Americans: I need your advice and recommendations

[SAficionado]

I'm coming to visit your fair shores in for a couple months starting October. It would be a huge help to get some local knowledge about what to see, do and eat. Particularly non-touristy, off-the-beaten-track type things. We are starting in NYC and driving to LA and have at least a night or 2 at the following places along the way:

Atlantic City

Philadelphia

DC

Blueridge parkway

Savannah

Orlando

Miami

Tampa

Panama City

New Orleans

Memphis

Dallas

San Antonio

Amarillo

Albuquerque

Bluff

Flagstaff

Vegas

Napa Valley

San Fran

San Simeon

LA

If you live in/ have lived in/ have heard of any of these places and can give me the heads up on anything that must bee seen or done it would be hugely appreciated. I love food, the outdoors and anything pretty much anything weird or different.

Thanks in advance!

[Kishi]

I've traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's definitely worth seeing, and a great kind of wilderness. While I can't give you any specifics beyond "STOP AND LOOK AT THE NATURE," I can recommend a few different state parks in North Carolina that are worth seeing.

Stone Mountain is a good one, as is Chimney Rock and Grandfather Mountain. If you can go up Elk Knob, which is located close to Boone, NC, it is extremely pretty.

I don't know if such trips would represent a significant delay for you, but if you can afford the time they're worth it.

[SAficionado]

We are doing the Blueridge over 4 or 5 days. I think we will have at least 1 night in/around Boone. Really looking forward to that part of the trip! We will definitely be stopping to look at all the nature. I don't really know what to expect or what there is along the way. We have booked some accommodation in Luray but need to arrange some others. Thanks for the reply!

[Sea Level]

If you're going to San Simeon to see Hearst Castle, you could come to Death Valley to see Scotty's Castle (a shameless plug; I work there.) It's about 3 hours from Vegas. Or at least visit Death Valley itself, 2 hours from Vegas. It's the lowest point in North America (-282 ft / -86m). Touristy, yes, but less so than Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon is a great place just outside of Vegas. And you're going to the Grand Canyon, I assume?

Personally I think the Bellagio fountains are the best touristy casino attraction in Vegas.

[Rivanariko]

If you're going through Amarillo, check out Cadillac Ranch. Very quirky Americana. Quite literally, some crazy rich guy decided to plant 6 classic Cadillacs in the middle of a field and then invite the public to come paint them. You can pick up some spray paint at home depot or something in Amarillo and go leave your mark. Probably one of my favorite memories form road tripping cross country.

[SAficionado]

If you're going to San Simeon to see Hearst Castle, you could come to Death Valley to see Scotty's Castle (a shameless plug; I work there.) It's about 3 hours from Vegas. Or at least visit Death Valley itself, 2 hours from Vegas. It's the lowest point in North America (-282 ft / -86m). Touristy, yes, but less so than Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon is a great place just outside of Vegas. And you're going to the Grand Canyon, I assume?

Personally I think the Bellagio fountains are the best touristy casino attraction in Vegas.

We will definitely be checking out Hearst Castle, I hear the drive from San Fran to LA is really nice. That little Canyon thing is a must see too, we are going to see monument valley etc. I would be very keen to check out Death Valley, will have to see how we are for time. The plan is to head from Vegas up to Lake Tahoe which is a pretty big haul.

[SAficionado]

If you're going through Amarillo, check out Cadillac Ranch. Very quirky Americana. Quite literally, some crazy rich guy decided to plant 6 classic Cadillacs in the middle of a field and then invite the public to come paint them. You can pick up some spray paint at home depot or something in Amarillo and go leave your mark. Probably one of my favorite memories form road tripping cross country.

Haha the things on the list for Amarillo so far are Cadillac Ranch and Steak house for a 72oz steak. I'll have to remember to bring my spray paint.

[BopGun]

We will definitely be checking out Hearst Castle, I hear the drive from San Fran to LA is really nice.

It is. I made it once. Definitely set aside some time to explore Big Sur when you make it.

[SAficionado]

It is. I made it once. Definitely set aside some time to explore Big Sur when you make it.

Wow, I've just been looking at the Big Sur. Looks amazing! It's somewhere I hadn't heard about or considered. Just the kind of place I'd hoped this thread would turn up, Thanks!

If anyone has any recommendations for eateries or things that must be tried. "You gotta get a roast pork sandwich from DiNic's in Philly" etc, I'm all ears.

[YoDoc]

In dallas, you must eat bbq. My favorite is North Main BBQ in Euless. It also happens to be right up the street from me.

Also, we have a pretty good art museum, and you MUST see the Fort Worth stockyards. They do an actual, working cattle drive every day.

[dshale]

We are doing the Blueridge over 4 or 5 days. I think we will have at least 1 night in/around Boone. Really looking forward to that part of the trip! We will definitely be stopping to look at all the nature. I don't really know what to expect or what there is along the way. We have booked some accommodation in Luray but need to arrange some others. Thanks for the reply!

