Discussions
Road Trip
Posted by crpitt • 7/11/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: fun, holiday, road trips
After thinking about my next trip across the pond and subsequent meetup in the hills of Colorado for ziplining, white water rafting, naked fire dancing and stuff, with some of you lot.
Remember AUGUST 2010
I decided what the heck, lets make it a month long trip for me! Hooray. This is to celebrate my qualifying as a therapist and avoidance of ever having to grow up type of thing. Also my sister is getting married that May and I will need to do something to get over that family filled trauma.
So - Destinations so far:
New York
Connecticut
Chicago
Colorado
Zion National Park
Yosemite
San Francisco
Grand Canyon
Other suggestions?
User Comments
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- SIGH ... They are so far away from me.
When you take the trip that comes after the 2010 trip think west coast - think Canada!-
2011 I may visit family there
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- Really? (I'm excited.) Where do they live? Are they in Vancouver or Victoria?
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Yes I have got family in Vancouver, not sure exactly where
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Have you met this family before?
I supposedly have second cousins in London, but I think it would be extremely odd of me to invite myself to visit them. -
Nope not met them before, they are my second cousins. We keep in touch via facebook though.
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- Vancouver is huge and wonderful international city surrounded by many other municipalities. It's in a gorgeous stetting and must number among the most beautiful cities in the world. But if you do come to Vancouver do not be content to remain on the mainland.
Vancouver Island is huge and the awesome beauty from mountains and waterfalls, forests and gorgeous beaches awaits you. It will without doubt take your breath away.
Also the little emerald gulf islands are outstanding when it comes to natural beauty, rugged topography and wildlife, and each one is unique. Island culture and mentality is far different from what you experience on the mainland.
Basically once you have done the obligatory relative visiting on the mainland, we need to get you to the float plane dock in Richmond and from there --- woo hoo! --- you can be in the islands in no time and disappear into another time and space. -
That sounds wonderful
Can I request a handsome mountie or lumberjack tour guide too?
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Go to Moab, Utah -- Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.-
Why in particular? Great scenery?
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Once in a lifetime scenery. No other place on earth like it.
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That is what I am talking about Super Dooper
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What are you looking to do/experience?-
Hiking nature type things really, great scenery etc.
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See WV would be perfect. -
Portland
Yellowstone
Redwood National Park -
Oh great choices! I so want to hug a redwood and satisfy my inner tree hugger
Got to persuade the driver to go north. -
If San Francisco is on your itinerary, then redwood forests are right across the Golden Gate Bridge at Muir Woods National Monument.
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Oh then I have to go!
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Ummm... hello!
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You have to sell it to me
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You know they do that here in regular clothes. No sequins or anything.
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Go to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Lots of history and views and good people.-
Can you guarantee the people are good?
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www.nps.gov/neri
www.wvstateparks.com/Community/hiking.htm
www.cityofcharleston.org/
You know I feel like I'm spamming-
No I really appreciate it!
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WE went to Virginia and took backroads through WV, had lunch in Charleston and it was just BEAUTIFUL!!! So if your route take you through there, it's worth taking back roads and just enjoying the drive, even if you can't stay and hang out.
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north-cental WA is quite interesting... despite being rife with boat-sluts -
I have no idea were you mean? Any male boat sluts?
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haha. do you have a boat? If not, it won't matter
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No I dont
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If there was one place in whole of West Virginia too visit, where would that be?
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Black Hawks Nest outdoors.webshots.com/album/42716355KHcXTf There is a rock cliff and from the view of it looking down it is so majestic and breathtaking. You see the river from the cliff. During the fall the trees are a rainbow of color.
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That is a lovely place shirley, hmm it may make the list!
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You're going to love Chicago! If you want, we can rent you a bicycle and see the entire city on bike!
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Erm there might be a problem
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She doesn't know how to ride a bike.
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No way! I'm seriously shocked!
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wha...? it's just like ri.... oh, never mind
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Well when your mum was in hospital all your childhood and your dad had to work, nobody is around to teach wee claire
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Oh well, we'll just have to teach you now.
