Registered: May 2000
Location: Cleveland, Ohio 44067
Posts: 242

I am coming to YOUR town!!!

I have quit my job and my wife and I are going to take six to eight weeks and drive cross country in the early spring of 2002. We are outdoorsy kind of people, skiing, hikiing, biking, camping, and we like to check out downtowns also.

I also really enjoy history.

So my question to you is this : If I had a short time in your state, what would you suggest I do that is a cannot miss!

I do plan to see New Orleans, The Alamo, Glacier National Park, Mt Rainer, Mt St. Helens, and Mt Rushmore.

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Out of my skull, back in five minutes
Posts: 1435

While not actually in my state, I understand that Killington and the surrounding mountains in the Rutland VT area are excellent for skiing. (Not a skiier myself tho.)

For History, Ticonderoga and Lake George are about an hour from Rutland, and the Glens Falls region is an hour south of Ti. All three were significant in the French/Indian and Revolutionary wars. Also, though it's not accessible anymore, Cooper's Cave -- significant to the "Last of the Mohicans" -- is located in Glens Falls on the Hudson River, by the paper plants and at the edge of our dying downtown.

Saratoga Springs has a great downtown. Come the first Thursday of a month for citywide art openings.

All these are in New York; your "must sees" are on the other side of the continent/country so I don't know if you'll be making it to New England or not, but that's what's around me that might be of interest.

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Elkins Park, Pa
Posts: 577

If you go to Killington and have some money to burn, go to the Killington Grand. Great hotel.

Anyway, if you come to eastern Pennsylvania, make your activity to try to get out as soon as you possibly can. Other parts of Pennsylvania are nice, Gettysburg is a good visit. Also, take a look at Fallingwater, I hear that's something to see. But as I said, Philly is the most BORING place in the country.

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Registered: May 2000
Location: Cleveland, Ohio 44067
Posts: 242

Thanks, my wife is from CT and we do like to go up to Vermont to ski, I think Sugarbush is our favorite!

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What does it look like I am doing...I am kickin' my @ss!!!

Last edited by Doggy on 10-31-2001 at 01:05 AM

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Petersburg, AK
Posts: 131

In my state: hike the Chilkoot Trail out of Skagway,visit Denali, explore the caves of Prince of Whales Island, seakayak in Sitka, go birding in Cordova, hike glaciers in Juneau, heli-ski Valdez(!), cruise the Inside Passage on our Marine Highway... But I bet you are not coming up here.

My other suggestions (besides some of those you listed earlier): mountain biking in Moab, Yellowstone in the winter (limited entrances!), slot canyons of Utah, Devil's Tower, pueblos of NM.

My wife and I have driven across 3 times in the past 5 years. We have all kinds of suggestions...

Registered: May 2000
Location: Cleveland, Ohio 44067
Posts: 242

Alaska will have to wait, we believe it deserves to be a trip all to itself! We definitely will get there. My wife's twin sister and bro-in-law went on a rafting trip up there where they camped on the banks of a river and it sounded awesome. I know they had a great time!

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

On your way to/from Mt. Rushmore, you may want to take some of the highways in the northern part of Nebraska instead of the interstate in South Dakota. Stop by Valentine or one of the other towns along the Niobrara River and do some camping, canoeing, visit Smith Falls, etc. The land there is beautiful!

You head north from Chadron, Nebraska to hit the Black Hills. Around Chadron, you can visit Fort Robinson State Park and both the Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Site and Toadstool National Park. You can camp at the Fort or Toadstool Park

If you are REALLY into fossils, also check out the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD just south fo the Black Hills.

If you approach Nebraska via I-80, you'll hit Omaha. We have a world-class zoo (The Omaha Henry Doorley Zoo, voted America's #1 family attraction a couple years ago by Family Fun Magazine, beating even Disney's stuff!), and some other fun stuff.

For more on Omaha, try www.discoveromaha.com. Most of the other places I mentioned have their own sites and pop up pretty easily on searches.

Registered: May 2000
Location: Cleveland, Ohio 44067
Posts: 242

Thanks, I am going to look into your reccomendations, much of it sounds right up our alley! Camping at the fort and the Mammoth Site sound interesting.

