brightdawns

I'm exhausted. Have been thinking and changing my mind way too much lately, and frankly, at the moment I'm just not sure what I should do.

I have about 17 days to burn and plan on flying over the Atlantic from Europe to do so. That's where my problems start. Which cities, which part of the continent and so on. I have been to New York three times and adore it, but will probably skip it this time around (even if it makes my heart bleed).
And when? Starting from the last week of September this year (around 23-24th), need to board a plane home on October 11th.

The initial plan: Helsinki- Chicago (5 nights) -Seattle -hire a car and drive down to San Francisco, where I'd like to spend about 4-5 nights- Helsinki

Is this stupid? Or better yet, if you had the option of spending 17 days in the US (or why not include Canada too), where would you go, what would you do?
LA, Florida and Las Vegas are no no's for me, just don't feel the need at the moment. Love history, love nature, love my camera and my note book. Love to sit and watch the world go around, love to just walk around and get a feel for places, sit on benches on rocks on anything. Stroll through fascinating neighbourhoods.

I have had a longing to experience the northwestern parts of the US for some time though, you know, stand on a chilly rocky beach watching a storm coming in, experiencing the lushness of the Ewok-forests. So... driving down the coast of Oregon has its appeal.

But anyway, all these things aside. What do you think I should do with 17 days?
What would be the SMART thing to do?

I would really appreciate any ideas/thoughts or hints about this matter. Maybe I'll get a light bulb moment thanks to some random input.

Aduchamp1

I think DC and Boston are more intersting than Chicago.

justwishin

I think, and I am predjudice for sure, that you should fly into Seattle, take about 5 days here,-- take a ferry ride, a day along the water front and Pike Place Market, a day to see Mt. Rainier, take a day cruise tour into the San Juan Islands, then drive south from Seattle down 101 thru Oregon, see the coast and big waves, then go to Big Sur and see the Giant trees,, then on to Sonoma California for wine country (very beautiful) then on to San Francisto, Fisnerman's Wharf, the Golden Gate, etc....How can you lose.

Believe me, I have lived all over the world, and HERE is where it's at.!!,

Cranachin

The smart thing to do is to visit the places you really want to see - it's YOUR trip!

You could throw Vancouver and Victoria, BC, into the mix if you wanted to, since you mentioned Canada. Both are well worth visiting.

janisj

W/ just 17 days -- I'd skip Chicago and fly straight to Seattle. 2 - 3 days in Seattle, another 2 days either on the coast or somewhere else in WA state, 3 days on the Oregon coast, 5 days for the Redwoods/northern CA coast/wine country and 4 days in San Francisco would be a VERY full itinerary.

I really like Chicago -- but I just don't see where you have the time. Or maybe just stopover for 1 night/2 days in Chicago and cut something back on the west coast.

brightdawns

Thank you for your quick replies!

DC and Boston... I don't know... DC seems a bit too monumental to me, even though the museums would for sure be brilliant. Of course, it would make for an easy trip, do Boston-Philly-DC and even be able to throw in NYC while at it, hopping on trains etc.

Seattle does fascinate me, and so does San Francisco, but I might be the oddest tourist around > I would not go near Fisherman's Wharf. For same reasons I avoid Times Square and Empire State Building in NYC. I like to take the side roads and keep away from the hottest of hotspots. (But wouldn not miss the Golden Gate Bridge, I'm not THAT odd, .)

Cranachin

You could easily spend 17 days doing Boston-NYC-Philly-DC.

Since you like nature, you could fly into Boston and go up to Maine for a few days to see the rocky coast of the northeast, and then head to Seattle to get the northwestern experience.

brightdawns

Adding:

My initial thoughts circled around cities, as in fly into one, get into another and so on. But then I thought about trains and then the car came into the picture. So that's when I too started thinking about doing the sensible thing and group things slightly more together.

Flying via Chicago seemed great. I'd love to visit that city and as I hate long flights, it would cut a terribly long journey into two and give me some time to deal with jet lag and so on.

