East coast road trip: which destinations?

Question

I will be travelling with a friend for two weeks in a car and would like to know where I can go starting from Toronto. My end point will be Atlanta, GA. I have the usual Times Square, Washington DC in the mix and would love to get a couple of pointers to where I should definitely go since we are from the west coast. We are in our mid twenties, by the way. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You don't need to go to Times Square. It is exactly like on tv, only worse with all the tourists and noise and smells. There are tons of great things to do it NYC, but you don't need to go to Times Square if you want to get at a chian restaurant! If you are able to see some theater or go to Moma or the Met, go to New York.

DC is totally different because of all the historical things there.

I would want to see some civil war battlegrounds. That sort of history is interesting and unique to the east coast.

You know you could make this trip in a day, right? Take two and stop in Dayton at the air and space museum and then stay over near the university.

I'd just go to Atlanta and travel around there. Hit Nashville or Memphis for some unique culture maybe.

Answer 2

I think Savannah, GA is really nice, but I like Charleston, SC even better. It's about 1.5 hours from Savannah. Both are great historical smaller cities that are actually a bit different from each other.

Chattanooga is a pretty nice little city just north of Atlanta.

Philly has some nice parts and is worth a stop.

I love Boston with all the American history and there are nice places to get a bite to eat.

Maine is gorgeous, but it might be out of your way on the Toronto to Atlanta trip.

Ithaca, NY is a nice college town with lots of good and cheap places to eat and the Finger Lakes are quite nice.

Answer 3

You must go to Asheville, NC near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's breathtaking and they have a lot of nice shops and restaurants. Plus, with all that time in the car you should probably get out and take a short mountain hike. There are plenty of places to hike around there. Near Asheville is a college town called Boone, NC...also a fun place.

If you have time, Charlottesville, VA is about 45 minutes from the Parkway and it's a beautiful, historic town. Tour the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello, and go downtown to visit some interesting shops and restaurants.

Have fun and don't forget to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway!

Answer 4

Philadelphia, for sure. They have all the national monuments downtown. There's Carpenter's Hall, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc.

But there's also some less-historic, and therefore more exciting, stuff going on around South Street, Walnut Street, and a few other places throughout the city. And you'd have to get a cheesesteak somewhere in the city (Pat's and Geno's are both in South Philly).

Also, you may be able to catch one of the Big Five basketball games. With 'Nova, St. Joes, La Salle, Drexell, and Temple all right in the area, you'd be bound to catch a game of hoops, if you're interested. Anyone of those teams' games can get pretty interesting.

Safe travels, dude.

Answer 5

There's a couple of really good places in Florida to visit. It's always sunny and kind of busy though. I recommend Clearwater, Florida. In particular the Clearwater Beach. That beach is where spring breakers go the water is nice and scenic. Clearwater also has some minor league baseball for the Phillies if you like that. If this isn't too childish for you you can visit Winter the dolphin( kind of expensive) I saw it with my family and thought it was cute. Dolphin tale movie that's what it is. Good luck, safe travels!! If you want any other information about places in Florida let me know I live there.

Answer 6

I love the outer banks of North Carolina where the light houses are and it has a nice ferry ride with your car

Chicateaque, Maryland is awesome where the ponies run wild

Baltimore inner harber definitely see the huge aquarium

Stone Mountain in Atlanta, Georgia

Answer 7

Baltimore is a really great city. Wonderful Italian food, good museums and an awesome aquarium, cool shopping, and the neatest people.

If you get to Washington, DC and head west on Route 66, you will come to Skyline Drive. This spectacular road through the mountains and National Forests is east coast beauty at its best - assuming you're coming spring/summer/fall. You can hope off Skyline at many points, or take Skyline Drive all the way to Staunton which is an incredibly charming town. Woodrow Wilson was born there, his house was an interesting tour.

South of DC, Mt. Vernon is really spectacular. You don't even need to tour the mansion. The grounds are fabulous for hiking/picnicing/strolling. The interpretative displays are interesting and informative. Nearby Gunston Hall, home of the author of the Bill of Rights, George Mason, is very interesting to tour, also. Also nearby is Ashlawn, the home of Washington's grandaughter. On the grounds of this plantation home is the Pope-Leighey house, a Frank Lloyd Wright home set up for touring.

Charlottesville is home to Monticello, home of Jefferson. They still love him there very much and the tour of his home is awe-inspiring and quite quite beautiful.

In DC, if you come in the Spring - the National Arboretum is amazin g - many 50 year old azalea bushes make a spectacular display. There are also dozens of ancient bonsais, beautiful demonstration gardens, a meadow for strolling and more. The FDR Memorial is amazing, breathtaking, beautiful. The WWII Memorial is grand. The Museum of the American Indian is new and wonderful. The Museum of Natural History actually sells organic meats in their cafe.

South of Richmond, the Rte 5 Plantations are well worth a visit. Williamsburg is great and Jamestown is even better.

If you like luxury, there is absolutely nothing like The Biltmore in Ashville, NC. The mansion, the inn, the scenery, the activities - oh my god, the food - every meal at every on-site restaurant was impeccable. Nothing compares. Except maybe Avon, on the outer banks of NC. Possibly the best beaches on the east coast for wild beauty - as for swimming, the locals tell me they stick to pools.Every year someone in paralyzed in the amazing surf that gave the Outer Banks the nickname "Graveyard of the Atlantic."

You'll see a lot of Bojangles Chicken Restaurants once you get south of Va. Probably the best fast food in the south.

Lake Gaston straddles the VA/NC border and is a lovely stopping place with jet ski rentals.

Savannah is a grand old city with a lot to see.

Speeds on the highways south of Virginia run 75 - 80 mph. Virginia has strict speeding enforcement, Maryland's is even tougher.

As you hit the south, note with amused irony the juxtaposition of all the billboards commanding you to believe in god and all the billboards for 'adult entertainment' truck stops.

Have a great time!

Answer 8

I heard ME was a beautiful state, lots of coastal lines and neat Lighthouses if you're into that kind of stuff.
Boston, Mass...
I heard Ashville, NC was really beautiful too. Water rafting is avail there, too. Lots of mountains and stuff there and there is a historical spot out there to visit.
Savanna, GA is lovely though. Some history there if you're into that kind of stuff.

Have fun, man!

Answer 9

If you love chocolate =] ... Hersheys Pennsylvania
If you love the beach, visit the boardwalks .... there is Ocean City, MD ... Virginia Beach, VA ..... Myrtle Beach, SC ........ Nagshead, NC

Answer 10

phila,atlantic city nj , willamsburg,va north carolina areas and south carolnia both have intersting tourist stops