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Orleans, VT USA:

This small town (maybe a population of 2,000 people) which is nearly in Canada is very special to me. It is where I spent the majority of my childhood growing up. My parents moved there when I was about 10 years old; it was rough at first adjusting to the move but eventually, I got to meet a lot of good friends. My favorite thing to do was head down with my friends to the local elemetary school to play basketball. We spent hours there just hanging around. As for sights to see (there are not many), the falls (Barton River falls) is popular when fishing season starts. When the fish are spawning, it is rumored you can see them jumping out of the water as they go down the falls (I've never seen it). The Old Stone Church and Lake Willoughby are nearby tourist sights also. The Stone Church is a museum for the history of the area...it describes how farming/living in Northern VT was many years ago. Willoughby Lake is an immensely deep lake created by a glacier; it looks like the glacier split a mountain into two pieces. A beautiful view of the lake can be seen from the peak of Mount Pisca which is about a 2 mile hike. Willoughby has a nice beach that my brother and I used to go to every once in a while. With our neighbors, the Pettengills, we would go fishing for trout in the lake without a lot of success but with a lot of fun. Willoughby is also known for its nude beach which is frequently visited by nudists during the months of July and August. Orleans is a town typical of a town you would read about in a Howard Mosher book -- immensely cold winters, immensely humid summers, but great people.

Portsmouth and Durham, NH USA:

If it wasn't for Orleans, I'd say Durham was the town I grew up in. I was introduced to Durham in September 1993 as my family dropped me off for my first year of school at the University of New Hampshire. I think I will never be quite as nervous as that first day, seeing the University of New Hampshire sign as I entered the town and feeling everything from excitement to sadness. It turned out Durham was the town for me. The town took me from the days of going out every weekend to drink beer with the college buddies to finding my first job in the "real world". Most of my good friends I met in Durham, and the town has a certain hominess to it. The main part of town is the University campus; there is a small downtown where the shops cater to the students. The outskirts of the town are where students/faculty mostly live; therefore, all of life in Durham centers around UNH. The summertime is often barren compared to the school year. The town is generally empty with the exception of some of the faculty, students who work in the area, and summer students. Once the school year starts, the town is loaded and is like a small city. Every hour, thousands of students hit the sidewalks to get to their next scheduled course or event. Portsmouth, a small New Hampshire city, is nearby to provide a tourist attraction to the area. Portsmouth is home to an old Navy yard where submarines are often docked nowadays. It is also home to the Red Hook Brewery and distribution center on the East coast (they give a great tour with free beer). Portsmouth has some small museums describing the local area and how it came to be the way it is. I have never been to the various museums, but I have heard a lot about them. One of my favorite spots in Portsmouth is the used book store. It is a large, old house that was converted into a huge book store that sells books of all ages for cheap prices. Most of my book collection comes from this book store. In between Durham and Portsmouth is Wagon Hill Farm. The farm is appropriately named because of an old wooden wagon which sits upon a hill; it can be seen from the roadway. The hill is often frequented by sliders (young and old) during the winter time. It isn't quite as steep as the northern VT hills I had while growing up, so I didn't find it as exciting as others did. Durham holds a special place in my heart because my college years took place there.

Yellowstone N.P., WY USA:

After graduating from the University of New Hampshire's undergraduate engineering program, I was looking to do something new and different, as far away from the field of engineering as I could get. That decision ended up being Yellowstone N.P. where I worked as a Food Service employee for the summer of 1997. The experience turned out to be one I will never forget in all of my life. It was extremely fun to spend the summer there. I ended up meeting a lot of good people who went there for the same reasons I did. One of those special people was my current girlfriend, Laura. I enjoyed a hectic workweek of food service and then hitting the local bar for some pool/pingpong at night. But during the weekends, I hiked the amazing mountains and trails Yellowstone has to offer and fished in the giant Yellowstone Lake. Every morning I woke up to the sight of Yellowstone Lake surrounded by snow covered mountains (even in August). The wildlife in Yellowstone is another fantastic part of the park. Wolves, bears, elk, buffalo, moose, coyotes were all possible to see (Buffalo and elk nearly everywhere) and luckily, I was able to see everything but a wolf. An experience with a grizzly bear was one of my most memorable moments at the park. While hiking with two friends of mine, I was leading us on a trail to Eagle Peak (the highest Peak in the Yellowstone area). As I rounded a corner with my friends about 100 feet behind, a grizzly turned and faced me from 100 yards away. Before I could even think, the bear began moving towards me...I immediately began thinking "What should I do...run?...play dead?" For some reason, the bear stopped its charge when my friends rounded the corner (probably nervous about so many people), and my heart slowed down about 10 knots. I'll never forget this experience with such a large beast. I thank god that nothing bad came of it. If there is one place in all the world I could suggest to get peace of mind and spend some time in, it would be Yellowstone. I wouldn't even hesitate to say it.

