Headed West

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LoudMusic

LoudMusic

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My girlfriend and I have planned to go west this coming May / June. Hopefully we can make a two week (16 day) or three week (23 day) trip and get a lot in. I'm going to have a rough itinerary listed on this page and a big request for suggestions and help, as neither of us have done anything quite like this before. I have a few sites in mind and recommendations are definitely appreciated.

You can post here, or email me if you'd like. I'll update the site periodically.
 
Check out the Niagara falls from Buffalo. I'd suggest the toronto side but frankly, it's been butchered of it's natural beauty out here. Buffalo at least has the entire area as a national park. CN Tower is more cool than the space needle btw.
 
That would be lovely ... if we were going to the East coast. Unfortunately we're headed the opposite direction (:
 
It's been said "there is nothing between Arkansas and the Grand Canyon". If anyone has spacific suggestions for that part of my trip, I would love to hear it.
 
For a second I thought you screwed up on your map, until i discovered that there is a Vancouver washington..!! Interesting, sounds like a fun trip, are you hoteling the whole thing, (or do you have any relatives, camping etc. worked into the plans?)
 
Go to Arizona. Check out Sedona and Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Then hit the coast and take the Great Highway north. See Oregon and Washington State. Don't miss the Olympic National Forest. From Port Angeles take a ferry to Victoria and go to Butchart Gardens and enjoy that beautiful city. Those are my suggestions.
 
For a second I thought you screwed up on your map, until i discovered that there is a Vancouver washington..!! Interesting, sounds like a fun trip, are you hoteling the whole thing, (or do you have any relatives, camping etc. worked into the plans?)
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We plan to take a tent and sleeping bags for occational camping spots like the Grand Canyon. We also have a few friends along the way - Monteray, Vancouver, Lincoln ... The rest of the time will be hotels, unfortunately, as I don't enjoy them at all.

Go to Arizona. Check out Sedona and Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Then hit the coast and take the Great Highway north. See Oregon and Washington State. Don't miss the Olympic National Forest. From Port Angeles take a ferry to Victoria and go to Butchart Gardens and enjoy that beautiful city. Those are my suggestions.
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Excellent! This is the advice / information I'm looking for.

Sedona
Flagstaff
Grand Canyon *
Olympic National Forest
Port Angeles ferry to Victoria ...
Butchart Gardens

Thanks guys!
 
You'd probably want to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row (and of course Laguna Seca). You might want to swing by Yosemite too, it's beautiful up there in the summer.

Be careful in LA in the summer. High temperatures and heavy smog, bring lots of water.
 
In San Fran I was figuring on stopping for pictures at "The Bridge" and then heading on to Monteray. (:

LA ... heat ... hadn't taken that into the equation just yet. Does anyone who lives in LA have info on May's climate?
 
Hard to say, but I'd say that you'd see temps between 80-95 degrees in May, but it really depends on what part of L.A. you're visiting, since it covers a broad range of geographical... um... features (that's not the word I'm looking for, but I'm braindead right now). If you're planning on visiting the heart of L.A., it'll be more towards the high 70s and 80s, and you'll get a good dosage of smog. If you visit the more suburban areas, it'll be a bit warmer and a whole lot drier (most of the landscape is chaparral, and there's virtually no humidity after April). Of course, most people here are totally used to it, but people coming from out of state might find it kind of shocking at first, especially the lack of humidity (unless they're from Nevada or Arizona).
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
In San Fran I was figuring on stopping for pictures at "The Bridge" and then heading on to Monteray. (:

LA ... heat ... hadn't taken that into the equation just yet. Does anyone who lives in LA have info on May's climate?
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LA in May is usually very warm. About mid to high 80's. But, for that past several years, I noticed it stays cooler a lot longer in the Spring time. The heat hasn't been that high, but it can jump up there.

Like Sage said, LA could be mid 70's, but a few miles away in the Valley area it can be 20° hotter. It depends were you go in LA.

Do you plan to go to any theme parks, beaches, Hollywood and the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills for shopping, famous restaurants, musems, etc...

