Originally Posted By t1lersm0m Now that it is Spring, and the Travel Channel has me getting into the traveling spirit, I want to hear about your best vacations inside the U.S. I think we all came to LP.com because we love Disney. You can talk about the Disney parks if you want...it's up to you. So where have you been? And why was it great? Where have you been that you said "We won't be coming back here." I love travel, and there are so many places I want to go. I love hearing about people's trips. Feel free to talk about any travel you want to. Even if it's just a weekend getaway an hour from your house.
Originally Posted By LVBelle Two summers ago my in-laws invited us to spend a week on a houseboat with them on Center Hill Lake in Tennessee. I went into a little worried about it. I love my in laws but if I was on a houseboat there would be no where to escape if I needed a break. I had absolutely no reason to worry. It was one of my best vacations ever! The lake was absolutely gorgeous. We found a little cove and spent the week tied off in the cove. There were lots of animals to watch (and I saw my first REAL fireflies!) and the water was the perfect temperature. I'm hoping we'll get to go back at some point, it was awesome!
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Hawaii without question, if you don't just count the continental U.S. There're are so many islands and things to do yet still laid back.
Originally Posted By Pixie Glitter Destin, Florida has breathtaking beaches. It's in the "Emerald Coast" area--white sands, gorgeous views, and fantabulous fresh seafood. Mackinac Island, Michigan is a little-known gem of a vacation place. It is a tiny island in Lake Huron that has no motorized vehicles. It's all horses, carriages, and bicycles, and some of the most gorgeous scenery in the Midwest. Truly a one-of-a-kind place. San Antonio, Texas is utterly charming with its Riverwalk and has the added feature of truly excellent Tex-Mex food and a really good amusement park. And the Alamo, of course. Go see my review of Yosemite in the National Parks thread. One of my favorite places on the face of the earth.
Originally Posted By trailsend Seagrove, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Florida. Not too far from Destin where Pixie speaks of in #4. This area I'm speaking of is called 30A on the Florida Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico. Pristine white sand and the water is the color of emerald. Another area on the Gulf is Cape San Blas. Unbelievable, undisturbed white sandy beach with the sparkling emerald water. A real treasure. St. Simons Island, GA ~ off the coast of Georgia on the Atlantic Ocean. The trees lining the streets with the moss hanging down; that low country beauty. The sunsets are spectacular! The marsh is so tranquil and you can see it for miles blending into the horizon. The food in all of these places is awesome; shrimp, lobster, clams, yum.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Last Spring, we rented a beachfront condo near Dana Point. It was on a private beach, [just a few doors down from Roy Disney's place and other celebrities]. It was fantastic. Quiet, private, relaxing, beautiful. We spend a week there, and it was really, really nice. One of the most relaxing vacations we've ever been on. Next month, we're rending a condo on a private beach just north of Santa Cruz [in the city of Watsonville]. This time, we're even bringing Monica the dog.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip My favorite Non-Disney U.S. vacations have been: 1) Washington D.C. The buildings, monuments and museums could keep you busy for weeks. We were there for 5 days last summer and just scratched the surface. The National Galleries of Art, The Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian Museum of American History were highlights for me. You could easily spend two days just seeing the Museum of American History. The Lincoln Monument area on the mall was also terrific. I found the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be a very emotional experience even though I don’t personally know anyone who died there. Sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Monument and looking across the reflecting pool and down the mall is such an iconic experience that it is hard to describe. 2) Trinidad California and the Redwood National Park. That area has some of the most awe-inspiring scenery I've ever seen. The trees are absolutely awesome and the coast along that area is gorgeous. Patrick's Point State Park is a great place to view the coast. The weather is unusual to say the least. Fog shrouds the coastal areas every morning and keeps summer highs in the 60's-70's. Drive thirty miles inland from the coast and you will have highs in the 80's-90's.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 vacations are about a lot of different things.....I second Washington DC...both my kid also enjoyed it a lot and the feeling is hard to descirbe. Also lots of places for pretty good crab cakes as I remember.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I live in the D.C area... it's definitely a great place to visit. I drove across the USA last year with my mother. We started out with a route planned, but after leaving Las Vegas, I decided to wing it the rest of the way. Yellowstone was the "natural" highlight, but there was something interesting to see every day. Other cool places were the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Spam Museum in Minnesota, the Corn Palace in South Dakota, The Winnebago factory in Iowa, The Harley Davidson factory in Kansas City, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in Pennsylvania.
