This years summer vacation
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wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 00:56 last edited by
@89th well that’s an interesting question. Because oddly I see things completely reversed.
I need to clear up some misconceptions about safety in Israel.
Where I live, for example, violent crime is almost non exist. I go out and walk the dog anytime of day or night without a thought. If I forget to lock the door and no one is home, I don’t panic. In Tel Aviv, the country’s largest metro area, I have not felt any fear of mugging or violence. Otoh, in the US I am always keenly aware of my surroundings, don’t feel absolutely secure wandering around cities at night, and certainly lock up after myself. During the drive I’ve thought about random shootings being possible, and I really don’t feel as secure here as at home. Now maybe that’s because I’m in non familiar surroundings but nonetheless that’s how I feel.
Now yes, since October 7 the threat of military violence in Israel has increased, although the actual physical fighting in the north and south is not felt in the central part of Israel. And our alert systems are pretty good, that drone attack in Tel Aviv not withstanding. So overall I feel much more secure where I live than here.
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@89th well that’s an interesting question. Because oddly I see things completely reversed.
I need to clear up some misconceptions about safety in Israel.
Where I live, for example, violent crime is almost non exist. I go out and walk the dog anytime of day or night without a thought. If I forget to lock the door and no one is home, I don’t panic. In Tel Aviv, the country’s largest metro area, I have not felt any fear of mugging or violence. Otoh, in the US I am always keenly aware of my surroundings, don’t feel absolutely secure wandering around cities at night, and certainly lock up after myself. During the drive I’ve thought about random shootings being possible, and I really don’t feel as secure here as at home. Now maybe that’s because I’m in non familiar surroundings but nonetheless that’s how I feel.
Now yes, since October 7 the threat of military violence in Israel has increased, although the actual physical fighting in the north and south is not felt in the central part of Israel. And our alert systems are pretty good, that drone attack in Tel Aviv not withstanding. So overall I feel much more secure where I live than here.
wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 01:03 last edited by@bachophile said in This years summer vacation:
So overall I feel much more secure where I live than here.
What a sad commentary.
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wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 01:07 last edited by
Not such a great pic of rolling Appalachian hills. It was too hazy to get a good shot
Gettysburg was very moving. I was never really aware of the details of the battle but now understanding the Lee took a chance that superior numbers could overcome the Union holding the higher ground (actually just ridges with numerous canon) and sent hordes over an open ground which turned into a killing field,with the canon just turning the invaders into canon fodder. Thousands left dead over the grasses of the plain. Sheer lunacy.
Anyway, spending the evening in Amish Lancaster county. Also quite an interesting part of the country.
The epic ends this weekend with a Sunday evening flight back to Tel Aviv.
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wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 01:11 last edited by
Great trip! Thanks for bring us along!!!
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Not such a great pic of rolling Appalachian hills. It was too hazy to get a good shot
Gettysburg was very moving. I was never really aware of the details of the battle but now understanding the Lee took a chance that superior numbers could overcome the Union holding the higher ground (actually just ridges with numerous canon) and sent hordes over an open ground which turned into a killing field,with the canon just turning the invaders into canon fodder. Thousands left dead over the grasses of the plain. Sheer lunacy.
Anyway, spending the evening in Amish Lancaster county. Also quite an interesting part of the country.
The epic ends this weekend with a Sunday evening flight back to Tel Aviv.
wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 01:23 last edited by Copper@bachophile said in This years summer vacation:
Not such a great pic of rolling Appalachian hills. It was too hazy to get a good shot
That is where I did most of my flying, along the Blue Ridge from North Carolina to Pennsylvania.
I have a lot of not so great hazy pictures, that is what the hills in western Virginia look like, especially in the summer.
This is from 12/3/2011.
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wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 12:44 last edited by
@bachophile Interesting regarding safety. Certainly there are places (cities at night, random truck stops) that you'll want to be on your guard, but you answered my question well. It's funny the misconceptions one has (or that I have) regarding places like Israel based on the news coverage.
Beautiful pic of the Appalachian hills. Now you know why they're called the "Blue Ridge Mountains" in some places. You're getting a nice full view of the states (more than I've had) by driving coast to coast. Deserts, mountains, cornfields, Amish country, Appalachian mountains (some of the oldest mountains in the world).
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wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 12:46 last edited by
Here's a pic from about 10 years ago. I always wanted to get a better one... so many views in the blue ridge.
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wrote on 26 Jul 2024, 13:13 last edited by
Not to get too personal, but has the wife enjoyed the long drive?
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wrote on 27 Jul 2024, 00:02 last edited by
Hahaha yea she was great with it. It was actually nice having time together for hours at a stretch. We talk, we listen to podcasts, she warns me about my driving…and she was always in charge of finding the right place to spend the night. We drove max 6-7 hours a day, divided up for rest stops every two hours or so. Really it was a pleasure.
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wrote on 27 Jul 2024, 00:04 last edited by
Right now at a bed and breakfast in upstate NY for the weekend. Sunday we fly back.
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wrote on 27 Jul 2024, 00:06 last edited by Jolly
Glad it's been a good trip and you both enjoyed it.
As much as I love my wife, if we were in a car together for a week or more it would be on Cops.
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wrote on 28 Jul 2024, 22:21 last edited by bachophile
Last update of this trip
View from an outlook into the Catskills.
New York City
Car return. I set the tripometer in San Francisco Airport. This is the return.
4651.8 miles.
The end.
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wrote on 28 Jul 2024, 22:24 last edited by
That’s a lot of miles in a short time. Nice trip!
Safe journeys home.
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wrote on 28 Jul 2024, 22:32 last edited by
Very nice.
I would enjoy that.
Average about 350 miles a day, right? I imagine the "interstate" days were higher milage.
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wrote on 28 Jul 2024, 22:39 last edited by
Yes it was varied per day and plan. Longest day was 7 hours behind the wheel. Easiest was just 2 or 3. All depended on the plan for the day.
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Yes it was varied per day and plan. Longest day was 7 hours behind the wheel. Easiest was just 2 or 3. All depended on the plan for the day.
wrote on 29 Jul 2024, 01:21 last edited by@bachophile said in This years summer vacation:
Yes it was varied per day and plan. Longest day was 7 hours behind the wheel. Easiest was just 2 or 3. All depended on the plan for the day.
Cool vacation. Thanks again for the pictures and descriptions.
(I actually like driving distances. Maybe I was a truck driver in a previous life!)
Have a good trip back to your home.
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wrote on 29 Jul 2024, 01:43 last edited by
Glad you completed the trip safely.
34.2 mpg ... was it a hybrid? -
wrote on 29 Jul 2024, 12:32 last edited by
Nice ending to the trip. Thanks!
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wrote on 29 Jul 2024, 13:24 last edited by
That's seeing a lot of the country.
If you had to move to some place you visited during your trip, where would it be?
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wrote on 29 Jul 2024, 17:25 last edited by
@Axtremus nope. Chevy Malibu. Got it basically brand new with 2000 miles on it. Put it only 87 regular the whole trip.