Post by Matte on Nov 16, 2022 2:00:06 GMT -5
Hodgey
All of my locations are featured in movies. Thought that would be a fun way to set up my tour.
Martha's Vinyard (Massachusetts) - featured in Jaws; a chance to do rich-people things in a rich-people place. But probably no swimming, just in case.
Rockefeller Center (New York, NY) - featured in The Godfather, Elf, Annie, and a million other things; includes 30 Rock, Radio City Music Hall, SNL and Seth Myers tapings, shopping, dining, skating, and the big Christmas tree.
Hook and Ladder Company 8 (New York, NY) - featured in Ghostbusters as the team's home base; free attraction, mainly just getting a picture or two.
Chippewa Square (Savannah, GA) - featured in Forrest Gump; Gump waits for the bus here and tells his story. It's a beautiful park; would be a nice place to visit.
Top Notch Hamburgers (Austin, TX) - featured in Dazed and Confused; restaurant requirement; maintains its 70s vibe to this day.
The Alamo (San Antonio, TX) - featured in Pee Wee's Big Adventure; I hear they have a basement apartment for rent.
Golfland Sunsplash water park (Mesa, AZ) - featured in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure; if Napoleon can have fun here, so can I.
The San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA) - featured in Anchorman; a world-class zoo; I just hope the stupid panda jerks don't make me look like an idiot.
Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles, CA) - featured in La La Land and Rebel Without a Cause, among others; really cool building that I'd love to check out.
Alcatraz (San Francisco, CA) - featured in So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Rock, and more; I hope I get a good tour guide. I love Vicky. He's the best.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (California) - featured in Return of the Jedi (Endor scenes); gorgeous scenery and the chance for an Ewok sighting? I've got a good feeling about this.
Timberline Lodge (Mount Hood, OR) - featured in The Shining (external shots of the Overlook Hotel); super creepy fun from the best horror movie ever made.
Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming) - featured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind; a cool natural monument that has its own catchy tune.
Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL) - featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and more; I got to see Ryne Sandberg Third-Base-Coach here once. That was neat. Also, it rained and the whole place flooded; just a river running through the whole thing. Good times. Also, also, go Cubs.
Matte
Chicago Architecture River Cruise in Chicago, Illinois
See the iconic buildings and learn the stories and history behind them and the Windy City's growth and development, while cruising through the heart of downtown Chicago on the Chicago River.
Boston National Historical Park in Boston, Massachusetts
"The cradle of liberty" with key sites including but not limited to the Old State House, the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum, and the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Central Park in New York City, New York
Spend two days experiencing everything that the most visited urban park in the United States has to offer. From simply taking in the sights and scenery to exploring attractions like the Central Park Zoo and the largest museum in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"The birthplace of American democracy" with key sites including but not limited to the Benjamin Franklin Museum, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell.
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia
The largest aquarium in the United States and the only aquarium in the United States to feature whale sharks and manta rays.
Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Five days total - one day at each of the main parks (EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom) and one day at Disney Springs.
South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida (free)
Spend two days recovering from the hustle and bustle of the previous stop by relaxing at the beach and exploring the beautiful Art Deco Historic District.
The Super Bowl (special event)
Attend the biggest sporting event in the United States. Hopefully it's a good one. For the sake of placement along my route: statistically, this one goes either in Florida or Louisiana.
The San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio, Texas
The #1 attraction in Texas. River boats, taverns and breweries, bistros and restaurants, shopping districts, museums, Mission Reach, and more.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico
Self-explore miles of natural caves and caverns and see the Big Room, the largest chamber in North America.
Top of the World in Las Vegas, Nevada (restaurant)
Ascend 844 feet to this fully-rotating bar and restaurant in the SkyPod of the STRAT that offers panoramic views of the Vegas Strip and the city and mountains that surround it. Not to mention, great food.
Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California
The only authentic working movie studio and theme park in the world. Movie-based rides, live shows and entertainment, and the world-famous Studio Tour.
Yosemite National Park in central California
Spend three full days camping in and hiking the trails of Yosemite. Witness the towering granite monoliths of Half Dome and El Capitan, the tallest waterfall in the continental United States, and giant sequoia trees native only to the mountains of California.
Denali National Park and Preserve in interior Alaska
Spend five days fully experiencing what Alaska has to offer, from lakes and forests to desert tundra to snow-capped mountains and glaciers and everything in between. And of course, take in the sight of the tallest mountain in North America.
