Roadtripping across the US, need things to see!

[NRSASD]

Hey everyone! I'm going roadtripping in about a month, from Washington to Maine. I'm currently planning out the route, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any fun places to visit along the way. We're currently going to see Yellowstone, Grand Tetons National Park, and Mt. Rushmore.

As always, thanks for your help!

[BannedInSchool]

Somewhat near those are Arches and Dinosaur national park/monument.

[Astral Avenger]

Hey everyone! I'm going roadtripping in about a month, from Washington to Maine. I'm currently planning out the route, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any fun places to visit along the way. We're currently going to see Yellowstone, Grand Tetons National Park, and Mt. Rushmore.

As always, thanks for your help!

Boundary Waters canoe area wilderness is awesome if you're willing to take a couple days to actually do a camping trip, not much point if you only want to go for less than 24 hours.

Niagara falls is supposed to be cool, but I've never been.

[The Great Wyrm]

Yes, I agree about the Boundary Waters (though it might be a bit out of the way).
The Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota would also be interesting to see.

[Michael7123]

Washington DC has a bunch of cool stuff, especially if you're a history/politics buff. Washington monument is really neat up close.

[blunk]

Wall Drug - free ice water!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Soldier_Stand_by_Wall_Drug_Sign.jpg

[Dire Moose]

I lived in Rapid City, South Dakota for three years in college, so I know a lot about the Black Hills area. Mount Rushmore is overrated in my opinion. If you want to see something really neat in that area, try Devils Tower (giant column of volcanic rock, seen in Close Encounters of the Third Kind) or Jewel Cave (second-largest cave system in the world, covered in calcite crystals) instead. Also, Badlands National Park just east of there is really incredible, with all the weathering spires and walls of sedimentary rock and the maze of barren canyons there almost like walking through an alien landscape.

Dinosaur National Monument, as mentioned above, is definitely worth seeing too. The visitor center is built over a sandstone formation that used to be a riverbed, and has dinosaur bones, some in a semi-articulated state, strewn all over it. It's a little out of your way to the south, but well worth the trip. Also, if you're going all the way to Maine and you visit Dinosaur National Monument, you should work in a visit to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh as well; that's where most of the specimens excavated from the monument in the early 20th century ended up on display.

Actually, on the subject of natural history museums, the best fossil exhibits in the USA are easily the ones at the Field Museum in Chicago. They have a whole series of galleries devoted to the evolution of life over time with a lot of good specimens, the giant cast of Brachiosaurus mounted outside the museum, and Sue, the biggest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex ever found.

[OACSNY97]

That looks like a really cool trip! I've done most of the route a few years ago going in the opposite direction.
Couple of hints before I get to suggestions- early in your trip buy the "National Parks Passport" and get it stamped at each park- it's a REALLY fun way to record your trip.
>If you don't belong to AAA, join. One of their nicer perks is something called the TripTik where they do a lot of the route optimization for you looking for ways to avoid roadwork or closures and if you have problems along the way, roadside assistance is helpful.
>Short grass prairie country is miles and miles of miles and miles- if you see a rest area, stop and use the bathroom, ditto with getting gas. You can easily go ~100 miles between places to stop.
>Make sure your car's breaks are in good condition- there are some really scary downhill switchbacks when crossing the Rockies- we smelled the breaks getting hot but didn't dare downshift any lower than 2nd gear least the transmission burn up.
>You can spend a lot less on accommodations if you plan to camp by staying at the National Forests or State Parks that tend to be right around some of the National Parks.

Decide which interstate you want I94, I90 or I80- this will somewhat determine which parks are easier to see. If you go northern, try Glacier National Park. They had a big fire there 2(?) years ago, so it might not be the beauty it was when I was there before the fire but I'd really liked the park and the free shuttle is also helpful and fun.

Rocky Mountain National in Colorado is a great park that I think is a bit under appreciated but I liked it a lot better than Yellowstone or Grand Tetons.

After you cross the Mississippi, everything gets a lot closer together with a lot more trees. Try to stop at a few public gardens along the way- coming through in May should be a pretty good time of year for most of them. I actually like the eastern state parks better than the national parks- they're cozier and a lot more friendly. Nigara Falls is an interesting, if very touristy stop. For a bit of history, a couple of stops on the old Erie Canal in NY could be interesting. (FYI- NY's tolls on I90 are very high- it's often cheaper to take I80 through PA).

In MA, try stopping at Mount Greylock if you aren't sick of mountains by that point, I really like Salisbury Beach State Reservation for a very pleasant beach with nice facilities and a camping area. When you get to Maine, it's famous, and nice, national park is Acadia midway up the coast.

