Ok my friends we are considering a holiday ...& boy do we need one !!
simple question If i were to visit the US for a 14 day trip ... were do you recommend .. I know a lot of my 365 friends live in the US ..come on sell me your country ((o;.
we need ideas please...
Are you looking for city/cultural experiences, outdoorsy stuff, rural relaxation? You'll get tons of great suggestions here, but let us know if you have a certain "flavour" you're looking for for you holiday.
If you want mountains and ocean, the Pacific NW can't be beat. Seattle is 3 hours by car from Vancouver, Canada. If you want to go to Canada during your trip here, you will need a travel Visa to get in.
Some information:
Seafair - The main activities are between July 28 starting with the Torchlight Parade. (You can buy tickets for seats or just do what the rest of us do, stake out your seat early in the evening.) Ending with the Hyrdoplane races.
http://www.seafair.com/default.aspx?SecID=915
NW Folklife Festival A weekend long music and food festival. Lots going on.
http://nwfolklifefestival2011.sched.org/
Bumbershoot Another weekend long music and arts festival.
http://bumbershoot.org/
If you do come this way, there is what is called a Citypass. For a really reasonable amount you will get discounted admission to the favorite sights in Seattle. https://www.citypass.com/seattle
The Citypass is offered in many cities in the US.
Or .... how about a wine tour. Washington state's wines rank with those in France.
http://www.washingtonwinetours.com/
14 days? Pacific Coast. Example. You could fly into Fresno or San Francisco, go to San Francsico, Napa (Wine Country), Monterey, Yosemite National Park (Gods Cathedral) and Sequioa National Park.
Or, East Coast: Go from Washington DC to New York, then Boston.
I agree with Chris - we did a similar trip to California in 2011 and it was AMAZING!! I really didn't want to come back. The second trip Chris suggested would be great, or you could do a New England & New York trip if you wanted to get in a little city time and a little country time.
If you're looking for great beaches- Florida for sure. Great hospitality- TX of course! California is absoultely beautiful! And of course NYC and DC are always a must!
I recommend you don't go to Detroit and definitley don't say you are on business...they might not let you in!! :o)
Only ever been to NYC so not the best person to ask! But enjoy when you get there!
@steveh I highly recommend San Francisco as a base point and you can easily drive to so much of what the bay area and surrounding area's have to offer...you can drive the pacific coast highway etc...I lived there for 15 years and if only I was into photography then!
If you are interested in getting out and taking some pictures wherever you end up going, check out meetup.com. Just put in the city and word photography to find groups in the area where you are going. You should be able to drop-in on any of the photography meetups.
The Northeast is dense enough to see lots of places in one trip. Within 3 hours of Boston you can be skiing in Vermont or New Hampshire, or exploring big city fun in New York City. Washington, DC is a fabulous city, that would be an hour flight from Boston. Happy travel planning!
It is pretty big so if you had to hit the big sights in the U.S. and you have 14 days, I would go west since it is farther and you can always do New York/Philadelphia/D.C./Florida on shorter trips.
I love traveling west and there are some real big things to see, but remember the scale of driving here is huge so Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is 4-5 hours, and then Las Vegas is 5 hours to Los Angelas and then six hours from LA to San Francisco. So stuff is not as close as in other places
The Biggies of the West is what I would do.
California - San Diego, and LA
Las Vegas - for the sheer fun and culture shock or it all
Arizona/Utah - Grand Canyon (Northern Rim), Bryce Canyon and Zion
Nevada - Reno and Lake Tahoe (365 trip there the weekend of August 17th), Yosemite
Leave from SF with a day in Sonoma Valley.
I live on the East Coast and from NYC you can get to Update, Philadelphia, Boston and D.C. and the ocean in less than five hours at the farthest. I live in Philly and grew up outside of D.C. so would be glad to arrange a 365 photo meet up.
If you are going to do the South I would look at Austin, TX, San Antonio TX, New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL and then wind your way up to Memphis along the Mississippi.
One note on California. I went for 10 days and started in SF and drove down the Coast, up to the mountains, up to Oregon, down the coast and the wine country and thought I did too much in driving for the time I was there. Spent a lot more time in the car than I would have preferred.
