As a backup plan for next year, my wife and I have begun the research of ideas of where to visit in our own country. I've always wanted to visit the Viking settlement in Newfoundland which is the real first discovery of North America by Europeans. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows
If you have to stay in your own country, what is a bucket list location that you've never visited before?
I've got our backup plan all mapped out: up the coast of Maine and back around through Rhode Island. Focus sites for the trip are:
1) Strawberry Banke living history museum in NH;
2) Portland, ME - Jewish Museum, Victoria Mansion, Umbrella Cover Museum
3) Freeport, ME - LL Bean flagship store, Patagonia outlet store, McDonald's in an old mansion
4) En route from Portland to Bar Harbor - Maine Prison Store and General Henry Knox Museum
5) Concord, NH - Telephone museum and Shaker Village
6) Newport, RI - all the mansions!!!
It's all planned out and ready to go in case we're US-bound for the year.
Valerie, when I was in graduate school in Boston we did the gluttony tour one weekend, Ben and Jerry's, green mountain coffee roasters, a winery and a chocolate shop
I love the Oregon coast and have done several trips there from north to south. I've also been to most of the highlights in the Willamette Valley where I live. But I've never been east of the Cascades. I want to see the Wallowa Mtns and the Painted Hills and I also want to go the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (after it's back in business and I don't know when that will be - maybe not until next year).
We have been to almost all 50 states of the USA. We still have some of the southern states left - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. A niece just moved to Alabama, so we have a good excuse to focus in that area for our next US trip.
But, there are many states that we plan to see again- so many choices!
Valerie, we went to Connecticut, Rhode Island & NYC last year and had a wonderful time! I LOVED Newport, RI with all of their history, gorgeous museums, quaint town and water. Stayed in a B&B for the added atmosphere. We wished we could have stayed an extra day to take a sailing trip one afternoon, too.
We've lived and traveled thru most all the US but there are a few places and events still on my list
There are so many places yet to see in this country. Unfortunately many people who live near some wonderful sites don't visit them. Friend who has lived so close to Philadelphia her whole life has never seen any of the historic sites and my father born and raised in Manhatten never went to Statue of Liberty because he said he could always visit it! We have been working our way through Civil War sites and have only touched the tip of the iceberg. Newport and the Biltmore estate are two areas we had planned for this year but looks like it will be next year hopefully.
In the USA, I’ve seen a lot of it. Here’s where I’m thinking about for future visits.
I’ve already started a thread about California missions. I’ve been to California but that time was mainly spent at beaches, bars and LGBT pride events. Be nice to see the history and other areas of the coast.
Key West. I’ve definitely heard mixed reviews, so I’d be posting here and TA should I actually go.
San Antonio/Austin. Been to both, haven’t really seen much of either city.
Since I've been doing my Genealogy I'd like to do a Find a Grave tour of my East Coast Ancestors from 400 years ago. Researching the history of the places they lived adds a lot to feeling a kinship through the ages. The Great Migration of over 20000 English Settlers wasn't usually covered in school much pass Thanksgiving. And the American Revolution and Paul Revere. Of course there are the Good, the Bad and the Crazy in every Family. The Bad usually have more information. Some were banished. Some asked to leave town. The Quakers trying to do good and make good investments at the some time. One was accused of being a witch by one of her Inlaws! One was a Tory who was hung near his own farm by American Patriots. Biggerstaff Farm Hanging Tree has a Plaque. The only problem is that I now have more than a Thousand people to follow. They all seemed to have a dozen kids. Some Couple married that had the same grandparents. Some of folks moved to the Shenandoah around the American Revolution. And they kept moving west until WWII bought my Folks to Seattle were I was born. Don't come here; it rains everyday!
That is what I am thinking of doing as well. There are so many old houses and graveyards in New England of my family that I have not yet seen...although I live a lot closer Than Kathleen and can make them day trips. And those first cousin marriages will confuse the family tree every time! lol
Kathleen...maybe we are related to the same witch?
Allan, thank you as this is my kind of thread until there's a coronavirus vaccine.
My ambitious plan is to fly to Omaha and then rent a car for a two week road trip out West, taking the southern route towards Pikes Peak, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Joshua Tree, and then back north visiting Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, the Badlands, and Black Hills. If we have time we'll add Jellystone to the list and visit Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo.
