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Places a gamer should visit
Jesman
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey guys!
So since my frist try for this thread was in the wrong forum, didn't know that SE++ is like 4chan, I hope i get wome better answers here
My wife and I are planning our USA vacation for 2013.
Are there any places, events etc. you could recommend that gamer should visit while in the USA?
What do you think every gamer should have seen or done, at least once in his life?
And to be clear, we are not planning our vaction arround gamer things, but it might be cool to do something like that.
So since my frist try for this thread was in the wrong forum, didn't know that SE++ is like 4chan, I hope i get wome better answers here
My wife and I are planning our USA vacation for 2013.
Are there any places, events etc. you could recommend that gamer should visit while in the USA?
What do you think every gamer should have seen or done, at least once in his life?
And to be clear, we are not planning our vaction arround gamer things, but it might be cool to do something like that.
Jesman on
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Posts
Manitou Springs, Colorado is home to one of the coolest "Arcades" I have ever been to.
There are multiple buildings with everything from 1950's to Current Day stuff.
I easily lost an entire day here and it is the best touristy videogame experience I've had in the US.
And Colorado is cool anyway, so it's worth it to stop and check out Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak, pan for gold, swim in the hot springs, etc etc etc.
I don't know how much video game tourist stuff there is do in the US. Oh, the Smithsonian has an Art of Video Games exhibit currently, though I don't know how long it'll be around. It's been going a few months already.
Like, really really big.
I think it would be a good idea to tell everyone where you are planning to go and then everyone will be able to give you recommendations around your trip route.
But to follow up on someone else's point, the U.S. is much bigger than most Europeans realize. We're going to need to know what part of the States you're going to be in.
It's touring for the next few years, and has a bunch of other links and programs.
But yeah, OP. Need to know what state(s) you'll be visiting. If you haven't checked, we're about 13,937 km long, and 2,450 km tall. States vary a lot in size.; Texas is 696,241 km², and Rhode Island is 3,140 km².
Pinball hall of fame is totally boss, I was shocked at how much fun I had there and for how long (I'm not much of an enthusiast, but I've been known to flip a paddle or two).
But if you're looking for a great gaming-related event in the US to plan a vacation around... I mean, have you thought about going to PAX Prime or East?
http://machinegunsvegas.com/
While there you can hit some fallout:NV spots.
http://www.falloutnewvegastour.com/
I host a podcast about movies.
We don't have much fixed stations yet, we will definitly go to Orlando to visit a colleague. We want to go to New York City and Boston. On the othersite we will visit Las Vegas and Death Valley, L.A. seems also nice. If we go arround PAX we will be in Seattel. But in general we are aiming for big Cities. And also those are cities everybody know and that's why I'm asking for some advice to maybe visit some cities/places a regular european tourist woudn't. Visiting a game studio would be great, but I don't think it is that easy to get a tour
I feel bad about the SE++ thread, so i'm gonna try and atone for it here. I'm from Orlando, lived here my whole life. Here is what I would recommend to a tourist from someone who has done most everything.
The theme park experience is great, but leaving the area can be very tricky and dangerous if you want to explore the city. Most of the nice parts of town have a massive area of poverty and crime between them and the theme parks, so unless you have a specific destination picked out stick to the interstate system to travel around the area, crowded through it may be. The last thing you want is to be lost on Orange Blossom Trail or in Parramore.
The parks themselves are great, but I would suggest focusing upon Universal's Islands of Adventure, Disney's MGM Stuidos and Pleasure Island, and Bush Gardens (In Tampa, about 2 hours away by car) as the parks to visit over the rest. Islands of Adventure is filled with a lot of great rides and experiences, from Jurassic Park to Harry Potter to Superheroes from Marvel and DC comics. Disney's MGM Studios has rides and shows based upon Star Wars and Indiana Jones, among other things. Bush Gardens is half zoo half theme park with a ton of amazing rides.
The other parks are also great, though I would suggest avoiding Sea World unless you really, really like to see aquatic animals. Bush Gardens pulls the zoo part off better and all of the other parks have better water parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach and Wet and Wild are better water attractions by far).
