We're in the embryonic stages of planning a potential trip to the states early next year & so, anyone care to offer advice on places to go, people to see etc?

Big is right. Do you like large urban cities? Beach? Mountains? History and museums? Theatre? Shopping? Just relaxing? We need some direction.

How much time will you have here?

When you say early next year do you mean in the winter months? Do you prefer warm weather while here?

Just you and your wife? Kids too?

Prefer to stay on the east coast, or close to it, to avoid a very long flight?

Are you ok with renting a car while here?

Yes, we need more details on what you all want, as @JLeslie asked. There’s something for everyone here, as far as climate, activities, beaches, skiing, art, atmosphere, etc…

You bringing the kids? Disney may be fun, depending on their ages.

@JLeslie All relevant questions, as I say, not properly thought this through yet :D
It would be maybe March time & would be just the wife & I , we’d be looking at a month tops.
For now, that’s all I got save to say…I hate the cold!!

What are your interests, Mister?

@KNOWITALL My son is 23 & daughter is 20, will always be my “kids” though, that’s how that shit works.

@ucme March is still pretty wintery in my area (middle of the country), probably need to stay south if you hate the cold…lol (PS, I hate it, too)

Oh sure, so a romantic getaway in a warmer climate, ooh la la!

You sure you don’t want to wait until closer to the Presidential election? heehee!!! jk jk jk

@lucillelucillelucille Well, i’m very sporty & love an adventure, fascinated by the history & culture of places & it’s people.
I like beaches but sharks not so much.

Chilly or not, see LuckGuy’s part of the world just for the contrast with the rest of the country. It’s particularly relevant to why we dumped your sovereignty.

If history is your thing you should try to go to Savanna, Georgia or Charleston, South Carolina. Beautiful historic areas with beautiful old buildings.

@KNOWITALL Romantic is the word mon petit chou…I literally just made that up, no clue if it even translates :D
Hey, Trump gets a firm “no comment” from me ;-}

Here
is a list I found.
I’ve personally been to these places: 2,4,5,12,14,16,19
i’d definitely go back to #2 as I was little when there.Same with #4
#5 I need to go to the Smithsonian next time. I wasn’t there long and goofed off mostly.Traffic sucks,fyi
#12 Is my personal favorite but if you are expecting palm trees & ukelele music, think again.It can be kind of desolate on some beaches which is beautiful.Best before the tourist season in mid-late May.Good food lots of history….pirates,mate.
#14-I got married on a beach there. Humid and you will eat bugs.
#16-Great fun and great music. Good museums
#19-History-interesting-good day trip
California is interesting as well. Next time I go, I want to take a train from L.A. up to the redwoods.I need to see those giant trees before I die.

When anyone visits the US, they have to visit Niagara falls or Customs and Immigration won’t let them leave the country.
And since I live only 1.5 hours away you must visit my area – and stay in the Fluther hotel. There are so many things to do around here. You could use my house as a home base and go sight seeing. Wine country, Amish country, enjoy small town America, wildlife,... There is not much in the way of “wild life”. This is not LA or San Francisco.
The weather is gorgeous in the Summer and Fall. Unless you like skiing, you’d best skip the winter months – end of November to end of April.
Buy a house while you’re here. Property is very inexpensive and a good deal. This is not LA or San Francisco. :-)

@chyna I’ve heard great reviews of S.Carolina in general & well…I root for the Panthers too.

@lucillelucillelucille Some wonderful suggestions there, I have a lot of thinking to do, course in the end, the wife will choose…she always wins.

@LuckyGuy You the man…man ;-}

@ucme- I’m sure you’ll have fun whatever you do:)

@lucillelucillelucille Cheers, that is pretty much guaranteed.
My daughter has always wanted to see Mexico & it has a certain appeal to me too. That’s for another time though.

Maybe Texas, Arizona and the like might be of interest?
Some people like the “Four Corners“High Sierras Cowboy stuff. :)
I haven’t been but it’d be interesting.

@ucme Mexico is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, in it’s own way.

So what’s your wife like to do? lol, staying a whole month is really cool, you can move around a lot.

Seems to be quite a few jellies in Cali, too. If you go, I’d check out the old pirate caves in San Fran. Pretty cool.

