Help me decide where in the USA to visit next summer!

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  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    New Orleans & the Southwest (New Mexico and Arizona). I've been to all 3 and loved it. I'd probably skip Florida. I'm not a huge fan. Too humid.
  • ShreddingIt_84
    ShreddingIt_84 Posts: 141
    No Fl in summer, it rains alot!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    SAN FRANCISCO Bay Area. Great restaurants, great museums, Alcatraz, and a different type of lifestyle that sometimes shocks many who visit.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    The US has something for everyone. It really depends on what you want to see. We have all sorts of scenery, food, and activities.

    Colorado isn't normally a super-touristy destination in the summer. The weather in August is hot, but not at all humid. Plus, it's much cooler in the mountains! And Colorado is generally cheaper than NYC, Miami or LA.

    Boulder will be the most vegan-friendly area, but it's also more expensive than other parts of CO. Denver offers a lot of options for dining and entertainment, and it's reasonably close to the mountains. Glennwood Springs is really pretty and has a hot springs and a tram to the top of a mountain. Estes Park is near Rocky Mountain National Park.

    There are a few airlines that offer direct flights from Heathrow to Denver. :smile:

    Colorado Springs is about 75 miles south of Denver and offers easy access to Manitou Springs (for a drive or cog railway trip to the top of Pike's Peak) as well as The Garden of the Gods, The Royal Gorge, and the stargate secretly housed in Cheyenne Mountain (although this is top secret and everyone will deny there is such a thing there. don't believe them). the US Air Force Academy is close by, with a number of other attractions.

    garden-of-the-gods.jpg

    colorado springs has a really cool zoo but it's cooler in the winter with the snow.
  • sketchymurr
    sketchymurr Posts: 3
    Oregon! Farmer's markets, driving distance to the coast (rugged, beautiful scenery), forests for hiking, mountains, waterfalls, local micro-breweries, gardens (Japanese garden, Chinese, rose, rhododendron, etc.) and interesting shopping areas all over town (check out: Hawthorne, Saturday market.)

    Portland, OR is an awesome place to visit though. :) For times of year, June/July are when it starts getting nice. Aug to mid Sept. is when it's hottest here. If you don't mind rain, late Sept to Oct. is beautiful for autumn. All the trees turn vibrant oranges and reds and yellows down entire streets, with a bit of brisk wind and occasional rain.

    I will say Portland isn't very... touristy. We have some museums, but a lot of it is gorgeous views and local food/festivals/events. Depending on what time of year though, it's fun. It's also cheaper to visit here vs. Seattle WA or Cali. (Also, totally in driving distance of Seattle if you wanted to day trip there. Like 2 hour drive or so, or you can take Bolt Bus for $5 each way or something to have someone drive you there. It's really cool, though.)

    edit: and in regards to vegan options, there's loads here. Most restaurants in the trendy areas (downtown, Hawthorne, etc.) have vegan options. Even some of our donut shops. :)
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    My favorite area of California is San Diego- it's just beautiful. I've also found it much easier to find healthy meal options in CA; there are so many vegans and vegetarians that menus have more choices for them. California wine country a close second.

    I agree, San Diego. August is hot, but there are still usually cool breezes. The San Diego zoo is amazing and Balboa Park is a beautiful place with lots of museums. You can visit the Scripts aquarium. My favorite place to go in San Diego is Bird Rock Beach. It is a beach of rocks and tide pools. Go when the tide is very low. You can explore and find all sorts of tide animals. Be sure to stroll along the shore road in La Jolla and get lunch at one of resturants on the cliffs. You can sit against the plexi glass railing and view the ocean. I never lived there as an adult, so I don't know about the night life there.
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
    Here are my recommendations:

    New Orleans - full of history, culture, jazz music, delicious Cajun food, beautiful homes, the French Quarter, vibrant nightlife

    The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania - an outdoor lovers paradise - beautiful scenery, hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, romantic inns - popular honeymoon destination

    San Antonio, Texas - The Alamo (famous American landmark), the beautiful River Walk (full of lush paths and bridges), a great zoo, and mouth-watering Tex-Mex cuisine

    Washington, DC - The Nations capital - tons of attractions and history - the White House, The Smithsonian Museum, Washington Memorial, etc. Good shopping and restaurants too.
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
    Chicago: 1.5 days: Visit Navy Pier, go to the top of the Sears Tower, go to a Cubs game, visit some of the awesome museums there as well


    If you do end up going to Chicago, go to Chicago Diner. It's THE best vegetarian/vegan restaurant.
  • missyjane824
    missyjane824 Posts: 1,199 Member
    Why not come to La Cosse WI. Were friendly, there's lots to do, and most of us have had our vaccinations.

    Never thought I would see La Crosse make the list :)

    My vote would go to San Francisco or Portland, OR. There are awesome waterfalls all through the Columbia River gourge near Portland. Mt Hood is pretty close as well and the city in itself is awesome. Haystack rock is a bit of a drive but a cool site to see where part of Goonies was filmed.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    I haven't read many replies, but I have driven across the USA several times, so here's my two cents.

    August in Florida is miserable. I do love certain parts of FL, especially Key West, but NOT smack dab in the middle of summer.

    NYC is amazing, if you know where to go and what to do. But if you don't, it can be overwhelming. And very, very expensive. If you don't know how to navigate the subway system and end up taking taxis, it adds up fast.

