Posted in Vacation Stories
At nearly 4,000,000 square miles in area, nobody can deny that the United States is a big old place…
…but where’s your favourite place to take a vacation?
Reply with your suggestion in the comments box below…
John Urian
The American Southwest especially the area around the four corners of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, Antelope Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Sedona, etc.
Kervin
California and Hawaii coastlines are very beautiful and interesting. I love the Ocean and surfing so of course Hawaii is the best with the warm water. But for urban diversity and surfing LA is unbeatable! Honolulu is second with the tropical diversity and San Diego third with less diversity but the best mainland waves.
Adios and enjoy!
Carol
Combine Yellowstone Natl Park for its animals, geology and excitement with the peace and serenity of the National Bison Range outside Missoula MT. Yellowstone is truly one of the great places of the world, but it has lots of people during prime viewing season. After enjoying the fun and excitement, move about an hour west and find rolling hills and easily viewed wildlife (bison, elk, deer, etc) in an area visited by very few.
Gila
We love going to Yosemite National Park in the winter – X-Country skiing out from Glacier Point Road’s Badger Pass ski area to Dewey Point, and overnighting at the ski hut, enjoying the home cooked meals there, spending a day skiing, and after X-country skiing back (a fifteen mile round trip)then shuttle busing down to the valley for a hot bath and restful night in one of Camp Curry’s rustic cabins. There’s always a chance to hike a bit to view the falls of ice (not so much water in the winter)over the stupendous walls of rock, and enjoy the views of meadows and river.
We always finish with an elegant Sunday brunch or just plain breakfast in the Ahwahnee’s huge dining room overlooking Yosemite’s winter meadows.
There’s a train and bus to Yosemite, and, of course, in the park a shuttle bus around the valley and to the ski area, but we like to gather some family and carpool to the valley for this annual adventure.
Advance reservations are a must, whether it’s for a heated tent, cabin or hotel room at Camp Curry, the Yosemite Lodge or the Ahwahnee.
Fran Roberts
We would take our dogs and travel to the Eastern Sierra. Our favorite spot is north of Bishop in a campground on Rock Creek overlooking Iris Meadow. Heaven!
David Erickson
No question. San Francisco.
Barbara Dickinson
It’s a toss-up between Maine in the Fall and Alaska. Both incredibly beautiful.
bobbie kunath
New York City – hands down. Better than Paris, London, Rome, etc. And if you need a beach break go to Jones Beach on Long Island.Fabulous!
Barry Brill
Drive slowly down the Rockies, in springtime, from Glacier NP to Santa Fe.
John Beck
Island Beach State Park, NJ
Nothing compares to the Jersey Shore in Summer. Island Beach State Park has the classic dunes and isolated atmosphere to make for a great day at the shore. While there are the crowded areas near the pavilions, I head for one of the several spots with limited parking and a short walk through the dunes to a more isolated location. Pack a lunch and spend the day. You can’t do that at most shore locations since they prohibit food and beverage to be brought in. You need to arrive early since the park has limited access. Especially come early if you want to get one of the prime isolated parking spots (my first choice). There is a small daily vehicle fee, but well worth it.
Sharon Clay
Last October we did a bus trip through the Magestic National Parks – North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. I’ve been all over the world and those areas in the fall are as spectular as Norway, Egypt, Greece, New England, and South America. There is nothing that compares to the Grand Canyon or Canyonlands National Park. We just don’t appreciate what we have here in the U.S.
Joe Favaro
San Antonio, Texas
Lynn Glover
I love to go from my Southern California home playground to Orlando and play golf and play at Disneyworld like the big old kid I am, but as you say, the US is a big old place, so there are many, many delightful places to choose.
Patrick
Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and region
Cherry C.
