Back from a short trip to US

I had been to US on a short business trip and I got a chance to meet many of my friends. Some of the common questions from them, were - How is life there in India? Is it difficult to get adjusted? Are you thinking of coming back? Your wife/kid liking it there? Some of them were trying to solidify their R2I plans by asking such questions and others were trying to collect ammunition to justify their continued stay in America. I can empathize with all of them. Though I had always wanted to return back to India, it took a long time for me to just 'pull the plug'.

I didn't try to camouflage the living conditions in India. I told everyone "India hasn't changed much. In order to R2I, you really need to have a strong passion and determination. Otherwise, R2I attempt would be a failure". India hasn't changed much - the roads are bad, traffic is horrible, pollution everywhere, dealing with government is painful, you've to wait anywhere you go, punctuality isn't valued,
you've to work for long hours and it goes on and on. However, there are certain things that are special to India - Staying with/closer to parents, attending weddings/functions, celebrating festivals,
 meeting people regularly (actually often!), abundant house hold help, kids getting a lot of support from grand parents, etc., I didn't want to paint a rosy picture to my friends about R2I. I just wanted to give them the facts.

I visited some of the places that I normally go to - Great Mall, Frys, Walmart, Safeway, SCUMBAT & TGIF Toastmasters, Milpitas Jain Temple, Rivermark Plaza etc., Yes... the roads are clean, the shopping malls are huge, there are lots of friends, life-style is good. But still, USA looked very alien to me. I was literally counting my days to go back to India and live with my family. May be, I'm telling my conscience that 'These grapes are sour'. But, I feel that it is right.

I reached India on the 17th of Dec. By the time, I reached home it was 4am. My wife opened the doors for me. I went to the bedroom to see my daughter. She woke up on hearing me stepping into the room and got very excited. She ran to me and hugged with lots of passion. She said "Dad ! I missed you". My excess joy showed up as tears on my eyes.

Also read:

100 reasons to Return to India (R2I)
10 things to know before your R2I

Traveling near restrooms in the train isn't fun

I had an interesting (rather horrendous) experience during my return trip from Tiruppur, last week. I had booked two tickets (for me & my wife) from Tiruppur to Chennai. Both the tickets were in the Waiting List (single digit waiting list number) until the last day. Most of the times, the wait listed tickets get confirmed just before the charts were prepared. Unfortunately, only one of the two tickets got confirmed during the day of the journey. I went to the station and checked at the "Inquiry" department. The person at the counter recommended me to board the train & check with the TTE if there are any vacant berths. It was too late for me to cancel the train tickets & to take a bus to Chennai. Also, it won't be comfortable to travel in a bus, with a kid (There is only one stop in-between the whole journey & kids cannot control peeing in-between). I decided to take a chance - hoping that I would definitely get a berth since I'm traveling with a female & kid.

The train (Allepey Express) came to Tiruppur at around 10.45 pm and we boarded the train. To our surprise, there were already 3 folks sitting near the restrooms because their tickets are wait listed. All the lights inside the coach were switched off and the coach was completely dark. All the other passengers were in deep sleep. I asked my wife and kid to get into the confirmed birth. I waited for the TTE to show up. The train started to move and pick up speed. I waited with the other 3 passengers near the restrooms. The TTE showed up in about 15 minutes. He said all the berths are booked and there are no vacant seats. At about 11 pm, the train stopped at Erode and all my 3 companions got down/vanished.

I was the lonely person sitting near the door/restrooms. It was not a pleasant experience, though. I was very tired and fell asleep in about 30 minutes. However, I couldn't continue to sleep for more than an hour. The smell emanating from the restrooms was constantly increasing as more and more passengers start to use them. To add to this, there was a trash bin close to the restrooms. It was filled with cockroaches and mosquitoes, that were busily scavenging the left overs of food parcels. I couldn't imagine how I was able to sit there for such a long time. But, I didn't have any other option. My eyes started to burn and I went back to sleep again. Around 4 am, the TTE stopped by and asked me to take a vacant berth. I had a sound sleep for 2 hours.

The few hours that I spent near the restrooms made me to think about several issues in the system - the 'automated' ticketing system that confirmed just 1 out of 2 tickets, the unhygienic condition of the restrooms, the fate of poor passengers who travel in cramped 'unreserved' compartments etc., At least, I was better-off traveling in an A/C coach :) I'm thankful to the TTE who let me stay in the A/C coach. The state of unreserved coaches is pathetic. They are packed with people and there is hardly any space to walk or even to comfortably sit. We keep talking about human values and human rights. But, people are packed like cattle in these unreserved coaches. When would the system change? I'm very confident that the system wouldn't change, unless we do something about it.

