Know where to go?
I guess I am an even bigger snob that I thought!
Steven and I simultaneously decided we need a vacation yesterday. But I started spurting out places like Australia, Austria, and Egypt. And I even said “Maybe we should go to the library and look at books about England, Scotland and Ireland!”
Then he said, “Why don’t we stick to the US?”
Hmm… none of my fantasy vacations have taken place in the US! I don’t even know where to begin! I did pull out my copy of 1000 Places to See Before You Die – US & Canada for ideas, but it’s so specific. I’m not sure if that’s the best place to start.
So, it’s time for your suggestions! We don’t want the trip to be 100% educational (so no Washington D.C.), but more recreational (I guess) and relaxing. I already asked, and Walt Disney World is out of the question. We’re both especially interested in California or the New England area, but not anywhere super hot and humid (so maybe we should go to Canada!). Any tips or ideas?
Themocracy
CALIFORNIA!!! If you go to San Francisco or San Diego or any of the other bay areas, it stays pretty cool. Usually no higher than the 70’s (although it didn’t even get that hot for us!). It’s dry there too, I was quite surprised. Let me & E know if you need ideas. 🙂 (the San Diego zoo is supposed to be world-famous and they have a baby panda there!)
Seattle is pretty awesome. 😉 But you have to wait until August or September when the weather improves. Also, Vancouver is cool. BUT I am a big fan of the Oregon Coast and of the beaches in California. It really depends on if you are looking for a quiet getaway or a rowdy time.
If you’re set on New England, might I suggest Cape Cod and then driving up the coast to Maine? However, if you’re looking for a more active vacation, why not some place like Keystone or Breckenridge CO. I’ve been there in the summer and it’s really phenomenal. Then, you could get a little urban fun in by staying a night or two in Denver.
Northern California is gorgeous and usually has moderate temperatures. It’s the one place in the U.S. that I get excited about visiting. I am much more of an international travel person, too.
This time of year, everywhere is hot in the US. And if you don’t like crowds, most places will be overrun with tourists.
If you can wait a bit ’til the heat and crowds die down, I would recommend a trip across southern Utah… Goblin Valley, Moab and Dead Horse Point and Arches National Park, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon, Zion… amazing, beautiful stuff. I’ve been several times and want to go back!
If you must go now, and want to see California, I’d agree with Diane… San Francisco is a great choice. San Diego is great too… especially if you head north to La Jolla and Carlsbad along the coast.
We’re sticking to the US this year, too. I highly recommend Boston and Maine, where we just got back from. I don’t know if I’d do it in the summer because of the crowds, heat, and humidity, but maybe early fall?
I wanted to go to Northern CA this year, to see more of San Francisco and some of the surrounding areas (redwoods, Winchester mystery house, etc.) but Scott nixed it in favor of Boston and Maine.
In October we’re heading south, when it’s hopefully a little cooler, to take a road trip through Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Williamsburg, Louisville, and Chattanooga.
CALI! I LOVE San Fransico. For my honeymoon we drove from SF to San Diego and it was a lot of fun – lots to do and see….or…how about NEW YORK (wink, wink)!
ps…i have a travel book on Cali if you need to borrow it :o)
My first recommendation is also one that Dave2 recommends… Southern Utah. It’s kind of in my backyard (if you call a 4 hours drive south “in my backyard) and having been to all places but Zions, it’s really wonderful. Goblin Valley is incredible. If you ever want to be someplace and hear complete and utter silence (so long as the other campers are not making noise), this is the place to be.
My other recommendation is New England, specifically Lake Champlain, VT. It’s a ferry ride and 2 hrs to Montreal Canada and the lake is very nice this time of the year. Also a fun drive coming from Mass and up into Montpellier and Burlington. It was very relaxing, at least to me it was.
Utah is amazing. I went to Capitol Reef and Arches, and would go back to those or some of the other parks I didn’t get to.
I liked Toronto a lot when I was there years ago. Also Victoria, off the coast of Vancouver.
If you do New England, you might want to think Vermont, NH, or Maine if you want to go soon. It’s pretty hot and humid right now, but it depends on weather fronts. FYI, the ocean water off Maine is pretty damn cold even in summer.
Oh yeah–you have to hold off on New England, so that you & I can go to Kyra’s art show in October!!!
There is a wonderful no-kill shelter in Kanab,Utah. It is just over the southern border of Utah and Arizona. It is called Best Friends Sanctuary. My husband took me there for a tour one year for our anniversary. They also allow guests to help out at the Sanctuary. Utah is very beautiful. We also love Colorado, Wyoming & Montana.
There really isn’t anything more relaxing than driving through the mountains. That is our favorite kind of vacation. Colorado- no humidity-no bugs. Good Luck deciding where to go.
