What has been your favorite US vacation spot?

[Marmee]

For Fall...the mountains in NC are unbeatable in terms of Fall color...there is a lot of fun & outdoorsy stuff to do around there too.

I am a huge fan of National Parks, especially out west. (Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Badlands, Glacier, etc). They are just unbeatable in terms of scenery, outdoorsy stuff. Moab, Sedona, Santa Fe & the mountain towns in CO are great to visit in Fall. I loved driving up the Cali coast. I can't really pick a favorite! I love cities too! I'd base that on weather & where you've already been.

I also really enjoyed Naples, FL & the Everglades.

[runblondie26]

Key West if we're looking to just kick back and relax

[LoveTrains]

If you can go in early october or up to Columbus Day, I would suggest Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park. Gorgeous time of year up there but the season is DONE (and I mean seriously done) by Columbus Day. The leaves might be past peak, though.

[mellymel]

Wells, Maine
Chicago
Napa Valley/Sonoma
Sedona
Colorado
Florida Keys
Maui, Hawaii (doesn't meet your criteria)
Minneapolis
Washington DC
Northern Michigan (Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Mackinac Island)

[daisypaloma]

Places we've gone to more than once:

Vegas

Sedona\Phoenix, AZ

San Diego, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
NYC

Palm Springs, CA

SF/Napa, CA

Lake Tahoe, CA

Portland, OR

[rbp]

Sept 5, 2014 11:44:45 GMT -5 @kjewell said:

Sept 5, 2014 11:41:14 GMT -5 v said:

Hawaii, but I guess that doesn't help.

How long are you planning on going for, and what do you want to do? My suggestions for a long weekend in a city would be very different from my suggestions for a week of relaxation.

We will have 5-6 days including travel time in Mid-October.  We aren't really looking for relaxing and aren't big on the night life.  We do enjoy some sightseeing as well as outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking.  To give you a general idea our favorite cities so far have been Seattle and Chicago.

Denver. We've been there twice in October, and the weather is lovely that time of year. Well, when we were there last October it was in the 50s-60s and then it snowed the day we left, so I guess you're taking a gamble with the weather. It's also a quick and cheap flight from ATL, but YMMV. 

On our first trip, we stayed in Denver and Boulder but didn't spend much time there. We went up to Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont, went hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, drove to the top of Pike's Peak, and cruised the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. On our second trip, we stayed around Denver the whole time. We did the Denver Microbrew Tour (highly recommended) and went hiking at Red Rocks. Every time we visit, we wonder why we don't live there!

[wavepool]

San Diego and Yellowstone

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2014 14:35:33 GMT -5 mellymel said:

Wells, Maine
Chicago
Napa Valley/Sonoma
Sedona
Colorado
Florida Keys
Maui, Hawaii (doesn't meet your criteria)
Minneapolis
Washington DC
Northern Michigan (Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Mackinac Island)

Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies!  This is the route we decided to go.  We live in Michigan and were both born and raised in Southeast Michigan.  I even lived in the UP for a while and neither of us has ever been to Traverse City, time to explore our own state!

[asoctoberfalls]

I've been all over the US, minus the west coast. My favorite spots have been Yellowstone and Gettysburg, PA.

[mellymel]

Sept 5, 2014 15:23:12 GMT -5 @kjewell said:

Sept 5, 2014 14:35:33 GMT -5 mellymel said:

Wells, Maine
Chicago
Napa Valley/Sonoma
Sedona
Colorado
Florida Keys
Maui, Hawaii (doesn't meet your criteria)
Minneapolis
Washington DC
Northern Michigan (Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Mackinac Island)

Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies!  This is the route we decided to go.  We live in Michigan and were both born and raised in Southeast Michigan.  I even lived in the UP for a while and neither of us has ever been to Traverse City, time to explore our own state!

Let me know if you need any Northern Michigan recs! I'm such a huge fan, we even got married in Petoskey! We go several times a year.

[carfar]

Sept 5, 2014 13:25:31 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

Oh, yes - SF is not at all like NYC. Both are great, but for very different reasons.

zoomzoom that's funny that you found SF crowded. I find it delightfully roomy compared to NYC. Different experiences for sure!

mbcdefg, SF definitely doesn't have an east coast feel. If that was your first visit to a West Coast city, I can see why it might have been a culture shock. And if you ever do come back to Cleveland, let me know! I can make some recommendations.