Also read:

I love IRCTC.CO.IN
Skywalks in Train Stations - What are they for?
If I don't care, who'll care?

Kovai Trip - Maruthamalai/GCT visit

We went on a short trip to Coimbatore, last
weekend to attend a couple of weddings. I visited Maruthamalai temple & Government College of Technology (GCT) after nearly 7 years.

The thought of Coimbatore brings deep memories of the past - a colorful college life ... filled with lots of dreams & ambitions, 5 or 6 of us eating from the same plate at hostel, exciting college tours, sleepless combined studies, vibrant college symposiums, campus interview preparations, watching movies from the front rows, chit chats in-front of tea shop ... the list goes on and on.

We took Nilgiri express from Chennai which promptly reached CBE Junction at 5 am. We got down the train and came out of the station. It was still very dark. However, the place was very busy. It was filled with people everywhere. Tea stalls were busy catching up the morning crowd. The weather was slightly cold. We tried to rent a hotel room near the station, for a short stay. We couldn't succeed in getting a reasonable accommodation at an affordable cost. We decided to go to Maruthamalai and rent a hotel room there. We went to the bus stop and waited for Maruthamalai bus. In the mean time, an auto driver was eagerly trying to persuade us to board his auto rickshaw. He closed the deal at Rs.120 for taking us to Maruthamalai. I was pleasantly surprised. An auto driver in Chennai charges the same amount to take us from just Choolaimedu to T.Nagar !! He took us through the streets of Coimbatore and I was reminded of the days when we used to walk back to the college after watching night show movies. He dropped us at a hotel near the foot steps of Maruthamalai.

Also read:

Rameswaram Trip Experiences
Tirupati Tirumala Temple Visit - May be the last?
Tiruchendur Temple Visit - Poojari's demanding money

We rented a room in Hotel Podhigai Regency. It appeared to be recently built and they gave us a single bed room for Rs.600 (one day stay). We got ready, had breakfast at a road side restaurant and visited the temple. There aren't any decent restaurants in that area (Well, the same restaurants looked decent to my eyes 12 years ago). We took the mini bus from the bottom of the hill to the top. There are some infrastructure changes going on at the temple. Other than that, there are not many changes. We spent a couple of hours there and came back. We then took a bus to GCT Coimbatore.

We reached GCT, at around 10 am. The famous 'Mahalakshmi bakery' where we had our late night tea was missing. Vasanthi bakery was still there. The 'Kayyeandi Bhavan' where we used to have our dinner most of the times was also missing. We entered the college through the 2nd gate (boys hostel gate). The college looked very colorful. The college playground, and the surrounding trees/bushes looked fresh, as if they were just painted in green. In general, the college campus looked very clean. I went to the CSE department and met Prof. Lakshmi Prabha (HOD) & Prof. Annadurai (Ex. HOD, some regional head now). We had an hour long conversation. Except for the seminar hall (which was upgraded with teleconferencing facilities), the remaining infrastructure looked pretty much the same. Lots of multi-national companies such as Oracle, AIG are visiting the campus these days for recruitment. CS department had 100% placement last year. The folks in the college are very upbeat. I heard that hostels have Internet facilities and most of the students have laptops/computers. We spent another 1 hour going around the campus and taking pictures of Auditorium, Canteen, Class rooms, Stationery store, Hostels, etc., When I left the campus, I was very emotionally moved. (Also read: Infoquest 2010 in GCT, Coimbatore  World Classical Tamil Meet 2010 - Coimbatore)

Life is so wonderful. You never know what is in store for you. Dreams change. Ambitions change. But, you keep moving on. The world is full of unopened doors.  Every time you open a door, you are exposed to new things in life. I'm quite excited about the beauty of this life and its mysteries. We don't have to worry what will happen to us in future. If we can make sure that we do our best in the present, our future will definitely be bright and beautiful. OK! Let me stop right here.

Also read:

Rameswaram Trip Experiences
Tirupati Tirumala Temple Visit - May be the last?
Tiruchendur Temple Visit - Poojari's demanding money
Infoquest 2010 in GCT, Coimbatore 

How to plan a sightseeing trip in US?

