David87's American Road Trip Thread Social • Page 4

Lol....we are supposed to do New England on Spring Break, but spring break this year is the first week of April which means Acadia NP and other destinations in Maine and northern NE are gonna be closed/buried under snow...so I’m not sure what we’re gomna do yet

 

So are you planning on doing the same itinerary as in the OP for this summer? I definitely have a lot of tips for California, Washington, and Utah if you'd still be going to those places (I know you mentioned going to Arches again).

I'm also hoping to do a road trip this summer, hopefully about a month long, but just concentrating on the western half of the US.

 

Yeah the OP should be the way it goes this summer. When we realized we couldn't afford to do it this past summer, but still had to get to Grand Junction COlorado for a Wedding, we did a mini trip through the middle of hte country to hit some of hte stuff we wouldn't get otherwise.

If anyone is into caves I can't recommend Mammoth Cave NP enough. The caves are awesome, there's a ton of nature trails on the surface, and at night there are so many sounds in the woods surrounding you that it makes for some great ambient noise when you're trying to sleep.

 

Washington

I've been to Seattle a couple times and to Olympic once for about 10 days.

Seattle: Probably my favorite city I've been to. Definitely check out the food trucks (there are tons and all of the ones I've been to were good). And as touristy as it is, I like Pike Place market too. Another cool place to visit is the Ballard Locks which features a large botanical garden and a salmon ladder - truly unique park. Taking the monorail is fun too. I also liked the Seattle Aquarium and Pacific Science Center. As for breweries, the last time I went to Seattle I was still underage, but my girlfriend went recently and she really liked Holy Mountain which focuses on farmhouse ales and sours. I've also heard good things about Fremont (mostly hoppy stuff, some stouts), Reuben's, and Cloudburst.

Olympic: You may already know, there are basically 3 almost completely different ecotypes encompassed by Olympic National Park - the mountains of Hurricane Ridge, the coastline, and the temperate rainforest. I would highly recommend visiting all 3 areas if possible. We stayed at two different VRBO properties, one on the road up to Hurricane Ridge from Port Angeles (Enchanted Forest Cabin In Majestic Setting ... - VRBO), one along the river just south of Forks (Fishermen's Hollow on the Bogachiel River - VRBO). Both were nice, but the property manager of the one near Hurricane Ridge was difficult, so I would recommend trying to find a different property in the same area. The other was a charming cabin, very laidback and felt remote even though it was just a couple blocks from the highway.

Hurricane Ridge -

Lake Angeles and Klahhane Ridge Loop (~13 miles) - A moderately long, scenic, and difficult hike if you just go to Lake Angeles (~7 miles); an extremely long, scenic, and difficult hike if you do the whole loop. The scenery really becomes spectacular beyond Lake Angeles but the trail also becomes very steep. You are likely to see mountain goats if you make it up to the
ridge.






Elk Mountain (~5 miles) - Moderate but extremely scenic hike looking out over the Olympic mountains. One of the most beautiful hikes I did in the mountain region of Olympic.

Cirque Rim loop and Sunrise Ridge (~3 miles) - These trails start right at the top of the road to Hurricane Ridge near the visitor center. Very easy (more walk than hike) but a great opportunity to soak in the views from multiple directions.

Port Angeles

Next Door Gastropub - Good food, good beer. VERY popular.

First Street Haven - One of the best breakfast joints I've ever been to. I love sweet breakfast so the coconut custard french toast (pictured) was right up my alley, but they do everything well.



Coast -

Shi Shi Beach (~8 miles) - Pretty remote to get out to, but well worth the effort. The majority of the hike itself is basically a long walk on the beach. TONS of awesome emergent rock formations!

Toleak Point (~12 miles) - A long walk across several remote beaches interrupted by various scrambles to bypass obstacles between the beaches. VERY cool and a bit off the beaten path.

Rialto Beach (~3 miles) - Another walk on the beach with cool emergent rock formations and BALD EAGLES up in the wind-beaten trees at the top of the sand.

Ruby Beach (~1-6 miles, depending how far you go) - Beautiful beach to watch the sunset.

Rainforest -

Hall of Mosses and Spruce nature trails (~2 miles) - If you only have a little time to spend in the rainforest, this is where to spend it. Crowded, but definitely the most spectacular rainforest scenery in the smallest area.

Mt Rainier and North Cascades National Parks -

Have not been to either, but my girlfriend went to Mt. Rainier for a day and said it was gorgeous, and one of my best friends has done a lot of backpacking in the North Cascades and raves about it.

California

My home state!