Originally Posted By JohnS1 Okay - I know I sound like a broken record here, but if you haven't been to Death Valley, it's an ideal spring vacation destination. If you're into sun and sand and swimming and laying on the louge chair and playing golf and reading romance novels - it's the place for you. If you like day trips for historical, geological, biological and just plain wilderness experiences, it's also for you. If you want a side trip to Las Vegas (why I wouldn't know) you can do that too. And if we're lucky like last year, there will be the added bonus of desert wildflowers, a rare but unbelievably beautiful site. Just something to think about.
Originally Posted By trailsend I, too, love Washington, DC and had a super vacation there. You need more than one trip to do all there is. It is true, when you see our monuments in person, and the Capitol and the White House, etc., etc., it is a thrill. We flew into Reagan on a sunny day and it really took my breath away. You could see everything from the plane! If anyone goes, do not miss The Spy Museum. Also, New York City ~ what fun! Broadway; dining; the Empire State Building; The Statue of Liberty; Fifth Avenue; the museums; Times Square ~ New York is exciting!
Originally Posted By t1lersm0m <<Hawaii without question, if you don't just count the continental U.S. There're are so many islands and things to do yet still laid back.>> It's funny you should say that. I love busting on my friend Diane. So I was talking about the places I want to go outside the U.S., and she said something along the lines of "I have no desire to vacation outside the U.S. aside from Hawaii and Alaska." I just laughed...... Thanks for sharing your vacation stories. Keep on sharing. I love to grill friends when they get back from a place I've never been. What was it like, what was there to do there, I'm asking to see pictures, I just love to travel and need to do a lot more of it.
Originally Posted By cinders_24 New York City - its just brilliant. i love the atmosphere of the streets everyone rushing about going to work, doing work on there mobiles as they walk. the buildings, central park, fifth ave, FAO Schwarz, Liberty Island, Statan Island Ferry, South Street Seaport, Bloomingdales, Macys, Ground Zero gosh there is loads to do and its even better in the winter when you have all the snow everwhere. the ice rink at Rockafella Centre and in central park just looks amazing. Id love to move there and then go to Florida on holiday twice a year.
Originally Posted By t1lersm0m I live within a easy drive of New York City and Washington D.C., yet I haven't been to either spot in YEARS, and Tyler hasn't been at all. Maybe we'll take a bus trip to NYC for a day, and a weekend trip to DC in the summer or fall....
Originally Posted By cinders_24 How lucky are you to only live a bus ride away? im jealous!!! hopefully ill be going back this year so if i do we will have to arrange to meet up. wot do you think?
Originally Posted By mickeymadclaire San Francisco is fantastic,it is awesome the people are faboulus and everthing about it is just WOW. I am so excited because i only have 3 days left untill i can visit this fanatstic place again
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<San Francisco is fantastic,it is awesome the people are faboulus>> Fabulous is exactly the word. Hehe.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Cleveland, Ohio. Ok...I'll give you a minute. Now that you've stopped laughing, there is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, beautiful parks (designed by Olmstead of Central Park Fame), the lake is great for fishing these days and you are a short drive from Cedar Point and Geauga Lake...two great family theme parks. If you are into the Key West scene...the Key West of the north is Put-In-Bay not far from Cedar Point. If you have older kids, drop them off at the park and then catch the boat over there for some adult fun.
Originally Posted By TiggerPooh1973 I love New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. Great cities with lots to see and do and great restaurants.
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh I don't know if I'd consider it "the Best", but the Black Hills of South Dakota deserves an honorable mention. Five National Parks/Monuments within an hours drive, plus lots of touristy things and beautiful scenery.