    New England has so much to offer. Lots of driving, but some beautiful and historic places to visit. The beaches are all right, but not compared to west coast beaches. If you're going to swim/engage in water sports, you want to stay in the Massachusetts Bay Area (cape cod) as opposed to New Hampshire/Maine beaches because the water is considerably warmer on the Cape.

    California has so many different things to see and do. But definitely avoid Hollywood, because it may look glamorous in films and on TV, but IRL it's a cesspool of drug addicts, hookers, and talent agents. *shudder* (I kid a little bit, but it really isn't worth the time to visit.) Beaches in Southern California are nice...Santa Monica and Venice have many interesting characters wandering around. :laugh: :laugh: The San Diego area is gorgeous, and has the SD Zoo, Sea World, and some really gorgeous parks and nice, rocky beaches up the coastline. I've only been to Northern CA once, but I have two words that make it worthwhile - wine country. :laugh:

    All in all, there are so many places you could see while you are in the states. Good luck deciding, and have a wonderful trip! :drinker:

    ETA: Just noticed the vegan food request...CA has many options for vegans. I'm not sure about anywhere else, since I've lived in CA for 15 years.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Why not come to La Cosse WI. Were friendly, there's lots to do, and most of us have had our vaccinations.

    Never thought I would see La Crosse make the list :)

    Not a bad idea. You could do a tour down the Mississippi. Start in Minneapolis/St. Paul and follow the river through LaCrosse, Dubuque, St. Louis, Memphis, and end up in New Orleans. Great way to see the heart of America. You can even do the entire river on a Riverboat or just take a day trip or two on a boat.

    People tend to forget about the central part of the US, thinking that the only places to see are on the coasts. I guarantee that we are civilized here and you will never forget your visit.
  • sullenbee
    sullenbee Posts: 13 Member
    What ever you do, DO NOT GO TO MICHIGAN, that state sucks.

    The Carolinas are wonderful. But in August they are miserable, unless you go to Asheville which is brilliant! There is a drum circle in the middle of town on Friday nights plus lots of activities that go on in and around the area. There are lots of vegan places to eat as veg is the norm. It is a mountain town so there are lots of things to do as far as exercise from hiking, biking and canoeing the river. There are also fun bars. We live in Charlotte so we go there for weekend trips, especially in the summer as it is brutally hot and humid here.

    http://www.exploreasheville.com/things-to-do/events/?e_ViewBy=month&e_sdate=8-1-2014&e_sortBy=eventDate
    http://www.visitnc.com/things-to-do
    http://www.romanticasheville.com/BlueRidgeParkway.htm

    There is a direct flight from London to Charlotte. It is 2.5 to Asheville and between 3 and 4 east coast beaches. It is also 4 hours from Charleston SC and 5 to Savannah Georgia, which is a lot of fun too.

    You will get more bang for your buck in the south than NYC. The only problem is, the public transport is not that great. We have buses and taxis and that is about it. There is one train that runs in a straight line from one end of town to the other we call the blue line, but it is not good for much but getting to and from town.

    I will be in London next Tuesday-Friday. Any advice on fun things to do (we are middle aged and do not drink) would be great!

    L

    Wow, what is with the irrational Michigan hate? I've been to Asheville, which is our twin beer city, and while it was nice, there was not as much to do there as here in Michigan. Blue Ridge Parkway is pretty, but the Rocky Mountains out west are far superior in my humble opinion.
  • MrsPaulSmith
    MrsPaulSmith Posts: 401 Member
    Virginia is beautiful. I went on a historic vacation and Monticello was my favorite place.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    I live in Florida and love it but not in August! Heck, the vast majority of Floridians leave the state looking for cooler weather (well, mostly in July, school starts in August). I love San Francisco and also think the Pacific Northwest would be good for you guys but it is far.

    Let us know what you decide and give us more ideas of what you are looking to do, see. I agree with one of the earlier posters who said you can get amazing cities closer to home but you can't get the vastness of the US or our National Parks. Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce are almost spiritual in their beauty.
  • jaya_lakshmi27
    jaya_lakshmi27 Posts: 50
    The Bay Area (San Francisco area) in Cali is great to see, but it's ALWAYS cold here. Like 65 degrees is t-shirt weather. The Golden Gate especially would be great to come to. I live right across the bay and can see it from my bedroom window (: we also have AMAZING sunsets.

    NYC is a great place to go to to get a classic "America" feel, with tons of cultures and people and just everything. I would recommend seeing something on Broadway, but it's super expensive. Balcony seats aren't TOO bad, though.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    There is not a bad place to visit. Everywhere has something to offer and a story to tell.

    Except Dallas TX...it's just generic suburbia...
  • NatiaGonitellie
    NatiaGonitellie Posts: 355 Member
    The white mountains offer some fantastic hiking.
    Some destinations are no more than a few hours hike off the Kangamangus Highway Conway NH and Lincoln NH (being at each end) BnB's are a good place to make a base camp (Just in case you aren't into actual in the woods camping)

    In a long weekend you can do 3-5 of the destination trails.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGn-RDr2YsBbSb-yUf-nDw481YR5D8imtaJRr15B2ojB6AhE3J
    Arethusa Falls

    7860Sabbaday_Falls_Upper_Two_Steps_Smaller_.jpg
    Sabbaday Falls

    Just two of the spectacular Fall's Destination. There is also a natural water slide at Lincoln end 25min walk easy trail.
    I could go on and on. Lots to look up on line if you are interested.

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