In March, my recommendation would be the west coast.

San Francisco, drive down to Big Sur, San Simeon.

East coast, it’s cold even down in Florida.

West coast is incredibly beautiful.

Visiting in March and liking warmth, I too would recommend a trip to the South, along with four nights in New Orleans.

I was in NOLA last April, and it was a lot of fun (and I don’t even drink!).

And anywhere on the Atlantic coast from Savannah, Georgia up to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

@lucillelucillelucille I dreamt of being a cowboy as a kid, even had a toy pistol, rifle, holster belt & hat…no horse though.
If Westworld were true i’d be there in a shot, be a bandit type bad guy though, black suits me.

@KNOWITALL Let me see, she likes to spend money, go to rock concerts & I do mean rock…big Led Zeppelin AC/DC fan.
Oh & she loves horses…a lot!!

California is just beautiful. Go see the Redwoods and Yosemite. The beaches around Big Sur and Monterey can be cold that time of year, but they are beautiful. Also, people who come from the UK tend to find the deserts interesting, so maybe visit Death Valley. There is nothing like it where you come from. I always recommend Disneyland, because even if you hate it at least you experienced it.

@ucme- You guys need to go to a dude ranch out west! What a blast that’d be!
This one is in California but I’d check Texas & Arizona as well.
Texas
Arizona(Broad+Modified)&ppc_mt=b&platform=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1Z_K9KfH5QIVgpyzCh2dGAqMEAAYASAAEgJh4vD_BwE

Well, what is something we have here that you don’t have there?

@lucillelucillelucille ‘s suggestions are good.

But I would repeat that you make sure you go to Wash. DC. and Georgetown. Terrific history, more museums than you can take in and great restaurants.
And New York City if you’ve never been.
San Diego is pretty cool. And termperate any time of year.
Las Vegas. For no more than 48 hours.

@josie-You’ve got that right about Vegas.

@tinyfaery Cali does seem to be a popular choice & it certainly ticks many boxes.
Disneyland would be great fun, I am after all a big kid at heart.
Cheers for your help :)

West coast.

Well. Come to Kansas. You can meet some cows and hit a deer with your car! We’ll go cowtipping.

I’ve a few suggestions for ya, bud.

If you’re around Texas, go to El Paso and head out highway 793 at night. Stop the car on the side of the road and walk out into the desert a piece. Look up at the stars. You won’t believe the amount of stars visible in the desert! Take a piss while you’re at it. It will be the most peaceful pee you’ve ever taken. When you’re done, eat at Cattlemans off Fabens Carlsbad Rd. Order the Cowboy steak – it’s 2lbs!

New Orleans is always thriving! If you’re a fan of vampires, zombies, voodoo and the strongest drinks known to man. Take a fan boat ride on the bayou and feed alligators marshmellows while you’re at it!

Most of my enjoyments are further south, especially during the time you’re coming. Oh, and wear any hat you like in the south.

March is still cold in most of the US, so that’s helpful in narrowing your options down quite a bit actually. For reference, I live in Richmond, VA and we do get snow sometimes as late as the beginning of April. Charleston, SC and New Orleans are both Southern cities with lots of personality that sets them apart from the “crowd” of other cities. If you’re looking for more of the tropical getaway, there’s Florida (though you’ll probably want to be careful to avoid college spring breaks in March).

Southern California is definitely a different option. I’ve heard great things about San Diego—being a little less bat-shit crazy as L.A.

@Dutchess_III And snipe hunting!

With his sense of humor, I’d be tricking him the whole time….get him into the nudist colony without telling him, get him the horse that bucks, etc….

@josie NY has been on my go to list for years, between there & Cali our month would be pretty much spent travelling…hmmm.

@ucme One more

@ucme Then Disneyland is a must!

@lucillelucillelucille That is an awesome idea, right in my wheelhouse. I get to play cowboys & she gets to ride horses…win win :)

@Coolhandluke Sounds like a plan to me mate, the wife will drink me under the table for sure.

@ucme- Exactly! I hope you get to try something like that. If so, I’d like a full report. :)

@KNOWITALL You made my eyes water just thinking about it lol

I go along with visiting New York City. Like it or not, you need to experience it. When I went to London, I spent a day just walking the streets to get the feel of the city. I would suggest the same for New York. I would also recommend the usual tourist attractions of parks and museums.