I told my mom she can't come to Paris with me until she learns to ride a bike. -
As long as I can have stabilisers
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You mean training wheels?
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Claire, it will take all of 5 minutes to learn to ride a bicycle. It's just about being fearless and not afraid to fall.
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Yes that's what they are called here
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Apart the last time I was on one and fell off, then my sister ran over my head and left a treadmark across my fod.
No laughing! -
That's funny right there! I can't stop laughing.
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Hey that is mean
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Yeah, you have to keep moving when you're on a bike. It's kind of like fish who if they stop swimming they die. Same thing with bikes.
Pedaling + motion = not falling. -
It's ok, we were playing bike tag once, and I got tagged and fell. Got a concussion.
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I am going to have to get a bike and teach myself under the cover of darkness.
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visit me babe , i miss you so much-
Blurgh
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now serious , i recommend you to visit Angel Falls in Venezuela
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USA only trip
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geeze, she isn't the governor of South Carolina! o_0
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I am not? damn it.
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ohh ok , i got many suggestions then ..... Antelope Canyon is a must , the best place for photograph like you my friend
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ok -
If you are driving from Colorado to California, consider going I-70 and US-50 ("The Loneliest Road in America") rather than I-80.. Parts of US-50 are beautiful. I am planning to do a post on this tomorrow night...
eggyspace.blogspot.com/2009/05/road-trip-day-25-desert-solitude-sort.html-
Yeah, in that same neck of the woods, I-70 and I-15 through Utah, a corner of Arizona and Nevada is a really beautiful desert drive. Plus it takes you through Vegas, baby. Then you can leave I-70 and take highways through the Death Valley area to King's Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks -- home of the biggest trees in the world.
I-80 has too many trucks on it to be any fun. -
Here is my up-to-date posting about US-50 across Nevada:
eggyspace.blogspot.com/2009/05/road-trip-day-26-nevada-us-highway-50.html
With the recent experience of a 28 day, 6700 mile road trip, I offer 2 observations:- Don't try to do too much, you will stumble across unplanned things you want to do along the way.
- GPS is great if you are by yourself and driving in unfamiliar areas.
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Byron Bay-
definitely... and the Getta Garbo trash collection people there are beautiful
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My name is Jack and I live in the back of the Greta Garbo home
with friends I will remember wherever I may roam
Manfred Mann
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Hmmm. Claire -- I hope you are considering buying several plane tickets for this trip. Even with a month, it's almost undoable by car. You've got the East Coast, the Southwest and Northern California on your itinerary. It's a long set of days to drive from Colorado to California, but entirely doable since you're going to hit up several national parks along the way in Utah. But I suggest cutting out that middle section of the country and flying from NYC to Denver. This will ultimately save you time and money to focus on the things you want to do. The only odd place out in my suggestion is Chicago. But even there, it's worth considering flying over driving. Also, allow at least two-three full days in each place you want to see. Otherwise, you won't really have seen much of anything.
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Not sure yet what the plan of action is exactly, but it will be driving most likely. I know that I wont be spending any length of time in one particular place.
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I am going to agree with Gtally on this one. Driving across the country in one month is extremely difficult. The midwestern states make for some boring driving. Mostly farmland and very, very flat. Also Southern Illinois is almost all pig farms and soy beans. So, in the summer, it smells really, really bad. I would suggest flying, or taking the Amtrak train. Amtrak is actually really nice. They have outlets to plug your computer into, sleeping cars and dining cars on trains that go across the country. I think that some have wifi too.
I think the ones that go through the mountains have observation lounges as well. -
I have been on Amtrak briefly it was nice, but not sure I want to be stuck on a train, but I have considered it.
If I could get some good deals on flights then that is also still to be considered. I think once I have finally decided on where to go, it will be easier to figure out which would be best.
