# Conversation and Fun > Just Conversation >  What's it like where you live?

## Corey Nicholls

Here is something you all might find of interest. How about we all show where we live!

This is the town where I live just outside of Canberra.

----------


## stephanie

It is dull and boring around here. I am originally from NJ and moved to TN. The only real thing to do around here is fish, hunt, and go to Wal-Mart. Since I don't like to do any of the above I am quite bored.  I came from an area with lots of stuff to do. I am extremely lost in this town. Sorry if I sound depressed. Maybe because I am. 

Steph

----------


## mullo

I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is a beautiful place to live. It's like being on vacation every day of your life. The restaurants are awesome, the ocean beautiful and the golf courses spectacular. I met the woman of my dreams and the mother of my son here. Yes, they are the same woman. ;)   .....Mullo

http://search.gallery.yahoo.com/sear...is?p=vancouver

----------


## JennyP

Corey, what a nice idea!
 I live and work within the city limits of Chattanooga, though my area is called Hixson.
 To see some of my town:  
www.chattanoogafun.com
jP

----------


## Jackie L

I just  moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia and am still finding my way around.            http://virginiabeach.com/

My heart is still in Kennebunk, Maine where I just moved from only 6 weeks ago.        http://visitthekennebunks.com/

I must say that the weather is delightful in Virginia Beach this time of year and there is lots to do.

----------


## Sean

I live in or on (depend's on how you see it)Cape Cod Ma. Plenty of beaches........in fact the majority of the cape is just that.For the most part we have pretty mild winters............most of the time. The spring's here can be short,but summer is worth the wait. Great place to take a vacation.Great seafood,golf courses,lot's to do outside,and lot's of swimming:D

----------


## Diane

This is cool.

I actually live in Jonesboro, Georgia.  It's main claim to fame is that is home to the novel and movie "Gone With The Wind".  It's in the sunny South, and this weekend it was really becoming hot and steamy.  

Yes, we do have re-enactments of the American Civil War, or better know here in the South as the "War of Northern Agression".  Here's the website for a little of our history.  www.jonesboroga.com. 



 :Cool:  

Diane

----------


## stephanie

Yes Jenny Chattanooga is really nice. It is too bad it is about 2 hours away from here.  I guess one of my biggest problems here is I grew up near the beach. There are no beaches here and everything you want to do in this town you have to drive at least an hour or more to go do. Mullo we were all hoping the woman of your dreams and the mother of your son was the same person. Glad you cleared that up before we started asking questions. :bbg: 

Steph

----------


## mullo

I knew you would like that one Steph. :p  :p  :p  :p  :p 

Sean, Do you know Harry?? Set up a game of golf with him, he's an avid player.....Mullo

----------


## JRS

Portland, Oregon.

I'm about 1 1/2 hours from a spectatular coast (looks like Maine's only facing the other way). About the same distance from year round snow skiing. Fishing is everywhere you want. Camping is the same way.
A great city of many parks. Good mass-transit. A liveable downtown. The 'Rose Festival' is a whole town event. Rivers you can drink from, water ski on, and fish for Salmon - right in front of downtown.
Mount Hood is close and climbable
Mount Saint Helens is about as close
The mighty Columbia River
Some fantastic resturants



And everything is green - of course a little rain helps there....we get some

----------


## Sean

Mullo,
Yes i do know harry........one hell of a great guy.I see him from time to time.I don't play golf:( Even if i did , i would not ask as i would surely get my a** kicked:shiner:

----------


## JennyP

To JRS: Isn't Portland the city where outdoor art is mandated (every new project has to have a % of its budget going to public art?) Seems like you have lots of sculpture there...I'm not wild about fishing or skiing, but if I'm remembering right about Portland, the art would make it worthwhile as a travel destination, as well as the coast and mountain views! Hey Steph, maybe we should plan a trip! 
jP (Yeah, like I could afford a trip right now!)

----------


## stephanie

Yea Jenny!! ROAD TRIP!!!  I do LOVE Hamilton Place! It is a REAL mall! Something I am not used to. It is beautiful around here I must admit just a little boring...a lot boring. Only thing about Hamilton Place is everytime I have been there I have been in a traffic jam. I also love the aquarium. Have you been to the new one in Gatilinburg yet? I am dying to go. 
Steph:shiner: :hammer:  :cry:

----------


## JennyP

Ok Steph...
Think "Gatlinburg..2002" 
May, Tenn Dispensing Opticians Association.
CE's (we all need them!)
Aquarium (I saw photos...haven't been yet...a shark tank you can walk thru...in a tunnel)...all the fun you can stuff into a mountainside tourist town and Optician buddies to boot!
Harrah's across the stateline in Cherokee...I did try that. Once.
Mark your calendar. (You'll be licensed by then!!) 

