Many travel destinations around the country have been hard-hit by the sagging economy, so some hotels and recreational areas have packages to try to entice Americans "out of hibernation."

Hotels were only about two-thirds full, on average, in the second quarter this year, according to Smith Travel Research. Expedia says hotels in many popular destinations are dropping prices as a result, including those in Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, Hawaii and Myrtle Beach, S.C.. Well, that's all well and good but many people still can't afford to fly that far or drive that far right now. There is a solution because hotels in places like southern Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee are dropping their rates and there are plenty of tour packages available.

The fall season is usually defined as September through November. The kids are back in school and most families are staying home, so you won't have to battle crowds. So now is the ideal time to head to hot locales that were too expensive -- or too busy -- in the summer. Forget the economic crisis and stop pulling your hair out. We all still need a vacation. Try something just a little different and maybe much closer to home. You might like it and have some change in your pocket when you get home.

Southern Indiana

Why would anyone consider going to such an area that has so little to offer? Well, think again. Southern Indiana is located on the northern fringe of the Appalachian highlands. There are hills, hollers, creeks, rock outcrops and caves that offer beauty and enticing recreational opportunities. There are two of the most exotic resort hotels with rich histories and both newly restored in a tiny little village called, French Lick in the heart of the hill country. Within a short drive there are places to hike in rocky forests, rock climb, see caves and ride a train into the back country of southern Indiana, and recreate in and around two lakes. The hotels offer beauty, history, a casino, spas, swimming pool, golf course and restaurants for your in house pleasures. Distances: From Indianapolis, about two hours. From Louisville - 1/2 hour and from Fort Wayne about 5 hours.

Harrison - Crawford Caves. Historic Hotels and Backroads

If history and ghost towns are your interest, then head to Harrison and Crawford Counties where the first state capital of Corydon is located and where you can visit several original historic structures and the only Civil War battlefield located in Indiana. Follow the trail of Confederate General, John Hunt Morgan as he crossed the Ohio at Brandenburg, Kentucky and visit the "old town" where ghostly reminders stand in defiance of floods and tornadoes along the river front on the Kentucky side. Emerge back into Indiana and check out another ghost town at Mauckport after crossing the bridge and then head back to visit Squire Boone Caverns. (Squire Boone was the brother of the famed frontiersman, Daniel Boone. Squire was allegedly being chased by Shawnee Indians and found the cave to take refuge from his pursuers. He fell in love with the area, built a home in the rocky outcrop and brought his family to join him in the area.) There is a working grist mill, shops and a wonderful tour of the cave and lots of history here.

There are campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, horse back riding, nature parks and lots of scenery to enjoy from a drive on the backroads in Harrison and Crawford Counties. The winding hilly roads can offer a glimpse of a very different way of life. Real log cabins, old iron bridges, quiet country rivers and spectacular scenes of nature, wild and wonderful all dot the landscape along with farms and hillside homes. Wyandotte Cave, located about 16 miles west of Corydon on scenic SR 62 offers tourists a look at one of Indiana's most spectacular cave systems. There is a history of pre-historic Indians using the cave for gathering flint for tool making and a continued use by the endangered Indiana bats.

Marengo Cave offers cave tours, special kids activities, camping, and nearby Cave Country Canoes offers canoe rental and kayaking down the scenic Blue River.

Gas is a factor in everything we do these days, and traveling out west by car or by plane to visit real ghost towns may be the plan but the cash just isn't going to stretch that far so try something new, try visiting some ghostly towns deep in southern Indiana.

West Virginia - New River Gorge

If southern Indiana still isn't enough of a challenge and you already live in the small towns outside of Indianapolis or Cincinnati or even St Louis and you really need those mountain scenes and rough and ready outdoor activities, come on home, to West Virginia. It is only 6 hours from Indianapolis to Fayetteville, West Virginia, and under 5 hours from Cincinnati and 8.5 hours from St. Louis. Ok, that sounds like a lot, but think about it, take a long weekend - leave work early Thursday and fill the tank, drive through the night... let's see $4 a gallon x 20 gallon tank = $80 and if you get 30 miles to the gallon x 20 gallons= 600 miles per tank. Well, even St. Louis is a one tank trip. Expedia and Orbit have hotel discounts and rental car discounts listed on their travel website for West Virginia and hotels in Beckley and Fayetteville. Believe me, I know from experience that what you have ahead is worth the trip and no mountain scene in Colorado is more beckoning than the rich lush forested mountains that surround Charleston, Beckley and the New River Gorge.

