Teach Soap

So, super crazy excited, it's pretty much decided, hubby & I are going to the states this winter!!!
*back flips, dances round the room*

Um, that's our winter, probably in May, like a couple of months time! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Length of time still up for grabs, I'm trying really hard to push 10 weeks but will prob be 8 wks with some time in Canada (hubby worked there for 6mths).

So, big question, recommended areas to go, things to see, etc. Which States have what? Neither of us have been before

Thanks so much, can't wait!

ETA: I realise this is not much time for such a huge country & will have to select certain areas & miss others!

Congrats on your vacation. As far as where to go, it depends what you want to do. Do you want to relax by the ocean? Go for a hike? Explore antique mining towns? Go shopping?

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

What kind of things do you like? Are you a nature person (Grand Canyon! Appalachian Trail!) or a city girl (New York! Chicago! San Francisco!)?

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
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Yep, trust me to forget something important!

We will hire a car for at least some of it, probably a lot. Really really hard to get hubby to relax, (some would say impossible, so it will probably be a 'doing' holiday. Both of us enjoy nature & can only last a very short time in cities, Europe was easy because there are cities you 'need' to go to to see some of the history, etc. I really don't know anything about America's cities, & hubby won't be keen on spending too much time there either.

National parks, definately, but which etc? I have no idea

Are some states famous for certain types of scenery? ie. flat, hilly, canyons etc. Such a big place!

The NPS site may help you! http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

But you're right, it's a very diverse country! I am an active outdoors person and fell in love with West Virginia even though there is no ocean (I really really love the ocean and am lucky to live 40 mins away). I never even hit highways when I am there, all back roads, just like a race track. Total heaven to me

I live in New England which is also very beautiful and full of history.

ps - I would check out certain National Parks before visiting unless they really appeal to you.

By this I mean, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone are National Parks and huge majestic tourist attractions.

Some others are more of a historical designation. I am pretty sure the NPS site gives some good insight to each park though.

Also, Nevada Barr writes books about a park ranger in different parks. A friend loaned some to me and they are amazing! It wasn't until I read them that I realized how many National Parks there were.

Where will you be when you visit Canada?

How exciting that you get to take such a long vacation! It's hard to pick just one thing to tell you to see, there is so much, and all the regions are different. I can tell you a bit about places I've lived and visited that I liked.

Southern California is warm and dry, usually beautiful weather year round. In June it used to get overcast and foggy a lot and we always called it "the June Gloom". Lots of touristy things to do in San Diego and Los Angeles areas - Seaworld, Disney, Knotts Berry Farm, Hollywood, Universal Studios, etc. It's close to Mexico, although I don't know how it is to cross the border these days safety-wise. Less than a days drive to Las Vegas, Nevada. My parents have driven the scenic route up the coast and really enjoyed it. Southern California is more desert-like, I haven't been up in Northern California.

New York is someplace to see - big city and lots of places to check out. Theatre, restaurants, museums, etc. You can drive up the coast from there and see places like Boston, New Hampshire, Maine. Lots of woods, people go there a lot in the fall to see the leaves changing colors, not sure how it is in the spring but it's the coast so I'm sure it's beautiful any time of year.

If you have opportunity to go to Florida the beaches are great, the east coast of Fla has bigger waves and the west coast is usually calmer. The ocean water is so warm and clear, it's lovely!

Just a few places but my favorites!

How exciting for you! I would love to be able to visit another country for 2 months!
This is a huge country and definitely requires a lot of planning, time and money to visit different areas.
I think a few of our "must sees" include the Grand Canyon, the Badlands, Redwood National Forest, and Yellowstone National Park. If you love beaches, Sanibel Island (near Ft Meyers, Florida) has some of the best shelling and prettiest white sand beaches in the state. Every state has its own climate and the geography varies a lot. Almost every state has something to offer in the way of interesting things to do and see though, as far as I am concerned anyway (except for maybe Iowa, lol). I have lived in many states and the beauty and differences of each has always amazed me. No matter what states you visit, you are sure to find interesting places to see! When you narrow your itinerary down to an area of the country or a few states, I am sure that we will all have some great suggestions.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

So happy for you! What a wonderful vacation!
Just keep in mind that most places in the states are getting anywhere from pretty warm to darned hot in May and that may affect where you want to visit.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Is Niagara Falls on your list of places to see? If not, I highly suggest it. I've been there twice & we're saving up to bring our kids in 2014.
There's so many places to see around there. On the Canadian side there's beautiful gardens, a safari, vineyards, beautiful shops and a couple of my favorite places, Hersheys chocolate store & Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum. On the New York side of the falls, there's beautiful vineyards, parks, art museums, boat tours, gardens, Cave of the Winds.

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Genny

Hmmm Im in NC where we range from mountain ranges to rolling hills to the beach. Probably one of the best places I know to go here would be the Biltmore House in Ashville NC. Its a very cool place and beautiful in the spring. If you wanna go beach in nc you can always check Kitty hawk where "Flight" was born

Well if you can get to the Pacific Northwest (that's washington/oregon area) we have some VERY beautiful hiking/nature stuff to do. It's very diverse even here but VERY green...and wet. It does rain quite frequently here. The east side of washington is more desert and the costline is rainforest. So have fun, there's lots to do.

Not sure where you are from, but my advice would be to seek out something as different from your home environment as possible. For example, if you don't have deserts in your country, I'd suggest Arizona (Sedona) or New Mexico (Santa Fe or Taos). If you don't have a tropical climate, consider Florida or Georgia. If you live in a flat region - visit a high altitude state like Colorado or Wyoming.

Wow! Awesome advice here ladies!

Still no closer on deciding any particular destinations, such a big country! Have written all these suggestions down though, as soon as I get some time to stop working (been working away for a couple of weeks) I'll start some investigating!

In Canada, we will visit, BC & Alberta, hubby worked in Alberta for 6mths beekeeping so he wants me to have a look around. I'm more than happy of course!!!

Wanna visit Otion! Everywhere we go I'll be frequenting farmers markets or whatever you call them & keeping a look out for soapy goodies!

Some 'retail therapy' is a must although this will need to be 'express' as my very dear travelling companion has zero tolerance for it

Thanks for all the advice so far ladies!