October, 1 week

One week in mid-October, 4 people (3 of whom will take turns driving), starting in the Hudson valley, NY.

How far can we get? What can we see? The original plan was to make the Grand Canyon the goal, but I think we'd end up getting there, seeing it, and leaving the next day to drive back, so we're looking for new destination ideas.

We'd prefer to head west, rather than north or south, as we've been all over the east coast, but none of us have seen much of the midwest, southwest, or northwest of the country.

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I think you're quite wise to rethink the Grand Canyon. One week wouldn't even give you enough time to drive there and back, much less see it.

With your timeframe, I'd start looking at places around the Mississippi River and points east. That narrows things down, but still leaves a million possibilities. I might try places like Chicago, St. Louis, and maybe either Memphis or Minneapolis. You could even just spend a couple days driving down the Great River Road. It just depends upon what your interests are.

Like I said, there's lots of possibilities, but I think you'd be pushing yourself pretty hard to go much farther west than that.

Hi Annapt!

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

I think you're quite wise to rethink the Grand Canyon. One week wouldn't even give you enough time to drive there and back, much less see it.

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I second that, Grand Canyon would be feasible if you had two weeks but with only one week, you'd have to race down to there and zoom back home without ever leaving the interstate and probably with a few sleepless nights.

Michael gave you great suggestions of destinations. Depending on what your interests are, you could also go to the 1000 Islands region and Niagara (wineries, the Falls themselves), and stop by a few attractions on your way like the Jell-O Museum, in Leroy, NY and follow the Lake Erie Wine Trail. Also in Ohio, check out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in Cincinnati.

Further south, check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah NP VA, Blue Ridge Parkway, Historical Harper's Ferry WV, etc.

Chicago : walking tour in The Loop, Museum of Contemporary Art, Ernest Hemingway Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright Home, Sears Tower, Green Mill Jazz Club, Route 66 Hall of Fame (Pontiac), Starved Rock State Park (Utica);

This post features other must sees in St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Arkansas. Finally, you must read this cool article about Highway 61.

Happy trails!
Gen

OK - The Grand Canyon is out, but there are still a lot of places you CAN get to in a week. What this realistically boils down to is - where can you get to in three comfortable days of driving, and that really means a range of 1200-1500 miles. (You WILL want to get out of the car along the way, and you WILL want some individual alone time.) So that means anything closer than Florida, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Sioux City, Duluth, Thunder Bay, and any number of unpronounceable small towns in upper Ontario and Québec is still in play. Personally, I would probably do a big loop around the Great Lakes. As long as you don't go too early in October, you're bound to run into some peak fall foliage somewhere along the way. As Michael pointed out, there are some cities with vibrant night life, like Chicago or Minneapolis. There are some beautiful scenic attractions. And you can return through Canada to add a taste of internationalism. Just remember to keep it all manageable. You want this to be a fond memory rather than something that will turn you off travel for a long while.


AZBuck

Thanks for the info! I've talked to a friend in Toronto, and visiting her might be a good goal for the trip. I've also always wanted to see Niagara Falls, so we'll make our way through there.

I like the idea of a circuit around the Great Lakes - anyone done that and have experiences to share?

One more idea we've come up with is incorporating a day of skiing into the trip. The Toronto friend assures me that there will be skiing in October a manageable distance from the city.

I think Toronto and a tour around the Great Lakes could be a magnificant trip.

I haven't done a full circle around any of the lakes, but I've done stretches along all of them. From Toronto, I bet you would have time to go up over the top of Lake Huron, and then come back through Sault Ste Marie, across the Macinaw Bridge, and then back down through Michigan. You could cross back into Canada, and drive along the lake in southern Ontario working your way to Niagra Falls.

It actually might be pushing it a little for a week, but if you get behind, you'll be able to hit a freeway and make a quick push for home.

Skiing near Toronto in October? I had no idea. Sounds fun though.

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Originally Posted by annapt

One more idea we've come up with is incorporating a day of skiing into the trip. The Toronto friend assures me that there will be skiing in October a manageable distance from the city.

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I have to wonder what location offers skiing in October. In most of southern Canada, there is usually not significant snow (enough for skiing) until at least mid-November.

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Originally Posted by annapt

Thanks for the info! I've talked to a friend in Toronto, and visiting her might be a good goal for the trip. I've also always wanted to see Niagara Falls, so we'll make our way through there.

I like the idea of a circuit around the Great Lakes ...

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Midwest Michael has suggested a very doable option ... My guess is from Toronto across Huron towards S.S.M. will take you about two days, and from there thru Michigan to about NY another two ... not counting any interesting stops.

I haven't been around the GLs but I have driven North S.S.M for a few hours, and the further away from town, the more magnificent the scenery. If you spend the day with your Toronto friend, I'd guess you'd not have a relaxing time trying to go 'round to Thunder Bay. Remember, the Canadian speed limits on the normal roads are lower, about 90kph, if I recall, than what you'd expect in the U.S. Your Canadian friend may have some insider ideas about what to see between there and Huron.

S.S.M. has a primal forest N. of town past the airport, in July years ago it was thick with agressive, hungry mosquitos. Ask ahead of time for October -- hopefully will be much better. S.S.M. is also a starting point for 1-day & 2-day train excursions -- I have often thought about going back there to try one. Here's a link for more info.