There is skiing, snow boarding, and all the winter sports that are offered in Aspen, but why wait until winter to have fun and enjoy outdoor recreation? The New River Gorge and the Gauley River are famous for their rapids and white water rafting. Hold on, don't panic, if you are not about to set off on a rugged adventure without getting your feet wet first, (no pun intended), don't worry there is a trip for you too. There are bird watching excursions from a raft on the Upper New that are far from gut wrenching, teeth grinding, hold on to your cookies rapid travel. There are "duckies" that are one person raft/kayaks that you can paddle around in on your own to get a feel of the water and a few minor bubbles in the river. You can graduate up the ranks to more and more challenging rides and there are as many outfitters as there are rapids in the region to get you going in whatever category you fit.

If the river is only part of your goal then take a drive down to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, get a glimpse of history of the formation of the river, coal mining, railroading and the settlement of the gorge region. Then get a map, get packed and go to the edge of the parking lot and turn right heading down into the gorge where the real fun begins. There are narrow, hairpin turns, so be prepared for some unusual roads. The vistas are worth it. There are pull off areas to view the famous New River Gorge Bridge, and the rocky formations all around. There are places to pull over and park, to begin hiking into the gorge on trails that will take you to places such as the ghostly Kaymoor Mine. Yes, 800 steps down, you will find many decaying buildings, equipment, and signs that until about 45 years ago, this was an active coal mine operation. If you can make it back to the top, continue on across the bridge (the Fayette Station bridge) newly restored which was the only way across the gorge until the big New River Bridge was built in the 1970's. Then take a break in Fayetteville and enjoy the shops, the restaurants and get ready for more adventures.

West Virginia has the largest ATV trail system in the United States and one of the largest off-highway vehicle trail systems in the world. The award-winning Hatfield-McCoy Trails, open 365 days a year, offers something for every skill level. Trails range from the scenic mountain views of Pinnacle Creek, to the tight and twisting trails of Dingess Rum. Many trails connect to West Virginia's "ATV friendly towns" where visitors can grab a bite to eat and experience true Southern hospitality. This is a must do activity for the whole family.

Many outfitters in the region offer rock climbing, repelling, rafting, sell and rent equipment, camping, cabin rentals, swimming, and other resort activities on their own grounds and they take tours out into designated areas of the gorge on horse trails, ATV trails and just about anything including Zip Lines, rope courses and caving. There is such an array of outdoor recreation found in this one region that it is difficult to include everything no matter how much you write about it.

If seeing the mountains on back country mountain roads is your thing, then this is the place for you. I discovered a fantastic mountain road back in 1999 when I was there with my full size 4x4 pickup. The McKendree-Thurmond Road is a narrow, one-lane road that winds up and through the mountains taking you to places where the edge is inches from your wheels and the mountain rises up on the other side. It is two-way so be aware that you may have to find a place to pull over to allow an on-coming vehicle to pass. Thurmond is a restored ghost town that once served as a railroad station and coal mining town. The museum is open limited hours but the drive and the picture taking opportunities are well worth a trip to the town. Along this route are true mountain scenes and a place called Thayer with one remaining house still standing, although vine covered and very dilapidated condition. It is a real photo op. The whole experience of waterfalls, narrow back roads, outdoor recreation in the region makes this trip exciting and challenging for city folks and suburbanites.

Beckley, just down the road has a coal mine museum ride that will take you into a real coal mine that once produced tons of coal for sale and will allow you to experience what it must have been like for those coal miners working deep in the earth. Nearby is the Tamarack Art Center. This art center is where West Virginia's artisans shine. Their skills are on display and for sale in this unique setting. There is woodworking, paintings, crafts, weaving, culinary arts, and so much more for anyone who wants a taste of West Virginia to take with them.

The road to Fayetteville from I-77/64 is through Hawk's Nest State Park. This overlook has a vista that is absolutely spectacular. It also offers a tram ride down from the top of the rim of the gorge to the bottom where you can hop a fast ride down river. The jet boat ride is the only way you can travel back up the river and view the gorge bridge and rapids up ahead. It is fast and fantastic. Along the way, there are fishing shacks literally hanging out over the edge of the river. The $25 trip is a little expensive, but well worth it. It is just another way to enjoy your journey to the New River.