Although you cannot drive to Hawaii, there’s no doubt in my mind — Hawaii No Ka Oi! (“Is the Best”)
Wonderful weather, year ’round… Gorgeous scenery… Historic sites… Plenty to see and do (especially on Oahu, the major island, where public transportation is so good and so inexpensive that there’s no need to rent a car)…
You’re still in the U.S. but you’re in a truly diverse environment with allkinds of authentic food and cultural events presented by fellow Americans — whose ancestors just happened to hail from China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Portugal as well as the mainland U.S.
Because there’s so much competition among hotels and restaurants, Waikiki has a full range of high-value, reasonably priced accommodations and shopping.
And, of course, since the good old U.S. dollar is the currency, you don’t even have to worry about exchange rates!
R. Keyes
There’s so much to see, that there’s no one answer. A perfect vacation is different enough from home to be an adventure, but not so strange that you feel threatened or actually are harmed. That behing said, Redwoods parks in California and Oregon most specifically, but the coastal pacific northwest as a whole.
Henry D.
To the “Black Hills” of South Dakota. In the Spring and Fall there really are not too many visitors!!
Horst Masch
Best vacation earea : California-Idaho-Arizona-New Mexico
Merle
Key West
Leave an hour before sunrise, from Miami and drive down RT 1 as the sun is coming up. Fly back
Dave Lieberman
We have at least 12 favorites, starting with: North Carolina mountains, Vail and Aspen, Berkshires, Miami and other Florida beaches, northern California (coast, San Francisco and Yosemite), and Seattle and the San Juan islands. Impossible to select one of these.
Katherine Rogers
I have lived all over the USA and the best places to visit are Charleston,SC, San Francisco, Napa/Sonoma, and New York City. For something different the Hawaiian Islands and Pago Pago, American Somaoa.
Jean
Vermont or the California Coast
Mary-Jo
Although I am from New England and partial to our coastline and islands for the perfect vacation, I found that my greatest U.S. vacation was driving the mid-California coast in a jazzy little convertible! From San Francisco and the wine country, through Big Sur and Carmel, down to Los Angeles — everything was perfect, including the weather. The Beach Boys had it right: “Fun, fun, fun!”
andy mathisen
For me it would be eithet Monterey, California or
the Grand Canyon. I love Monterey and the famous and
beautiful coastline & history. I’ve never been to the
Grand Canyon so I suppose that is self-expalnatory.
New York City would come Third..ain’t been there
either!
Andy Mathisen, New Westminster,BC, Canada
Jane
Monterey Peninsula,California staying in Pacific Grove, being with the ocean and the bay, prowling over Steinbeck Country.
Traverse City, Michigan. Especially between Christmas and New Years. Yes, believe it or not.
New York City. with tickets to Food for Thought lunchtime theatre productions.
Sun Valley, Idaho.
Pam
(1) A Road Trip to northeastern Ohio, specifically Wayne County and Holmes County. Holmes County is mostly Amish, and very scenic and peaceful, a beautiful area for driving slowly. Beautiful farms, horse-drawn buggies, etc.
(2) A Road Trip to the Painted Desert National Park in Arizona. Serene, peaceful, kind of spiritual too.
Suzanne
I have lived in California for 40 years and traveled all over the world. The Pacific coastline is as beautiful as anything I have seen anywhere. From the Mexican border to the Canadian, it’s one glorious site after another.
Leah Syndell
Mid coast Maine (hands down) for summer and nothing beats Key West for Feb/March
MACHELL APPLE
Glacier National Park, Montana
Ed Tarney
1. Washington, DC. A concentrated compendium of everything this country is about. As interesting per square foot an anyplace in the US.
2. Grand Canyon. Just impossible to describe or appreciate without your own eyes.
3. Any of the national parks along the Rocky spine. Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, etc.
4. Maine coast or N. California/Oregon coast. Sea to shining sea, and all that stuff.
5. Personal favorite, any of the various state campgrounds or small towns in the Adirondacks. Close enough to my home for weekend trips. Soul-calming respites from the rest of the world.