Comment by MDWolinski | Hacker News Reader

Comment by MDWolinski | Hacker News Reader

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As an avid traveler, I disagree with your assessment. Yes, there are definitely things that are very similar in all places, particularly as western companies take over the world (much to my disappointment).

However, if you get away from the "tourist" spots, every place is unique and does offer something interesting to experience.

My wife and I were driving back to our rental in France from someplace and stopped for lunch at the only restaurant we could find in the little town in the middle of I have no idea where we were. Very little English spoken (we don't speak French, but can manage with a few words and technology) and had a very enjoyable meal and a little sightseeing in this small town.

Not saying that everyone enjoys that kind of thing, but if someone travels to Paris, for example, and has their sights only set on the popular things, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc. They're missing so much more to the city. Yes, certainly plan on seeing what's popular because that's why you went there, but also spend at least half the time exploring the little gems that every city offers that unique to it.

And for the love of everything, don't eat at places you can eat at home every meal just because you know it.

I'd agree - once I get outside of a major US city, and get into Tier II and Tier III cities, and then into rural america with its small towns, I find a whole wealth of experiences that I just.. cant get otherwise.

Sometimes they're vibrant little untouched spots on the map - sometimes they're little dried up outposts of humanity, with some grand buildings left as testament that people once believed this place would prosper, and that there was money here at some point.

It's something I've always wondered at - you go out to rural america, there are a ton of small towns with really grand buildings in them, clear evidence that there was capital there at one point - and now its all gone - where and why did it go? The when is obvious usually, the other two, not as much. Thats an aside however.

I'll defend eating at the familiar when tired or worn out, but I do suggest trying the local color, you never know what you'll find out there - it might be good or bad, but it will almost certainly be memorable.

Can you hit those spots if you're not white?

Yes, I think so anyhow, a significant portion of rural america, particularly in the south is racially diverse - either with a significant minority population, or majority minority.

In the South, its (depending on where) Black folks, in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, its Hispanic.

The fact that I see mexican/hispanic restaurants and groceries, in rural america (even in the south) tells me the world is changing.

Which, again, is another reason why I'm not exactly thrilled by most travel. So much of the world is evolving into a hodgepodge of various cultures. There's nothing wrong with this, of course. It's just that it's going to mean that, for me, going to experience cultures that already exist in my backyard really doesn't add much to my life. And maybe that's from my particular standpoint of living in Southern California, where we've got a little bit of Mexico, a little bit of Asia, a little bit of African American culture, a little Armenian... I'm sure I'm missing a few. And of course we've got our share of farmland and the ethnicity that are stereotypical with that.

So if rural America is gradually becoming that way, and thereby the rest of the world following suit, I guess the reason to travel would be to experience different cultures before they effectively come to us all (or disappear all together in some cases). But that's really more curiosity than anything else, like visiting a traveling museum exhibit that has a limited run.

If you're not actively in a sundown town, it's perfectly fine and safe to visit regardless of your ethnicity. The experience is often eye opening.

Imo there should be a cultural exchange program where you students in cities and send them to rural schools for a semester and vice versa via exchanges. It's important to the American experience to be able to understand both worlds if we are going to continue to coexist in a union.

I've long felt the same - the military used to be this, used to do this - its part of why we had such an era of tranquility politically post WWII - you had a large number people with a shared experience who came back from war, and who were willing to work together.

I've long believed in some form of mandatory national service, just to encourage this - it would also decrease the risk for military adventurism if the military was a broader cross-section of society.

There used to be something like that, and I'm not sure whether it still exists. My father's family housed an exchange student, a Black girl from another part of America, and later a girl from Norway (I think). Of course this wasn't specific to cultural exchange within America in particular, but it wasn't to the exclusion of American students.

However, I must admit I may be wrong in my interpretation of this, and now I want to ask my dad again next time I see him.

It is a great idea, nevertheless.

In my experience as an Asian American, yes but very uncomfortably.

I'm not against eating at familiar places for the exact reason you give. Even to experience how a McDonald's, for example, makes cultural adjustments to their menu (ie Beer on the menu).

Of course, there was that time after a long drive, we stopped at KFC in France because my wife loves their mashed potatoes. KFC in France does not have mashed potatoes and I ate undercooked chicken which kept me in bed for almost a week (we were there for 5 weeks, so luckily were able to absorb that downtime).

Not to dissuade anyone from travel. ;-)

The way I interpreted their post was that yes, there are differences, but are they really that different when one takes a step back? The answer to that is going to be a deeply personal one, which is why I agree w/ both of you although my personal mentality is closer to the one they cite.

As an example, one thing I do enjoy is finding and visiting quirky little museums. The sort that might only be a couple of rooms worth of items. By nature each one is a new experience for me. But if I take a more abstract view I could say "I'm just looking at another quirky little museum".

Yes this is also my 'experience'. In my younger days I spend years backpacking on a budget with only a rough outline of where to go.

To me traveling isn't about visiting different places. It is about opening up to the unexpected. Something we don't do so easily when following an itinerary.

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