I'd like to invite you to Wisconsin for its natural beauty, urban centers, wide variety of sporting, cultural, and ethnic activities. My husband and I own a bed & breakfast in Wausau in the middle of the state. We'd love to show you around. We could probably even arrange special rates for you :)
14 days is pretty tight but you should either do the west coast or the east coast... but you also need to think about what you want to do there mate. I'm pretty go go go on my holidays (1-2 days in most places) so I clear alot - I just hate sitting down doing nothing on a holiday.
East coast, I'd think about :
- Miami
- Playa Del Carmen (yes that right, mexico)
- Washington DC
- Boston
- NYC
Also, i've figured out that if your drive from destination a->b is anythign less than 5 hours, you're probably better off driving. If you fly, by the time you count the travel to the airport, being there an hour and a bit early, then flight, then time to get out of the terminal, travel from the airport to the hotel.. bleh, just drive :)
@steveh
Every few years hubby drags me kicking and screaming back home to visit my parents on the east coast (just north of wash DC). I'm kidding of course, usually it's because I say something like "thanksgiving, I miss thanksgiving" and he goes and buys tix.
We usually do a road trip. First one was a few months started on the west coast at my sisters (right near disneyland though we didn't go since I didn't realize hubby wanted to). Drove north along the coast road stopping at all the national parks we could (buy yourself a national park pass, sign the back in only one of the spots, you can hand it off to someone else as you're leaving the states). Camping is nice and cheap, and on the west coast there are enough of the national and state parks that you won't need to hotel too much.
The bigger parks like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon ect all have buffets that you can stop at too, so have a big breakfast and you're good for the rest of the day.
Jelly belly factory on the west coast, so is tillamook ok, you know what, this is going to take too long to answer.....Here's the site my husband did a few years ago.
Had we had dashcams and a lot of the newer codes available to us it would have been a ton easier. As it was he'd stay up working on the maps and uploading even after a full days drive!
Road Trip #1
mouse over the lines, each one will highlight a days trip. Click the more button for extra photos. Click each photo for a larger size. It's a bit low tech as far as websites go, but it was handcoded back before we had a lot of the code we have today that would have made it a ton easier! Most of the photos are his though, was a bit harder to get shots off my camera.
It really does depend on which areas you're thinking of hitting.
West coast has disney, lots of great national parks, jelly belly factory, EBR-1 (that was a surprise discovery, the worlds first breeder reactor and one of my favourite stops).
Midwest has Wall, badlands, windmills, really big rivers....
East coast has DC, the smithsonian, lots of museums, NYC (the home of B&H photo why else would you go???) Disney, NASA!!!!!, Gettysberg, ben and jerrys factory...
It also depends on what time of year you're thinking. Middle of August, I'd shy away from the east coast, especially the south, it's stinkin hot.
14 days really is NOT a lot of time, I used to live just north of DC in Greenbelt (NASA had the exit right before mine on the parkway) and I could still spend a day or two in DC going through the smithsonian even though I used to do that most weekends.
Have a click around the link I posted, ( I hope there aren't too many embarrassing photos of me O.O!) We covered a LOT of ground, but it was a LOT of driving and not enough seeing to make me happy.
On our second road trip home (first was for my sis's high school graduation, second for halloween and thanksgiving and a shuttle launch) we used facebook instead. But we drove down to Florida for the shuttle launch and it was. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G and could have used two or three days in florida to see disney (we just did one day at disney world when really you need one at the main park and one day at Epcot) then tried to do Cape Canaveral in a few hours in the afternoon (not a good plan!). I'd say three days minimum for Florida, more if you're going in the high season when there would be lines for the rides. We went on Nov 17th, the day after the shuttle launch, and there were no lines [i]at all[/i] since school was still in session.
Be sure you get a rental car that offers unlimited miles. If you want to drive up into Canada be sure you check with them that you can take it north of the border. We hired in California and when we asked about taking it to Canada they said "you mean mexico" and having just gotten off the longhaul from Oz we were all O.o ummm yeah o.O, we mean Canada.
It really depends on what is making you want to go to the states.
