WAY OT: BRAG ABOUT YOUR STATE.... I AM GOING TO BE DRIVING

Cross country, CA to PA with my Dad (83 yo) either this fall or spring. We have no direction planned.. except to eventually get to PA, where my sister and her family live. We do want to go to Montana... dont know why really.... but the rest of the trip is up for grabs. We will probably be gone for about 6 weeks.  What are your states 5 "CANT MISS" sights, activities etc. do you recommend.

I have never driven more than 5 hours away so would also like any and all suggestions that you have that would make this a wonderful, memorable trip for my Dad and I.  The only time he drove cross country was with my Mom about 12 years ago... just before she got ill and has since passed 2 years ago... so this will be a bitter sweet trip for him.  He is active, fairly health... slight stroke, and 3x by pass... but other than that... better than most of us and he loves to drive.... yes he is a safe driver... I will also  be driving.  He does like to fish so if there are any... gotta do.. fishing that could be good too.

thank you for all of your help and suggestions... btw... I have tried to post this 3 times now... LOL hope our trip is better than posting goes.

PA is mighty close to NY...you should come visit Letchworth State Park!  It's considered the grand canyon of the east!  It's only about an hour north of the PA line.

Well, unless you're planning a deep dip to Florida you won't be coming to my state, so I'll give you some of my favorite places that may be along your route. We just got back from Yellowstone, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. I would have to say Boise. It's beautiful, clean and friendly. The Birds of Prey attraction is lovely and educational. Yellowstone was AMAZING. You can drive in one entrance and out another. We saw so much wildlife. Vernal, UT is where Dinosaur National Monument is and that's pretty amazing too. Mt Rushmore is awesome too as is Wall Drug in Wall, SD. There's also the Black Hills in SD. It really depends on whether you go farther north, mid-country or south like Grand Canyon area.

Sounds like an amazing trip. If you do make it to Florida...PM me and I'll give you some ideas! Daytona International Speedway would be on the top of my list if you like NASCAR. The keys are beautiful and the Overseas highway is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever taken but that's all the way at the tip of the state!

Thank you both... these are amazing places that will be put on the to do list.   Those pix of the NY state park are just amazing....Oh this is going to be fun to plan....Hope others join in on what to see in their part of the country.

Fort Worth, Texas, where the west begins, has a lot to offer from museums to cowboys. Here is a link that gives a brief rundown of what we have to offer.

http://www.fortworth.com/cowboys-culture/

Hope you have a good trip.

Joan

If you come thru Ohio, I'd recommend a stop in Wayne or Holmes counties in Amish country.  Lehman's store is a great stop if you have at least a couple hours, there is so much to see there.  Of course tons of good food! 

And if you go a little farther north towards Cleveland, the West Side Market is a great stop.  They have anything food related you could ever imagine.  You can buy foods you can't find anywhere else, lots of awesome ethnic foods, and amazing local produce.  So much great stuff made right here in Ohio. 

There's a lot to do in Cleveland.  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the zoo, museums-art museum and a great natural history museum, too.  Lots of great restaurants there, too. 

Sounds like it will be a great trip, wishing you safe travels! 

No suggestions, Denise, just sayin' hey!

Hi, Denise!  Mainly wanted to say "Hi" but I have to agree with Yellowstone if you are going through Montana.  You can enter Yellowstone from the north and exit to the east or south gates.  We went to Yellowstone last year and really enjoyed that and the Grand Teton National Park that is just out the south gate of Yellowstone.  We stayed at a resort just outside Jackson Hole which is a nice getaway.  They have these amazing antler arches on all 4 sides of the city town square.  Of course Mt. Rushmore and Devil's Tower are close together on the Wyoming/South Dakota border.

Mary

I know that in St. Louis, MO, there's always the Gateway Arch to see. You can take trips to the top and there's a little museum at the base of it too. The zoo there is great. It's very good- the Science Center museum there is good too. We always love Silver Dollar City in MO because you get to watch the "making" of many things, done like they made them in the 1800's- there are the traditional park rides for kids too. It is so nice for any age- the many shops and crafts at Silver Dollar City. If you want to look up any of these places in more detail, just put the name in your browser "search" and it should give you many links.

Mary

I live in Virginia, but northern VA and Southern VA are two very different places. I live in Arlington. Arlington is just over the bridge to DC. So this is more about DC. We have loads of museums that are fantastic. Most of the museums are free. My favorite is the Spy museum, unfortunately they charge admission. There is also Arlington National cemetery, The White House, all the memorials etc. One thing I do recomend is Old Town Alexandria. It is a wonderful area full of historic buildings, interesting shops and restaurants. You can also go out to Mount Vernon. If you do come to DC I recommend taking a Doubledecker bus tour. It will take you to all the sights you want to see and you won' have to find parking or navigate the totaly confusing DC roads. I've lived here 12 years and I still get lost.  If you like Thai food, you MUST visit Bangkok 54. It is on Columbia Pike in Arlington. It is just up the hill from the Pentagon and Air Force memorial. It is the best Thai restaurant in the city.

I can't say much about Southern VA.  It is beautiful, but my experience there is very limited. I've been to Historic Williamsburg and really enjoyed it. I also love the Busch Gardens theme park, but I don't think that is what you are looking for. Hopefully someone from Southern Virginia can jump in and give you some input.

Hope this was helpful.

If you travel up through Oregon on the way to Montana, your first stop should be Crater Lake (in southern Oregon), if it isn't too late in the fall (when the snow falls, you can't get there again, until late spring).The Oregon coast is a beautiful site, as well. When you get to Portland (lots of great sites here, including the Grotto and the Portland Rose Gardens), on your northern journey, ther is a beautiful view of Mount Hood (another good excursion), as well as the mountains in Washington state (St. Helen's can be seen--remember the volcano that blew about 30 years ago?). As your trip take you east out of Portland, you will travel along the banks of the Columbia River. Many beautiful waterfalss, but be sure to stop at Multnomah Falls (right on the freeway and Columbia River). It is, as Crater Lake, BREATHTAKING!! There are many other sites, but, not knowing what route you might be taking, I just wanted to mention a few. Have a great trip with your father. What wonderful memories you will make!!

Toni

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