No passport here ... Been to Canada on business, but don't tell anyone ;-)

If I drive eight hours ... I am still in the US or Atlantic Ocean. A lot of things to do and see in the USA ... I have not had any reason to get a passport. There are plenty of places left to see in the USA.

I would love to go to Ireland, Scottland, Spain and the Greek Isles someday. I guess we are waiting until our boy are grown ... A long time from now.

 

Only been to USA, Canada, and Mexico. I would love to go to New Zeland and Austrailia though. No Passport for me, but they do require an FBI check for the carry consealed lisense.

 

I do have a passport, and have used it to go to the UK, France, etc; and the wife and I are planning to go to Italy this Summer/Fall. I've also been to most of the places that you don't need a passport (Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, US VI etc) as well.

I echo the views of many of the repondents in that there is so much to see and do here in the States that few people go elsewhere. I mean really; where else can you enjoy the views and vistas from beaches to mountains, desert to forest, big cities and small towns; and all types of activites from theme parks to big game hunting, salt and fresh water fishing etc etc etc... without leaving home? If you could travel a few hours from your home via car, train, ship or plane without needing a passport would you have one?

Just my .02

A few years ago this story was in Reader's Digest:

A couple owned a small Bed and Breakfast near Yellowstone Park, and had a reservation from and English couple who were due in shortly. They recieved a telephone call from the man saying " We have been delayed, could we possibly move our reservation to tomorrow?" The hotel owner's said no problem see you tomorrow. The next day they recieved another call from the man, "Could you possibly move our reservation to tomorrow?" Of course, no problem. The next day when the English couple was due in the phone rang with the repeated request to move the reservation, the hotel owner was concerned and asked if something was the matter, and if there was anything he could do to help. The English gentleman replied, "My wife and I are in someplace called Nebraska, and we have realized that the US is a lot larger than we thought before we started driving from New York."

 

LMAO at Raoul...

Thats the funniest thing Ive seen in awhile. My mom grew up in Fargo, ND and my brother lives there now. I plan on living there in a few months I think. Fargo does actually have an International Airport though, but there's only a few big jets that come in and out each day. The rest of it is smaller commuter planes from Mpls./St. Paul International Airport and other regional flights.

The Air National Guard also flies F-16's out of there to patrol around the Twin Cities, etc. Its pretty sweet watchin those guys take off and land less than 100 feet overhead (there are streets that run on both ends of the runway right underneath the flight path. They also train around the area and like to show off a little bit.

 

I have never been to France but I am thinking about it. I think it would be a blast and a hell of a party to go over their and visit all the French people.

I would say hello, unzip my pants and **** on them, and say goodbye...

 

01 XLT SPORT:

You have obviously led a far too sheltered life.
You need to go the local video store, the one near the truck stop on the interstate, and rent a few French Porno Films.
They dig that sort of stuff.
Dang, I can't believe I just posted that
Bill

 

Bet I KNOW what your going to be doing on the 18th of May.....hehe

 

Hmmm, you may be right. I have been to many countries but never France, guess all the pissing on each other is why they smell so bad???

 

Yeah, EnglishAdam, Americans don't go abroad much. I was 30 years old the first time I went overseas. Lived for 4 1/2 months in Japan (for the first time). Totally changed my life and my view of the USA. That is not an exageration. Before that, I honestly and actively thought, why bother? America has all I would ever want, and I already know the language!

A big problem, I think, for Americans is that they do not realize or appreciate what they look like to the rest of the world. This image is not entirely deserved, and yet it is not entirely undeserved. I left America quite happy about the US, but during my stay in Japan, I kept struggling with why didn't they just do things like we do here? Then I realized, duh, they aren't here. Things are very different in Japan than they are in the US, and frankly, in most countries. Americans have no clue, typically.

I live in the Houston area, and here there are so many oil patch rats that attitudes are a little different. So many people around here have lived all over the world. Please understand that I am not an empty headed Japanophile nor am I a flaming liberal. But, to get an appreciation of how the rest of the world sees America I think is extremely valuable. Some of the jingoistic attitudes about how wonderful we are don't hold water from that perspective. Yet, I really really think that an accurate view of the US can only make you more patriotic. We are far from perfect. We have plenty of ulterior motives. But for the most part, we want to live and let live. We want to share the world and the wealth. But the rest of the world doesn't always believe that.

When I was studying in Japan (eventually I went to live there for seven years), there was a joke a friend of mine told me (he was from Taiwan):

Q: In English, what is the word for someone who knows 3 languages?

A: Trilingual

Q: What is the word for someone who knows two languages?

A: Bilingual

Q: What is the word for someone who knows just one language?

A: American

 

Well, I've never been out of the country myself. I do watch a lot of cultural stuff if that counts. Frankly though, I grew up in the Northwest. My dad always told me that he's lived in Oregon his whole life and he's yet to see half of it. He's 68 now and I don't think he'd ever leave. Across the US there is a lifetime worth of things to see and if you've ever been to the Northwest you'd understand how you could go back to the same place many times and be perfectly happy.

On that note, I wouldn't mind seeing some of Canada, Australia and Ireland. My wife has been to London and Melbourne Australia. She wasn't real big on London (sorry EnglishAdam) but she thought Australia was the coolest place. Before I think about doing any of that though I'm gonna go to Alaska

 

I really couldn't care less what other countries 'think' about Americans. (no flame intended, really) We live in the greatest country in the history of the world. Most other peoples are jealous/envious of us. It's funny how the French will call you a "stupid American" to your face just because you don't speak their language, but yet we defeat a country the size of Texas in 3 weeks. Not to mention liberate the whole European continent in less than 4 years with low-tech weaponry. The only country that I respect is England. And I'm not saying that there aren't good people in other countries, i'm speaking as a whole. Who the hell wants to pay $4 a gallon for 'petrol' like some people in some Euro-trash countries do? It's all taxes.

 

I agree with Frank S. I don't have anything against it, I just don't care anything about. No need for a passport here. Oh yeah, I don't like airports either. When I have to fly on business (in the contintental U.S.) I feel like I am being herded around like cattle, running from one gate to the next, then wait in line etc.

 

TexasSteve, just wanted to acknowledge your post.
Thanks for taking the time to type it. It made my day.
Your grasp of the content ensures you will understand why it won't be fully appreciated here.

(0.07 posts per day. That is a crying shame!)

 

EnglishAdam...I don't have a passport either. Years ago I vowed to visit all 50 states before I traveled overseas. To date I've been to 45, and am thinking about maybe going to the UK in the next few years. Even though I've been to Canada and Mexico, I don't consider that 'International travel'. It's just too easy for us to do. I didn't want to be in Europe somewhere and have a local ask me something like..."What's it like in Mississippi or Wisconsin?" and then have to tell them that I don't have a clue because I never took the trouble to travel there. Every state I've been in has had something going for it...either scenery, or unique food and people...I think its great. Wether its seeing a sunset in Hawaii or driving Mt.Washington in the fog in New Hampshire, there's an awful lot to see here. Maybe if I save enough bucks, someday I'll be lucky enough to visit Europe. I would like to go to Lithuania and trace my ancestors, see the beauty of Ireland, and maybe visit Italy. My wife really wants to go to Australia and New Zealand. There's too much to see in this short life.