Los Angeles, CA USA:

LA was a great place to visit, but a place where I would never want to live for a long time. The entire time I was there, I saw rain only one night. The weather was absolutely beautiful everyday; despite 90 degree temperatures, the humidity was so low that it didn't bother me that much. Also, the permanent cloud of smog helps take away some of the sun. I stayed in LA for about 3 months (in 1996) for an internship with Jet Propulsion Labs of NASA in Pasadena, CA. Working for NASA was incredible; the lab was comparable to a university campus in building structure, working communication, and size. I also got to meet Al Gore when he revealed the new Space Shuttle design. The big thing in LA is the diversity...there are people from everywhere, food from everywhere, clothes from everywhere. The Middle East food and the Mexican food were amazing. If you ate Mexican food in LA, you would never want to go back to Taco Bell. Also, LA is movie world. Nearly everyday, on the streets, there are people giving away free tickets to see a movie before it is released. After the movie, you must fill out a poll giving your opinion. Eventually, the directors look at these papers to see if they should change anything to release a more popular movie. It is a great city for moviegoers as you get all movie info you can take and you get to see a lot of them before they come out (although if they change them, you could be confusing others you speak with about the movie). LA is surrounded by a Cal. St. Park which I enjoyed a few days hiking in with a friend of mine. It was very nice to get out of the big city and see some vegetation besides palm trees. There were some really fun natural water slides that my friend and I slid down into giant pools...something I had never done before. My group also visited every amusement park there was in LA (they have the biggest and best except for Florida). Six Flags in LA was the best a-park I've ever been to by far. All in all, it was a nice visit for a north country yankee, and I hope to visit again.

San Francisco, CA USA:

I only spent 4 days in San Francisco, but I loved every minute of it. During the summer of 1996, I went out to California to work in Pasadena, CA (a suburb of LA). Each weekend, a group of us who were all interning at Jet Propulsion Labs (NASA) took a trip...for the 4th of July, that trip was special. We headed off to see San Francisco. We watched three sets of fireworks go off over the SF bay in spectacular fashion...all coordinated to do exactly the same thing but in three different spots. It was the best fireworks show I have ever seen. On the 4th, along the bay, there were tons of people selling off typical 4th of July stuff and even about 25 seals jumped on the docks to join the party. In the bay, there were windsurfers flying all over the place at unbelievable speeds for the whole weekend; I would expect you would have to be pretty good to not get wisked away into the ocean. Also, the famous prison, Alcatraz sits in the middle of the bay. Of course, it is no longer used but you can still take a trip out to the prison if you want to see it. The Golden Gate Bridge was absolutely massive; 5 times the size it looks on TV. The entire city is built around the bay so it is a giant hill leading away from the ocean. The roads are steep, and you can see trolley cars going around on the steep roads instead of a subway. Muir woods is nearby and probably the best thing to visit besides the Golden Gate Bridge. Muir Woods is a State Park of Giant Sequoias, the largest tree that grows in North America. Some of them were easily 10 feet wide at the base. I would definitely suggest visiting this city if you ever get the chance, especially in the fall so you can see a 49ers game at what used to be called Candlestick Park.

