trip to the U.S.

by Jay @, San Diego, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 06:54 (591 days ago)
edited by Jay, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 13:01

Friends of ours from Europe have never been to the States before and are planning a trip for next year. They are thinking three weeks. They are a family of four: mom, dad, two teenage girls.

What’s your best 3-week itinerary for some folks who have never visited before?

Tags:
travel

Not sure about the whole itinerary but

by Mr. Natural @, Friday, June 30, 2023, 04:30 (590 days ago) @ Jay

I think they really must see the Grand Canyon.

I’ve also become fascinated with several overnight Amtrak routes, but have never ridden one, so am not in a position to give a recommendation.

But the Grand Canyon. You know how they say of a thing “pictures don’t do it justice”?

Avoid the Interstate as much as possible

by Coach Gillespie @, Omaha, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 11:31 (590 days ago) @ Jay
edited by Coach Gillespie, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 12:15

To our European friends ... Secure a big-windowed Honda Odyssey and begin your journey at that most American of schools; the alma mater of Mike Pompeo: West Point. Take a picture on the cliff overlooking the Hudson. Order lunch at the CIA and then check out FDR's horse stables after lunch.

Head east and spend a few days on the back lanes of New England. There are a lot of breakfast spots where George Washington once camped. With a little luck, you'll run into Charlie Ebersol or Anderson Cooper at an antique shop near Torrington.

Hop on the turnpike and head to Pittsburgh. Ride the funicular up Mt Washington. Walk across one of those yellow bridges named after David McCullough. Start up the van and put on his narration of "The Pioneers". Stop for a Diet Dew in that little swath of West Virginia and follow the Ohio River to Marietta. Check out the library and stay for a night.

Amble toward Louisville. Grab lunch in Hells Halfacre and go see where Muhammad Ali grew up. Check out his museum. The Louisville Slugger one too. Drink some bourbon. Grab a very quick bite at Rick Pitino's restaurant. Take a day and get on over to St Louis. Skip the Arch and spend an afternoon looking at the huge houses on those unnecessarily private streets near Wash U. Say hi to ACross.

Put some Seger on the radio and head west, Euro family. Buy some black cats at a fireworks stand in St. Joe, Missouri. Light them on the sidewalk in front of the Gerald R. Ford birthsite in Omaha. No one will notice.

Follow the Lincoln Highway out of town and through the rolling hills of the Bohemian Alps. Light a candle at St Michael's Church in Tarnov, Nebraska and then get yourself to the Sandhills. Pack a lunch and take a dip in the Niobrara River. Breathe in some oxygenated air and begin your ascent.

See what you can see in Laramie, Wyoming. Then see what you should see in Colorful Colorado. Hike. Raft. Buy a t-shirt near the Garden of the Gods. Ditch the van near Coors Field and hop on the California Zephyr. Put your phone away and sit in the observation car. Don't stop looking out the window until you hit San Francisco.

Uber to Carmel. Eat lunch at the Hog's Breath Inn. Ask Clint Eastwood if he can fly you home.

--
Throw em out Marianne.

Clint Eastwood is in Savannah making a movie.

by Grantland, y'allywood, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 11:39 (590 days ago) @ Coach Gillespie

:)

History Buffs or Outdoorsy? Time of year?

by Grantland, y'allywood, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 08:15 (590 days ago) @ Jay
edited by Grantland, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 08:20

Seems like everyone is steering the tourists toward their area of the country.

If history buffs and in the fall I would think fly into the NE and get to New England to start. But then just go down the East Coast NY, Boston or Philly (I'd chose Boston) to return to the scene of the crime, DC down to Savannah or Charleston (y'all know which I would choose!) Those are decent drives (get off Interstates where you can) without being overwhelming.

Maybe down to Orlando if they'd be interested in Disney. Wouldn't be my choice but some might like to see it.