Kentucky's Blue Grass and Blue Licks

Kentucky has plenty to offer anyone coming down from Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Cincinnati or Louisville. This is a short journey to the land of Daniel Boone, Horses, Blue Grass and Blue Licks, Mountains, Coal Mines, huge rivers and man-made lakes. You don't have to go far out of Lexington to get into the country and experience the flavor of what it means to be in horse country.

The Blue Grass region is less than 20 miles from the Kentucky River, frontier history, rugged outposts and beautiful hills and mountain vistas. Kentucky is an Iroquois word which means "canelands" or "Prairie grass." It shows that the Iroquois had a vested interest in this region very early on and that interest was continued when the Shawnee poised themselves to be the only Native people to have had permanent villages and campsites in what is now Kentucky during the historic frontier era of the Mid-18th century. Kentucky is dotted with prehistoric mounds, archaeological sites that predate white settlers of the later 18th century. So why did Kentucky and West Virginia remain nearly void of Indian villages while Indian attacks in these regions was up exponentially compared to northern states such as Ohio and Indiana?

This region has a rich and complex history. The Iroquois laid claim to much of the Ohio Valley in the 17th century and challenged the Cherokee for this same region. The Cherokee had huge numbers that pushed back against the Iroquois and later the Shawnee. The region remained in limbo. The spoken and unspoken agreement was to keep everyone out of the area except to hunt and camp temporarily including all white settlers. The settlers poured into the region from Virginia right along the Warrors Path, Wilderness Road and Buffalo Trails used by the Indians. They were literally asking for trouble.

Shawnee, Miami, and others who had permanent settlements north of the Ohio continued to pursue their interests in the region and determined to drive all intruders back including Daniel Boone and his people who settled near Blue Licks on the Kentucky River at first Boonesboro and then Boone's Station. The region is dotted with forts, stations and settlements that were burned, attacked and forced into ghostly reminders of fatal attempts to cross the mountains. Once the Revolutionary War was settled, the Indians were forced to pull back to their locations north and west of the Ohio River and settlers poured into the region in ernest and began building towns and cities.

Simon Kenton was one of those early frontiersman, turned settler when he built cabins and founded a little community called Washington, just a few miles south of Maysville, Kentucky. Irish immigrants arrived and built stone walls along narrow country roads and taught slaves the skills needed to continue the practice. Today, as you drive through Blue Grass country on the back roads, you will see many remains of these walls or fences made of carefully placed stones with no mortar. These are the entry ways to miles and miles of expansive meadows and rolling hills that house the famous horses that run the races. Some of these are open to the public for special events or tours. Kentucky Horse Park has a number of museums and special events that are open especially for the public. There are loads of hotels and golf courses in the Lexington area that afford those that are here to gaze at rather than adventure into outdoor beauties.

The path on the east side of Lexington is also lined with these "slave fences," old restored taverns and an occasional sign that makes you chuckle, such as, "Horse Blanket Cleaning and Repair, Pick up and Delivery Available." Who knew I could get my horse blanket repaired?

One of the most fascinating stops along the route to Boonesborough on the Athens-Boonesboro Road was Hall's On the River. It sits literally overhanging the Kentucky River Gorge and has balcony dining where you can see the opposite side of the rocky gorge with hiking trails heading up--way up, to the top of the hill. Besides having unique cheese sauces, soups and mouth watering steaks and burgers, it has a unique history in the region. It was originally founded as "Holder's Tavern" in 1783. John Holder was a close friend of Daniel Boone's and among the rescue party that saved Boone's daughter, Jemima and the Calloway girls from their Shawnee captors in 1776. John Holder later married, Fanny Calloway, one of the young girl's taken out of their canoe on the Kentucky River, just a few miles away from Hall's. The story doesn't stop there. In 1779, when Boonesborough was being attacked by Shawnee, they set fire to some flax just outside the gates. John Holder bravely decided to go outside the gates and try to extinguish the blaze before it get out of hand.

