Best Place to go
 

My husband and I are planning a vacation but have no idea where to go.Can anyone out there offer any suggestions about great places to visit in the U.S.? (We have already been to Florida several times) <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Angela

Without knowing where you are, how much you want to spend, your interests, this is a hard one. Will Rogers said there were 5 unique cities in the US--San Francisco, CA; San Antonio, TX; New Orleans, LA; New York City, NY (don't know the last one). Any of those are excellent choices but they are very different. They time of year is a factor as well. San Antonio & New Orleans are best before summer; New York City is better before winter. San Francisco's weather can be good/bad anytime. Have fun!

Having been several places, I am in your boat as well but would like to tell you a bit about San Antonio - Don't go between November and April. Nothing blooming, cold, amusement parks closed, etc. Not too much there but it is very pretty and within driving distance of Austin as well. I loved New Orleans. Lots of things to do, great river cruises, great zoo, great French Quarter, friendly people. Again, flowers are beautiful if you don't go in the winter. Don't go anytime near Mardi Gras! New York is okay if you have a lot of money, like shopping and theater, etc., and don't mind cab drivers that don't speak English and drive like maniacs! If you like the mountains and tourist traps Western North Carolina/Tennessee is wonderful for hiking, boating, fishing, rapids, etc. Don't plan to go there until April and leave before October as it rains alot. Seattle is great! People are very friendly and easily within reach of Vancouver, Canada. If you like snow skiing go to Utah! That's all I can think of at this time. Feel free to E-mail me. I hear you can eat until you explode in Vegas!

<BR>Hawaii or Puerto Vallarta!

Hard to beat Arizona. Sun, scenery, friendly folks. Why not phone the Sedona Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-288-7336 and have them send you a copy of their 72-page free booklet "Experience Sedona." Lots of ideas of things to see and do.

I vote Charleston, SC. I've never been to San Antonio but have heard very good things about it. I would take Charleston over New Orleans any day of the week. There are beaches near by (but not like Florida if that is what you like). The historic area is wonderful to explore and many neat hotels to stay in. Plantations outside the city have very interesting gardens. Magnolia Plantation has hundreds of varieties of camelias so even now is a great time to walk through the garden. Plus they have a Swamp Garden that is very interesting. <BR>

I've been to all of the above destinations except Texas and plan that for a future trip as I show livestock and would love to show at the Houston Livestock Show and then do a little sightseeing. However, out of all the places I have been to the ones I would like to see again are: Eureka Springs, Ark. and Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virgina. All have websites- go in through the EXCITE search engine which lists almost every city in the world. You won't be sorry. If you like quilts and quiltmaking Eureka Springs has them. And oh, I love the Amish quilts of Lancaster, PA- another great place to visit. <BR>

Travel has been a passion of mine for 38 years, and I have been to just about every corner of this nation (and a lot of other corners as well). Before I can honestly recommend a place, I'd have to know (1) what do you hope to experience on this trip and (2) when do you plan to travel. New York City, for instance, has the country's best museums, culture, ethnic diversity, eating, and nightlife; but it is NOT a place to relax on the beach. Montana is a great place for hiking in the wilderness, but NOT during January. So please let us know WHAT you want and WHEN you want to do so. It will also help if you can say (1) how you prefer to get around [hate driving? then forget Los Angeles!], (2) whether cost is a concern [then forget New York!], (3) other factors [kids coming along? hate crowds or tourist traps?]. We all would love to help but are stymied by lack of specificity!

Hello! <BR>I'm the poster of the orignial message. Lots of people have asked for more specifics. (I made the message in haste, sorry!) So here are the specifics: No kids, starting out from around Pittsburgh, PA, would like to drive there,(but, not more than 12 hours), like the city but do not want to stay there, not a big shopper. Hope this helps! Thanks

