Whereelse to go in America
 

My friend and me have been to America in May for a month and loved it.So much that we wanna go back in January. We have seen NY, San Fran. Drove to all the Canyon's, Zion etc, stopped at Las Vegas, then LA. Flew to Miami where we enjoyed the sun and beach.

We met loads of Americans along the way telling us that we've seen the best of America and I just cannot believe that.

My question... we wanna go to America and experience something else just as divers and great. What else is there to see? I am told Chicago is really nice and San Diego is the best. But what else?

There is a very large difference in the US between May and January. The north half of the country is going to be freezing. Chicago in the winter is for the hardy! It is a great city, but in January it will be pitch black not much after 4 pm.

Where are you coming from?

Save Chicago for the spring or fall and take in the whole west coast of Michigan with it.

Boston is great, but also more for summer.

You could do Denver and out west and do some skiing. And San Diego would good anytime.

You definitely saw the highlights, but of course there is tons more to see. Unfortunately much of it will be under several feet of snow.

haha! Snow! Must also be nice but we are from Holland and we are trying to flee from winter. Definitely sun!

Maybe San Diego, but I am told it is also cold upthere.

For that time of year, I would opt for Key West. Better yet since you enjoyed Miami, fly into Miami & drive out the Keys.

Yes, we were planning to stop-over in Miami to enjoy the beach and all around it.

But we were hoping we might be able to see a bit to more when we are in America in again. Maybe January is nog a good month for travelling.

What about October in America?

You could do Texas or Phoenix in January.

October can be tricky. It is usually nice at the beginning, and terrible by the end. Plus we get a lot of rain in October. Chicago would definitely be okay in October, again if you don't mind cold rain.

How about Hawaii? I've never been, but I've heard it's beautiful

If you are going to Miami then the Florida Keys would be lovely in January, Key West is a must,and the drive down the keys is wonderful. You could also see the Everglades and go on an air boat

Depends on how much time you have...you'll not see anything like the Keys in America or most anywhere else & that is easily worth a week to 10 days. I would encourage you to really 'stop & smell the roses' you don't want to spend half your time hopping from place to place. The SW Az./NM would be your other option, but even there, snow is very possible. How much time will you have ?

October is an excellent month for traveling. The weather is good in most places - except the high Rockies.

If you want to do Chicago I would definitely do Oct (when weather will be similar to Holland, more of FL, San Diego, parts of the SE (Charleston, Savannah) or even southern Ne England or PA - where the changing leaves on the trees will be fantastic (much more dramatic than it is in Europe due to different types of trees).

If you must do Jan you really need to stay far south to avoid bad weather. (We get MUCH colder than you do and the snow belt usually has feet of it from late November until spring).

San Diego is not cold in January. It's as cold as San Diego ever gets, and it might rain, but that's still not cold (at least compared to Chicago, NY, Boston, etc.). Also, do a search for some recent posts regarding Phoenix and Tucson -- that's another possibility (low 70s?).

I love Chicago, but I wouldn't choose to go there in January!

Wow. One month and you saw NYC, LA, SanFranciso, Miami, Las Vegas and all the canyons. I hate to say it, but you kind of have seen the best of it all.
Nevertheless there is a ton more to see.

I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned New Orleans, which seems often to be a favorite with European visitors. Chicago and "middle America" is worth a look. Kansas City is a great place in my book. Yes, the Keys are great if you're stopping in Miami again -- or come over to the West Coast of Florida and Naples or Sanibel for beautiful beaches and sunsets.

Another region you've missed is the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, Portland, the mountains, the coast, Puget Sound. It's all beautiful. Probably not so much in January, but October, while cool, could still be very nice.

Or New England and Cape Cod. Or the Carolinas and Virginia -- plus Washington D.C.

Well, so many places, so little time.

Chicago is one of my favorite cities, but it's often pretty cold and windy in January. Save it for May or June.

I suggest Santa Fe, New Mexico, really different from the rest of the U.S., and I have taught workshops there in February: crisp cold days with snow flurries at night which melt in the sunshine of the daytime. Be sure to drive north from Santa Fe through the back road to Chimayo, a small charming Hispanic church with "miracle dirt", and a room of crutches, photos to prove it. From there a bit more north to Taos Pueblo, a real Native American town of adobe "apartment buildings" and tiny church. Another wonderful Pueblo, but West of Albuqueque is Acoma Pueblo, which you access through the tribe's museum on a van they take you up the mesa on.Be sure to check their websites to be sure Taos and Acoma will be open to the puclic when you are there. I guarantee that both Pueblos will be unlike anything you have ever, or will ever, see elsewhere.

For something different than the places you've already been, I think you should consider some of the following places (especially if you decide to do the trip in October rather than January):

(I've been in all these places early in October and had good weather - no guarantee of course.)

For New England you could do Boston and then drive up to Maine (Bar Harbor, etc.) and see the beautiful fall foliage.

For the Southeast you could do New Orleans or head to the coast and do Savannah/Charleston.

In Wyoming/Montana/Colorado, you could do Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park or do Yellowstone/Tetons. The higher elevations might have snow, but the times I've been there in the fall the weather has been dry and sunny and not too cold at the lower elevations, "sweater weather" during the day - incredible wildlife.

In Texas, San Antonio and Austin are nice to visit.

My husband and I have just moved to Amsterdam (from San Francisco) for a year - we are enjoying your country. I'm glad you have enjoyed ours!