If outdoorsy I'd say go West to the grand canyon, yellowstone, etc - others here are better than I am at telling those routes. If they went West I think SF is a great place to see if only for the Golden Gate.


The West is so huge it just seems wasted to try to do more than a park or two.

Both have history of course and both have outdoors.

East is HOT in the summer though June this year was very mild here (until the last few days).

I also wonder how impressed a European is with seeing 250 year old buildings when they live in and around things that are so much older.

I think time of year is important, too. Even within the

by BillyGoat, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:37 (591 days ago) @ Jay

summer (and I presume it's the summer if the kids are school-aged).

Avoiding the major US vacation windows for some of these things will be really beneficial to enjoyment.

For example, we've done almost all our national parks stuff in early to mid-June, and it's been great (though we certainly haven't had the place to ourselves). But from what I hear, it's an absolute slog if you are in the big parks after the 4th of July, until mid-August. Would I tell someone from Europe who wants the quintessential American experience to avoid Black Hills, Yellowstone, or Yosemite because it's crowded? No. But it's something to absolutely keep on the radar.

Also, the weather in late May/early June could be materially less-brutal in the south and southwest, rather than waiting until the thick of summer. USA heat and humidity could hit Euros like a ton of bricks.

Personally, I'd try to optimize things on a "Pritchard Scale" of history, culture, nature, and fun. And all within the things that make the USA unique. Trying to put myself in their shoes, that means NYC, Boston, Chicago, at least one of Black Hills/Yellowstone/Yosemite, and something California. Depending on their interests, I'd certainly have places like Charleston, Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Vegas on the short list.

Humble opinion

by terribletr, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:30 (591 days ago) @ Jay

National parks are the jewel of this country.

I’d hit at least two of them.

What do you guys say to someone who wants to go to Europe?

by Greg, seemingly ranch, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:16 (591 days ago) @ Jay

It's always "don't try to fly all over and just see highlights in a bunch of places; settle in somewhere and really know it for a while and see it in depth." So I'd say if they have 3 weeks they should pick 3 parts of the country and then fly in between.

The northeast, where the country started, is a great call. Split time between 3-4 days in Boston (day trips to Portland ME, Newport RI) and 3 days in NYC. That'll give them a bunch of options for historical stuff and the theater in NYC and some good eats.

Then I'd have them fly to Denver. Explore that city for a day or two. Go up to Yellowstone for an overnight or two. Do something in the Rockies - maybe the Broadmoor or the like. Really get an idea for the open space and grandeur.

Then to the west coast. SF first, and head up to Marin/Sonoma area for an overnight. Then drive down to Monterey for an overnight. Either fly from San Jose to Burbank or just drive, depending on their style and whether they want to spend a day on the road or get south faster. A couple days in the greater LA area doing the "biz" stuff and the south bay. Then to SD to see you and your family.

That would give them three totally different areas of the country that really help to explain its breadth and variety. But in each area they'd spend some decent time.

--
The 2007 ND-UCLA game was a once in a lifetime experience, I hope

This is pretty damn good. But I hate flying!

by Grantland, y'allywood, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 11:28 (590 days ago) @ Greg

Also, if I did west I'd do the Grand Canyon.

+1

by Mark, O Town, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:43 (591 days ago) @ Greg

We had friends from Germany visit.

They've made 2 trips that basically do exactly what Greg says, but split up the West Coast and NYC/Boston parts of the trip. When they were on the West Coast they spent a week visiting LA/San Diego and a few days in NorCal before driving up to Portland, OR for a wedding.

I cant remember but I think they may have driven to Las Vegas while down in SoCal.

They had a blast and got to see some fun stuff.

--
"2020 ... Let's win it all ..."

I think that's exactly right.

by BillyGoat, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:28 (591 days ago) @ Greg

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good call

by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:23 (591 days ago) @ Greg

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What kind of stuff do they like doing?

by NDinVA @, Yorktown, VA, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 10:24 (591 days ago) @ Jay

Also, how much do they want to spend? Do they want to see the whole country, or concentrate on two or 3 areas?