We do have plans for another trip back home, once this years paintball season is over.... I'm not taking any arguments from my husband this time about how expensive Pen & Teller tix are in Las Vegas, he's going! There's a 24 hour buffet pass you can buy as well that lets you into a bunch of the buffets, sometimes it's bundled with hotel rooms as a package. So we'll be doing vegas again. Maybe get to disneyLand this time, I want to spend more time at Badlands, he wants to see some more of the airforce museums (click on the indiana leg). I'll of course want time with my family both east and west coast....and who knows maybe we'll fit in a trip back to epcot this time!
"Wisconsin, go on vacation, leave on probation" jk..
Milwaukee is interesting, especially if you like shopping. Nearly everything is illegal, or excessively expensive. (picking on the Wisconsin locals)
Definitely a trip up Hwy 101 from California to Oregon. The West coast is beautiful. Portland, Oregon is two hours from the ocean or two hours from the Cascades, lots of waterfalls and Mount Hood is awesome. Washington is amazing as well, the Colombia River Gorge is worth seeing
The South is warmer though :p
In Missouri we have an arch. You can take a ride in it.
I'm personally a fan of Colorado and Chicago. I've only been to Colorado once and it was brief but I definitely want to go back. I've been to Chicago plenty of times and I love it there. The Chicago Botanic Gardens is one of my favorite places. The botanic gardens is 20ish miles north of the city.
I am from the southern US. I am originally from Mississippi but now live in Alabama. I use to live an hour or so away from New Orleans, LA. It is always a great party and LOTS of crazy things to see. And Mardi Gras is coming up. New Orleans is pretty much it own small country with its unique culture inside the US. There really isn't anything else like it. Also drinking a Hurricane and a Hand Grenade off Bourbon St. is a must.
For more scenic areas around here I would consider Tennessee. Nashville is really cool and is very hilly and you might just run into someone famous at your local Starbucks. Gatlinburg is mountains very pretty.
Also there is North Carolina which I think is beautiful. It has beaches and mountains! Asheville is a cute, trendy, artsy place with a gorgeous backdrop of mountain ranges. Also there is the Biltmore Estates in Asheville. It is amazing! The beaches are fun too.
There are plenty of hiking opportunities with waterfalls etc in these areas (not New Orleans=)
I thought I would add some less obvious places that are beautiful. And I really enjoy them. I am planning a trip to Gatilinburg in the spring! It is just all in what you want to experience.
My fav "big" city is Chicago, however I have not been to NY or California.
In my opinion if you're looking for something different, West is the way to go. You can't beat the red rocks of AZ or mountains of CO. Vegas is an experience like no other and CA has a culture in it's own. The West is gorgeous and like everyone's said, it's all at a manageable distance, albeit a bit longer.
As for east coast, it's much more "American", in my opinion. Nothing screams USA more than D.C. (or TX probably) and NYC, Boston, and Chicago are all great cities to be in. Ok, maybe I mixed East coast and middle-of-the road US..whoops.
As for warmth (which is what I would be looking for right about now), the south has perfect weather right now. Not too hot but still not cold. I was just in TX last week and the weather was beautiful. FL isn't far off either and you always have the attractions there too.
A lot of others on this thread have good advice as well. The NC/TN area (mountains or beach, whichever way you look) is beautiful and would make great photos :). It's also no too incredibly touristy. I would imagine going to the beach would be pretty reasonable right about now as well, since it's off season.
Basically, anywhere you go, you'll have a ball. That's the great thing about the US- you can have a completely different but awesome experience every time you come here!
I've been to 46 of the 50 states and this country is just too big to do in 14 days. But I agree with others who've said East Coast or West Coast.
The East coast has tons of history - Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York are all MUST-SEEs. Stay a few days in each and see things near each. DC: museums, White House, Arlington National Cemetery, Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home) and the like; Philly: Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's place, lots of Civil War sites; NY: the city itself, West Point, Atlantic City.
West Coast has beauty - natural and otherwise. Seattle, Portland are nice cities and the Washington and Oregon coasts are gorgeous. California has beach, Yosemite, Redwoods, LA, Hollywood, San Diego. You couldn't go wrong with any of these places.
I say come to California... begin .in Southern California , San Diego specifically the weather is perfect and warm all year long and the beaches beautiful. From there you can work your way north to San Francisco which has so many photo ops then north of San Francisco to Napa wine country. If you want to head east from San Francisco you can come to my town Placerville, which is where Gold was discovered in 1849.