If you are thinking about a whole month,
what about a driving tour down the east coast? Start in Washington DC or Philadelphia, visit Appalachia, the mountains, coastal Georgia, the Okefenoke Swamp, then down through Orlando (Disneyworld) and to the Keys.

Or a West Coast trip from Vancouver to San Diego. See the giant redwoods, eat lots of salmon, drive along the ocean, etc...

October is a wonderful time to see New England. Great time of the year for hiking, biking, apple picking and all that. Boston has the Head of the Charles Regatta - one of the largest rowing events in the US. New Hampshire will have glorious fall foliage. You can tour the mansions in Newport RI. Its all good.

Hi,
I'm from Croatia and my family and I are also uscrazy. We have spent every January since 2005 in the south of the States (in different parts) and we loved every second of every visit.

Last year, for example, we visited Georgia (Atlanta, Augusta, and the beautiful Antebellum Trail) and Tennessee (Memphis, Nashville and Lookout Mountain). We also spent some time in Alabama (Birmingham) and Mississippi (Tupelo) and we even visited Aiken in S. Carolina.

It was a wonderful road trip. The weather was just what we wanted it to be - an escape from winter.

Distances don't seem so long in the States as they do here in Europe.

Enjoy your trip
arjana

In January, stay south for warmer weather. For example: Tucson, Arizona; Palm Springs, California; San Diego, California and thereabouts.

BTW, we visited Amsterdam a couple of years ago, and loved it. What a friendly and charming city.

I think January is one of the best times of year to visit San Diego. There may be days when it is colder (high 60 degrees) but often in January we get a really warm week and there are often beautifully sunny skies. You will definitely not need a jacket, but possibly a sweater or light coat for night. The water temperature in January is a bit chilly, but I think that only the locals mind. The best part is that you will have the beach to yourself. It is still good for kayaking on the bay or La Jolla Cove http://www.san-diego-hotels-resorts....iego-kayak.php. And at that time of the year you can go whale watching. The winter brings larger surf so that is fun to watch too.

Southern California has a completely different feel to the rest of the US. San Diego is a laid back town that has something for everyone. Check out a play at one of the great play or spend the day at Balboa Park checking out the zoo or some of the great museums there http://www.san-diego-hotels-resorts....go_museums.php.

Unless you love to ski, January is the worst month to visit Colorado. It is colder and darker than the rest of the year. Go to Arizona, it's cooler and the hiking would be good.

October is a great month to visit Texas, and as it's so large and diverse, you could spend your entire month there and not repeat any category of scenery.

<i>Unless you love to ski, January is the worst month to visit Colorado</i>

Even if you do love to ski! I was in Aspen last year and it was 3 degrees below 0 F. Mightly cold.

The plan calls for Dixie and Desert :)

If you have to go in January and plan to stay a month, I would plan to start in Florida and work my way from Miami north to Orlando, Tampa, and then up to Charleston, west to New Orleans and Cajun Country, then onto Texas and San Antonio/Austin, and then west into the Desert Southwest (Tucson/Phoenix). Finally, work your way west to San Diego and then finish in LA for your flight back home. This route will avoid bad weather for the most part.

In October for a month, I'd plan an Eastern Seaboard tour from Miami north to Charleston, then north to the Smoky Mountains, then onto DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, and then up to see fall colors in New England. Then, finish out in Boston for your flight back.

Actually, in October, I'd plan the reverse trip because (a) fall colors are better earlier in the year in New England and (b) weather is better in New England earlier in fall and better in the South later in the fall.

So, for the October itinerary, plan to fly into Boston, and head down to Miami using the cities I listed, but in reverse order.

All of the Northeast is at its best in the fall, but I would second the recommendation to start North and go South, rather than the reverse. If you can stay for Halloween, I would highly recommend that too. I understand the way we celebrate it is very different from anywhere in Europe.
Only children go trick or treating, but the shops are full of neat decorations, some people decorate their homes (often very creatively), there are haunted houses, corn maizes, hay rides, etc. to visit, and many bars and clubs have Halloween parties (with patrons in costume) the weekend before, and often the night of.
January is a more limited month, but much of the south is mild (as my mother says &quot;they have winter, but it ain't much&quot;) and much of the country is not too horribly cold. And Florida is lovely in January.

If you end up in the South at the end of October for Halloween, I'd recommend having New Orleans as your place to celebrate Halloween. Halloween in New Orleans is like nowhere else and you'll highly enjoy it.

I don't have much of a suggestion for you as far as January goes, but you HAVEN'T seen the best of America until you've seen the Smoky Mountains in the Fall. October is the best time of the year to visit the Asheville, NC area. There's nothing like the beauty of the mountains when the leaves are changing. We live in the most beautiful place on earth! (or so we like to think) It's chilly here in the winter, but not like the northern states. Don't end your visits to the U.S. without visiting here. Upstate South Carolina, south western North Carolina, and southern Tennessee form a triangle of wonderful landscapes full of wildlife, natural beauty and hiking trails that you will love! It's nothing like Chicago or San Diego - Atlanta and Charlotte would be the closest &quot;bigger cities&quot; and they are both at least 2 hours away. These are smaller cities and towns that are unique and full of southern charm. Do a search of Asheville, NC, Pigeon Forge, TN, Cades Cove........some people might not think it's worth it but if you've never seen it, it will be!