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

[Palomikis]

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

[John259]

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

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.)

[Palomikis]

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

[Mark Sedenquist]

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

[Lifemagician]

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

[Palomikis]

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.

[AZBuck]

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

[Palomikis]

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!

[AZBuck]

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

[Palomikis]

Thanks so much AZBuck!