Another USA Thread, Best "off Track" Destinations

leviticus · Fri May 28, 2004 2:50 am

So here is the deal, basically I need some help with new ideas !

Next weekend I am heading to the United States of America, for a looong vacation, I won't be back until September. Even though I have been to many many other countries the US of A is still without doubt my all time favourite, and I have spent plenty of time there in recent years too. But after I have "seen all that you should see" I need ideas of new destinations that are a bit off the beaten track, "non-mainstream" that is (the Empire State Building and Disney World can be fun, but not more than once), and who could give me better tips that the locals ? So in general I would like to hear your tips of places to visit, it could be anything from a nice neighborhood in a small town to your favourite restaurant, and it can be anywhere in the continental US (I have plenty of time but Hawaii and Alaska can wait). Thanks, now bring it on !

L-188 · Fri May 28, 2004 3:03 am

What the hell do you mean "Alaska Can Wait?"

Pissed

Ok in seriousness, I say "ROAD TRIP"

Get a car and a 5% atlas from Wal-mart and do a couple of cross country drives.

VSlover · Fri May 28, 2004 3:12 am

well one thing that is wonderful to do is to start in new york, and drive up to maine. the primary purpose to see new england. its beautiful, its quaint, its VERY unpopulated.

western massachusetts, new hampshire, vermont, and maine are all splendidly beautiful areas that are also so steeped in american history. plus you can hit all four states in one day! haha. versus the west where it can take you 8 hours to drive across colorado alone.

zak · Fri May 28, 2004 3:21 am

try yosemite. half dome and el cap are things u must see.

JetService · Fri May 28, 2004 3:30 am

I second what L-188 said . ROAD TRIP! But even better, plot out various locations of American A.Netters you are aquainted with and go on a 'Around America' tour. Visit them one-by-one on a route that takes you full circle. They can show you their part of the country for a day. Your chronicle would make for an interesting read right here.

Superfly · Fri May 28, 2004 3:41 am

Check out Fort Wayne, Indiana! Big thumbs up

I am JetService will show you some of the best shmorgage boards in America! Big thumbs up

Hey ware have you been JetService?

Come to San Francisco and I'll show you the cool parts of town. Not the silly stuff like the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, that stuff is lame!
An-225 visits sometimes and we always have a ball. I know some of the cools bars/clubs, cheap eats and I know ware all the loose women hang out! Big thumbs up

[Edited 2004-05-27 21:07:22]

USAFHummer · Fri May 28, 2004 3:43 am

If your looking for some lovely scenery and outdoorsy type activities, I highly recommend flying into DEN and then taking a drive all over Colorado west of DEN...the heart of the Rockies....if outdoorsy stuff isnt your thing...ixnay that idea lol...

Greg

JetService · Fri May 28, 2004 3:50 am

Oh yes, the buffets are the best! You'd need one day extra just to digest the food.

hell and even we have loose women Big grin

N766UA · Fri May 28, 2004 3:53 am

Get a car and a 5% atlas from Wal-mart

I think a 100% atlas would be a better choice?

Superfly · Fri May 28, 2004 4:08 am

JetService:
One thing I miss about Indiana is all of the all you can eat buffets! Smokin cool

Almost all my friends I grew up with are over 300 pounds now. Big grin

CaptOveur · Fri May 28, 2004 4:11 am

drive to Rochester and watch KROC beat the hell out of minor league baseball mascots.

cannibalz3 · Fri May 28, 2004 4:54 am

Seriously, road trip. I can't recommend that enough. If you really want to get to know the US you should take the small highways (not the interstates) all over the place. Some slightly out-of-the-way places? The city of Boston, north of New York, is one of the coolest cities in the world. The swamps of Louisiana are pretty cool if you're into that kind of thing. The Appalacian Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia are beautiful if you like hiking. The vast desert surrounding Albequerque, New Mexico is a real trip. San Francisco is another truely awesome city. Seattle is supposed to be a fun place, and if you get the chance you should check out Vancouver or Montreal; I've never been to those last three cities, but I want to very badly.

srbmod · Fri May 28, 2004 7:41 am

You can visit the mountains in NE Georgia, go rafting on the Chatooga River and maybe meet some of the hillbillies from "Deliverance".

