Sounds like a great trip.
In between the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and NYC are the finger lakes in Upstate NY. There's a great/beautiful small town called Ithaca on Cayuga lake with lots of hotels. (nice Hilton in the downtown area) Ithaca has beautiful gorges, waterfalls, wineries and some very good restaurants. Ithaca is about 3 1/2 hours from Buffalo and 4 1/2 hours from NYC. There's also Binghamton, which is 1 hour closer to NYC. It's a small city, but not as pretty as Ithaca. Those are the two places I'm most familiar with between Buffalo/Niagara and NYC.

With all the places you're going (and your itinerary sounds great, if a bit optimistic for all the reasons mentioned before), I wouldn't waste time on Woodbury Commons - the values are not that good......

My suggestion is that you spend the nights of both May 18th and May 19th at the Grand Canyon south rim and then drive to Las Vegas on May 20th. It is a really long drive both to and from the south rim of the Grand Canyon and having two nights plus one entire day there will be a highlight of your trip, providing that you stay inside the park itself. If I were you, I would contact Xanterra Parks and Resorts at once and request a rim cabin at Bright Angel Lodge for those two nights. If that is not available, ask for an historic cabin at Bright Angel Lodge. If that is not available, ask what is available for those two nights INSIDE the park. (All reservations INSIDE the park are handled by Xanterra.) If you can reserve accommodation now, do so for both nights knowing that you can cancel with full refund with 48 hours notice (because the moment you cancel someone else will take your space!)

The people who visit the Grand Canyon and are lukewarm about it are the people who drive to the overlook, glance at it for a few minutes, go have lunch and leave. The canyon is like a painting. Walking into it makes it come to life. If you don't have time to walk into it, it remains a static view. If you stay for two nights, you can get up early, take the hiker shuttle to the trailhead for the South Kaibab Trail and walk to Cedar Ridge along an exposed ridge with uninterrupted views down into the canyon. At Cedar Ridge there are restrooms (though no water). Bring a snack and water with you, spend some time at Cedar Ridge, walk back up to the South Rim and you'll be saying to each other, "Thank goodness we did this!"

The last time I was at the canyon I gave these instructions to a couple in their thirties from Italy who were at the end of their month-long trip in the US going to national parks as you will do, and they wrote me after they returned home that it was the best day they spent in the entire time they were in the U.S.

Have a great trip!

For D.C., to be cheap, I'd priceline a 2.5 or 3 star hotel in Crystal City. It's a nice area, convenient to D.C., but normally a little cheaper.

One day, I'd eat at the Smithsonian American Indian Museum-they have an excellent food court. It's right on the Mall.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

I read somewhere the average time spent in the Grand Canyon is 2 hours - which sounds a little on the short side. It's just like the scene in an old movie where the father and family take in a view at an overlook for 5 seconds and the father says, "ok, let's go!"

Definitely hike down to the Canyon. Also wake up early and catch the sunrise at one of the viewing points. I have amazing pictures of that morning.

Ditto on the Antelope slot canyons - there is upper and lower. It's like the Grand Canyon, super small. It is an almost religious experience, walking in them.

Your revised itinerary, eliminating the long ride to Niagara Falls and spending 2 days in Boston, sounds just about right to me. Unfortunately, you will miss the Cape Cod National Seashore www.nps.gov/caco with great outer beaches that are really magnificent.

If you decide to take a "nature break" in between Boston and NYC then the outer part of Cape Cod, from Eastham to Provincetown, would be a natural addition to your itinerary. You would really get the feeling for NE villages and architecture by driving along Rt. 6A on Cape Cod from Sandwich to Eastham.

Once you get to the National Seashore there are gentle walks, museums, pristine beaches and many fine restaurants. Unlike most of the National Parks, the Cape Cod National Seashore was made into a park after some commercial development had already been developed. The result is that you can find "remote" feeling areas-places on the beach with out another foot print in the sand- just a few minutes away from village centers with easy access to amenities tourists like. The park is not on the same scale as GC or Yosemite, so it is very manageable to drive from Boston to spend a couple of days there on your way to NYC. Driving time from Boston to the outer Cape is 2 hours and to NYC from the outer Cape is about 5-6 hours. We like to stay in a historic NE farmhouse inside the park at the Fort Hill B+B...it is the only lodging actually in the park, although there is plenty of other lodging in the commercial areas on the main road.

