Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Ah, the 2006 FIRST season is over and the feel of summer is approaching fast.
It is time for me to plan a FIRSTer vacation!
Since I have three kids vacation always include an educational piece and sometimes homework too.
I call it “vacations for inspiration and recognition of Science and Technology (vfirst!).”
What do you expect from a FIRSTer.

All my kids know that if they don’t came home with a better understanding of the world, history, science, and technology the vacation was not success.
(Yes, I am evil! Ma ha ha ;) )

Here is my list of my most memorable past vacation places for inspiration and recognition of science and technology: (not in any order)

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC
Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
Ontario Science Museum, Toronto Canada
The Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Virginia Air & Space Center, Hampton, Virginia
Nauticus, The National Maritime Center, USS Wisconsin, Norfolk, VA
Virginia Marine Science Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
Maryland Science Center, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD
National Constitution Center Philadelphia, PA
The Cradle of Aviation Museum, Long Island, NY
Museum of the Earth (Paleontological Research Institution), Ithaca, NY
Wright Brothers National Memorial and Visitor Center National Park, NC
Chesapeake Bay Bridge (engineering marvel) - Tunnel, Virginia

I hope some of you will share with us your vacation places and pictures that have inspirited you (it does not always have to be for science & tech! )
:]

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn was probably one of the most enlightening vacations i've ever gone on. To see the history of autmobiles evolve was awesome. Until you've gone there and seen ALL of the exhibits, you wont be able to truely appreciate all of the technological advances we've overcome in the past 100+ years.

If any of you have not gone, I'll say go before you die....it's really awe-inspiring.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I went to yellowstone national park in wyoming two summers ago. Being able to see all of the animals and the natural wonders of the world was absolutely incredible. The scenery was beautiful and the stars at night were absolutely gorgeous. The best part was it took me away from civilization for a few days.

Yellowstone made me look at nature and develop an appreciation for the natural world...

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

To that incredible list I'd have to add the following (no particular order):

1. Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History - home of the best and most comprehensive paleontological mounts IMHO
2. Field Museum, Chicago - close second
3. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson - a spectacular zoo, great for all ages
4. Any national or state or provincial park - they've all got something unique and spectacular to offer
5. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland - the best history lesson in the world
6. Strawberry Field in Central Park, NYC - truly an oasis of peace and love in the Big City
7. Site of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City - to me, a more moving and emotional experience than Ground Zero in NYC. Definitely gives perspective.
8. Cedar Point, Sandusky Ohio - what better way to be inspired by engineering marvels than at the biggest collection of roller coasters?
9. Anything off the beaten path - spur-of-the-moment activities are the best
10. As you travel, visit area college campuses. See what's out there, what other places have to offer, realize what you have. We were particularly impressed with Pepperdine - how awesome it must be to wake up and see the Pacific Ocean out your dorm window every morning.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I totally agree, I love vacations out in nature. The past two summers I have been to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon National Parks to go hiking. This summer I am going up to the Canadian Rockies in the Banf/Jasper area!

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I've gone camping in the mountains of Wyoming every two years for the past quarter century. Getting up out of the soup that most people call air in Indiana is a wonderful way for me to recharge my spirit. You can get lost in the sky up there at night!

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

The Henry Ford as a whole is really amazing, the museum, village, IMAX, and the Rouge Tour. Though I don't consider it a vacation, its less than a half hour away.

Mackinac Island / Bridge
Philmont Scout Ranch, been backpacking there twice.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

It's a bit out of the way, but the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada has some absolutely amazing scenery. (Warning: not for those who fear mountain driving)

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

-the Air Force Museum (OH)
-Yosemite--backpack on one rim or the other. The valley is overrun in summer (but winter is nice and open)
-USS Midway-Permanently moored in San Diego. Maritime Musem is nearby and also good.
-Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Well, I've been to the mountains, beeches, plains, road trip etc etc. (actually i just got back from a 11 hour drive back home :) ).