If you like to eat wild game try The Gamekeeper near Blowing Rock. Expect about $50 a person if you don't drink. I don't live that far away from Boone and go up there every year. I have two young boys so we don't get very adventurous. My five year old is starting to want to do more things. I guess next year we are going to split off a little bit so he and I can do some rafting or something similar.

[Bacon]

If you're in Luray, VA it's worth going to Old Rag Mt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Rag_Mountain if you have the better part of a day to do the hike. It's small as mountains go (just barely over 1km) but the view from the top is pretty cool. I generally go up the 'trail' side and back down the fire road side just because its faster. The trail side is pretty rocky at the top and while it doesn't really require any climbing is more strenuous.

I guess Luray caverns is pretty cool too... but I'm not a big fan of caves

[cline]

Honestly, in Philadelphia some of the best things are touristy. I know... but they are wonderful. This was the birthplace of our country and it's really important. You can most certainly see the Liberty Bell (but you can see it without a tour) - but that's not very important. I would highly highly recommend Independence Hall . It's located in a lovely neighborhood with plenty of restaurants and it's a nice location for staying/hotel. You might read about South street - but it is not worth it - many storefronts are empty and it's not what it was. University of Pennsylvania is a lovely university if you like strolling around universities. Personally, one of my favorite things to tell people about is a tour of our City Hall - it's awesome. Call first to make sure you can go. Then you can walk up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum. If you groove on art, go there. They also have large Asian collections and a really large furniture collection. Also some temples have been rebuilt inside. The gardens around the art museum are also lovely. Also, the Barnes museum is newly moved and just opened and the Rodin museum was just renovated.

Off the beaten path but near enough to Independence Hall are two of my favorites: Physick House and the Powell House. I often take out of towners to one or both. I love them both.

An itinerary might be to stay in or near Independence Mall area, see Independence Hall, walk to one or both Physick and Powell (they are all nearby) and eat in the area near Independence Mall or the area at 2nd & Lombard/South. That's a really nice day spent in a lovey neighborhood and some good food.

If there is something else you might want, post or PM me. I live downtown and can make a lot of recommendations.

[Jcannon98188]

In dallas, you must eat bbq. My favorite is North Main BBQ in Euless. It also happens to be right up the street from me.

Also, we have a pretty good art museum, and you MUST see the Fort Worth stockyards. They do an actual, working cattle drive every day.

If you swing by North/South Carolina at all you HAVE to try Carolina style BBQ. It is vinegar based sauce as opposed to the tomato sauce used by Texans. Both Carolina and Texas are delicious BBQ styles though

[NorthFloridaNinja]

I'm from Orlando. Good call visiting in October or later since tourist season will be over. If you're trying to do the theme parks, try for any day other than Friday or Saturday since those are by far the busiest days. Also, I know Disney's the one everyone comes for, but Islands of Adventure (at Universal Studios) is by far the best park in Orlando and it has Harry Potter world. There's some cool and lesser known stuff along International Drive too. I'd try to give you some less tourist-y stuff, but it's Orlando so that's all there really is.

Since you're going to Tampa, Busch Gardens OWNS every park in Orlando. I'm not from the area though, so I don't know what else it really has to offer.

While in Miami, definitely talk a walk down South Beach. The art deco architecture is awesome. And, there's tons of bars serving giant drinks for $9.99.

Panama City Beach is gorgeous. Hopefully, you'll have good beach weather. It's not unusual for it to be in 80's here during October/November, so you probably will. Of course, you probably use the metric system and would have to convert it to know what I'm talking about, lol.

[KAllen]

Depends on what time you'll be in NOLA(New Orleans, LA) as what you can do. Halloween is always a cool thing in NOLA. You can check out a game of my beloved Saints(see the best QB in the NFL at this time). World War II museum. Aquarium of the Americas, Audobon Zoo, Audobon Insectorium. Blain Kern's Mardi Gras Museum(THE Louisiana Party since 1699).

I posted a lots of links in this thread... http://www.nerdfitness.com/community/showthread.php?13029-Nawlins-for-free!-(almost)

[wildross]

Dallas - The Mustangs of Las Colinas - I think it is the largest outdoor bronze sculpture in the states/world/something. Anyway, pretty cool. I've heard that the tour of the new Cowboys Stadium is really neat. Reunion Tower restaurant is a revolving restaurant about 500' up. $$$ but pretty cool to watch helicoptors go by below you. Fort Worth Stockyards (as mentioned) are really supposed to be worth the trip. There is also a cool outdoor cowboy sculpture in Fort Worth. Try to swing through the Shepler's store for some western clothes.

