I am planning a road trip across the US, suggestions?

Question

My husband is from Brazil so he hasn't seen much of the U.S. (only Miami, Vegas, NYC). We are planning a road trip so he can see more of the country. We can take as much as two months for the trip. We'd like to have fun, but his main goal is to stop staring blankly at dinner parties when people make references to places he's only heard of in passing. So far, I've come up with these ideas (which are in no particular order):

* Mount Rushmore
* All of Washington DC
* Carlsbad Caverns
* Mammoth Cave (Kentucky)
* Grand Canyon
* Smoky Mountains
* NASA
* Key West
* Niagara Falls
* Liberty Bell
* Route 66
* New Orleans

Any other suggestions on what not to miss?

Answer 1

That is already a great list.
May I just suggest:
~ Memphis so you can vist Gracelands (even if your not a big fan of Elvis), it is a neat palce to go.
Memphis has a lot of other things to see too, Beale Street being one of the most popular. And while there visit the museum built around the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was short dead.
http://www.memphisite.com/

~ I would also suggest Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border. No explanation is required for this beautiful area.
http://www.bluelaketahoe.com/index.php

~ You will just love Mt Rushmore, stay at nearby Keystone or even Rapid City is a nice place.
Do take the time to drive a little further south to see the Crazy Horse Memorial being carved.
http://www.crazyhorse.org/
And as the answer above already mentioned, The Badlands are an awesome sight.
http://www.badlands.national-park.com/
And as you'll be crossing SD, call in to Wall Drug - you wont be able to miss it.
A little further east is the town of Mitchell where you can see the Corn Palace.
South Dakota is a surprising state with much to see.

~ In each state I like to visit the state capitol building and see the Governor's Mansion. The State Capitol in Oklahoma City has an oil rig on the grounds! While there you could visit the Memorial for those who died in the bombing at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building. It is quite moving.

~ See as much of Oregon as you can. The state has only one NP - "Crater Lake".
If I remember correctly it's impossibly round, 6,000 ft above sea level and is some 2,000ft deep, that makes for an incredibly blue lake.

~ See at least some of the Rocky Mountains, the scenery is spectacular.

~ A road trip around the Great Lakes is beautiful too, especially since your going up to Niagara Falls anyhow.
You then may get to cross upper New York state, where you'll find many beautiful towns.

~ Amish settlements are very interesting to visit. If you like quilting, these are the places to go. And those huge barns the Amish all build are spectacular. Holmes County in Ohio and Lancaster County in Pennsylvania have quite a number of settlements.
There are Amish settlements in Indiana too.

~ Indiana has more covered bridges than any other state.
But you will find covered bridges in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont; Pennsylvania (again in Lancaster County), well just about every mid and north eastern state has them.

~ If your passing through Illinois, visit Abraham Lincoln's (only) home in Springfield. Also his resting place.
No doubt, you will see his monument in DC.
http://www.springfield-il.com/attractions.php

~ Other cities I recommend are Chicago, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Galveston (you will never regret visiting this beautiful island on the Gulf).
http://www.galveston.com/default.asp
You have Philly covered and DC.
And as Route 66 will take you all the way to LA, (assuming your starting in the east). I urge you drive up the coast to San Francisco. Drive over the Golden Gate, visit the Fisherman's Wharf area, and do a bay cruise to tour Alcatraz.
http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/

~ While your visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, visit Gatlinburg, TN and Asheville (the ultimate North Carolina vacation destination).
http://www.gatlinburg-tennessee.com/
http://www.exploreasheville.com/index.aspx

~ And the best of all till last. Yellowstone National Park is just the most beautiful place in the country.
See old Faithful, waterfalls, rivers, lakes thermal feature; get up close to elk, bison, moose, bighorn sheep etc.
With Yellowstone it's all in one place!
You can easily spend 3+ days there.
There is accomodation in the park ranging from rustic to quite luxurious.
http://www.yellowstone.net/

~ I'm sorry this is so long but there is just so much to see in the US. We did two such road trips.
One for 6 months covering some 24,000miles and we missed Nebraska!
Have a fabulous and safe trip and thanks for the great question.

Answer 2

That's a great list, and you've gotten some great answers. How about adding Corbin Kentucky? It is home to Cumberland Falls, where the only known Moon bow (aside from Zimbabwe...but I'm not sure if it still happens regularly there) appears. If you don't know what it is, it is a rainbow that happens at night over the falls. It's really a fantastic sight. However, it only happens once a month (on a full moon) and the sky has to be clear. Here is a picture: http://d21c.com/moonbud/moonbow.jpg

Corbin is also home to the original KFC...I don't know if you care about that though. There is a museum in the cafe and a model of the town at the time it was built.

Also, if you go during the fall Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee is the place to be. They are the only states in the US where the leaves change colors. Very beautiful.

Then, there is Fort Knox Kentucky. That is where the nations gold is kept. However, you are not allowed to go inside it or take pictures...so, it may not be too fun. You can still see the outside!