Usairwys757 · Fri May 28, 2004 7:45 am

drive to Rochester and watch KROC beat the hell out of minor league baseball mascots.

Thats the first funny post EVER by Captoveur. I think KROC might even be down for the count on that one.

Anyways, you might want to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Its an awesome place if you've never been. Also, you might want to take a visit to Myrtle Beach, SC. TONS of stuff to do there.

[Edited 2004-05-28 00:47:10]

leviticus · Sat May 29, 2004 10:23 pm

Thanks for all the tips, I did not mention "road trip" in the first post but it was actually what I was considering all the way, I can't see any other way to discover the country. Also like the idea about the rocky mountains. I am pretty much in to deserts, anybody have good ideas of Utah and Arizona ?

L-188 · Sat May 29, 2004 11:06 pm

Ok, second question.

Where are you heading into and flying out of?

IF you want desert, well anything from texas to California should fit the bill.

Shoot even central Washington and Eastern Oregon are considered desert regions.

Edit:I'll tell you what, I'll try and remember to bring in my $5 Wal-mart atlas to work and see if I can make some good routing suggestions.

Just have to know where you want to start and end.

[Edited 2004-05-29 16:13:12]

sleekjet · Sun May 30, 2004 2:12 am

I second the idea of a car trip through New England. Take Vermont, for instance. No billboards are allowed. There is no litter. Gorgeous vistas around every turn. It's America in its pristine best.

USAFHummer · Sun May 30, 2004 2:16 am

If deserts interest you, then Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and parts of California would be the best states for you...perhaps a visit to the Four Corners maybe, since that is located in a desert region...

Greg

seb146 · Sun May 30, 2004 2:20 am

The Black Hills of South Dakota are cool. Mt. Rushmore, the city of Wall and Wall Drug, and the Badlands are all incredible. Southeastern Washington and most of Eastern Oregon are concidered deserts. I grew up there and can give you way too much info on those places. Try to spend one night in Burns Oregon. There are about 300 square miles for every person in the county, plus Wrights Point is incredible. Summer skiing on Mt Hood, Crater Lake and the caves near Grants Pass, Seattle..... If you get to the Pacific Northwest, there is so much to see and do too.

GO CANUCKS!!

JeffM · Sun May 30, 2004 2:22 am

New England in the fall.
Lake Tahoe in summer or winter.
Florida Keys anytime.
Jersey shore and the boardwalks in the summer.
Albuquerque during the ballon fest. First full week in October 1st and 2nd weekends.
San Diego/Del Mar summer or winter.
Vail, Steamboat, Aspen, Breckenridge year round depending on your tastes.

rjpieces · Sun May 30, 2004 2:27 am

Well before I go off listing tons of random places........Where have you been in the US before? And where will you be living this time?

csavel · Sun May 30, 2004 2:31 am

If you're in New York City, then get out of Manhattan and see the outer boroughts, especially Queens, butt ugly but the myth of the American Dream and the melting pot lives here like nowhere else. Great food and everyone (mostly) gets along.

The Adirondacks in upstate NY are seldom visited and beautiful. You can camp on your own little island on Saranac lake.

Crapchester does have the Eastman museum of photography. Worth a visit.
Buffalo, besides Niagara falls has some good early skyscraper architecture.

You should drive the midwest, get off the interstate, and hit the small towns, Kansas, Iowa, especially late spring early summer so you can see the immense sky, and huge mesocyclonic thunderstorms, nothing like that anywhere else. If you are in tassleing season, (I think that's what it is called) a lot of college students are hired and the go and fertilize corn plants (For some reason, corn being modified form the natural state can't reproduce on its own) I had an Israeli friend who did that and she had a blast.

In addition to the swamps of Louisiana, there is the Okeefenokee swamp in Georgia and the Dismal swamp on the North Carolina Virginia border.

There is lots more but my dogs are farting so I have to leave the room where my computer is or face death.