I'm slightly more westward inclined as I have been to the east coast (okay, just to NYC, but still). And even if I would take the time to drive down to SF, I would try to do it as fast as possible. Making it a 4-5 day trip perhaps. I don't feel the need to "see it all", but stop occasionally and swiftly and then move on. Or what do I know, if I go there I might feel like spending 17 days in that small quiant seaside town. Hah.

Thank you everyone for your input, it really helps me clear my head, and I will have to chew on it all.

This is the best part about travelling solo, but absolutely also the worst part, making all the decisions on my own.

POlson

With 17 days, I would do Chicago 3 nights (love this city but 3 nights, 2 full days is enough time to see some wonderful museums - do Art Institute and Grant park, take the architectural cruise, enjoy great dining), then off to the west coast. Spend 3 nights in Seattle, 3 nights in Portland/with a day trip to Multnomah Falls and then head out to the coast for 3 nights, take another 2 days to drive to San Francisco (including a stop to explore Northern california including the redwoods), spend 3 nights in SF. If you skip Chicago, I would add the Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands or Vancouver Island for 3 days.

17 (or 12, 13, 14) days from Seattle to SF sounds wonderful. You will see some of the most amazing country, hiking, waterfalls, ocean beaches. Great photography opportunities. Funky neighborhoods and sidewalk cafes.

janisj

Seattle down the coast to San Francisco is nearly 1000 miles - the same as Copenhagen to Nice. Not something you want to drive in a few days. Not if you want to see anything anyway.

brightdawns

POlson: That sounds great, thank you, I'll think about your suggestion, .

janisj: I know it's long and I know it will take me some time and I would let it take some time. What I mean is, that I don't have to see it all as in not stop at every place and so on. I'd love to see the beaches and the redwoods, so if I could cram that in along a 4-5 day long drive, I'd be happy. Wine country isn't on my must-do-list, as I really dislike wine (I know, total blasphemy), I do know that it has some nice scenery, but as this trip will be a compromise in many regards, that's something I could drive by "using the fastlane". I wouldn't do any longer hikes (not that I mind doing it normally) nor would I stay at some place for a longer period. I see myself (and of course I could be very wrong here) mostly driving, getting out of the car now and then, maybe spend half an hour to an hour on some nice place and then continue.
I have driven 1300 km (that's the length of my country from south to north) in two days, not using freeways. And felt that was a leasury pace with a lot of stops and so on. But yes, I understand the situation will be different in northwest US, and that's why I thought 4-5 days might do it.

Daniel_Williams

I can understand your West Coast dream. Having lived only in North America on the East Coast (Canada & US) myself, I find I'm always in awe when I get to the west... the big trees, the big mountains, the multicoloured landscapes/canyons (reds, oranges) in places (you won't hit the latter this trip). I feel an obligation however to gently reproach you for equating been to NYC= been to East Coast. NYC is uniquely NYC and is quite different from Savannah, Baltimore, Boston and Miami. That said, I do get you as the West Coast offers something that the East Coast locales can't due to the uniquely West Coast topography.

I think POlson has a great plan that fits perfectly with the spirit of your dream.. 3 nights Chicago to break up the trip as you say, and then Seattle drive down to SF over 2 weeks, allotting some time for the two cities at either end. Sounds like bliss to me!

Enjoy your trip whatever you decide! DAN

boskorama

a couple of thoughts: it will most likely be very hot and humid in Chicago at that time of year - I would suggest making this trip all about the west coast of the US - flying into Seattle, driving the Oregon coast, northern California redwoods and coastline - San Francisco area - but don't forget the Monterey peninsula and Yosemite

SusanM

Boskorama, did you notice the travel dates Brightdawns posted? Late Sept. in Chicago is hardly hot and humid. This is directly from Fodors:

Avg High Temp: 70F
Avg Low Temp: 51F
Chance of Precipitation: 26%
Chance of a Humid Day: 26%

Don't take away one of the few months we have where it IS nice!

TDudette

I agree with the Chicago to West. September-November can include hurricanes in the East so another reason to go West!

