Help w/ a vacation spot
 

Ok, my husband and I have no idea where to go for a vacation. We are open to both beach and parks or cities in the U.S. We have 1 week in June. Here's some of the picks I keep reading which seem like fun. What do YOU think? Any other suggestions? Obviously, there's a big range here, so whatever you liked the best would be helpful!!! Also, tell me what you liked about the place. Thanks!!!!

Sedona
Acadia NP
Cape Cod
Destin
Big Sur
Yosemite
Napa
Oregon coast
New York
Yellowstone
Yosemite
North Carolina

From your list, I have been to Big Sur, Yosemite, and Napa.

Big Sur is absolutely beautiful - rugged coastline, forests, places fo hiking in the woods, picnics on the beach, etc. Another positive about Big Sur is that you can combine it with Monterey, Morro Bay, or Santa Barbara, staying a couple days in each place.

Yosemite is another incredible place. The first time I saw it, I was amazed. Photographs just don't do it justice. Lots of outdoor activities there - hiking, hourseback riding, camping, and so on. I think it's probably too late to plan a vacation in June to Yosemite though. You might luck out and find some cancellations for lodging, but lodging fills up fast for summertime. We are actually going next month and we made our reservations for tent cabins more than 6 months ago.

Napa - I've been there, beautiful scenery, but I'm not much of a wine drinker, so it isn't on my list of favorite places.

The first week of June is an excellent time to go to Yellowstone. The crowds won't be there yet.

I noticed you typed in Yosemite twice....is that an indication of a place you would really like to go? If so Yosemite is also an excellent choice.

Utahtea....loves the great outdoors.

I vote for Sedona.

Love the Oregon coast but not in June, when it is too likely to be overcast.

Just went to Acadia last August---LOVED it. Esp. if you like outdoor stuff---we were there a week: ate out, kayaked, hiked (challenging but fun with breathtaking views: the Beehive and Precipice trails).
The Maine coast is very beautiful and lobster is abundant. We spent most of our time in Bar Harbor (where Acadia N.P. is) and a couple of days in Boothbay Harbor--a very quaint little town south of Bar Harbor about 4 hours. Cape Cod is also a beautiful place----can be a busy or relaxing vacation. Chatham was our favorite town---it's right on the "elbow" of the cape, so you can then travel up to Provincetown if you want something more then just relaxing. Yosemite is breathtaking & awesome----I loved it, but if I had to choose, I personally really prefer the coasts. One of our favorite vacations was to northern CA---it was only for a week, we went like crazy, but it was a great adventure. Our vacation was from Sat. to the following Sun. We flew into San Fran. on a Sat., rented a car,and spent 2 nites on the coast north of S.F. We did all of the little coastal towns, (Bodega Bay, Elk, Mendocino, etc) did the redwoods, did the "drive-thru" tree, went as far north as Patrick's Point St. Park (great little breakfast place on the water in the town of Trinidad which is where Patrick's Point is). We then drove south on the interstate to Napa Valley. Spent 4 nights there and enjoyed the vineyards and wineries. We're not huge wine people, but loved the valley and learned lots at the wineries. Got to go down into some of the wine caves where the barrels are kept---I think that was called the Girard winery. Tiny little place, but very interesting. One day we did a hot-air balloon trip complete with morning muffins and coffee before lift-off, and then afterwards were treated to a delicious brunch in one of the vineyard gardens. We loved the balloon trip---the landing was little hairy, but made for an exciting trip and fun memories. Lots of wonderful eating places in Napa Valley. (Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, Brix, Mustards----if you don't eat at Auberge, at least have a drink on their very romantic balcony some nite). We then drove south to Carmel and spent one night there----watched the fog climb up the hill, cross the street, sweep over the pool, up to our balcony, and then right into our bedroom's open window-----VERY COOL!!! We then drove back up to SanFran and spent approx 24 hrs there doing Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, a boat tour of the bay, around Alcatraz (didn't have time to do an Alcatraz tour), ate at a delicious "below-the-sidewalk" Chinese restaurant called the R&G Lounge (recommended in one of the Fodor's guides)stayed one nite at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Union Sq. and then flew out on Sunday. We decided that with such a short amount of time, if we had to change our itinerary at all, we would have cut out Carmel and saved that for another trip, we maybe would have cut Napa to only 3 days, and we would have added an extra day in San Francisco. Hey--I had fun reliving the memories----thx for the opportunity-----just wanted you to know that a lot can be done in a week---and we really weren't EXHAUSTED at the end, just exhilerated!! Happy choosing!

Out of your list, I've been to Acadia NP, Cape Cod, Yosemite, Napa, New York & Yellowstone. All of them were great, but for totally different reasons.

Here are some factors to consider: Flight and/or driving time. Whether you feel that cities or countryside would be more relaxing or energizing (depending on what you want a vacation). Whether you want to do a variety of activities in one trip, or stay in one place. Whether you want cultural activities, active activities, or experiencing a new area and people-watching.

Here are some broad-brush comments:

Acadia NP: You will be ahead of the summer crowd, and it should be pretty quiet. At that time of year, will be a bit chilly (never gets too warm here). Great scenery, and the people of Maine are wonderful. Hiking and biking. Can't beat the lobster. If you fly into Boston, it's a bit of a drive.