Hall's On the River, Winchester Kentucky on the Athens-Boonesboro Road

Now, John Holder was well known for his extreme use of curse words and now was not going to be the time for him to change. He uttered every conceivable curse word in his thundering voice so that not only did the Indians hear but everyone inside the fort heard him too. When he finally made his way back inside amidst musket balls whizzing past and landing in the wood stockade, he continued his colorful array of descriptive profanity while panting, trying to catch his breath. His mother-in-law, the irrepressible Mrs. Calloway, scolded him for his crass language, saying, "It would be more becoming to pray than to swear." John Holder snapped back, "I've no time to pray-dammit," It was a moment well remembered by many.

Blue Licks - Now a Battlefield Memorial State Resort Park was near the last Shawnee Village Eskippakithiki, (actually located on the Lower Blue Licks east of Boonesboro.) The state park is on the upper Blue Licks where the Shawnee defeated the Americans under Daniel Boone, one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War Era. The fight for Kentucky and to drive the settlers out continued for some time after this. The battle here was fought in 1782.

Given the gas prices, the shaky economy and life's everyday problems, everyone needs a break. These trips are just a taste of adventure, beauty, nature and a way to make a vacation out of perhaps a region that you had not thought of as a hot vacation spot. It may not be the Rockies but the Appalachian frontier has its own treasured worth. While you might catch "gold" fever going west, you might get "Almost Heaven in West Virginia." Happy Trails.

For more information on travel to the back country go to www.backcountrytraveler.com

There are always different shows and performances that you can see. There are various singing and dancing groups. The diving show is always a crowd pleaser. You can hear a story being told by Santa Clause himself. The music shows vary from country, to gospel, to oldies, and even karaoke. You are sure to be entertained and have a few laughs no matter what show you decide to see.

Their wooden roller coasters consist of the Raven, the Legend, and the Voyage. The Voyage roller coaster has been voted number one wooden roller coaster in the planet. It's maximum speed is 67.4 miles per hour. The Raven is the first wooden roller coaster that was built at Holiday World. It was first introduced to the world in 1995, and has been loved by thrill seekers ever since. The Raven was named the number one wooden roller coaster on the planet from the year 2000 through 2003 and has remained a Top 10 coaster ever since. It is okay to scream, but be warned, there are hidden cameras that will take your picture and everyone can see after the ride is over!

Splashin' Safari is definitely the best water park that I have ever been to. There are many different water slides to go down. There are two large wave pools. You can be lazy and float around in an inner tube in the lazy river. You can race your friends by going down the Jungle Racer and seeing your times on a large screen. You will be able to slide, splash, laugh, climb, and "monkey around" in the new Kima Bay water fun park. The Monsoon Lagoon is similar. The Bahari is a larger wave pool with less intense waves than the original wave pool. The Zinga is a large slide where up to four people can ride in the same tube. You are in an enclosed slide, until you are slung into the large funnel. It is so much fun! The Zoombabwe, Watubee, the Bamboo Chute, and the Amazoom are other fun water slides. With the Otorongo, you have your choice of slides: the Oto, the Ron, or the Go.

The Raging Rapids and the Frightful Falls are two rides that will get you wet and cool you off outside of the Splashin' Safari. The Rapids will seat your eigtht and will take you around a little town that is full of suprises! The Frightful Falls is a log ride that goes up high, and drops you fast. Be sure to smile; your picture is taken in the middle of the fall. You will definitely get wet in both of these rides.

The Liberty Launch is like the reverse of other theme park's Hellevator. In the launch, hydrolics launch you up high into the sky. Paul Revere's Midnight Ride looks like a large spider or octopus. Your cart will spin in circles as you go around, up, and down. The Scarecrow Scrambler is a similar ride, but it does not go up and down. You can bump into someone you know, in the Rough Riders bumper cars, that is! There are also bumper boats. There are many different rides for the little ones to enjoy as well.

Be sure to visit one of the many gift shops. Hungry? You have many options of food, from Mexican, to pizza, to burgers, to chicken strips, dippin dots, funnel cakes, ice cream cones, and just about everything else you could crave.

Thrills, chills, sun, and fun: that is what you can expect by going to Holiday World. There is fun for the entire family, no matter what age or interests. There are shows, roller coasters, trains, the Holidog, rides, water, and yesSanta himself. The only thing missing is you! There are lifeguards and slide attendants on duty at all time for your safety. All of this fun, for one low price. What is better than that?! So what are you waiting for? Come on down to Santa Claus, Indiana and visit Holiday World and Splashin' Safari.

