My new husband and I received 2 plane tickets to anywhere in the US (excluding Hawaii - unfortunately) as a wedding gift. This person had racked up tons of frequent flyer miles, and generously gave them to us as 2 round trip tickets. If you had this opportunity, where would you go? We live in Atlanta, GA and enjoy outdoor things, but are up for anything. Any ideas would be great!
Thanks - Amy

Fly to Boston and explore the B&B's on your way up to Portland, Maine or fly to L.A. or San Francisco.

How about Las Vegas? Lots more to do than just gambling. You can take a day tour to visit Hoover Dam or play golf at one of the many great courses in the area. You can also take a sidetrip to the Grand Canyon.

Hi Amy, well it would depend on time of year of course but I would choose Seattle. It is beautiful up there. Also not too far away from Vancouver. Vancouver is fabulous and because the US Dollar is strong you can get more for your money. Congratulations!

My vote would be San Francisco. We went there for our honeymoon and had a wonderful time there. We stayed a few days in the city, and then rented a car to visit Sausalito, Muir Woods and then on to the Napa Valley area to explore some vineyards.
We also drove down to Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel and also Big Sur.

We are also outdoor people, and this area has so much to offer. Our only regret was not taking that hot air balloon ride in Napa Valley. The countryside is beautiful!

Amy: We had that same problem as a result of an American Airlines bump. We flew from Harrisburg PA to Los Angeles. Didn't stay there, but spent several days driving up Calif Hwy 1 (in a convertible, no less,) to San Francisco.

Overnighted in Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, Big Sur, 2 nights in the Monterey Penninsula, then on to the City. Scheduled 3 nights there, spent 6 (this was last Sept.,) then flew back from SFO to Harrisburg.

A lot depends on the airline/type of ticket. We had a dollar voucher from American, and it could be treated the same as cash for ticket purchase. US Air uses "Award" seating, which says you must fly in and out of the same cities.

If you can replicate our trip, I'd strongly suggest it. An awesome experience.

Go to Marietta, Oklahoma. They got a good buffet lunch there. The drive down to that dump called Texas.

I have 2 suggestions:
1. If you really want to see Hawaii, use your tickets to fly to Los Angeles, and then kick in your own funds to fly to Hawaii from there. Cost shouldn't be too prohibitive.
2. Fly to Seattle, rent a car, and spend some time driving around Olympic National Park and Vancouver. Absolutely gorgeous.

I'd recommend Scranton, PA, the subject of several recent Fodor's posts. Recently voted a runner-up for the Washington Post's "Armpit of the Nation Award," Scranton, or perhaps I should say a visit there, will make future journeys elsewhere seem joyous.

E

I just won 2 tkts in my office pool for anywhere and decided to go to Alaska. I'm in the process now looking for a small cruise ship for a week and then we're going to drive for a week and stay at B&B's.

If I had the choice to go anywhere I would go to lovely downtown Bensalem, PA.

A real dumper kind of place. Hobknob with the broke and imfamous.

Lots of ugly fat guys for you single ladies

My husband and I had a similar situation recently. First, do some research on prices. Try to use these on a more expensive fligt. For example, we eliminated Las Vegas right away because you can always get fairly cheap flights to there from our hometown. From Atlanta, I would go for the West Coast.

Somewhere in California...San Francisco, San Diego, or you could do the Santa Barbara/Hearst Castle/drive around the coast kind of a trip. I also would consider one of the upper coast areas, like Seattle area or Maine/Boston kind of thing...

Alaska would by far be the best use of two free tickets. I am sure flying from Atlanta to Alaska is typically very, very expensive.

Amy,

Oh to have such dilemmas! Lucky you!!

Can you tell us what time of year you plan to go and where you've already been?

THIS IS THE BEST IDEA! Fly into Phoenix or Vegas- and go to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Sedona- can do in 4 days- very fun, beautiful red rocks, sunsets, hiking, outdoorsy and fun viva las vegas atmosphere- see a show, eat at a yummy restaurant, gamble, walk around the new casinos, etc.

We too received tickets to anywhere in the Continental U.S. and from Boston where we live we went to San Francisco.. We used our hotel for a base and went down to Carmel (next trip we will stay over), did the 17 mile drive..another day or so later went up to Napa Valley.. so much to see and so different than Atlanta. On a second trip we went to Sonoma which we really preferred, Napa is very touristy. S.F. has so much to see and do, restaurants, history.

It depends on when you want (or have) to use the tickets.

If you need to use them during winter months, I would suggest Colorado (Vail and Aspen are both great) or Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

If you are planning a summer trip, I would suggest one of the three:

1. fly to Boston and do coastal New England (either Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket or Acadia NP/Bar Harbor in Maine)
2. fly to SF and see SF Bay area/Sonoma/Monterrey
3. fly to SeaTac for Seattle/Vancouver and the Olympic Peninsula.

Please come to Lowell Arkansas.

Since you live in the East, you should fly out West to get the most out of those tickets. We flew into Reno a few years back and did Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. It was a fabulous trip. If you like the desert, go to Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon and then the Grand Canyon AZ. Or start and end your trip in Vegas and visit Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon National Parks.