I’ll echo diane and Dave2’s comments: if you like scenery, you can hardly go wrong visiting the various national parks in the Rocky Mountain range, generally, and the parks Dave2 mentioned specifically (I think I’ve been to all but Goblin Valley). Yellowstone National Park is humongous. And, if you’d like at least *some* education in your trip, you can do like my dad has done and integrate the tracing of the Lewis and Clark expeditionary trail into your trip…
Coastal California is always nice, but especially this time of year! Along the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1), San Diego north to L.A. (to around Seal Beach) is beautiful, and once you reach Santa Monica and head north along the road from there, it’s beautiful again too. (LAX in-between won’t be the pinnacle of your excitement, I assure you! But the In-n-Out burger a mile or so north is pretty good. 🙂 )
diane and I only got a slight taste of the mountains of California, but if you’re looking for an adventurous, scenic, long drive, the PCH between about San Luis Obispo and Monterey should do the trick. 🙂 It’s mountainous, variously foggy, mudslides and rockslides are fairly-common, and (when I was there in 2000) cell reception is spotty – all of which can make the drive feel a bit treacherous at times (the lack of guardrails on many cliffs doesn’t help). But it’s also extremely scenic and enjoyable, and not nearly as dangerous as these things suggest. 🙂 And there are quite a few cozy, quaint, touristy shops and pricey-and-delicious restaurants along the way… Definitely a drive worth taking at least once in your lifetime.
Of course, if you’re looking for the midwest with grapes and fruit and nut trees replacing corn, there’s wine country – Napa Valley…
To the north, you have Mount St. Helens and the unbelievable devastation that its last eruption in 1981 caused – and which remains even now (probably because the area around it is now a national monument and the U.S. government chose to let the area respond naturally to the disaster).
The FL keys are very nice in the winter as an escape from Chicago weather, and always scenic, but this time of year, the only thing you’d be comfortable doing is swimming!
For culture and food flavor, the French Quarter of New Orleans is hard to beat. But like the Keys, the weather will be miserable until probably at least October…
Edmonton, Canada supposedly has the world’s largest shopping mall! But I’ve been there: it feels like about 1/4 the size of the Mall of America – really, it didn’t feel much bigger than some of the malls in the far-west Chicago suburbs… But hey – Mall of America is big, fun, and Minnesota has comfortable weather this time of the year. 🙂
Or how about an Alaskan cruise?
Except Goblin Valley and the Alaskan cruise, I’ve been to/done all of the above… I know nothing about the northeastern states though (well, there’s Niagra Falls and NYC…). :-/
And then there’s Europe. Writing about my 2005 trip in Europe could fill a small book…
The south and central coast of California is gorgeous. I flew into San Jse, CA, in November and spent a few days in Monterey/Carmel (you can see whales!) and then drove down the coast along Highway 1. It’s so amazingly beautiful.
I would recommend starting in San Diego or LA, and then spending a few days or so driving north up the coast and along Big Sur (beautiful red wood forests to hike in) towards San Jose or San Francisco. If you can, stay a night in Lucia, just south of Big Sur. I stayed in one of their beautiful ocean-front cabins on the edge of a cliff – amazing. http://www.lucialodge.com/
If you take Highway One and stop off to hike or see the many, many beaches, it would probably be a four day drive.
Here are my photos from my drive along Highway One. http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessspeedy/sets/72157603305160418/
diane – I think if we plan to go to Cali, those will be the first two places to visit on our list! 🙂
sizzle – We haven’t been to Seattle! What is bad about the weather there now? Humidity?
Nilsa – We have always talked about going to Maine. I am not sure why! I think we have an idea that it looks beautiful in the Fall… is that something we made up, or is it really gorgeous there then?
Jess – I was thinking the Redwoods Nat’l Park (is that what it’s called?). Have you been there?
Dave2 – Your photos are amazing! They make me want to go to all of those places… My dad has been to Moab twice to do some off-roading in the mountains. Funny, his pictures don’t turn out quite like yours!
Jenn – Your post made me want to visit Boston and Maine 🙂 But we SHOULD see what the tourist seasons are there. I don’t want to be fighting a crowd, especially if I am all hot and sticky.
Gina (Mannyed) – Driving out there sounds like it’s a lot of fun… is it really scenic? I will let you know if we are seriously considering going out there so I can borrow the book! 😉 I really want to go to NYC again though… 🙂
martymankins – So does the southern half of Utah have all these neat national parks? I wonder why I have never heard of them before (except Moab anyway). Is it pretty deserted there? It would be great to be out in the middle of nowhere, just Steven and I, enjoying the scenery and silence! 🙂
Claire – With all these Utah recommendations, I think Utah just moved to the top of our list! Thanks for the tip on Maine’s water! I can’t imagine it ever warms up up there!
diane – That would be super fun. Should we plan a “girl’s roadtrip”? 🙂
Cousin Denise – The shelter sounds EXACTLY like something I would LOVE! But how do I keep myself from bringing one home? We’ve talked about driving through the mountains. I think it would be A LOT of fun. We might have to get a 4-wheel drive rental though!