How do you plan a sight seeing trip in US? What is the process involved? What are some useful websites to gather information regarding your travel, places to see, hotels to stay, etc., How to get the best deals when booking car, hotel, flights etc.,? Where can you get some useful feedback from 'real people' (as opposed to just marketing blurb)? You'll find answers to all such  questions in this post.

What qualifies me to write this post?! Well, I've visited 32 different states in US and have made at least 15 sight seeing trips in a row with my family (which includes a toddler). I'm more than excited to share the art of planning for a trip, with all of you. (Disclaimer: The more trips you've made in US, the less useful this post will be to you.)
 
In the best interest of my readers' time & to improve the readability of the post, I've decided to make it as a multi-part writeup. The first part will talk about 'Selecting the Destination and Places to See'.

The first thing you should decide when planning a trip, is your travel destination - "Where do you want to go? Do you want your vacation to be relaxing or tightly packed? Are you interested in doing a lot of activities or do you just want to do sight seeing? Do you want to drive to a destination or do you want to fly? Lots of these factors go in, during the decision making process. Also, it depends on your family members, their health/fitness conditions, your interests, etc.,

Once you have identified a set of destinations for your trip, the next thing you have to find out is "Is this a right time to go there?" For example, you should visit places like New Hampshire in Fall, Portland during Spring, & Glen Canyon or Crater Lake during summer. Your timing of the trip is very important and it influences your travel destination.

The third big question is "Will the trip or destination fit my budget?". If you have budgeted just $200, all you can do is a simple road trip to a nearby place. At the same time, if you have $2000 or more, you can do a fun-filled trip to Hawaii or you can take a cruise. So, your budget for the trip is very important in deciding the "destination".

The fourth question that you should ask is "How many days do I want the trip to be?". The number of days of your trip is dependant on your work schedule, the destination, your family members, your budget etc., Most of my trips were about 3 - 5 days long and it worked out well for me.

After finalizing your destination, you have to identify the list of places to see in/around that destination. You need to do a lot of research for this. Here are some tips:

1. Look at Trip Advisor. This website gives lot of useful tips regarding 'places to see' with real user reviews.  
2. Visit About.com. They have lots of interesting articles about special destinations (such as New York, Hawaii, etc.,) 
3. Visit US National Park Service website. This website provides useful information regarding all National Parks in US, monuments & historical sites 
4. Search Wikipedia. Wikipedia gives information regarding the destination, culture, people, important land marks, etc.,
5. Look at State/City web sites (or Chamber of Commerce websites). Each state/city in US maintains a web site and those websites have tourist/visitors section listing the 'sight seeing places'. For example, this is the website for the City of Idaho Falls and there is a link for visitors.     
6. Search through Yahoo Answers. Yahoo Answers has a travel section and there are so many active participants there. You can get lots of useful tips, suggestions and help from the folks, there
7. Look at the List of Places to See in USA article 
8. Do Google Search. A simple "places to see in " would show thousands of entries. Of course, you need to read 100s of articles to gather information
9. Search Google Maps. Google Maps also provide some information regarding the attractions near to a place/locality. Just type "attractions near " in the search box. You'll see lots of results. 
10. All modern day GPS devices provide travel details regarding nearby attractions, museums, historical sites, etc.,. They make your trip planning very easy. If you have postponed the job of 'selecting the places to see' till the day of your trip, just buy or rent a GPS. You are all set for the trip. In fact, GPS helped me very much during our road trip. Otherwise, we would've got stranded.

Hopefully, this post gives you enough tips to select your travel destination and the list of places to see in each of those destinations. The next post in this series will give you tips regarding How to get the best deals for airline, car, and hotel booking?.

Places to see in Miami, Florida

Miami

1) Key West Bridge (Overseas Highway)

2) Skyline

Skyline Views
From the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge overlooking Brickell.
From Watson Island at night.
From the 79th St Causeway.
From the Vizcaya Metrorail Station

--

Mandarin Oriental, a swank hotel that overlooks the Miami skyline.

3) Beaches

http://gomiami.about.com/od/naturebeachesparks/tp/bestbeaches.htm

4) Fair Child Botanical Garden

http://www.fairchildgarden.org/index.cfm?page=videos
http://www.flickr.com/groups/fairchild_tbg/pool/show/with/2747241838/

5) Vizkaya Museum & Gardens

http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/

http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Vizcaya-Museum-Gardens-Miami-FL/index.html

6) Everglades National Prak

http://gomiami.about.com/od/kidsattractionsaz/p/everglades.htm

Also read my personal trip experiences.

