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| Please help me find places to go; Road trip! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 5 2008, 07:49 AM (713 Views) | |
| Thelwell | Feb 5 2008, 07:49 AM Post #1 |
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Schooling
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So this August my boyfriend and I are going on a road trip cross country starting in NY and ending up in the Southwest somewhere. We're going to take the lower route most likely (so no Montana/North Dakota for me!). Can you guys think of any must see places? I've got Colonial Williamsburg, Tombstone AZ, and Dollywood on my list already. He doesn't care- he's driven cross country 4 times and been to all the states except 4 so I get most of the say. The initial plan was to rent an RV, but with gas the way it is and the cost of the RV rental I could have done all the weeks of Saugerties and Manchester. So now it's going to be a rented car and tent camping. I'm horsey, he's not. But TFB, we're going on a trail ride somewhere.. We're in our mid 20s. I like cheeseball stuff (see aforementioned Dollywood) and he likes the outdoors. So, anyplace in the US that you loved? The most beautiful place you've been? Weirdest? It can be a hill up a dirt road to see a tree for all we care! ...it better be a really cool tree though. Thanks! |
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| MayaTy02 | Feb 5 2008, 07:53 AM Post #2 |
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You're BANNED!
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well this is an obvious one, but the Grand Canyon is a "not to be missed" if you're in the area.
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| OpticalIllusion | Feb 5 2008, 08:04 AM Post #3 |
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You're BANNED!
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Dollywood was not very exciting. We went last august. We were not impressed at all. Gatlinburg TN is absolutely amazing though. Tons of outdoor stuff to do. Its like the Swiss Alps. Very cool. Luray Caverns http://www.luraycaverns.com/ is wonderful. Natural Chimneys is cool. http://www.uvrpa.org/naturalchimneys.htm |
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| Fish Cheeks | Feb 5 2008, 08:25 AM Post #4 |
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You're BANNED!
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On my want to see list are: Grand Canyon Mt. Rushmore Yellowstone Well I guess that's it! How about Yosemite? If you find yourself near Lake Tahoe, I can take you trail riding in Tahoe National Forest! |
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| jillincolorado | Feb 5 2008, 08:39 AM Post #5 |
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You're BANNED!
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NOrthern Arkansas is VERY VERY pretty even if you just drive through. I second the Grand Canyon. Flaming Gorge in Utah. Chama in New Mexico is very pretty. They have a train ride through the mountains as well as some open-air markets. |
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| elle T | Feb 5 2008, 08:40 AM Post #6 |
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I highly recommend Shenandoah and Smoky Mountains National Park. Not great if you are striving for isolation, but beautiful and easy to access - especially if you are already going to Gatlinburg... I was just in Gatlinburg and the Smokies last summer, and if you are looking for cheesy stuff, Gatlinburg is a sure bet! If you make it to NM, White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns are pretty cool. I've heard that the Ozarks are pretty (northern Arkansas and southern Missouri), but have not been there. Zion is great if you get up farther to the north... Ugh, now I want to go on a road trip! No fair! :lol: |
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| Jersey Fresh | Feb 5 2008, 08:47 AM Post #7 |
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Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
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I'm taking notes on this thread-I'll be driving pretty much the oppsite way this summer (well if I get a job back east). I'm planning on going a zigzag route though, which I know makes no sense. I plan to hit: Glacier/Yosemite, MT Cheyenne WY (cause of the garth song) Grand Canyon Phoenix AZ (crazy BFF from college lives there) Telluride CO Madison WI I haven't gotten very far as you can see! If you drive north at all, hit Glacier in MT. Its on the MT/ID border and if you like wildlife, you'll love that park. Also, get a membership to KOA. They have somewhat "sissy camping" campgrounds so you can rent a cute little cabin if the weather is bad or stay in a tent. They have hot showers, laundry, etc. We had to stay in one in Fort Stevens Oregon because we had planned for tent camping near my BF's parents RV but it poured and our tent site was under 6" of water! So his mom got us a cabin at KOA and it was pretty nice. I think the price varies from place to place but they have campgrounds all over the country. The other option for crappy weather is renting a yurt from state parks. They are these tent-like structures that have beds and stuff and here in WA and OR, you can rent them for about $15/nite-about the same as a tent site. |
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| Fenway | Feb 5 2008, 08:47 AM Post #8 |
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Guiding your way to Candy Mountain, since 1873.
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If you go to the Shenandoah National Park/Skyline Drive, you can come see me!