Are you going to "wing it" as far as hotel reservations go? Other Fodorites, is that workable? It sounds like brightdawns isn't going on a fixed itinerary.

brightdawns

Daniel_Williams: Hah, I know, I really don't equate NYC with the whole east coast, . It's just that I have "been" to the east, even if the place I've been to is really an area as large as an ants poo on the map, so that's why it would "feel" different going a bit further away this time. Some day I will for sure explore the area between Florida and DC, Savannah and the likes. That's another point of interest to me.

TDudette: I haven't thought that much about hotels just yet. If I, for example, decide on the Chicago-Seattle-drive-San Francisco, I would get hotels in all the cities, but I'm not sure about the drive. I understand it gets pretty quiet at the beginning of October, so I would probably be able to wing it, at least some. But that part is still pretty hazy to me so...

Thank you everyone again for your input!

tomfuller

Traveling solo? I would consider at least 1 trip on Amtrak.
My thought was fly to Denver perhaps by way of Chicago then take the train from Denver as far as Reno Nevada (25 hours).
The scenery is great during the daylight part of the trip on the California Zephyr. Rent your car in Reno and then drive anywhere in California you want to see. From San Francisco north along the coast stopping often in the small towns and ocean views would be good. Be sure to see Redwood National Park in Northern California. Continue up the Oregon coast as far as Astoria then cut over to Portland. If you still have the time and inclination, head up I-5 to see Seattle. Return to Reno by way of I-5 to Sacramento and I-80 to Reno. A detour if you have the time would be to get off I-5 in Roseburg and head east and then south into Crater Lake NP leaving the park through the south entrance and east on 62 to US 97 south through Klamath Falls to Weed, CA to rejoin I-5.
The California Zephyr will take you all the way to Chicago if you don't want to fly out of Reno.
The thing I like about train travel is that the train is moving all night when you would be sleeping and paying for a hotel. Take lots of pictures wherever you decide to go.

AAFrequentFlyer

Chicago is a must, much more exciting than either Boston or DC (DC is more of a US history visit, if you're looking for that), Boston is just Boston. Chicago IMHO is the best city in US to visit. Spend couple of nights there and then take a short Amtrak train trip to western Michigan to New Buffalo and spend couple of nights there. Wonderful art galleries, antique shopping, beaches, restaurants, bike rides, wine country, etc.

Seattle and San Francisco are different, but still wonderful cities.

nanabee

I think your trip seems fine. You have very strong ideas of what you want to do and you have thought at great lenghts about it, so I would keep to your schedule. With the one exception of 5 nights in Chicago, I would stay maybe 3 at most.

I don't think it is necessary to change anything - you seem to be asking if this is ok the way you have planned it and I would say yes.

brightdawns

tomfuller: The California Zephyr was actually a "wow, yes, this is something I want to do"-thing for me just a couple of days ago. The scenery seems absolutely breathtaking and I like travelling on trains. And yes, I also counted that even if I booked a roomette, it would be cheaper than living in a hotel and pay for food. But I guess I just read too much about it and kind of got bored of the idea.
You see, this is exactly my problem, I get so very exited about things just to get tha "blah"-moment after a little while.

It was after the train-idea that I moved to the car-idea. Mainly to have some more flexibility, be able to stop and take pictures at my own pace. Photography is number one on my travels, I have a full frame DSLR and love to keep myself occupied behind the viewfinder.

I looked at the option of starting in Denver, but didn't think about getting off before SF... That's an interesting thought. Thank you for that!

AAFrequentFlyer: I am becoming more and more sure about making Chicago one of my stops. It seems to be a great city. And I like the idea of heading out somewhere near Chicago too...

ARGH. So many places, so little time! I really need to tell myself I can come over some other time and then do another part of the country, I can't have it all now... Luckily I don't have to make a decision any time soon, can think things through for a couple of months.

nanabee: I have a strong FEELING what I want to do, that's just far away from actually making a decision about what kind of route caters to that feeling... .

Thank you again everyone! I'm grateful for all the advice you've given me. I'll have to digest this for some time, maybe take a time out from the planning and then dive back in after a little while. Maybe I then might be able to make a decision. I hope.....