Since the Hot Wife isn't too keen on flying right now we're more likely to drive into Pennsylvania and take in Gettysburg along with the Amish country.
But the bucket list is the trip out West, Alaska, and the Northeast from Boston to Maine.
Valerie, i am stealing your itinerary for this fall, thank you. Dale, we’ve been to Key West 3x, love it there. Most people visit and never step foot in their wonderful museums, and there are plenty, all interesting. We want to travel by car that is why we will go north. Maybe do two driving trips and head through Philly, Pittsburgh to Cleveland (have cousins there) then St. Louis or Chicago or both. I am retiring July 1 and my husband, as soon as he is rehired, he will retire. We will take our time.
BigMike
As I have seen posted about peoples' European plans, that is way too much for 2 weeks. I have made many trips to the west. The travel time between the sites is days, not hours.
Valerie, while in Bar Harbor try some blueberry ice cream at one of the ice cream shops, they all seem to have their own version. I don't recall the name of the shop but I had a flavour called blueberry pie. So good.
I'm thinking that maybe hubs and I can visit Nfld this year. I have Quebec City on my list as well, but having just read how bad the outbreak is in Que, I think I'll pass (we've been to Montreal). BC is on the list for sure - who knows, maybe we can fly there this autumn and finally get that off the list. Love to see the Rockies.
But I'm contemplating an alternative to Scotland trip - right here in "New Scotland". Do a fun trip where we visit places that have the same name as Scotland - New Glasgow of course, Iona, Dingwall, I noticed there is a Loch Lomond in Cape Breton...that could be fun. ;)
Big Mike, I have to laugh when I read Bob's comment because I was thinking the same thing. But if you're heading to South Dakota check out Deadwood. It's a fun overnight stop.
Nicole, if you're heading west, try Alberta. One of the most spectacular drives I've ever done is between Lake Louise and Jasper. But I haven't done the Cabot Trail yet so maybe LL to Jasper will end up being 2nd best in Canada.
BigMike, why fly into Omaha? You're still a long way from any of that Western stuff you want to see.
@Doric8 - I really wanted the Ben and Jerry's sample tour to be on this itinerary, but getting over to Vermont was just making the trip too rushed so I axed it and it still makes me sad.
@Allan - noted on the Bar Harbor ice cream. Thanks!
I left out a few details so as not to overwhelm.
- We are spending one day hiking/exploring Acadia National Park from Bar Harbor
- We have a pit stop in Kennebunkport to tour the Trolley Museum and St. Anne's church (nice stained glass, as I am a stained glass nut)
-We're flying in and out of Boston, where we've been before, but I'm planning a quick stop at the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum.
This is about a 15 day itinerary. No long driving days. It needed 21 days to get over to Burlington and Ben and Jerry's and I just didn't want to make it that long.
Valerie, It sounds like a lovely trip. I have to admit as a lifelong New Englander and someone who has deep ties to New Hampshire I have never heard of the Shaker Village in Canterbury (I had to google it) and I'm a history and family genealogist...I'm almost ashamed, but don't understand why I'd never heard of it... I'll have to visit. I have been to the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts and driven regularly through the non-museum Shaker Village in Maine. Anyway, something to add to my list when I'm passing through there.
Mt Desert Island (Acadia National Park) is one of two of my favorite places in the USA... I'll warn you that the weather is changeable, so if you have a day that you need to relax I'd add it to Bar Harbor in hopes of having a good weather day. Until a recent trip to the island, my husband had never been there on a clear day (also a life long, so far, New Englander), but I've had better luck...but then I lived in Maine for a few years so I could pick and choose. Just an FYI.
In my young adult life I used to jog by what is now the Waterworks Museum...sigh.
@Wray - Thanks! And I've got 3 nights assigned to Bar Harbor, so two full days and so hopefully we'll do okay with weather. I'm not scheduling anything for those 3 nights (well, other than Allan's ice cream) and I'm not really a hiker (more of a complain/hike/complain hiker) and so we don't need to get a ton of mileage accomplished. (By way of example - and no one yell at me as I'm going out on a limb and being honest - I "saw" plenty of the Grand Canyon in a couple of hours but needed hours in an earthquake museum in Kobe and am still sad over missing the toilet museum outside of Tokyo).
