I know this is a tall order but here
goes, next April my English friend
and I are taking off for
approximately four weeks on a long
dreamed of grand tour of the USA. I
imagine at that time of year I
should start by heading South. I'm
not particularly interested in
cities, I prefer to see beautiful
scenery and, if possible, odd places
in America. (Remember "On the Road"
a CBS show with Charles Kuralt). If
anyone can suggest places, highways,
museums etc that are off the beaten
track I could try to fit them into
an itinerary. Any suggestions would
be truly appreciated. Maybe someone
out there has had this type of
adventure. If so Please HELP.
Thank You.
PS My starting and ending point is
New York City.

In 4 weeks I'm not sure you're going to see much more than the East coast. You definitely have to go thru Amish country in PA to view spring planting/plowing with horses. Then go down the Smokey Mountains' breathtaking Sky Line Drive. I've heard Charleston SC spring flowers are very beautiful. We visited in Oct. Make sure you take a carriage ride thru the historic market area. April school vacation will be too crowded in DC but you should stop by to visit the museums or monuments, maybe just a narrated trolley ride for a quick visit. The wide endless beaches of the Carolinas change drastically as you head north. Surely you must also fit in a visit to the craggy coastline of Maine, preferably north of Portland. You won't find Maryland crab in the north, but you also won't find Maine fried clams and lobster in the south. Check out Yankee magazine's website www.newengland.com for some New England travel ideas. Swing west and go back down thru VT on your way back to NYC.

For the weird and wonderful in the US, check out

www.roadsideamerica.com

Hi Dave. Give me a few more details about where you hope to go and what you like to see and do, and I can go on at length about traversing the US of A. If you want driving through scenic areas, about the best the eastern US has to offer, in my opinion, is the Blue Ridge Parkway. It starts near Charlottesville, VA, at the southern end of the Skyline Drive, and continues uninterrupted all the way to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina, about 467 miles later.
Late May is a good time to drive this road because many flowers will be in bloom. However, the higher elevations, above 5,000 feet, will not be full of flowrs until June. The road is non commercial in the sense that only a few commercial establishments front onto the highway. There is a website that will give you details.
I guess my major question is this:
do you envisage driving west of of Kansas to the Rocky Mountains and the states of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming?
In the East, Pennsylvania, New York, and the New England states are pretty and very forested because of high annual rainfall. Vermont and New Hampshire have some lovely areas too. The Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountains is scenic, but spring arrives late in that neck of the woods.

If you stay East, you might start by driving south to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, then head east to the Smokies, and wind your way up the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Smokies are open in April, but at the higher elevations spring has not quite gotten there. If you could somehow reconfigure your dates to start in mid April and end in mid May, I think you would have better weather.
I live in Georgia, and without trying to sound too much of a local booster, north Georgia has some attractive areas as well. Area like Brasstown Bald and
the state parks in the northern part of the state are nice. Amicalola Falls is one place that comes instantly to mind.
I hope you can form a good plan. However, in 4 weeks, you do have time to head west. How are you travelling?
Strictly by car??

The weekly newspaper New York Press just listed a book in their Christmas gift guide and it appears to have the sort of info you seek about unusual places to visit/things to see. Written by Jamie Jensen and published by Moon Travel Handbooks - entitled "Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways".

WOW, I am absolutely amazed at so many nice people offering ideas so soon. Thank you all and I am taking all your suggestions, printing and keeping them. I shall reply to each of you. THANK YOU ALL.

If you time your trip right in the beginning of April, you may be able to see the cherry blossoms in bloom in DC. While it will be crowded, the trees are GLORIOUS! Unfortunately, when they will be in bloom won't be know for some time.

If you are considering a new england loop as part of your trip, you might enjoy Patriot's Day celebrated with much enthusiasm in the Boston area - specifically in Lexington and Concord.I believe we will be celebrating on April 17 of this coming year. This holiday commemorates the start of the Revolutionary War - the 19th of April, 1775 - Paul Revere - shot heard round the world, etc etc etc. Both towns feature re-enactments of the actual battles. The towns of Arlington and Lexington both host charming, old fashioned parades. The Boston Marathon is always run on this day as well which is something of a spectacle. Wherever you wander, April is a great time to travel - have fun!

Springtime in Virginia! This is a unique event you would probably enjoy a lot. In April there is a two week period where the Garden Clubs throughout the state sponsor Home & Garden Tours to raise money for historic preservation. Every day there are several different areas sponsoring their tours. The guide books will be out in late January, email me your mailing address & I will be glad to snail mail you a copy. It is a unique chance to go tromping through some historic homes, lovely gardens, some new homes, and really meet and talk with some of the friendliest folks you would ever want to meet. If you pick a rural county to tour you will drive over some of the prettiest roads around, just when the dogwood, redbuds, azaleas and daffodils are blooming.