Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,813,296 times
Reputation: 14660
For a change of scenery and experience for an urban vacation, dive into the deep end and experience New York City. For an urban experience NYC can give you anything your heart desires like other city can. If you're a photographer and want a photogenic city with iconic landmarks then go with San Francisco. For something truly different, consider going to Montreal and Quebec City where you get a French colonial and old world experience along with cosmopolitan charm.
If you want to see wildly different landscapes unlike any you've seen before, I'd definitely recommend the national parks in Utah and Arizona. Saguaro NP, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Zion are all fantastic with other planetary scenery.
If you'd like to experience high mountain country and great alpine scenery check out the Rockies and the San Juan range in Southwestern Colorado around Durango, Telluride, and Ouray which all have superlative mountain recreation to offer. If you're looking for one of the best mountain backdrops for a photo op then head to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming and take in Yellowstone while you're there.
If you want to take in coastal scenery that's very different from the beaches you're use to seeing, then head the the West Coast and experience Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway or head up to Redwood country in NorCal. The Oregon Coast has outstanding scenery as well but a the towns are a bit more low key and more affordable a lot of coastal California. Olympic National Park in Washington gives you rugged coastal scenery, Mountain peaks, and temperate rainforests.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 02-03-2017 at 06:30 PM..
City vacations: You can't go wrong with New Orleans, Chicago, or DC. Plenty to do in all three (though that might be less true in NOLA if you have little kids). And in Chicago you even get (during the summer) an added bonus: A beach! Lake Michigan truly reminds one of an ocean. So big you can't see the other side.
For non-city vacations look in N.C. at the Outer Banks. Wilmington is the biggest city, but its a long spread along the beach there, with accommodations at all different price points. And depending on where you are you can also day-trip down to Charleston for a bit of history and good low-county food. In NC also take a look at Asheville, full of music, art, and good eating. And of course Biltmore, the biggest occupied single-family home in the U.S. Tour it and see how the 1% lives. Asheville is a city that punches way above its weight for its population. And its nestled in the Great Smokies which offer kayaking, fishing, and hiking, if you wan the outdoorsy stuff. Travel a bit out from the city and there are even places for skydiving.
Enjoy!
LOL this post named off many places I was thinking about recommending!
I will add:
Virginia's Historic Triangle (Williamsburg/Yorktown/Jamestown) along with Mt. Vernon and then toodle on over to Virginia Beach.
The coastline of Maine - WOW. Lighthouses, picturesque little towns, rocky beaches. You can go in October and catch the leaves and it's still nice enough to walk along the beach.
Austin/San Antonio, TX - the famous River Walk, the beautiful Texas Hill country with it's wildflowers (come in the spring) and wineries and great views, Luckenbach TX and it's evocative jam sessions every night, the Pedernales river and falls, and Austin's night life and shopping. You could round that out with a three hour drive up to Fort Worth for some boot scootin', a rodeo, a cattle drive through the city, and some fabulous art museums and science centers.
LOL this post named off many places I was thinking about recommending!
I will add:
Virginia's Historic Triangle (Williamsburg/Yorktown/Jamestown) along with Mt. Vernon and then toodle on over to Virginia Beach.
The coastline of Maine - WOW. Lighthouses, picturesque little towns, rocky beaches. You can go in October and catch the leaves and it's still nice enough to walk along the beach.
Austin/San Antonio, TX - the famous River Walk, the beautiful Texas Hill country with it's wildflowers (come in the spring) and wineries and great views, Luckenbach TX and it's evocative jam sessions every night, the Pedernales river and falls, and Austin's night life and shopping. You could round that out with a three hour drive up to Fort Worth for some boot scootin', a rodeo, a cattle drive through the city, and some fabulous art museums and science centers.
I agree that SA and the ATX are good vacation options for the OP
Sell me on your favorite vacation. I am looking for a new vacation, I live close to Memphis TN and we always go to the Gulf Gulf Shores AL , Pensacola Fl, Destin Fl. and while they are nice I want something new. So let me hear your idea's. My only limitation with distance is staying in the continental US. If I ever become rich I will travel constantly so I want to go everywhere. Let me know some of your favorites and why. I am DM you with ?'s. Thanks in advance for the info. Jon
Drive up the Mississippi River. Stop in Saint Louis, explore the bluffs of the Driftless Area, up to Minneapolis, and then cut across to the Minnesota North Shore. On the return follow Lake Superior to the Apostle Islands, cut through Wisconsin to Devils Lake State Park, down to Chicago, and down through Illinois.
