Visiting USA, need some advice pls.
- Thread starter sanj
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sanj said:sunnyVan said:
Yes Sunny. Understand. The trip to States will be for around 2 weeks, I am looking at pulling the daughters out of the malls into nature where we all can bond better. When in NY I will insist of museums/activities.
I am ok driving for 5/6 hours or flying 3/4 hours. But want to land up in a place with not so many people. I like the following images. Giving for reference only. Any such place is fine.
Dear Sanj, I'm so happy to hear that you're planning to come to the United States. You and your daughters will have a wonderful time here. Unfortunately, to get from the East Coast to the type of places in your photos, it's going to take 4 to 5 hours of flying plus time spent in the airport, plus some additional driving time. You will basically spend an entire day getting there and another entire day returning. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to do this, I'm just saying that you should understand the time commitment required. And don't forget to factor in the three hour time zone change between the east and west coasts. I humbly suggest that you consider the national Park options on the eastern coast of the United States. Many of the previous posters have given you some excellent ideas such as Niagara Falls and the Shenandoah national Park. If you want rustic cabins, I highly suggest the Shanendoah. It has rustic cabins and miles of hiking trails. If you go to the Shanendoah, you can also visit caves with stalactites and stalagmites. And after roughing it for a few days, if you want to immerse yourself in luxury, you could go to either the Homestead or The Greenbrier in West Virginia, both of which are historic resorts located in beautiful rural settings. (Fair warning: unlike most of America, the homestead and the Greenbrier have dress codes.) And don't underestimate the amount of time you can spend in New York City. I work in Washington DC and I love New York City and I never have enough time there. You might also wish to consider coming to Washington DC as it's an easy 3 1/2 hour train ride from New York City. We have tons of free stuff or low cost stuff to do here including all of the Smithsonian museums. And if you're going to be in the United States on the Fourth of July, then I highly recommend attending the fireworks in either New York City or Washington DC. If you want more information about DC, I'm happy to provide it for you.
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Skyline Drive in Virginia = along the ridge = beautiful drive about 5-6 hour to the beginning, Skyline drive runs 105 miles above the Shenandoah Valley ...
If you go, take I-78 west to I-81 .. to Skyline Drive ... DO NOT take I-95 south out of NY ---
You can return across Virginia rural farm and horse country - along the foothills, OR, turn around and see Skyline drive from the opposite direction. Will be a well-spent three days in the rural areas of NE USA.
If you go, take I-78 west to I-81 .. to Skyline Drive ... DO NOT take I-95 south out of NY ---
You can return across Virginia rural farm and horse country - along the foothills, OR, turn around and see Skyline drive from the opposite direction. Will be a well-spent three days in the rural areas of NE USA.
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Have never been to the USA, but I've got an opinion on everything, so...
I like some of the images that come from Big Bend, Arches and Bryce Canyon. I'd head that way. Might be a bit of a drive from where you're heading, though. But that's cool. Just hire yourself a 1950's / 1960's car (a '59 Cadillac Eldorado convertible comes to mind), get a few Elvis tapes and just cruise around the middle part of the country for a few weeks.
I like some of the images that come from Big Bend, Arches and Bryce Canyon. I'd head that way. Might be a bit of a drive from where you're heading, though. But that's cool. Just hire yourself a 1950's / 1960's car (a '59 Cadillac Eldorado convertible comes to mind), get a few Elvis tapes and just cruise around the middle part of the country for a few weeks.
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What about Letchworth State Park, the grand Cayon of New York?
http://www.nysparks.com/parks/79/details.aspx
I have been there "the wrong time of the year", but if I see the pictures and hear people talk about it, it is beautifull. End of June, beginning of july should be perfect.
Alwin
Germany
http://www.nysparks.com/parks/79/details.aspx
I have been there "the wrong time of the year", but if I see the pictures and hear people talk about it, it is beautifull. End of June, beginning of july should be perfect.
