Death Valley is WRECKED
- Thread starter DerekJohnson
- Start date
Cool place
Everyone should see it once
Everyone should see it once
If you are a Western European with a decent job, you get a ton of vacation and the Euros take the month of August off (not a lot of air conditioning in large parts of France, Germany and Italy) and they flee to the US for the scenery and it's freaking cheap compared to lots of Europe. Been on top of Black Butte in August and there are always a bunch of Euros at the top. Give them credit, they do like to hike and they are not as fat as the average American.
I've been to the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado (14,265 ft peak - highest paved highway in the Continental US) and the top of Pikes Peak (14,115 ft peak) in a rental car. Never buy a used rental car.
Euros are looney about our deserts and the Grand Canyon. They have nothing like it in Europe. My elderly neighbors in Kali were German. They constantly hosted friends from Germany and their destinations were Grand canyon, Death Valley, Utah Canyon lands/Zion etc. along with Kali beaches.
I'll go in January
My grandfather and uncle were farmers in Northwest Minnesota. When I was eight, they visited us in Portland. We drove them up to Timberline Lodge. They were literally nervous on the final drive up to the Lodge on the two lane road with a huge drop-off on the side. Nothing like the vistas in the western states exist west of the Rockies. Maybe a little in the Black Hills. When the highest spot in Stephen, Minnesota is a 10 foot elevated tee on the local 9 hole sand green golf course, the huge elevation differences in the West are truly shocking to anyone raised in the midwest and eastern US.
MikeDamone
Well-known poster
Just got back from some of the NP you mentioned. Foreigners everywhere. I was guessing about half. Yellowstone is heavy Asian.
Also, a lot of these fuckers are rude and obnoxious. Cutting in line. Going off trail. Yelling in canyons, not knowing trail etiquette.
So when I hear people, specifically Rick Steves loving whites talk about ugly Americans in Europe and when you go don't wear American stole clothes, blend in, etc I say fuck off. I've been to Europe several times and Americans tend to be the most polite, friendly and respectful tourists there. I think it's just more American bashing self hating white progressives like to engage in.
On one hand, my grandparents traveled to Europe a lot in the 1960s and grandma told me in the 1990s how there were several times she was embarrassed by the obnoxious behavior of American tourists. On the other hand, when I went to France, I went there expecting the French to be rude but they were incredibly nice. And I saw a lot of American tourists and didn't think they were behaving poorly at all. Maybe one exception. The French were fascinated with America and asked me a lot of questions. One (black) guy I talked to on the Paris subway was asking me how racist was America and where were the most racist parts. He was confused when I was laughing and shaking my head and trying to explain in French not to believe everything you hear on the news. When I was in Beynac, I hung out with a brother and sister who were around my age and whose parents owned the auberge we were staying at. The brother was fascinated with the NFL, and told me he stayed up every year until 4am to watch the Super Bowl.
MikeDamone
Well-known poster
I think a lot of Americans who travel Europe for some reason like to talk about ugly Americans to lift things European as superior to the USA. As if Europe is “doing it right”, more enlightened, etc. Like I said, mostly affluent white Rick Steve’s (a flaming Seattle leftist) loving progressives. I’m sure there are obnoxious Americans who travel to Europe, just as there are obnoxious Americans here. And there are plenty of obnoxious foreign tourists here as well.
I’ve actually encountered more rude Asians than anything. One night in a small village in Switzerland we were lava from dinner. It was quiet and nice out. A tour bus of Chinese shows up in front of a hotel. They get out yelling screaming as they proceeded to ride their wheeled luggage down the hill. Then there was the group doing who felt the need do Tai Chi in a big circle blocking the path for everyone who was trying to start hiking the Eiger trail.
Did you tell the black guy in Paris the racist parts are leftist cities where they treat black people as children and mascots who are too dumb to do anything without their white progressives help.
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Chinese by far the worst. Not even close. And they travel in huge fucking packs being rude and annoying. Was in Europe earlier this summer and thank god they are still pretty much locked down from travel. The last couple times in Spain and the UK, the Throbber wanted to choke them out.
Euros love Americans. They love the culture, they love the music but mostly they love the American $$$.
This was 20+ years ago so my political thoughts weren't as formed as they are now. But I told him it was worse in the South but that we were past a lot of that these days, with little to none racism in Seattle. As I've grown older I still don't think America is a racist country overall, but now I'm aware that there's enough racism in the north (and Seattle) as well and maybe even more so than the south, because it's hidden under the guise of liberalism and of lowering standards, etc.
I hear you on the Europe is doing it better thing, though my Grandma was very down to earth and didn't have a "Europe is superior" complex at all, I will add.
I have witnessed rude behavior from Chinese tourists while I was in Montreal. Too long a story to tell.
I do like Japanese tourists with their fascination to film and video everything, beyond all reasonable expectation and sanity.
My first Europe trip was 1982. Euros were pissed at the USA because Ronnie Raygun killed the gas pipeline back then. But I found Copenhagen and Danes in general liked us especially the girls. I had a great time.
We made the mistake of popping into a French cafe in a rainstorm. We turned right around and walked out! BO city is normal there but wet frenchies was unbearable!
We made the mistake of popping into a French cafe in a rainstorm. We turned right around and walked out! BO city is normal there but wet frenchies was unbearable!