Valerie if you do get to expand the length of your trip and venture into Vermont I recommend the King Arthur Flour center just across the river from Hanover, NH. We spent several hours there two years ago on a rainy, fall afternoon. They have tours, cooking classes, cafe and an extensive supply/gift shop.
EDIT: Also on the same trip (different rainy fall day) we spent hours at the Canterbury Shaker Village. It was a fascinating piece of history just 20 minutes from our exchange house in Tilton, NH.
@Mona - OMG a tour of a flour factory is exactly the kind of site I am always looking for! Thank you but be prepared for my partner, Ron, to get in contact with you to complain about why he has to now tour a flour factory while Acadia National Park goes un-hiked.
Valerie (disclaimer) there isn't a tour of a working flour mill, this is a satellite baking center with some historical photos and displays. It was still a great way to spend a few hours at the flour flagship headquarters. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/visit
@Mona - Well now I'm heartbroken because I was picturing someone akin to a sommelier, handing me tiny cups of endless assorted flour (wheat, rye, oat etc.) to sample and critique for bouquet and fruitiness, when, instead, I'm going to be on the trails of Acadia National Park, dragging my feet and annoying Ron;)
Wray, I highly recommend a visit up to the shaker village just south of Tilton, NH. We took a tour and then stayed for hours revisiting the buildings and grounds. It seemed like the last resident women had just left the village, such a fascinating history. Even though some of the pictures on their website look crowded there were only a handful of visitors when we went on a drizzly, midweek day in the fall two years ago. http://www.shakers.org/
Bob, I think you're right. We will split the plan into two separate vacations, with the first one driving the northern route through the Badlands and then onward to Yosemite and Grand Tetons, and then plan a second trip that goes the southern route toward the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and Joshua Tree. Something like that.
Allan, thanks, I'm loling too.
Stan, we used to live in Omaha but yes, it makes more sense to fly into Denver of somewhere more centrally located. I seem to be romanticizing the idea of a drive across Nebraska or South Dakota.
Since we're based in the Pacific NW, we've explored quite a bit of WA/OR/CA/ID/MT, western National Parks, and many trips to western Canada, but one area we've completely neglected is New England.
Someday, we'll fly into Boston and then do a loop up to Maine, Acadia National Park, swing through New Hampshire & Vermont.
Got to try some Ben & Jerry's, lobster rolls, and Samuel Adams beer on location!
Big Mike,
"northern route through the Badlands and then onward to Yosemite and Grand Tetons"
Did you mean Yellowstone instead of Yosemite. Yosemite is a LONG ways from the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone is a short hop away (comparatively).
I was hopeful some of our UK and EU residents were going to chime in. Might have to start another topic. I wonder though if we in North America have more bucket lists of our countries because of the geographic size? In Europe maybe it's easier to get those bucket list items from your own country out of the way.
Valerie,
If you can stop for lunch at the Camden Deli, I highly recommend it. Have the (3 or 4?) berry pie. Delicious. Everything on the menu is great and the view from the dining area is wonderful. Edited to add - dinner at McKay’s Pub in Bar Harbor. Wonderful food.
Bar Harbor, while a tourist mess in the summer, the coast and Acadia is wonderful.
My choice for a fall trip would be Savannah, Charleston, Buford. Not a summer trip with the humidity, but a wonderful trip in the fall or spring.
My next trips will probably be to the following. As I only have 5 days at most between my father treatments.
The West Side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Michigan a very pretty area with Cherries and Wine farther north. I need to go to the Huge Christmas Store in Frankenmuth (Mi) to replace my tree topper (cat broke is as we we’re taking the tree down)
I will day trip to Henry Ford/Greenfield Village (a village of relocated structures such as the Write Blithers Shop , and Edison’s original Laboratory set up as a village. I went to school a couple days in one room school hose they have n the village. And the museum is amazing (takes a day for each).
I will also day trip down to Dayton to go the the USAF museum. The place is a must see for fans of military aircraft with a Write Flyer and B-2 and everything in between. If the Air Force ever flue it it is probably there (including Bockscar the 2nd Nuclear Bomber).