Alwin
Germany
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Something off the beaten track and only 4 Hrs drive North of NYC will get you to the Finger Lakes region around Syracuse. Beautiful lakes, streams and trails. An hour further North will get you to Lake Ontario and you can spend an afternoon on a boat ride and on one side you will have the US and 100 metres on the side is Canada.
Regrettably, your timing is bang in the span from July 1st (Canada Day) and July 4th and so crowds will be a given.
Enjoy your time up here.
Regrettably, your timing is bang in the span from July 1st (Canada Day) and July 4th and so crowds will be a given.
Enjoy your time up here.
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I rather agree with the idea that you should limit yourself to locations not too far from NY, and there's already been a lot of good suggestions (I've just added Acadia to my bucket list, wow!) Traveling west will take time no matter what, will be more expensive, and if you really have 3 days, will be VERY tight (two of those days will essentially be only travel).
That being said, if you're willing to consider it, and since you seem to be drawn to mountain scenery, Rocky Mountain National Park might be an option for you. It's actually relatively accessible from NY compared to other options. Easy direct flight to Denver, and the park is just next door. There will be crowds like everywhere else at that time of the year, but the park is vast enough that it's easy to get off the beaten track and leave (most of) the crowds behind.
That being said, if you're willing to consider it, and since you seem to be drawn to mountain scenery, Rocky Mountain National Park might be an option for you. It's actually relatively accessible from NY compared to other options. Easy direct flight to Denver, and the park is just next door. There will be crowds like everywhere else at that time of the year, but the park is vast enough that it's easy to get off the beaten track and leave (most of) the crowds behind.
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agierke said:
+1 for the Adirondackss, easy drive from NYC and beautiful scenery.
If you can work in a longer drive in your available time Acadia National Park or Shendoah National Park are terrific.
I you will burn up too much valuable time traveling if you want to see a Western National Park.
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Just an fyi to those outside the U.S. who are interested in planning trips to national parks in the west....San Francisco is the ideal home base to maximize time getting to and having enough time to spend at these national parks. Add in the bonus of Sonoma and Napa valley which are a little over an hours drive from downtown San fran.
The U.S. is huge. Getting to the west coast from the east coast will take most of your day if you fly, takes 4 days if you drive and are really really efficient at traveling. Everything between the hills of western PA/Virginias and the Colorado rockies is very very flat. Wide open expanses. So if big nature is your goal you pretty much have to stay on the coasts. Left coast has bigger stuff than the right but the north east can rival anything on the west coast in terms of charm and beauty. If you want to scrape your chin on the ground, then the Pacific Northwest is the way to go.
These parks are also enormous. For a Pacific Northwest park you can expect at least 2 hours of driving/hiking into the park to "lose the crowds". It took us at least 4 hours of driving to get to the top of glacier national park. 1 day at one of these parks will give you a "taste" of things and leave you with a tinge of regret that you didn't schedule 3-4 days for visiting alone.
The U.S. is huge. Getting to the west coast from the east coast will take most of your day if you fly, takes 4 days if you drive and are really really efficient at traveling. Everything between the hills of western PA/Virginias and the Colorado rockies is very very flat. Wide open expanses. So if big nature is your goal you pretty much have to stay on the coasts. Left coast has bigger stuff than the right but the north east can rival anything on the west coast in terms of charm and beauty. If you want to scrape your chin on the ground, then the Pacific Northwest is the way to go.
These parks are also enormous. For a Pacific Northwest park you can expect at least 2 hours of driving/hiking into the park to "lose the crowds". It took us at least 4 hours of driving to get to the top of glacier national park. 1 day at one of these parks will give you a "taste" of things and leave you with a tinge of regret that you didn't schedule 3-4 days for visiting alone.
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It's roughly an 8 hour drive from New York City. I'm not sure what the crowds will be like mid-week after July 4. Although it's not a holiday, kids are still out of school, which is when families travel in the USA. I've been to Acadia twice and it's not too crowded. In comparison, Yosemite in the summer is very congested. If you flew to Bangor and drove to Acadia, that might be easier and shorter, time-wise, even if you arrive at the airport early. If the crowds get you down, you can drive along the coast, which is beautiful and not congested.sanj said:
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Hi,sanj said:
Your timing is terrible. You are going to hit the fourth of July weekend in the states, coupled with Canada day (July 1) in Canada. These are the biggest holidays of the year (except Christmas) in each country and places will be packed and accommodations will be next to impossible to find.