Well, of course snipe hunting!

Just want to say, you guys are fab, so many cool suggestions & it definitely gives us food for thought. This has made the potential for a trip a clear certainty & the time can’t go by quick enough.
Cheers peeps of the www :)

Aw, come on down to the Midwest! We’ll get down on the farm!.

@lucillelucillelucille You can count on it :)

Embryonic stages but early next year. Hope that doesn’t mean an abortion is possible. Of the trip.

Definitely NYC, LA and DC!

I’d do a week in New York (and be prepared for whatever type of weather, as March in NY can be as bad as can be), and then fly to SF or Seattle and drive down the coast to SF, Big Sur, San Simeon, Disneyland. Three weeks doing that, in addition to relaxing and hanging out. Let’s face it, the nicest parts about any vacation are just the unplanned things, not rushing, stopping in a town or having a cup of coffee or tea in a place, or some vino, and just chilling.

I’ve never been to Oregon or Washington but I used to live in CA near SF, and have been down the coast, down to LA. I heard that San Diego is beautiful too. I would say the west coast of California reminds me of the west coast of Ireland (Donegal coast).

In NY, there is so much to do in the city itself (Manhattan).

Maybe if you plan your trip right, you can catch a concert in one of the big cities. There are even casinos in Connecticut where they have concerts (Mohegan Sun, 5,000 seat arena). NJ and NY have some big ones – Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center.

OMG, Washinton state is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The Cascade mountains are there. THEY HAVE YETI THERE TOO!!!

The Columbia River gorge, between Oregon and Washington, around The Dalles, Oregon. Land of volcanos!

Real America is found in small cities and towns. Spend your time in them. Drive through big cities if you want to see landmarks. Other than that, save your money and leave. Even small coastal cities are much preferred to the big nasty cities. Enjoy.

I’ve been in England twice and never been to London. My friends actually like it but when I get over there I never want to go there after all.

It is also found in Seattle. That’s town’s an eye opener for this country girl!

@Dutchess_III I disagree about Seattle. Been there more than I wanted. I lived in Washington for a number of years. Seattle is one of the towns I would suggest a drive through to say, yeah, I saw the needle. .....and keep going,.

If you want warm weather I would do Florida or California probably.

Florida has almost perfect weather in March. Some time at the beach, maybe Orlando for a few days. People love where I live also, it’s just over an hour north of Orlando, it’s like a cruise ship on land with tons of activities. Live music, dancing, arts and crafts, lectures, all sorts of stuff. Disney has great live music too if you just stay in Orlando, we get a lot of the same bands, and of course Disney World. If you like golf, we have over 35 golf courses. Swimming pools, tennis, Bocce ball, performing arts, etc. Here is the calendar page. It’s a 55 and up community, I don’t know how old you are, but plenty of younger people are here also, including kids.

Some of the National Parks might be a good idea, if you love nature. You can search our national parks website once you narrow down weather you will be east or west or where. The Northwest corner of the country can have mild weather in March. The Northeast will be a crapshoot in March, it could be beautiful and spring-like, or snowing.

NYC is an obvious place to visit if you like big cities, but like I said the weather will be a little unpredictable.

Washington DC is our nation’s capitol city as you know, and late March early April is cherry blossom season. It’s beautiful when the trees are all in bloom. DC is about 4 hour drive or train from NYC. Charleston, SC was mentioned above, that is in-between Florida and DC. You could do a drive up the east coast and stop in various cities, but I personally think it is a lot of driving.

States like Arizona and New Mexico have desert, and varied climates depending on the elevation. It’s supposed to be beautiful, but I haven’t been there myself.

No matter what you find that interests you, look up the weather before you decide or ask fluther, if the weather matters to you.

I agree about Seattle not being a big deal. Going into Vancouver in Canada is way more fabulous, and just a couple of hours north.

California has all sorts of things to see, but I will leave that to the Cali jellies.

@JLeslie I just turned 53 & that place sounds fantastic, love my golf, tennis & enjoy swimming too. Many good suggestions & I thank you for your help.

Does it have to be in March? You can do so much better if you come in May or June. I would spend a week or 10 days on the East Coast. Fly into Boston, spend a few days there and in rural New England (which is the most like England), then the Big Apple and Washington, DC.