Rob just drove cross country to a trade show in Vegas. I'll see if he can think of anything that you must stop and see. Sounds like fun!
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| MissBri | Feb 5 2008, 08:51 AM Post #9 |
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But, I don't care - it's 5:00 somewhere
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AH, KENTUCK HORSE PARK! |
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| MayaTy02 | Feb 5 2008, 08:59 AM Post #10 |
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You're BANNED!
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if you find yourself going up north at all Yellowstone is a must see....that place is gonna blow eventually so see it now
(it's a supervolcano)
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| KaliTude | Feb 5 2008, 09:00 AM Post #11 |
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Thomas H. Cruise!
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Zion and Bryce and Arches are not to be missed, I think I love that area more than the Grand Canyon. It's absolutely amazing throughout Southern Utah, and the North rim of the Grand Canyon is really lovely and much less crowded. You can then go around the Canyon to the South rim, then down through Flagstaff to Phoenix. Don't forget to stop in Sedona on the way down either, there are amazing hiking trails all through the Sedona Valley. Although I just noticed you will be driving in August? It is absolutely miserable in August in the Southwest, well into the 100s.In August I would stay North and go through Yellowstone then down through Idaho, Oregon, and Northern California and hit Yosemite. |
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| Thelwell | Feb 5 2008, 09:09 AM Post #12 |
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Schooling
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You guys are the best! This is the kind of stuff I was looking for! Fenway and Fishcheeks, if we head your way I'll let you know! The Grand Canyon is definitely happening. The bf keeps threatening a deathmarch down to the bottom. This was after making the mistake of telling me it was one of the most intensive hikes he ever took... I want to ride the burros. Or feed them. Whichever! This is his last hurrah after the bar exam and before he's locked down in nyc as a lawyer. I think a lot of the places you guys mentioned he'll love, which is good because it's the last time he'll see open spaces for awhile! Thank you thank you thank you!!
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| Thelwell | Feb 5 2008, 09:18 AM Post #13 |
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Schooling
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Kali- Yeah, I'm a bit worried that by August everything will be crispy and burnt everywhere except for the mountains but unfortunately that's the only time we can go. Maybe we'll amend the road trip to go a down then diagonally across... that could work. Heh. We're going to need another month. |
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| zbar | Feb 5 2008, 09:22 AM Post #14 |
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It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
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I highly reccomend Carlsbad Caverns, stay for the bat release it is amazing! There is also plenty of camping nearby. Also in New Mexico is Silverton, where you take a train to Durango. You end up in this amazing little old style western town, so much fun! |
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| Lawndart | Feb 5 2008, 09:40 AM Post #15 |
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Slave to Horses, Beagles, and Kids
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Lots of great suggestions here. The only thing I would add is visiting Dinosaur state park, and following some of their dirt roads. We found a great spot along a creek that was so quiet, I never wanted to leave!! I second what Jersey Fresh said about renting Yurts or Cabins in the State Park. I know PA has plenty of them. And while seeing the west and southwest is great, don't forget your neighboring PA either!! We have tons of State Parks, State Forests and Gamelands. Some are quite wild. Maybe you could do some mini-trips first to try out your camping gear. My parents, while in their late 60s and early 70s criss-crossed the US in a step Van. Dad (who is quite handy) took out the back portion of the van, put in beds with drawers underneath, and made the far back, where the 'barn doors' were into a mini-kitchen. They stayed in the out of the way campgrounds (they don't like crowds) if they had to rent a room, they did it on the weekends, and left the crowded campgrounds to others. Mom had a two burner camp stove she would set up on a picnic table, with a metal wall she could put around it if it got windy (which it does a lot in the mid-west, and western states) They could do this quite reasonably (price wise) and never felt unsafe, but they are the cautious, pay attention to what is around you types. They sold that van for almost twice what they bought it for to another couple who wanted to do the same thing. Obviously, since you are renting you won't be able to modify a van but my point is rent something you can sleep in if you have to. There is not much more misery making then a tent in a wicked thunderstorm. I would also suggest keeping a journal, I didn't the first two cross country trips we did, and I wish I had. You think you will remember every moment, but you won't.
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but my point is rent something you can sleep in if you have to. There is not much more misery making then a tent in a wicked thunderstorm.
I would also suggest keeping a journal, I didn't the first two cross country trips we did, and I wish I had.
You think you will remember every moment, but you won't.
7:32 AM Jul 11