Redwood: Honestly don't remember if I went here when I was younger or not. We used to go up to Nor Cal quite a bit. I do remember hiking in the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt County and thinking that that was super cool though!

Lassen National Park: Not on your list and I don't think it necessarily needs to be. Not one of the most spectacular national parks I've been to though certainly still very cool and beautiful. IMO, somewhere in between the level of a state park and a national park.

Fort Bragg/Mendocino Area: This is a very quirky, utterly gorgeous area where you can't really go wrong. The coastline is extremely rugged, rocky, lots of cliffs that make for very dramatic scenery. Lots of great beaches to explore (one off the top of my head is Jughandle). There's also North Coast Brewing Co. who make solid beer in a variety of styles (I particularly like their sours and stouts). My girlfriend's grandpa has a house up there so I'm pretty familiar with the area. Pretty much all of Highway 1 is beautiful.

Pt. Reyes National Seashore: As great as the GGNRA is, if I had to pick between it and Pt. Reyes, for me it's Pt. Reyes 100%. And if you only have one place to go in Pt. Reyes, in my opinion it should unequivocally be the Tomales Point trail. It is about 9 moderate miles to get all the way to Tomales Pt but you can really go as far or short as you like. This is one of my favorite hikes of all time because of the beautiful coastal views and amazing wildlife spotting. The Tomales Pt. area is a tule elk reserve, and sightings are pretty much guaranteed within the first mile or so of the trail (sometimes even before that on the road to the trailhead). Birds of prey and coyotes are also frequently seen. If you have extra time in the area, Abbott's Lagoon and Alamere Falls are other places well worth visiting. If you need a bite to eat, the Inverness Park Market is great for sandwiches or, if oysters are your thing, The Marshall General Store is a MUST.



Mt. Tamalpais State Park: The peak is the best view of the Bay Area bar none. There are also a lot of good trails, including ones that lead into Muir Woods so you can skirt the entrance fee there.



San Francisco Bay Area: Oh man, there are so many things you could do in the Bay Area. San Francisco, of course, has a bunch of things to do: California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, AT&T Park, etc. Also a lot of good breweries: I've heard good things about both Cellarmaker and Almanac. Land's End trail is a pretty way to get a good view of the Golden Gate. For restaurants, I really like Nopalito - good margaritas.

Berkeley is also worth a visit, great place to experience bay area culture. I like the Amoeba records there. There's also a great sours-only brewery called The Rare Barrel.

Santa Cruz/Monterey: Both really cool coastal towns. In the Santa Cruz area, there's a lot of hiking - coastal, redwoods, mountains. Big Basin Redwoods State Park is great, and most locals would agree that it's better than Muir Woods. Wilder Ranch is also nice; when I went, we saw two bobcats, and I got the feeling that wasn't atypical. Of course, there's also the Santa Cruz Boardwalk which is a fun amusement park (Giant Dipper remains one of my favorite roller coasters). Natural Bridges Beach is an utterly gorgeous beach, but don't expect to have it to yourself. As far as breweries go, I can highly recommend Sante Adairius, which has two locations in the area; the Portal location is bigger and offers some food options. They specialize in farmhouse and wild ales, but do a lot of different styles if those aren't your thing. The Penny Ice Creamery has the best mint-chip ice cream I've ever had, made with real mint leaves.

As for Monterey, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the big attraction and deservedly so imo. Not only very entertaining but also highly informative. I've been countless times and still can occupy myself for a couple of hours every time I go. Alvarado Street Brewery is one of my favorite breweries period, and they have a brewpub in downtown Monterey. They do all styles well. Pretty good food too.

Farther south, Carmel Beach is a beautiful but crowded beach with tons of doggies. If you're into history, the Carmel Mission is really beautiful.

Big Sur: Big Sur is spectacular although you should definitely check to see if there are still road closures on that stretch through Highway 1. Assuming all that goes according to plan, the two must-see attractions are Pfeiffer Beach and McWay Falls. The drive itself is gorgeous and you will probably stop at many pull-outs along the way to take pictures. I did a backpacking trip up in the Ventana Wilderness which was incredible.


Pinnacles: Another area that is sort of in between a state park and a national park. But it is only about an hour east of Monterey so it would be fairly doable. And it has neat caves! It has the feel of the Southwest but it's located in central California. The Steep and Narrow Trail is a really fun hike. Heat may be a factor.

Yosemite: If you think you'll be able to squeeze it in, let me know and I can give you lots more info. It would be about a 3.5-4 hr detour each way.

Sequoia/Kings Canyon: Another gorgeous area if you have the time for it.