Tiajuana, Mexico:

The one and only time I've visited Mexico was a one night trip from LA to Tiajuana. My crew parked our rented Ford Aspire on the United States side and walked across the border to Tiajuana, Mexico. At the time, I was under 21, and Mexico's drinking age was 18 (or lower??...needless to say, I was there to drink). When we crossed the border, there was only a large iron rotating door that only allowed people to pass to Mexico (you couldn't pass to through this door from Mexico to the United States). Tiajuana is a small city which caters to American visitors, especially young partying American visitors. The streets were lined with street vendors selling everything from necklaces to stolen electronics. Shops resembling pawn shops in the US were also everywhere, and one of my friends bought a marble chess set for about $20. It is well known that in Tiajuana most of the prices can be bartered; therefore, never accept the first price given to you. Argue for something lower and you'll get half way there. I believe the original price of the chess set was said to be $100...we got it for $20. As 9 o'clock approaches, the bars/danceclubs rev up and totally cater to the American-style dance music. Guys with tequila bottles tour the bars blowing whistles and holding the bottles up high. If you open your mouth with them nearby, they appear as though they wish to give you a shot of tequila "on the house". Unfortunately, I found out the hard way (as a bottle was stuck in my mouth while talking) that the sip from the bottle is not free. I had to pay the guy $3 for sticking a bottle of bad tequila in my mouth. It is fun to watch them go around, but they really try to take your money any way possible. Tiajuana reminded me of the spring break parties that you see on MTV; it probably is this way all year round. If you are looking for a party, go to this town.

Copper Mtn., CO USA:

During Spring Break of 1996, I took a cross country trip (across 3/4ths of the country) in a van with 5 of my friends from the University of New Hampshire. The destination was Colorado with everyone having there own itinerary for when we arrived. In everyone's itinerary was to try every possible Colorado microbrew that was available. Those of us who skiied wanted to hit the slopes; the others wanted to just relax and enjoy the area. The trip was long and difficult, but one of the highlights was Copper Mountain, a large ski area in the Colorado Rockies. The mountain doesn't have the name of a Vail or Aspen, but I think it must be close to as good. Myself and two others immediately were challenged when the first trail we took was a steep hill full of moguls (none of us being great mogul skiers). One unique attribute of Copper Mountain was a bowl at the top (a hole at the top of the mountain) that people could ski in. From the highest chairlift, it was about a 300 foot walk up to the bowl (in ski boots) to go down it. It was a neat experience to carry you skis up a mountain and ski down (even though the walk wasn't that big). The bowl was a challenging area to ski and an experience I had never had before. The weather was absolutely amazing on the days that I skiied. It snowed each day (I went one day to Breckenridge) putting a nice powder of about 3 inches to ski in. Not only was there snow, but also each day had wonderful temperatures; I only needed to wear a sweater both days. If you enjoy skiing, take the time to travel to the wonderful Colorado Mountains to try some of the best ski trails/environment in the world.

Jacksonville, FL USA:

I was invited down to Florida for a 4-day weekend in October by a friend I had met in Yellowstone. Jeff (who lived in Florida), Brian (who was coming from New Orleans), and myself were getting tickets to see the big Florida Gators vs. LSU football game. Needless to say, I was immediately caught between my two friends about which team I would be routing for...I decided to go for the underdog LSU Tigers. The weekend of the game was incredible. The bars were packed with sports fans for both colleges with chants of "LSU" and "Gators" all around. Nearly everyone had some kind of sports clothing supporting one of the teams. The night before the big game, after some heavy drinking, the three of us went to look at the stadium. It was gigantic; by far, the biggest stadium I had every laid eyes on. Jeff, in his drunken stupor, decided to ask Brian and I if we wanted to go see the field. The gate was noticeably locked, but there was the possibility of climbing over it. We decided to go for it. Each of us climbed the gate and after, sprinted into the stadium where we were greeted by a beautiful football field with so many seats, it seemed the world could fit in it. We sprinted down the stairs to touch the 50 yard line (our goal for the evening); once we touched the field, a booming voice over the loudspeaker said "Get off the field". Well, never have I done a quicker 180 degree turn. I sprinted 100% towards the gate we had entered hoping no university police would catch me. Luckily, we all made it out without incidence, and the next day we told everyone about running on the Gators football field. Tickets for the game were easy to come by the next day and for a pretty good price (about $25). The atmosphere at the game was incredible; we sat in the student section and everyone intently watched each play in hopes of a touchdown. Everywhere people were yelling at the Tiger's fans (like myself) and doing the Gator clap. It was a sports experience I will never forget. I have never been to a game that seemed to mean so much to everyone. My experience in Florida has only been at the University of Florida and its sports arena but it was an experience I would wish to everyone.