Enjoy your trip.

airworthy · Sun May 30, 2004 2:32 am

If you like deserts and mountains you can go on a road trip from say Denver to Albuquerque. You'll passs through alot of national parks and that sort of stuff and also be able to see the big cities.

Or if you really just want to see deserts you can drive from say Dallas to LA and see just about every desert in the USA.

Mir · Sun May 30, 2004 2:34 am

Utah has some great parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, etc.) that are absolutely stunning in terms of natural features. If you're into that kind of thing, there's nowhere better in the countr

goboeing · Sun May 30, 2004 3:28 am

For your next trip, book a few nights in Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I did that a few years ago and it's a really awesome place to be. There's some hikes you can do while at the bottom, such as a 14 mile day trip to Ribbon Falls, and some other things. It's not really a difficult hike either, you just have to make reservations at least a year in advance.

Nick

mdsh00 · Sun May 30, 2004 3:55 am

try Yosemite. Half dome and el cap are things u must see

I second Yosemite as well. Just a stunning place. If you don't mind driving, and heights, try driving along the California coast on Pacific Coast Highway. At certain points, you are driving on the edge of a cliff with nothing but the ocean to the other side. Driving on the US-395 to Mammoth lakes is a beautiful drive, especially in the winter.

Other places out west...Grand Canyon and the relatively near Hoover dam in Arizona are great. Sabino Canyon near Tucson, AZ is also nice. There is Bryce Canyon too but I can't seem to remember exactly where it is.

Like someone else said here, if you want to see "Americana" then you should probably drive around the small towns and cities in the Midwest.

BMAbound · Sun May 30, 2004 4:23 am

Well, lived there for a while, and I also lived in the prettiest part of it. Get a car and go to Yellowstone, Glacier Natl Park, Little Big Horn, Bitterroots, Cabinets, (Montana), Black Hills and Mt Rushmore in the Dakotas and Devils Tower in Wyoming.

Just one thing, don't eat at KFC in Casper, Wyoming... Big grin

I still believe something was alive on my plate. (There's a Subway across the street) Big thumbs up

Have fun!

Johan

leviticus · Sun May 30, 2004 9:17 am

I would like to thank you again for all the interesting ideas that have been brought up, I have been doing some research of some of them and somewhat expanded my final route plan (no I did not base all planning on this thread Big grin

). I have even made a silly little map to show you what I finally have in mind to do, consider the line an approximate route with many discoveries along it (side trips). It may look big but I have plenty of time.

Click on the map to make it a little bit bigger

Rjpieces,

Where I have been and seen before ? Well basically this is the way it is, I have spent a lot of time in the US, most of it together with friends and relatives from the NYC area. New York state (both the five boroughs, Long Island and upstate NY) Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey are like second homes to me. Besides that I have made different trips to all those "touristy" places around the country, so again... Anything unusual is welcome.

Regards

By the way... BMAbound, I might have met you ! Did you not work at Nacka Strand in Stockholm like two summers ago ? There are not too many flight-interested people in your age from Stockholm who lived in Montana/Wyoming Smile

IMissPiedmont · Sun May 30, 2004 3:47 pm

Leviticus, I rather like the route you've chosen, but if I may make a small suggestion. If you have the time, swing south from Santa Fe to Interstate 10 then head west. Look for highway 70 in Lordsburg and turn right until you reach Duncan AZ. From there take highway 75 north to 191 and head north to Interstate 40. At that point, you can choose to head back to Albuquerque, or continue on through the four corners area to Colorado.

The US is way to big to see in such a short time, but 191 in eastern Arizona is pure beautiful.

Edit: reminder to self. Spell check is good.

[Edited 2004-05-30 08:49:23]

L-188 · Sun May 30, 2004 4:05 pm

Shoot, I forgot to bring in my atlas.

Another chage, It looks like you are shooting down I-5 from Seattle to San Diego the whole way.

Suggestion. Get off of it at Longview Washington, and cross over to Oregon there. Then head to Astoria on the pacific coast. If you want to know what that town is like rent any of these movies, Goonies, Short Circut, Kindergarden Cop. They where all filmed there.

