Hitting the road this summer...where to go first

Pick a place on your bucket list and head out. There is so much to see in the U.S.

The wife and I visited eastern Canada several years ago and lived it. I think I would pick there. There is lots to do and with the exchange rate what it is today it is a lot cheaper. Also Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday by not charging an entry fee into there national parks.

NYCgrrl wrote:

ssands wrote:
We plan to retire in May and hit the road for, at least, a month or so. We live in Ohio. Just looking for suggestions where to go first. We have thought about New England or Nova Scotia.

Good for you!
I can't speak of availability in Nova Scotia beyond the possibility that you'll need to make a reservation on the ferry but as far as NE is concerned start making your reservations NOW. Many prime spots are prolly already booked for June and at least some weeks of July.
Have fun out there and start gathering your free state and province tourist info:).

Don't need to go to Nova Scotia by ferry - - just a leisurely drive up through New Brunswick, making sure to stop and watch the Bay of Fundy 'retreat' one day and walk on the bottom of the bay. NB is easy to drive through on the way to Nova Scotia. Then spend a few weeks in NS, maybe some time on PEI, or if feeling really adventurous, take the ferry to Newfoundland or Labrador.

Barb

Since you live in Ohio, head north into Michigan on the west side. Definitely stop for a while around the Traverse City/Sleeping Bear Dunes Nat'l Lakeshore area and that whole peninsula... absolutely beautiful county. The head to Mackinaw City and do a day trip to Mackinac Island (yes, two different spellings). The cross the Mackinac bridge into the Upper Peninsula and head west to Wisconsin. Then make your way down Wisconsin and back to Ohio. One month isn't very long if you're retired. Try not to put a deadline on the trip and just GO!

Merrykalia wrote:

and then CT for a night.

See that?
I've spent a minimum of 2 weeks based in CT for the last 9 years and STILL have a few spots to visit w/i the state and it's neighbors. And yes seafood is the answer to any question asked:).

Were I only to have a month or two to visit this region........I'd figure out what my interests are and concentrate on that. Pre and Revolutionary history? Mass, CT, VT, and NY; fine art museums? CT, MA and NY. The amazing views? VT, NH, MA, RI, and upper NY.

I once did a side trip that concentrated on different styles of rock fences..and uhm trust me, there's a lot of variations to be found whilst seeing the Connecticut River Museum (Gosh, I wuvv that place! And the boat and steam train trips), the Peabody Museum (another GOTTA get back to place in New Haven), Dinosaur State Park, the farms and diners of North East CT; and city and historical life of New London.
Next trip, I plan to spend more time in the Mystic region so the man can visit the Nautilus and I can eat at few RoadFood places I missed. Still haven't visited the Nathan Hale haunts but I keep telling myself there is time;).

I know a couple who absolutely love Newfoundland. They've gone there two or three times, I forget exactly, and they say they never get tired of it. Wide open spaces with low population, plenty of coastline with icebergs floating by, and they rave about the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals. It sounds like 1950s society, where people are trusting and invite you into their homes for tea or dinner when they only just met you. This couple would get invited to music gatherings, given moose meat, handed jars of jam, you name it. Quite a few of the roads are gravel, though, so it takes a while to get around that province.

We have been to the Southwest several times and a great place is in Moab,Utah. It is a good hub for the national parks nearby. The area really shows how diverse the Earth features can be.
There is much to see on the way out and back as well. I-44 to the southern route. Mid October is favorable weather if a little heat bothers you.

We have done the NE states a couple of times.

The first time, we headed from our home to DC and did the monuments and mall area, plus zoo for 3 days, then on to Baltimore for a day at the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, then the National Aquarium for another day. On to Hershey, PA for a chocolate factory tour and then the amusement park (had a 14 and 12 year old at the time), then on to NYC for 4 nights and then CT for a night. We headed on to Bar Harbor for 4 nights and took in all we could at Acadia National Park. We ate lobster and crab for most every meal and had a blast. We took a boat over to PEI for the day, then headed south to Boston for the 4th of July. I had always wanted to go. We did Salem and the Witch Museum, which was the highlight for the niece. After we finished up there, we headed back toward home with another night in a hotel before arriving back home. We were gone for 21 days and I think we covered about 4500 miles,

That was when we were younger and I wouldn't attempt all of that in 21 days anymore,but we sure did have a blast. We were also in a tent, but even in NYC (Liberty Harbor RV Park), it was fun. Now I have to have more creature comforts.

Nova Scotia is a wonderful destination with great scenery and activities, and it's very RV-friendly. This year would be a good one because Parks Canada has a free entrance pass promotion going for 2017. There are a lot of wonderful historic sites up there, and some wonderful campgrounds in the parks, too.

On the way up, why not swing out to the Maine coast? Lots of fabulous scenery, Acadia National Park, lighthouses, and plenty of lobsters (often you can order them steamed, plus side dishes, delivered right to your campsite).

Here I see what I would do for a 30 trip.

Head east and see Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and the nearby Flight 93 Memorial.
Continue east and visit Gettysburg.
Head north and visit the Poconos.
Head north east and visit Cape Cod.
Head north and visit Acadia National Park
Head west and visit scenic ski areas in Vermont or New Hampshire.
Visit the Thousand Island area.
Visit the Rochester NY area.
Visit Niagara Falls
Head east for western Finger Lakes visit
Visit Chautauqua in western NY - see Chautauqua Institution.
Head home.

Stay 2-3 day if you can in each site, more or less based on interests.