As far as things beyond the theme park, Kennedy Space Center is a neat day trip, it's about an hour from the theme parks and is a neat way to see a lot of great information about space flight in the real world. Definitely bring a swim suit and hit Cocoa Beach while you are in the area, it's a lovely beach most times of the year, if a bit cluttered by themed stores (such as Ron-Jons Surf, an internationally acclaimed surfboard company that has become something of a huge mall these days).
Along International Drive, near the theme parks, are quite a few attractions like Wonder Works that offer interactive game experiences. While somewhat targeted to those who do not play games often, it can be a fun day trip. Several large anime, games, and comic conventions are held regularly in the Orlando Area (Megacon, for instance). If you plan on checking out that sort of scene it could be a fun thing to do, especially if you plan on staying around International Drive anyhow).
In the City of Orlando, downtown there is a thriving night life, if that's your thing. There is also a very large Science Center that holds rotating exhibits on a monthly basis which can be a fun thing to visit. A little ways north is the little town of Winter Park which offers a lovely main street with lots of high end retail, clothing, and very great food. All of these are pretty pricey, but if you want a very nice dinner it can be a good place to visit.
If you have time to range out a bit, St. Augustine is about 3 hours north of Orlando along a very straight forward highway system, and offers a fun day trip where you can see the fortress and a recreation of the first European city in the Americas. Several museums and tours are available in the area, along with many nice beaches if you want to hit the coast while you are here. If you are a naturalist, you could also venture south to the Everglades though I would suggest visiting Miami instead if that is a goal.
THINGS TO AVOID : Gatorland, Funspot, Old Town, and most every non-International Drive or Major theme park. There are many many scams out there. Also: be sure to stay at a reputable hotel. The cheap ones and the ones out in the sticks are notorious rip offs with bad conditions. I would very much suggest paying out a bit more money to stay on International Drive, Gaylord Palms, or at the Theme Parks themselves. The hotels will be more expensive, but they will be experiences in and of themselves, especially at the Disney Hotels (which are very very nice).
FLORIDA WEATHER IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU TRAVEL. Florida is called the sunshine state, but Central Florida (the Orlando Area) is the lightning capital of the world. Most every day between May and December there are sudden, high intensity thunderstorms that roll through the region between noon and sunset. Most times these are less than an hour long, but planning for them is critical. Florida is also very hot, but more importantly very very humid. Be prepared to sweat buckets, especially if you are coming from Europe. The weather can also be difficult to adjust to if you are unused to the moisture. Just take it easy and drink lots of fluids. The winter is mild, but also typically dyer with occasional fronts that make everything dreary and damp with persistent mild rain. Weather can range significantly here, but these are the things to expect. Hurricanes are very rare in Orlando, with only 3 in 100 years hitting us and two of those being in the early 2000s. While something to watch out for, the city is built to withstand them and I wouldn't worry too much about them.
If you plan on traveling in Orlando beyond the theme parks, you need to rent a car. Cab service here is very limited and you cannot expect to flag one down from your location. Most cabs require you call ahead and request one come to you, a process which can take a while and can be very expensive. Orlando is VERY SPREAD OUT. The city region is one of the largest cities in the world by area, though not by population. The Greater Orlando Area is almost 90 miles north to south, and 40 east to west. The bus system is reliable but very slow and very crowded. Renting a car is the way to go if you plan to venture out here.
There is no subway or underground here. The rail system is limited to one rail that does not offer daily trips (though a new rails system to do that is currently under construction and will be finished in 2014, though again in a single route between Daytona and Orlando).
Do not fill up gas within 10 miles of the airport. Gas prices are often double or triple those of the rest of the town. At the time of this post average gas prices here are about $3.20 per gallon, around the airport they are about $6.75. Fill up in town before you return your rental car and save some money.
That's about all I can think of at the moment. If you have any Orlando specific questions feel free to send me a PM.
Thanks your post was really great! I didn't know that there that much Theme Parks near Orlando, I only knew about Disney World but can't figure out if I should visit it, because Disney Land Paris really sucked for me.
We are defnitily gonna rent a car, because we want to be flexible. And thanks for the things we should avoid, every site and every book always tells you where you should go but only a few list the areas you shouldn't go.
Also thanks for the info about the weather conditions, I did no thatthe air was very humid but I didn't know about the thunderstorms.
I think in will investigate on the whole theme parks arround Orlando now
I can give more on NYC when i get home, i was born and raised here and moved back about two years ago.