Just where is your neck of the woods? I used to think maybe you were in Nashville. 

jP (Hamilton Mall? I always look forward to shopping In Nashville, or Pigeon Forge..or....)

----------


## Diane

> _Originally posted by JRS_ 
> *Portland, Oregon.
> 
> I'm about 1 1/2 hours from a spectatular coast (looks like Maine's only facing the other way). About the same distance from year round snow skiing. Fishing is everywhere you want. Camping is the same way.
> A great city of many parks. Good mass-transit. A liveable downtown. The 'Rose Festival' is a whole town event. Rivers you can drink from, water ski on, and fish for Salmon - right in front of downtown.
> Mount Hood is close and climbable
> Mount Saint Helens is about as close
> The mighty Columbia River
> Some fantastic resturants
> ...


JRS,

It is definitely God's country.  I had the opportunity to go there a few years ago for a training session in Portland.  It was actually during this time of the year, and my husband went with me since it was our anniversary.  We stayed over and drove up to Mount Hood and stayed at Timberline Lodge for a few years.  End of June and 48 inches of snow outside the window of the lodge.  We took clothes for the summer and had to go find a store to buy coats and gloves and warm clothes.  We had a blast.  I believe that was the first time that I saw so many snow boards.  Didn't try it but it looked fun.  

:bbg: 

Diane

----------


## JRS

JennyP -
Yes there is alot of art outdoors. A considerable portion of it is generated because, if you build commercial, a certain % of the building funds, must be allocated towards beautification. However, some go above-n-beyond because it fits in with the 'ways things are done' here.

Diane -
Isn't Timberline great! Was built during the depression by the CCP (think thats right). All hand carved sculpures of animals and a great place to just sit and watch the crazies on the snow boards. Glad to hear you had a good time out this way.

During Rose Festival about 6 Navy ships park right on the sea wall downtown. The sailors have a blast. Portland has the largest and smallest parks (inside city limits) of anywhere in the US.

----------


## mullo

Corey, I checked out your link. Looks like a cool city. Always wanted to check out Australia. My younger brother spent a year there when he was 19. He stayed in Darwin and Cairns for most of his trip. Met himself a sheila and leaving wasn't so easy....Mullo

:cheers:

----------


## Pete Hanlin

Although I'm originally from Central Pennsylvania, I currently find myself in Tallahassee, Florida (now famous as the focal point of the 2000 Presidential Election).

The picture I'll post a link to *Tallahassee* kind of portrays the city well, because we're in one of the most lightning prone areas in the world here in the panhandle of Florida.

Besides lightning storms (which I consider a plus, because I like weather), Tallahassee is famous for its "canopy roads."  Canopy roads are created by huge Live Oak trees which grow limbs that hang across the entire road.  With the many limbs and the Spanish Moss that hangs from them, the effect is like driving through a green tunnel...  Anyway, it makes for a lot of power outages.

Tallahasseans seem to have a fetish about trees.  In fact, when you build on a lot, your building plan has to include the planting of approximately the same number of trees as you removed to build the structure...

This would be a relatively boring place (pop. 170,000) were it not for two universities in town- Florida State University (Seminoles) and Florida A&M (Rattlers).  The universities add a lot of sports, theater, and cultural events to the town (as well as a lot of reckless drivers).  In addition, we are about 75 miles from St. George Island (voted one of the top ten beaches in America the past couple of years), and we get lots of sun.

So, that's about it for Tallahassee.  If you like trees, humidity, and college sports, its the place to be.  If you like mountains, forget it!  The highest point in Florida is something around 375'!

Panhandle Pete
P.S.- Is Griffin, GA just Southwest of Atlanta?  I was taking my son to Statesville, NC to meet up with his Pappap and Grandma (my folks), and I noticed an exit for Griffith...

----------


## lguess

Checking in from Long Beach, CA.  Minutes from the beach, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours to the mountains for skiing, fishing, hunting, whatever.  30 minutes to D-Land, Knott's Berry Farm (large amusement park), not much longer than that to Universal Studios and the Getty Museum (an unbelievable experience).  Lots of good restaurants, a municipal band that does concerts in various parks (free!) during the summer months, a symphony orchestra, minor league ice hockey and baseball.  Acquarium of the Pacific is an incredible place.  Huge convention center and arena, have a couple of theater groups here so there's anything from stage plays to light opera to symphony music year round.  We're also home to the largest of the Cal State University campuses.  Climate is wonderful-  unfortunately a lot of other people know this;  it would be utopia if it weren't so damn crowded.

