Well, it's quiet around here these days. I wonder if anyone else will even see this message...

Sorry I haven't been on this forum much lately. The last few months have been taken over by music plus interruptions from real life. But I'm hoping to play more go during 2024.

It looks like I can get to the US Go Congress for the first time ever next July. And if I'm coming half way round the world, I should stay a few weeks and see a bit more of America.

I haven't set an itinerary yet. If you're anywhere in the US and would like to meet up during July or August, or suggest things for me to see and do, just let me know and I'll figure out if I can make it work. After chatting with people here for years, it would be nice to meet some of you in the flesh!

Gelezen en goedgekeurd

Thanks Knotwilg (and thanks Google Translate)!

I know this isn't close to home for you. Don't suppose you feel like visiting Portland too?

Being on the west coast, you can experience a lot of nice things just traveling north (to the Seattle area) and south (to California).

But there's also a lot to experience just in Oregon. The beaches are wonderful and unique (the film The Goonies was filmed at Cannon Beach). Mt. Hood is one of the few places (only place?) in the US where you can downhill ski into the summer. There are dense forests with a lot of ecological diversity, and even a desert. And then within Portland, you can experience Powell's bookstore, Voodoo doughnuts, etc. There's a huge homeless and drug problem in Portland, which has been the case for a long time.

No I just responded to your existential message

Enjoy the West Coast!

Thanks mhlepore. I mustn't ever go skiing. With my level of physical coordination, it would be somewhere between a comedy dance routine and a suicide attempt. But forests sound good :-) And Powell's is famous even here in Australia. Not sure I like the sound of Voodoo doughnuts, but I might be brave and try one.

A couple of weeks? You'll need a budget. Pleanty of art, science, recreation. You just need to tell us where your interests are. There is a train that links Seattle/Portland/San Francisco but it's not like any train in Europe (or possibly Australia): old equipment, inconvenient schedules, lousy food. But you can use it to get to the larger cities and rent a car on the other end. Your libraries might have well-stocked travel sections for the Pacific Northwest and those books might lead you to dozens of yootoobs channels. The big cities are interesting, yes, but the soul of the Northwest lies in the small coastal towns, the inland mountain ranges, and, going further east, the plains and deserts on the way to Idaho, Nevada, Utah.

Art, science and recreation are all good :-) Recreation for me is usually indoors not outdoors. I'm a go player, not a surfer! Shopping means books and music, not clothes and shoes. I must try not to spend all my money in bookshops. Walking is good in moderation. Also meeting interesting people, sharing food and drink. And I'll keep a lookout for the soul of the Northwest!