But as far as 'vFIRST', i would recommend you to visit District of Columbia. I know it sounds kinda weird that how can you find science and technology in the district full of politics.
It took me almost 4 days to go around the whole National Mall area and visit all the great museums around it. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is the most awesome museum though. I prefer you to visit both, downtown and Udvar Hazy Center, because its simply amazing. Also while you are in the district, don't forget to stop by Spy Museum (ever heard of James bond,Ethan, etc and all the cool stuff they use... well you can experience all that technology at the Spy Museum).
Other than that a bit south lies the NASA headquarters and jet propulsion lab. And if you are fond of nature, do visit the National Zoo and the Museum of Natural History.... believe me, it will simply amaze you!

theres a lot to do in the district and if you need any kind of help do let me know. I'm actually an educator with the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and would love to give you a brief tour of the museum.

~Imad

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I've been on there as well. One of the most awe-inspiring aircraft carriers. I learned so much about life at sea, and I'm a history buff so yeah I really enjoyed it.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

-Yellowstone
-Himalayas
-everglades
-grand canyon
-Mouna loa volcano national park

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

My two favorite "vacations" (if you can call them that) were my two major projects at WPI, where I spent the better part of two separate summers in Reykjavik, Iceland and London, England.

London is fantastic in all senses if you love old cities with sights to see on every corner. If you love Boston, you'll love London. And the Tube is the most efficient public transportation system that I've ever experienced. Here's some of the pics from my first trip and some from the second trip

Iceland was ridiculous if you love the outdoors like I do. I brought my bike with me and spent every possible moment (when I wasn't working on the project) riding, hiking, and touring the country. Click here for pics from Iceland

Please mind the dead links in those pages, it's a work in progress....

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Rich,
Flagstaf, AZ is a great place to use as a base of operations to see the wonders of the southwest. Indian ruins, extinct volcanoes, a meteor crater, petrified forest and the Grand Canyon are all with a few hours of this city. In town, on Friday nights, they had tours through the Lowell Observatory where Pluto was discovered. A slightly longer drive north will take you to Monument Valley and Four Corners National Monument. If you wanted to continue into Colorado, you can't beat the Durango to Silverton Railroad for scenic beauty beyond belief.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I know this is from the left coast, but I still think it is worth mentioning.

One word: Yosemite

As close to Heaven on earth as you will find anywhere.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Zion National Park is really nice and not as crowded as Yosemitie as long as you start early in the morning.
Bryce Canyon is really awsome as well, because of all the different colors of red.
The Grand Canyon is awsome, but is one of those places where you need to go there to be able to experience it. A picture doesn't do justice.

I agree Yosemitie is incredible, and its even cooler if you go theere and camp out at night so you can see all the stars. The only thing about Yosemitie is that now there are WAY too many tourists there to be able to enjoy yourself unless you go on a 5 mile (or larger) hike. (Which is fine with me, cause I did half-dome in a day, and clouds rest another).

Lastly, any place outdoors where you can just stare up into the sky can inspire me. Any professional picture at www.webshots.com always gives me something to think about if I want to stimulate my mind.

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Since it is Mother's Day -
My favorite spot in the summertime was the roof of a book shed surrounded by branches filled with ripe mullberries, a breeze through the leaves, reading. My grandmother's house.

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Custer State Park, SD
Badlands
Science and Industry Musuem, Chicago

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The animation studio tour at Disney MGM. I could spend all day there.

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My favourite vacations were the 25th anniversary of Disney’s park in Florida and I love to go to a provincial park in Ontario, Canada called Algonquin. The landscape is amazing and the hiking and biking trails are outrageous, there is also a wide range of other activities that you can do! There are camp grounds there for the average camper all the way to the extreme outback campers! Enjoy your summer everyone

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Probably one of the most interesting places that I have ever traveled to is Ireland. The Cliffs of Moher are breathtaking and there are large caves in the south that are incredibly fun to tour. Whether you are a history buff or not, visiting the castles (both intact and in ruins) is always a treat - just remember to bring a big flashlight so you can go into the dungeons!

