What's the best trip you've taken in the U.S.?

[PirateLover]

We took a short trip with my husband's extended family to Yellowstone last summer and had a great time. Now we are looking to do trips with that group every 1-2 years and are compiling our bucket list. What were some of the best trips you've taken in the U.S.? What did you see and do?

[faline]

Love Hawaii!! We've done four trips to Hawaii total - one was a cruise of Hawaii years ago (Great way to get an overview of all that Hawaii has to offer). Our last three trips have been split between Oahu and Maui. For two of those, we spent a few days in Waikiki before moving on to Hawaii. On our last trip, we spent a few days at Aulani before moving on to Hawaii. On Oahu, you can explore the North Shore (where the big surfing competitions take place), visit Pearl Harbor (NOT to be missed); explore the USS Missouri; and the submarine, Bowfin; head to the air museum on Ford Island; hang out at the beach; wander through the shops in Waikiki; visit the Aloha Tower. Maui is pretty laid back but there is still plenty to see and do. Spend a day driving the Hana highway - if you're lucky and there were recent rains, you'll see a number of waterfalls. Visit Iao Valley State Park - the site of a bloody battle important in Hawaiian history; drive up through the North Shore; visit the aquarium; travel to the top of Haleakala (Many book sunrise tours here) but be careful as the air can be quite thin by time you reach the top; explore the shops and dining in Lahaina (an old whaling town); in season (December-March primarily) book a whale watch cruise; walk the beach; snorkel; etc etc.

Another favorite was a visit to the Grand Canyon. We booked a cabin (We made the booking a year in advance as these reservations go quickly) right on the rim of the canyon. Loved being able to open our shades in the morning and seeing the canyon right there. Here, you can hike, take a bus tour of other areas, ride mules to the bottom of the canyon if you are so inclined (we did not do this); take a train ride; relax and enjoy the scenery!!

Of course, there is Disney World. We return to this location again and again and always find new and fun things to do!!

Have you been to Niagara Falls? If not, that is another worthwhile location to visit.

[Melanie]

Our best trip was a 3 week road trip, where we drove from east Texas, to California and back. We stopped at numerous national and state parks in about 7 states, as well as Disneyland and Las Vegas. So much fun!

How far are y'all looking to go and for how long?

[NJGIRL]

With a larger group here's a trip that can appeal to everyone.

We did a Grand Canyon / Las Vegas trip.....Stayed 4 days at the El Tovar. It was wonderful...and 7 days at the Venetian.... that was great too!

Don't discount Las Vegas for kids either. We had my son with us who was under 10 at the time. We did Hoover Dam, an Old West Village, tons of stuff on the strip....Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Rides at NY NY & Stratosphere, Animals & Volcano at the Mirage, M&M store/attraction, King Tut stuff, Fountains at the Bellagio, Tower at the Paris, Excalibur had a fun knight dinner show, Venetian had the gondola ride, we did Cirque de Soleil shows....and know how I am forgetting a lot.

It was a great trip!

[NJGIRL]

Here's another one if you don't mind moving a couple of time during the trip.

Newport Rhode Island.....Mansions
Boston MA....Freedom Trail & Much More...Stay at the Omni here
Salem MA.....Witches, Witches & More Witches

We did this years ago and it was very cool

[dobby2010]

Some of my favorite vacations from my childhood are,
Renting a condo in Williamsburg at christmastime
Rented a house on Kiawah Island, SC
Dude ranch in Colorado
Renting an RV and driving up highway one in CA from Monterrey to Yosemite
San Diego
Hawaii
Las Vegas/ Grand Canyon
Condo on the beach in the keys

And Disney world, of course!

[AZ Disney]

We've been doing "friend" group vacations for the last couple of years with 3-5 families and we leave again this Saturday.

1.) Telluride, CO - Summer tennis vacation. We drove from Phoenix and stayed in Mountain Village at Peaks Resort. An absolutely breathtaking place.
2.) Kauai - We rented a large home for 5 families on the North Shore. Many shy away from the rental home but the cost is dramatically less and the kids just wake up and start their day.
3.) Lake Tahoe - we leave this Saturday for 10 days. We've rented a home on the lake (4 families), I grew up vacationing in Tahoe and cannot wait for my kids to enjoy this beautiful place.
4.) Maui - family trip - hands down my favorite island
5.) Oahu - family trip - great trip, we have a friend that has lived there for many years, so we got the local treatment and skipped many of the typical tourist attractions.
6.) San Francisco Bay Area - I grew up here, and this is just a fabulous location - 90 minutes in any given direction and the attractions are endless!
7) Philiadelphia - really enjoy all the history in the city to Valley Forge and the poconos.
8) Disney World - Loved these trips in the past. We have actually paused at Disney trips because of cost and we all just do not want to wait in lines anymore.
9) Southern CA area (not San Diego) - this is an easy beach trip and many other excursions in the area (Disney, Knotts, Hollywood etc)
10) San Diego - my parents live here, so we head there at every opportunity and it never disappoints.
11) Sedona, AZ- easy weekend getway for us, hiking, tennis etc.
12) Flagstaff, AZ - easy weekend getaway for us - escape the summer heat
13) Almost forgot... San Juan Islands...unbelievable place. We stayed in Seattle for a few days and then to Orcas Island. Unbelievable beauty!

Our bucket list includes, yellowstone, jackson hole, and other National parks.
Have Fun!!

[NJGIRL]

Our bucket list includes, yellowstone, jackson hole, and other National parks.
Have Fun!!

Yellowstone is amazing. I suggest when you plan your visit to move around the park and stay in a couple of different areas.

We stayed in Jackson Hole for three days before we went to Yellowstone. It is such a cool little town. Check out the Rustic Inn for a place to stay.

[1DisneyNut]

Oddly enough as prior to taking the trip we never would have expected it, a trip that included Washington DC for several days, then Williamsburg (also hit Busch Gardens while we were there) and then to Virginia Beach ended up being one of the best and most memorable trips we have ever taken.

[NJGIRL]

Oddly enough as prior to taking the trip we never would have expected it, a trip that included Washington DC for several days, then Williamsburg (also hit Busch Gardens while we were there) and then to Virginia Beach ended up being one of the best and most memorable trips we have ever taken.

Washington DC is a trip every American should make if possible. So much history and the Smithsonian's are great. The monuments are cool too. Williamsburg is such a beautiful area and Busch Gardens and it's waterpark Water Country USA are not to be missed. Colonial Williamsburg is a great place for people who like history.

[BrerGnat]

The Cruise I took to Alaska as a teenager is probably my favorite. We went all over the place when I was growing up (Boston, Philadelphia, NYC, North Carolina, St. Louis, Florida, Puerto Rico) but Alaska really left an impression on me, even as a young person.

I now live near Washington D.C. now and frankly, can't stand it. I am NOT a history person at all, but I can see how it is a really great destination for a lot of people. We have done all the museums and monuments and they were all "once and done" for me, personally, although I visited a few several times when family came to visit. I can't wait to get the heck outta here. If my parents had brought us here as kids, I would have DIED from boredom.

[Melanie]

I now live near Washington D.C. now and frankly, can't stand it. I am NOT a history person at all, but I can see how it is a really great destination for a lot of people. We have done all the museums and monuments and they were all "once and done" for me, personally, although I visited a few several times when family came to visit. I can't wait to get the heck outta here. If my parents had brought us here as kids, I would have DIED from boredom.

I love DC proper. It's all the surrounding I could do without. Although I am a history major, DC is more about patriotism to me. For me, not a lot can compare to the feeling of standing at the war memorials and reflecting on those sacrifices, or staring up at the giant Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln in their beautiful memorials and remembering what great men they were and how they shaped our nation. But you know, I'm a sucker for Hall of Presidents and the American Adventure as well.

All that said, I know Maryanne has done DC, and lives close enough for weekend trips.

I will say though, Williamsburg is indeed a great trip. Besides Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, we went to Busch Gardens for the first time last summer and really enjoyed it. I like it better than it's Florida counterpart.

[BrerGnat]

I will say though, Williamsburg is indeed a great trip. Besides Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, we went to Busch Gardens for the first time last summer and really enjoyed it. I like it better than it's Florida counterpart.

We liked Busch Gardens quite a bit as well. The rest of Williamsburg, the colonial stuff...LOOKED cool but as we were walking the area, a canon blast completely paralyzed my younger son and he lost his freaking mind. We basically had to run back to the car with him covering his ears and crying the whole way. So, yeah...

[azcavalier]

Man, i'm lucky I grew up in, and have moved back to, Virginia. All of our field trips were to Williamsburg, Richmond, Washington DC, Monticello, Kings Dominion, etc. This past week I got to hike for three days on the Appalachian Trail with my daughter.

When I was a kid, we drove across the country *every year* because my Dad (from Richmond, VA) promised my Mom (from Boonville, CA) that he would get her home every year. And he did. And so we took a different route each time. At this point, the only continental states I haven't been to are Connecticut and Rhode Island.

That said, I don't have any one favorite US trip. I really enjoyed a family vacation we took a few years ago where we hit DC for a day to catch the "Art of Video Games" exhibit at the National Museum of American Art, then hit Gettysburg, Upstate New York and Niagara Falls. That was a great trip.

Tomorrow we're heading to Charlotte, NC to see Weird Al Yankovic in concert, then flying out to Las Vegas the next morning so that we can drive into Southern Utah and go hiking in Zion National Park. I expect this to be a great trip as well.

[DisneyLandMomma]

Favorite trip so far has been our road trip to Wa from SoCal and back. Started with a week in Seattle, drove up and around the northwest part of the state, I guess the start of Hwy 101, down through Oregon, and Northern California....through San Fran back inland and home....it was 2 amazing weeks that I could do again and again(actually could've spent less time in Seattle for more of the "nature" part of our drive!)....and we will be again next week, just a condensed version!

Close second was Southern Utah....hiking the Narrows in Zion, Bryce Canyon, North Rim Grand Canyon, horseback riding and ATV trail rides in the state parks near St George. Soo much fun and ridiculously affordable!

Then I would say Grand Canyon, just stayed 4 days with a few days getting there and back in April. We stayed in the Yavapai Lodge in the park and it was awesome! Everyone needs to go to the Grand Canyon at least once....its incredible!

[ruffles]

Dinosaur National Park in Maybell, UT is a have to see. A lot of people have mentioned places in California but another must see is to take a walking tour through the Redwoods at Trees of Mystery in Klamath, CA.

[disney obsessed]

When my girls were almost two, four and seven we spent three weeks driving cross country. Started in pittsburgh, on to kansas to visit with family. Then across southern kansas to boulder colorado. You spend two days driving toward the distant rockies! From Boulder to Pikes Peak, seven veils falls, garden of the gods. North to rocky mountain state forest, moose, great back country cooking and crazy hairpin turns up the pass. Next we decided to visit family in grand junction and discover dinosaurs for a while. Since the push was on, we went north through cattle farms with no fences and plenty of long horn cattle to stand in the middle of the road. In extreme nw colorado the plateus looked like the surface of the moon. We finally pulled into jackson hole and then yellowstone. The wildlife and scenery are unbeatable. The tetons are truely spectacular! In southern montana we saw fields of prairie dogs, where custer has his last stand and the badlands. Mt rushmore is also something to be seen on this trip. And last, but not least....the wall drug signs!
We had been on the road for three weeks. About 4 hours from the house my two year old started yelling, "stuck!" And trying to get out of her seat. Other than that and the one flea infested hotel room, it was great!

[PirateLover]

Sorry I went MIA on this thread that I started! I truly appreciate all the input. I did say US, but Canada is a possibility as well. My DH just refuses (for now anyway) to fly anywhere overseas.

To address some of the questions/comments...
-These would need to be 4-5 day adventures for the most part. We don't really want to do much location switching. We did 4 days at Yellowstone/Jackson Hole and switched locations and it was a hassle, so we all agreed that on shorter trips we would stay in one place and just do things within driving distance.
-DH and I are the only ones with a kid, who will be 1 1/2 by the time our next trip rolls around. The rest of the family are adults ranging from 23-63!
-I grew up in Philly and have been to DC many times. I do love historical stuff. -Everyone else in this particular familial group has done Hawaii, (except for me, waah).
- DH has always wanted to do a cross-country road trip, but that's not in the cards for the foreseeable future.

We are spending 4th of July with DH's family and plan to discuss all of these, so I really appreciate all of your input!

[TheDuckRocks]

Good grief! How could I have forgotten the Grand Canyon

[NJGIRL]

Sorry I went MIA on this thread that I started! I truly appreciate all the input. I did say US, but Canada is a possibility as well. My DH just refuses (for now anyway) to fly anywhere overseas.

To address some of the questions/comments...
-These would need to be 4-5 day adventures for the most part. We don't really want to do much location switching. We did 4 days at Yellowstone/Jackson Hole and switched locations and it was a hassle, so we all agreed that on shorter trips we would stay in one place and just do things within driving distance.
-DH and I are the only ones with a kid, who will be 1 1/2 by the time our next trip rolls around. The rest of the family are adults ranging from 23-63!
-I grew up in Philly and have been to DC many times. I do love historical stuff. -Everyone else in this particular familial group has done Hawaii, (except for me, waah).
- DH has always wanted to do a cross-country road trip, but that's not in the cards for the foreseeable future.

We are spending 4th of July with DH's family and plan to discuss all of these, so I really appreciate all of your input!

After reading this I would either go with Las Vegas or Niagara Falls.
Stay on the Canadian side (Embassy Suites was very nice with a great location) but make sure you spend a day on the NY side. The town in NY might not be great but the NY park is very nice and had a lot of cool things you can't do on the other side.