A lot of people forget about Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. Yellowstone is in the south of the state...it's a short 1 hr flight or 7 hour drive south to Salt Lake city, Utah and just a bit farther to Zion National park (Home of all the red rock arches and formations you can dream of) and then a few hours more in different directions (south) to Las Vegas, New Mexico, (southwest) California (Los Angeles specifically)LA to Vegas is about a 4 hour drive. (east) Colorado I haven't been on the east coast but there are many amazing things to see and do. I have been to the south (Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi etc) and it is hot hot hot in the summer although the southern coast is supposed to be amazing and of course there is Florida. There is nothing wrong with the middle of America but for your time, if you want to maximize it, I wouldn't suggest spending your time driving there. It is a lot of not a lot between the cities (mostly farms) If you had time then I would say it's worth it, but 14 days goes quick. When you hear East or West coast, don't think just along the coast line, think inland a bit too!
We did a south to north drive last summer:
South and north rim of the Grand Canyon. Then Zion and Bryce Canyon and other parts of southern Utah. Then Yellowstone. Then Glacier.
Incredible.
You could also add the Sedona area on to the south end or Banff on to the north end.
But I'd also second all the California/west coast recommendations.
I was just going to mention Montana, too. The Bitterroot Valley/Glacier National Park is stunningly beautiful and scenery you certainly won't get in the UK. My husband has family in London and we took them to Montana one summer...it was definitely a favorite of theirs and they've been all over the world. No big cities in sight, but lots of hospitality.
I agree with Bryce and Shades of Gray...Im originally from N.Y. so of course i want to say N.Y.C. but to see all the sites that has to offer along with a few side trips ( Washington & Boston) that would eat up your 14 days rather quickly if this is all you do it would still be an Awesome trip!....Now the Soutwest or Just West as Bryce said cant be beat for Photography and adventure..But alot of driving will be involved ..Still i would take that trip first and really see the beauty of America...Save the big Citys for next time!!..But dont leave Idaho out it is probably one of the most Beautiful States i have ever been to and i have been to or through them All!!, You can Start out in L.Vegas go north and see Utah, Colorado,Wyoming Montana then Hit Idaho Oregon and come Back down the west cost of California and fly back from LA or San Fransisco...That is Quite a bit of Traveling ...I would look into renting an RV and you can camp pretty cheep and have your hotel room with you all the time!!
Two weeks - and you're interested in natural phenomena - nothing beats the Grand Canyon and the surrounding canyons (Bryce, Zion etc). Every time I return to the US - I have to make a side trip and hike a few trails. Mind blowing stuff and photo ops like you can't believe!!!
There's loads to see and do in the US - it's huge - so it will all depend on what floats your boat:
I live in New York which is beautiful every season. I have visited most states and I would say If I were to go somewhere for 14 days it would be Alaska. I think it is the most beautiful state in America!
i believe you have to consider what type of weather and things you want to see. we all believe where we are is the best place to be or we we would not be here! a trip to the United States, imo, should be a traveling around trip because then to see so much more and it is easy to do if planned correctly. depends on when you are coming for each part of the country. urban vs. country --- huge contrasts. you could visit just the national parks and have a great trip. depends on your interests. or just luxury hotels in major cities or stay with us 365ers. see what i mean?
San Francisco, hands-down. Not if you want a very warm climate though, just in terms of great things to see. Take GOOD walking shoes because you will be doing a lot of it (and many hills, the streets are crazy) if you visit there. California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate park (actually, there's lots to see in Golden Gate park http://www.golden-gate-park.com/), Chinatown http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/, and the Haight-Ashbury area (for pure SF street culture) and Pier 39 http://www.pier39.com/index.cfm for lots of touristy fun. The Alcatraz tour is definitely worth the money http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/.
Anywhere around Napa Valley has awesome scenery and wine tasting. Domaine Chandon http://www.chandon.com/ is one of the bigger champagne vineyards that does tasting and tours. Ravenswood vineyards http://www.ravenswoodwinery.com if you like a good zinfandel.
Nearby Calistoga is a wonderful place for food and spas--and a very quaint little town to stay in, I love it there. They're famous for mud baths, I'd recommend this one: http://www.drwilkinson.com/ because it's family run/owned and they're very nice, but I'm sure they're all good.