In grade school, my parents made a point of near-monthly trips to Chicago to bring my siblings and I to the museums. Needless to say, I've been through my fair shair of exhibits and, short of the Smithsonians in Washington, D.C., the Chicago museums are fantastic. The most interactive ones are definitely the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry.

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While it isn't exactly "vacation" per se, there's a little patch of grass outside the dorm at the summer camp I worked at last/this summer. If you wake up early enough (which I thankfully did the day I returned to Columbia), you will see the most beautiful sunrise. Coincidentally, it will also wake you up mercilessly if you have an eastern-facing window.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

This is good to know, I'm planning on a road-trip to Chicago this summer. I will definitely include this on my list of "Places I must see."
:)

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Boston Museum of Science.

Especially in 2001 when there was 2 FIRST robots on display there.

151 right in the main lobby, and I believe 177 in the first great room on the right of the main entrance.

Also, taking a trip up to Salem & Gloucester Massachusetts* always make me feel at peace for some reason. I wanna live in those places once in my life, if only for a year.
(1/2 year in each place would do it.)


Gloucester is home to the Rockport Publishing Company who is making the FIRST Design book announced this year.
I'll have to stop in there and personally thank them for writing about us when I am up there in October.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

If you find yourself in colorful Colorado, take the Cog Railway up Pike's Peak. The railway is a nifty piece of old school engineering that lets a train climb up some really steep inclines. It's pretty kewl, and when you get to the top, you can see Inspiration Point where the "America the Beautiful" song was written. You sit up on the majesty of those purple mountains and check out the fruity plains. It's nice. They have a monument up there that has the whole song. The next verse starts with "O' beautiful for pilgrim's feet......" No wonder we never sing that part....ewwww....thinking about William Bradford's toejam doesn't exactly make me wanna scream, "U-S-A, U-S-A!" Plus, a tour guide tells you stories all the way up, and you get a lot of history and hear about the foolhardy souls that yearly race hot rods to the top of the mountain. Those guys must really have a 'need for speed' because if you mess up, that first step is a doozie as they say. Some of you might remember Jessie James on Monster Garage building and a racing a car in that race. Jessie is just about fearless, but he said it scared him.

That's one of the neatest little side trips I've taken.

vic

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Ohio's not a big state, so you can do all of this with a max. of three hours drive between each:

-Youngstown (near PA border, on Rt. 80) - Steel Museum, Children's Museum, Mill Creek Park - Old Mill
-Go west on Rt. 80 & north to Cleveland - Great Lakes Science Center (team party for Buckeye Regional this year - soooo much fun stuff to do!) and, of course, The Rock&Roll Hall of Fame (next door to each other)
-West to Sandusky - Cedar Point (best rollercoasters in the world, I think), or South/East to Aurora, Geagua Lake (more rollercoasters). Both sponsor Physics Days so I'm pretty sure if you call ahead you can get a park employee to give you a behind the scenes overview. The have FIRST teams display there every year to display on Physics day (coordinated by Cleveland NASA). And there's another hugh amusement park in Cincinnatti but I forget the name because Geagua Lake and Cedar Point are sooo awesome that I haven't gone there in at least 15 years!
-South to Columbus (COSI, state capital, the Horseshoe at OSU, etc.)
Of course, lots of really big malls and shopping everywhere!

And, there's much more (boating, train rides, water parks, camping, Amish areas, River Boats - go a little further south to the souther boarder - etc.)

And don't forget baseball, football, soccer, hockey...

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Kings Island. Home of the world's greatest wooden roller coaster. Not quite as coaster-crazy as CP but a great park in its own right.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

OK, an update. I visited my favorite National Park this past week. Here are some more recent shots. By the way, the snow runoff was AMAZING!!!

