnesota in the fall
Hershey, PA over the winter (they have the awsomest Christmas lights show ever)

overseas I would pick Tanzania, Belize and Greece

I have three words..... Arlington National Cemetery.

This place is stunning. With Lindsay being part of the US Army Honor Guard and being stationed next door (literally), I plan on spending many days walking these hallowed grounds over the next few years. What an amazing place.

Additionally, there is some pretty good shopping (cannot believe I'm saying this) around Ballston and other areas west of Arlington. Sticking with the historical angle, you also have Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown (the so called Historical Triangle) nearby.

Napili Bay on that island where Michelle lives, especially at sunset.

Also the top of that volcano her house is built on.

napa in september, keystone in late fall/early winter, key west in early spring, summer in NYC...

all work for me.

i like it that ya'll like where i live.

Ocean Isle Beach in the summer and in January. Maine at the end of summer, early fall.

Don't forget the shopping in Fredricksburg. And there is a might bit of history in the battlefields around Manassas. Not to mention a little old town called Charlottesville with the Academical Village that Jefferson built.

I once went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in early December. While it was slightly cool (temps in the 50's during the day), the whole place was virtually deserted. So I didn't frolic in the ocean, but I did take my shoes off and go barefoot while beachcombing & taking pictures.

well, i'll say Seattle, just so you can hang out with me -- i'll buy you a beer, in fact.

but, i think the coolest place i've been was when i lived in Ireland for a summer back in '02.

amazing experience. would do it again in a heartbeat.

Stirling, Scotland.

Sedona AZ
Phoenix and Mesa and the other dry parts of Arizona were goofy in their own right. Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon. Look at it awestruck for an hour or so, and then somehow it seemed to fade for me. Sure, I didn't hike or go down in the canyon to raft or anything. And Meteor Crater.. Hehe. Who could forget that. But Sedona is just stellar. It puts you at ease somehow. The red rock somehow just is soothing.

SFO and Monterey CA
Good mix of nature and party fun. Redwoods, anyone? And the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the best reasons to ever rent a convertible I have found.

Chicago IL
Who hasn't been here? Get there!

Getty Center, LA CA
Sure, the rest of LA is OK. (Hi, Steve!). The Getty Center is proof that sometimes $1 billion dollars can build something that makes taking travertine out of the ground and polishing it up and slapping it on the side of a building really worthwhile. Richard Meier's stuff isn't all that great to me usually but this place I could spend days just being there. Hangin' out with the iPod, reading a book. In the garden, or in the desert area overlooking the 405. Sure, there's art there too but it's nothing compared to the architecture. If you're not affected by the exteriors and the interiors of the center, then maybe no architecture would ever make you happy.

Sevilla Spain
Madrid - party city. Me - party guy. Barcelona - nice but goofy. Me - nice but goofy. There's lots of little joints in Spain that interested me, and I'd want to spend months at each, not just days or weeks. Seville is quintessentially Spanish and so much beauty. Almost everything for days felt like our actions were being guided by the invisible hands of some travel book of the gods. The plazas, arenas, music, food, people, the biggest Gothic Cathedral in the world, architecture, flowers, the Giralda overlooking the city... Everything seemed perfect here. This is the one place outside of our US that I've found that I could have a home and be comfortable.

Jungfraujoch Switzerland
The top of Europe. Wowie. Great ride up there, and the green valleys on the way are worth another day or so if you can to take it all in.

Akibahara area of Tokyo
Electronics mayhem. Advanced and awesome... Japan for me really was a lot like Lost In Translation, where everything looks familiar at the surface but underneath there are all these strange cultural differences that affect even day to day things we take for granted. It's just such a flippin' safe country, it's hard to fathom it sometimes.

Cheesy or Off the beaten path places
My family are kings of this. If there was a ball of twine to be found and it was only 20 miles off our drive, we'd go. Corn Palace in Mitchell SD. Some hotel with an 200ft indoor waterslide in PA. Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman AL. Devil's Tower WY. House on the Rock and Taliesin, WI. Glass bottom boat rides in FL. Gatlinburg TN. Ashland NC. Niagara on the Lake ONT. Stone Mountain GA. My brain is hurting but there are tons more.