From there, fly out to Las Vegas just for a night and take a trip from there to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. You will see the West and scenery that is totally unlike anything in Europe.

Go back to Las Vegas and fly right out to San Francisco and spend 10 days or more on the California coast.

Personally, I would skip Disneyland – you could go easier and cheaper to Euro Disney if that’s your bag. But each to his own.

@janbb There is the possibility of delaying until late May, early June at the absolute latest as those dates, along with March, are the only ones available where both our work schedules allow. Your itinerary sounds well rehearsed & flows nicely, as for Disneyland, we already went to EuroDisney when the kids were little & had a fab time, but the chance to visit the original…the real deal, would be great.

NY state is beautiful. You can see mountains and lakes and the city all within a few hours.

Mohonk Mountain house has amazing riding trails. It can be expensive, but sometimes there are good deals. I think it’s about 1.25 hours outside of NYC. All the meals and activities are included. Here’s a link https://www.mohonk.com/?nck=gbetri&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInL7Z6tPH5QIVjp6fCh3m1QWKEAAYASAAEgKdbvD_BwE Nit that I’m discouraging you from a cowboy holiday out West, it’s just another option when you see how things start to line up.

Between DisneyWorld in Florida and DisneyLand in California, I think Disney World has more attractions, but I’ve never been to DisneyLand. In Florida Disney has four separate parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Plus, two water parks, and Disney Springs, which is a shopping, restaurants, and entertainment area, it’s a huge property.

The only problem with WDW is it takes a lot of planning to do it right. It’s definitely not a relaxing time and you can easily spend a week there, going to the different parks (and recovering from the effort). Every time I’ve gone, I’ve researched on TripAdvisor and other sites and gotten my tickets way ahead of time. Then you can get the fast passes and then it’s almost like you have to figure out where in the park you might be or what’s the best route to take in the park, and taking into consideration the various parades, photo ops, meals you have to reserve ahead of time for – it’s not too spontaneous and it’s a lot of work. It’s great though, but just a different type of experience than a day at museums or a day in wine country or a beach or a park.

@JLeslie I’ve always heard Floridas the best Disney.

I agree with @jca2 about WDW, it is a lot of planning, and not necessarily relaxing, especially if it is your first time there and you are trying to do one park a day for 4 days, then it’s very long exhausting days. Of course, we can help you plan it, but there will be things you want to read up on too. If you don’t care about doing and seeing everything, and just take in some specific rides and sights, then it can be great. You will be here during spring break so it will be crowded at Disney, although the beginning of March shouldn’t be too terrible, since Easter is late this year. I like Disney, but I’ve been many times and no longer do marathon days there.

@KNOWITALL I know Judi loves coming to WDW, and she lived in California for years. I’m assuming she thinks the Florida parks have more to offer. Plus, we have Universal right near by with some nice things to do also. You can see Blue Man group there, and the Piazza at the Portofino Hotel is lovely at sunset with the opera singers singing. But, @ucme can see real Italian Piazzas I guess. Although, Disney’s downtown is way better than Universal’s in my opinion.

As much as it’d be a hoot to maybe meet you and the Mrs., stay away from Boston (and the Northeast in general) in March, if you hate the cold.

It’s pretty awful here that time of year (and I like Winter).

I meant to add the California Disney is the original, but the Florida Disney was really to fulfill Walt’s ultimate vision. Here is one article on comparing the two. https://howtodisney.com/top-10-differences-between-disneyland-and-disney-world/ I’m not pushing for Disney, just providing info. Disney World has horseback riding, but the terrain is fairly flat, if that matters. Out West in cowboy country you will feel more entrenched in the total Cowboy scene, while at Disney you can be in forested area for 3 miles, and then suddenly it’s palm trees and a man made beach. Disney you know they are creating environments to some extent (although the forested areas and the palm trees are real and indigenous) but the themed hotels you know you are not really in the New Orleans French quarter or the great wilderness of the West, or an actual ocean beach, or actually in Polynesia, but it’s neat to see how much detail Disney puts in. Here’s the link for the horseback https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/horse-trail-rides/ and you can look around that website for all the themed hotels and various experiences. Central Florida is very equestrian oriented.