I may head up to an Old Pine Forest that is now a Michigan State Park. It has the old saw mill/logging camp that was logging the area but stopped before it got to the area that forms most of the park today) (old growth that is unloved something very unusual in the Easter US)
If I travel farther it will be to WV in the New River area as the New River Gorge is amazing and the have great white water rafting .
I would love to head out west or upper New England to pick up some of them states I have not been in (I think I am down to 12). But alas that is not on the table now.
But there are a bunch of places in Michigan that I have not been and the the Great Lakes you can find a lot of old light houses and such (once upon a time Michigan had more light houses then any other state).
If I could go anywhere in the US I think Hawaii and Alaska would be nice but not until air travel is a bit safer.
My wife and I are planning several trips. Big Mike is seriously confused about travel times. Black Hills to Yellowstone is about 10 hrs. Yellowstone to Rocky Mountain about 12 hours. Rocky Mountain to Zion is 12 or more.
If you want to do anything out west, I'd do Bryce - Zion - Grand Canyon. That's a 2 week trip. You might be able to throw in some of the Indian parks in AZ.
The thing that Europeans cannot get over is a) the emptiness of the USA west and b) the travel times.
As to the romantic trip across SD, I've done it 50 times. I've done Kansas 4 times. My favorite is the trip across N Nebraska. It's not a superhighway, but the bluff country near Scottsbluff is really beautiful. The Badlands are definitely worth seeing, as is Devils Tower. I'd go Yellowstone-Grand Tetons-Devils Tower-Black Hills-Badlands-N Nebraska-Omaha.
Bob, yes Yellowstone and Grant Tetons not Yosemite. Still hoping for Jellystone.
Now the wife wants to visit Nashville and Memphis as we can drive there and back. She just isn't down with planes this year after seeing some horror shows on social media. That's fine as I haven't visited either city, and heck I guess I should visit Graceland as some sort of solemn American pilgrimage. Tennessee is pretty much open and I wouldn't mind a little Jack Daniels and music, although country music isn't my thing I can go along with it for a bit.
douglas, the USAF Museum in Dayton is definitely worth visiting. Dayton, however, not so much. It's sort of like the Rock and Roll Museum in Cleveland, a city that I would otherwise not go out of my way to visit.
Allan, quit laughing at me. I'm a sensitive guy. Love, Mike
Bigmike: I lived in Cleveland from 1989-1997, and still have great affection for it. It's a very nice town with bad press.
The Art Museum is great. There's a waterfront, there's the campus of Cleveland Clinic/CWRU (they are close but not on the exact same area). There is a good zoo.
My career took me away from Cleveland, but I remember my time there with great nostalgia.
Pittsburgh is also a good town to visit. The Carnagie Museum of Natural History once was in the Great Dinosaur War with the American Museum in NYC for specimens. It's a fun town to visit.
There is much to see in the USA.
I would suggest for foreign visitors:
Washington, DC and Williaimsburg, VA
The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park are good starters.
As far as my section of the USA, the Southeast. I suggest starting in Charleston, SC, moving down to Savannah, GA, then Saint Simons Island and Jekyll Island, the Okefenokee Swamp, then into NE Florida at historic St. Augustine.
Valerie - if you are near Freeport or Kittery, check out When Pigs Fly bakery https://sendbread.com/
We always made sure to stop at the company store in Kittery - they have samples of everything and you can fill up just trying the breads and oil dips and sweets - OMG - we'd always bring a few loaves of bread home to NS and always wished we could bring home a lot more. My fav from our last few visits was a seasonal bread that had blueberries and maybe raspberries in it (not on the website right now). My hubs always went for the onion/garlic ciabatta. And oh the chocolate bread!!!
Now - it's been a few years but there are also some Stonewall Kitchen stores/company stores. We went to the one in York and again - you could skip lunch trying all the jams and jellies and OMG the caramel ice cream topping. Some great deals to be had as well. In the summer (maybe not this summer) the York location has cooking classes.
Oh lord, I want to go back right now! Just looking at all the breads at When Pigs Fly....drool. (Adding - I think it was a lemon blueberry bread - put it in the frying pan with butter....heaven)
@NicoleP - you had me at chocolate bread! Thanks for the tip. Ron loves a bakery and an ice cream shop and so perhaps if we pull into one each day for a treat he'll forget what an immature pain I am at a trailhead (or, for that matter, an art museum;)
@Mary - McKay's pub menu = YUM! Thanks.