I like the beach. But I would hate to go to the beach every cotton-picking year.
We're from the South, too. Here was our epic vacation to the PNW. Not only was it a relief from the hot summer temperatures in Alabama, but it was utterly different. The itinerary?
1) Fly into Seattle. Bum around a few days there doing everything from the Space Needle to Pike Street Market to sunset sail on Lake Washington.
2) Whale watching Puget Sound. Start in Anacortes, sail around for the day. Unbelievable.
3) Drive to Portland. It's really not that far. Gotta say that Portland wasn't all that to us. Even my hipster teenaged son was bored with it by day two.
4) Mt. St. Helens. The Bonneville Dam.
5) The Oregon Coast. Holy smokes. An amazing view every 300 yards.
6) The Oregon Dunes.
7) The redwood forests outside Crescent City, California. In truth, the state park was more spectacular than the national park. Even the park ranger at the national park said as much.
8) The very cool drive from Crescent City to San Francisco.
9) Three days in San Fran. Surely you don't need me to tell you all the fun that can be had there.
Sell me on your favorite vacation. I am looking for a new vacation, I live close to Memphis TN and we always go to the Gulf Gulf Shores AL , Pensacola Fl, Destin Fl. and while they are nice I want something new. So let me hear your idea's. My only limitation with distance is staying in the continental US. If I ever become rich I will travel constantly so I want to go everywhere. Let me know some of your favorites and why. I am DM you with ?'s. Thanks in advance for the info. Jon
We don't live far from you.
Here are the favorites that we have done:
*Get in your car a go south to Natchez, then cross the river. Take the 2 lane roads south until you are in New Iberia, deep in Cajun country. Stay at a B&B for a couple of days and take in the plantation, Shadows on The Teche in New Iberia. Drive through one of the daiquiri stands and get a couple to go, and tour the Bayou Teche.
* Take the train to New Orleans. You'll be right down town and have no car to worry about. Go on Memorial Day weekend.
*In May, go to The Grand Canyon! But go to the North Rim. Make your reservations in advance, and get one of the tiny cabins that dot the woods around the North Rim. We saw a porcupine so big we thought it was a sagebrush that blew into the road, and stars so bright it felt like I had poked my head into them. Ride the mules down to the bottom.
*Upcoming (This will be tough). Take the train overnight to Chicago. In Chicago, take the train (California Zephyr) to Reno. That will take 2 days. In Reno we rent a car and drive to Oregon where we will stay at an old gold mine for 3 days. Then back to Reno for a 3 day navy reunion. Fly home.
FWIW: I go to the Alabama/Florida gulf coast when the family makes me. I hate it there. Some things ya just gotta do, I guess.
Right! I forgot about the mammoth site.
Really, quite an amazing concentration of attractions in a relatively small area. We were there 10+ years ago over 4th of July weekend and saw fireworks at Mt Rushmore. Kind of iconic, like going to Mass at the Vatican.
It's a great area, but there are no more fireworks at Mt. Rushmore. There is plenty to do and see, though! If you visit the first weekend in June or the weekend of the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park (late September), you can actually hike onto the arm of Crazy Horse. Just don't plan a vacation here the first week of August...
The OP is from Memphis so I'll ask, ever been to the other side of your own state? You could make the 6 hour drive to pigeon forge/gatlinburg and spend a few days in the smokies, then head east to South Carolina for the beach and a few days in charleston. If you enjoy historic places then it's a must visit place.
If your looking to leave the south the poster who suggested the upper Midwest might be worth listening to. Very different up there and quite cool in the summer. Door peninsula Wi, sleeping bear park mi, mackinaw island Mi, Apostle island NP Wi are all very pretty places and few non midwesterners see them. Careful though you might come home saying funny words like "you betcha or dontcha know".
Can't go wrong with a western road trip either if you don't mind long rides. Western Montana or Colorado are my favorite western places.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