All of my locations are featured in movies. Thought that would be a fun way to set up my tour.
Martha's Vinyard (Massachusetts) - featured in Jaws; a chance to do rich-people things in a rich-people place. But probably no swimming, just in case.
Rockefeller Center (New York, NY) - featured in The Godfather, Elf, Annie, and a million other things; includes 30 Rock, Radio City Music Hall, SNL and Seth Myers tapings, shopping, dining, skating, and the big Christmas tree.
Hook and Ladder Company 8 (New York, NY) - featured in Ghostbusters as the team's home base; free attraction, mainly just getting a picture or two.
Chippewa Square (Savannah, GA) - featured in Forrest Gump; Gump waits for the bus here and tells his story. It's a beautiful park; would be a nice place to visit.
Top Notch Hamburgers (Austin, TX) - featured in Dazed and Confused; restaurant requirement; maintains its 70s vibe to this day.
The Alamo (San Antonio, TX) - featured in Pee Wee's Big Adventure; I hear they have a basement apartment for rent.
Golfland Sunsplash water park (Mesa, AZ) - featured in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure; if Napoleon can have fun here, so can I.
The San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA) - featured in Anchorman; a world-class zoo; I just hope the stupid panda jerks don't make me look like an idiot.
Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles, CA) - featured in La La Land and Rebel Without a Cause, among others; really cool building that I'd love to check out.
Alcatraz (San Francisco, CA) - featured in So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Rock, and more; I hope I get a good tour guide. I love Vicky. He's the best.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (California) - featured in Return of the Jedi (Endor scenes); gorgeous scenery and the chance for an Ewok sighting? I've got a good feeling about this.
Timberline Lodge (Mount Hood, OR) - featured in The Shining (external shots of the Overlook Hotel); super creepy fun from the best horror movie ever made.
Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming) - featured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind; a cool natural monument that has its own catchy tune.
Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL) - featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and more; I got to see Ryne Sandberg Third-Base-Coach here once. That was neat. Also, it rained and the whole place flooded; just a river running through the whole thing. Good times. Also, also, go Cubs.
Matte
Chicago Architecture River Cruise in Chicago, Illinois
See the iconic buildings and learn the stories and history behind them and the Windy City's growth and development, while cruising through the heart of downtown Chicago on the Chicago River.
Boston National Historical Park in Boston, Massachusetts
"The cradle of liberty" with key sites including but not limited to the Old State House, the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum, and the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Central Park in New York City, New York
Spend two days experiencing everything that the most visited urban park in the United States has to offer. From simply taking in the sights and scenery to exploring attractions like the Central Park Zoo and the largest museum in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"The birthplace of American democracy" with key sites including but not limited to the Benjamin Franklin Museum, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell.
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia
The largest aquarium in the United States and the only aquarium in the United States to feature whale sharks and manta rays.
Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Five days total - one day at each of the main parks (EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom) and one day at Disney Springs.
South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida (free)
Spend two days recovering from the hustle and bustle of the previous stop by relaxing at the beach and exploring the beautiful Art Deco Historic District.
The Super Bowl (special event)
Attend the biggest sporting event in the United States. Hopefully it's a good one. For the sake of placement along my route: statistically, this one goes either in Florida or Louisiana.
The San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio, Texas
The #1 attraction in Texas. River boats, taverns and breweries, bistros and restaurants, shopping districts, museums, Mission Reach, and more.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico
Self-explore miles of natural caves and caverns and see the Big Room, the largest chamber in North America.
Top of the World in Las Vegas, Nevada (restaurant)
Ascend 844 feet to this fully-rotating bar and restaurant in the SkyPod of the STRAT that offers panoramic views of the Vegas Strip and the city and mountains that surround it. Not to mention, great food.
Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California
The only authentic working movie studio and theme park in the world. Movie-based rides, live shows and entertainment, and the world-famous Studio Tour.
Yosemite National Park in central California
Spend three full days camping in and hiking the trails of Yosemite. Witness the towering granite monoliths of Half Dome and El Capitan, the tallest waterfall in the continental United States, and giant sequoia trees native only to the mountains of California.
Denali National Park and Preserve in interior Alaska
Spend five days fully experiencing what Alaska has to offer, from lakes and forests to desert tundra to snow-capped mountains and glaciers and everything in between. And of course, take in the sight of the tallest mountain in North America.