Indiana Beach is a reasonably priced place to take your family for a day of fun and relaxation. When you first get there, you will get to walk across a cool suspension bridge. You can choose from over thirty rides including six roller coasters. There is also a water park and a sand beach. Indiana Beach also has a haunted house, games, and unique shops that have gifts and souvenirs. If you get hungry there are food stands and two restaurants located right on the property.

Looking for a place to stay in Monticello? There are hotels and cottages to rent. Indiana Beach Camp Resort and Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park are located close to Indiana Beach.

Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman are two manmade lakes in Monticello. If you like to fish you can possibly catch bass, wipers, catfish, carp, crappies, and bluegills. On lake Shafer you can ride on the Shafer Queen and do some sightseeing. The Madam Carroll is located on Lake Freeman. You can listen to live music and dance on a large dance floor as you ride around the lake.

Monticello also offers three golf courses to choose from: Pine View, Tippecanoe Country Club, and Hollow Acres. If you want to watch a movie there are two places to go. Twin lakes Cinema and a drive-in theater with two screens.

There are several stores, gift shops, antique shops, and a winery. Monticello also has several fast food places and restaurants. The restaurants provide Greek, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, and American food just to name a few.

So if you are looking for an affordable vacation come to Monticello Indiana. There is something here for everyone.

It took me several years to overcome my fears and make my first step on USA soil. Isn't it surprising that me, being an Israeli, am not afraid to travel all over my country, to walk for my pleasure on military paths near the boarders, under the eyes of the Hezbollah, visit any mall I wish, travel by buses, but shivered only from the thought to walk on the streets of New-York City, or travel along the country?!

Well it was the time before Mayer Giuliani, when the newspapers and films covered the stories of crime all over the country, like bands of motorcycles, and the situation in New-York City, especially the underground.

After I visited the USA for the first time, on 1993, it became like a magnet to me, and I visited the USA five times more, during the years 1994 thru 2001. Each visit lasted a month. So, I can say, proudly, that I lived in the USA for a period of half a year.

I had in my mind thoughts to put on some media the descriptions of those trips.

The last trip that I and my wife took was on 2001.

We started our tour on the 23rd of September and ended it on the 17th of October, having in mind to travel the state of New-York during the "Indian Summer".

For those who have no patient to read my entire story, I can summarize in brief that the root was from Chicago through the states of Indiana, Ohio, New-York, New-Jersey, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and back to New-York City.

I always start planning our trips several months ahead. As the USA is so convenient for the tourists, I manage to plan for each day the places to visit and places to stay for the night. We find Super8, Best Western and Comfort Inn to be chains of perfect motels for our needs. I start my planning by marking on the map the places were those motels are, and I build the plan of the day to drive no more then 150 miles, because my back pains.

We booked our flying tickets on July 2001 to take off on the 23rd of September. Then happened "September 11". After we recovered from our shock, we decided that it is not typical for us, being Israelis, to cancel such a trip. Our family members and friends tried to prevent us from going to the USA in such a time. Now I felt for the first time the hesitations of those who want to come to Israel. But from our experience we knew that such terror activity cannot take place again too soon.

I myself felt that I have to "support" the American people with their grief and shock, after the long years they supported my people.

We passed much stressed days because all the flights to the USA were canceled, but we were lucky that several days before the 23rd of September, the flights were renewed.

So, the happy day came and we started our trip, flying with Lufthansa to Frankfurt to continue with them to Chicago.

I don't know how other people manage to sleep the night before the flight or during the flight. We slept very little, if any, before the flight, as the flight was due to take of at 5AM and we should be at the airport 3 hours before embarking the plain, because of the Israeli severe security check up. We couldn't also get some sleep during the flight because we were excited and worried about our connection. It was one hour interval between landing and taking off in Frankfurt, and according to the captain's announcement we were half an hour late. As the plain landed we rushed to the appropriate gate and to our astonishment we found ourselves in a long line. Immediately we felt at home: severe security check up! As it was only a few days after the renewal of the flights to the USA, the checkers did their job very slowly and according to the questions they asked one could feel the embarrassment of the security guys.

At last, after one hour delay we found ourselves in the air. The flight was very convenient, and after 8 hours we landed at the international terminal of Chicago airport. We were asked only about our purpose of coming, we got a tourist visa for 6 months, and we rushed on our way to our hotel, one of the Travelodge chain.

Chicago.