You still haven't mentioned when you plan to travel or how you enjoy spending your time. I, personally, avoid vacationing in July and August. June or September are fabulous - nice weather, less crowded, lower rates. The Coast of Maine would be a wonderful destination. If you are driving, I would head as far north as you care to go, then stay one or two nights as you travel south through fabulous seacoast towns. The lighthouses are all worth a short detour. Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Portland, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, among others, are all fabulous destinations. The mountains of Northern Vermont and/or New Hampshire are also spectacularly scenic. There are terrific seaport towns with lots of history and scenery just north of Boston: Salem, Newburyport, Marblehead in MA, and Portsmouth in NH, just to name a few. All along the Connecticut River in CT is worth a visit. If you haven't been there, Niagara Falls is awesome. My husband had been bugging me for years to go, and we finally went last September - incredible! The falls are breathtaking and the surrounding area (contrary to what I assumed) is just beautiful. Only a half hour north is Niagara-on-the-Lake, a gorgeous Victorian town on the lake. If you enjoy theatre, the Shaw Festival is utterly spectacular. Lots and lots to see and do in the area. We're going back this year (instead of Paris or Ireland). Another fine destination would be Montreal and/or Quebec City. With the favorable exchange rate, you can really live it up in Canada (so do stay on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, if you go there - it's much more scenic anyway). We go to Montreal as often as we can. Everyone is bilingual, so language is not a problem. Our favorite hotel there is Hotel de la Montagne. It's well located and the hotel with everything: a fabulous fine restaurant (couldn't be more romantic), a more casual (but also gorgeous) bistro, a rooftop pool and just below that a terrific terrace where you can dance to live music under the stars (in the nice weather), a really comfortable cocktail lounge with live jazz, and huge comfortable rooms with marble bathrooms (complete with terry robes). And, best of all, very reasonably priced. Montreal is one place that I would recommend going in June or July - for the Jazz Festival, International Fireworks Competition, Comedy Festival, or later in the summer, the Film Festival. Quebec City is another 3 hours north, but you can take a one-day bus tour which is a more than adequate visit. Another wonderful Canadian destination is Toronto. Also nice would be Stockbridge or Lenox, MA in the Berkshires. Again, lots to see and do in the area, including Tanglewood (summer home of the Boston Pops). Have you considered Cape May, NJ? My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the week we spent there - with side trips all over - the ferry to Lewes and Rehoboth, Atlantic City, Wildwood - just to mention a few. And, I second the recommendation for NYC. We hadn't been there in over 20 years. What a thrilling experience! Awesome museums, beautiful architecture, nothing better than seeing a Broadway show, fabulous dining and nightlife, bus tour through all the neighborhoods endlessly fascinating, wonderful boat tour around the city. Most of all, though, you need to have an idea! You may want to visit your local bookstore and peruse the enormous selection of guide books and determine what is appealing to you. What do you mean you "like the city but don't want to stay there"??? What city? There are so many fine cities to visit. Most have made incredible strides in cleaning up and becoming safe. And, the offerings are fabulous - just heading out the door of your hotel in a different direction each morning and walking all over is an "experience" - soaking up the scenery and the people. In the alternative - have you considered a trip to Europe?

California hands down. It has everything from great cities to beautiful countryside and the weather is great.

For something close I recommend Cape May, NJ in September. Problably the nicest beach town near PA. Has plenty of fabulous restaurants, antique shopping and victorian architecture. Its worth some investigation. <BR>

Hmmmmm, let's see. Want to drive no more than twelve hours from Pittsburgh, have no kids, like the city, but don't want to stay there? Let me recommend the Carolinas in May. Weather should be okay, crowds should be small, and you can have a variety of things to do. Like a quaint, historic town? Go to Charleston. Beaches? Cape Hatteras. Mountain scenery? Go to its Appalachian peaks. The combo of small May crowds and laid-back style will be a refreshing way to spend a vacation. <BR> <BR>There are a dozen other places you could go (New York City, Boston, New England), but I like travel in early summer and the Carolinas seem to be a good place to be at that time.

This is a fun thread because it is so open ended. But that may not be helping Angela that much. You definitely need to decide how you want tos spend your time? Seeing historical sites? lying on the beach? indulging in great meals, and nightlife? going to museums, and concerts? enjoying beautiful scenery? You can do any of these things within a 12 hour drive of Pittsburgh, but probably not all of them. <BR> <BR>That said, let me put in a vote for Virgina. Williamsburg can be a fun place to visit for history, and Shenendoah National Park is quite beautiful. Shenendoah isn't all that far from Washington DC too, so you could combine these for a combination of city and nature. You could easily spend a week in DC seeing the sights and the Smithsonian.