E – All of your recommendations are AWESOME! I think the tour on the PCH really sounds like something Steven would like… but might scare me a bit! And we’ve heard great things about Alaskan Cruises. It just sounds so cold when you think about it! So when are you going to write this book about your travels? 😉
Napa Valley and San Francisco bay area. Katie and I have been there three times and it never gets boring. Highly recommended.
This is going to reveal what a geek I am, but I have been DYING to do a driving tour of Wisconsin to look at Frank Lloyd Wright houses/buildings. Plus, WI is gorgeous in the summer, and there are tons of cool little towns & things to see (artisan cheese makers, breweries) along the way. Not exactly Europe, but I think it still would be fun.
Oh, and CA north of SF is soooo worth a trip. I could go twice a year and never get bored.
Be careful about thinking you’d escape the heat and the humidity by going to Canada. It was 30C plus humidity this past weekend, so it felt like 40C (Which is about 104F) in Ottawa. It was brutal.
Which is not to deter you from coming to Canada – I’d love to see you if you decide on Ottawa 😛
kimberly – Most of the parks like Bryce Canyon and Zions are in the most southern part of the state, really close to the Arizona border. It’s not all that deserted anymore. During the summer months, they can get busy. Moab is more in the middle of the state, near the Colorado border. Goblin Valley also has several things within a short driving distance, like Horseshoe Canyon, which is a long hike, but well worth it (bring water, snacks and good hiking shoes).
I see someone also mentioned Capital Reef, which is very cool. There’s also the Grand Staircase Escalante, which is pretty close to Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef. All very cool places to explore, relax and take lots of pictures of.
I”m with Sizzle – Seattle! 🙂 She said to wait until August or September because we’re still only having 50-60 degree highs for the day and too much rain. Later in the summer the weather is amazing!
Avoid Texas, it is already miserably hot here! I think most places in the US are hot this time of year but Northern States are less that way. I have never been to Canada but heard that is wonderful. Or how about Alaska? I am going there next year so you can go check it out for me first LOL 🙂
I have two recommendations that “mostly” fit your requirements.
1. Oregon Coast. Actually, most of the state is gorgeous, but the coast is just simply amazing.
2. Grand Canyon North Rim/Vegas. Fly into Vegas. It’s a 5-hour drive to the NR. Get your “entertainment overload” fix in Vegas, then be prepared to relax once you reach the North Rim. It’s quiet and beautiful. If you like to hike, there is plenty of that. If you like to have quiet places to sit and read a book, play some board games and every once in awhile look up to a breathtaking view, well, you’ve got that too.
Prince Edward Island, Canada. Beautiful, beautiful place and the weather was great on June the last time I went. I also love San Francisco, great in September!!
I’ll be in Chicago July 7-11, let me know if you are in the city! I love to meet new people!! I’m bringing my kids along too!
Stephanie – Oh my gosh, I would LOVE to see whales! The more I hear about CA, the better and better it sounds! Maybe I should just move out there! 😉 Your flickr photos are AMAZING! The sunset one is breath-taking! Are you going to get it framed?]
kapgar – You just like to chill there? Eat and drink and shop and walk etc.?
Whiskeymarie – I would like to drive and see all the FLW houses too! I have seen a few in WI, but Steven has seen a lot more than me… his dad is obsessed and that is what they did on their family vacations – drive around to see FLW houses! Heh heh. We REALLY want to go see Fallingwater! I will add you to my list of people who are pro-CA. I think that’s everyone!
suze – Why is it so hot in Canada if it’s north of us? Tee hee hee! 🙂 It’s still worth coming!
martymankins – I was in that area a long long time ago… when I was to young to appreciate it. I think I would really enjoy hiking around (after putting on lots of sunscreen, of course!)
Lisa – 50s to 60s? YUCK! I will wait until later summer! 😉
Felicia – Steven talks about going to Alaska from time to time. Are you able to see a lot of wild life there? That would be great! Are you going with family?
TC – I like both your options! #2 sounds especially good. We’ve never been to Vegas and I feel like we should check it out!
beth – Prince Edward Island looks far away… so it would be perfect! Do you swim there? I work in Chicago, so let me know if you want to meet up for lunch or dinner when you are in town! 🙂
Chiming in VERY late here, but I would concur with San Francisco, and also Maine. Especially central Maine. We go to Moosehead Lake, which is beautiful and less touristy (tho’ more than it ever used to be), somewhat rustic (if you want it to be) and has water stuff as well as hiking.
And Colorado. Zero humidity. Denver is fun, but smoggy, so I’d opt for the western slope: Montrose, Ouray, Cortez, Durango…but again, I’m very biased since I grew up in CO. 😉
Cat. – Moosehead Lake sounds perfect. Is it best to go there in the fall or summer? We were planning on going to Colorado this past spring, and it never happened! I definitely want to check it out though! 🙂