Montreal, Canada:

Montreal is known to me as the party city. The only few parts of the city that I know are Saint Catherine's St., the airport, and Olympic Stadium. The majority of my trips to the city were for drinking and dancing purposes only so some nights in Montreal have become a blur. Here is what I do remember: There is a great pub on St. Catherine's St. (a large street in Montreal with many restaurants, great bars, and shops) called the Peel Pub. I've been there twice and both times I had a great time. The food and drinks are cheap, especially during happy hours. They have the biggest pitchers of beer I have ever seen; I believe they are something like 40 ounces (I don't remember the exact number). The place is nearly always packed so if you want to get a decent seat, you have to get there early or you'll be waiting in line for a while. The food there is quality also so don't be afraid to order anything. Another amazing party place on the street is the Hard Rock Cafe. Normally, the Hard Rock is just a restaurant with good music, but in Montreal, the place is converted into a dance floor after 10. When I was there, it was a packed house with good music, and they had all kinds of giveaways during the night. The most well-known bar on St. Catherine's St. is Club Supersex which is a high-class strip club in the center of town. Supersex is known because of its late-night advertising and for the beautiful women that jump up on tables for all the visitors. For beer drinkers, it is nice to have the opportunity to try quite a bit of new beers as Canada has different options than the typical American bars (Canadian beers and more imports from Europe). If you do get the chance to visit Montreal, make sure you walk the strip of St. Catherine's St. and take a visit to the Peel Pub on your way.

Toronto, Canada:

The summer of 1992 was the summer of Dream Team II playing in the Basketball World Championships in Toronto, Canada. The male members (minus one) of the Pettengill family (our neighbors in Orleans, VT) and the Pallotta family plus a good friend of mine bought tickets to see Dream Team II play. The tickets were farely easy to come by, and we got them for an early game against China. The drive from Orleans to Toronto took about 8 hours so it was great to jump out of the car and stretch once we got there. We planned to stay in Toronto for a couple of days, so there wasn't much time for sight seeing. We made a trip to Niagara Falls, a famous waterfall in the north-midwest of the United States. The area was a giant tourist attraction and deservingly so, the falls were a spectacular sight. Mist from the falls, hundreds of feet away, would splash on your face. The city of Toronto was buzzing with news of the world championships. All the newspapers and sports magazines had a lot of information about the tournament, especially the highly recognized Dream Team II. The second dream team did not have the star power of the first one, the names of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan were missing from this team. The second team had young stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Larry Johnson whom few people had gotten to know like the first Dream Team members. My time spent in the city was mostly just the area near the hotel we stayed at. The streets were kept amazingly clean, and all of the building looked new. Toronto did not have the busy hurry and uncleanliness of many US cities nowadays. The Great Lakes were nearby to provide water access since the ocean is not nearby. The Lakes provide a nice area for water sports which would normally be unavailabe for someone living in an inland city. It is a long ways from Northern Vermont, but it was worth taking the trip to see Dream Team II.

Venice, Italy:

