When you're ready to come to Philly, Mike and I will be here with open arms for you and Marge.

Thanks. My step-son, Patrick, was in town during the Series.

I love Pennsylvania Dutch country --- which really should be "Deutch" (sp?) since the Amish & Mennonites were from Germany, not Holland ----- fun fact to know and tell! lol There are a lot of Amish in Indiana, too, and it's less touristy than Scranton, PA area (but much smaller)...

And so let us consider Chicago: We shall take credit for the next president of the U.S. (even though Obama didn't grow up here), but we will hang our heads in shame about our governor Blagojevich... Well I guess he's just the last in a long, long line of corrupt Illinois politicians!

But seriously there are lots of cool things to do in Illinois: Abraham Lincoln's house in Springfield, the Art Institute in Chicago, lots of playhouses, the lakefront, neat old remains of canal systems (people pulled horses who pulled boats), fabulous blues music... I'll have to think more...

I'm from near Boston, MA originally, so I could ramble on for hours about all the excellent historic sites there (and, of course, the chowdah)!

I also know that you have good restaurants.

There's a mighty good Irish bar in the Chicago airport.

The English Midlands is the birthplace of the Industrial revolution ~ and of William Shakespeare. Birmingham, Britain's second city, is at the heart of the area. Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the bard, is not far away. Warwick Castle is fairly close, too.

There are castles, manor houses, moated buildings, timber framed cottages ~ and industry and commerce ~ often side-by-side with areas of ordinary housing.

Birmingham & its environs has more history than even most of its inhabitants know about. The Lunar Society, with members such as Joseph Priestley, James Watt & Matthew Boulton, was based there and attracted 'guests' and friends, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

Birmingham is (or was) the home of Cadburys Chocolate, Austin cars, HP sauce.

So many firsts; so many famous people! The first British car ~ by Lanchester. Tolkien's home ~ Sarehole. Chance's glass made for lighthouses all over the world.

Almost everywhere I go & everything I read seems to have references or links to Birmingham and / or the Midlands.

Visitors are usually pleasantly surprised. Bournville (home of Cadbury's chocolate) is particulatly attractive.

That has got to be my husband's fantasy, driving an Austin Martin, eating a Cadbury bar. LOL

Thanks, everyone who has participated so far. I always love hearing about the wonders of the places we live in. And so many times when visitors come, we tell them of places that we have not even gone ourselves!

Also, as a friend on another board (who is also from Florida) has noted, there are places that are not really known by the "public," but are famous with locals. Many times they are not publicized so as to keep them local in flavor.

Well I am in Oklahoma - we have just about the same thing here as Kansas has. Wind. We do have beautiful lakes in NE Oklahoma. Home of Will Rogers and the Will Rogers Musieum, home of the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and of course there is Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.

At the present time we don't have corrupt politicians!
That is non that are enjoying publicity.

When Marge and I visited family who were working in OKC, we went to the Cowboy Hall of Fame. We also went to the Oklahoma City Memorial.

http://carlwila.ehost.com/id10.html

I think we may have been through the home town of Garth Brooks, also.

Barbara, your post was at 12:02 A.M. my time. Do you have a new question?

Anyone else?

This has been a good thread, I*Luv*Nature.