Larry

P.S. to Pete:  My school teacher wife grew up on West coast of FL (St Pete), and is an FSU grad.  She taught in Pensacola for a few years, then moved to CA.  I met her (where else?) when we were both living down by the beach.  I asked her once about why she came to CA-  her answer was "35% drop in humidity, and a $3500 raise.

----------


## John R

Well here where i live its a nice quite english town :shiner: 
:cheers: well know for having more pubs than anywhere else :cheers:
Otley 
we are just nice for getting into the yorkshire dales and handy for leeds as well. 
Ah Yorkshire the best bit of England.....

----------


## Diane

> _Originally posted by Pete Hanlin_ 
> *Panhandle Pete
> P.S.- Is Griffin, GA just Southwest of Atlanta?  I was taking my son to Statesville, NC to meet up with his Pappap and Grandma (my folks), and I noticed an exit for Griffith...*


Pete,

You're right.  About 30 miles south of Atlanta, off I-75.  That would also be about 60 miles north of Macon, GA.

:cheers: 

Diane

----------


## stephanie

Sounds like a plan Jenny. Of course I think I may go check out the aquarium this summer. That is just too much fun to wait. It is very difficult for me to leave aquariums. Maryland has a spectacular one. If anyone on here lives near there it is definately worth the drive. I went once when I still lived in NJ. I want to go to Hawaii. Has anyone ever been? I would also love to go to Australia. 

Steph

----------


## Jim G

I was born in Cleveland, moved to Palm Springs, CA for the 3rd grade; then to Atlantic City, NJ for the 4th and 5th; Woodbury, NJ for 6th and part of 7th; then back to Palm Springs and finally L.A.--still in the 7th grade.  Settled down and grew up a typical xenophobic Southern Californian who believed the world ends at the Colorado River.  Spent the service in Hawaii and have since lived in Colonial Whites, VA (20 mi. south of Richmond); Rochester (Fairport) NY; and, finally, Minneapolis, MN.  The one thing I learned is that there is a whole lot of good and a little bad in just about any community.

Minneapolis is a dynamite city.  Urbane, modern, (relatively) safe, clean, great schools, culturally active, environmentally sensitive, easy to get around, reasonably reasonable, flat and has unreasonably long winters.  Possibly the best testimonial came from our California born (Thousand Oaks) son who returned to CA for college.  Upon graduating 4 years later, he immediately returned to MN...in fact, his old room (we had 4 years to move but didn't).  His explanation was that Minneapolis is a great city for a young adult, the winters didn't bother him (yet!) and that he could possibly afford to buy a house and have some money left over to vacation in CA (he did and is planning to).  

Minneapolis is also somewhat of a optical oasis having given birth to Benson Optical, once the largest retail chain in the U.S. and, unfortunately, now demised; Walman Optical, the largest remaining wholesale laboratory company; Soderberg Optical, the 2nd largest (remaining) laboratory system; and, Twin Citys Optical, once the 3rd largest lab company but now part of Essilor.  Further, St. Cloud is home to (Sinclare Lewis and) numerous wholesale labs.

The people are noted for their "Minnesota niceness."  And, it's real.  Garrison Keeler's Lake Wobegone exists in MN; I've met those people.  MN is noted for it's Scandanavian people and, yes, they're here.  But, the largest ethnic base are Germans, numbering just slightly over 50% of the population.  

The summers are among the nicest anywhere in spite of the state bird, the mosquito.  We have had a very wet spring, with the rain guage running at something over 50% above normal (sorry Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Florida, etc.)  We no longer shower in the am; we simply get up and scrape the moss off.  The moisture has also given birth to a bumper crop of mosquitoes...big ones too.  Just this last weekend, I saw one pick up a squirrel and take it home for dinner.  

The winters, well, the winters suck.   Rochester was probably worse, just not as long.  A few years ago, we experienced 32" of snow on Halloween; we've also seen that much in April.   That encompasses 6 months.  Man was not conceived to spend one-half his life in winter, at least not this man.  Headin' west again when I retire at the end of the year; probably Phoenix.  Anyone care to tell me about the long summers they have there?