wow, am I envious! You have so many wonderful things planned in so many incredible places. I agree with the post about Beach Blanket Babylon; Teatro Zinzanni in SF is also a fabulous show and meal. Tickets for both can be booked online. My family enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas. Washington, DC, has so much to offer~the Smithsonian Museums and the Capitol Mall are must-sees! The Mall, with all of its monuments, is especially beautiful at night. In some of the larger cities, I'd forget the car and use public transportation. In SF, parking is an expensive nightmare, and DC has so many one way streets.......Any of the plays in NYC are enjoyable. My daughter and I both loved Mamma Mia and the Lion King! Central Park is gorgeous in May; a brunch at Tavern on the Green is lovely~we did this for Mother's Day last year. Enjoy your trip and be sure to post details!

Since you have chosen to add Boston and nix NF (an excellent decision), you may be able to add one of these two intersting side excursions. One is Newport RI, about 1.5 hours south of Boston. Newport sports an array of mansions from the super rich families of the Titanic era.

http://www.gonewport.com/VirtualTour.aspx has a nice overview of the town.

The second idea is to drive to Kennebunkport Maine, about 1.5 hours north of Boston. It's easy to book a B&B and as nature lovers you will be able to enjoy the wonderful craggy coastline. You would also get a feel for a small New England town as others in this thread have recommended. There may be hiking nearby -- I don't know.

AussieTraveller-

Sounds great! I, too, have to highlight that the things you'll want to spend time on are things you cannot see anywhere else in the world. Spend another day at Bryce Canyon and spend a full day IN the Grand Canyon.

Re: Special dinner in Vegas. Don't know where you are staying or your budgeting. If you're on the Strip, then travel by taxi to Rio for your special dinner. Voodoo Steakhouse at the top of the Rio, 52 floors up, views are incomparable. Reserve a window-side table. When dinner is over, head up another level to rooftop Voodoo Lounge. You won't regret it.

Re shows in Vegas- I just saw the Circque du Soleil show, The Beatles LOVE. It was outstanding. I would see it again 100 times. Marvelous. Get the most expensive tickets- they are well worth it. As a matter of fact- have your hotel book the tickets for you! They will get discounted and guaranteed seats that you cannot get online. We paid $150 for the $165 seats.

Great choice in taking in Boston. SO much American history there. You will love it.

Re New York- The Yankees are in town from the 3rd-9th, so your friends should be able to get you to a game. Get tickets now. You don't want to miss America's greatest pasttime, at one of the greatest ballparks in the world, and seeing a championship team play. (Personally, I hate the Yankees, :), but you're not going to be in Chicago, so you can't see my beloved Cubbies). :)

Finally, I don't think 8 days in NY is too long. I love NY City. You could spend 8 months there and not see everything that is worth seeing! So glad you have friends there to help show you around and point you to what interests you. I, personally, would take the Gray Line around Manhattan and see every museum along the way! :)

Have a wonderful trip!!! I'm already looking forward to your trip report!

Paula

Thank you all again for your wonderful suggestions! We are slowly piecing it all together and will update you soon.

In the meantime, would you please help with accomodation suggestions in Boston? Have been told to stay at or near Copley Place or Back Bay, can't seem to find anything specific about accomodation in those areas.....then again, could be going blind from sitting at the computer for soooooo long! :)

VermontLady, if you have any recommendations "for DC, stay at a hotel in Dupont Circle or Woodley Park for a neighborhood feel"?? they would be gratefully accepted!

Thanks so much.

For Woodley Park and Dupont Circle in DC:
In Dupont Circle there is a wonderful quirky inn called Tabard Inn. tabardinn.com Rates are reasonable. I have not stayed in the rooms but it is a favorite DC dinner place and food is excellent, so I suspect quality is good all around. Good location on quiet street not far from metro and near National Geographic Museum.
For Woodley Park there is the Woodley Park Guest House woodleyparkguesthouse.com I have not stayed here, but it's a good location and seems reasonable. Near Metro, short walk to zoo and Adams Morgan, longer walk to Dupont Circle. It's next to Rock Creek Park which is a local favorite for walks, runs, bike rides. Across from this is the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel if you want more of a hotel stay. Good luck!

I was hoping you could clarify which Patterson you are visiting friends in. I have a friend who used to live in Patterson, NY, and am also familiar with the area around Paterson, NJ. The NJ city is spelled with just one "t" so I suspect you mean Patterson, New York, correct?