Places to see in Denver, Colorado

1) Royal Gorge Bridge & Rail

The train departs from the Santa Fe Depot in Canon City, just 45-minutes from Colorado Springs

Bridge only admission is also available from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m and 1/2 hour before park closing time to dusk daily. See the front gate for details on this option.

2) Pikes peak (Colorado Springs)

3) Seven falls (close to downtown colorado springs)

4) Garden of the gods

5) Rocky mountain national park

   1. Trail Ridge Road

   2. Bear Lake Trailhead

   3. Alpine Visitor Center

   4. Longs Peak

   5. Kawuneeche Visitor Center

   6. Old Fall River Road

   7. Moraine Park Museum

   8. Forest Canyon Overlook

   9. Never Summer Ranch

  10. Winding River Resort Stables

Also read my personal trip experiences.

Places to see in Chicago, Illinois

Buckingham Fountain

The fountain operates from approximately April 1 to November 1 each year and runs from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm each day. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air.

Congress Parkway & Columbus Drive

Chicago, IL 60605

Phone: (312) 747-2474 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (312) 747-2474      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (312) 747-2474      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

http://www.chicagotraveler.com/attractions/buckingham-fountain.html

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington Street

Chicago, IL 60602

Phone: (312) 744-6630

Gaze at the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome, as well as beautifully ornate multi-colored mosaics, marble and molding during guided architectural tours of the Chicago Cultural Center. Tours are presented Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 1:15pm. Tours meet in the Randolph Street lobby. The group will be limited to the first twenty people. To schedule tours for groups of ten or more at other times, call 312-744-6630.

Navy Pier

600 E. Grand Avenue

Chicago, IL 60611

Phone: (312) 595-PIER

Union Station

222 S. Canal Street

Chicago, IL 60606

Chicago architectural tour (Don't miss it)

Wendella Boats, At the Wrigley Building 376 N Michigan Ave

Chicago, IL 60601-3807

10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:45 PM, 3:45 PM, 5:15 PM

Millenium Park (Don't miss it)

Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the North and Monroe Street to the South.

The park is open daily from 6am - 11pm. Admission is always free.

Visitors to the Millennium Park are encouraged to make the Millennium Park Welcome Center their first stop. The Welcome Center is located at 201 E. Randolph Street in the Northwest Exelon Pavilion.

http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html

Sears Tower

North America's tallest tower.

Also read:


My personal trip experiences
How do you plan a sightseeing trip in US? 
Tips to get good deals on flight, hotel and car  

Places to see in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum

620 N. Harvey Ave., in Oklahoma City

Monday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sunday  1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

405.235.3313 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              405.235.3313      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              405.235.3313      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Oklahoma State Capitol

2300 N Lincoln Blvd # 401

Oklahoma City, OK 73105

(405) 521-2711

Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge

301 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, OK‎ - (405) 297-3995‎

Mon - Sat - 9 - 6 pm

Sun - Noon - 6 pm

In Texas,

The Waterfall

- Wichita Falls, TX 76301

This 54 foot man-made falls, completed in 1986, replaced the original falls that washed away more than 100 years ago. Visitors enjoy miles of landscaped, lighted, all-weather walking trails. Lined with benches, the paths wind along the Wichita River from the Falls to the beautiful 170-acre Lucy Park, complete with log cabin, pavilions, pool, duck pond and Lucy Land Playground. The falls can seen and visited from I-44 or you can walk the trail from Lucy Park.

 Wee-Chi-Tah

500 block of Wichita St. - Wichita Falls, TX 76301

The Wee-Chi-Tah Sculpture is one of Americas largest sculptures that features the First Nation of America. The Sculpture features a Comanche Family crossing the Wichita River. The legend of their Crossing defines where Wichita got its name. Wee-Chi-Tah, Waist Deep. Located near the Front Street Bridge.

Wichita Falls Railroad Museum

500 9th Street - Wichita Falls, TX

The Wichita Falls Railroad Museum, the site of the former Union Station house, strives to preserve the railroad history of Wichita Falls featuring equipment from six Texas railroads. Step aboard trains and take a trip back in time to learn about the history of the railroads that once ran through the area.

Also read my personal trip experiences.