I'll probably have more later, but this is long enough as it is.
Happy Travels.
:)


Hey everyone! I'm going roadtripping in about a month, from Washington to Maine. I'm currently planning out the route, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any fun places to visit along the way. We're currently going to see Yellowstone, Grand Tetons National Park, and Mt. Rushmore.

As always, thanks for your help!

[BannedInSchool]

Oh, if you haven't been to the Lava Caves on the west coast--since they're right there you might have been already--you could visit Yellowstone's course from west to east and imagine current Yellowstone as a field of spreading, molten lava when you're there. :smallbiggrin:

I don't know how touristy it is, but the scab lands are evidence of an ice dam breaking and a sea's worth of water draining out essentially all at once.

[Kymme]

You should check out Glacier National Park in Montana! It's a beautiful place, and the country around it is also very pretty.

[Krade]

Roadtripping across the US, need things to see!

https://gabrielcosmetics.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/eyes.jpg
*flees*

[MonkeyBusiness]

Mount Rushmore is overrated in my opinion. If you want to see something really neat in that area, try Devils Tower (giant column of volcanic rock, seen in Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

I am not as familiar with this area as Dire Moose, but I second this opinion. Mount Rushmore is not the monolithic experience it looks like it ought to be. But Devil's Tower is majestic. I hiked all the way around it, and was glad I made the stop.

I loved Yellowstone and would go back in a heartbeat. I'm glad you are going early in the season. Do check their website to verify if any roads will be closed: they have to do frequent maintenance and sometimes this impacts what you can see and where you can go in the park. Also check out to see what the flora and fauna is up to: the rangers post migrations and other events on the site.

It sounds as if your route will pass through the Adirondacks, which are beautiful and not to be missed. They are a vast area, so you will have to research and decide where to stop. But I recommend picking a place and camping a few days, because it is so relaxing. Plan ahead and try to get someplace nice near one of the lakes. But bring strong insect repellent!

You can take a ferry across Lake Champlain into Vermont. (There are several: check the website to decide if you want a long or short trip across.) In Vermont I'd visit the Green Mountains, Montpelier, and the Mad River.

I'm excited for you! Roadtrips are fun! I hope you'll post photos.

- Monkey

[Dire Moose]

Wall Drug - free ice water!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Soldier_Stand_by_Wall_Drug_Sign.jpg

Nah, Wall Drug really is an overhyped tourist trap. I'd avoid it.

However, getting back to Badlands National Park from earlier, if you're taking I-90 east out of Rapid City, you should take Route 240 south from Wall into the park, which becomes a scenic drive through some of the best formations in it. There are a lot of overlooks and informative signs along the way, and as I said the terrain is a lot like being on an alien planet. 240 links back up with I-90 on the way out of Badlands, so you won't have to backtrack.

Also, if you're in the Black Hills and you have enough time to do a decently-long hike, the Sylvan Lake to Harney Peak trail is really the best. It takes you to the top of the highest point in the Black Hills (which is the highest point in North America east of the Rockies)

[Astral Avenger]

I'd like to second the badlands and black hills. Glacier sounds awesome, but I haven't had a chance to go yet.
I haven't looked at a map, but I would recommend you do hit Mount Rushmore if it adds less than two or 3 hours of drive time. It's neat the first time you go, but it isn't one you feel a need to go to twice or stay more than a few hours.

[blunk]

Nah, Wall Drug really is an overhyped tourist trap. I'd avoid it.But, but... free ice water! :smallfrown:

[Leewei]

If you're staying along I94, consider taking a detour through Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The woodlands are incredibly beautiful, and the five mile long Mackinac Bridge is breathtaking. Spending a day on Mackinac Island isn't a bad idea, either.

Another site is Wisconsin Dells. Skip the water parks; instead see the Dells themselves. The Lost Canyon Tours and Witch's Gulch are both great outdoor scenery.

[Knaight]

If you're dipping into Yellowstone, take a look at Crater Lake in Oregon. There was also a suggestion of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and while that's a bit far south, if you go that far south anyways you might as well go a bit further, to the Colorado Sand Dunes.

[the_fennecfox]

- Thor's Well - Cape Perpetua in Oregon
- I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
- Redwoods in California

I don't know if this is primarily a trip to visit nature destinations and national parks, but some cool cities are obviously
- Washington D.C.
- Las Vegas is fun
- Chicago
- NYC
- And I second Mackinac Island, there's also a bunch of beautiful scenery and nature destinations in Michigan, plus the Great Lakes are awesome.