Interesting... I'm born and raised in SF and spent 4 summers in NYC. and while it is definitely different, I never really felt what I would call culture shock during the time I spent in NYC and in up state NY == shrug ==

[orangeblossom]

I really enjoyed Seattle, Portland and New Orleans.

[Deleted]

I'd do a foliage trip. New England area or Utah + Colorado.

[wanderlustmom]

Sept 5, 2014 15:23:12 GMT -5 @kjewell said:

Sept 5, 2014 14:35:33 GMT -5 mellymel said:

Wells, Maine
Chicago
Napa Valley/Sonoma
Sedona
Colorado
Florida Keys
Maui, Hawaii (doesn't meet your criteria)
Minneapolis
Washington DC
Northern Michigan (Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Mackinac Island)

Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies!  This is the route we decided to go.  We live in Michigan and were both born and raised in Southeast Michigan.  I even lived in the UP for a while and neither of us has ever been to Traverse City, time to explore our own state!

I grew up in northern ohio and have never been either. My friend said the water is as clear as the carribean.

My favorite US places are either extremes. Either give me city life and lots of people watching and fun (NYC, Chicago, Nashville,  San Fran and New Orleans because they are not generic and have character). NYC is really a league of its own. Swoon. 

Or give me the beautiful outdoors--Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, northern Minnesota 

[dexteroni]

That sounds awesome. That part of Michigan is supposed to be wonderful. Have fun!

[sparty04]

New Orleans. I went twice in one year and plan to go back again

[faith194]

I just got home from Montana. Glacier National Park is stunning! Maine and the Mt Washington area in NH have a special place in my heart!


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[h]

NYC in the fall or around holiday time
Hilton Head in the summer
Vail during ski season
Napa and Sonoma any time
San Diego area (Legoland/beach/zoo) if traveling with small kids

[krystee]

San Francisco, but only if you leave the city and hike in the redwoods, drive up the coast to Monterey, maybe go wine tasting for a day, etc.

Also Charleston, but staying in a beach house on Isle of Palm.

Or a road trip on the East Coast to see the fall colors (haven't done this one yet, but I want to!)

[jayhawkbecca]

Kennebunkport
Hilton head

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[mx27]

San Francisco
Maui

[dirtyred]

I loved the Mt. Rushmore area of South Dakota.  Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Tucson, Albuquerque....

[jillboston]

Boston is beautiful in October and tons to see -from there a short drive to Maine, NH and / or VT.

[preppy]

Block Island
Key West
Coronado
Chicago
Yosemite National Park

[ddi741]

For a long weekend - Charleston, SC. I love the he historic district but my favorite place to stay is Middleton Place. I also loved Tampa,Fl for spring training.

[awkwardpenguin]

We love Northern Michigan but it's another place that closes down hard on Columbus Day. We're at Sleeping Bear Dunes right now - it's really really gorgeous.

Asheville, NC is on my must visit list for hiking and microbrews.

[Deleted]

Sept 6, 2014 8:24:38 GMT -5 tillie said:

My fav was helicopter ride through Sedona and Grand Canyon. Pricey, but so worth it.

Went to Myrtle Beach (which I didn't really like) but actually found a safari we could go on! We got to see, touch and hold baby chimps, tigers, falcons, orangutans, monkies , and baby lions! Great shows, tours, etc. the best thing I have ever done. Now, it was like $3k just for DH and I, but so with every penny!

Vegas was OK. The shows are good, but we aren't big gamblers, so that gets old. We did like Red Rock Canyon.

Please please please send me more info on this.  We are actually going to be in Myrtle Beach in a couple weeks and H would love this.  If you could pm me a website I would appreciate it!

[orval]

Haven't read all the posts, but definitely Asheville, NC. Maybe a side trip to Charlotte with the US National Whitewater Center.

[RoxMonster]

Excluding Hawaii, my favorite US vacation has been NorCal. We did SF for a few days, did a day trip to Napa, then drove down Highway 1 and spent three days in Carmel. I would go back and re-do this trip in a heartbeat.

[froggy76]

Pacific NW (Seattle, Olympic Penninsula, and even up into Canada for Vancouver)
Asheville, NC (stayed at the Inn at Biltmore in May and it was amazing)