NYC, then California (LAX or SFO) and drive around the west,

by nedhead @, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 10:22 (591 days ago) @ Jay

with specific itinerary depending a bit on the season (AZ/UT versus Yellowstone/Glacier, plus Yosemite), and tweaked for interests (Universal+Disney+Wally World; wine country). Maybe Vegas, too. If they don't drive, not sure what I'd recommend.

I don't really see the draw in most US cities, and most people I know outside the US don't really care for the US-specific historical things. So I'd avoid all that (eg, Boston+DC).

Ned, there’s an assload of foreign tourists here.

by San Pedro @, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:10 (591 days ago) @ nedhead

Maybe you aren’t talking to the right folks.

I would advise them to just focus on the East and South

by BPH, San Diego, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 08:18 (591 days ago) @ Jay
edited by BPH, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 10:01

If you try to bite off the whole country in one trip, it will be nothing but shallow and frenetic sight-seeing. They can always return and do the West Coast and the great national parks of the West.

I'd say spend the first week hitting all the historical and cultural spots in Boston, New York, Philly and D.C., then dip into the South for some combo of Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans and Atlanta, maybe mixing in a couple of national parks or outdoorsy places like Asheville. If time allows, end in Florida and squeeze in a day or two at the Gulf Coast beaches or in Miami.

I had considered something like this, but...

by domer.mq ⌂ @, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 08:24 (591 days ago) @ BPH

were I to recommend it, I'd say you absolutely have to do Charleston.

--
Sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes I rhyme quick.

I was thinking something similar

by Jeff (BGS) @, A starter home in suburban Tempe, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 09:59 (591 days ago) @ domer.mq

I'd recommend a 7-10 day tour of Boston, NY, Philly, DC, Charleston, and maybe a Florida beach for a little mid-trip downtime/R&R for the first half. Maybe swing over to New Orleans if they are foodies.

For the second half, I'd recommend national parks out west. They could probably do a Glacier to Grand Canyon series of parks that includes Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon. That is something they definitely wouldn't see in Europe.

--
At night, the ice weasels come.

I considered it and should have included it

by BPH, San Diego, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 08:27 (591 days ago) @ domer.mq

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Best way is to drive it

by Mike (bart), Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 08:03 (591 days ago) @ Jay

1. Land in Boston early. Spend afternoon/evening on freedom trail shit

2. Drive to NYC, spend afternoon/evening in Manhattan

3. Leave early, lunch in Philly, sleep near Harrisburg, see the state capitol and the Ben Franklin shit

4. Afternoon/evening in Pittsburgh see the city enjoy the hills

5. Lunch in Cleveland, end in Detroit

6. Spend morning in Detroit seeing the good and the bad, put stop in South Bend, dinner in Chicago

7. Half day in Chicago - river cruise and lunch, drive to Springfield, IL to see Lincoln shit. Stay at Pasfield House

8. Stop in St Louis, see Forest Park, end in Springfield, MO. Visit National Museum of American Wildlife and Aquarium (which is in a Bass Pro Shop but extremely awesome nonetheless)

9. Haul ass for Denver with pit stops as needed. Enjoy the Rockies, see state capitol

10. Breakfast in Denver, drive to Salt Lake City, stop for a hike along the way. See the Tabernacle and state capitol

11. Drive to Vegas, pit stop as possible. Afternoon/evening in Vegas

12. Drive to LA, see the sights

13. Highway 1 up to SF

Kind of self direct from there. Could pad the schedule to spend more time in each place, or could vacation more in CA, drive back to Chicago for an easier flight, etc

Have them rent this sucker:

by Bryan (IrishCavan), Howth Castle and Environs, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:19 (591 days ago) @ Mike (bart)

[image]

This sounds like the worst trip ever.

by San Pedro @, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:08 (591 days ago) @ Mike (bart)

