need help too pls

Hi all,

Sorry to intrude here, but I could also do with some advice please? I plan to visit the US (from England) for the first time in my life this autumn! My bf lived there for about a year and now wants to revisit the family he stayed with in Cape Cod all those years ago. He would like to see them for Thanksgiving, but I would not be joining him for the days he spends with them.

Our original thinking was that I would come out on a later flight (after Thanksgiving), but then I thought that would be nonsense - after all, I've never been to the US before and what is stopping me exploring some of the places he has already seen (and more), by myself, right?? :)

So...road trip!! I have driven right across Europe before and loved spending days behind the wheel on all sorts of adventures, so why not? I think it's the best way to explore countries / continents you're not familiar with (or even if you know it - see a new aspect!)...take as much time as you like, go where you want, freedom, etc. :)

Lots of details are yet to be confirmed re this trip, such as number of days I have to myself (I would guess approx. 4 but need to confirm with the bf), as well as what airport we come into (what is sensible?), start and end date (as long as Thanksgiving is in the middle) etc. but my first questions are:

- any advice on how much I can fit into, say, 4 days? Assuming I need to do a big circle, any advice you can give on what to hit there and back from-to Cape Cod?
- what's the deal with Thanksgiving? (being that it doesn't exist here); will everything shut down? will I have anywhere to go / anyplace to see? will shops / motels be open? if open, will they cost loads?
- can I confidently go there that time of year and not book accommodation in advance? I have no qualms about sleeping in the car, but IF I want a proper sleep, will there be motels available...what kinda price? and safety?
- not that I would want my holiday dictated by the time of year, but what is good to see / do around then? Remember I am assuming approx. 4 days to myself. How far can I drive (I'm not a bad driver), where can I reasonably get to? Any advice on driving in the US (yes, I know other side of the road, lol, but apart from that? customs, things to be wary of, things to enjoy?)
- and most of all, what radio station do I tune in? ;-) ...just joking...maybe?

Thanks all x (v, excited!)

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

First of all, Thanksgiving is a Canadian and American holiday (celebrated on different days) where we do just that - give thanks for all the good things that have happened to us. It is typically enjoyed by having a gathering of family and friends, playing and watching football, and having an enormous feast. Not much will be open on that day (a Thursday) but the next day is known as Black Friday and is the biggest shopping day of the year as the traditional Christmas sales season kicks off. It's all about as nuts as Boxing Day. When I say not much will be open on Thanksgiving, I mean retail establishments. Grocery stores, motels, gas stations and the like will be open. Restaurants will be open but very busy.

Anyway, having lived through about a dozen years there, there is absolutely no better place to be than New England around Thanksgiving. The American version got its start at Plymouth Colony just south Boston, so lots of tradition. If you and your boyfriend are going to be based on Cape Cod, then Boston's Logan International is your airport of choice. With 4 days you can see a lot, but not all, of New England. Rather than tell you what you should see, I'll just point you to a bunch of past discussions of this neck of the woods.

To try to answer a few of your specific questions: I've always found that as soon as I got into a car in Britain or Ireland, the 'handedness' took care of itself. Sitting on the other side of the car sort of forces you to drive on the other side of the road. The places to watch out for are the roundabouts (we call them 'circles') and full stop intersections where a moments thought about where you should be looking for traffic to come from and where you should be looking to go would be in order. You should not really have any problem finding standard motel type lodging even without reservations at that time of year. As a round number expect to pay about $75 (£30-40) per night. And actually one of the joys of traveling in a new area, let alone a new country, is to just take pot luck on the radio and learn something else new about the land you're traveling through.

AZBuck