Holiday to the states ?? who helps me.

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

Hi,
Our last holiday was somewhere in 2001 and we visited the states on 9/11 2001 :(
Bad timing but I loved the country very very much, our trip was that time to Indianapolis.

I would love to go back to the states but I want a place that is nice to make some pictures, maybe even meet up with someone who knows the region maybe one model :D

Just have some fun for 5 days.

Who can advise me, or help us (I will be traveling with my wife) with a nice trip.

At the moment I'm thinking about NY, Texas etc.
Best is to have some old abondend towns, some city, some landscapes etc.
But I know we can't have all if we arrange it ourselfs, so I call in the experts :D

Greetings,
Frank

[milleker]

Perhaps a flight to NY, car rental down the east coast and fly home from DC or Florida?

[BeccaNH]

If you're looking for abandoned towns, the southwest is probably your best bet. Maybe Lonnie (Thomascanty) will check in here. He seems to be an expert on old ghost towns.

[PhotosGuy]

If you're looking for abandoned towns, the southwest is probably your best bet. Take a drive down old Route 66.

[italypa99]

Perhaps a flight to NY, car rental down the east coast and fly home from DC or Florida?


that would be your best bet you can go from ny to nj pa if you want lot to see in pa but its very big de is small md and washington dc maybee even hit VA might be able to get some good shots there good luck have fun it might sound like a lot but from ny you can get to the very bottom of nj in like 2 hours drive downt he turnpike so its not a lot de you can get through in like 15 mins lol the big one is PA

[saravrose]

landscapes.. have you considered Yellowstone.. Montana/Wyoming area.. absolutely beautiful area.. as long as you can skip the fine dining and Opera tickets.. and very inexpensive in comparison to the bigger cities..

sari

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

The problem is we only have about 5 days.
NY was high on my list but I'm afraid I will only see city.
I would LOVE to visit some areas were no tourists are, ghettos etc. but allready heard without proper guidance that is very dangerous.

So NY is still high on the list, but I also love the feel of Texas and think there is more change of some desert and old towns.

We are planning more holidays because once every 6 years is not quite what I want to do. The first one will be 5 days, after that I hope next year to sneak out for 2 weeks :D

[HighPlainsPhotographer]

Hawaii - the Big Island in particular. No ghost towns or ghettos that I know of, but oh the beaches and scenery!


Shaun

[Dchemist]

If you want to visit NY City that is a great start - there are lots of guide books that will help you there. You might consider renting a car and driving to the Bostong area and then driving north along the coast through parts of Maine - at some point you can turn west and drive to New Hampshire and Vermont and then south back to NYC. Lots of old towns (at least "old" for the US - not like the New Church in Delft built in 1500's if I recall correctly) but you will drive though lots of quaint areas. Doing NYC and Texas in a five day trip would be a bit much. Dennis

[BottomBracket]

5 days is short for NYC alone :)

[condyk]

Yup ... tho' when I was there I went for 4 nights and was just about right for a quick break. Lots to see and lots of variety of you plan well. I like the classic Diners and backstreets more than the tourist BS. Five days is good for that kind of thing and BB would be a wonderful shooting buddy I'm sure ... dunno if he'd do any naked modelling for ya tho' ;-)

[BottomBracket]

Indeed, lots of photographic opportunities here off the tourist beaten path. As for the naked modelling, I'll have to decline. I have a hectic daily schedule, and the last thing I need is to be discovered as an international male model:mrgreen:

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

LOL, don;t worry :D

[cylentka]

Frank, just out of curiosity, why did you go to Indianapolis on your earlier USA visit?

[BottomBracket]

Frank. kidding aside, there is a lot of stuff to photograph here. What are you interested in?

[rhys]

If you're afraid of bad guys, perhaps you need to go around with a local photographer who has a CCW? Good insurance also helps as do positive mental attitude and street awareness.