Channel Islands/Catalina: Definitely worth an excursion if you have the time for it. Can be done in a day or spread out over a couple days. Lots of hiking, snorkeling, SCUBA diving opportunities. When I went to the island of Santa Cruz, I snorkeled just to the left of where the boat dropped us off and saw tons of bat rays in just a few feet of water. The town of Avalon on Catalina is pretty cute too.

LA: Honestly not that in the know. There are lots of good breweries (The Bruery, Smog City, Monkish, Beachwood).

Death Valley: The heat will probably be intolerable. But you could always just drive around and see the sights from your car. It's like another planet there.



Joshua Tree: Again the heat may make this impractical, but it is a really neat place and has a lot more to offer than just Joshua Trees. This photo is from when I hiked to the Wonderland of the rocks in February 2017 and was snowed on!



San Diego: So much good food and so many good breweries! My two top recommendations for restaurants are the Iron Pig Alehouse (BBQ and beer) and Supernatural Sandwiches (seafood sandwiches and beer). As far as breweries go, Modern Times is super fun and has a ton of variety, and Council is great for sours. I could go on and on about breweries but those are probably the top two I've visited. For hiking, Cabrillo National Monument has some nice coastal views and really cool tidepools. The Ho Chi Minh trail to Black's Beach is a local favorite, leads you through some very interesting sedimentary rock formations. Be careful, it's slippery! Anza Borrego State Park is a short drive away but will be too hot. Otherwise a very cool place to explore. If you're looking for a hike about an hour outside of SD, Mt. Laguna is great and feels very misplaced in SD. Lots of trees and meadows! I lived here for 4 years so I know a decent bit about it, if there's anything more you want to ask.

Utah

I've been to all of the national parks in Utah at least once, but I've been to Zion many times. It will be VERY hot during the summer.

Zion:
The Narrows are probably your best bet for comfortable summer hiking, as you are hiking in the river between towering cliff faces that offer a lot of shade. Truly a unique hike, but you will not be alone (unless you venture down one of the multiple side canyons).

Angels Landing is the other classic Zion hike. The first two miles take you up steep switchbacks, but nothing out of the ordinary. It is the last half mile that is not for the fearful of heights. Approximately 1000 foot drops on either side along a thin ridge that narrows to around 5 feet in width in multiple places. At least for me, it was definitely adrenaline-inducing but not as bad as I thought it would be. Definitely worth it just for the experience. The views are great, but even better views can be had at Observation Point (which looks down on Angels Landing).



Observation Point is a strenuous but doable 8 mile RT hike that offers a little bit of everything. Panoramic views at the top, but along the way some interesting shaded canyons.



West Rim Trail: For the adventurous day hiker or more commonly for backpackers. A 17-mile (feels shorter) thru-hike from the Kolob Canyon region of Zion down to the valley floor. (By the way, even if you don't do this hike, driving to the Kolob Canyon section of Zion is definitely worth it. Beautiful and different.) Can be combined with Angels Landing if you have the energy (you'd only be a half mile away). Spectacular views that most visitors never see.



The Subway - Another walk in the river that culminates in these tunnel rock structures. About 7 miles RT I believe? Along the way, there are lots of cool cascades and interesting "pudding" rock formations.



Bryce: I haven't been here in many years. Not as spectacular as Zion (what is?) but lots of interesting colorful rock formations.

Grand Staircase-Escalante: A very expansive area, much of which is inaccessible. I couldn't begin to cover most of it but I did do a backpacking trip to Coyote Gulch down off of Hole-in-the-Rock road. Not as narrow as the Narrows, but still awe-inspiring being surrounded by sheer rock walls. Also off Hole-in-the-Rock Road are Spooky Gulch and Peekaboo Canyon which are neat little slot canyons worth exploring. But no longer protected (thanks Trump!).



Capitol Reef: Offers a bit of everything that Utah has to offer. Definitely an overlooked park. Again I haven't been there in a while, but I remember being very impressed. If you're driving between Bryce and Arches, it's an easy stop.

Arches: Really, really cool area to explore. Otherworldly.

Canyonlands: I haven't done much here besides peer down at it from the road, but it looks amazing and is on my list to explore!

 

Thanks man! I had Pikes Place and Monorail on my list of things to do in Seattle, and both the breweries you rec'd, so I'm glad to see I picked some good places haha.