My favorite California beaches are along Salt Point and Bodega Bay--but again, not if you want a warm climate.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is worth seeing too. Lots of great Native American history around that area.
Have fun--it will be interesting to see your take on your vacation! We're planning to go back for a visit in April, I miss California.
@smevvy 5 days just in San Francisco? That will give you a quick experience of the city! Lots to see there :)
I'd love to sell you on South Carolina. It would be nice to meet you and your lovely wife but, I would have to recommend any place in the southwest! Anywhere west of the Mississippi River. The southeast weather is just so damn humid and muggy, especially in the summertime here. Course, the northwest has its beautiful places, too! Santa Fe, New Mexico is one of the places on my bucket list. Great photo opps all around! The desert of Arizona is another stunning place! To spend a night under a desert sky is something everyone should do with their tripod set up for some spectacular sky shots! Definitely take the west! One great Rodeo would be an awesome thing for you to see, as well!
Wow what a reply .. Thank you so much it's going to ntake a while to absorb these answers .. But Just to answer the first question @mabelkitty ,,,just for two me & Linda & personally I like the countryside more than the beach mountains are my fav .. Linda loves a beach more than me so I think it's a mix we need (;
Thanks so much @dmortega we have family in Vancouver so that might be a poss... @swguevin thanks Sheila will check those out .. @cluvlj Thank you great idea .. @melissapike Thanks Melissa I fancy NYC to be honest @ashpanelli Thank you Ashley .. @sparkle Thanks juliette ... I could get your passport back if we go ((; @loztsoul Thanks for the idea Trevor a friend drove that route some years ago & loved it .will check it out (; @mks Thanks so much maura.. @brumbe Thank you Paula ,, lots of great info.. & yes a Meet up for sure if I come that way (; @scrappy Thanks for your ideas Will check it out.. @azza_l Cheers Aaron .. Just what I am considering with something added like Boston (; @rich57 No problem rich ... ((; @laynesgram Thank you so much laynalynn that's really very nice off you We will look up Wisconsin (; @toast Thanks for the advice weng ... @neda Thanks so much @brumbe Cheers for that extra advice we are campers but I fell nice beds are needed on this one if we make the trip ...lol @chard@kimfaria Richard & Kim thank you @binny Thanks made me smile lol @soxfansara Thank you so much (; @sdpace ...lol .. Sold it too me I saw that film (; @ashleycampbell9 Ashley that sounds very convincing , love the sounds coming from that area thank you so much for reminding me (; @ashmy Thanks Ashley nice advice @hoosierhokie Thanks becca ..thinking east more now @shadesofgrey Thanks for the advice (; .. Yes 14 is not long I know boss wont give me more ); @meisen325@bcryan Thanks guys @ellimae Thanks Ellen @thebluegnu Thanks so much for your thoughts (; @smevvy No idea ); hope one of these guys can advise you ... Good luck on your trip @pammerritt Wow never thought of Alaska good idea will check out thanks @catsmeowb looks like I have a lot of options lol. Thanks to everyone (; @herussell .. Now you got me stumped ?? Whats the Super Bowl then .. . Lol , only joking ((; I wish I bet if I had tickets it would fund my trip ((; @clarissajohal thanks faeriemoon @marlboromaam ..we on our way always wanted to ride a cowboy horse lol thanks for the great ideas (;
These are really great feedbacks I am amazed at your wonderful replays & I can tell you all love your country .. Hopefully we will manage to visit somewhere in the USA this year .. Fingers crossed ... So in the mean time i will be checking all yourbideas on the web ... & your all very welcome to visit us in England any time you like ::: (;.. Daisy Hill north west England .. Just please not all at once ,,,, lol ... Thanks so much to everyone
@steveh - We're hoping to get to your side of the pond at some point too. Thinking maybe summer 2013. Keeping fingers crossed that it'll work out. So much in England we'd love to see! :o)
@mks Thanks! My dream version of that trip would have involved more time just soaking in each place rather than driving, but we were limited to two months.
