Views #528 | Intermediate 5

U.S. Travel Tips

Tres talk about when to visit the U.S.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Tres	Todd

Todd: So Tres, lots of people might want to know when is the best time to visit the United States season-wise. What would you recommend to somebody that might go to America?

Tres: Definitely the best time is in the fall part of the year: end of August through end of November, beginning of December. The reason why is because the weather is beautiful. You have blue skies almost every day. There’s not too much rain, no tornadoes or hurricanes that come through, and the weather is just generally cool and pleasant. On top of that you have the amazing food that’s associated with the fall months and the holidays also take place then. For example, Halloween, we go door to door trick-or-treating, receive a lot of candy. There’s also Thanks Giving, where many families cook the traditional turkey. Some other families have chop-suey, what have you, and there’s also the tofu-turkey.

Todd: Tofu turkey.

Tres: Yeah, tofu-turkey.

Todd: Have you had tofu-turkey?

Tres: I’ve never had a tofu-turkey but I’ve only heard about it. I went to a little arts college where there were only a few meat-eaters.

Todd: Oh

Tres: I always heard about it.

Also in the fall it’s a great time to visit the out doors in the United States. You have fall foliage. Especially if you’re in the New England States, where the mountains are just “on fire” with the oranges and yellows.

Todd: Yeah, it’s nice. Nice time of year. OK, and any other season you think is a good time to visit? So the fall’s really good.

Tres: I think the fall’s great. It also depends on personal preference. If one really likes the summer atmosphere, then of course going to New York or the West Coast in the summer time is great. You can visit the beaches. If you like skiing, of course winter is great, if you go to any of the Rocky Mountain States. Colorado for example, you can really take advantage of the snow out there. Great powder.

Todd: Have you traveled much in the United States?

Tres: Ever since I was a child, I’d get in the car and travel with my parents. We’d drive from OKlahoma to New York, or down south to the Pacific Northwest. Almost every single state. Maybe five, six states that I haven’t visited.

Todd: OK sounds good. Thanks Tres.

Tres: Thank you.

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

season-wise

Lots of people might want to know when is the best time to visit the United States season-wise.

The best time to visit 'season-wise' is the referring to the best season to visit in terms of weather at that time. Notice the following:

Season-wise, the summer is my favorite, but my favorite month is December.
He was not appropriately dressed season-wise. You do not wear shorts in the winter.

the fall months

The amazing food that’s associated with the fall months.

The months that are part of autumn or fall. In the northern hemisphere, these are September, October and November. Notice the following:

The weather is the best during the fall months, especially when the leaves change color.
You need to wear a sweater at night during the fall months.

door to door

For example, Halloween, we go door to door trick-or-treating.

To go from 'door to door' means to travel from one house to the next, knocking on doors. Children in the United States do this on Halloween to get lots of candy. Notice the following:

He rode his bicycle to go door to door more quickly.
Instead of calling customers, the salesman preferred to go door to door.

what have you

Some other families have chop-suey, what have you, and there’s also the tofu-turkey.

'What have you' is used to refer to a number of other options that don't need to be mentioned to make a point. Notice the following:

The room was full of garbage, candy wrappers and what have you.
The house was beautifully decorated with expensive rugs, large mirrors and what have you.

foliage

In the fall it’s a great time to visit the outdoors in the United States. You have fall foliage.

'Foliage' refers to plants, trees, bushes or things with leaves. Notice the following:

The foliage outside her house is so thick that she can't see her neighbor's house.
There was a lot of foliage growing around the old building.

Vocabulary Quiz

season-wise • months • door
have you • foliage

, this is the worst time to visit the northern part of the country.
You will probably spend most of your winter inside the house.
My grandfather was a to door salesman when he was younger.
In the winter you can see the highway, but in the summer there is too much and you can't see anything.
We always have a lot of food at family parties, like meat, potatoes and what .