Yellowstone will be VERY!!!!! crowded, and it is a 3500Km drive from NYC..... and another 3500Km back. Even if you flew, it would take a full day to get there.... and you will not find car rentals or hotels for that week on such short notice... If you really want to go there, you should plan on taking at least a week....
The Adirondacks are about 6 hours away.... nice scenery, but best enjoyed from a hiker's perspective.
Shenandoah is about 8 hours away, nice scenery and can be enjoyed from a car.... but it will be VERY busy...
Acadia in Maine is very nice, about 10 hours away, and can be enjoyed from a car or on foot.
personally, I think these are all bad choices. You have three days and do not want to spend two of them in heavy traffic on a long weekend... those driving times are for good conditions and on a holiday they will be much longer. I would look for something closer and less stressful to get to.....
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Acadia is nice! lots of little places to go to... not much for big attractions that draw all the crowds, it's lots of small attractions that tend to disperse them.quod said:
I would agree with flying in to Bangor, rent a car, and wander around...and make sure you have a lobster dinner
lots of nice lighthouses, scenic lookouts, short walking trails, etc....
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sanj said:sunnyVan said:
I am ok driving for 5/6 hours or flying 3/4 hours. But want to land up in a place with not so many people. I like the following images. Giving for reference only. Any such place is fine.
sanj, if you want to avoid crowds, you might want to look at designated wilderness areas that are not National Parks. They tend to be less developed and less used by non-locals. I'm a West Coaster, so I don't know the options near NY, but here's a starting point for your search:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2014/06/28/into-wild-six-sensational-wilderness-areas-new-england/ZLkhSwYyASTkmMHnJUGa5N/story.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._Wilderness_Areas
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sanj said:Mt Spokane Photography said:You will have to fly to Yellowstone, and we can visit while you are here, its a days drive from Spokane. You will need to reserve a place to stay, you can find a good place, but the best ones are reserved months in advance.
The Olympic National park near Seattle is less crowded, and fantastic, everything from Pacific Ocean beaches to rain forests, you can take a ferry to Victoria BC and spend a day there, you could easily spend a week in the area. If your interested, I or others can help you out. There are lots of photo opportunities. You can go on a whale watch, sometimes they can be spotted from a Ferry. Visit Seattle, there is lots there to photograph.
Its far away from NYC (Thank Goodness
There are lots of good recommendations for park visits. Why not go to Niagara Falls. You will need to go to the Canadian side, but its a experience. Big crowds though. Its pretty difficult to avoid the crowds once Summer is here and the schools are out.
"We can visit" That sounds awesome. But it seems (maybe I am wrong) that 3 days would be less for Yellowstone.
I checked: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=Olympic+national+park+usa&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=VwpcVaKeN8u1uQSYg4HQBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1260&bih=1328
It is indeed very nice. Wow. BUT I will have to fly all across the country. Do you think it would be worth it. Fly NY to Seattle. Rent a car. Drive to Olympic. It will take a day to go and a day to return. I don't mind if we end up in the right place.
Need your advice. Perhaps some less visited park in center of the continent will be 'easier'?
If your travel plans are not firmed up yet, you can fly from India to Seattle (via Los Angeles or Vancouver BC?), see the sights, then on to New York, then on around the world via Paris, depending on which airline. That avoids going too much out of your way.
I'd suspect that your girls would like go to Disneyland or Disney world, so don't forget about doing something special for them.
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sanj said:
I think you are asking for the impossible. National park, on one of the biggest holiday weekends in the USA? Uhhh...
There has got to be a crapload of stuff to do nearby in a place like New York for 3 days.
