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My fiance and I have been thinking of doing a cross-country trip sometime soon. We'd like to see all of the US that we can. Tell me:
1) What are some of the best attractions or "must-sees" in your state? Please don't limit the list to tourist attractions... include places and things that I might never learn about from a glossy brochure; maybe something that you feel captures the essence of what your state is all about, some place special to you, or an event you would like to include.
2) How would you describe the culture/people/vibe of your state? As well as you can, of course... each state has different areas. Is it east coast aggressive? Blue collar industrial? Lots of farmers? Red state/blue state? Would you see more people dressed nice or do they not care? Friendly?
3) What is the visual landscape like? Mountains or flat? Coastal? Lakes? Historical buildings or new construction? Locally owned shops or lots of big box corporations?
4) What is the weather like?
And include anything you would like to... if you have any info on other states that you've been to, not your own, I'd appreciate that, too. Oh and I already know a lot about Michigan (my home state), but feel free to include that as well! I haven't explored it all and there may be a lot I'm missing out on, even on my home turf.
Thanks, everyone! I know these are lots of questions but it will give me a place to start... and I think it will help a lot of other readers with their questions, too.
Between Idaho, Wyoming and Montana we share Yellowstone Nat'l park. Also located in the middle of Idaho is Craters of the Moon nat'l park which is pretty awesome. In a little town of Rigby, ID we have a museum for Philo T Farnsworth who invented the TV along with further north the Teton Flood Museum.
Folks are warm and inviting and we have several places that can't be helped to be placed in a travel brochere as they are awesome. In south central Idaho near Twin Falls is a canyon with the Snake River flowing through it.
North Upper Snake River Valley houses Upper Mesas Falls which is spectacular.
Idaho is pretty diverse in having high desert, mountains and gorges.
We did this once. We had a few set places we had to visit, but we made sure that right about 5 PM every day, we stopped for Happy Hour In whatever little dive we happened upon!
Jerome, AZ, a cool little ghost town not far from Sedona. Sorry I can't remember exactly where, but that's what maps are for. While in AZ, definitely take the drive through Oak Creek Canyon, which runs between the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. Gorgeous!!
Cody, Wyoming, right outside of Yellowstone. Cool bar there called Cassie's, I think, if it's still there. (Yes, there is a theme to my travels.)
One of my favorite towns is Alexandria, Virginia, specifically Old Town. Beautiful architecture, lots of houses and businesses and restaurants all together, very walkable, right on the Potomac River.
My goodness, there are so many beautiful and wonderful places. Just reading this thread will get me itching to get going!! Thanks for asking, I look forward to some great responses.
Well I live in Texas but I think you should go to western North Carolina. To me it is the most beautiful place in the world. There are lots of beautiful waterfalls and the mountains are so pretty. Our favorite town is Maggie Valley and Asheville about 30 miles away has The Biltmore, the largest privately owned home in America, the house is 250 rooms on four acres. And the grounds you have to see to believe. Weather permitting a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking is great there. Our favorite time is the fall to see the leaves change, but to me anytime is a good time to go!
When my brother traveled around the country, his favorite sites were along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Not sure what time of the year you're planning on traveling, but if you ever get a chance to take I-80 across Pennsylvania or I-77 through West Virginia and Virginia in the fall, do it. It's beautiful.
My favorite area of PA is Bucks County (used to live there--where I met my husband.) I think you would love the New Hope area. Alot of artists live there. We used to enjoy walking the small downtown area. It had lots of little unique shops and eateries.
Also, if you've never been, stop in Sandusky Ohio. Home of Cedar Point--roller coaster capital of the world. There's nothing like being at the top of a roller coaster and looking out onto Lake Erie.
Last edited by grammy164; 11-14-2006 at 05:11 PM..
Reason: blonde thing
If you head out to Washington, take a detour off of I-90 and drive Highway 20 through the Cascades. The scenery is gorgeous, and if you get a chance, do a little stop or car camp at Diablo Lake. It's one of my favorite road trips.
If you travel in April, make sure you don't miss Mt. Vernon and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. It's truly a sight!
Finally, if the outdoors is your thing, cruise on over to Olympic N.P.: Hurricane Ridge, Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic Hot Springs are all worth a visit.
1) What are some of the best attractions or "must-sees" in your state? Please don't limit the list to tourist attractions... include places and things that I might never learn about from a glossy brochure; maybe something that you feel captures the essence of what your state is all about, some place special to you, or an event you would like to include.
Johnny Hot Dogs on Rt. 46 in Butzville - great hot dogs, plus you can say you were in a town called Butzville.