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Ditto. I would rather stick needles in my eyes than do that

by Jack @, Thursday, June 29, 2023, 14:56 (590 days ago) @ San Pedro

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Dad's body will get dumped somewhere in NW Ohio

by Dylan, Indianapolisish, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 08:13 (591 days ago) @ Mike (bart)

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I would agree best way is to drive it

by Costa Rican @, the central american Jungle!, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 09:40 (591 days ago) @ Dylan

but i doubt they will have the lasting enjoyment of being in a car for 5 hours to get from point to point b (and in some cases 8 hours). So targetted driving is probably better :) - I like driving so I had no issue, but the US is so large that driving it is a tall task.

As a non-US person, I would recommend stay 3-4 days in an area, that gives them 5-6 places to hang around and at least get 1 day full day in. Boston, NYC, Chicago can be the 3 day type of scenario, Boston to NYC corridor driveable for sure. Jump to midwest in Chicago, maybe end up in Nashville. Jump to west coast from there and try to pick the things that are a must and leave a week out there.

Driving might be culture shock for them

by Jeff (BGS) @, A starter home in suburban Tempe, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 10:03 (591 days ago) @ Costa Rican

I could be completely wrong, but my impression was always that the prospect of driving 6 hours a day for more than 1-2 days in a week would be horrifying to most Europeans. For Americans, the family road trip is a right of passage, but I think that is unique to the US.

--
At night, the ice weasels come.

We just got back from a 2 week road trip

by Pat, in the cloud, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 10:13 (591 days ago) @ Jeff (BGS)

The car computer says we did 61 hours of driving over that 2 week period. Like you said, depending on the family the sheer amount of "are we there yet?" might be overwhelming.

Depending on the family and the family's frame of reference.

by BillyGoat, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11:44 (591 days ago) @ Pat

We are good road trippers. We just returned from a 2-weeker of our own in the PNW (though we "cheated" and flew out there instead of driving from Chicago). The 4 of us (kids are junior high/beginning high school) like it and are wired for it. But you need to have the adults willing to do the drive and eat those miles (and time) and the other adult needs to be a capable co-pilot (which is probably even more important for folks from other countries). Everyone needs to be willing to demonstrate a pretty significant amount of flexibility in terms of what to eat (we had probably 5 lunches at picnic areas over the 13 days), where and when to go to the bathroom, the types of accommodations (seems to me that if you really want to see Olympic NP without camping, you're going to have to spend a night in Forks, WA, and there are like 3 no-name motels in Forks, and roughly the same number of restaurants).

If money is no issue...

by domer.mq ⌂ @, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 07:54 (591 days ago) @ Jay

I think I'd do Boston, San Antonio, Yellowstone, Southern California.

I won't get super granular, but I'm just thinking of "What areas of the country would really get you the maximal American experience?" and I think those cities/regions would do it.

--
Sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes I rhyme quick.

Boston, D.C., New Orleans, Yellowstone, San Francisco.

by PMan @, The Banks of the Spokane River, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 08:16 (591 days ago) @ domer.mq

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I have boys so I can't help

by Dylan, Indianapolisish, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 07:52 (591 days ago) @ Jay

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Roadside attractions across the US

by Joe I @, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 07:46 (591 days ago) @ Jay

Oddities, the Largest Everything, and what could be more America than visiting our beloved heartland by renting an RV and camping at a KOA!

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/8-roadside-attractions-vying-to-be-the-biggest

https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-weirdest-roadside-attractions-in-the-united-states-4152005

And while I loved these trips as a kid, some additional context may be helpful to us all to give you/them something useful. This is a big country, and they could easily spend 3 weeks touring the California coastline. Or the East Coast. Or western National Parks. Or a couple big cities. Or Mar a Lago.

South Bend, IN

by bk, The Worst City in America, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 07:37 (591 days ago) @ Jay

There’s so much to see and do here, you could fill a lifetime.

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