I live just outside Columbia, SC. There are quite a few old shacks worth photographing BUT the big problem is literally the local flora and fauna. There's so much poison oak and poison ivy that it's not even funny. Add to that fire ants, snakes, poisonous spiders, bears and wolves and you really do need to be careful. All snakes bite but only half of the snakes are venemous.

[Mark_Cohran]

The Pacific Northwest is a great place to visit in the summer. Mountains, deserts, rivers, vineyards, rain forests, and even ghost towns.

Mark

[joayne]

I think that you need to fit your vacation to the time of year.. I would not recommend the SouthWest in July or August (New York either). The best time of year in the NorthWest however! Depending on your dates, visit an area of the US that is showing it's best "face" for the time of year you are going to be traveling. Summer in the SouthWest is Hellish! Winter and Spring in the NorhtWest means day after day of rain.. make any sense?

[Titus213]

The Pacific Northwest is a great place to visit in the summer. Mountains, deserts, rivers, vineyards, rain forests, and even ghost towns.

Mark

And Portland and Seattle are fair size cities....:lol:

[thomascanty]

Take a drive down old Route 66.

I second this suggestion. A drive through Arizona on Route 66 would be a great trip. Route 66 goes right through Oatman, a very fun little ghost town near the Nevada border.

[cgratti]

Yosemite National Park

Great photo ops there !

[OCPickle]

Frank,
I would also suggest Bodie. Great ghost town there. It is in California up HWY 395. There is also some great scenics up there (Eastern side of the Sierra mountains. It is also not too far from Los Angeles where you could do some street shooting.

If you're afraid of bad guys, perhaps you need to go around with a local photographer who has a CCW?

I could help you out there as well for a day. I've been wanting to do some urban stuff.

[thomascanty]

Frank,
I would also suggest Bodie.

I would have suggested Bodie too, except I know Frank has already been there before.

[OCPickle]

I was actually wondering why you didn't throw that up there :D Well, the Los Angeles offer still stands.

[Glenn NK]

Let's see, if he has five days total, basically two of which will be used up travelling from Holland to the US and back (and this ignores jet lag and time spent in airports and travel to and from airports), that will leave three days. This might suggest a stay on the Atlantic coast near his arrival/departure city.

Most other places will use up two more days, leaving one for photography (unless he has a passion for airport photography). If he have five days plus travel time, just add two more days for photography - not a lot considering the cost.

How about a place very near to where his flight to North America arrives, and then departs from - somewhere on the east coast of North America that has international flights from/to Europe?

What's left?

[BigBlueDodge]

I haven't seen any Texans post, so I'll add my two cents here

Where are you planning on coming over? The reason I ask is because we are approaching our summer months, and the temperature really get's hot (90-110F). Given that you want to do outdoor shooting, I don't think you will enjoy the Texas heat.

5 days is not long enough for Texas, especially if you are driving. Our state is bigger than most European countries (Texas is 262,000 square miles). You will spend way too much time driving from city to city (for reference you could drive a solid 8 hours and still be inside of Texas). Heck, our best know ranch (The King Ranch) is bigger than the state of Rhode Island! For a limited time, I would think a smaller state would be a better choice.

Now, if you do decide that Texas is right for you, there we have a great variety of landscapes to shoot. In fact, if I remember correct, we have all of the identified ecosystems except frozen tundra. Your biggest problem is, again, getting to see all of them in 5 days (which is not really possible). Also, while I'm very proud of my great state, I must admit that there's not any "take your breath away" natural sites that compare with the likes of Yosemite/Yellowstone/Grand Tetons etc.

Now, for cities we have lots to offer. Texas has 3 of the top 10 largest cities in the US. We are second in total population behind California. If you want to want to continue thinking about Texas, I would suggest you focus your attention on these cities, all of which can be driven to within a days time.