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Some information:
Seafair - The main activities are between July 28 starting with the Torchlight Parade. (You can buy tickets for seats or just do what the rest of us do, stake out your seat early in the evening.) Ending with the Hyrdoplane races.
http://www.seafair.com/default.aspx?SecID=915
NW Folklife Festival A weekend long music and food festival. Lots going on.
http://nwfolklifefestival2011.sched.org/
Bumbershoot Another weekend long music and arts festival.
http://bumbershoot.org/
If you do come this way, there is what is called a Citypass. For a really reasonable amount you will get discounted admission to the favorite sights in Seattle. https://www.citypass.com/seattle
The Citypass is offered in many cities in the US.
Or .... how about a wine tour. Washington state's wines rank with those in France.
http://www.washingtonwinetours.com/
All California, with a side trip into Vegas just to shoot lights and the red rock canyons, and ghost towns.
All East Coast: Maine down to Florida.
Texas and Louisianna
Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
Nothing but NYC. Or the a 3 big city tour: NYC, Chicago and LA
Or, East Coast: Go from Washington DC to New York, then Boston.
I prefer #1 though.
Only ever been to NYC so not the best person to ask! But enjoy when you get there!
I love traveling west and there are some real big things to see, but remember the scale of driving here is huge so Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is 4-5 hours, and then Las Vegas is 5 hours to Los Angelas and then six hours from LA to San Francisco. So stuff is not as close as in other places
The Biggies of the West is what I would do.
California - San Diego, and LA
Las Vegas - for the sheer fun and culture shock or it all
Arizona/Utah - Grand Canyon (Northern Rim), Bryce Canyon and Zion
Nevada - Reno and Lake Tahoe (365 trip there the weekend of August 17th), Yosemite
Leave from SF with a day in Sonoma Valley.
I live on the East Coast and from NYC you can get to Update, Philadelphia, Boston and D.C. and the ocean in less than five hours at the farthest. I live in Philly and grew up outside of D.C. so would be glad to arrange a 365 photo meet up.
If you are going to do the South I would look at Austin, TX, San Antonio TX, New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL and then wind your way up to Memphis along the Mississippi.
One note on California. I went for 10 days and started in SF and drove down the Coast, up to the mountains, up to Oregon, down the coast and the wine country and thought I did too much in driving for the time I was there. Spent a lot more time in the car than I would have preferred.
RE west coast, I agree with @brumbe
East coast, I'd think about :
- Miami
- Playa Del Carmen (yes that right, mexico)
- Washington DC
- Boston
- NYC
Also, i've figured out that if your drive from destination a->b is anythign less than 5 hours, you're probably better off driving. If you fly, by the time you count the travel to the airport, being there an hour and a bit early, then flight, then time to get out of the terminal, travel from the airport to the hotel.. bleh, just drive :)
Every few years hubby drags me kicking and screaming back home to visit my parents on the east coast (just north of wash DC). I'm kidding of course, usually it's because I say something like "thanksgiving, I miss thanksgiving" and he goes and buys tix.
We usually do a road trip. First one was a few months started on the west coast at my sisters (right near disneyland though we didn't go since I didn't realize hubby wanted to). Drove north along the coast road stopping at all the national parks we could (buy yourself a national park pass, sign the back in only one of the spots, you can hand it off to someone else as you're leaving the states). Camping is nice and cheap, and on the west coast there are enough of the national and state parks that you won't need to hotel too much.
The bigger parks like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon ect all have buffets that you can stop at too, so have a big breakfast and you're good for the rest of the day.
Jelly belly factory on the west coast, so is tillamook ok, you know what, this is going to take too long to answer.....Here's the site my husband did a few years ago.
Had we had dashcams and a lot of the newer codes available to us it would have been a ton easier. As it was he'd stay up working on the maps and uploading even after a full days drive!
Road Trip #1
mouse over the lines, each one will highlight a days trip. Click the more button for extra photos. Click each photo for a larger size. It's a bit low tech as far as websites go, but it was handcoded back before we had a lot of the code we have today that would have made it a ton easier! Most of the photos are his though, was a bit harder to get shots off my camera.
It really does depend on which areas you're thinking of hitting.
West coast has disney, lots of great national parks, jelly belly factory, EBR-1 (that was a surprise discovery, the worlds first breeder reactor and one of my favourite stops).
Midwest has Wall, badlands, windmills, really big rivers....
