nytraveler

The weather will be very different in Texas (likely spring) than Minneapolis (winter - snow very possible and temps under freezing). Kansas City can also have heavy cold then - or early spring -you won;t know until a week or so before you leave.

Perhaps you were looking at farenheit temps and thought they meant centigrade?

spirobulldog

Boots,
The op sounded as if this might be a first or second trip to the US. Coming to the USA and not really seeing "the sights" would be like taking my child to Orlanda and not going to any of the theme parks. People are certainly going to ask and be curious as to why the OP wants to visit the areas mentioned. Peth gave us the answer in her last post, so now I would think people will supply with suggestions.

Peth,
Weather will probably be fine in Oklahoma and Texas, but the ruther north you go you might encounter some situations.

Texas suggestions-
Big Bend National Park
New Bransfel- German area to visit
Dallas-Great Food Town, The Galleria and North Park Mall for shopping. Texas School Depository(where Kennedy was shot), stockyards, might check on concert and events in Dallas

Oklahoma suggestions-
Oklahoma City Memorial (sight where Federal Building was blown up), shopping and dining in Bricktown.

Then drive I-40 over to Fort Smith Arkansas. See Judge Parker Courthouse. See Buffalo River and Ozark Mountains. Arkansas has 5 or 6 very nice State Parks with some Great Hikes. If you are interested in those areas and hiking, I can go into great detail as I hike these areas at least once a month. After Arkansas, continue on to Kansas City.

boots08

>>People are certainly going to ask and be curious as to why the OP wants to visit the areas mentioned.

I guess I'm just not that curious.

>>Peth gave us the answer in her last post

My beef was with those who questioned her choice of itinerary, rather than provide the answers to the post at hand.

And I don't see the explanation for what I was referring to in her last post.

But, carry on.

SAnParis2

With only two weeks, I would likely just plan my trip for Texas. Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, etc. Mnpls. to Houston is probably about 2000km apart. Not sure how you are getting from point A to point B.

Peth8

By car.................

SAnParis2

Then you will find plenty to do in Texas & save yourself spending 1/3 of your trip driving. Something to consider.

laurie_ann

Here's a sense of the driving distances. Houston to Dallas, 4 hours. Dallas to Ok City, 3.5 hours, Ok City to K City, 5.5 hours, K City to Minneapolis 7 hours. In two weeks that would give you 2 or 3 nights in each city, a half a day of driving between each one (or a little more on that last leg of driving). Doable certainly. And you would see quite a range of USA.

happytrailstoyou

My beef was with those who questioned her choice of itinerary, rather than provide the answers to the post at hand.boots08

But, as we see here, OP did not have a good handle on what to expect when visiting these places in March: "We looked for the weather and what we have found whas that it was between 14 and 24 degrees so whe tought i wash a good thing bud now i read that it;s much colder."

And, boots08 provides no answers to the OP's question.

boots08

>>But, as we see here, OP did not have a good handle on what to expect when visiting these places in March

That has no relevance to my original point- that the OP never asked for opinions on her choice of cities, but rather, sought tips for the cities she chose.

>>And, boots08 provides no answers to the OP's question.

I've only visited one of the above mentioned cities, and the weather tip I was going to provide was already given.

And while we're having fun copying and pasting quotes...

>>The cities you mention are not the top tourist destinations in the USA.

So people shouldn't travel anywhere but 'top tourist destinations'? You might want to widen your horizons.

Happy Trails to you.

bachslunch

Am thinking you could easily spend your two weeks time just in Texas seeing Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. There are several attractions in each city, enough to occupy 2-3 days each.

And am guessing that in March, it could still be chilly even this far south. Not to mention that football season will be over in March, as Sharona rightly pointed out above.

And I'll echo most everyone else here in asking what your interests are. Do you like museums? Historic architecture? Sports? Historic sites? Hiking and parks? Specialty tours? Children-oriented attractions? Are you keen to sample local food specialties? It's tough to give good advice otherwise -- there's a reason people are asking.

sharona

Peth8, if you haven't discovered this web site to get weather information you should take a look:

http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/s...p3?c=US&refer=

It shows the average monthly temperatures of the last 20 years plus gives average rainfall and snow and other information. It will give you the temps in either F or C.

