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.
I'm someone who likes to travel. and I do most of my traveling by car. There are many places in this country (USA) to see, visit, and enjoy.
However, some of these places can take a week or more to see. While others - while still worth seeing - can be done in a day or less. Some places can be both to most people.
I thought it might be a helpful thread for us who travel if we can separate the "through" from the "stay" destinations. Of course there may be different definitions depending on what you like, but still this could be a good starting point. And for this list, lets assume that money is not an issue. If you are willing to go, you are willing to spend what it takes for the average person to enjoy.
And please remember, this is not meant to be an insult to a place, just personal opinions. Debates are fine, arguments - let's leave them home.
If you have a special reason to recommend, please note it.
For example:
Walt Disney World: STAY Devils Tower, (Moorcroft, WY): THRUI really want to see it, but imagine one day will cover it.
[/b]Myrtle Beach: STAY
Wilmington, NC: BOTH Restaurant City - Varied and everywhere
Kittly Hawk, NC: THRU
Las Vegas, NV: STAY
Reno, NV: THRU
Key West, FL: STAY
Vancouver, BC: STAY
Bellingham, WA: BOTH... Beautiful area. Casinos, Nature, Mountain Hiking
Atlantic City, NJ: BOTH
Philadelphia, PA: STAY
Cherokee, NC: STAY More than a casino
St. Augustine, FL: THRU
Gatlinburg, TN: THRU Tourist town - you can see in a day
Yosemite, CA: STAY
Rapid City, SD: THRU... You can see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse in a day.
Niagara Falls, Ont CA: BOTH
Cowpens, SC: Pass
Johnson City, TN: Pass Went to see the area. Surrounding TN was beautiful, but I saw nothing interesting in the town
Memphis, TN: Pass
Nashville, TN: Pass Took the bus tour - saw nothing that interested me.
Atlanta, GA: STAY If you can deal with the traffic. Pictured Rocks, MI THRU
Places in bold letters are assumptions - it would be nice to get confirmation.
Last edited by blktoptrvl; 05-30-2015 at 12:42 PM..
While I believe that any city can be a "pass through" in that you can generally get a taste of the city, even if you don't get an extensive tour), in keeping with the spirit of the thread, here are my answers, which are based on places I've traveled, both in the US and overseas:
New York City: STAY (too much to see in one day)
Newark, NJ: THRU (maybe I'm wrong, but there doesn't seem to be too much going on here)
Ithaca, NY: THRU (you can see what you have to see in a day or less, whether you're touring Cornell or Ithaca College or visiting some of the parks)
Oslo, Norway: THRU (it didn't seem to be too big for me, and most of the attractions seemed to be on Karl Johans Gate, which isn't that cumbersome to navigate)
San Francisco, CA: STAY
Austin, TX: STAY
New Orleans, LA: STAY
Gainesville, FL: THRU (as with many college towns, there's no need to spend more than a day here if you don't have to in my view)
Istanbul, Turkey: STAY
Oxford, UK: THRU
London, UK: STAY
Petoskey/Harbor Springs/Traverse City, MI: STAY (even through these are "small" cities, you can spend more than a few days exploring what's in town and the natural beauty of the area)
Detroit: THRU (while Detroit has a lot to see/experience, I was not comfortable doing much more than passing through for safety reasons)
Windsor, ON: THRU
Sydney, Australia: STAY (way too much to do in one day, and I doubt you could even get a true taste of what the city is like in one day)
Washington, DC: BOTH (if you're just looking for the political/tourist scene, then less than a day in DC works . . . but if you're looking to experience things outside of that, then you'll definitely need a longer amount of time)
Rocky Mount, NC: THRU
Philadelphia: THRU
Delhi, India: STAY (way too much to experience in one day . . . so many different cultures/religions/languages present in one city)
Mumbai, India (or just about anywhere in India): STAY (for same reasons as Delhi)
Beijing, China: STAY
I'll only address one site, the PASS recc for Kitty Hawk NC. I know I'm weird but Kitty Hawk (formally Kill Devil Hills NC) is a magical place. It's in the center of the beautiful Outer Banks, surrounded by lodgings and restaurants, and the Wright Brothers' Vistors Center is not to be missed especially if you have kids. I don't and one of the few times I've wished I had them was at Kitty Hawk. Kids need to see this!! They still have the shacks where Wilbur and Orville lived for years while working on the flight preparations. You will be impressed and humbled if you've never been.
Also Oslo; many reasons to stay but especially the Viking Ship Museum is NOT to be missed. Where else can you see the Fram, the Kon-Tiki and several Viking vessels in one place?. A knockout.
Please note, after I created the first post, for some reason (Brain Fart?) when I came back later and edited it to add some more places, during that edit, I inadvertently changed "THRU" to "Pass". I did not mean that these places should be passed by, but passed through. Sorry.
... Devils Tower, (Moorcroft, WY): THRUI really want to see it, but imagine one day will cover it.
Rapid City, SD: THRU... You can see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse in a day.
Places in bold letters are assumptions - it would be nice to get confirmation.
DEVILS TOWER, WY: Since you asked, I'd have to agree with Devils Tower. It's a nice place to camp for a couple days, but if you're driving with a car, it can be "experienced" in half a day. Stop by the visitor's center, walk around the base of the tower, stop to watch the prairie dogs on your way out. Continue. Hope you had a nice visit.
RAPID CITY, SD (and Black Hills): I'd disagree with your assumption that there's nothing to see but Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. If you limit your stay to a day or two, you're short-changing yourself. There's a tremendous amount of Western history in the area, and enough nature/wildlife to easily entertain for a week. If you come through again, check out some of the options -- besides Rushmore and Crazy Horse.
That area of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has way more to offer than just the Pictured Rocks...I would call that a stay...
I agree with Cherokee..we spent two days there last week and it wasn't enough...going back in August for 3
Suggestions? I'm thinking about taking a trip.
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.