But I love the idea of a road trip not sure why
All advice and help is greatly appreciated! -
I think you've got about three trips here, even with a month to do it. To get from the East Coast to the Southwest, it's about 3-4 solid days of driving. Factor in food, gas and lodging, and you won't have saved any money over a plane ticket. Plus, there won't be any awesome system of youth hostels to use, like in Europe. Most hotel/motels under $89 will probably be pretty dive-y and bad. So do you want to eat up 8-12 days of your vacation just driving? Not seeing anything, just sitting in a car. Does not sound like much fun, to me. Fly, my friend, fly.
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I actually like being in the car and I wont be driving so we shall see!
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Hmmm yeah but there's quantity and then there's quality. Long distance Point A to Point B road trips stink.
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You are of course correct, but airport waits are no fun either and then there is the travel to the actual places I want to see anyways.
I think I have become use to long distance, short amount of time kind of trips.
But I may consider your sage advice and fly, depending on who I am playing with and meeting up with.
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There is so much to see from North to South and East to West.
The Everglades (southern Florida)
I just went to Virginia and loved it, beautiful, WV was gorgeous too.
Southwest, parts of Texas are cool, Moab in UTah, New Mexico.
Northwest - you have Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, oh and the Black Hills in S. Dakota are amazing, not just for scenery but the amount of wild life.
This is a big place, good luck figuring out your route. It would take a really long time to see everything. I live near Chicago, have lived my whole life in IL. Have yet to see ALL the cool things to see.
Good luck! Have fun!! Take pictures!
Diane-
Oh great suggestions! If only the US was as small as the UK!
I will be taking lots of pictures and investing in extra memory cards
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Crater Lake in Southern Oregon. The most beautiful spot on earth.-
Wow just googled it, looks absolutely breathtaking
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It is...unbelievably beautiful. But you can only go between July and September...the road is closed due to snow the rest of the year.
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Arizona-Monument Valley; Sedona; the Grand Canyon.
New Mexico-Taos
California-Highway 1 from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz-
Thank you
Why that highway? -
Oh, that goes through Big Sur...another beautiful place!
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If you go to Austen, Texas, you have to have to go to Guero's Taco Bar. Awesome delicious. And I hope your not a vegetarian because you can't leave the US without having BBQ!!!
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I am decidedly not a vegetarian, so bring on the BBQ!
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We'll probably be BBQ'ing everyday in CO, but I believe that there are some AMAZING BBQ places in CO. I bet Gtally could point us in the right direction.
Hmmm, BBQ would be really good today. Pulled pork, cole slaw, and corn muffins. I'm hungry. -
Oh I tried pull pork when I was with out with Jenn (thrifty) it was yum!
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It's a treat to have really good pulled pork from a BBQ place. They will slow cook all day long in all sorts of spices and good homemade BBQ sauce.
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I am really hungry now! Back after food.
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Meh. Colorado BBQ ain't that hot, especially in the South Park area. When I went to Salida last week, I hit up a roadside BBQ stand and had a truly horrible pulled pork sandwich. I think about the best thing we have for BBQ is the Rib City Grill chain, which is Kansas City style BBQ. Otherwise, I'd have to steer you towards eating buffalo meat. This is more of an authentic Colorado specialty. And August is Palisade Peach season, so maybe I could bring some of those. I wrote this here about Colorado cuisine:
wikitravel.org/en/Colorado#Eat -
I just had a mediocre pulled pork sandwich from a local bar and grill. Good BBQ is hard to get in Chicago unless (I hate to say it) you go down to the black neighborhoods on the far South Side. Those neighborhoods are pretty far for me. By car, it's about an hour. By public transportation, easily 90 minutes.
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If you want KC style BBQ go to KC ;p
Colorado means you need to eat some bison. -
DB: Exactly.
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Ok, I guess buffalo burgers and wings it is. Buffalo do have wings don't they?
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Ill grab some before I hop on the plane (assuming im still in kansass). I suddenly want to go get some BBQ now.
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(headdesk)
Buffalo burgers are bison meat and a Mountain thing. Buffalo wings are chicken and from Buffalo, NY.
