sydneyann

Hello! I am working on the beginning plans of a roadtrip across the U.S. I was wondering what some "must-do" things are in each state? I love the outdoors as well as history; so I'm hoping to make it to as many national parks as possible. Is there anything else I shouldn't miss? thank you so much!!

janisj

Since you can't possibly make it to 'each' state - which few are you most interested in? Are you only asking about the 4 you linked?

How long do you have for the entire trip? What time of year? These both make a huge difference. One must see park in the summer may not be accessible in winter, and some parks aren't so great or should be avoided in the summer.

Where are you starting from?

sydneyann

Sorry, I realized after I posted that I didn't include very many details.
Everything is still fairly rough; but I graduate late April and I'm not planning to work full-time until January. My thoughts were that I had from May 1st - December 1st to travel and see as much of the U.S. and Canada as I could.
I'd be starting from the Toronto area.

sydneyann

Also, I'm thinking of this for next year - 2016.

Gretchen

Do you like to eat? What about Parks do you like--there are different kinds? Do you want to visit cities.
I think it might be helpful if you did some planning, reading, looking at guide books (library?) and do some thinking on your own. You list 4 very disparate states--why those?
Do you have an unlimited budget? Are you driving?

Gretchen

Do you like to eat? What about Parks do you like--there are different kinds? Do you want to visit cities.
I think it might be helpful if you did some planning, reading, looking at guide books (library?) and do some thinking on your own. You list 4 very disparate states--why those?
Do you have an unlimited budget? Are you driving?

sydneyann

I guess I still haven't provided much info! Here's some more info: I'm travelling with a friend; we'll both be 22. We both like doing active stuff, and want to lots of different active/outdoors/nature stuff along our way. We're especially looking forwards to hiking in some of the national parks.

Budget: We haven't quite figured this area out yet. There are a variety of different factors that are influencing our budget; so we wanted to work out an itinerary then nail down the budget. We do have an RV that we are able to use, however, we haven't decided if it is worth it to us to use it. We were thinking it may be more cost-efficient if we were to drive a medium-sized car; and camp 2-3 nights in a row then stay in a hotel for one night (and repeat for however many weeks we're away for).

As for the parks, I don't know much about a lot of them, but I really want to see some great views and I know we want to visit Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, Redwoods..I'm sure there are a few others that I'm not thinking of right now.

We have done some preliminary planning; but like I said; everything is still super rough. We know we want to go on a long vacation to celebrate finishing school. We figured a road-trip would be a great way to spend a few months; so we thought we might as well try to hit all 48 states and a few Canadian provinces as well.

Anyways, if anyone can provide any thing that they believe is a must-do experience that'd be great. We have pretty set lists of things we want to do in a few states - New York, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, California, South Carolina...but any ideas are definitely appreciated!!

charsuzan

Kentucky-Kentucky Derby Museum, Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Falls,

Tennessee-Gatlinburg/Great Smoky Mountains, Chattanooga-Lookout Mountain, Great aquarium on the River, Nashville-lots of things to do-Grand Ole Opry. Memphis-Graceland.

sydneyann

Also, I'm not really sure why the states that are tagged were tagged. I tried to control-select all of them but I guess that didn't work lol.

sydneyann

@charsuzan thank you!! I'm really looking forwards to seeing the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. I was in Louisville a few times last year but didn't have a chance to visit them. I've never been to Tennessee, so thank you so much for your suggestions there! I'll definitely look into those things!

Virginia1990

I love southwestern Colorado - Mesa Verde NP, Million Dollar Highway, Great Sand Dunes NP, Durango, Ouray, Telluride. Lots to see and do down there. Rocky Mtn NP is also beautiful, and a personal favorite of mine is Garden of the Gods.

Also, a great state to visit would be Utah. Zion NP, Arches NP, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Salt Lake City, Park City, etc.

In Arizona, obviously the Grand Canyon, but there is also Antelope canyon and Horseshoe Bend to see in Page.

I've been to just about all of these places, or will be in a few weeks, so if you want some more detailed info just let me know! I'm also visiting Lassen, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Black Hills, and Badlands this summer, so I'll have info on those too if you want. This is just a good list to get you started. I've done quite a few roadtrips personally, and my best suggestion is to really settle on a budget before you start doing too much planning because that will be your biggest limitation. It sounds like you will have plenty of time to go see things.

emalloy

You might find it more efficient to look at the country in terms of what is reasonable to visit at various times of year. For example Death Valley is great, but dangerously hot in the summer and Yellowstone is fabulous, but not much is open before June or after October and there are too many places that I have loved going to in April and May or September and October, beaches north of Florida are most fun in summer etc..

Since you said you want to visit a lot of National Parks, go to the www.nps.gov site and look at what is close to what else and which parks are "must see" and which are "would be nice to see". When you have the must sees figured out then check what else is of interest that is near by, like state parks, beautiful by ways, historic sites etc.