My mom's family is from the Venice area, so I have had the opportunity to visit Venice multiple times. The most well-known thing about Venice is that it is a city on the water. All the transportation within the city is done via boats; that includes the taxis, the luxury vehicles (gondolas), and the subway. Venice is one of the only cities in the world where you can be standing on a bridge and see a man singing to a couple while rowing a gondola. Besides the water streets, a main tourist attraction is the beautiful church of San Marco that dominates San Marco square. The church can be difficult to enter during the summer months (when I went there last in August, there was a two-hour wait to get in); however, the church is well worth entering if you are interested in religion or architecture. Also dominating the square are thousands of pigeons. Apparently, San Marco square is an excellent housing center for pigeons as I have never seen more of them in my life than in the square. Vendors sell bags of corn which tourists can feed the birds with. They are sometimes so bold that they will nearly attack you once you have the food in your hand. The streets of Venice are filled with shops selling various trinkets made of glass. A nearby island (the name escapes me) to Venice makes the famous Venetian glass, and many tours are available everyday to see how the glass molding occurs. Usually, they make a familiar trinket (like a unicorn) from heated glass which is a really interesting artform. Finally, the city is well known for its Carnival. A European festival where everyone dresses in elaborate costumes with beautiful masks. The masks are sold in many of the shops around the city. If you go, take your time browsing because there is an amazing variety of masks in all the shops. One of the problems in Venice is that it is an old city wiht many the boats that travel its waters. The immense traffic in the water is destroying many of the older buildings and older architecture that once dominated the city. This problem (saving the ancient art and architecture) is one that many cities in Italy are dealing with. Everyone should visit Venice once for its rarity when compared to other cities.

Rome, Italy:

At the age of 11, my family visited Rome for about a period of a week. Most of my memories are how a young kid would see the city, but I will try to describe everything as well as possible. The first thing I must mention is that we did not use public transportation at all while we were there. All of us decided to go by foot which in a city the size of Venice, can be painful at the end of the day. My greatest memory is of the many ancient fountains throughout the city. During the hot summer days, people gather around these fountains to wade their feet in the cool water. It is illegal to do anything in the water so when the police come by, everyone jumps out of the fountain and slips their shoes back on. My brother and I did this more than a few times. The Colisseum is the tourist attraction which sticks out most in my mind. A giant building built by the Romans to watch sport; it is one of the first early sports stadiums. Many stories come from this building of men being pitted against wild lions or tigers; a way in which the Romans would punish their criminals. The building seems as large as many of todays modern football stadiums, but everything is made from hard granite (the seats must have been pretty uncomfortable after a while). Vendors sit right outside the Colisseum just begging to sell you some postcards of the spectacular site. Throughout the city, there are many gardens where Roman ruins can be visited. These ruins include everything from old houses to broken statues which didn't survive some kind of attack. The Roman ruins gardens are a must-visit you visit Rome. The Vatican, of course, is a large part of Rome. Unfortunately, I didn't understand much about religion at the time I visited. I don't remember the Vatican at all. For a tour throughout Catholic history and Roman history, Rome is a city of art that must be visited.

Zurich, Switzerland:

In the summer of 1998, my family took a trip to visit our relatives in Italy. Marco and I used some of the time we were there to see some of the European cities we've always wanted to see. One of those cities was Zurich, Switzerland. We chose to visit Zurich because of its proximity to Venice (where we were staying); we had purchased Eurorail passes and only had a limited time in which we could travel on the train. The trip to and from Zurich was beautiful as we travelled throughout the amazing Alps of Northern Italy and Southern Switzerland. The city was beautiful. It is located next to a large lake that sits at the base of one of the Alps. Many of the shops are located on roadways that cars are not allowed to go on; this makes the city much more appealing to visiting tourists. You don't have to dodge through traffic to get places. We stayed in a cheap hotel room the first night and a youth hostal the following nights. Both places were nice and comfortable. Most of the days we spent sightseeing various places we read about in the tourist brochure: the largest clock on a building, the Zurich zoo, various shops selling Swiss Army knives, and a beautiful park next to the lake. While sightseeing, we noticed lots of painted cows along the way; it turns out for some unknown reason to Marco and I, there were many cow statues with themes painted on them. There was one describing the United States by showing the US flag, a revolutionary, and the Statue of Liberty. We both ended up picking out our favorite cow statues. At night, we visited different bars ranging from Discotechas to sports bars. An English bar we visited was a lot of fun because the world cup was going on at the time and the bar was divided between which side to vote for...we both routed the side with less people routing them on since the US was not involved. All of the bars were packed at night despite being there for some weekdays; it seems the Swiss enjoy a good beer any time during the week. Zurich was a small, calm city with a beautiful landscape surrounding it.