If you were planning a cross-country road trip, what are some places you would make sure to include?
Here’s some starters to get the ball rolling:
I’d like to see Crater Lake again.
Lassen Volcano Park.
I’ve never seen the Grand Canyon.
Nor the Dakota Badlands.
Niagra Falls.
Yellowstone and Old Faithful.
C’mon, I’m sure you folks have got some brilliant ideas!
I’d do the 10 and take a southern tour
“the 10”? I didn’t know you were from Southern Cal. 🙂
I would, but the trip I’m thinking of is summerish, and driving through the great plains in burning heat… ugh. So, I’m kinda leaning towards a more northerly route.
But don’t let that stop you; suggest different stuff, I could be convinced.
Well going through the north you’ll probably hit some warm spots as well I would think.. but yeah, not as hot as the southwest desert. I just suggested tour of the south because I’ve always wanted to do it. Hehe. Nawlins, Austin, the Gulf…
Oh, and I’m not from Southern Cali.
NORCAL BABY.
Bryce Canyon. The Hoover Dam. New Orleans. The World’s Largest Ball of Twine (or other like destinations; see Roadside Americana for some possibilities!
I’d do….
Sedona, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Grand Canyon
Canyon du Chelly (sp??? that may be wildly off) in new Mexico
Maybe Albuquerque or Alamogordo
The Alamo in Texas
Austin, Texas
The Oregon-California coast.
rooooaaaaaaddddddd tttttrrrrriiiiiippppp!
Here are my personal favorites for the northernly-route. I’ve taken that trip several times, but it has been about 10 years now since my last pass-thru. (Damnit, I’m itchin’ to hit the road again.)
Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument
Devil’s Tower National Park
Cody and Casper, Wy.
Deadwood and Lead, SD (near the badlands and Mt Rushmore)
Wall, SD (The infamous Wall Drug Store)
Wind Caves
The Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD)
World’s Largest Pheasant (Huron, SD)
Hit me up if you want details, etc. -Gordon
Hmph.
Niagra Falls, yes.
Yellowstone, sure.
at least one of the redwoods parks
But when I read “cross-country road trip,” I actually thought first of more urban locations… and places where I know people. I want to visit my stepdaughters and stepgrandchild… and a beach. I want fresh sushi. And, even though I’m a “tree-huggin’ dirt worshipper,” I also like museums.
So, one dream vacation would have taking me off a month, visiting folks across Tennessee, then going up the Appalachian chain, camping or staying in a hotel, then going to Virginia Beach preferably with my stepdaughters, then to a civilized tour of the museums of DC, etc. Oh, and we’d have to visit my husband’s previous wife’s boyfriend at Colonial Williamsburg.
Or, another dream would be to go to one hippie-or-pagan festival after another until I’m a burned-out husk. I wanna dance naked around a Maypole with over 50 other people someday… even if it doesn’t happen until I have interesting wrinkles.
Where To Go
Gresham Oregon is the most happenin’ spot I know. Really, it’s the best place to rest up before and recuperate after your trip. I recommend Penobscot Bay in Maine, too. But it’s not as welcoming and warm as Gresham. The Aquarium in Chattanooga TN is something special. Gresham’s friendlier, though. Boulder, CO is worth a look, except you won’t be received there with quite the same glee as they will greet you with in Gresham.