10-day round roadtrip starting from NYC

[Emmelina]

Hello!

In July, three friends and I are heading to New York City from Melbourne, Australia. We are planning to spend a week or so in NYC, but are keen to get out on the road and see the surrounding areas - we have put aside around 10 days for roadtripping. We'd like to have a mix of cities/towns, nature and cultural experiences - we have a photography hobbyist who I'm sure would appreciate some great photo opportunities, and we all enjoy a good walk (day trekking) and a bit of adventure.

We've had a number of suggestions of things to see (Finger Lakes, Catskill Mountains, Niagara Falls, Boston, Phillidelphia etc. etc.), but can't work out what route to take, time required, and what are the "must see" things. So, I guess my question is... if you had 10 days to drive first time visitors to the USA on a round-trip from New York, where would you take them?

In terms of budget, we are willing to spend on activities and travel, but are keen to stay in budget accommodation. Any hints on cheap/safe/clean/well-located accommodation would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

And I must emphasize that this is only one possible loop out of dozens of basic routes (and hundreds of permutations) that you could do in 10 days out of New York City. First, if you haven't gotten your fill of cities and culture in NYC, then the obvious other place to head for would be Washington, DC and its great collection of museums, most of which are free and grouped together on the National Mall. You could then spend a few days in the country as you work your way up to Niagara Falls and then over Boston (another great city and cultural center). You could/should also plan on spending some time in New England. From pretty much anywhere in New England, NYC is within an easy day's drive to complete your trip. The one thing I would caution against as you consider this or any loop, is to not try to go too far afield. Your time will be better spent out of the car and experiencing the places you drive to, rather than spending more time cooped up and driving to fewer places.

AZBuck

[panchodog]

I second the notion of Washington DC. You can also travel by train in the NE if you'd like to try it. It's our nation's best commuter rail corridor which isn't really saying that much, but Philly to DC is pretty good and DC to NYC also.

I've never been to Niagra, but I would think you could work that in and it's certainly iconic. I would stay in the NE with DC being your southernmost point. Anything further than that and I think you're going to spend too much time traveling and not enough time seeing things. That said I have driven to NYC from NC and back in a weekend, but I was a lot younger then!

[Phuzzy]

I replied earlier to a similiar inquiry. We've lived in NY all our lives. If you are headed north of NYC, one of our favorite places to visit is Mohonk Mountain House, a castle-like hotel in a lakeside setting in the Catskill Mountains (you can visit for lunch and hike the grounds). Another favorite would be Cooperstown NY - a wonderful small upstate town and home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and other museums. Saratoga (horse racing in late July) Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes region are also wonderful. There is so much to see in NYC, hard to imagine doing NYC in less than 4 days. I would suggest staying in Manhattan, skip the outer bouroughs and concentrate on seeing major sites. If baseball interests you, our 2 new stadiums are easily accessible by NYC Subway. If you want to head south, other posters suggest Washington DC, which is a wonderful destination (hot weather in July) with top notch museums and historical sights. A stop in historic Philadelphia is on the way south. You could return to NYC thru beautiful Amish countryside near Lancaster PA. Being from NY, I'm a bit partial to the North route, with plenty of budget hotels along our interstates. Have a great trip.

[Emmelina]

I certainly have a lot of reading to do! Every link I click leads me to more and more links, and more ideas of places to go. I will definitely be incorporating New England into this roadtrip. Thank you so much for all of your assistance!