Allan and Stan maybe Big Mike is hoping to see what I saw years ago when driving west from Omaha to Kearney on I-80; the most spectacular sunset ever. If you’ve seen the sci-fi film THX 1138 you’ll know what I’m referencing.
On my drive the setting sun was a huge bright orange globe encompassing my entire field of vision. I grew up in CA on the West Coast and have seen countless sunsets over the mighty Pacific Ocean but the sunset that day while driving West remains the most memorable I have ever witnessed.
As far as travel within the states a drive from NY up the coast to Maine and then into Nova Scotia is my dream.
I live in NC but my SO lives in MA so I'm fortunate to spend a lot of time there. One of our favorite things to do is go to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for nature and then into Newburyport for lunch or dinner. There is an excellent Mexican restaurant called Agave that we enjoy. But we also visit When Pigs Fly! The chocolate bread is so good! Our favorite is apple walnut! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
We are considering the southwest next fall. We were supposed to do Yosemite in June but have decided to cancel. He has a constraint next June so we will do it in 2022.
We haven't seen each other since mid-February but are planning on driving to PA and do a little nature & sight seeing on the way in late June. I think that will be our plan for the next few months. Just taking it month by month.
We would welcome recommendations from Harrisburg area of PA to Boston.
Allan I saw this thread before a single reply, but didn't reply because honestly nothing here is on a "bucket list" for me. There's plenty of interest, but I'd not elevate it to bucket list. I think I'll have to do more research to work myself up!
I did immediately think of Quebec City as I've only been in Quebec City once, for a Convention, and in the month of November too. Would like to see it fully, in better weather. Also drive around the province. My parents used to do that a lot and found a parking lot where they could park the car and have sandwiches while whale watching. I'll have to ask them where that was and then look to see if it's still viable.
To my surprise I posed the question to DH and without hesitation he said Banff, staying at Banff Springs Hotel. I had no idea. I was in Banff, Calgary and Edmonton once, for a school band trip in the eighties, so it really doesn't count. Maybe its time to see it as an appreciative adult.
Andrea, I was going to agree that there is nothing in the US that is a "bucket list" must do...fortunately I've worked my bucket list down internationally as well...and/or war has. sigh. (Always wanted to go to Mesopotamia/Iraq). Anyway, I did think of one US bucket list: train to Glacier National Park and stay at the old hotel there...the one with the huge tree timbers. The name escapes me at the moment. We had that planned at one point but something came up. The only other one might be...if I can avoid the bugs, Dinali National Park, and the trains within Alaska. So I guess I have a few US minor bucket list items left to go, maybe. However, I'm thinking there will be, for me, many months of day trips, which is fine, as I love New England.
Deborah if you are in Harrisburg be sure to visit the Civil War museum it is by far the best museum relating to that war we have seen. There is a fire museum in Harrisburg that was also interesting but perhaps because my husband is firefighter.
Banff. That's a funny name, but not as good as Gassaway, West Virgnia. Reminds me of those old roadside places that promised "food and gas."
There's also a Gott Road in WV. The joke is a nearby dam was almost named Gott Dam. There's also Booger Hole.
Andrea, Quebec City is a worthwhile bucket list location. If you enjoy Canadian History, the Plains of Abraham Museum is really good.
I see from your about info that you enjoy cruising. There is an NCL cruise from Quebec City to Boston that we enjoyed.
As for Banff, I take it for granted because Main Street in Banff is about 75 minutes from my door and I can see the mountains every day as I'm driving to work, but it's jaw dropping for those that haven't been. Banff Springs Hotel is beautiful. A must-see is the drive from Lake Louise to Jasper.
If you're in Calgary take some time to head 90 minutes NE of the city as well to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Personally another Canadian bucket list item for me is to start east and head west and try and trace the history of Canada. That one is going to take a few years. Visiting Europe; especially England and France has made me even more interested in Canadian History because of the shared history.
