staceyobu Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 We definitely can't afford Hawaii or Alaska anytime in the near future. What are your favourite destinations that are pretty in the US? (I'm not looking for disney or theme parks, but pretty mountains, ocean views, or trees!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Grand Canyon and Yosemite are two of my favorites, but I haven't traveled further east than that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Cumberland Gap in Tennessee Redwoods on the North Coast of California Mt Shasta (California) Grand Tetons National Park Custer State Park, in South Dakota (awesome!) Big Sur (CA) Great Smokey Mountains National Park Driving the Pacific Coast Highway from top to bottom! Yosemite, CA Monument Valley, UT Zion National Park, UT Bryce Canyon, UT (Wow - looking at this list - I am feeling very lucky to have been all these places!!!) I can't say enough good things about Custer SP and the area around it. It really is amazing - and never crowded (except during the week of the Sturgis rally). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yosemite, both in the valley and outside Grand Tetons Yellowstone Arches NP and the surrounding area (Moab UT) various bits of Colorado--Manitou Springs/Pikes Peak area, Rocky Mtn NP the coast of Maine, incl. Acadia NP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 National Parks all the way!!!! We live in WA and are within driving distance of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Olympic National Park, Northern Cascades... Of those, I would say Olympic National Park has the most to offer in terms of scenery and variety (Pacific Ocean, Olympics mountain range, the Hoh Rainforest, Sol Duc Hot Springs....) We also really enjoyed Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, the Grand Canyon, Arches and Bryce Canyon, Yosemite.... But for a great, one-stop shop with beaches, mountains, forests, tide pools, hot springs, waterfalls.... you can't beat Olympic National Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Wyoming in general is beautiful, but I wouldn't go until about mid-June. The weather is rather unpredictable until then. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) Here in Arizona, I'd recommend the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and Sedona. In California/Nevada, Lake Tahoe is breathtaking. Wendi Edited March 23, 2011 by Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. I agree with the Custer Park recommendation. Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. Estes Park, Colorado Nantucket, MA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 A few I haven't seen mentioned are Northern Minnesota and the Upper Pennisula of Michigan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Our favorite- Adirondacks in NY State-- lots of great hiking, not very commercial. We also love Acadia NP in Maine. Agree with UP of Michigan and N. Minnesota. We also loved our trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 The Oregon Coast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Honestly, Arkansas is one of my favorite places! Hot Springs National Park is beautiful with lots of history. It was the first national reserve set aside by Andrew Jackson. www.arkansas.com Little ROck is the site of the Clinton Presidential Library, Central High School, and more. We have the Ozark Mountains and the Delta Plains. http://www.nps.gov/applications/parksearch/state.cfm?st=ar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Puget Sound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Agree with UP of Michigan and N. Minnesota. :iagree: Presque Isle is awesome, Tahquomenon Falls in MI, anything on Lake Superior, and Itasca area in MN. I'm glad to see so many people mention Custer SD, because we'll be out that way for the first time this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Upper peninsula Michigan, and the northwestern part of lower Michigan. There's the big lakes and millions of little lakes in between, with lots of pretty forest and dunes and hills. I feel lucky to have such a pretty place within a day's drive of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassyscrapperinid Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) While we lived in California, we enjoyed the Mammoth Lakes area quite a bit. Yellowstone is nice and lots to learn there. We traveled for about 6 months in 2010 and saw some beautiful scenery in Utah by Mt Timpanogas, the Devils Tower in Wyoming is really more picturesque than we ever would have imagined, Mt Rushmore was a blast (and we were even there during the Sturgis event!), and definitely yes on Custer, SD. Last spring, I took the kids to the Laura Ingalls Wilder home site in Missouri. I thought that was pretty. The state of Vermont is just gorgeous IMHO!! If you can make it far north to Maine, the coast is just breathtaking! Northern Idaho is beautiful- specifically Lake Coeur d'Alene, Wyoming is awesome too. Now that we have moved, we cant wait to hit Glacier and Olympic NPs... as well as Mt Saint Helens and others.. Have fun on your adventures! Edited March 24, 2011 by sassyscrapperinid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 We definitely can't afford Hawaii or Alaska anytime in the near future. What are your favourite destinations that are pretty in the US? (I'm not looking for disney or theme parks, but pretty mountains, ocean views, or trees!) So much beauty, all over the country. Look at National Parks, then state parks. Here in Colorado, places I have not seen mentioned yet- Sand Dunes Nat'l Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison Royal Gorge Garden of the Gods Boulder Mountain Parks Durango area/ Cliff Dwellings Steamboat Springs (Makes me feel like renting a camper and hitting the road!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColoradoMom Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Pretty much all of Colorado! :D I even enjoy the plains becasue of the antelope and historical significance, but most people prefer the mountains or front range. You don't really need a destination - just drive. It's all breath-taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Bandon Oregon. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I agree with essentially all of the above, but will also add in the St Lawrence River valley esp around the Thousand Island region and north. If you can hop into Canada it's even more scenic along the river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I don't see many suggestions for the East Coast so here is a start. Florida Keys Everglades, FL Highlands & Ashville, NC (Lots of waterfalls in this area, and there are places where you can hike part of the Appalachian Trail.) The Blue Ridge Parkway Blackwater Falls, WV Whitewater Rafting on the New River or Cheat River in WV Lancaster, PA Stone Mountain, GA Charleston, SC is a beautiful historical city with lots of walking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 The San Juan Islands in WA are breathtakingly beautiful, especially if you get there in whale season. Also, I agree with the previous posters that the Olympic Peninsula (Hoh Rain Forest, Lake Quinalt, Ruby Beach) are also fabulous. I feel the wanderlust astirrin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 We definitely can't afford Hawaii or Alaska anytime in the near future. What are your favourite destinations that are pretty in the US? (I'm not looking for disney or theme parks, but pretty mountains, ocean views, or trees!) I've always had as a dream vacation a beach house near Kitty Hawk, NC during the off season. I'd like it to be gentle enough weather for an occasional foray to watch the waves, but blustery enough to justify spending hours in a comfy chair working through a stack of books. We've spent a lot of time in the Allegeny Mts. On our way to DC, we got a little lost and ended up near Ft. Necessity. Seems that this used to be quite the vacation spot. The area around Mammoth Cave KY is lovely and these days isn't all that busy. I'd love to get a cabin or a couple guest rooms up there and spend my days hiking trails. The Shenandoahs are beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 We love the beach! Charleston, SC Gulf Shores, AL (or any other quiet beach on the Gulf coast) Hilton Head, SC (we only go spring or fall, never summer!) The Outer Banks in NC Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, MA For East coast, gentle mountains, we like: Chattanooga, TN Western NC Anywhere on Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge Vermont New Hampshire - the Presidentials are fun hiking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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