East coast has DC, the smithsonian, lots of museums, NYC (the home of B&H photo why else would you go???) Disney, NASA!!!!!, Gettysberg, ben and jerrys factory...
It also depends on what time of year you're thinking. Middle of August, I'd shy away from the east coast, especially the south, it's stinkin hot.
14 days really is NOT a lot of time, I used to live just north of DC in Greenbelt (NASA had the exit right before mine on the parkway) and I could still spend a day or two in DC going through the smithsonian even though I used to do that most weekends.
Have a click around the link I posted, ( I hope there aren't too many embarrassing photos of me O.O!) We covered a LOT of ground, but it was a LOT of driving and not enough seeing to make me happy.
On our second road trip home (first was for my sis's high school graduation, second for halloween and thanksgiving and a shuttle launch) we used facebook instead. But we drove down to Florida for the shuttle launch and it was. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G and could have used two or three days in florida to see disney (we just did one day at disney world when really you need one at the main park and one day at Epcot) then tried to do Cape Canaveral in a few hours in the afternoon (not a good plan!). I'd say three days minimum for Florida, more if you're going in the high season when there would be lines for the rides. We went on Nov 17th, the day after the shuttle launch, and there were no lines [i]at all[/i] since school was still in session.
Be sure you get a rental car that offers unlimited miles. If you want to drive up into Canada be sure you check with them that you can take it north of the border. We hired in California and when we asked about taking it to Canada they said "you mean mexico" and having just gotten off the longhaul from Oz we were all O.o ummm yeah o.O, we mean Canada.
It really depends on what is making you want to go to the states.
We do have plans for another trip back home, once this years paintball season is over.... I'm not taking any arguments from my husband this time about how expensive Pen & Teller tix are in Las Vegas, he's going! There's a 24 hour buffet pass you can buy as well that lets you into a bunch of the buffets, sometimes it's bundled with hotel rooms as a package. So we'll be doing vegas again. Maybe get to disneyLand this time, I want to spend more time at Badlands, he wants to see some more of the airforce museums (click on the indiana leg). I'll of course want time with my family both east and west coast....and who knows maybe we'll fit in a trip back to epcot this time!
Milwaukee is interesting, especially if you like shopping. Nearly everything is illegal, or excessively expensive. (picking on the Wisconsin locals)
Definitely a trip up Hwy 101 from California to Oregon. The West coast is beautiful. Portland, Oregon is two hours from the ocean or two hours from the Cascades, lots of waterfalls and Mount Hood is awesome. Washington is amazing as well, the Colombia River Gorge is worth seeing
The South is warmer though :p
In Missouri we have an arch. You can take a ride in it.
For more scenic areas around here I would consider Tennessee. Nashville is really cool and is very hilly and you might just run into someone famous at your local Starbucks. Gatlinburg is mountains very pretty.
Also there is North Carolina which I think is beautiful. It has beaches and mountains! Asheville is a cute, trendy, artsy place with a gorgeous backdrop of mountain ranges. Also there is the Biltmore Estates in Asheville. It is amazing! The beaches are fun too.
There are plenty of hiking opportunities with waterfalls etc in these areas (not New Orleans=)
I thought I would add some less obvious places that are beautiful. And I really enjoy them. I am planning a trip to Gatilinburg in the spring! It is just all in what you want to experience.
My fav "big" city is Chicago, however I have not been to NY or California.
As for east coast, it's much more "American", in my opinion. Nothing screams USA more than D.C. (or TX probably) and NYC, Boston, and Chicago are all great cities to be in. Ok, maybe I mixed East coast and middle-of-the road US..whoops.
As for warmth (which is what I would be looking for right about now), the south has perfect weather right now. Not too hot but still not cold. I was just in TX last week and the weather was beautiful. FL isn't far off either and you always have the attractions there too.
A lot of others on this thread have good advice as well. The NC/TN area (mountains or beach, whichever way you look) is beautiful and would make great photos :). It's also no too incredibly touristy. I would imagine going to the beach would be pretty reasonable right about now as well, since it's off season.
Basically, anywhere you go, you'll have a ball. That's the great thing about the US- you can have a completely different but awesome experience every time you come here!
