Your 5 Favorite North American Trips

What the hell, I'm bored. So let's have a little fun. I know for me this is a tough one but I'll try to list my favorite destinations, in order.

1. US Virgin Islands. Specifically St. John. The Caribbean is my favorite place on Earth, period. Crystal clear water, palm trees that are instant beach umbrellas, snorkeling 50 feet from your beach chair. Yep, this is it for me. I guess I should list the Cayman Islands as well at #2 but I don't want to be redundant.

2. Canadian Rockies. The drive from Jasper to Banff is one everyone should take in their lifetime.

3. Grand Canyon. Yep, the reason I joined this board. As good as I had anticipated and I had high expectations.

4. Alaska. Some may be surprise that it is this low. Amazing place but to be honest most of it looked like places I've been before such as British Columbia

5. Coastal Maine. The food may have swayed my vote here but it really is beautiful.

I have to admit that having spent so much time in the west, particularly Colorado, made me pass on several places such as Yellowstone, Badlands, northern California parks etc that many here will probably list. But my list is diverse for a reason.

95 views and nobody wants to participate? You guys suck.

Heya! Im travelling the west coast in feb so been researching alot about the states in general, just by coincidence weve just had a documentary on the tele here (UK) about Yellowstone and it looks amazing so im definately going there when i come!!Have you just travelled the west coast or all over the states?
We are going for a year starting in San fran hoping to finish in Canada, no route worked out justa as yet tho
Sorry i didnt stay with the thread but i will defo list the places youve mentioned in my scrapbook to visit!

Leanne

5 favourite North American trips?

1. Ferry to Vancouver Island. A short trip, but one of the most beautiful ferry trips in the world, amid small forested islands, with the mountains in the background. I saw a bald eagle in its nest, as we passed by.

2. San Fransisco, Santa Cruz, and driving along the California coast. Few cities in the U.S. have as much character as San Fransisco. And the coast south of Frisco is just stunning.

3. New York, New York! The most exciting city in the U.S.! I just wouldn't want to live there...

4. Canoe trips in Ontario and Quebec. Few countries in the world have as much unspoiled wilderness as we do in Canada. And the best way to explore it has always been in a canoe.

Number 5 will have to wait, until I can return to North America. I'd like to see the Grand Canyon, New Orleans and Atlantic Canada. I'd also like to go to the far north- Baffin Island or Tuktoyaktuk. Somewhere north of the Arctic Circle.

[ Edit: Edited on 24-Dec-2010, at 00:09 by madpoet ]

I have always toyed with the idea of one of those fly in canoe trips, I think they are near the boundary waters of upper Wisconsin or maybe it's Minnesota. Went so far as to get a tape sent to me. But the couple we had planned it with have split and it may not happen. Good call on the ferry ride to Vancouver Island, my dad is in Vancouver and I'm familiar with it.

lilgun: I didn't mean to misrepresent myself, to be honest most of my life has been in the east and obviously most of my travels. It's just that it's hard to chose between places like Yellowstone, Grand Tetons etc.

I probably should have listed the coastal highway from SF to LA. That drive, going south so you are on the water side of the highway, is amazing. I waiting to see if CalCruzer responds, his list should be very interesting.

[ Edit: Edited on 24-Dec-2010, at 05:58 by DaveinMD ]

Well I think my list would be this one:

1. British Columbia, Canada. I think it's like no place on the Earth. Lakes, mountains, forests, streams, wildlife. There's all and all is wonderful there. A particular mention to the Banff and Jasper area.

2. Northeastern cornes US + Southeast Canada. You'd visit all the biggest cities in the eastern Canada - like Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal - and you'd be in the middle of the wild Maine, the colourful Vermont, and other places like New Hampshire, Massachussetts and new York.

3. Alaska. Forever. It's wild, full of wildlife (love to see grizzlies) and there are scenaries that you can see only up there. It's a place to - sometimes - refuge in to avoid cities, traffic, crowds, and the rythm of your life. You can feel yourself as you really are.

4. California tour: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, San Josè, then northern parks (like Redwoods), Yosemite, then Kings Canyon, Death Valley, Mohave, a little flee in Las Vegas - just to see. Highest trees in the world and highest mountain in the continental US.

5. The West, overall the flat, infinity plains of South Dakota. I LOVE that state. It was my first trip in the US and SD is still in my heart. I'll never forget the peace of the Badlands, my first live buffalo in Custer State Park, the history of the Black Hills, the atmosphere of Rapid City - the star of the west - and the tears stream down my face when I think to my beloved plains of Pine Ridge Reservation.

Canada and the US are all beautiful, but these are my favourite places.

(I just experienced point 1 and 5, but 2,3 and 4 are on my list of "to do trips"!

You had two of mine already...

1) Canadian Rockies.
2) Maine

3) Drive to Key West from Miami at sunrise.

4) Vegas. It's Vegas.

5) Same idea as #1 but Glacier National Park is pretty sweet.

'sheeed

Quoting rasheeed

3) Drive to Key West from Miami at sunrise.

Seems to me this drive would be best at sunset as you are heading west.

North America includes the Caribbean for this purpose?

Anyway, difficult and so much I haven't seen (yet), but I like this thread too much to not try and give a top 5.

1. Drive: From Furnace Creek Death Valley to Mariposa near Yosemite NP, along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada and over it on the second day it was open along Highway 120. From 118F/48C to 6 feet of snow. I loved that day!

2. View: Anywhere in Bryce Canyon NP! So much nicer than Grand Canyon in my opinion.

3. Wildlife: eye to eye with a grizzly mum and two cubs in Yellowstone NP

4. City/culture: Havana, Cuba.

5. Tropical island getaway: both Dominica and Saba, really can't choose between the two. Great nature, some nice beaches on Dominica and almost (Dominica) or totally (Saba) unspoiled by cruiseship tourism and/or beach package holidays. Fantastic views and hikes on both.

Cheers
Michael.