Another weather site with historical weather info is www.wunderground.com. You can look up actual days to find out what the weather was.

Weather in many parts of the U.S. in March can be very iffy. I don't know where your home is and how comfortable you are with driving in the snow but springtime snowstorms can be fierce. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a back-up plan for the areas outside of Texas and possibly Oklahoma. Just in case. (Boston had 2 FEET of snow one April 1 not long ago. I know you aren't traveling to Boston but that's just an example of how fickle the weather can be in late winter/early spring.)

coldplay

Its always best to find your own 'special' things as other peoples idea of 'things to do' are so different. We have had some great experiences in the most boring of US cities without anyones help.

happytrailstoyou

Since Peth8 asked for comments about "something else we must see on our trip," the carping about those of us who have done so is inexplicable.

I like Topeka, Cle Elum, and Buffalo, but I'm not going to suggest them as holiday destinations for foreign tourists. I would suggest the Grand Canyon, the National Parks of Utah, San Francisco, Highway 1 up the California coast, the Columbia River Gorge, New York City, Washington D.C., and places such as these. But that's just me. I have no argument with those who prefer to drive across North Dakota or holiday in Houston.

HTTY

Peth8

thank you all for your answers bud the question that i made in the beginning isn't answered.......... de route i take is what my husband and i like to do not the populair city's that everyone have seen and that i can read in the guide.
my question wasn't "give a lot of criticism to each other"

PeaceOut

In Kansas City, go to the Country Club Plaza area. It is a classic, with great restaurants and shops and lodging. I don't know the other cities as well, but Rice University in Houston is a gorgeous campus to visit, if you like seeing schools like we do (I know, we're weird that way!)

What are you most interested in seeing and doing? Museums and art, music, architecture, parks, nightlife and dining, etc?

Sounds like your driving trip is planned out, for point A to point B, so we can help you fill in the blanks when we know what you like to do.

bachslunch

Peth8--

You said: "my question wasn't "give a lot of criticism to each other".

That's true -- you asked "What sort of attractions - highlights - sightseeing - ore something else we must see on our trip." But several of us here have asked you in return "What are your interests?" in an attempt to answer your question better. Sorry to say, you still haven't answered *our* question to help us help you out in any way here. I for one don't even know what to suggest to you as a result.

Perhaps you'll get good ideas from us if you put up a possible itinerary based on research you've done. We really can't do the homework for you, after all.

nytraveler

Peth 8 -

You should be aware that if you head north you're likely to run into bad weather. If so, driving times can easily be doubled and if you're not used to driving in ice and snow (perhaps your are) it's a skill very different than driving under normal road conditions. It's even possible you will run into road closures near Minneapolis if you get there the same time as a major storm. (For perspective, in New York some years ago there was a blizzard with 26" of snow at the end of March, with roads closed and trains stopped for more than 24 hours. Not very likely, but certainly possible.)

I too would focus on places farther south where the weather and travel conditions are likely to be better that time of years. Or, you could plan 2 itineraries and decide which to follow once you get here and see what the weather looks like. There is certainly enough in Texas to keep you occupied, esp if you include San Antonio, Austin and Galveston as well as Houston.

spirobulldog

Boots,
she answered my question that I had in my mind about this being an odd visit to the US. Peth stated that they had been to Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Chattanoga, and Nashville. I find those cities not to be as odd, but still not the "cream of the crop". If I am going to France or Italy, I want to see the best first, not the "off the beaten path" stuff. And in my opinion, this is really "off the beaten path" unless you have seen a lot of the US already. You may have "beef", with someone questioning an iten. But, I think most of the people on here have a sincere interest in helping people get the most out of their time and money while traveling.

So you know what. Go ahead drive an entire day across Kansas to Minneapolis in a snow storm and not really see anything of much interest along the way. Make that 2 or 3 days, I forgot about it being a snow storm. With some luck, maybe you can spot a tornado or two in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

When someone says I want to go to Vegas or any Major Tourist City, we have a general idea in mind of what they might want to see. But none of the cities mentioned in the original post are tourist cities. So that leaves most of us a little unknowing on what the poster might want to do or see along the way. But not you Boots, because your not curious.