The East coast has tons of history - Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York are all MUST-SEEs. Stay a few days in each and see things near each. DC: museums, White House, Arlington National Cemetery, Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home) and the like; Philly: Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's place, lots of Civil War sites; NY: the city itself, West Point, Atlantic City.
West Coast has beauty - natural and otherwise. Seattle, Portland are nice cities and the Washington and Oregon coasts are gorgeous. California has beach, Yosemite, Redwoods, LA, Hollywood, San Diego. You couldn't go wrong with any of these places.
Have a great time when you do visit!
South and north rim of the Grand Canyon. Then Zion and Bryce Canyon and other parts of southern Utah. Then Yellowstone. Then Glacier.
Incredible.
You could also add the Sedona area on to the south end or Banff on to the north end.
But I'd also second all the California/west coast recommendations.
There's loads to see and do in the US - it's huge - so it will all depend on what floats your boat:
and is 5 days going to be too short??
Anywhere around Napa Valley has awesome scenery and wine tasting. Domaine Chandon http://www.chandon.com/ is one of the bigger champagne vineyards that does tasting and tours. Ravenswood vineyards http://www.ravenswoodwinery.com if you like a good zinfandel.
Nearby Calistoga is a wonderful place for food and spas--and a very quaint little town to stay in, I love it there. They're famous for mud baths, I'd recommend this one: http://www.drwilkinson.com/ because it's family run/owned and they're very nice, but I'm sure they're all good.
My favorite California beaches are along Salt Point and Bodega Bay--but again, not if you want a warm climate.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is worth seeing too. Lots of great Native American history around that area.
Have fun--it will be interesting to see your take on your vacation! We're planning to go back for a visit in April, I miss California.
@smevvy 5 days just in San Francisco? That will give you a quick experience of the city! Lots to see there :)
@cluvlj Thank you great idea ..
@melissapike Thanks Melissa I fancy NYC to be honest
@ashpanelli Thank you Ashley ..
@sparkle Thanks juliette ... I could get your passport back if we go ((;
@loztsoul Thanks for the idea Trevor a friend drove that route some years ago & loved it .will check it out (;
@mks Thanks so much maura..
@brumbe Thank you Paula ,, lots of great info.. & yes a Meet up for sure if I come that way (;
@scrappy Thanks for your ideas Will check it out..
@azza_l Cheers Aaron .. Just what I am considering with something added like Boston (;
@rich57 No problem rich ... ((;
@laynesgram Thank you so much laynalynn that's really very nice off you We will look up Wisconsin (;
@toast Thanks for the advice weng ...
@neda Thanks so much
@brumbe Cheers for that extra advice we are campers but I fell nice beds are needed on this one if we make the trip ...lol
@chard @kimfaria Richard & Kim thank you
@binny Thanks made me smile lol
@soxfansara Thank you so much (;
@sdpace ...lol .. Sold it too me I saw that film (;
@ashleycampbell9 Ashley that sounds very convincing , love the sounds coming from that area thank you so much for reminding me (;
@ashmy Thanks Ashley nice advice
@hoosierhokie Thanks becca ..thinking east more now
@shadesofgrey Thanks for the advice (; .. Yes 14 is not long I know boss wont give me more );
@meisen325 @bcryan Thanks guys
@ellimae Thanks Ellen
@thebluegnu Thanks so much for your thoughts (;
@smevvy No idea ); hope one of these guys can advise you ... Good luck on your trip
@pammerritt Wow never thought of Alaska good idea will check out thanks
@catsmeowb looks like I have a lot of options lol. Thanks to everyone (;
@herussell .. Now you got me stumped ?? Whats the Super Bowl then .. . Lol , only joking ((; I wish I bet if I had tickets it would fund my trip ((;
@clarissajohal thanks faeriemoon
@marlboromaam ..we on our way always wanted to ride a cowboy horse lol thanks for the great ideas (;
These are really great feedbacks I am amazed at your wonderful replays & I can tell you all love your country .. Hopefully we will manage to visit somewhere in the USA this year .. Fingers crossed ... So in the mean time i will be checking all yourbideas on the web ... & your all very welcome to visit us in England any time you like ::: (;.. Daisy Hill north west England .. Just please not all at once ,,,, lol ... Thanks so much to everyone