As for Olmypic, I do ahve us driving up Hurricane Ridge but I didn't write down any specific hikes from there, I don't know if we'll have time/the ability to do strenuous hikes at that altitude haha. Def might do some of those easy ones that you mentioned though...
For the beach I wanted to make sure I got to the furthest western point on the map, so I have Ozette and Cape Alava written down. I see the beaches you mentioned on the map though, might need to make some stops based on that picture....Can NOT wait to gt to the Hoh Rain Forest and will definitely be doing those two walks you mentioned. I also wanna try and do a couple miles on the Hoh River Trail if we can, maybe even back country camp at the one campsite a couple miles in, but we'll see. I might be thinking of Quinault Rain Forest a bit further south when I say that though, because I have that and "Pony Bridge" written down lol

We're definitely doing the Red Woods up north in Cali, though I know the NP and Stare Parks are a little bit scattered and combined and etc. I did have Point Reyes written down here but did not have Fort Bragg...we will be driving Route 1 through that area though so we may have to stop and see some of that stuff. Gonna add it to my planning book. Also had Mt. Tamalpais, and wrote down "Plank Trail" for it, I don't know what that means off the top of my head without consulting my books haha, but hopefully it gets us to the view you're talking about.

I'm definitely looking forward to Zion, though by all accounts it seems like that's going to be the most mobbed....which I guess makes sense considering its proximity to Vegas. We got really lucky in Arches, we were there in August so we were expecting 100+ degrees, but luckily it was pretty overcast which kept it in the mid 80s. The downside to that of course was not seeing the rocks in all their orangey firely sunlit glory. But I plan on bringing umbrellas and using them to shade us from the sun honestly hah.

 

Yeah honestly the views at the top of Hurricane Ridge are completely viewable from the parking lot, so if you don't have much time, you will still get a lot just out of the drive. But walking on some of the trails that start near the visitor center is definitely worth it if you have a little extra time.

I've heard good things about Ozette, you really can't go wrong with the Washington coast. I'm pretty sure we did about 10 miles (5 out and back) on the Hoh River Trail. Hiking on the trail to Pony Bridge in Quinault Rain Forest and going all the way to Enchanted Valley (or maybe even the glacier) is a bucket-list backpacking trip for me.

Seriously can't recommend Pt. Reyes enough. The Plank Trail is just a little trail up from the parking lot to the Mt. Tam Peak, so yes it does lead to that view!

Zion is awesome. I will be adding to my original post in the next couple days and I'll quote you again when it's finished. But I'll just briefly say that summer in Zion would be the perfect time to hike the Narrows, which I'm sure you've heard about.

 

What's your plan for Cleveland/Cuyahoga Valley? I almost recommend doing a brewery around there and skipping Cleveland based on proximity as I imagine you want to stay near the toll road/Rt 80. You could probably do an Akron brewery as well. I would think Cleveland proper takes you a little far off your ideal route. Also, you don't need much time at the football hall of fame. I mean, it's kind of cool, but you can sort of breeze through it. Unless you are both big NFL fans, it's honestly not that big of a deal imo.

 

LOL, I completely forgot about that massive post I was working for on you, but I got some time today and finished it up. Please let me know if you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'm going on a long road trip this summer too, from California up through Oregon and Washington, into the Canadian Rockies, and back down through Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. See approximate route here: http://mapq.st/2Fb86PT. If you have any tips for me, they'd be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Dave, if you're truly doing New England this year, check out Enders State Forest if it's not out of the way. Right near me n one of the best forests in the state. Just do me a favor and don't let your only impression if CT be driving through on 95, the worst experience imaginable

 

Actually, if you're here in the summer probably just never get on 95 ever

 

When you do go through New England in the future and want to try new beers, CT and NH are where it's at for microbrews. The largest beer store I've ever been to was in CT. For a great place to try new beers and get a good bite to eat in NH, there's the Thirsty Moose Taphouse which serves over 60 beers. They started in Portsmouth, NH but are now in Dover, Exeter, and Manchester. It isn't a brewery, but a fantastic place to try new beers. I'm a fan of the Smuttynose and Woodstock Inn breweries, myself.

If travelling northern NH up 95 to 16, you HAVE to see Diana's Baths in Bartlett NH, right outside of North Conway. There's a path through The White Mountain National Forest that leads you to some of the most beautiful natural waterfalls I've seen. Theyre a bunch of small waterfalls flowing down a river, the water is so clear, the rocks are very smooth and it's a really fun and beautiful hike.

Driving up to Cathedral Ledge to look over at the incredible view of Echo Lake is also a must-see. It's so high up and the view of all the mountains is incredible.

Diana's Baths:



Cathedral Ledge:



Photos don't really do them justice, but they're easily my favorite parts of northern New Hampshire.