What are you into? I can tell you a crap-load of places to visit, but I need to know what you are interested in the most. Movies, sports, dancing, shooting, hunting, hiking, fishing, nature, whale watching, flying, horses, snowboarding etc... Here in SoCal, you can do it all!

I suggest going to all of the following places here in SoCal to get the real feel of SoCal; the desert, the mountains, the beaches and the forest. If you want to go to the more popular places to visit, be prepared to sit in a lot of vehicle, and pedestrian traffic.
 
Originally posted by Solid Lifters
What are you into? I can tell you a crap-load of places to visit, but I need to know what you are interested in the most. Movies, sports, dancing, shooting, hunting, hiking, fishing, nature, whale watching, flying, horses, snowboarding etc... Here in SoCal, you can do it all!
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I'll select option D) All of the Above. (:

LA is on the list strictly for Disneyland. However, if there is some really great thing we need to go see / do while we're there we'll for sure put it on the list as an option.

And 70s to 80s isn't hot. Shoot! I'm from ARKANSAS. Hot is like 115 (:
 
Originally posted by milefile
You should go to Magic Mountain.
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That would be pretty cool - they have a few interesting and unique coasters. But I don't think I could do two theme parks on back to back days and Disneyland is required.

And besides, St Louis is six hours north and Dallas is six hours south. I can go to those Six Flags any weekend I want. But the Disneys are at least two days east or west.
 
You really should go to Magic Mountain – Disneyland is okay-ish, but Magic Mountain's a lot more fun (even if a few of your nerves explode on the way down some of those rides). :D
 
damn...Cedar Point is too far east for you :(.

If you spend a bit of time in LA though, check out Universal Studios. Had lotsa fun there and they've got an AWESOME pizza place in there too (though a bit overpriced).
 
Cedar Point is cool - I need to make a trip there sometime.

And besides, this vacation isn't all about theme parks. There is a whole lot more to do on the west coast than go ride rollercoasters.
 
There are no good parks like that in AZ. I've never been to Disney Land, but I have been to Disney World, which I hear is better.
 
Originally posted by milefile
There are no good parks like that in AZ. I've never been to Disney Land, but I have been to Disney World, which I hear is better.
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How did Arizona get brought into the rollercoaster discussion? :odd:

I've been to Disney World but that was over ten years ago. I've heard both ways on which is better. Guess I'll be able to compare Disneyland 2004 to Disney World 1990 (:
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic


I've been to Disney World but that was over ten years ago. I've heard both ways on which is better. Guess I'll be able to compare Disneyland 2004 to Disney World 1990 (:
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I don't think that would be a great comparision. . . Disney world has changed quite a bit since 1990. . . In the last 5 years they changed a lot, added things and lost things but the mainstay of Disney is still the same. . . Orlando also has Universal Island of Adventures which blows Disney away. . . Also included in the Orlando package is Sea World. :D. . . but Orlando really isn't the topic here. . . Sorry about that.
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
I was joking when I said that ... Hopefully you're joking in pointing it out to me ...
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:D I would imagine you have quite a brain on your shoulders to deductively think of changing over years :D
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
How did Arizona get brought into the rollercoaster discussion? :odd:
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Just that if I want to ride one I have to drive six hours to Magic Mountain, the place you aren't going because you're going to Disney Land.
 
It sounds like you have your heart set on going to Disneyland. That's where everbody goes to when they first come here. It's a nice place if you have kids, but I would go to Magic Mountain. Knott's Berry Farm is OK, but not nearly as good as MM, or DL.

The best ride at Disneyland just reopened, I think. The Big Thunder Mountain ride has been shut down for several months. A guy flew out of one of the cars and was killed.

Well, have fun at Disneyland! 👍
 
Yeah, Disneyland. It's not so much for the rides as the "Disney" (:

You all seem very intent on getting me to go to Magic Mountain. I will make that on my second trip to LA - unseen as of yet (:
 
If you into natural wonders, be sure to check out West Yellowstone and Glacier Nat'l Park. According to your map, you'd be pretty close.
 
We've been to Yellowstone, but my sister also recommended Glacier so we might check it out as well.

Thanks for reviving my thread (:
 

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