Suggestions please for couple in late 50’s for 14 to 17 days in North America in 2013
(probably around September to November)
LOVES: Outstanding Scenery, Scenic Drives (Lakes and/or Ocean, Colours [Leaf-peeping?] Mountains,)
LIKES: NP’s, Wildlife, Sight-seeing, Culture
DISLIKES: Beach holidays - Anywhere extremely hot, Hiking, (indeed TOO much walking seems out of the question)
£££
We fly economy, usually staying in 3* or perhaps 4* accommodation,

Places visited in past:
Vancouver, Canadian Rockies, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Manhattan, Washington DC, San Diego, San Francisco,
(Other: Scottish Highlands, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District (UK), Norfolk Broads, Austrian Tyrol, Cotswolds, Cornwall, Dordogne, Paris, Amsterdam)

Why ‘Divorce Proceedings’?
‘cause if I don’t start arranging our long haul holiday for next year soon there’s a possibility we could be spending our hard-earned cash on just that!
In all seriousness, I need to get the time booked with work well in advance, and I thought the subject was more eye-catching.

Your title is 'cute' . . . but not very helpful (same on the Canada board)

I'd try again and make a bit more sense.

Colorado

For wonderful outdoors - with as much or as little hiking as you like head for New England at leaf season - early to mid October. Fly in and out of Boston, rent a car and you can do a circle heading north up the coast (ocean and rocky coast of Maine) and then across into NH and VT (lots of lakes, farms, beautiful scenery, apple picking, cute towns, old wooden bridges) and end up back in Boston for several days of great history, museums and good dining.

Just be sure to reserve lodgings far in advance for the weekends - when a lot of other people will have the same idea.

well it looks like >>Divorce Proceedings?some people

(But still, this thread's title sounds more like it belongs in the Lounge)

Are there any states you specifically are/aren't considering?

Sorry I posted on the Canada forum with reco's for US destinations.

Yellowstone NP at the front end of your trip?

Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier and Waterton National Parks.

Drive around Lake Superior

Pacific Northwest - Cascades, Mt Ranier, Olympic National Park, drive down the coast to Portland

Vermont for fall colors.

Agree about New England. Have friends who adore visiting the Finger Lakes as well.

Oregon and Washington, with a dip into California to see the redwoods.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...81132189/show/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...91196341/show/

New Mexico - the southwest is at it's all time best in Sept and October. Azure blue cloudless skies with golden sunshine and mild temperatures with just a nip in the air. Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque is a bucket list must do.

Then head to Santa Fe, Taos and then over to southwest Colorado and see Durango, Telluride and Mesa Verde National Park and learn about the Ancient Puebloans.

I'm surprised that you mainly love the outdoors but dislike walking very much and no hiking.

You've covered the biggies already that I would name, but since you haven't been there, I'd suggest definitely California. The coastline is very special (eg, Big Sur, among other places), and there are lots of nice parks, such as north of San Francisco with the redwoods. And then you could add the Pacific NOrthwest, such as Seattle and the Oregon coast or Portland, even.

In 2 weeks, you probably could fly into Seattle and then rent a car and go south. If that is too long a drive for that route, you could maybe do Seattle to Portland, then fly to LA or San Francisco and do more touring of some coastal area from there. there are lots of possibilities of how you could mix that up, as well as including Napa valley if you wanted.

The beaches above San Francisco and into Oregon are not really like Southern California as its too cold, if that's what you are picturing (lots of people lying out on the beach getting tan).

I am a bit confused if you like scenery and the outdoors why you would object to beaches per se as they are beautiful. Not spending time lying around on a beach I can see. It is never that hot above San Francisco on the coast. It's never really that hot on the coast at all, I used to live in Santa Monica for many years near the ocean and never even had air conditioning and didn't miss it.

JanisJ:
>> Are there any states you specifically are/aren't considering?>>

Thanks JanisJ (and all who've responded). Will consider any suggestions including all of the above.
You think I should re-post with different title?

My wife and I flew into and out of Las Vegas this past September, hiring a car for a two-week trip that included, in Utah: Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, UT SR-12, Goblin Valley State Park, Arches NP; in Colorado: Durango, and Mesa Verde NP; in Arizona: Monument Valley, Page, and Grand Canyon NP North Rim. The scenery was magnificent, including the scenic drive in Utah. Although we took every opportunity to hike, it is possible to see many sights by car or park shuttle bus, with minimal walking. With the exception of near-freezing nighttime temperatures at the Grand Canyon, it was never very hot nor cold.

We rode an antique railroad in Durango and took a gentle, flat-water float trip down the Colorado River in Page. A most interesting cultural aspect was in learning about the native peoples of these regions, especially the ancient Puebloan cliff-dwellers of Mesa Verde. DebitNM has lots of good information about this area.

No need to repost now, you would likely get the same responses. Once you narrow down your options you may want to start a new topic to decide between 2-3 choices though.

I'll second DebitNM's suggestion of New Mexico and southern Colorado. It is absolutely gorgeous here in September and October.

Lee Ann

I also think that would make a great trip. You could fly into ABQ, then drive up through Santa Fe to Durango, spend time in that area. YOu could even end up driving all the way to leave out of Denver, I suppose, if you wanted, or double back through NM or AZ somehow.

You will receive many different opinions, but the questions I would ask are how do you like to travel - and can an you add a few days to make it 3 weeks? That might help.

If you like to see a lot (as I do - and I consider the first trip to a new continent a type of exploratory trip) - I would suggest flying into Boston - spending a few days checking out the Fall Colors (if you time it right but each year can vary some) - or fly to say Denver/Colorado - where you can also get some fall colors and the majestic Rocky Mountains. http://www.colorado.com/things-to-do

If you started in Boston - take the 3 hour train ride to NYC - and check out the Big Apple for a couple of days and then fly to San Francisco - and from there - head on down the Coast to LA, and maybe even go a couple of hours further to here in San Diego.

And if you initially flew into Denver - you could drive from there to the Grand Canyon - on to Las Vegas - and then to LA/San Diego - and up the beautiful California Coast to San Francisco, assuming you like driving and seeing the beautiful scenery pass by. Here are some suggestions for that - and IMO - the most scenic section is from around San Simeon/Cambria to Carmel/Monterrey - going through incredible Big Sur. see http://www.myscenicdrives.com/drives.../big-sur-coast and http://tinyurl.com/a3kqh89,

You could also check out the train system in the West - http://www.amtrak.com/train-routes (say from Denver to SF?) - or fly from Colorado to Phoenix, Arizona etc.

From Phoenix to the Grand Canyon - driving time is about 4 hours drive - http://phoenix.about.com/cs/daytrips...ndcanyon01.htm and from the GC to Las Vegas is 5 hours - and from Vegas to LA is 4 hours, and to SD - 5 hours. (From SD to LA is 2 hours).

And if you really want to initiate Divorce Proceedings, try sharing/paddling a canoe down the Russian River - (if you get up to the Napa area for wine testing) with each of you wanting to be the one steering.