Some other comments. Camera obviously. I would suggest a pair of binoculars as well. There are some great views off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If your trip is before late November, you probably need to make hotel reservations now for the Blue Ridge area. Quite popular because of the fall colors. You're going to need clothes for a lot of different climates. New York in the late fall/early winter can be cold, as can the Blue Ridge. Miami/Orlando will not be cold. Amarillo, Albuquerque and Flagstaff are all high plains/low mountains and can get pretty cold. So give that some thought. You are probably going to see at least 50 degrees of variation, maybe more.

How long is this trip taking you? You've got some serious zigging and zagging going on there.

Post in the meetup forum when you get a better idea of timing. There is a cluster of NF folk around Dallas, TX and several here in Houston as well.

[SAficionado]

Panama City Beach is gorgeous. Hopefully, you'll have good beach weather. It's not unusual for it to be in 80's here during October/November, so you probably will. Of course, you probably use the metric system and would have to convert it to know what I'm talking about, lol.

I'm getting to grips with miles to kilometers, Fahrenheit to celcius etc but I can see fl oz to ml being an issue. Hopefully I'll be on the receiving end of some larger than expected beers!

Starting to get a really good list together, thanks for all the suggestions so far. It's tricky deciding where in the major cities to stay so as to not miss out on all the action. Manhattan for instance... Soho or midtown or the Upper East side? Too many options!

I can't wait to get into the BBQ ribs and wings. It's going to be amazing

[gymell]

Around and near Orlando there are some good places for birdwatching. Merrit Island Wildlife Refuge is owned by NASA and has a large area of lagoons and ponds that you can drive around. The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey is right outside of Orlando and is open to the public. Further south, between Miami and Tampa, is the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, an Audubon Society nature sanctuary with a 2 1/2 mile boardwalk through different habitats.

When you're out west, you might want to check out Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, not too far from Albuquerque. It's the winter home of thousands of cranes, geese, etc. I've never been there but it's definitely on my list.

Just a few ideas if you like nature!

[SAficionado]

Dallas - The Mustangs of Las Colinas - I think it is the largest outdoor bronze sculpture in the states/world/something. Anyway, pretty cool. I've heard that the tour of the new Cowboys Stadium is really neat. Reunion Tower restaurant is a revolving restaurant about 500' up. $$$ but pretty cool to watch helicoptors go by below you. Fort Worth Stockyards (as mentioned) are really supposed to be worth the trip. There is also a cool outdoor cowboy sculpture in Fort Worth. Try to swing through the Shepler's store for some western clothes.

Some other comments. Camera obviously. I would suggest a pair of binoculars as well. There are some great views off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If your trip is before late November, you probably need to make hotel reservations now for the Blue Ridge area. Quite popular because of the fall colors. You're going to need clothes for a lot of different climates. New York in the late fall/early winter can be cold, as can the Blue Ridge. Miami/Orlando will not be cold. Amarillo, Albuquerque and Flagstaff are all high plains/low mountains and can get pretty cold. So give that some thought. You are probably going to see at least 50 degrees of variation, maybe more.

How long is this trip taking you? You've got some serious zigging and zagging going on there.

Post in the meetup forum when you get a better idea of timing. There is a cluster of NF folk around Dallas, TX and several here in Houston as well.

We are planning on 56 days at this stage. We'll be driving about 8000 miles all up, I'll post a map of the planned route when I figure out how. We should be prepared for the temperature variations, it'll be when we get back home to 90 deg + 99% humidity that will be the challenge. We've booked a few places along the Blueridge (Yogi Bear resort haha) so should be sorted there.

[smedly]

Nice to see Albuquerque on the list! I would recommend hiking the La Luz trail up to the top of the Sandia Mountains and taking the tram back down. The tram is a bit touristy but still a good experience. Also be sure to try the green chile here!

[Oogiem]

YOu're going more south of us or I'd suggest coming up into Colorado. Our local Harvest festival is the last weekend in September, a bit too early fro you but October and the Aspens turning golden and is lovely. Also don't underestimate how big America is, at least from Australia you know about size but a lot of times folks forget that it can take days to travel across a single state (Texas comes to mind )

You're doing a lot of back and forth, up and down. Might rethink the trip a bit even if it leaves off a few nice places to be a bit more direct so you can spend time in each location.

I'd got to Austin instead of Dallas for BBQ. I'd also skip Las Vegas entirely and stick to the outskirts instead but that is me.

[wildross]

The Everglades are a must see in south Florida in my book as well

wildross - warriors count tons, not reps

[Atalan]

I'm getting to grips with miles to kilometers, Fahrenheit to celcius etc but I can see fl oz to ml being an issue. Hopefully I'll be on the receiving end of some larger than expected beers!

Starting to get a really good list together, thanks for all the suggestions so far. It's tricky deciding where in the major cities to stay so as to not miss out on all the action. Manhattan for instance... Soho or midtown or the Upper East side? Too many options!

I can't wait to get into the BBQ ribs and wings. It's going to be amazing

To fully do New York City might require a vacation as long as the one you're planning.

[YoDoc]

Busch Gardens in Tampa is amazing. I used to go there twice a summer growing up.