Dallas/Fort Worth
* Fort Worth Stockyards (http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/)
* Fort Worth Zoo - One of the better zoo's in the whole country (http://www.fortworthzoo.com/)
* Kimball Art Museum (http://www.kimbellart.org/)
* 6th Floor Book Depository where Oswald shot Kennedy (or did he ;) ) (http://www.jfk.org/)
* Six Flags over Texas Amusement Park - (http://www.sixflags.com/overTexas/rides/AllRides.aspx)

Houston
* NASA's Johnson Space Center - Where all space missions are commanded from. Hence the famous term "Houston, we have a problem" (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html)
* Visit Battleship Texas - One of the last battleships of World War I & II(http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/attractions/listing.details.php?category=12412&id=28319)

Austin
*Texas State Capital
*Schlitterbaun Water Park - Worlds best water park (http://www.schlitterbahn.com)
*Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum (http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/)
*6th Street - Live music capital of the world



San Antonio
*The Alamo (http://www.thealamo.org)
*The Riverwalk (http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/)
*Sea World (http://www.seaworld.com/sw_index.aspx)
*Six Flags Fiesta Texas Amusement Park (http://www.sixflags.com/fiestaTexas/rides/AllRides.aspx)
*Bracken Cave - single largest concentration of bats in the world (over 20 million).
*Cascade Caverns Cave - (http://www.cascadecaverns.com/index.htm)
*Natural Bridge Caverns - (http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com/)


I'm sure there's tons of stuff I'm leaving out, but at least this is a start. Also, Texas has 412 ghost towns sprinkled around the state (http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Texas_ghost_towns.htm).

Where ever you wind up in the states, just know that you are welcome in our great country, and I hope you enjoy your time over here. Every state has beauty to offer.

[nicksan]

35 years is too short for NYC, if you are super lazy like me!

What about the Grand Canyons area? Very nice...but 5 days is most definitely not enough.

I think you can squeeze in a good amount in 5 days here in NYC...but yes, there is so much to see!

[insideshot]

Have looked at most of the shots you have posted, I want to thank you for all the great pics here, you are an amazing person with the camera(s)

[kevin_c]

If you're afraid of bad guys, perhaps you need to go around with a local photographer who has a CCW? Good insurance also helps as do positive mental attitude and street awareness.

I live just outside Columbia, SC. There are quite a few old shacks worth photographing BUT the big problem is literally the local flora and fauna. There's so much poison oak and poison ivy that it's not even funny. Add to that fire ants, snakes, poisonous spiders, bears and wolves and you really do need to be careful. All snakes bite but only half of the snakes are venemous.


You're really selling this place Rhys :-) Glad only half the snakes are venemous ;)

[condyk]

You're really selling this place Rhys :-) Glad only half the snakes are venemous ;)

Yeah, that sucks ... I need way more challenge than that :lol: 50% is for wimps!

[MDJAK]

I was always wondering why the real estate market took a downturn in New Yawk. It must have been as a result of Ladyboy Connie's visit. :)

[Stefan A]

Well, I am not sure if it is too late for this thread. My recommendation, considering the extreme short amount of time, it to go somewhere near where your flight lets you off. Perhaps NYC is a good idea. So many people say - regardless of the locale - that 3-5 days isn't enough. Sure it is! A tourist doesn't have to see everything. But, NYC is a place where you can see a lot in a relatively short amount of time. Certainly you will not find that "ghost town/wild west" type of place in NY. But get yourself a tourbook and discover what NY has to offer. And don't forget that B&H photo is there :).

STefan

[Grace]

I HAVE TO KNOW WHEN YOU COME TO TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[condyk]

I was always wondering why the real estate market took a downturn in New Yawk. It must have been as a result of Ladyboy Connie's visit. :)

Yup, I had to put you guys right on a few things and so delusion dropped from yer eyes like flies. Was like being in a Buddhist Nirvana-fest when so many suddenly saw NY as poor 2nd best to London as a world city. As a consiquence real estate prices had to adjust. Sorry if that means you may now have to buy the cheap and cheerful Spyder rather than the Eye-One 2 calibrator mate ;-)