Have fun planning this trip

RVvagabond

You wrote > history:
Suggest visiting US presidential libraries. Our favorites were Eisenhower and Truman. If you are in a city that is also the capitol of that state, visit their state capitol. All tours are free. I enjoyed Texas the most simply because it flew the Flags of Spain, France, Mexico, Itself and US.

And should you be near Austin, Texas, this small bakery serves the absolute best donuts and US pastry (not French, Mexican,etc) in the US
http://www.roundrockdonuts.com/

Don't forget to visit Elvis' home.
Vaga

alwaysafrica

Hi Sydneyann. I think your plan sounds awesome. Back in 2002, when my hubbie (boyfriend back then : )) and I finished school, we went on a 3.5 month trip across Canada (starting in Toronto). We bought a used Rav4 SUV and went all the way west to British Columbia, then all the way north into the Arctic Circle to Innuvik in the Northwest Territories and then after getting back to Toronto, we headed east to all of the eastern provinces. We spent about 2 weeks in each province and it was a glorious trip. Each province brought its own beauty and special memories. Did a ton of hiking. And our lodging was... yup, some camping, but mostly small motels and YMCAs along the way.

As for the US, our major hiking trips in the US have been to California and Oregon, and we leave for Utah in about a month... so I obviously recommend those most highly : )

It's so rewarding to plan such a major trip. Have fun planning and then have a wonderful time!

Jenn

sydneyann

Thank you all so much for your replies!!

@Virginia1990 - I'm excited for Colorado - I have Sand Dunes NP, Mesa Verde NP, and Rocky Mountain NP on my list; but I'll check into the other places!! I totally want to spend a fair bit of time in Utah..the parks there look so gorgeous!! I'm looking forwards to hiking Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands and Capital Reef! We've allotted a week to spend in Utah. Hopefully that's enough? It seems like we have so much time, but it's hard to figure out exactly how much time we have to spend in each place. Thanks for the info about Arizona!! I haven't had much time to look into that state yet, but I did a search on Antelope Canyon and the photos look amazing!! I'll definitely put that, and Horse Shoe Bend on our list of places to visit. Any suggestions on lodging in any of these places? We're looking to camp 4-5 nights a week and stay in a hotel 2-3 nights a week to keep costs down.

@emmaloy Thanks! We're definitely trying to keep the weather in mind as we map out our route. Right now, we're doing the east coast from May 1 - June 15; driving out west through the northern states and provinces from June 15 to August 1. After August 1st, our plan gets a bit messy as to how we're allocating the last 4 months of our trip. I think we're planning on doing the west coast, then midwest, then south then working our way back up to Toronto for Dec. 1. It's hard to figure out the best time to visit everything without spending too much unnecessary time doing extra driving.

@RVvagabond thank you! I'm looking forwards to visiting a few state capitols, we're not hitting too many cities - we want to focus more on national parks and the "pretty" stuff this trip..but I'll keep that in mind!

@alwaysafrica thanks! I'm super excited. I don't think I'm going to make it to the territories or Alaska on this trip..It's a lot of extra time driving on what's already a fairly intense trip (driving wise). I'd love to see them though! If you have any suggestions for must-do hiking trails or lodging (pretty much anywhere, lol) that'd be awesome!!

PaulRabe

For history, you can NOT top Independence Hall in Philadelphia PA.

In 1775, no large nation on this planet had an elected chief executive with a limited term in office, or a government constrained by a legally binding constitution, or explicit religious freedom. Because of efforts within the walls, all three of these ideals came to be part of the U.S.A. They are now viewed as axioms of governance around the world, to the point where even autocratic monarchies like North Korea make a pretense of these ideals.

jent103

That's a big planning job you've got! It's a complicated one for certain. One note about the US South: it looks like you currently plan to visit that area after August. I gather you're from Canada; you might know this already, but August in the Southeast is a special kind of heat and humidity! It doesn't bother me at all because I grew up with it, but if you're used to Toronto weather, it could be a bit of a shock, especially if you're mostly interested in outdoorsy things. Some places near the mountains (Asheville, the Smokies) would be fine (especially once kids go back to school in mid-August or so - fewer crowds), but I'd visit somewhere like Charleston or Savannah either from April-early June or late September/October.

sydneyann

@PaulRabe - awesome! I'll keep that in mind for the PA part of the trip. I'm not sure if we'll be in Philadelphia - it's looking right now that we'll be going up through Pittsburgh and Erie - but I'm going to see if we can work it in!

@jent103 - haha yes, very complicated! I'm hoping we're in the South in late September or early October. I've been to Orlando a few times in August and it's hot!! It's not too bad for a day in the parks at Disney or around the pools; but I don't think I'd want to be hiking or doing too much physical activity in that heat.

