WOW! Only a 50% Serious Response Rate (SRR)...that is bad...

Quote Originally Posted by Togakure View Post
I like hiking and cycling locally. I've enjoyed a few train excursions regionally, but usually fly if it's a long distance.

When I travel to faraway places, I'm usually drawn to the natural surroundings, not so much the human attractions. I will hike or cycle, go on boat or train rides, or even splurge sometimes and take a trip in a helicopter or small plane. Flying under the Golden Gate bridge in a small helicopter was fun, and the view from above of the City by the Bay, breathtaking. I do enjoy observing architecture, both specific buildings and the general style of a region.

I do very much enjoy sampling local cuisines, even going as far as to inquire of the locals, what places they'd recommend that are representative of the area.

I find museums interesting usually, but haven't made a habit of targeting them on trips. The last time I went to a museum was in NYC, when I met a fellow Orgah there for a day in the Big Apple. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and checked out armor and weapons. The samurai accoutrements were particularly cool.

Ultimately, the beauty of the land will always take precedence over human goings-on, but I don't avoid human encounters, I just don't emphasize them.
I agree, I like the cities, the history in them, etc, but I far prefer to spend my time in rural areas. I prefer the people you meet in rural areas and small villages and towns, and of course you are not speeding by in a train or in a car. You can walk by and observe how people like, stop to observe nature, etc. It is slower, but so much more fulfulling IMHO. Also, I am a ridiculously picky eater, so sampling foriegn cuisine is not my favorite thing to do. I usually like to know everything that goes into my food, and if you do not speak the language, that can be hard to ascertain.