This is where Lewis and Clark camped out for that winter after they reached the coast.

http://www.crmm.org/

From there drive down the Oregon coast to Tillamook. You will go by Cannon Beach on the way, again from the movie "goonies" you will pass the "Goonie rocks"

When you get to Tillamook you can visit the Tillamook Cheese factory Samples:D and visit the Air Museum there. It is located in a WWII blimp hanger, which is touted as the single largest wood building in the world.

http://www.tillamookair.com/
http://www.tillamookcheese.com/index.html

From Tillamook drive back inland on, I belive it is highway six. This will put you really close to hopping into McMinnivelle and the Evergreen Aviation Museum. Only a couple of years old, this museum is pretty much built around on major artifact....THE SPRUCE GOOSE

http://www.sprucegoose.org/

BTW: this is very simular to a road trip I did about two years ago, Except we headed up the Colombia River George to Pendalton and then on to Spokane. I assume you want to head south.

And what the hell are you doing heading up to Canada, this was supposed to be a US road trip. Why pay their high gas taxes?

Edit:I forgot to mention that McMinnville is also getting into Oregon's wine country. So check but there may be several vinyards in the area that are open to the public with tastings.

[Edited 2004-05-30 09:19:09]

L-188 · Sun May 30, 2004 4:17 pm

Actually better idea still.

Don't leave Seattle to the south to go to Oregon. Head east on I90 until you get to Ellensburg, Washington. From there take I82 east until you get to Umattilla Oregon. From there drive west down the Colombia River Gorge. From Portland you could either drive to Astoria and do what I said earlier, or run that rout backwards. It is kind of a loop. Then when you do that head south to crater lake.

This will get you through some of Washington and Oregons farmland and desert country. That and the Colombia River Gorge is not the ugliest drive Big thumbs up

.

L-188 · Sun May 30, 2004 4:24 pm

A couple of other notes.

You visit North Dakota but go through Fargo. You need to go up to Grand Forks and then take highway two across to Rugby. That is the geographic center of North America. There is a tourist trap with a marker there and another one claiming that it too is the geographic center of North American about 150 feet down the road too.

It looks like you swing through I90 from South Dakota, through the Northeast corner of Wyoming and then up to Billings Montana, to relink with I94. Why don't you consider instead of tagging north to bilings heading west, stopping a Greybull, where Hawkins and Powers have their facilites and then go farther west through Yellowstone and then head north through Bozeman Montana,where you would hook back up with I90.

DLKAPA · Sun May 30, 2004 4:38 pm

Following your route map:

Instead of coming east on 1-70 From Salt Lake City to Denver, do this instead: From Las Vegas, stay south in Utah. Stay in the southern part of Utah, and head through Brice Canyon National Park. Absolutely stunning so I hear, depth of color in all that you see is amazing. After passing through brice canyon, continue east through the Four Corners, stop at Mesa Verde national park. Cliff dwellings are amazing. Continue through to Cortez, Durango (my future home for four years, YIPPEEE!!), and then head north through Silverton, Ouray, and Montrose. Along this path, Telluride is just off. From Montrose, head East through Gunnison (but don't stop, not much to do there), and If you really feel like it, drive north from Gunnison to Crested Butte, but you will have to turn around and go back through Gunnison.

Heading East, continue until you reach Salida, where you can head north through Buena Vista and Leadville, or about halfway between the two you can turn back west and head over Independence pass into Aspen. From Aspen, you can continue out to 1-70, meeting up with the interstate at Glenwood Springs. Much to do there. Continue East on 1-70 and you will pass Vail, Copper Mountain, and Dillon/Frisco/Silverton/Breckenridge/Keystone. All pretty much in the same area.

If you decide you don't want to go through Aspen, you can continue north through Leadville and meet up with 1-70 at Copper Mountain.

Continue east until you reach DEN. Then go where the road takes you.

I also recommend a stop in Sikeston, Missouri, to visit Lambert's Cafe, home of the "throwed rolls." You'll know when you see it. It's an experience.

DLKAPA

Another USA Thread, Best "off Track" Destinations

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