As far as Woodbury Commons, you can take a bus from Port Authority in Manhattan and make a day out of it. The bus is $39 per person. I would peruse the sight to make sure you are interested in those designers/manufacturers: http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7

Consider flying Las Vegas to Buffalo, NY. The airfare is almost $50 less than that to NYC per person (Kayak.com). It is one stop thus about 2-3 hours longer. You can rent a car there, drive to D.C. then back up to NY. That way there would be much less backtracking than your original plan. If you have time, stop at Harbor Place in Baltimore on the way to D.C.

You'll certainly get to see a lot of our country if you do this itinerary. There is one thing I might recommend. DC is one of my two favorite US cities (a distant second to San Francisco), but if you're interested in seeing some really cool history and real authentic American life you might carve out a few days and explore a relatively new "destination" called The Journey Through Hallowed Ground (www.hallowedground.org) It is a heritage area between Gettysburg and Monitcello. On a lark, I took this trip last year when visiting DC, and I swear it changed my life. The countryside and towns are so beautiful and you get this great hands on feel for how America became America. I can't say enough good things about it. Anyway, enjoy your trip. It sounds like a great one!!

Fly Las Vegas/Buffalo and rent car to drive to DC and back to NYC. For the $50/difference in fare, fly right into DC.

Last I recall, without traffic/constructions/pit-stops, it's about 7-8/hrs Buffalo/NYC and from NYC/DC, at least 4-5/hrs... sure some shortcut in there, but that's a lot of driving for $50 savings. Gas probably costs more.

For DC, I second the recommendations for the Tabard Inn (where I have stayed and eaten) and for the Woodley Park Guesthouse (where I have not stayed).

I, took, think 3 days LV much too long. Not that much to do if you are not a gambler and the shows are good but expensive. Yosemite is one of the great places of the entire world. I would spend two days there.
When in NYC, think about a day trip to the Atlantic beaches. Great if you could do with your friends. If going alone...go to Jones Beach, Robert Moses, or even the Hamptons for the day. Very different perspective so close to NYC.

I think your trip looks great! I am from the US and have been to New York. I'm from Chicago and I would say that 8 days is a long time to spend in New York. When not stay there for 4 you can see almost everything in 4 days and not be rushed about it and then fly to another city for the other 4. My suggestion would be Chicago but I am bias and love Chicago more than New York. Other suggestions would be to take a trip to St. Louis or if you want to stay on the east coast visist Virginia or go up to Maine. Another interesting state is Colorado. But I say 4 days in New York and 4 in chicago. You can get a one way ticket for about $50. From there it is cheaper to fly to SFO

sammyjo, perhaps you missed the fact that the poster is staying with a friend in NYC (presumably for free). That alone justifies staying there for longer. There is no point in offering other locations and then talking about "how little it costs" when hotel alone at another destination would surely offset the free lodging in New York. On the other hand, AussieTraveler, if you want to spend less time in New York, I'll volunteer to take your place for the remainder of the free housing there! Is your friend nice?

Shellam, Patterson NY is where we are headed. First time to USofA so still trying to get the spelling and geography right for everything!

NeoPatrick, our friend in NYC was actually bestman at our wedding 9 years ago (this May 08, coinciding with our first time to US!) and has been asking for us to visit since he arrived 3 years ago! And yes, is a very good & nice friend!

For everyone else, we have taken all your suggestions on board and have increased our time in each place on the west coast......got the following finalised so far:

Friday 9th May Fly from Sydney, Australia - arrive San Francisco. Spend 4 nights.

Monday 12th May – Rent a car in San Fran. Drive to Yosemite, 2 nights.

Wednesday 14th May – Yosemite NP morning, afternoon drive to Death Valley, 1 night

Thurs 15th May – DValley to Zion NP – see the sunset……1st night

Fri 16th May – Zion NP….2nd night……accommodation & activities TBA

Sat 17th May – leave Zion by 12noon- drive to Bryce Canyon, 1 night

Sun 18th May – leave Bryce and drive to Lake Powell, 1 night

Mon 19th May – leave Lake Powell, drive to Monument Valley and then to Grand Canyon, South Rim….see sunset, 1 night

Tues 20th – Grand Canyon 2nd night

Weds 21st – Leave GC morning – afternoon drive to Las Vegas, drop off car, 1st night LV

Thurs 22nd - Las Vegas, 2nd night

Fri 23rd – leave Las Vegas. Fly to Boston....spend 2 nights

Have received suggestions for different things to do and would love to hear any other suggestions for tours, activities, to do in each place!