Late May early June will help you with the weather if you decide on NYC and other places in the Northeast or Midwest. If you prefer March, March will be more guaranteed warm weather if you stay in the southern third of the US, although the desert areas out West might be cold at night.

Since you live in the UK, I would assume sunshine and warm means vacation for you, and is very much appreciated, especially with the kids along, being able to swim I assume is great fun for them. If you love the ocean Miami, Boca, Palm Beach, Naples, Clearwater, are all great Beach places. St. Augustine has tons of history, it’s beautiful to walk around, and there is also a beach there too. Cape Canaveral if you want to see the Space Center, and beaches are nearby there too.

If you decide on FL I can give you more info on more things to see while in FL. If you choose another part of the country then of course that’s fine too. So much to see.

@JLeslie Plus @ucme could wrestle a gator down there!

Disneyland is the OG. And it’s California not Florida-automatically better.

OG?

@Dutchess_III Original Gangster, or in general usage, the original.

@KNOWITALL Wrestle a gator?
Are you mad woman, i’m shit scared of wasps & they have no teeth :D

Don’t be scared of wasps. They won’t sting you for no reason. Stepping on the mor grabbing them is a good reason (I’ve done both,) and swatting at them might net you a sting. They have no reason to sting you otherwise.
Also, do not wrestle a alligator.

Is there a reason you selected March? That’s still winter up here. If you wait until May you can see Spring in all its glory.
There is also Letchworth State Park about one hour from here. Gorgeous!

No matter where you go, you can search for Geocaches along the way. It is a fun treasure hunt game – and it is free!

^^^ Yes it is!

@ucme Oh come on, it’s easy. Next time I go, I’m doing it! See video.

PS You can ask for a baby with it’s mouth taped shut, you big chicken, or let your wife do it. haha!

https://youtu.be/9rOBWoxyKYg

https://youtu.be/NcwIcFwGrgQ

@LuckyGuy As I said earlier in the piece, March looked likely to be the only feasible window that would fit both our workloads, on reflection however, May/June time could be negotiable.
Within reason, i’m good to go when I please, being my own boss, the wife’s time is a tad more delicate, but not impossible.

@KNOWITALL See the thing is, crocs like chicken :D

Wasps will most definitely sting you for no reason. Or, maybe u should say sting me. Same with bees, my husband will vouch for me. I’ve been stung just lying there sunbathing.

No alligator wrestling for me either.

I don’t know how you are going to decide where to go @ucme. So many choices. Wasps will most definitely sting you for no reason. Or, maybe u should say sting me. Same with bees, my husband will vouch for me. I’ve been stung just lying there sunbathing.

No alligator wrestling for me either.

I don’t know how you are going to decide where to go @ucme. So many choices. The lazy in me says do the 5–7 hour flight rather than 12 hrs. Lol. 5 Time zones (maybe it’s 6 that time of year) hour time change instead of 8 or 9.

@JLeslie: Your answer has some echoes in it.

Ya does!

@ucme: You’d certainly a better selection of favorable climate locations in May or June.

Well. Wherever you go here you have my name and number.

March is an interesting time in Kansas…if you love severe thunder and lightning storms and tornadoes and 100 mph straight line winds.

^^ Is that when the houses drop on the witches??

Yes. That’s when the house drops on the witches!

::biting tongue, biting tongue, biting tongue, biting tongue::

^^ Which old witch, the wicked witch!

Keep biting, Dude.

@Dutchess_III I thought you didn’t like to be “bit”:https://www.fluther.com/216208/do-you-like-to-bite-or-be-bitten/

Back to the topic: if your trip is in June, stay away from Florida. My time in Florida this past summer was absolutely awful, the misery index was 115 everyday.

I don’t like to be bitten! I was telling K to keep biting his tongue or I’ll drop a house on him!

@zenvelo Yeah cheers for getting back on track & yeah i’ve heard Florida isn’t all sun, sea & sand. Like anywhere else, has its ugly side.

Hmmm…I wonder how those echos happened?

^ A strange thing to say, care to elaborate?

@ucme Read her prior entry and you’ll see what is referred to.

@janbb Ahh yes I see, already read that post but obviously my mind betrayed me.

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