1 week in the US?

[katherine2473]

Good morning!
DH and I have managed to wangle a week's holiday in mid-Oct, which is fantastic news! Our original plan (and still our favourite) is to non-rev to Hawaii (and keep the costs down), but the loads already look v heavy with 2 months to go!
So, we're now looking elsewhere, if nothing else as a back up plan. I want to go somewhere PJ hasn't been (which could be interesting with a pilot!), which rules out San Fran, New Orleans, Key West and a bunch of other 'obvious' choices.
I was looking through the Lonely Planet guide to the US and came up with:
* Yosemite/Sequoia NP (but neither of us are really mad keen hikers, so I suspect a week would get a bit long)
* Oregon (not sure why, just like the look of it! I read Sophie's Bakery for the Broken Hearted - I think it's called - and it struck a chord!)
* Montana (again, just like the look of it, but what does one do there?)
Any suggestions? It needs to be somewhere reasonably accessible in the sense of being close-ish to an airport United fly into. We have 7 days from start to finish. We both love oceans and nature (in moderation!) but have no interest in camping or roughing it too much.
Ideas from all you US wives please!
Thanks,
Katherine

[dizzy]

Originally Posted by katherine2473

Good morning!
DH and I have managed to wangle a week's holiday in mid-Oct, which is fantastic news! Our original plan (and still our favourite) is to non-rev to Hawaii (and keep the costs down), but the loads already look v heavy with 2 months to go!
So, we're now looking elsewhere, if nothing else as a back up plan. I want to go somewhere PJ hasn't been (which could be interesting with a pilot!), which rules out San Fran, New Orleans, Key West and a bunch of other 'obvious' choices.
I was looking through the Lonely Planet guide to the US and came up with:
* Yosemite/Sequoia NP (but neither of us are really mad keen hikers, so I suspect a week would get a bit long)
* Oregon (not sure why, just like the look of it! I read Sophie's Bakery for the Broken Hearted - I think it's called - and it struck a chord!)
* Montana (again, just like the look of it, but what does one do there?)
Any suggestions? It needs to be somewhere reasonably accessible in the sense of being close-ish to an airport United fly into. We have 7 days from start to finish. We both love oceans and nature (in moderation!) but have no interest in camping or roughing it too much.
Ideas from all you US wives please!
Thanks,
Katherine

Katherine,

You might try Seattle or San Francisco. For me both Montana & Oregon are beautiful but very much about doing outdoor stuff. Montana will be getting cold too about September, so that may not be too fun. San Francisco is probably my 2nd favorite city behind New York that I have been to. You could even take a drive from there up to Monterrey where they have a great aquarium and some really awesome seafood. San Fran is also a fairly short drive to the wine country where there is of course...wine...but many romantic bed and breakfasts that you can stay at. I guess it depends on what your goal is for this vacation. Phoenix starts to finally cool down in October and if you play golf you could have a great golf vacation. I think Kristi posted something about the Marriott Desert Ridge that you could look up. It is a great hotel with lots to do within a very few minutes. Hope that helps...let me know if you decide to come to Phoenix, I would be happy to play tour guide or just recommend some things to do.

Denise

[HeffsRah]

San Diego? Just a thought. My bf's sister lives there and she loves it and says the weather is always beautiful. She moved there in march when it was still snowing here and called saying she was laying on the beach in sunny weather.

You've probably been to Washington DC, but theres alot to see there if you're into the history of the place...you can see alot of really interesting things for free and then save the money to stay at really nice hotels and enjoy fine dining...take a look at Washington DC Hotels: Willard InterContinental Washington ... seems very romantic to me.

Theres nothing wrong with going to Disney World for a week

What about Santa Fe? I've never been there myself, but it seems beautiful to me ... Santa Fe Getaway - Escape to Santa Fe

My last suggestion is Jackson Hole, Wyoming...one of my good friends honeymooned there...it looks beautiful from the pictures... here's a great site for it and United and United Express have service there in the winter months...Jackson Hole

[czechmate]

I second DC (tons of stuff to do for free) and then maybe a trip to the east coast. (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, etc.)
anywhere in Florida, Myrtle Beach or Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah Georgia, - I love them all.
Chicago and Denver are fun!!!


How about Dollywood in Tennesee -- America at it's best!!!!

[katherine2473]

Originally Posted by czechmate

I second DC (tons of stuff to do for free) and then maybe a trip to the east coast. (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, etc.)
anywhere in Florida, Myrtle Beach or Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah Georgia, - I love them all.
Chicago and Denver are fun!!!


How about Dollywood in Tennesee -- America at it's best!!!!

PJ lives in Chicago so that is definitely a no no!!
Thanks all of you, I am giving it some real thought. I really want us to go somewhere that neither of us have been before so that we see it together and have memories there of just us... He has lived in San Diego, San Fran, Jacksonville (and had girlfriends in pretty much everywhere else with an airport...!) so he has loads of memories there without me already.
I did have a trawl back through old travel posts and saw someone raving about Shelter Cove on the Lost Coast of N CA... and that has definitely stirred my interest!
I can't believe the loads to Hawaii though - I naively thought the 2nd week of Oct would be quiet there!

[roz]

San Francisco is a fun town and wine country in Napa and Sonoma can be very romantic. Seattle is a great city as well! The fall season in New England is spectacular, as well. Washington DC is great--but I would do that in the spring because the Cherry Blossoms are fun to see!

Oh and, duh, in October, the Eastern shore of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay is fabulous--Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels, Tiglman's Island, as is Cape May, NJ and Philadelphia, Chadds Ford, New Hope (all in Pennsylvania).

[Imachickadee75]

I have to plug my homestate of New York. I grew up in the central portion between Rochester and Syracuse and in October the fall colors will be fantastic. Additionally, there is a whole wine industry where my parents live -over thirty wineries up and down our lake in the Finger Lakes. There are lots of beautiful Bed and Breakfasts to hole up in too. Of course there is Niagra Falls, and Toronto within a 2 and 4 hour drive respectively, New York City 6 hours, the Adrirondack Mountains 6 hours. Other Northeastern states offer a lot too and are an easy drive (or flight)

Jackie

[roz]

Then don't forget home of my alma mater: Ithaca which is gorges!

[Imachickadee75]

Oh, yeah, I hadn't thought of Ithaca! Are you a Cornell or Ithaca College Alum? My sister grad from the Ithaca College school of music in the 80's!

[roz]

Big Red!