We woke up in the morning after sleeping some hours, with the known feeling of jet lack. The sun greeted us as a familiar friend. We liked the city from the first moment, almost like San-Francisco, the city we like most in the USA. It is a pleasure wandering through its streets especially the Michigan Ave with its lot of street sculptures. Where else can you take a picture with President Abraham Lincoln or ride an ox? In the back of my head I could hear Frank Sinatra singing his famous song about Chicago being his home town.

We stayed 5 days in this charming city, visiting all its recommended high-lights.

We were lucky to experience a very special exhibition in the Art Institute: pictures of Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh side by side, painting the same view or subjects. Such a case you can meet once in a life time!

We enjoyed, free of charge, two concerts for the public, one in St. James Cathedral and the other at the Cultural Center.

We couldn't visit two of the sites we planned: The Sears tower and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The authorities were so confused because of September 11, that they forbade non authorized people to visit those very tall buildings!

We wanted to visit a zoo located in Brookfield, which was highly recommended in tour books but we had some difficulties to get information how to reach there. I almost gave up, but finally I bumped into a tourist information office on Michigan Ave, where I learnt how to reach Brookfield by train, and than by bus.

Traveling by the train was an opportunity to see a bit of Chicago vicinity.

Well, it was worthwhile to visit that zoo. The animals live there in huge cages. One gets the impression that someone wanted to give the animals the feeling of living in their natural habitat. My wife enjoyed the zoo so much, especially the big monkeys

(usually she doesn't like much the look of animals), that it caused her to look for more zoos along our trip.

In the morning of the fifth day we walked to the Hertz agency office to pick up a car we rented in Israel. I enjoy very much driving American's cars, being so huge and convenient. I always rent a car that has a cruse control. My wife says that driving an American car is so simple and convenient because you need only to hold the wheel with your hands and put a match in each eye to hold your eyes open.

I don’t know why, but I wanted very much to get this time a Ford Taurus, and you can imagine my excitement getting to the agency and found a big white Ford Taurus waiting for me. I asked for instruction how to operate the handle gear stick, because it was connected to the wheel and not to the floor, as I'm used to, and the man in service thought that I came from some other planet, not knowing to operate such a simple element…

Overfilled with joy we drove back to our hotel to pick our language and started our way out of Chicago. I cannot avoid mentioning the wonderful service of the AAA by providing guide books and maps. I cannot imagine a successful trip without their guide facilities. I also want to praise the excellent roads and guiding signs, which make the driving in the USA a "piece of cake". A local person who is born to such a system cannot appreciate it like an outsider.

Indiana.

We drove through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. At the visitor center we viewed a nice audiovisual program about the history of the lake and its shores and drove towards South Bend. There we visited Copshaholm, the Oliver mansion. A very impressive house, owned by the man who built a factory of agriculture machines. Besides the large building, there is a smaller one, typical house of the workers. As a Polish born, I was surprised to learn that all the area was populated by immigrants from Poland, and the worker's home is called Dom Robotnika.

We found a nice restaurant for dinner, where one of the waiters, explained to us how to reach the S. Ray Miller Antique Auto Museum near Elkhart.

We visited several such museums during our traveling in the USA, but this museum was the biggest and the richest. One can roam hours among sparkling antique cars, and watching puppets in and beside the cars, dressed with clothes of the appropriate period.

The USA is a "young" nation comparing to Israel, and such a museum symbolizes to me the efforts the American do to preserve their history in every discipline.

While driving to our booked motel, we met strange horse carriages; we recognized them as belonging to the Amish, according to pictures we've seen in the past. We took photos of them, while driving. Later on we learnt that they are not allowed to be photographed, so, I apologize!

That night we spent at the Best Western Angola Inn.

Ohio.

We started that morning visiting the Historic Sauder Village in Archbold.

Entering the ticket office, the lady in charge noticed that we are foreigners. She was so pleased to hear that we came from Israel at such a time, that she wanted to raise the Israeli flag, in favor of us. We refused, because, as Israelis, we have instructions not to be outstanding, and we kept this advice, even while being in the USA.

It was nice to walk through all the rooms describing the early life of the American craftsmen learning about antique tools and clothing. The most attracting part to my wife was the doll room. It was hard to pool her from this charming room.

Our next station was the museum of art of Toledo. It has a very impressive collection of art and we enjoyed very much to watch all the collections.

