Lost in so much information for an east coast roadtrip. Help please!

Hello,

We are a Spanish familly planning a trip for next summer to the East Coast. We have 3 weeks but the last one we will spend it on NYC, so we have two weeks left to do a great road trip on the northern coast. We will arrive by plane to NYC and our trip will end at NYC. We will rent a car and yes, we will check it can cross to Canada ;-)

As we travel with three teens we would like to mix nature and outdoor activities with principal citysightseeings, so any suggestions on any of this issues would be nice. There is too much information on the forums and sometimes I get a bit lost with what would it be better and worthseeing. Also, we would love to have your expert opinions on our first route plan.

This is what we would like to visit in 2 weeks:

Boston
New England Coast (Gloucester, Rockpot..)
Stay a couple of days in any Natural Parks on New York (Adirondack Park?) or New Hampshire (White Mountains? Acadia National Park seems too far away)
Niagara Falls
Chicago (from Niagara, we would go through Canada)
From Chicago, return through the US way to Washington (any national park or nice city to visit on that way?).
Lancaster county, Philadelphia
New York

Thank you very much

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Palomikis

From Chicago, return through the US way to Washington (any national park or nice city to visit on that way?

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Here's one idea: stay two nights in Front Royal or nearby Strasburg, Virginia. During the day, drive south on Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park and then continue for about six miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the pioneer farm at Humpback Rocks. Drive back on US340 through the Shenandoah Valley for a contrasting but equally beautiful ride.

Map:

(Mods: apologies for not using this site's own maps facility but I haven't yet figured out how to make it do what I wanted for this route.)

Thank you John259! Looks great! I will include it on our own map (when I learn how to use it also ;-)

The RTA Custom Maps doesn't do everything you can do on Google Maps. We have a very specific and narrow focus about how we wanted the maps to work. What I suggest is that you read this thread -- it was created by other first-time users of our program and see if it appeals to you.

What is 100% unique to the RTA Custom Maps are the RoadTrip Attractions articles that you can include -- or not -- in your maps. These places were chosen by professional RTA roadtrippers as being unique to road trips in some way. That is not available anywhere else on the web. Many sites have tried to duplicate it -- Some -- a tiny portion of these RoadTrip Attractions are also viewable in this section -- if you want to random page some of this information.

Mark

Hi, and welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

My recommendation would be to get some good maps of the north west of the States and some of Canada. This will give you a much better overview than can be achieved within the confines of a computer monitor. Bonus is that you will have many of the nationally aclaimed attractions - natural, historical, touristy - mentioned on the maps. You can then focus on doing research online to make your final route. However, be not tempted to rely solely on your electronics for navigation. Make good maps (and the ability to read them) your primary navigation tool.

Lifey

Thank you Mark!
I wonder if there are roadtrips maps created and shared by other travellers on the web. It would help a lot because these are a basis to start with for your own trip. Maybe you already have it, but I haven't been able to found it.

You could easily spend two weeks in New England and then returning to New York by way of Niagara Falls and/or Washington. So while I usually don't question the destinations of any RoadTrip, I will simply point out that Chicago is well off the path of what is otherwise a quite compact and enjoyable tour of regions that will nicely supply plenty of scenic outdoor, and vibrant historic urban, settings to fill your bill. Going to Chicago would require several days (of the two weeks you have available) just to get there and back to the east coast. So, unless there is some compelling personal reason for going to Chicago, I would recommend skipping it and concentrating on Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, and New York for your cityscapes.

AZBuck

Yes, at first we didn't plan to go to Chicago but some friends told us that it's impressive so we included it but I agree with you it is a bit off the path.
We are gathering all the sites and places worth visiting and when we have all, we will decide.
Which natural parks would you suggest as the most beautiful on those States? Adirondack Park? New Hampshire -White Mountains? Other?
Thanks!

I prefer the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Partly that's because I've spent the most time there, but I've also spent some time in the Green Mountains of Vermont (a close second), the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, and the Adirondacks of New York. Because the White Mountains sit astride the Appalachian Trail, the footpaths there are a bit better developed and there are many great little state parks scattered throughout. Some of my favorite trails are the one up the west side of Mount Jefferson from Jefferson Notch, and the trail up the Flume Gorge in Franconia State Park. For a great view of the mountains without too much leg work, drive up the Mount Washington Auto Road from Glen House NH. For more extensive information on hiking trails in the White Mountains check in with the Appalachian Mountain Club's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.

AZBuck

Thanks so much AZBuck!