I saw a special on PBS about the High Line right in NYC: www.thehighline.org
I have skimmed through the thread and the Adirondacks have been mentioned, along with Acadia and Shenandoah valley.
You could probably look at a map and check out the park areas within the range you are willing to travel to. Finding a room at the popular destinations may be impossible.
I am near Chicago, and there are literally hundreds of scenic nature places to go see within a 3 hour drive time, none of which are a National Park. New York must be similar. It's not Yellowstone, but many places are not crowded.
Don't forget nature preserves or botanical gardens. It would be very easy to spend an entire day here if the intent is to look around, take pictures and not speed walk it: www.chicagobotanic.org or here: www.mortonarb.org There must be similar places close to NYC.
I could probably spend 3 days at the Smithsonian in DC (probably really crowded though) or even MoMA.
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I would recommend against the west coast parks if you only have a few days to spend on them. As others have noted, you will lose two days just traveling back and forth from NY, to say nothing of the crowds you will experience in late June/early July. A lot of the parks are also deceptively large, so it can take an hour or two just to drive between locales (e.g., Old Faithful is an hour's drive from the nearest entrance to Yellowstone). Acadia National Park and the Maine coastline are good options if your goal is to shoot beautiful scenery and get away from the crowds.
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sunnyVan said:
I'm going to have to assume you are referring to New York City and NOT New York State.
New York State is full of beautiful parks, nature and open land.
I live in Western New York, roughly 400 miles from New York City, and virtually everything in between is scenic, open land, not at all a city.
As a Western New Yorker, I, as have many others, had to explain time and again, and to no avail, that I do not live in, or anywhere near, New York City. Many people think the entire state is one big city and nothing could be further from the truth. To put it in perspective, New York state ranks 4th in dairy production. Not city like at all.
The Adirondack State Park is the largest park in the lower 48 states, larger than Yosemite and Yellowstone. It is absolutely beautiful and will offer many photo opportunities.
Letchworth state park is referred to as the Grand Canyon of the East. While it may pale is size comparison, it is also a beautiful park and was recently voted number the number one State Park by USA Today readers.
http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-state-park/
The Finger Lakes region is also wonderful as is Allegany State Park and Niagara Falls. New York State is full of beauty.
I don't mean to discount the rest of the country (I've been to Acadia and the Pacific Northwest - both stunning as well), as there is beauty all across the US and I would recommend seeing as much as one practically can, just don't discount New York State.
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I used to live in upper NY State and I agree. To the nation and even the world, it seems like NYC is the only thing there. (sigh).
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I would agree with others that traveling to the west coast would be a waste of valuable time, there is so much to see on the East coast.
Something to consider would be to drive down to Washington DC (4 hours) and see the sites there. From a photography standpoint, Washington DC is a “target rich” environment.
Have fun Sanj!
north
Something to consider would be to drive down to Washington DC (4 hours) and see the sites there. From a photography standpoint, Washington DC is a “target rich” environment.
Have fun Sanj!
north
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First, I disagree that your timing is terrible. The weather should be nice that time of year nearly everywhere in the country and you'll have multiple opportunities to get some good fireworks shots (many small towns do fireworks shows shortly before the 4th).
I do agree that going west will take too much time. Besides the flights there is the issue that distances out here are far.
My recommendation is to look at Long Island - particularly further out like Sag Harbor and Montauk. Those areas are beautiful - we used to have a summer home out there - and there will be numerous photo opportunities.
Niagara Falls - I grew up not far from there and honestly it's not as impressive as you might think. If you happen to be nearby it's worth a stop, but otherwise it's a rather far trip from NYC.
I do agree that going west will take too much time. Besides the flights there is the issue that distances out here are far.
My recommendation is to look at Long Island - particularly further out like Sag Harbor and Montauk. Those areas are beautiful - we used to have a summer home out there - and there will be numerous photo opportunities.
Niagara Falls - I grew up not far from there and honestly it's not as impressive as you might think. If you happen to be nearby it's worth a stop, but otherwise it's a rather far trip from NYC.
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