[the_fennecfox]

Also don't forget Boston. I loved the city, you can visit Harvard and MIT if you're interested additionally.

[Scarlet Knight]

If you're stopping in Chicago, take in a game at Wrigley Field ( or better yet, if you're passing through NY, Yankee Stadium *bows head solemnly*).

Avoid Fenway Park; it smells of old Sox.

[KillingAScarab]

If you're stopping in Chicago, take in a game at Wrigley FieldThere's also quite a bit of other architecture to see in Chicago. The Willis/Sears Tower (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower), the John Hancock Center (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hancock_Center), the Monadnock building (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monadnock_Building). Art such as Cloud Gate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Gate) at Millenium Park, the Picasso in Daley Plaza.

For some attractions around Chicago, you could see what's playing outdoors at the Ravinia Festival (http://www.ravinia.org/). For further away, how about Fermilab (http://www.fnal.gov/pub/visiting/index.html)? There are educational tours, sure, but there's also grounds enough that they have a bison herd.

Also consider that Illinois is the first state you'll encounter which uses an automatic toll collection system. I-PASS can also be used (http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/about-i-pass/using-i-pass-on-other-toll-systems) with the E-ZPass system (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-ZPass) in more eastern states, but if you don't have it and pay in cash on Illinois toll roads the tolls are double. :smallannoyed: Illinois Tollway has a trip calculator (http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/toll-information/trip-calculator). I have hosted someone who was traveling the opposite direction on Interstate 90 who commented that toll collection seemed particularly dense around Chicago.

[Dire Moose]

There's also quite a bit of other architecture to see in Chicago. The Willis/Sears Tower (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower), the John Hancock Center (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hancock_Center), the Monadnock building (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monadnock_Building). Art such as Cloud Gate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Gate) at Millenium Park, the Picasso in Daley Plaza.

For some attractions around Chicago, you could see what's playing outdoors at the Ravinia Festival (http://www.ravinia.org/). For further away, how about Fermilab (http://www.fnal.gov/pub/visiting/index.html)? There are educational tours, sure, but there's also grounds enough that they have a bison herd.

Also consider that Illinois is the first state you'll encounter which uses an automatic toll collection system. I-PASS can also be used (http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/about-i-pass/using-i-pass-on-other-toll-systems) with the E-ZPass system (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-ZPass) in more eastern states, but if you don't have it and pay in cash on Illinois toll roads the tolls are double. :smallannoyed: Illinois Tollway has a trip calculator (http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/toll-information/trip-calculator). I have hosted someone who was traveling the opposite direction on Interstate 90 who commented that toll collection seemed particularly dense around Chicago.

And I'm going to repeat my recommendation for the Field Museum of Natural History. Sue the T. rex, Brachiosaurus, whole series of fossil halls documenting the evolution of life over time really well. Best museum in the USA for fossils in my opinion, though I'd still recommend Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum instead if you're visiting Dinosaur National Monument due to the connection between the two.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

I would drive south to Bend, Oregon and see the lava tubes near the Newberry Volcano. Any dungeons & dragons aficionado needs to see the lava tubes. To get there you can drive through the Willamette National Forest, but we did that at night. I recommend doing it in the daytime instead.

Then Crater Lake Oregon. Amazing.

Make sure your vehicle is in good condition if you cross the desert in Nevada (I-80). There's nothing there, but then you can see the Salt Flats and the Great Salt Lake in Utah, which might not be called beautiful, but interesting.

Wall Drug was a stupid tourist trap in my opinion. But I was driving a minivan full of home-schooled kids. It seems to be more popular among motorcyclists.

I really enjoyed an evening walking among all the statues of the presidents in Rapid City, SD. There is tons of stuff around there: Bear Country USA, Badlands National Park, Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns, and this cool place:
http://www.prairiehomestead.com/. You might want to plan for a couple of nights around there.

Al's Oasis is a good place to eat in Oacoma, SD. Then across the river there is this:
http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section2/sdcities/Chamberlain/keelboatcenter.htm

Then you can go to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD if you want.

I hated driving through the Chicago area and northern Indiana (nothing but traffic and tolls), but there's not many other options unless you go NORTH of the Great Lakes into Canada (I've heard Quebec City is really cool), or dip south... you could see the St Louis arch, but that's quite far south of course.

If you enjoy military history, I highly recommend the Army museum in Carlisle, PA. They have outdoor mockups of encampments from all of America's wars, then a cool indoor museum as well.
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/trail/aht.cfm
That routes you closer to the big cities of the eastern seaboard.

If you enjoy driving through more rural areas instead you might go to Fort Ticonderoga for your military history fix. And that brings you pretty close to Niagara Falls. I've driven near both of those places but never stopped at them personally.