Laurelovebooks

If you drive from Florida to SC (or vice versa), you will drive the coast of Georgia. Stop in Savannah, it is beautiful and their is so much to see, even for just a day stop. You would also love the islands off the coast, Tybee, St. Simons. Hilton Head Island I have heard is beautiful also, but I think that is in South Carolina. There is problem a lot of hiking and other outdoor sites to see along the coast. And around Atlanta and west north Georgia you will have the mountains, Lake Lanier (they have a waterpark and other things you can do, rent a sail boat or kayak/canoe), and Atlanta has a lot of things to do.

I would plan on being in the south either before June or after August unless you like the heat and humidity. I can easily get above 90degrees in the summer months, but what makes it worse is the humidity. I would not suggest camping during those months, unless you are right on the beach where it might be a tad but colder, because it is so unbearable some days.

Virginia1990

Your trip sounds so much fun and I am so jealous!

For lodging - there is a nice campground right beside Great Sand Dunes (Pinyon Flats I believe). Great views and very convenient. While you are here, I would also recommend buying some cheap sleds and going sand sledding, it's so much fun! Or if you are friendly, there are usually people willing to let you share theirs for a bit. There's a few campgrounds near Zion, the one I really liked is right before the eastern entrance to the park (I can't remember the name of it right now). Not crowded, and has very pretty views. Not exactly convenient though because it takes about 45 minutes to drive to the main canyon. There is camping in the park however, if you want to be closer. Also, I have stayed at the campground behind the Quality Inn in Springdale at the western entrance if you don't get a place in the park. Very crowded, but still relatively nice nonetheless. And the plus here is that's it's much more convenient and near places to eat. When I visited Moab, I stayed at the River Canyon Lodge, which was a reasonable price and right in the middle of downtown. Great location for walking around the town when you aren't visiting the parks. We stayed at a hotel in Page when we visited there, but I can't remember which one. If you do the Million Dollar Drive in southwestern CO, there's a beautiful campground just north of Silverton called South Mineral Campground. It also has a fabulous hike there, Ice Lakes hike. And if you have a high clearance vehicle, don't mind scary mountain roads, and go in the summer, check out Ophir Pass. It's a great 4x4 road that crosses from the Million Dollar Highway over to Telluride that is very scenic.

I'm sure someone else can give you more info on campgrounds near the places I mentioned, unfortunately when I visited most of these places I didn't have a tent or anything with me to be able to enjoy camping. Also - I would spend more than a week in Utah at the parks (honestly you could spend a week at each one!), but it's up to your schedule as to how much you want to do and how much you can fit in.

Some hiking suggestions - Angel's Landing and the Narrows in Zion. My friends and I were crazy and attempted both in one day. We made it, but we were exhausted. Definitely save a day each for these. Angel's Landing is probably my all-time favorite hike. Delicate Arch, Devil's Garden, and Park Avenue in Arches. Devil's Garden was a great late afternoon/sunset hike. We did Delicate Arch in the middle of the day, I wouldn't recommend it at that time, especially if you are there when it's hot. Also, my friend and I went skydiving in the Canyonlands, and it was awesome. Maybe something to check out? Do Antelope Canyon in midday because you will get to see the light shafts then, and it really is beautiful. Another place in AZ that is great is Flagstaff. TONS of hiking trails there in the national forest that are worth hiking.

For weather - I don't recommend doing the Utah parks in the heat of summer. It gets very hot and it isn't pleasant hiking in that weather. We did Zion in mid-July - We finished Angel's Landing around 1pm and it was incredibly hot. We did the Narrows in the afternoon which was great to cool us off, but in order to enjoy the rest of the park I would choose spring or fall. We did Arches in late June, and it was very hot there as well by then, we actually spent the midday walking around downtown because it was so hot on our first day there. Southwestern CO on the other hand is fine in the summer. I spent 4th of July along the Million Dollar Highway and the weather was great for hiking. However, it got cold at night (30s) and we were camping, so make sure you are prepared for the temp to drop. If you must hike Utah in the summer, make sure you have PLENTY of water and sunscreen. And reapply it often.

I live in VA (obviously) and have spent time in a lot of the coastal southern US during the summers. Below VA, especially if you are not in the mountains, it's very humid (so much so that it's actually just miserable to be in sometimes). It starts about June-ish, and can be that way all the way up through the beginning of October. Further south of NC, some if not all of May can also be unpleasantly humid and hot. If you are used to it, then it's not a huge deal, but if you aren't you will definitely regret trying to do much in the summer months here. Either stick to the mountains (which you probably don't want to do as Charleston, Savannah, Outer Banks, St. Augustine, and many other coastal places are beautiful and worth a visit), or go in the spring or fall. I did the Everglades in FL at the end of July - awful decision. We were miserable and got eaten up by bugs all day. But the Everglades is worth a visit - along with an airboat ride.

Typing all this out makes me realize just how many places I've been fortunate enough to visit. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your trip and get to see all the sights you are hoping for!