Oh Boy Big Mike, this post is going to veer off the rails in a hurry; Climax, Saskatchewan, Balls Falls, Ontario and Dildo, Newfoundland...
https://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/canada/canadas-10-strangest-crudest-and-rudest-town-names/
For Canadians seeking out backdoors, follow Jonny Harris' "Still Standing".
https://www.cbc.ca/television/stillstanding
Thanks Gail I will let my SO other know.... he is a civil war history buff. I grew up in the area but have lived elsewhere since the early 90s. Our plan is to meet there as it's a good halfway point & I have family there I would like to visit. We can then leave 1 car there & go to each others respective homes for 2 weeks then reverse it. It's not as quick as flying but we'll make the best of it. When going back to Boston I want to go out of our way & see some of upstate NY etc.
If you are going to upstate NY, make time for the Finger Lakes region. Many small wineries, charming little towns, and wonderful views of this lovely region can be found.
Nobody for the great Southwest? We'd like to revisit the Grand Canyon, but this time do the North Rim. My sister lives in Phoenix, and I haven't seen her in some time. And I think I promised travel friend Lo in Tucson that I'd buy her lunch next time we were in Arizona.
And New Mexico is worth as many weeks as you can spare. Mountains, desert, forests, great museums, art, history, archeological sites....
Head south, folks.
Big Mike - Banff is also a place in Scotland, which is where they got the inspiration for the name, I assume. It is a fun name to say though!!
Nicole, there was an old '60s sit com on US TV called F-Troop, which introduced a character referred to as "The Burglar of Ban-fhh-fhh". Oddly, this curiosity inspired two visits there, so far.
My bucket list is the major Civil War battlegrounds - Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Antietam, Shiloh, Manasses, etc.
The South West is an area I would like to travel more in. I have been to Chama NM for the train ride and I was at Masa Verde (and that is a must see absolutely amazing place). And I want to go the the Grand Canyon.
But alas with only 5 days available at a time it is just to far from me. The same holds true for the Dakotas and Yellowstone and Zion and Yosemite.
As for Gassaway WV. My family is from that area including Webster Springs and Hacker Valley. And such.
If I have to resort to travel within the US, I would like to visit Boston and Cape Cod, and a Polish friend suggested Savannah and Charleston as cities that felt European to him—must do some research on that. I loved my trip to Victoria, BC, and would gladly return there, would also want to spend time in Vancouver, Quebec, Toronto and Nova Scotia.
The best name of all time is likely Hell, Michigan.
BigMike...I’ll counter with Dildo, Nfld.
(Also, Nova Scotia has a Garden of Eden!)
Nicole, I'm pretty sure that place in Newfoundland was named after one of my neighbours here in Ontario.
Gunderson...they must be related to my next door neighbours. ;)
I already have a plan for a motorcycle trip with friends in mid-September. Heading East from the Bay Area towards S. Lake Tahoe - Carson City - Ely, NV - Moab (Arches NP & Canyonlands NP) - Escalante - Bryce (Bryce Canyon) - Zion (Zion NP) - Las Vegas - Death Valley - Yosemite - Home.
May try this summer a 1 night stay heading to Virginia City - Bodie Ghost Town - Stanislaus Forest or a 2 nighter heading North along the 1 & 101 Hwy through Ave. of the Giants - Eureka - Grants Pass, OR - Klamath Falls, OR - Mt. Shasta.
All trips depend on if the National Parks are open.
Nicole, although it appears brushtim wins the prize for best road trip, it might be worth going from Hell to the Garden of Eden, or go in the reverse direction so you can say you went "To hell and back." Stay away from the apples.
Don't forget about Intercourse, PA.
And there's Boring, OR and Climax, MN.
It might be fun to go map hunting and design a road trip itinerary that takes in some of the weird name places in a particular state. I once took a detour on a road trip to the Smoky Mtns just so I could say I'd been to Bucksnort, Tennessee - of course I had to pick up a souvenir from there.
Intercourse, Pa. used to be in the country, where farm markets and Amish buggy’s were fun to visit and see, Bird in Hand Restaurant. All that has changed with traffic, tour buses from Philly and everywhere, and outlet malls. Truly a traffic mess.
We've been on the road full time (in the RV) since September 2009, so with respect to North American travels, the only bucket list thing we missed is Banff and Jasper, which was once scheduled, but got cancelled by fire season. And I suppose that's not a fair answer, as it's in Canada!