EDIT
Ah, I didn't see that you'd be in early April, when it may very well still be cold and snowy up there. That's a bummer, but there are still beautiful views up there regardless :). North Conway is a beautiful area on its own. Unfortunately I never go up north in the colder months unless I'm snowboarding, and it's a 2.5 hour ride so I just go straight there for the day and then straight home, so not as familiar with other things to do in those colder periods. You could probably still do Cathedral ledge because it's right there once to get your car to the top, but be careful if it's icey because it gets reeeal steep

 

Ender's, baby:

 

fair warning at least one person usually dies at enders each summer so uhhh dont die!

 

Dang I need to do some more exploring in CT, that looks really cool. I have family in Wallingford and Mystic, I might have to go visit. I guess Enders is still a 50 min drive from Wallingford, but better than the 3 hour drive from where I am :p

 

Yeah it's pretty in the middle of nowhere, there's not much else out here except a bunch more hiking and nature places. Some of the other farmington valley places have decent malls and stuff but nothing special. Basketball HoF is another 40 minutes north.

 

I will say, I pity any poor soul who has to drive through Massachusetts for the first time.

The term "Masshole driver" is very real. I would know, my father was one and I learned from him. He's calmed down over the years from living in NH lol. The roads are shit, too. The second you cross the border, it's just sketchy patchwork and potholes.

 

I've driven some people on the pike who had never driven in MA before and they were very scared and confused when I was doing 80 and people were passing me constantly

 

Haha and don't even think of doing something crazy like yielding on a highway entrance even when cars are coming, or you're going to get a million horns blaring at you. Everyone just takes the gamble and hopes you just move out of the fucking way.

 

Thank you so much! I am going to go back and revist my California plans when I get done and see if there's anything I need to add/replace based on your suggestions. Some of that looks awesome.

While I have not personally been to any of those places yet, I've been using a few of these books to help me plan:
National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States, 8th Edition (National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States): National Geographic, Phil Schermeister: 9781426216510: Amazon.com: Books
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621280675/?tag=absolutepunk-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1426216920/?tag=absolutepunk-20

Among a few others, including a NatGeo "Secrets of the National Parks", which suggests some stuff that isn't as popular but still apparently awesome. The third link there, that book isn't the best as far as organization of the information of each park, but it has all of the national historic sites, landmarks, etc, beyond just the National Parks, which has been awesome.

For roadside attractions and tourist traps and other things like that, I suggest using Atlas Obscura and Roadside America. Both websites have given us some small things to check out.

Unfortunately we won't be in that part of CT ....we truly will probably just be passing through CT with the exception of stopping at a brewery somewhere, and we'll be along the coast for the duration. Since we're doing it over spring break, we only have a week to get all of New England in, so we gotta get our asses up to Newport, Boston, and Maine, so we can swing back around through NH and VT and get to Niagra before coming home. Poor CT is getting the Delaware treatment from us

I'm just starting to put the details on our route through New England together now, but I Think we'll be approaching that area from the North out of Maine....so we may try and swing down to get Mount Washington, but I don't think we'll get as far south as these places, unfortunately. However, her family vacations in NH every summer for a week, and these places are only a 3 or so hour drive from where they stay, so we may have to pay visits there in the future...

 

Hey guys, besides the Freedom Trail (and can anyone tell me if that actually includes all the must see historic sites?), what else is a must-do for tourists in Boston for roughly a day? Also, brewery to try beer/eat at??

@Wharf Rat @cshadows2887 I think both of you have lived near or been to Boston before.

 

I should say Breweries AND/OR Historic restaurants, a la City Tavern in Philly.

 

Don't go to Cheers lol. Freedom Trail is pretty cool. I liked the African American History Museum in Beacon Hill, it's a small place you could get a lot out of an hour there. Plus Beacon Hill is beautiful to just walk through. All the other museums are also definitely worth checking out. Idunno if you're thinking about stuff like museums but you might start to if its 90 degrees that day. I honestly think a lot of the best things you can do in Boston are just walking around different neighborhoods. Don't know too much about the historical sites if i'm being honest. And I'm recently 21 and do most of my drinking off site lol so idk much about your specific requests but I can think about it more

 

Trillium for beer.

 

haha I actually forgot about Cheers but I might have to do it just to do it.

We're doing Boston as part of the Spring Break thing so unfortunatley it'll probably be cold as shit and we'll be in the midst of Nor'Easter #17 or some shit....in fact, the timing of our trip is looking like we'd be there a little bit on Saturday the 31st and then on Easter Sunday....so fuck me a lot of shit'll probably be closed down. Hopefully a bar/brewery is not haha

 

No really don't do Cheers it sucks. There's two though, the one on Beacon is truly awful, the other one as I understand it is moderately better but still not worth it