The Salt Lake City Natural History Museum has a room where you can watch archeologists cleaning fossils and removing them from the sediment they have been buried in for millions of years. Also found the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles fascinating.

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What does it look like I am doing...I am kickin' my @ss!!!

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 284

quote:

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Originally posted by Yorick
All these are in New York; your "must sees" are on the other side of the continent/country so I don't know if you'll be making it to New England or not, but that's what's around me that might be of interest.

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 239

I don't see the Grand Canyon on the list anywhere. Granted, it is just a big hole in the ground, but it is still very impressive.

Near there is Lake Powell, but that's only really good ifyou have a boat (or you rent one). Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon....the West Rim of Zion Canyon is a good 18 mile hike, but you really need someone to drop you off at Kolob Resovoir and pick you up in the canyon.

Are you going to stop in Las Vegas? You should, at least once, if you have never been there. Caeser's Palace and Luxor are my favorite.

If you are going in the spring, there should still be some skiing, and the Utah resorts will still be in their post-Olympic glow.

There are also dozens of sites with hieroglyphs and petroglyphs around all of these areas.

Umm, now I am just brain-storming....Goblin Valley, the Painted Desert, Bonneville Salt Flats, the redwoods in California. You could stop in San Antonio and see the Alamo (you could compensate for me living there for 2 years and never visiting).

If you are traveling on I-15 in southern Utah between Cedar City and St. George, look for the Leeds exit about 20 miles north of St. George. Take that exit and turn East. When you get to the T-intersection, turn right (south). Follow that until you get to the Quail Creek Marina. There will be a right-turn with a sign "Red Cliffs Campground". Taking that will take you back under the interstate and on a winding little road (hopefully the creek isn't too deep, but be careful when you cross). There are some ruins along of the road of old pioneer houses. Not a museum, just a house that has been sitting there for 150 years. The road ends at the campground. There is a bit of hiking and rock climbing right there, but if you follow the "nature trail" back about a mile, you get the good stuff. Here the snow run-off has a stream down the rocks. A waterfall has a pool at the bottom, which in turn feeds another waterfall into another pool, etc. Some pools are big enough to swim in, though too early in the spring and the water temp isn't going to be much above 50F. Some waterfalls are more rock slides than anything, and great fun to ride down. There are waterfalls you can walk by, others they have cut holes into the rock for feet and hands, and you have to climb up the rock wall alongside the waterfall. Depending on how good a climber you are and your bravery/stupidity level, you can get quite high. Weekends are obvioulsy the most populated time, and you run the chance of high school kids enjoying a "kegger", but weekdays should be fairly open.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 284

quote:

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Originally posted by sowens

That's about all I can come up with right now. If you do make it out this way, let me know and I'll see what else I can dig up.

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Registered: May 2000
Location: Cleveland, Ohio 44067
Posts: 242

Wow! Are you writing a book? Actually Grand Canyon is definitely on the list, we figured we would go down one day and come up the next. We also hope to hit either Zion or Bryce.

We have skied already in Utah and we felt Alta was the best!

As for Vegas, maybe we will try to ski at Lake Tahoe and take in some of the sight there. I have never actually been to Vegas but my wife has.

I guess I should mention I am from Cleveland but my waif and I are both from the east coast, LI and CT. We have traveled New England extensively and have traveled some of the nearby Great Lakes regions so they won't be the focus of our trip. Definitely the South, West, Pacific, and Plains will be the target.

I have appreciated everything I have gotten so far, keep them coming, this is a great bonus in addition to reading a book written by some state tourism council.

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What does it look like I am doing...I am kickin' my @ss!!!

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 152

San Antonio is a great place to visit. While I am not knocking the Alamo, a real Texan would never do that, it will probably not be what you expect. I would go anyway, because, being a history buff I love it. Plan to stay on the Riverwalk and eat as many meals there as you can. Go to the market, it is on the other end of downtown and you can take the trolley to get there.