However, I would like to offer some thoughts on travel in the southwest, most especially the Colorado Plateau. This is a good place to learn: https://www.nps.gov/articles/coloradoplateaus.htm
@BigMike: Please, please, please do some Google mapping of your thoughts. Distances are far greater than people realize, speed limits often lower, and whizzing past the scenery is criminal! Flying into Denver will get you to Rocky Mountain NP, which is on your list. Flying into Las Vegas, a two hour drive from Zion NP, can get you started on a loop that includes many places on the Colorado Plateau. In spring of 2013 we did a drive that included Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Colorado National Monument, Canyonlands, and Arches. That took us a month. Okay, you could do it in less, but we had plenty of time. Travel between Bryce and Capitol Reef is via Utah 12, one of our most stunning byways. We then headed to Mesa Verde NP for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. But, should one desire a loop, one could dip down into northern Arizona and its wonders, such as Monument Valley on Navajo lands and Grand Canyon NP, returning to Las Vegas, or if open jaw is an option, departing out of Phoenix. Additionally, flying into Salt Lake City could work as well. Each time we've gone to Yellowstone/Grand Teton we spent weeks there, in just those two NPs. So just a few somewhat disjointed thoughts....... National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks (we have both US and Canada editions) is my favorite place to start with respect to NP research.
Oh, and one of my favorite place names is Big Bone Lick State Park, in Kentucky. Somehow every time we drive I-75 it cracks me up.
Donna
Donna, that's a wealth of useful insights. Thank you.
BigMike! Dude, please listen up to the previous advice! Your itinerary is squeezing a whole lot of square stuff into a teeny little round hole! Echoing Donna & Denis, we've done a half dozen trips to the Colorado Plateau region, the best of them have been 3 weeks, and that's flying into/out of western Colorado versus driving from Minneapolis. The last three-weeker was:
1 night Montrose (got in late),
2 nights Mesa Verde with stops in Silverton and Durango (US 550 through the mountains is great)
3 nights Grand Canyon South Rim
2 nights Page (Antelope Canyon, Horse Shoe Bend, Wire Pass, Toadstool Hoodoos)
3 nights Zion with at Coral Pink Sand Dunes en route
2 nights Torrey/Capitol Reef - hiked Bryce en route
7 nights Moab with hike at Goblin Valley St. Park along the way.
1 night Montrose/Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Other than Page and Coral Pink, that wasn't our first time at any of the listed parks: 3rd for Moab and G.C. Some of our day hikes were new, some were repeats of favorites, and a lot of other previous treks had to be skipped for lack of time. Long story short, there's a LOT to do if not allergic to lacing up a stout pair of boots or shoes. The others are right that distances can be longer than they might look, and a day of heavy weather can throw a BIG wrench in the machinery if the plan is to hike...as we can attest to firsthand. That aforementioned drive on HWY 12 between Bryce and Torrey? Yep, that is some drop-dead killer scenery. All-in-all, the CO Plateau is a part of country that begs for enough time to see more than the center line.
Adding to the funny name list, Embarrass and Nowthen Minnesota.
Two nights in Mesa Verde is not nearly enough. We've been there several times, and generally stay 3 - 5 days. And that's not adding in Silverton or Durango.
Same for the Grand Canyon. Or Yellowstone. These are huge attractions with many things to see.
As we tell newbies on this Forum: "Slow down!"
We've been on the road full time (in the RV) since September 2009, so
with respect to North American travels, the only bucket list thing we
missed is Banff and Jasper, which was once scheduled, but got
cancelled by fire season. And I suppose that's not a fair answer, as
it's in Canada!
It is cheating, but I'll allow it since you're talking about my home. If you do make it, make sure you drive the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper. One of the most scenic drives in the world. https://icefieldsparkway.com/
Jane, we did two nights at MV on that trip as it was our 2nd time there. Had two nights the first time so 4 total. Spruce Tree House - which we've done - was closed to rock fall a few years back and I see it's still off limits
My other half wasn't at all wild about that 32' ladder to Balcony House, and I was so pre-occupied with encouraging someone else's nervous child up the thing that I forgot to do the same for him! HA!