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It's hard to think of a place I'd rather be than Yosemite, especially with the waterfalls flowing and a bit of snow still here and there. I haven't done the Half Dome hike in over 15 years, but your pictures had me looking for my boots up on the closet shelf.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

WOW! Yosemite in on my plans for 2007.
:cool:

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I think that perhaps one of the best things to do for a vacation is to visit another country for a week or two. Just to spend time there, learning all about a different culture can be a really great experience.

I'm not sure if anyone has heard of it, but there is the student ambassador program, People to People. I participated in that back in 7th grade (about 2 years ago) and went to Australia for 3 weeks. On the trip, we stayed with an Australian family for 3 days, where we lived the lifestyle of the average Australian. Programs like that, if you can get in, are really great to participate in.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I'd like to mention Madame Tussauds in London.
Mix with the famous at the world famous collection of realistic wax figures in specially designed settings which include The Garden Party, 200 Years, Superstars, Sports Heroes, Famous Actors, The Grand Hall, The Chamber of Horrors and The Spirit of London. Also special exhibitions from time to time.
They also have a lot of celebrities figure and etc.
They all look just soo real; its amazing

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

I love the Smithsonian In Washington D.C., so I was thrilled when my family was vacationing in Germany to spend a few days exploring their Deutsches Museum in Munich. Fantastic displays included a cutaway section of a boat, simulated salt mine shafts, and 3 floors of exhibits to touch, feel or gape at.

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If you get to the Smithsonian in D.C., do check out one of the older Smithsonian buildings across the mall, near that new round art gallery. One has a display of old machine tools that is absolutely fascinating if you are into machining. I think it's one of those old red brick buildings that looks a bit like a castle.

I did once get a tour of the Tokamak fusion reactor at Princeton University, but that's been shut down, unfortunately.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Its the Smithsonian Headquarters, mainly known as Smithsonian Castle

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The Boston Museum of Science is INCREDIBLE. I spent 24 hrs there at a girl scout sleep over a longggg time ago. There's so much interaction and hands on exhibits its AMAZING. Not to long ago I saw a later Beatles show there....heh.

and as for 177 being displayed there... :eek: REALLY??? never heard about THAT one...

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Hope it's not too late. Looks like the main road into Yosemite valley will be out of commission for a while.

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There are still three more entrances you can use. Hwy 120 when coming from anywhere north of Manteca/Stockton. Hwy 41 when coming from the south, say Fresno. In between, flip a coin. If you are coming from the east side of the park, the Hwy 120 entrance off Hwy 395 may be open soon. They are still clearing snow, so check first.
Hwy 140 has been open and closed so many times, I can't even remember. The land shifts that have caused concern have been going on for a couple months. I wouldn't plan on using it at all this summer.

Re: Vacation places that inspired you!
 

Great thread ---

In no particular order
A. OKC bombing memorial - it is close and everyone should see it once.
B. Colorado - specifically Phantom Canyon - gorgeous
C. WWII memorial and Vietnam Memorial - takes your breath away.
D.Gettysburg - specially walking Picketts Charge
E. Air Force Museum - Dayton Ohio
F. Cosmosphere - Hutchison Kansas - the restoration place for space - more space hardware than anywhere else on the planet.

Any beautiful Oklahoma sunrise that God blesses us with -

Attached the OK shy after a Thunderstorm

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For my 2006 Spring Break, I watched an Ocean City sunrise at 6AM, pet a wild pony with my kids at Chincoteague, played on a Jokey Ridge sand dune with the family, admired the beauty of engineering on a battleship, and watched a Shenandoah sunset.
All inspiring...

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Walt Disney World - engineering, story telling, themeing, architecture, and planning. What could be better? It's inspired all my career ideas, from engineering to english, from business to architecture, from media to hot dog vendor. :rolleyes: