travelling across the US, where to visit

[kingjoshi]

I am thinking of travelling across the whole country (contiguous 48 states). I intend to live out of my car and live extremely thriftly. I was hoping to spend at least one day in each state. Again, remembering that costs are critical, what places do you recommend I visit?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

if you go to New York, there is a great deal more to the state than merely New York City. Certainly, if you just want to see a metropolis, then NYC is where to go. But elsewhere in the state there is a tremendous amount of natural beauty, as well as historical significance. It is much cheaper to go to the Finger Lakes or the Adirondaks than NYC.

 

[kingjoshi]

Visiting upstate NY sounds like a good suggestion.

I've visited NYC and several big cities already and probably will do so again in my lifetime. But I want to take this opportunity to travel to places I'll probably never get a chance to see again.

Since we have people from all over the country, I want to hear about special rural areas or hiddem gems that's not famous. I want to see the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, etc. But there have to places worth seeing that aren't as well known.

 

[shadow2k]

You could probably skip Kansas alltogether, you won't really be missing anything.

 

[tombeef]

if you visit Michigan, the Upper Peninsula is much quieter, and there is some great views. Plus, I've seen a bear on the side of the road before, you just feel more isolated, if you want that. If you stick in the lower peninsula, South Haven and Saugatuck are great lakeshore towns with good restaurants and shops, and nice beaches. I know they draw a lot of people from Chicago in summer.

 

[kingjoshi]

You could probably skip Kansas alltogether, you won't really be missing anything.

Come on now, there has to be something in Little Apple or somewhere in the state.

if you visit Michigan, the Upper Peninsula is much quieter, and there is some great views. Plus, I've seen a bear on the side of the road before, you just feel more isolated, if you want that. If you stick in the lower peninsula, South Haven and Saugatuck are great lakeshore towns with good restaurants and shops, and nice beaches. I know they draw a lot of people from Chicago in summer.

Even though I lived in Lansing for 3 years, I never travelled to the UP. I've always wantd to visit Mackinac Island, but being a very touristy area, it might be expensive. But I'd still like to see somewhere in the UP, not sure where to go.

And you're right, South Haven is gorgeous. Spent a day on the beach with some friends and then we took a walk around the town and the port. Absolutely beautiful.

 

[skadistic]

In the MD/VA area you have DC and Annapolis and Baltimore not the greatest cities to visit. You also have alot of historical sites from both the Revolutionary war and Civil war.

 

[shadow2k]

Come on now, there has to be something in Little Apple or somewhere in the state.

Well...there's Monkey Island: Home of America's first (Radioactive) Space Monkey. Seriously. I've never been there.

There's the biggest ball of twine somewhere too.

Underground salt mine? Weeee... Feel the excitement yet?

Everything cool about where I live is on the Missouri side, KS is just the nicer state to actually live in. Maybe stop by for some Gates BBQ or something, but you can do that in MO as well. But there's nothing really cool to see in KS.

 

[Kozmos]

Nevada,Las Vegas.Enjoy yourself.

 

[Whomp]

Lots to do in Chicago in the summer with all the street festivals, the lakefront, greatest singles bar in Chicago called Wrigley Field etc etc. The rest of Illinois you can skip.

You should go to Milwaukee for Summerfest. It's a gas.
And I agree Northern Michigan is awesome. Sleeping Bear Dunes and Glen Haven!

 

[Atlas14]

Well, in Maryland, to be honest I personally think you should visit the Chesapeake Bay and also Assateague Island (sp?) with all of the wild horses and awesome sand dunes and the beautiful beach in the summer. It is very cool to see all the wildlife too around there. But if you have time visiting Annapolis would be more enjoyable in my opinion than Baltimore, but Im kinda partial to it since I live so close to the city. Certainly at least pass over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge its great!!!

 

[Drewcifer]

You should try to drive along the Mississippi through bluff country in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.

It is pretty ruggedly hilly with big cliffs everywhere, especially the strech from Prairie du Chein to north of Winona. It doesn't look like the Midwest.

 

[Eukaryote]

Go see Vegas.

 

[Ansar]

Savannah, Georgia. Its very nice, well, the downtown part that I stayed in, next to the Savanah river, its a very old community with buildings that date back to late 1800's-early 1900's. I liked it.

 

[Atlas14]

Go see Vegas.

I thought Vegas was way overrated when I saw it like 4 or so years ago. Besides the fact that it is an environmental drain, it didn't really have anything totally spectacular. Then again I was with my family and not even 18, so if you go there with intentions of gambling and such perhaps it would be more fun.

 

[Mulholland]

Madison, Wisconsin. Went there as a kid, and remeber it as a good sized city with a nice rural feel. I'd advise against Conneticut as it has a suburb of NYC feel.

 

[ybbor]

if you're going in the summer I reccomend seeing the taste of Chicago. There's a lot of food, and it feels like a big summer fesitval. Stuff to see too. And you won't have any problem living out of your car during the taste. In fact the only difficulty you should run into is finding enough food to throw at that dump of a baseball stadium, US cellular field

 

[Fifty]

San Juan Islands!!! The county with the most coastal area in the USA!!!! Go San Juan Islands!

 

[Whomp]

if you're going in the summer I reccomend seeing the taste of Chicago. There's a lot of food, and it feels like a big summer fesitval. Stuff to see too. And you won't have any problem living out of your car during the taste. In fact the only difficulty you should run into is finding enough food to throw at that dump of a baseball stadium, US cellular field

Hah! Cubs fan! Ahem...White Sox win again tonight (12 of last 13?). Ho hum. First place again. Cellular Field food rocks as well. I recommend the Old Town Art Fair. It's a great party weekend.

 

[Godwynn]

The Cards beat the cubs.

Anywho, you can just skip over the Southern part of Illinois, unless you like farms.