----------


## Steve Machol

> _Originally posted by Jim G_ 
> *Headin' west again when I retire at the end of the year; probably Phoenix.  Anyone care to tell me about the long summers they have there?*


Trust me - you don't wanna know!   :Eek:

----------


## Judy Canty

> _Originally posted by Steve Machol_ 
> *
> 
> Trust me - you don't wanna know!  *


I don't remember any season other than summer in Tempe.  We had to drive to Flagstaff to find enough winter for skiing. :Cool:

----------


## Jim G

Steve, now where is it that you're moving?

Judy, I vividly remember those Virginia summers with both temps and humidity hovering around 85 to 90.  And, the instant blindness when we spectacle wearers step from our a/c cars into the opressive summer h & h.  I know it's a dry heat--like the oven--but I'll take it over your combination.

I'm gonna have to dig it out to reread but, to paraphrase Gore Vidal in Burr, "Why on God's earth would sane intelligent people choose to locate the capital of the U.S. is such a god-forsaken place as Washington D.C.?  The weather is abominable, the insects everywhere, and, the mud!  Oh, the mud.  Particularly when they have urbane choices like Philadelphia and New York (well, I admit, the logic does break down here)."

----------


## Steve Machol

Jim, if I still had my job I wouldn't be moving at all!  :(

Nonetheless Arizona does have a lot going for it.  However summers in Phoenix are not the best that Arizona has to offer!

----------


## Alan W

Ahhhh, yes.
I live on Clear Lake TX. 25 S of Houston.
Clear Lake is . . . .well . . . . . NOT!
Brackish . . . that's the word. The fish need a cane with a white tip to see around.
But, my bedroom is on the lake. Well, it faces the lake.
1 mile from me is NASA and two huge rockets on display. 1 mle further is the scene of a last weeks multiple murders.
(had to throw that in so you wouldn't think this is paradise).
Clear Lake, Seabrook, League City, Nassau Bay, Friendswood and Webster all bump up to each other. Total about 150,000 people.
Webster has more shopping than any other area with similar pop.
Lot's of medical. 30 miles south is Galveston. A real resort island with its own WallyWorld. This immediate area is known to be the third largest boating area in the USA. Lotsayachts!
Schools are OK.  Clear Lake High School is the pet of NASA. It gets all kinds of support. Why not ..Clear High School is ranked #3 nationally and all the engineer and astronaut kids go there to smoke in the bathrooms and sell drugs to each other.

No opticians. All OD's. All the people who sell and fit glasses work for OD's around here and are paid enough to keep gas in the tank. and that's all!  

We're still cleaning up from Allison.

Up in Houston where it flooded big time and the worlds largest medical center with the great engineering minds and architecture, home of Michael DeBakey, heart surgeon, and Denton Cooley, the other great heart surgeon, couldn't do a thing cause the generators flooded out.

NOTE TO ARCHITECTS:  That's why they put houses on stilts around here, idiots!

When you come here go to Kemah, TX. Pop 2800. The entire waterfont was home for local fabulous cooking and restaurants. Then Landry's bought the entire harbor and we have spectacular cookie cutter restaurants all owned by Landry's, starting at $13.00 a plate and the servers stand on your table to sing happy birthday.

Searook is home for some of the fastest boats in the world. They need to be in order to outrun the Coast Guard when they do a drug run!

Great place. Never a dull moment.

----------


## JennyP

Alan: Do I detect the hint of disatisfaction? Even midst all that water and sun? (I want a house on the waterfront!!!I'm so JEALOUS!)
Hey, join me and Steph for our _imaginary_ road trip! We want to get away from everything (except maybe some aquariums) and think about things non-optical for awhile.... this makes me think of another thread topic...hm....
jP 
Joy! Joy! This is my *official* 100th posting :bbg:

----------


## SPECS4ALL

I live in the suburbs of Chicago, maybe the only Midwestern on the board!?!?! Chicago is a great city with lots to do and a beautiful lake. I do lots of digital photography of landscapes of Chicago. The suburb i live in is mainly upscale, and we have a young practice , 3 doctors, 10 staff. This area of the country has all 4 seasons, fall being the most beautiful in my opionion. Of course Chicagoans talk about only 2 seasons, winter and  construction and that is terribly true! All in all it is a good place to life and raise children.

----------


## Cindy Hamlin

I have recently moved to Chester, VA.  It is a growing community about 20 miles south of Richmond.  Still mostly unspoiled, lots of trees and nary a mall!  It is really a lovely place!

----------

