Choosing a Vacation spot
07-12-2009, 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by tex_phil' post='940186' date='Jul 12 2009, 02:55 PM
So its been a long time since I've been on vacation. I'm undecided where I wanna go, I'm gonna go with a family member. Haven't really been to many places in the US. I wanna go somewhere that has very good scenery, nice weather. I'm gonna plan on going in September. I've been thinking of Colorado somewhere, Canada, I'd really like to go thru New England somewhere, but I don't know of a good city in New England, most of them I've never heard of. I figure alot of you guys have traveled and could recommend some good places. I'm not going to Vegas, so don't suggest that. I'll probably be gone 6 or 7 days. What would you guys/gals recommend?
07-12-2009, 03:11 PM
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Originally Posted by sdg1871' post='940246' date='Jul 12 2009, 04:41 PM
My personal favorite US trip that combines city life, great driving and great scenery is a trip from the Central California coast up to the win country of Napa/Sonoma with a stop in San Francisco.
The itinerary that I like for this trip is:
1. Fly to San Francisco or San Jose airports and drive to te Monterey Pennisula.
2. Spend time exploring Carmel by the Sea, Monterey and the Monterey Bay acquarium.
3. Next, drive down the ultimate twisty road with the most amazing views in the country IMHO: the Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel south to Cambria California. Stop for lunch at Nepanthe in Big Sur. This section is about 120 miles of non-stop twisties perched high above the Pacific Ocean on cliffs. Since you are driving south, you will be on the edge of the cliffs the whole way down. Woo hoo! Driving does not get any better than this.
4. In Cambria, stay at the J. Patrick House, one of the 2 top-rated Bed and Breakfasts In town. Vicky and I loved it.
5. Use Cambria as your base for 1-2 days of fun. Spend one day touring Hearst Castle. Spend another day in the wine country in this part of Cetral California. The wineries in the Cambria/Paso Robles area are awesome and not touristy or overcrowed.
6. Next drive all the way north to San Francisco. The pretty drive with twistieis is to go back up the Pacific Coast Highway past the Monterey Peninsula all the way to San Francisco. Taking the Pacific Coast Highway is the slow but beautiful way to drive. If you have time, stop at Half Moon Bay and spend a night at the Ritz Carlton there. The resort is amazing with beautiful views, great food and great golf and tennis. Half Moon Bay is a great place to go Whale Watching although as I recall, September is not the time to do it as the whales are not there then.
7. The fast way to drive from the Cambria/Paso Robles area is up Route 101 North. This is not a scenic way but you can get to SF to 4-5 hours. If you go this way, you may want to stop in Palo Alto and take in the town and the beautiful campus of Stanford University.
8. Once in San Francisco, I'd spent 3 days. I love SF and have traveled there many times. It's a great city and there is tons to see and do. PM me if you're going and I can given yo my favorite things to do there.
9. Next drive up to the wine country of Napa and Sonoma Counties. The wineries and the restaurants here are amazing . My two favorite restaurants are the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and the restaurant at Auberge de Soleil in Napa Valley off of Rutherford Hill Road. My wife and I have gone to Napa and Sonoma many times and if you are going, PM me and I will give you our favorites wineries we visited on both Napa and Sonoma.
10. When in Napa and Sonoma, take one of my all time favorite twisty roads -- the Oakville Grade. The road connects Napa and Sonoma Valleys by going up and over the mountain range separating them. The road is little known to tourists and it is harrowing. It's a blast to drive.
As far as cars go, if you are renting from one of the big companies, fly into San Francisco and rent a car from Hertz's prestige collection. The Corvette ZHZ is my favorite rental car as its power is breathtaking at 436 bhp. But if you wanyt a more comfortable car that handles really well, has a trunk is fast and will not cost you and arm and a leg, rent the Infiniti G37. We rented a G35 for this trip and is was a great drive on the twisties.
Wherever you go, have fun!! September is a great month to travel.
The itinerary that I like for this trip is:
1. Fly to San Francisco or San Jose airports and drive to te Monterey Pennisula.
2. Spend time exploring Carmel by the Sea, Monterey and the Monterey Bay acquarium.
3. Next, drive down the ultimate twisty road with the most amazing views in the country IMHO: the Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel south to Cambria California. Stop for lunch at Nepanthe in Big Sur. This section is about 120 miles of non-stop twisties perched high above the Pacific Ocean on cliffs. Since you are driving south, you will be on the edge of the cliffs the whole way down. Woo hoo! Driving does not get any better than this.
4. In Cambria, stay at the J. Patrick House, one of the 2 top-rated Bed and Breakfasts In town. Vicky and I loved it.
5. Use Cambria as your base for 1-2 days of fun. Spend one day touring Hearst Castle. Spend another day in the wine country in this part of Cetral California. The wineries in the Cambria/Paso Robles area are awesome and not touristy or overcrowed.
6. Next drive all the way north to San Francisco. The pretty drive with twistieis is to go back up the Pacific Coast Highway past the Monterey Peninsula all the way to San Francisco. Taking the Pacific Coast Highway is the slow but beautiful way to drive. If you have time, stop at Half Moon Bay and spend a night at the Ritz Carlton there. The resort is amazing with beautiful views, great food and great golf and tennis. Half Moon Bay is a great place to go Whale Watching although as I recall, September is not the time to do it as the whales are not there then.