[Kislath]

THIS is the website for you:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
Here you will find all of the cool stuff that you should try to see. Well, not all of it, but a whole lot of it. Just pick a route and look up stuff State-by-State to find great stuff to visit.

[MannHugo]

I am jealous of the fact that you get to road trip around the country. I have done it a few times before and I would be willing to do it again if time permits. My last journey saw me traveling from the East Coast all the way to the sunny West Coast and there was an abundance of amazing things to see along the way.

I've realized a lot of people have given you ideas and places to stop and I just want to reiterate some of the ones I read here and some of the ones I have personally been to that will no doubt change your life (sorry if that comes off as an exaggeration). The Glacier National Park in Montana is a breathtaking spectacle of nature and you should definitely make the time to see it. The same goes for Niagara Falls, that is definitely a must see. In addition to these amazing destinations, if you ever get the chance to drive through Canada during your trip, do it! Even if it only lasts for about half an hour do it and then take a ferry ride across Lake Michigan (if i'm not mistaken) and anyone who has ever taken that trek will understand what i'm talking about. It's something fun to try.

Also, I know some people don't like the drive through the midwest because of all the corn fields, but embrace the difference and you will enjoy it a lot, there is a lot to do in the major cities around there, Chicago especially. But most importantly i've realized that road trips can be as dangerous as they are fun, so read up on some travel safety plans when you get the chance they really help you.

[Laydralae]

Stop lights, highway signs, street signs, rest stop signs. These are all important things to see. They can help you along your trip, and even save your life! :D

But seriously, I would have to suggest boring Kansas. The flatness... FLATNESS!

[8BitNinja]

Come down to Arizona! We have the Grand Canyon, the White Tanks, Williams (the last stop on route 66), Old Tuscon (an area westerns used to be filmed in), Tombstone, and lots of other cool things

Go in the winter, because it's really hot in the summer

[AMFV]

How long are you planning on making the trip? Do you want it to be mostly a straight shot, or are you planning extended stops?

[NRSASD]

Wow, thanks for all the responses! Now I'm going to look up all these places and see if we can make them fit.

We're striving for more of a straight shot, since we'll be traveling with pets. We'll probably do it in a week, but we want to see as much as we can while we're passing through.

Thank you guys so much for all your help! You've given me a lot of great stops along the way and plenty of fodder for future trip ideas. If you can recommend any other places to visit, go right ahead!

[8BitNinja]

Have fun and be safe

[Winter_Wolf]

A week? Man my family is only going from Wisconsin to Oregon and that's 30 hours worth of driving under ideal conditions (no construction, every light is green, no gridlock or accidents, no slow drivers, hell no stopping for gas!). Then again we've only allotted six hours per day behind the wheel; then again, again, recent experience has shown that it's going to end up more like eight or nine hours. I hope you can squeeze more time for the trip, once you get past Ohio there's a lot of natural beauty. I'm biased toward forest and mountains, though.

You totally need to go to Hershey World in Hershey, PA. Make sure you try their ice cream, too.

[AMFV]

Wow, thanks for all the responses! Now I'm going to look up all these places and see if we can make them fit.

We're striving for more of a straight shot, since we'll be traveling with pets. We'll probably do it in a week, but we want to see as much as we can while we're passing through.

Thank you guys so much for all your help! You've given me a lot of great stops along the way and plenty of fodder for future trip ideas. If you can recommend any other places to visit, go right ahead!

So you've got maybe two or three days of sightseeing? I would aim for fairly small kind of relaxing things. You'll probably be exhausted and dealing with things that are like typical attractions will be frustrating and you won't be at your best for them. I'd aim for short hikes, time in parks, potentially fishing. Those kind of things can also double as rest days. I know that San Diego to Pennsylvania took three or so days, and that I've done San Francisco to PA in a comparable time (actually that was like three, but that was driving to beat weather with virtually no breaks, one six hour stop for driving, the rest was just alternating drivers the entire time).

[8BitNinja]

So you've got maybe two or three days of sightseeing? I would aim for fairly small kind of relaxing things. You'll probably be exhausted and dealing with things that are like typical attractions will be frustrating and you won't be at your best for them. I'd aim for short hikes, time in parks, potentially fishing. Those kind of things can also double as rest days. I know that San Diego to Pennsylvania took three or so days, and that I've done San Francisco to PA in a comparable time (actually that was like three, but that was driving to beat weather with virtually no breaks, one six hour stop for driving, the rest was just alternating drivers the entire time).

The Southwest has tons of things like this