Cranachin

Peth8--

I agree with Stumpworks73 that you should visit NASA's Space Center Houston at the Johnson Space Center while you are in Houston. Although I have not been there personally, friends who have visited have enjoyed it very much.

I HAVE been to the Menil Collection, an art museum with a very eclectic set of holdings, including the only Byzantine frescoes on display in the western hemisphere (in a building specially constructed for them - the fresco chapel is only open Wednesday through Sunday, though). I found the entire complex to be very interesting.

Houston has quite a number of museums and attractions. I know little to nothing about most of them. Information on many of them can be found by clicking on the "Attractions" icon at the website http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/ (The website lists many sites of the "standard" tourist types - art museums, performing arts venues, shopping centers, professional sports teams, recreation facilities).

BUT - here are some of the more unusual or different ones (that you would not find everywhere, and in some cases nowhere else but Houston). It's a long list, but I'm putting here for two reasons. First, it shows you the variety of unique things you could visit if you are interested (again, I have no idea how worthwhile you might find any of them, but I would like to visit some of them myself).

Second, if you are at all curious about the the story behind America, you will find it in places like these. Many times you can find people working at sites such as these who are passionate about the history and culture that the site represents. Maybe you will find a retired soldier at one of the military sites, or an old ranch hand at one of the cowboy sites. Ask questions, have real conversations, and be prepared to get a perspective on the US that you would never get from just reading signs on displays in more "sterile" museums.


The American Cowboy Museum ("This ranch preserves the western heritage of Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and women")

The Armand Bayou Nature Center and The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center (two different places, highlighting the natural environment of the Houston area)

The Battleship "Texas" (The last of the battleships to participate in World War I and II, Battleship Texas became the first battleship memorial museum in the U.S. in 1948.)

Nearby the Battleship Texas is the San Jacinto Monument ("he San Jacinto Museum of History, within the base of the San Jacinto Monument, holds one of the largest collections of Texas art, artifacts and history." The monument commemorates the battle that gained Texas its independence from Mexico in 1836. Texans are quite proud that their state was an independent republic before voluntarily becoming part of the USA.)

The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum ("The only museum in the U.S. dedicated primarily to preserving the legacy and honor of the African-American soldier.")

George Ranch Historical Park ("This 480-acre living history site, with more than 100 years of Texas history, offers hands-on experiences and costumed historical interpreters.")

The National Funeral History Museum ("The museum features our nation's largest display of historic funeral service memorabilia and artifacts")

The Orange Show Monument ("a Houston postman's creation that extols the virtues of his favorite fruit. The outdoor 3,000-square-foot monument is maze-like in design and includes an oasis, a wishing well, a pond, a stage, a museum, a gift shop and several upper decks.")


Galveston, located on an island near Houston, also might interest you. Its attractions include

Moody Gardens ("Moody Gardens, consisting of Aquarium, Rainforest and Discovery Pyramids, is an educational attraction focusing on nature." It also has several theaters showing IMAX-type films.)

The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum ("a museum, educational attraction and working drilling rig")

5alive

Peth, if tickets aren't already purchased (or you are not otherwise restricted in your travel dates) I would suggest you make this trip in April and most weather problems would be averted. April is known as a great month to get married in the Midwest as the weather is "just right."

I did greatly enjoy the Harry Truman Presidential Museum in Independence, Missouri. (This is just outside Kansas City.) It really gives you a picture of life in America during and after WWII as well as insights into the man who authorized the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I am not sure if the following are "must-sees" for me compared to the other places on my wish list (National parks, American Southwest, more of the East Coast)....But if I were taking your trip, here's what I'd want to see in my order of importance:

1. Space Center in Houston
2. Historical sites in Austin and San Antonio
3. Art Museum in Kansas City (well regarded)
4. Harry Truman Museum near KC

5. A bit of the Ozarks if a better season
6. Galveston Texas
7. Minnehaha Falls in Minnesota
8. Mall of America in Minnesota (I'm not a big shopper but would be curious to see this once!)