I planned a relaxation day before continuing our trip, and I choose to make it in Port Clinton, being on the Lake Erie shore, and in the honor of the name "Clinton", which for me as an Israeli means a lot!

So, we stayed two nights at Best Western Port Clinton. Again, we had a very warm welcome from the lady manager, telling us that we, the Israelis, traveling at this time in the USA, prove to her how to continue with regular life, beside all the troubles!

In the morning we took a ferry to the Put-in-Bay Island, and we had a very charming morning. The rest of the time was dedicated to resting.

Our first station, on the next day, was the Health Museum of Cleveland. How often have you the luck to wander alone in a museum? I didn't ever visit such an interesting museum! The most impressive experience was traveling inside a huge tooth, learning from the inside about its structure.

The next station was, of course, the Cleveland Zoo. We passed nearby a group of Amish people, dressed in their typical closes, who visited the zoo, and we pretend to take photos of ourselves, but focused on them. Forgive us again!

We crossed the "border" to Pennsylvania and slept at Super8 Motel Erie.

New-York state.

We were excited to get near the area where the "Indian Summer" prevails. As my wife once said:" traveling that area is jumping from one picture into another"!

Crossing the border to New-York state we reached a charming little town with a bold sign: Public Library. One of the tourists' privileges in the USA is using the internet in the public libraries conveniently and free of charge. For the local citizens it is so obvious, that they cannot appreciate it. We wrote home calming messages to our family.

When I am in the USA, I mainly watch two TV channels: the weather channel and Fox News. On an evening bulletin they told the public that because lack of tourists in New-York City, there are excellent deals for those who want to get an hotel there.

So we also checked the deals on the Internet and there was nothing attractive. Our reservation was still cheaper than all the "deals".

The old rule prevails: never believe what they want to "sell" you on the news media!

We drove along the shore of Chautauqua Lake towards Corning.

My language is too poor to describe the delight feeling to be in the NW of the USA during the "Indian Summer". Better writers than me did it a lot. I can only wish everybody to experience it.

Corning - a charming little town – was our next stop. There we visited the Corning glass center. Walking through magnificent pieces of glass art, one cannot avoid wondering how people developed the glass industry and the secret of producing such wonderful and delicate pieces of art. There is so much creativity in each model!

One cannot avoid adoring the skills like patience, punctiliousness, delicate and strong muscles that the manufacturer needs!

That night we stayed at Super8 Motel Corning.

The next day was dedicated to travel through the Finger Lakes. We started with a delightful walking along the scenic glen in the Watkins Glen State Park. At noon we visited the Rose Hill Mansion, admiring its Greek revival style and charming furnished rooms. At the afternoon we walked again in a glen and admired the Taughannock falls near Ithaca. At night we stayed at Super8 motel Binghamton.

Next morning driving on route 88 we reached Howes Cave. The uniqueness of this stalactites and stalagmites cave is that it is very deep. You go down by elevator, and then you tour it by a rowboat. Our "sailor" must have been the most bored man on earth, as it was reflected on the look on his face, and his explanations. I wanted so much to ask him what keeps him in his "job", but, I didn't dare…

Our next goal was the Catskill Mountains. We drove the recommended roads by the AAA's map all the way to Kingston, where we stayed at Super8 Motel Kingston.

The next morning we started by crossing the Hudson River. If someone was watching us, he could, I believe, watch two strange people with open widely mouths, for a good period of time. For us, the Israelis, coming from a relatively dry area, such a huge amount of water is a miracle!

Hyde Park is a little town with several mansions and museums. We could visit only one mansion and we picked the Vanderbilt Mansion. What can I tell you?! It is good to be a millionaire, and the best is to be such one in the USA!

Wandering through the rooms and the gardens reminds you the biggest and richest palaces of the kings in Europe.

Our next visiting place was West Point. Can you imagine my excitement, being an Israeli officer, coming near the legendary place on which we heard and learnt during our training? It was a big disappointment to find it is closed to visitors because of September 11! Only family members of the young trained officers were allowed to enter the place! The only compensation we got was a very good meal in a Mexican restaurant not far away from the camp.

We made a charming visit to Bear Mountain; from its top one can see the entire Hudson valley below as far as the horizon…

That night we stayed at Best Western Nyack.

New Jersey.

We passed this state on our way to Philadelphia. The only place we visited was Edison National Historic site at West Orange. Wandering through the laboratories one cannot avoid thinking about the huge contribution this man gave to the human development!