Cape Cod: I would pick Maine over Cape Code. The Cape can be very tourist-filled. Scenary is similar to Maine, but less rugged. Lobster! More of a just hang-out sort of place.

Yosemite: Beautiful, of course. Might not be great for a whole week unless you enjoy hiking or spend some of your week in San Francisco.

Napa: It's nice, but definitely not for an entire week. I found the area pretty, but not as beautiful as the CA coast. The food & lodging can be great, and if you love CA wine, it's a great spot.

New York: Culture, lodging, food, the city never sleeps. Could be an expensive week.

Yellowstone: IMO, the best park in the world. The geysers are unbelievable, and lots of other beautiful sights & sites. Even better if you like to hike. You might be late for lodging inside the park.

You could easily explore "beach and parks or cities" in North Carolina. In fact, there are plenty of places in NC where you could spend an entire vacation, such as Asheville or one of the cities down along the coast, such as Wilmington. I always suggest staying in Asheville, exploring that city's fantastic art, architecture, dining, natural beauty, and attractions such as the Biltmore Estate, the botanical gardens and arboretum, and the museums, then using the city as a base for exploring what all else the mountains have to offer, such as the outdoor dramas, state and national parks and forests, the Cherokee reservation and museum, and the numerous charming small towns in the region that offer their own attractions and usually some very high-quality visual or performing arts, just like Asheville.

If you do a search on this site, quite a bit of information will come up regarding the elegant, fun, and beautiful city of Asheville, not to mention all the great little towns and natural attractions nearby.

However... if you were to tour the entire state, you could enjoy a slew of attractions that change by region. You have your beaches down at the coast, of course, along with maritime history attractions, like shipwrecks all along the Outer Banks, historic lighthouses, and museums, especially in Wilmington, which is sort of an "Asheville-by-the-Sea" but with fewer hippies. There's also the state aquarium in Manteo.

In the large cities of the Piedmont, you have top-notch museums like the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, which also boasts excellent history and natural history museums in addition to the ubiquitous historic homes -- the NC Governor's Mansion is always a hit -- and the nearby attractions of the cities of Durham and Chapel Hill, which boast botanical gardens, outstanding architecture at their respective universities, and so on.

Charlotte has more great museums, including the Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design (always written like that, with the plus sign), and outstanding parks and public gardens, plus lots of opportunities to view public art, including the largest collection of frescoes in the country -- you can find them throughout the skyscrapers and public buildings of downtown.

Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point, which together make up the Triad (a foil to the Triangle of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), hold attractions such as Old Salem, a restored 18th Century Moravian village that stands in the shadows of downtown Winston-Salem's skyscrapers, and some truly fantastic museums, including the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, a science museum, the anthropology museum at one of the universities (either Wake Forest or Winston-Salem State -- I forget which), a children's museum, and a toy museum that has, among its artifacts, a pair of dice dredged from the River Thames that dates from Roman times. Greensboro has historic attractions such as a Revolutionary War battlefield, and some attractions that explain the city's crucial role in the civil rights movement of the 1960's. Plus, there's your typical art and history museums. You can't spit in North Carolina without hitting a museum or some institution of higher learning with an art gallery.

Throughout the state, you'll also find world-class golfing, state parks that showcase everything from seashores to lakeshores to mountains, plantations, museums of everything from toys to the US military, art in all its forms, fine dining, good shopping, and architectural beauty.

See the beach, see a lake, see the mountains, see a museum, see the mountains, or see a metropolis -- any way, you can't go wrong in NC!

Re-reading my post let me see that I posted in the last paragraph that you could "see the mountains" twice. Don't I feel like a goose!

However, apologizing for the typo also lets me tell you I forgot to mention the state zoo in Asheboro, the colonial towns all along the coast, such as Bath, Edenton, and New Bern, the Blue Ridge Parkway up in the mountains, known as America's most scenic drive, and the casino on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, among many, many, MANY other attractions.

Well, thanks for all of your suggestions. And any more are always welcome, including places not on my list. I guess we'll have to start narrowing down the choices pretty soon. Thanks again!

Having been to all these places except Acadia NP--
I would choose Yellowstone above all, plus June is a great month to go there. It is like no other place I have been. Far and above Yosemite for variety of scenery.
My second choice would be North Carolina--beautiful state. (no i don't live there!!!)
Good luch with your choices---

I vote for Sedona. I was there is 2001 helping a friend move and there again with my mom in Feb this year. We drove in from the Phoenix airport and as soon as I saw the red rocks I felt like I was 'home.' As someone who is always restless, can't wait to go go go, I felt complete peace in Sedona the entire time. WE stayed at Enchantment which magnified the serene feeling - also took the train to the GC. It's one of my favorite places and if I won the lottery I'd buy a house there up in the rocks. Sigh!

Been to a few places on your list. Agree w/others, very nice. People often mention Cape Cod, but not Cape May, NJ. Great Victorian town, terrific beaches, shopping, horse and buggy rides. There's a zoo about 20 min. up the Parkway and the casino about 45 min. straight up the Parkway. Cape May and many other towns along the South Jersey coast are islands. There are lighthouses and boardwalks. Much to see and do.