Wildwood - huge boardwalk with lots of fun things to do. The beach is great, the sand is very level so you can walk far out into the ocean without being in very deep water.
Cape May - beautiful beach town with lots of Victorian homes, many of which are beautiful B&Bs.
Augusta - the first or second week of August, it is home to the New Jersey State Fair/Farm and Horse Show. This fair is huge (rides, games, contests, music, animals, all sorts of stuff) and is everything NJ is about.
Ice Cream on 9, Howell, NJ. The best ice cream in the world. A few miles north is the Golden Bell, on Rt. 9 in Freehold; a great example of a NJ diner. If you come to NJ, you must eat at a diner at least once.
The Open Air Theater at Washington Crossing State Park. Lovely setting, beautiful park. Have a picnic in the park beforehand. The shows are great.
And if you are going to visit New Jersey, you should really take trips NYC and Philadelphia, to see all of the historical sites (Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Liberty Bell, etc.).
2) How would you describe the culture/people/vibe of your state? As well as you can, of course... each state has different areas. Is it east coast aggressive? Blue collar industrial? Lots of farmers? Red state/blue state? Would you see more people dressed nice or do they not care? Friendly?
NJ is extremely diverse. In its southernmost and northwesternmost parts, it is somewhat more laid back, with farmland; in the northeast and central areas, it is very "east coast aggressive," as you put it. We are blue...we are not overly friendy but still more friendly than NYC...most people do dress nice, designer everything. We have people from all nationalities, all races, all kinds of sexuality, and more than 2 genders even.
3) What is the visual landscape like? Mountains or flat? Coastal? Lakes? Historical buildings or new construction? Locally owned shops or lots of big box corporations?
Again, depends on where you are at. The east coast is coastal. The northwestern part has lakes. The south-middle is the pinelands; lots of scrubby pine trees growing in sandy dirt (I think it is ugly). The smaller towns might have more locally owned shops; we have big box corps and McMansion neighborhoods everywhere. The western half of the state has more elevation (hills, small mountains).
4) What is the weather like?
We get all 4 seasons. Summers are hot, often humid; average temp in the mid 80s. Winters are cold, temps generally below freezing. The northern half of the state gets more snow than the southern half. Springs are wet, autumn brings beautiful foliage.
1)Southeastern Kentucky (my home away from home)-Kingdom Come State Park(by Tri-Cities-Cumberland,Benham and Lynch) A park tucked away by the Virginia border in which you can get up to 4000ft to see all the mountains and valleys, beautiful to watch the sun go down, also a haven for black bears in which people arrive before dusk to watch the bears come out,(that area in general is populated with black bears-federally (i believe) protected) amplitheater cave and log-rock are a few more things to see.
2)Blue Collar (coal mining country), church-going community, friendly in general,
3)On route 119 between Harlan and the Tri-Cities, there is a continuous and narrow mountain range on both sides of the road that runs from Harlan to the Tri-Cities with the river snaking its way back and forth.Pine trees and shale rocks.
4)The weather is fair-four seasons, can get humid during the summer and also can get windy at times. There is no need to worry about tornadoes as the mountain range acts as a buffer/windbreak.
Must See: The Outter Banks along the coast: Stunning!! The Blue Ridge Parkway: Maybe the best drive in the nation. Asheville: Very charming mountain city with a fun, artsy vibe. Mt. Airy: Hometown of Andy Griffth and the model for the town of Mayberry. The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte: The largest and most advanced center of its kind in the world. Can adjust the rapids to any skill level. Also has the largest climbing wasll in the nation. Absolutely awesome place!!!
The People: Some of the most friendly people in the world. People of many beliefs and backgrounds who get along very well and are very welcoming.
Landscape: Marshs, beaches, and waterways of the east (Wilmington, Kitty Hawk), the the green, rolling landscape of the Piedmont in the middle (Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro), and the beautiful mountains to the west (Asheville, Boone).
Weather: Very nice, 4-season climate with lots of sun. It varies a lot from the coast to the mountains, but with no extremes.
Good luck on your visit. It sounds like a lot of fun! Peace, and stay safe!!!
Thanks so much everyone! It's so interesting to hear about each state from those that live there, rather than it just be an area on a map that you know nothing about. I'm going to take a screen shot of this thread and save it on my computer for reference. I'd love to hear about all 50 states... even Hawaii and Alaska, although its not likely I'll be driving there LOL.
Been to CedarPoint, Grammy! My dad lives about 2 hours west of Sandusky. I love the Power Tower!
But have never been to the other states mentioned... yet.
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In whatever little dive we happened upon!