Gatlinburg Tennessee is always fun. And, if you are wanting to see the Smoky Mountains that is the place to be...because it's in the heart of them. Also, check out Cherokee North Carolina (it's about 30 minutes from Gatlinburg). It's got a lot of Native American things...very interesting. Here is a site: http://www.gatlinburg.com/

Hope I helped some!

Answer 3

Hi,

sounds a great idea. I've made several cross country trips in the USA.

People's tastes vary, but one of the most memorable episodes on our last trip was the badlands of South Dakota. (You have already marked Mount Rushmore as a place to visit...so you'll be there) Allow a little time to truly 'get lost' in there, it is an impressive sight..

The Pacific Northwest (Washington/Oregon) is also a place we would not want to miss. The scenery is spectacular and the heavy forestation makes the area different from everywhere else.

In every State, though, the landmarks and points of interest are clearly marked and information is always easily obtained from tourist offices or city halls. Perhaps one of the most interesting ways to see things others may not have is to just aim your car and go...you may not know where you are going, but you will, for sure, remember where you end up. You'll find the most interesting of Americana...people! When they hear your accent everyone will want to talk to you, and divulge their favourite spot for visiting.

Perhaps do the first left turn, first right turn approach and see where you end up. Great fun!

American roads are very simple to follow and understand. All North/South roads are 'odd' numbers and all east/west roads are even numbers and distances are marked (in Miles) along each road. You should have no problems and a real good time.

Good luck,

BobSpain

Answer 4

get a good US road map . This is what my one lap of America in 2 months would look like. I can honestly tell you that I have actually been to all the places that I am sending you to. My destinations are very scenic and very historical and if I missed Washington dc you can do it on another trip. Some of the places I will send you to even many of your well traveled friends haven't been to.
Starting in NYC
Wall street historical Area
south to
Philadelphia- Independence Hall , Liberty Bell , Ben Franklin's House
NNW to
Valley Forge
WSW to
Lancaster- Pennsylvania Dutch Country and then onto
Gettysburg National Historic Battlefield
South to
Harper's Ferry WV of John Brown / Civil War Fame
Loop NW to Antietam National Battlefield @ Sharpsburg MD
Return to
Harper's Ferry and then 340 South to
Front Royal VA
Skyline Drive South through Shenandoah National Park
I-64 W to Staunton VA - Woodrow Wilson's Hometown and one of the few remaining antebellum towns in almost original condition in Virginia
I-64 East to Charlottesville
University of Virgina invented by Thomas Jefferson who lived a short distance away at Monticello - James Madison & Monroe were neighbors
Loop South on 29 to Lynchburg -Home of the Christian Right and a lot of American furniture manfacturing
then 440 E to Appomattox where the Civil War ended
440 into Richmond and then find I-64 E again and take that into Hampton Roads / Newport News/Williamsburg / Yorktown VA
The whole area is loaded w/ American history
Time to relax and take a nice drive along the beach.
Take 168 South and follow it to
Kitty Hawk of the Wright Brothers 12/17/03 fame and then continue on down the Outer Banks
taking the Ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke - and Ocracoke to the mainland
Your final destination on this leg is Charleston SC via Camp Lejune -USMC, & Myrtle Beach
to be continued__________________________
------------------------------------------------------------Back to directions
, Please do us both a favor and extend this question.
From Charleston where the Civil War began
head south following the water into Savannah which General WT Sherman presented to A. Lincoln as a Christmas present 12/64- which is why the historical section still looks
good. Savannah is worth a vist
The big question becomes how much of Florida do you really need to do ?
FL end to end & back will eat up at least 1000 miles and possibly 4-5 days travel
Personal choices :
Kennedy Space Center take the expensive tour from the visitor center , it's well worth it .
If there is any possible way to see a shuttle launch either on the southbound or northbound journey do so Launches are amazing sights and sounds to experience.How many of tour friends have seen that ?
I would do a bee line straight to Homestead FL .
I would spend two nights in Homestead and then Key West and back as a day trip one day one 250 miles round trip
Then do Everglades NP as a day trip on day two
Everglades NP is one of those hauntingly beautiful but ecologically fragile places that really need to be seen & experienced. Sadly because of Human encroachment The NP may only last another generation or two - see it while you can. Make sure you take the road all the way to the end at Flamingo and yes there is lodging there if you opt not to do two nights in Homestead
Leaving FL stay on US 41 thru the Everglades
N on 29
into 82
Trying to stay in what remains of wild florida
N on I-75 to I-10 W and then to Pensecola
The only good reason to stop in Pensecola is they have a great Naval Aviation Museum -
so if your into aviation Pensecola is one of the great places to be. Be aware of the fact that it is a very active military base and proper security and proper ID rules do apply
___________End of Florida ______________

Answer 5

I live in Utah. Since the Grand Canyon is on your list, why not check out The Grand Circle? Grand Canyon is part of it. The "circle" is a geographic area of tons of places to visit. Southern Utah is red rock country and is best known for Zion's National Park, Arches, Capital Reef (my favorite), Bryce Canyon and many archeological places of interest. I just Googled "The Grand Circle" and it pulled up many websites you can check out. Don't forget Mesa Verde in the Four Corners region of Colorado also. It's very interesting.

Answer 6

i suggest Florida Disney world and maybe Amelia island