Grumble. -
No way, you're pulling my leg.
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That was awful.
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Yes, awful...Awfully funny!
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Quit winging it with the jokes!
Oh God now you've got me doing it. -
Ok, I'll stop...hahahahahaha!
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I make the best barbecue in Denver. No pulled pork though. I'm Jewish. Besides, that sounds more like a sex act than a food. -
We'll have you be the grill master on the trip, then. We'll have to settle on bison and chicken because I don't eat beef.
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And fish! I loved a nicely grilled fish.
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Yeah. Maybe some rainbow trout would be nice. Anyone up for fishing?
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I love rainbow trout! I hope you can wrangle up some people for fishing because if you catch it, I will be happy to clean it and cook it. I am not squeamish at all about it.
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I don't fish. I catch them with my hands, or a stick. Like Bear Grylls.
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Toss a spear into a fish like Tom Hanks in Castaway.
"Wilson? Wilson!!!!" -
Too many cook and all that, or cocks...
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I would like to see gtally and dbowles eat a couple of rocky mountain oysters.
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So would I
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In fact, I think I think they should have a rocky mountain oyster eating contest. Whoever can power down the most is king of the mountain for one day!
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Uhh, I'll have to pass on them.
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Oh c'mon! It's all in fun! I bet you would do it with enough beer.
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/sigh he doesn't like beer either
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Wrong. Beer makes me sick (literally).
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What do you drink then? Wine coolers? White Zinfandel?
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That made me chuckle.
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Whiskey, vodka, rum, tequila.
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Tequila and rum make me vomit. Whiskey and vodka are good though.
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That's what happened to my friend here.
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Whisky is out for me, bad bad times with that stuff.
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I guess we can just drink some vodka then.
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Hooray and schnapps?
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Uhh, you can, but schnapps is just a juice/pop replacement
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The sweet stuff makes me projectile vomit. I have bad memories of peach schnapps.
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Well I like it and its great for cocktail mixing
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I guess that means more for crp than
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Uh, no to the Rocky Mountain Oysters. I've had them twice before and that was enough.
Colorado bourbon is made in my hometown:
www.peachstreetdistillers.com/about.htm -
I think we should all bring a bottle of something to try
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Im bringing a bottle of chloroform.. I mean chlo ro form, it's french wine...
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I am sure gtally will come willingly
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Right, for gtally. That's what I meant.
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Well I think you would have to dress up as a moose to get him interested, as he has a thing for them, an unnatural thing.
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Hey! That's not very nice.
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You could fly into Chicago and do a Route 66 drive. All sorts of fun crazy weirdness on Route 66. That will take you all the way from Chicago to California.
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I will be starting the journey in Connecticut I think, but flying into New York so I can see a few folks there.
Oh Route 66 would be cool -
You don't have to do the entire route 66. You could just do part of it. I think I have heard the part in California is the most fun.
Oh and in California, you can't forget highway 101. it traces the coastline.
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Don't forget Darwin Mn, they have the world's biggest ball of string!!! No really!
www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2128-
Yeah, a friend of mine was on a road trip and stopped to see this. She said it was really depressing. The town it's in is totally dead. It was a factory town and when the factory closed it's doors, everyone left except for a few people. She even got a couple of pictures with her and her husband adding twine (you have to buy the twine from the little old lady who runs the souvenir shop. This shop is only open when you call the phone number to fetch her).
They both said it was really sad to see this ghost town. -
It sounds much nicer than I had imagined it to be.
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That is the coolest place in the whole universe.
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Oh Anin. Not everything is the Taj Mahal. Let us Americans have our strange little landmarks.
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No I actually like all that bizarre Americana the world's biggest ball of string and a wigwam motel sum up the real America for me.
It's the last real vestige of the pioneer spirit "We may live in a town in the middle of nowhere but god damn we are gonna create the biggest ball of string the world has ever seen!!!"
It's that spirit that put Americans on the moon. -
*sighs*
Now you're just being mean. -
I actually also like bizarre Americana too! honest.