Places to see in Fortsmith, Arkansas

University of Arkansas Fort Smith Arboretum

Fort Smith National Historic Site

301 Parker Ave, Fort Smith, AR‎ - (479) 783-3961 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (479) 783-3961      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (479) 783-3961      end_of_the_skype_highlighting‎

The visitor center is open daily, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed December 25 and January 1. The park grounds, including the paved river trail, remains accessible to visitors even when the visitor center is closed.

Fort Smith Trolley Museum

100 South 4th Street

Fort Smith, Arkansas, 72901

(479) 783-0205

                       

Trolley Schedule        

Winter(November 1 - April 30)

Saturday - 10:00 A.M.- 5:00 P.M.

Sunday - 1:00 P.M.- 5:00 P.M           

Museum Schedule      

Saturdays 10-5, Sundays 1-5

Weekday Tours by appointment

Hot Springs National Park

Near Little Rock Area

325 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR‎ - (501) 625-3631‎

Also read my personal trip experiences.

Places to see in Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

2120 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive

Little Rock, AR  72202

Phone: 501-396-3000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              501-396-3000      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              501-396-3000      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

The Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., year round. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

State Capitol Building

Woodlane & Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201

Tel: 501-682-1010

Old State House

300 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72201 - 501-324-9685

Free Admission Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Sesquicentennial Sundial

Broadway and West Third

North Little Rock, AR 72214

Open Hoursopen daily at all hours

OverviewThis lesser-known Little-Rock landmark on the outskirts of downtown was constructed in honor of the state's 150th birthday in 1986. This sundial is made from various stones...

Big Dam Bridge (Longest pedestrian bridge in US)

Rebsamen Park Road

LittleRock, Little Rock, AR 72202

The bridge starts in Murray Park and ends in Cook's Landing Park (or vice versa, depending on your perspective).

Riverfront Park

1 Riverfront Drive Little Rock, AR 72201 Tel: 501 371 4770

Also read my personal trip experiences.

Places to see in Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis Pyramid

(looks like Lexus, LV)

Address: One Auction Avenue, Downtown Memphis

Phone: 901-312-9161 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              901-312-9161      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              901-312-9161      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              901-312-9161      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              901-312-9161      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              901-312-9161      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              901-312-9161      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 800-263-6744

Open daily from 9am - 7pm, including holidays.

Admission prices:

$15.00 Adults

$14.00 Seniors

$6.00 Children 5-12

Sun Studio     (Elvis Presley famous)

706 Union Ave.         

Memphis, TN

(901) 521-0664 (800) 441-6249

$9.50 for adults, children under 12 free,. Due to the guided nature of the tour, children under 3 are not allowed to take the tour.

National Civil Rights Museum

450 Mulberry St

Memphis, TN 38103-4214

The National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was tragically assassinated April 4, 1968, is the world's first and only comprehensive overview of the civil rights movement in exhibit form.

Hours of Operation:

Closed on Tuesdays

Monday-Saturday       9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday            1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

* Free Time (Mondays):          3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Also read my personal trip experiences.

Places to see in Atlanta, Georgia

Centennial Olympic Park & other nearby locations

404.223.4412 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              404.223.4412      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              404.223.4412      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              404.223.4412      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              404.223.4412      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Centennial Olympic Park’s annual Holiday in Lights is an Atlanta tradition and celebrating its tenth anniversary season this fall. In November, the Park transforms into a winter wonderland with thousands of lights that make up the dazzling display. The Park is open daily to view the lights from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., including Dec. 25, Christmas Day, and there is no charge for admission.

Other nearby locations

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Park is within walking distance of the following attractions:

• Georgia Aquarium - Expedited Entry


• World of Coca-Cola


• Inside CNN Atlanta Studio Tour (Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with tours departing approximately every 10 minutes (404) 827-2300)


• Georgia Dome Tour and

Fountain of Rings -  12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Parking is available in the Georgia World Congress Center's (285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 ) Green Lot, located on Marietta Street, at a daily rate of $8.

[Consider getting a Citypass?]

Atlanta Botanical Garden

1345 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30309

404.876.5859

Open Tuesday - Sunday

April - October: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

May - October: Thursdays until 10 p.m.

November - March: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Closed Mondays except open on Monday holidays such as Labor Day and Memorial Day.