Chinese are the worst. Was on a long layover in Instanbul several months before Covid fun kicked off. If you haven't been to Instanbul in awhile they have a beautiful new airport and it has an enormous luxury section - looks like Rodeo Drive in an airport. LV, Prada, Bvlgari, Fendi, etc.. Planes would land from China and they would come off the plane like plagues of locusts. Moving together they would "invade" the luxury stores in huge groups just grabbing shit and piling it into carts, pushing other customers out of the way, etc. It was really something to see. Just rude shitty people in general. CSB I know.
Turkey is on the upcoming travels list.
I spent 40 years traveling the world for work and I came to realize decades ago that there are obnoxious Americans just like there are obnoxious foreigners. There is a difference however. The obnoxious Americans are typically those who have never been anywhere before. With foreigners it the wealthy elites who are rude and obnoxious. If you travel South America or parts of Europe with black friends or co-workers you quickly learn that America is a safe haven for minorities. The rest of the world is horribly racist. All of the South American countries are divided by the wealthy elites and the have nots. There is not much in the middle. The wealthy elites hate America and look down their noses at us. Especially the Jewish elites in places like Colombia, Chile and Venezuela. They enjoy telling you to your face how stupid Americans are. Colombia is full of Jewish elites who control industry. These are people who easily would make the Forbes top 50 richest list but would never let their wealth be known like that. Mexican elites are horribly racist and anti American. The chinese elites are racist as hell but love America. Russian elites hate America and are the most racist people on the planet. There is no more welcoming place on the planet for Americans than a local London pub. German elites and corporate leadership absolutely hate Americans.
Two stories. On a flight from LA to Atlanta. On the aisle to my left is a little old lady. To my right is a pro wrestler name Syd Eudy. Flight was about to shut the door and take off. Last on was a French couple, clearly wealthy just by how they were dressed. There was zero room in the overhead as they were last on. They proceeded to take our luggage out of the overhead and put it in the aisle and replace it with theirs. The old lady started to object and they just ignored her. I am pissed cause my stuff is sitting the aisle so I start to get up and am going to take their shit out and put our stuff back in. The wrestler put his hand on my chest and forced me back into my seat telling us he was going to take care of this. He got in the aisle pissed as hell and yelling at the couple as he was walking towards them. The flight attendants came running and stopped the wrestler. The French couple were obstinate and continually refused to take their luggage out. Finally they came and took the luggage out and took the couple off the flight. As they were leaving they had the gall to look at us and call us ugly Americans.
In the 80's the Japanese owned Hawaii. It was part of my territory so I would go there about 10 times a year and spend the weekend for fun. I would fly women out there in an effort to reveal the meat curtains. This date and I went to the Arizona memorial. There was a boatload of Japanese on the memorial and they were noisy and obnoxious for such a sacred place. Big Texan with the cowboy hat was making comments under his breath. Last straw was when about 20 of them got for a group photo in front of the wall with all of the names of the dead. They were smiling and laughing. The big Texan started wading in throwing hay makers. He had had enough. The Japanese tourists huddled in a corner screaming. Security came and took them off the memorial and threatened the Texan. A couple of veterans stuck up for the guy and nothing happened to him.
Two stories. On a flight from LA to Atlanta. On the aisle to my left is a little old lady. To my right is a pro wrestler name Syd Eudy. Flight was about to shut the door and take off. Last on was a French couple, clearly wealthy just by how they were dressed. There was zero room in the overhead as they were last on. They proceeded to take our luggage out of the overhead and put it in the aisle and replace it with theirs. The old lady started to object and they just ignored her. I am pissed cause my stuff is sitting the aisle so I start to get up and am going to take their shit out and put our stuff back in. The wrestler put his hand on my chest and forced me back into my seat telling us he was going to take care of this. He got in the aisle pissed as hell and yelling at the couple as he was walking towards them. The flight attendants came running and stopped the wrestler. The French couple were obstinate and continually refused to take their luggage out. Finally they came and took the luggage out and took the couple off the flight. As they were leaving they had the gall to look at us and call us ugly Americans.
In the 80's the Japanese owned Hawaii. It was part of my territory so I would go there about 10 times a year and spend the weekend for fun. I would fly women out there in an effort to reveal the meat curtains. This date and I went to the Arizona memorial. There was a boatload of Japanese on the memorial and they were noisy and obnoxious for such a sacred place. Big Texan with the cowboy hat was making comments under his breath. Last straw was when about 20 of them got for a group photo in front of the wall with all of the names of the dead. They were smiling and laughing. The big Texan started wading in throwing hay makers. He had had enough. The Japanese tourists huddled in a corner screaming. Security came and took them off the memorial and threatened the Texan. A couple of veterans stuck up for the guy and nothing happened to him.
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First time wife (then girlfriend) traveled to Europe was right after Princess Diana was killed after being chased by paparazzi. We arrived in Paris after spending time in Holland and Belgium- good folks there who loved to talk about “free” health care and “free” this and that. None of them could afford a home, all paid most of their income to the Government and all of them drank like fish.
We spent time going thru the main sites, when you go to the Louvre be prepared for Asians to elbow and push their way in front of you to get a picture. Worse, we stumbled upon the makeshift memorial site where Diane died- mounds of flowers, pix of her both as a Royal and doing all her charity work. Asians everywhere posing in front of the memorial smiling almost gleefully. Gross.
We spent time going thru the main sites, when you go to the Louvre be prepared for Asians to elbow and push their way in front of you to get a picture. Worse, we stumbled upon the makeshift memorial site where Diane died- mounds of flowers, pix of her both as a Royal and doing all her charity work. Asians everywhere posing in front of the memorial smiling almost gleefully. Gross.