That morning was the only raining time during our visit in the USA. Can you imagine our luck being on a tour with only two hours of rain during 25 days?

Well, coming from the Holy Land, the sun always follows us…

We found no more interesting sites to visit in NJ. What we did found, with no offend, that NJ is only a passing roads to many Americans. There were no such crowded roads in any other state! After some very long and fatigue driving hours, we reached Brooklawn, our next two days base for visiting Philadelphia. There we stayed at Days Inn.

Philadelphia.

I think there is no Israeli who did not study the early history of the USA. To me this period of time was always fascinating, and comparable to the Jewish straggle to establish our own state. So, a visit to Philadelphia is accomplishing of a childhood dream! We had a very exciting day at the Independence National Historic Park.

I couldn't avoid taking pictures with the Liberty bell.

At the evening we had a very pleasant meeting with a couple of American friends, who came especially to meet us from Wilmington, Delaware.

We became friends when we met them on a guided tour to Scotland a few years before, and our friendship keeps going on. They took us to a very unique restaurant called Ponzio's.

The food and the company were great!

The meeting with the Amish people as I described above, made us curious about them. Reading the AAA guide book, we found to our pleasure that we are not far away from the Amish land. Our former plan was to drive straight to Washington D.C., but now we decided to visit first the Amish land. It came out as an excellent decision. At the Amish village Bird-In-Hand (what a name?!) we found all the explanations we asked for. There is a tourist center explaining all about the Amish people: their foundation, believes and traditional way of life.

Full with satisfaction we drove to Washington D.C., to our reserved motel – Days Inn Alexandria. There we stayed 3 nights.

Washington D.C.

It was our third visit to this wonderful city that we like so much.

At this time we stayed in a beautiful suburb named Alexandria. My wife even found a suitable and cheap jacket at a Benetton store. Sometime you need to come to the USA in order to buy cheap and good European products!

This time we visited museums that we hadn't the chance to visit on former tours to D.C, like that for Modern Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. At the last one we had a very nice experience, listening to a great performance of Jazz at noon.

To my disappointment the botanical gardens in the city were closed.

Pennsylvania.

We faced a very interesting but emotional day. Our plan was to visit Gettysburg.

At first we visited Eisenhower National Historic site. It was surprising to learn that such a great soldier and leader had habits of a common man, sitting by the fire place or running a farm. I think that dealing with animals is much more easy then dealing with people…

In the memory of those who died in the battle of Gettysburg, I don't even dare to tell with my poor words about the place. I can only tell, that me, an Israeli officer who participated three wars, suffered again all the horror, pain and agony I felt.

May be such a war, must have happened in the history to make the American people what they are today…

It was not easy to get a room for the night at Harrisburg. After we found one in Super8 Motel Carlisle, the owner explained, that in the area there was an exhibition and motor race of old cars, occasionally happening once a year in those days. As he told us that all the roads will be crowded we canceled our plan to visit the famous chocolate factory, Hershey.

New-York City.

Next day we drove all the way to New-York City. Lucky enough, we were advised by a tourist information office, in NJ, that there was only one open way to enter NY City, by the Lincoln tunnel. The Holland tunnel was closed to the public because the works in ground zero.

It took us two hours to cross the tunnel because of the heavy traffic.

Can you imagine how happy I was to return the car after more then 4000 miles?!

It was our third visit to NY City. This time we stayed in a booked apartment in Greenwich Village. I don't know why, but the city looked to me quite different this time.

The buildings were not so high; visiting Time Squire was not so exciting…

We stood 2 hours in the line to buy tickets to the Loin King musical, but left the line when we found out that the price was 92$ per ticket!

We enjoyed very much staying in Greenwich Village. It is not at all as NY we met on previous visits.

We also enjoyed wandering in the near neighborhoods, like Chelsea.

A couple of friends from Long Island, with whom we traveled together in Lapland, invited us to dinner in a restaurant. Although the table was booked before, it took a long time until one table was vacant. Well, it seemed that the New-Yorkers were coming back to themselves…

We took the subway to Brooklyn. We walked on the charming streets of Brooklyn Heights, and then we faced very emotional scenery – in the promenade facing ground zero, many lighted candles and wreaths of flowers in the memory of the innocent victims…

Such an end of the visit to USA reminded us more than anything the place we are going back…