Also read:


My personal trip experiences
How do you plan a sightseeing trip in US? 
Tips to get good deals on flight, hotel and car  

Places to see in Birmingham, Alabama

Temple of Sibyl
(so, so place)

2031 Canyon Rd.
Vestavia Hills, AL  35216

MAIN:  205-967-0338 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              205-967-0338      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              205-967-0338      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Vulcan Park

1701 Valley View Drive

Birmingham, AL 35209

Vulcan Park and Museum is open 7 days a week!

Observation Balcony:

Monday through Saturday 10 am - 10 pm and Sunday 1 pm - 10 pm.

Holiday Hours:  Vulcan Park and Museum opens at 1 pm on Thanksgiving and New Year's Day and closes at 6 pm on July 4th.  Vulcan Park and Museum is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

DeSoto Caverns Park

5181 DeSoto Caverns Parkway

Childersburg, AL  35044-5607

MAIN:  256-378-7252

800:  800-933-2283

Nov - Mar 9 am - 4.30 pm

Sundays open at 1 pm

Alabama Veterans Memorial

100 Overton Access Rd

Birmingham, AL 35243

(205) 298-0045

The Memorial and Park are open Saturday and Sunday.

Closed: Christmas Day, New Years Day, Thanksgiving

Also read:


My personal trip experiences
How do you plan a sightseeing trip in US? 
Tips to get good deals on flight, hotel and car  

Places to see in Jackson, Mississippi

State Capitol Building

400 High St, Jackson, MS‎ - (601) 359-3114 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (601) 359-3114      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (601) 359-3114      end_of_the_skype_highlighting‎

War Memorial Building

120 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39201-2810
United States

Map War Memorial Building

Phone 1 (601) 354-7207

Cost: FREE

City Hall

219 South President St Jackson, MS 39201

Tel: 601 960 1084

Mynelle Gardens

4736 Clinton Blvd., Jackson, MS
601-960-1894
Jackson Zoological society (Zoo)

2918 West Capitol St.

Jackson, MS 39209

(601) 352-2580

Mississippi Petrified Forest.

124 Forest Park Rd, Flora, MS 39071

601-879-8189

Open Year Round

Except Christmas Day

April 1 to Labor Day               9am-6pm

Labor Day to April 1                9am-5pm

Admission Charged

My personal trip experiences
How do you plan a sightseeing trip in US? 
Tips to get good deals on flight, hotel and car  

Places to see in Monroe, Louisiana

Aviation Historical Museum of Louisiana

Monday - Friday:  9:00AM - 4:30PM
Saturday & Sunday:  1:00PM - 5:00PM

Telephone - (318)362-5540 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (318)362-5540      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (318)362-5540      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Admission: FREE!

Biedenharn Museum & Gardens

Biedenharn Museum & Gardens
2006 Riverside Drive
Monroe, LA 71202

(318) 387-5281
(318) 998-1351 (Weekends)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 2 - 5 p.m

My personal trip experiences
How do you plan a sightseeing trip in US? 
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Places to see in Shreveport, Louisiana

Gardens of the American Rose Center
Jefferson Paige Road, Interstate 20 Exit # 5, Shreveport, LA 71119
Call for Hours of Operation And Admission Pricing 318-938-5534 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              318-938-5534      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              318-938-5534      end_of_the_skype_highlighting and 1-800-637-6534
Between Thanksgiving and the New Year, the 118-acre park is transformed into a whimsical sparkling wonderland; “Christmas in Roseland”, where visitors can walk through a fantasyland featuring millions of twinkling lights, animated scenes, and enjoy live entertainment.  

R.S. Barnwell Memorial Garden & Art Center

601 Clyde Fant Parkway

Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 Ph (318) 673-7703

Closed Mondays

Tuesday-Friday - 10am until 4:00pm

Saturday - 10am until 5pm

Sunday - 1pm until 5pm

Texas Street Bridge (preferably, during night - has neon lamps)

RiverView Park

601 Clyde Fant Parkway

Shreveport, LA 71101

Features an interactive water fountain with light and music, a 300-ft.-long floating boat dock, a magnificent waterfall that incorporates natural stone and plantings, an arbor and viewing area at the summit of a waterfall.

The Duck Pond

1200 East Kings Hwy Pk

on E. Kings Hwy. at Reilly Ln.

Shreveport, LA

The official name is East Kings Highway Park, but this wonderful play area along Old River is known to locals as "the duck pond". Lots of play structures, swings, slides, picnic tables, a waterfront location and, of course, the ducks, make this soft-surfaced playground a great place to spend an afternoon! Open dawn to dusk. Restroom facility available.