I also loved
Arizona
Sedona

In addition, here's more off the beaten path places to soothe your soul and please your senses:

Lake Powell, Arizona/Utah
Dangling Rope Marina
Rainbow Bridge
Grand Canyon
Montana
Cooke City
Little Big Horn
Yellowsone and Grand Teton NPs, Wyoming
Jenny Lake
Silver Gate
Jackson Hole
Colorado
Silverton
Ouray
Telluride
New Mexico
Abiquiu
New York
Lake Placid
Rhode Island
Narragansett
Block Island
Florida
Anna Maria Island
Canada
PEI
Bay of Fundi (Nove Scotia/New Brunswick)
Bermuda

I'm not too big a fan of big cities

it is lovely there.

My favorite places other than Maui:

San Francisco
New Orleans (oops, too late )
Banff
Sedona
Austin TX
Whitefish MT
Big Sur
Monterey
Boston
Hilton Head Island
Rocky Mountain National Park
Boulder CO (you can have lunch with Trudes there)
Islamorada in the Keys
308 E. First St. Dayton, OH

Never been outside the U.S. and Canada.

lmao. good call.

this has got to be the only group in the world that continues to utter the words "i can't wait to go to dayton" several times a year.

thailand
chiang mai
-go on an elephant trek in the jungle
-eat and drink at the Riverside
-go to the highest point in thailand and see the waterfalls along the way
chiang rai
-go see the hill tribes, specifically long necked women
bangkok
-grand palace
-thai kick-boxing
phuket
-go on the island tour
at some point while you are there, you must have at least one thai massage

italy
rome
-you won't have enough time there no matter how long you plan
-see the vatican
-do the forum and coliseum
-spanish steps
-pantheon
florence
-david
-medici chapel (see the michelangelo sketches in the basement)
venice
-st. mark's
pompeii
-so freaking cool
(skip pisa unless you really want to see the tower)

ireland
-cliffs of moher
-dingle peninsula (a must)
-guiness brewery
-pubs everywhere

mexico
mexico city
-go the ballet folklorico
-aztec ruins
-Teotihuacan pyramids

canada
-jasper national park

u.s.

ditto on d.c.
-make sure you go to the holocaust museum. it's so moving.

illinois
-go to the art institute in chicago

hawaii
-skip oahu
-see maui, kauai and the big island (do the helicopter tour there)

tennessee
-nashville-just hang out downtown and listen to music. it's everywhere.

maine
-it's beautiful

georgia
-andersonville prison

pennsylvania
-gettysburg

colorado
-durango
-manitou springs
-estes park

california
-wine country

arizona
-petrified forest
-grand canyon

florida
-Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey museum in sarasota
-epcot
-st. augustine

new mexico
-carlsbad caverns

missouri
-lake of the ozarks

appalachian mountains
-i think they're better than the rockies, but that's just me.

mississippi
-columbus-see the antebellum homes

everyone should go to vegas once. it's like nowhere else.

tons to do in kansas city should any of you want to visit.

My favorite vacation:

Highway 1

Rent a convertible in Santa Barbara and leisurely drive up Highway 1 to Monterrey. There are great places to stop and spend the night, Solvang (cool little Dutch community), Morro Bay (eat at Dorn's Breakers Cafe and contemplate the rock!), Big Sur (camping, redwoods & the ocean), Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach (clam capitol of the world?), Carmel, not to mention Santa Barbara itself where you can go sailing and whale watching, or Monterrey and see the aquarium, Pebble Beach, or just hang out in and around they bay. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the countless unpopulated beaches that you can hike down to and explore or stop at the sea lion beach and take pictures (not something you see everyday here in Misery...) And of course, if you have the time, go ahead and drive up to San Fran/Santa Cruz (etc)/Napa Valley area, but that's a vacation in itself...

Other places I dig are...

Chicago

Yes, I lived there for 2 years. Down town is great fun. The Art Institute is awesome. The food is as close to the best I've experienced. We like to stay at the House of Blues. Not only is the venue there, but it's close to most the cool places like Virgin Mega Store, Ruth's Chris's, Navy Pier, etc. There's also a free trolley in the summer that runs around the city. The only negative is that if you drive there parking is outrageously expensive. Of course, there are tons of cool places in the burbs as well, but down town you can pretty much walk anywhere you would want to go.

