1 week road trip starting from NYC - what to do....?!

Hi all,

In need for useful tips on a road trip final week of Sep. Starting from NYC, could loop back to NYC but Atlanta is also an option. Always wanted to go to New England, BUT given the fact that we're from Europe, this may not be as special for is in terms of landscape, towns etc. Also we absolutely want to avoid too much tourism infected places, so this time of year may not be ideal? Or are there enough stunning & remote places to chill out in Maine (Arcadia?). Our aim is to unwind after a week in the city, do a bit of kayaking, rafting, chilling out on the beach and biking/hiking. Combi of relaxing and a bit of outdoor stuff.
Alternative to New England could be driving down to Atlanta and flying back to London from there. Passing D.C., Smoky Mountains etc on the way. Enough to see/do?
Third option is to fly from NYC to Florida, spend a week there driving along the Keys and a few days on South Beach.

What say you? Best combo of seeing things, relaxing, not too touristy and still beautiful?
Thanks!
Peter

Welcome!

To help you in a small way with your decision, a loop trip will always be considerably cheaper. International airfare into one city and out of another will be considerably more expensive than a round trip to the same city, and renting a car "one way" will carry a significant surcharge.

The good news is you will not be more than a 2 day drive from NYC anywhere in the eastern part of the country north of about Orlando FL and east of a line going roughly from Orlando to Chicago. How far afield you go would really be determined by how much you want to "stay put" and how much you want to move around.

The summer vacation season ends in early September, so you are picking a good time. The tourist hordes are pretty much gone, but the weather is still decent. New England is a very good choice for scenery and quaint towns, but it's starting to get a bit cool for beaches. If you want beaches, you will need to head south.

There's lots to do in the Smoky Mountains and DC. You could easily fill up your week in those areas. The popular places in DC will always have tourists, but late Sept would be a pretty good time of year for seeing less of them.

If you actually want to swim at the beach, you'd probably have to go to the Carolinas or farther south (depending on your tolerance for chilly water). If you just want to hang out on the beach and dip your toes in the water a little bit, the mid-Atlantic areas may still be ok.

Besides Mayelli's suggestions, one could easily spend a week in Pennsylvania discovering the many hidden gems that State has to offer, while at the same time fulfilling the requirements of relaxing, not too touristy and still beautiful?

Lifey

West Virginia is a good place to go for hiking/biking/rafting/kayaking. No ocean beaches though (none in Pennsylvania either). If you'd like to just relax on a beach and don't care if the water's cold, you could visit one of the NJ/MD/DE beaches and then head west for the other activities.