If you are going to be in San Antonio, you are only 2 1/2 hours away from Laredo, which is a border town. If you have never been across the border, it is an interesting experience. You can park your car on this side in downtown and walk across the bridge. There are some good restaurants over there and an interesting shopping experience.

It sounds like you would also like Big Bend, out in west Texas. Camp out and raft the Rio Grand.

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Howard

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 284

quote:

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Originally posted by maddog
Wow! Are you writing a book? Actually Grand Canyon is definitely on the list, we figured we would go down one day and come up the next. We also hope to hit either Zion or Bryce.

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In that case, from the Grand Canyon head east towards Winslow and check out Meteor Crater. Another big hole in the ground, but it's impressive to see how much damage a small meteor can do.

Also, since Fallingwater won't be on the agenda, head south to Phoenix and check out Taliesin West (sp?). Yet another fine example of Wright's architecture, and the location of Wright's school in the winter time.

If I remember correctly, the Sonoran desert is between the Grand Canyon and Phoenix too (man, it's been too long since I've been out there ).

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

Hey, on your way to Rushmore stop up in Aberdeen and see our Story Book Land! People come from across the world to view the sights we have to offer!!

Ok, seriously - check out the badlands and the Eye of the Needle (an impressive natural formation). Don't forget to stop at Wall Drug for free glass of water.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Well, it's not my state, but be sure you put Wisconsin on your itinerary sheet. The microbrew, cheese, and sausage are worth the trip alone. And the German food is incredible. I still can't make potato dumplings that taste as good as what you get in Madison or Green Bay.

Points of interest: Oshkosh and Chippewa falls.

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 175

when I'm more awake and lucid, I'll give you some specifics for New Orleans and suggest some stuff in Austin (I've lived both places). But definitely put Sedona, Arizona on your list. Last year my girlfriend and I did a 10-day drive from L.A. to Sedona then to the Grand Canyon, (a night in Vegas), and then back home to L.A. The Red Rocks are beautiful!

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

Um - Camping & Fishin at Kerr Reservoir (NC or VA side).
Mt. Bike behind K-mart on Capital Blvd. before the mall gets there
Ski in Boone
Walk right now (Autumn)
Drink selves into a stupor at Front Street Brewery in Wilmington
Get some fresh air in mountains
Hop on Morris the horse in Tryon (Went to H.S. there)
Catch a Hurricanes game
Buy some 'horny goat weed' in Zebulon Dash-In gas station(sorry, I thought it was funny)
Ok, I'll stop now...

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Texas
Posts: 47

In San Antonio (my home town!) don't miss the rest of the missions. All of them except the Alamo are connected via a walk/bike trail and are outstanding. To me they are better than the Alamo, and thems fightin words to native San Antonians like me, but I say it anyway.

Market Square is full of shops that sell almost anything. For the best mexican food, eat at Mi Tierra's (open 24hours) or La Margaritas there. Pico de Gallo is close by too and has great food. If you want BBQ go to Rudy's outside of SA, or go to my favorite place - the Salt Lick! It's in Dripping Springs just south of Austin, and it is worth the trip. And there are some great campgrounds in the hill country around there - Guadalupe State Park, Inks Lake (my fav), Perdanales Falls, McKinney Falls (its in Austin)...

The riverwalk is very pretty, depending on when you are here, there is a chance some exhibit or show or parade will be on the river. Eat at Casa Rio on the riverwalk. Schilo's is a super deli that has the best baklava. It's very popular among the local downtowners.

If you need any more info about SA, drop me a line. I can hook ya up with any info, phone numbers, hours, etc.

On your way west, see Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. We visit the caverns every chance we get. Along I-10 in New Mexico is a small town called Lordsburg. Just outside of this town is Shakespeare, a ghost town that has a great tour. The oldtimer there has some great stories of the town and the people around there.

In Arizona, Sedona and the Grand Canyon are sure hits. Think about going to Walnut Canyon, the Petrified Forest, and the Painted Desert. My kids thought the prehistoric cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon were amazing.

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and so it goes ...

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 239

quote:

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Originally posted by maddog
We also hope to hit either Zion or Bryce.

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Soul Raven - "Sm� hjerne, stor gl�de"
Wherever you go, there you are.