The ball of string appeals to me. -
Yes! www.roadsideamerica.com is a great resource for road trip planning and especially the US and Canada Maps www.roadsideamerica.com/location/
Once you decide on your primary destinations, use roadsideamerica to find interesting places to visit along the way..
Some more detail on Road Trip planning at:
eggyspace.blogspot.com/2009/04/road-trip-planning-tools-and-resources.html -
Thanks for the links
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I have a very good suggestion for you , visit hangar 51 in Roswell secret military base in New Mexico , as they says ... somewhere in the desert.Don't take photo camera is useless , you wont remember anything after you meet these creatures ....
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@crpitt: highway 1 snakes along the California coast. There's steep cliffs and ocean on one side, and beautiful rock formations on the other. It's probably one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the world. And as SV said you pass through Big Sur, a legendary piece of Americana, where Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller and lots of American artists and writers lived.
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Sounds good to me
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Then there is the worlds largest bottle of ketchup in Collinsville, IL.
www.catsupbottle.com/
and the Dinosaur park
www.dinosaurpark.org/
and the world's largest fish
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Interesting
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I'd really recommend Boston (plus you have a place to stay with me!). I know you were there on your last trip but it's a beautiful city and I'm there! And of course, you also have a place to stay in San Francisco. We just need to coordinate the timing of everything.
It's going to be a lot of fun to meet you f2f Claire!-
It took a while to realise what you meant by f2f lol
Looking forward to meeting you too!
I will keep you posted on my plans. -
Please do--and my offers of places to stay are 100% serious. We have plenty of room, Claire--more so in Boston, but we'll just be a little cozier in San Francisco.
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Yes, Boston is beautiful! If you add that to the list I may have to tag along (it's not like I don't go there all the time, anyway).
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Hey I was there last time and you didn't play out Miss Ninja
I shall definitely squeeze in seeing both of you, it would be rude not too -
Ah, but with Punky getting older and more fun, having more money, and me having a more reliable car - I can play more
Plus, I have a place to stay up there on a whim if I want, it'll just cost me gas money.
Besides, I wanna meet Melinda, too! -
Excellent
In fact it might make sense to travel up with you and share the gas price? -
'SPecially since I know the route well
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Excellent, I am picking the music
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I have a tape deck in my car LOLLOL
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Oh I can make a tape I have the technology
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Yay!!
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Well I could just bring my hardhouse anthems 1993 style, blow your whistle bitch
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OMG that would be hysterical
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Consider it done
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Get off my land!
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Being an Arizona resident I would recommend Sedona over the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is cool, but Sedona is very similar in appearance, just on a smaller scale...makes it feel more accessible. Also, you can accomplish more in a shorter time. GC takes at least a week to really appreciate. I also second the Moab comment...amazing scenery!
PS- Say Hi to El Capitan in Yosemite for me!!-
El Capitan is on my list
I have also been told that GC maybe too hot in August anyways? I don't want to frazzle. -
If you want this to be a proper Four Corners tour and already plan on going to Zion, here are my suggestions:
Colorado National Monument/Colorado's Wine Country (it's on the way, so might as well)
Arches/Canyonlands National Park - Moab, Utah
Capital Reef National Park
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Monument Valley
Mesa Verde National Park
Grand Canyon National Park (don't skip it!)
This is most of what is known as the Grand Circle -- to do it right allow at least 8-10 days. It will be hot in August but all are infinitely worth doing. To prepare yourself, read Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire and Monkey Wrench Gang. You'll love 'em both.
Oh yeah. And you'll have to cut out that drive across America from the East Coast nonsense so that you can focus on the good stuff! (Northern Cali, Pacific Northwest, Four Corners, etc. Each of these could be a very neat, week long chapter in your month-long trip). -
Excellent suggestions once again
I am making notes.
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get of mine-
Erm whatever, bog off.
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Have you think to come and trek in himalaya region? the highest peak in the world The Mount Everest, located in Nepal, very nice and beautiful nation in the world.
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