Hi! Finally, this is the route we have planned:

Day 1. Arrive to Newark airport - Philadelphia
Day 2. Philadelphia
Day 3. Philadelphia- Lancaster County
Day 4. Lancaster County.
Day 5. Lancaster County - Gettysburg- Washington DC
Day 6. Washington DC.
Day 7. Washington - Niagara Falls (a long day driving!)
Day 8. Niagara Falls
Day 9. Niagara Falls - Finger Lakes (Seneca Falls).
Day 10. Finger Lakes (Geneva, Ithaca, etc)
Day 11. Finger Lakes - Adirondack Park (Lake George)?
Day 12. Lake George and sorroundings.
Day 13. Lake George - Rockport - Gloucester
Day 14. Gloucester- Boston
Day 15 and 16. Boston
Day 17 Boston- Cape Cod - Provincetown.
Day 18. NH Coast - NYC
Day 19-23 NYC

Some questions and doubts:

- What do you think about the route? Are we missing anything really worthy?
- Is it worth to stop at Adirondack Park? We'd like to do some family activities on nature -kayaking, biking, etc- and we won't be able to get to White Mountains as we first planned. Its too far away in our route. We have doubts about if we should spend at Adirondack Park almost 2 days or it worths more to better know the NH Coast.
- Should we go to Adirondack Park instead of the Finger Lakes?


Thanks again!

Philadelphia to Lancaster is only 80 miles, so perhaps you could look round that area on the same day?

Then you'd have a day spare that you might like to use to visit Shenandoah National Park. Front Royal to Niagara would be much the same mileage as Washington DC to Niagara.

Just an idea - it might not appeal to you.

The order you have around Boston is not efficient - going from Boston to the Cape then NH then NYC is a lot of backtracking. Go from Rockport to the NH coast, then to Gloucester and Boston. Go to the Cape on your way to NYC.

Hi glc!

Yes, I put NH coast because I didn't really know which other towns would be interesting to visit on the coast from Cape to NY, but I wasn't thinking of going back up in the coast.

What other towns would you recommend to visit from Rockport? Should we go up to the North a little bit?

Thanks John 259,

Yes we also had doubts about it... As we travel with three teens from 11 to 15 years, we thoght it might be too much car trip for them, and we should enjoy as much as possible the slow life in the Lancaster County, its towns and people. Anyway, I have kept your route to Royal in our map, so we will decide "on the road". :-)

All-in-all it's tough to find fault with your proposed itinerary. I might do it slightly differently, maybe a day less in Amish Country or at Niagara Falls, perhaps spending that time in northern New England (Vermont and New Hampshire). But those are individual choices and I'm sure you've made the ones that are right for you. The one spot that should be changed around is you should do the New Hampshire coast (There's really not that much of it!) between Lake George and Cape Ann (Gloucester and Rockport). If, however, that's a typo and you meant the southern New England coast (Newport RI and Mystic CT) then that's just where they belong. As far as the choice between the Finger Lakes and the Adirondacks, I'd go with the Finger Lakes. The Adirondacks are largely undeveloped, so there will simply be more opportunities for activities other than walking in the woods (although that will also be possible) in the Watkins Glen - Ithaca area.

AZBuck

On your way to Lake George it would make a nice to drive to go through the Adirondack Park. You could take route 8 through Lake Pleasant - site of the winter Olympics some years ago - or even 28, further north. Yes it is mostly undeveloped, but a lovely peaceful place to drive through.

Lifey

Hi, I can't speak to the entire route, but one thing I would consider
Day 3 - Philadelphia to Washington DC
Day 4 - Washington DC
Day 5 - From Washington: Lancaster County via Gettysburg, Dillburg, I-76 thru Harrisburg, then PA-283 to Lancaster. Do not (Repeat) Do not use US-30 through York. PA-283 will avoid that.
Day 6 - Lancaster County
Day 7 - Lancaster County to Niagra

-- this will shorten your drive to Niagra by over an hour, thus giving you a chance to stop, breathe and look around on the way up.

-- IMO Research PA for any road construction or repair on your route to Niagra - except for the Toll Roads, although I've always enjoyed the scenery in PA, the state is notorious for causing hours long backups in rural areas leading up to the places the repairs are being made. Decide your route then ask on the forum about any possible road projects.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Taco Monster

Research PA for any road construction or repair on your route to Niagra

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Decide your route then ask on the forum about any possible road projects.

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Yes, there is a lot of construction going on, all the time. However.... if you tune your radio to the AM dial, you will pick up detailed information as to where. (The exact frequency is posted roadside throughout the State.) Since you will be carrying good maps, it will be easy to pick up a detour.

That said, I have never struck hours long backups in rural areas. Rural PA is such a pleasant State through which to wander, I doubt if it would deter me, even if I had.

Lifey