Moab is the one we like to give a week to; the hiking in and around that one (Arches, Dead Horse Point, Fisher Towers, Canyonlands Island in the Sky, Canyonlands Needles, Corona Arch...the list goes on) is insanely scenic, and offers something for just about all but the most devoted couch spud. I'll also recommend 2-3 nights in Hanksville for Goblin Valley, Canyonlands Horseshoe Canyon and Little Wild Horse/Bell slot canyons. All of these are darn hot during the summer months, though.
I may be biased, but I think I live in one of the most beautiful states in the union. So, this summer we hope to get to Kodiak island to see the brown bears and possibly Glacier Bay in southeast Alaska. I do hear the mountains calling!
Tammy; I am a bit surprised that more people don't have Alaska on a bucket list. I've only been there once on a cruise for my in-law's 50th anniversary in 2011 but a couple of days of the trip are still memorable. My kids and I went kayaking in Ketchikan and followed a deer and her two kids swimming from the mainland to an island. I had no idea deer could swim. The 2nd was to tick off a bucket list item by visiting Skagway. One of my favourite authors is Pierre Berton who wrote many books documenting Canadian history. He told some great stories about the lawlessness of Skagway during the Yukon Gold Rush. I fell in love with those stories and was like a kid in a candy store while we took a tour put on by a US National Parks Ranger.
I've seen a good sample of US sites, but high on the list of sites we have missed so far are:
Glacier NP (plus Waterton Lakes in Canada)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP
Alaska
Asheville, NC
The Big Island of HI
Places I would most like to return to are: Yosemite, Zion, Olympic Peninsula and Mt Rainier, the Oregon Coast, and NYC (but I'm not sure it will ever be the same in my lifetime).
I'm late to the odd names part of the conversation, but these are 2 real towns in north central Iowa..... legend is that several years ago the following headline was in the local newspaper following the nuptials " Manly man marries Fertile woman ".
Kathy, the first time we did Mesa Verde was probably two or three years after we got married. We had a VW bug, and we took our bicycles. Camped out the whole way, free campsites if we could find them. (We were both students; probably still undergrads at that point.)
I had a bike accident at Mesa Verde, probably the first night we were there. Messed up both knees and one wrist. We were too young, stupid, and broke to go to a doctor. (Had we been at home, we could have gone to the university infirmary; not on the road.)
So we just bandaged me up, and kept on with our tour. Unfortunately, my knees were so bunged up that I couldn't climb the ladders into the cliff houses!
We did return some years later, and I was finally able to see the rest of the dwellings. But if we meet on a tour, and you see me favoring my knees and right wrist, you'll know what happened.
Alaska, Cap Cod, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Acadia National Park, Olympic National Forest, Gettysburg, Carlsbad Caverns, and New Orleans.
Born and raised in OR and have lived in several areas of WA, so we have explored most of both of these states. Never tire of them, especially the mountains. We love to backpack, so we are looking forward to getting to do more of that.
Nancy--The east side is wonderful! I love the Wallowas. Great backpacking there!
Tammy--I really want to see more of Alaska. We have family in North Pole as well as way up in the extreme bush (no roads in, no village etc). so we have been to both of these areas, but nothing else. I love these areas, but would like to see some of the more touristy areas as well, but we always run out of time. We were up there for the moose hunt last fall and might go again this year, depending on circumstances.
I wanted to include this in my post a few days ago, but I couldn't find the links at the time........
This website has changed greatly since I ordered a map from them in spring of 2013. I see little of value in it now, except for the National Geographic book pictured, which I will look for when going to a well stocked bookstore is an option. https://www.byways.org/
This one however, is still a good one. It's functionally a compliment to my old map. It's where we found good information on the San Juan Skyway, a scenic drive we took between Cortez, CO (Mesa Verde NP) and Montrose, CO (Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP). https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/
Well yet another of my travel plans just got shot down
This year is just not giving up.
I was planing on taking my father “up north” to the area I used to spend my weekends as a kid But not a good place to go as several of the lakes roads and bridges are gone due to the collapse of three dams on the river my parents had their cottage on.
My sympathies to all the folks who have been effected by the flood/ca lapse and I hope everyone is safe.
I've got Alaska and Hawaii on my bucket list, but they're so darn expensive including travel and so forth.
