Toronto - Quebec - Maine - Washington DC

[TerminalFrost]

Hello, I'm going on a bit of a road trip after this term. I have at least a month, depending on my last exam, including the entire May.

I've been searching the internet (and this great website!) for tips on where to go and what route, so I've got a pretty good picture so far. I made a map on google, so everyone can see:

Technically, I have to end up in Toronto at the end of the month, and I was originally thinking about either going in a circle back to Toronto after Washington, or continuing down the coast to Southern US, but I decided that I don't have the time for that (and my impression is that upstate Pennsylvania and Ohio aren't worth it, though I might be wrong). Instead, I'll probably take a plane from Washington, ending the trip there.

The trip will be a road trip (rented car) from Toronto to Boston (or maybe NY), after there I'll be taking a train (I gather that's a good idea?).

Basically, my main question is: Have I missed anything that I should see?

Also, I want to drive the most scenic routes possible considering the limited time, but I'm not sure what those will be.

About me: I'm European, so Canadian or American historic places are good for me (but bear in mind that some things probably won't impress me as much as it would North Americans - e.g. "old" things, which could seem new'ish to me :) ).

I'd like to do a lot of photography on the way (I'm a beginner trying to get serious), so anything beautiful, scenic, etc. would be great.

I like hiking (but I don't have serious camping equipment), so I've been thinking of going to Mt. Washington in NH. Good idea? What else is recommended? Any short (1-4 hour) walks along the way?

I probably will have more questions as time goes by, but so far that's it.

Thank you for any suggestions!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

I love the area of the country you're planning on visiting. The thing is that there are great venues everywhere in New England, so your plan to just drive down the coast has you missing some of the best. If you have a month, wander. Similarly, I strongly disagree with your statement regarding Pennsylvania and New York. Finally, if this is t be a RoadTrip, why not complete the loop back to Toronto? Even from Washington, you can drive back to Toronto in a day, so I don't see why you'd pay the extra drop-off charge to leave your rental car somewhere else, and pay the fare to get yourself home by alternate transport.

AZBuck

[TerminalFrost]

Hi AZBuck, thanks for the reply. And thanks for many of your other posts in these forums, which have been very useful.

The major reason for only driving from Toronto to Boston is that after Boston the trip will mainly consist of major cities (NY, Phil., Baltimore, Washington). And my thought was that NOT having a car in these places would be very convenient. Also, I've read that public transportation (i.e. trains) in this corridor is quite good, by American standards. Maybe I'm wrong in these things?

Thanks for your suggestions about Pennsylvania and New York state; I will read about that when I get time. Like I said, my impression might be wrong, which is that the route (something like Washington DC - Pittsburgh - Cleveland - Detroit) is mostly industrial and agricultural areas, densely populated, not exceptional nature-wise (I guess apart from the Appalachians at the beginning), and with not terribly exciting cities. No offense to anyone from these places! But this is my impression. I'm willing to be convinced!

Also, I gather you would suggest going north to Buffalo and that way around Lake Erie, not stopping at much, which is a route I hadn't thought about.

[AZBuck]

Yes, the rail system between Boston and Washington is actually quite good, beating the airlines on price, time (downtown to downtown), and ease of use. And if your trip after Boston consists of nothing more than the cities, then yes it makes sense, both logistic and economic, to turn in the car.

On the other hand, while it is possible to get back from Washington to Toronto via the cities you list, a far more direct route is north to Harrisburg, PA and up the Susquehanna River valley into New York and then on to Niagara Falls. This route is quite scenic and hardly industrial or agricultural and has plenty of worthwhile stops.

AZBuck