Eureka Springs, AR

One of my favorite getaways. Eureka is about 90 miles South of Springfield, Misery, my home town. It's a Victorian community set in the Ozark Mountains in Northern, Arkansas. My favorite time to visit is during the Blues Festival that's held the weekend after Memorial Day Weekend every year. However, that's probably the busiest time of the year as literally hundreds of docile Harley riders show up to show off their rides, hundreds of blues dogs and countless hippies and yippies. There are very cool cottages and Victorian houses that you can rent for a vacation. Some boasting of outdoor hot tubs, turn of the century antiques for furniture, and modern conveniences like running water. Not to mention Beaver Creek Lake not far away as well. And the Passion Play it near there as well...

Yellowstone

I have visited a decent number of National Parks in my time. Grand Canyon was impressive, The Painted Dessert/Petrified Forest okay, Sequoia interesting, Carlsbad Caverns okay, Joshua Tree okay, horseback riding in Redwood, Yosemite pretty cool, Smoky Mountains was somewhat inspiring, but Yellowstone was awesome. Bears, wolves, moose, elk, bison, wild life, continental divide, geysers, hot pots, sulfur springs, it was astounding. The only negative is if you are going to drive there, make sure you plan to spend a couple of days as there is nothing remotely close to this park. It is way out there! BTW, there is no Internet access, TV, etc. And showering is either a community affair or so small that if you drop the soap, you have to get out of the shower to pick it up...but it's definitely worth it! Oh, and one other thing, Old Faithful isn't as faithful as it once was after an earthquake several years ago, but well worth the wait.

Big Cedar / Branson

If you've got money and time you don't know what to do with, the Big Cedar is cool. It's located about 10 miles south of Branson. Yeah, that Branson. So you're located near the #2 tourist trap in America... However, if you want to take in country music show (bleck, bleck...) or one of the other more interesting shows like Yakov Smirnov, Jim Stafford, Ray Stevens, or magic show like Kirby VanBurch you will be entertained. You can even eat dinner on the showboat called Branson Belle. It has a ventriloquist, Todd Oliver (and his talking dog), that I cried at during his performance and I don't even like ventriloquists... Seriously, I laughed almost as hard in those 10 minutes as I have in my entire life. You just gotta see it to believe it... Of course there's Silver Dollar City, three outlet malls, Tablerock Lake, Lake Taneycomo, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, spelunking, the Shepherd of the Hills play, and more go-kart tracks than you care to count. It is a great family vacation tourist trap. Big Cedar Lodge is an upscale log cabin resort with world class cuisine. I plan to take my wife there someday for our anniversary... BTW, there's a park there called Dogwood Canyon that if you catch at the right time in the springtime when the Dogwood trees are in bloom, it is spectacular.

Montreal, Canada

Other than the fact that most Canadians despise Americans, it’s an interesting city. It's one of the few places I would consider living outside of the US.

Loveland, CO

The city for lovers...


I also dig Harvard Square, KC, Nashville, Phoenix, Denver, Mobile, DC and Dallas, but they're all cities and all have similar features. They all have their points...

Places I didn't dig so much were LA (just too many people!), Kansas south or west of Johnson County, Tulsa's okay, Arkansas south of the Ozarks (is it still the 50's down there????), traffic in the East (what is up with those circular things (rotaries?) in the Boston area???? and traffic jams out by the Meadowlands in Jersey on non-football days?), Orlando (just too stinkin' hot all the time), and Jacksonville, MS (mostly because I had a bad experience there once...).

Skoegahom...

I recommend visiting santo Domingo where the sea is beautiful, the people are heart-warming and the environment is cozy(esp the local chicks!!!!). Or you could visit Kiama near Shellharbour on the South Coast of NSW, Australia where there is a natural blowhole that once harboured a live shark!!!!!!!

Sorry to be all nit-picky, but Solvang is actually a Danish area, not Dutch.

Why not?!?

(I'd suggest New Zealand in March, but folks are probably getting tired of me pushing that...)

Oh, that's right, you can tell them apart by the wooden shoes, right?

Last night I was at one of the big, big bookstores in downtown Chicago. I have to go there because its one of the few places I can find an Australian magazine called "Black + White". As I was looking around for my mag, I ran across TWO magazines that were all about traveling in New Zealand.

Should I take that as a sign?