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Places to see in Dallas, Texas

Reunion Tower

300 Reunion Blvd E

Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 651-1234

Fair Park

The grounds also house 8 museums and the largest collection of cultural facilities in Dallas and the largest collection of 1930’s art deco style architecture in the United States.

1300 Robert B Cullum Blvd
Dallas, TX 75210
(214) 565-5000

Dallas Arboretum

8525 Garland Road

Dallas, Texas 75218

Open daily 9am - 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day

Fort Worth Water Gardens‎

1300 Commerce St

Fort Worth, TX 76102

(817) 871-5700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (817) 871-5700      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (817) 871-5700      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Fort Worth Botanical Garden

3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.

Fort Worth, TX 76107

(817) 871-7686

Japanese Garden  Standard Time 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m

Fountain Place

1445 Ross Avenue

Dallas, TX 75202 Phone: 214.855.7766

Fountain Place is located in downtown Dallas off of Woodall Rogers Freeway. We are just minutes away from the West End Historical District.

We are located at the corner of Field Street & Ross Avenue in the Central Business District.

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Places to see in Sacramento, California

 

1) California State Capitol museum

http://www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov/detail.aspx?content2=2288&content3=1036

Weekends 9 - 5 Weekdays 8 - 5

10th and L Streets

State Capitol, Room B-27

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 324-0333 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (916) 324-0333      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (916) 324-0333      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

2) Towe Auto Museuem

http://www.toweautomuseum.org/html/hours.html

2200 Front Street Sacramento, CA 95818-1106

Voice (916) 442-6802 Fax (916) 442-2646

General questions info@toweautomuseum.org

Open to the public 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

(last admission at 5:00 PM).

Open 7 Days a week.

Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day

Admission is

$7 Adults,

$6 Seniors,

$3 Students (K-12)

Under 5 is free

Call for group rates, Reduced for AAA members

3) Old Sacremento

http://www.oldsacramento.com/pdf/oldsac.pdf

4) Discovery museum planetarium show

http://www.thediscovery.org/ssc.html

Discovery Museum

Science & Space Center

3615 Auburn Boulevard

Sacramento, CA 95821

Telephone: (916) 575-3941

Fax: (916) 575-3925

Admission:

$5.00 - Adults (Age 18+)

$4.00 - Seniors (Age 60+)

$4.00 - Youth (Age 13-17)

$3.00 - Children (Age 4-12)

FREE - Children 3 or younger

FREE - Members

Winter Hours (September thru June):

Tuesday - Friday: 12noon to 5pm with last admission sold at 4:30pm

Saturday - Sunday: 10am to 5pm with last admission sold at 4:30pm

Closed Mondays except for School Tours.

Closed Easter Sunday, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day

 With seating for sixty, our 20-minutes star show offers an intimate look at the local night sky. Shows change with the season, but each is tailored for the current audience.

(Note: Children under four years of age are not admitted into the planetarium.)

Our educators encourage questions throughout their presentations as they demystify the stars and planets. All shows feature heavenly bodies locally visible to the unaided eye, and include current celestial events.

Planetarium shows are free with admission and are offered weekends at 1:00pm and 3:00pm.

5) Governer's Mansion

Governor's Mansion SHP Address

1526 "H" Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

Operating Hours

Grounds open 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. daily.

Entry to the Mansion is by guided tour only.

Guides conduct tours on the hour, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Mansion Admission:

Adults    $4

Youth     $2  (ages 6 to 17)

Children  Free (5 and under)

6) Boat rides in the delta

http://www.californiadelta.org/thingstodo.htm

7) Jibbooom Park, City Water intake facility

[200-219] Jibboom St
Sacramento, CA 95814, US

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/parksandrecreation/parks/sites/jibboom_photo.htm

8) Water rafting (1/2 day trip)

http://www.arrafting.com/gallery.html

9) Vietnam War memorial

State Capitol grounds at 15th Street and Capitol Avenue, Sacramento

http://grunt.space.swri.edu/calmem.htm

10) Military Museum

http://www.militarymuseum.org/Location.html

The museum is open from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and 10:00 am until 5:00 pm Friday and Saturday.

1119 Second Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

11) California Rail Road Museum

http://www.csrmf.org/default.asp

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day),

All-day parking is available in the large public garage at the I Street entrance to Old Sacramento, for a nominal fee.

111 I St
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-6645

My personal trip experiences
How do you plan a sightseeing trip in US? 
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