7. The fast way to drive from the Cambria/Paso Robles area is up Route 101 North. This is not a scenic way but you can get to SF to 4-5 hours. If you go this way, you may want to stop in Palo Alto and take in the town and the beautiful campus of Stanford University.
8. Once in San Francisco, I'd spent 3 days. I love SF and have traveled there many times. It's a great city and there is tons to see and do. PM me if you're going and I can given yo my favorite things to do there.
9. Next drive up to the wine country of Napa and Sonoma Counties. The wineries and the restaurants here are amazing . My two favorite restaurants are the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and the restaurant at Auberge de Soleil in Napa Valley off of Rutherford Hill Road. My wife and I have gone to Napa and Sonoma many times and if you are going, PM me and I will give you our favorites wineries we visited on both Napa and Sonoma.
10. When in Napa and Sonoma, take one of my all time favorite twisty roads -- the Oakville Grade. The road connects Napa and Sonoma Valleys by going up and over the mountain range separating them. The road is little known to tourists and it is harrowing. It's a blast to drive.
As far as cars go, if you are renting from one of the big companies, fly into San Francisco and rent a car from Hertz's prestige collection. The Corvette ZHZ is my favorite rental car as its power is breathtaking at 436 bhp. But if you wanyt a more comfortable car that handles really well, has a trunk is fast and will not cost you and arm and a leg, rent the Infiniti G37. We rented a G35 for this trip and is was a great drive on the twisties.
Wherever you go, have fun!! September is a great month to travel.
I have never been west of Texas in the USA.
07-12-2009, 03:54 PM
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Originally Posted by tex_phil' post='940296' date='Jul 12 2009, 07:11 PM
Damn that sounds good. I have never been west of Texas in the USA.
I have never been west of Texas in the USA.
07-12-2009, 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by tex_phil' post='940186' date='Jul 12 2009, 03:55 PM
So its been a long time since I've been on vacation. I'm undecided where I wanna go, I'm gonna go with a family member. Haven't really been to many places in the US. I wanna go somewhere that has very good scenery, nice weather. I'm gonna plan on going in September. I've been thinking of Colorado somewhere, Canada, I'd really like to go thru New England somewhere, but I don't know of a good city in New England, most of them I've never heard of. I figure alot of you guys have traveled and could recommend some good places. I'm not going to Vegas, so don't suggest that. I'll probably be gone 6 or 7 days. What would you guys/gals recommend?
The driving is easy and the crowds should be minimum. Daytime temps are mild and sometimes even warm - evenings are cool. Prices are reasonable (the economy has nearly every hotel and B&B willing to negotiate).
07-12-2009, 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by radzM550i' post='940345' date='Jul 12 2009, 07:25 PM
you can go to London and then take the train to Paris which is only 2 hrs away.
07-12-2009, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by sdg1871' post='940246' date='Jul 12 2009, 04:41 PM
My personal favorite US trip that combines city life, great driving and great scenery is a trip from the Central California coast up to the win country of Napa/Sonoma with a stop in San Francisco.
The itinerary that I like for this trip is:
1. Fly to San Francisco or San Jose airports and drive to te Monterey Pennisula.
2. Spend time exploring Carmel by the Sea, Monterey and the Monterey Bay acquarium.
3. Next, drive down the ultimate twisty road with the most amazing views in the country IMHO: the Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel south to Cambria California. Stop for lunch at Nepanthe in Big Sur. This section is about 120 miles of non-stop twisties perched high above the Pacific Ocean on cliffs. Since you are driving south, you will be on the edge of the cliffs the whole way down. Woo hoo! Driving does not get any better than this.
4. In Cambria, stay at the J. Patrick House, one of the 2 top-rated Bed and Breakfasts In town. Vicky and I loved it.
5. Use Cambria as your base for 1-2 days of fun. Spend one day touring Hearst Castle. Spend another day in the wine country in this part of Cetral California. The wineries in the Cambria/Paso Robles area are awesome and not touristy or overcrowed.
6. Next drive all the way north to San Francisco. The pretty drive with twistieis is to go back up the Pacific Coast Highway past the Monterey Peninsula all the way to San Francisco. Taking the Pacific Coast Highway is the slow but beautiful way to drive. If you have time, stop at Half Moon Bay and spend a night at the Ritz Carlton there. The resort is amazing with beautiful views, great food and great golf and tennis. Half Moon Bay is a great place to go Whale Watching although as I recall, September is not the time to do it as the whales are not there then.
7. The fast way to drive from the Cambria/Paso Robles area is up Route 101 North. This is not a scenic way but you can get to SF to 4-5 hours. If you go this way, you may want to stop in Palo Alto and take in the town and the beautiful campus of Stanford University.
8. Once in San Francisco, I'd spent 3 days. I love SF and have traveled there many times. It's a great city and there is tons to see and do. PM me if you're going and I can given yo my favorite things to do there.
9. Next drive up to the wine country of Napa and Sonoma Counties. The wineries and the restaurants here are amazing . My two favorite restaurants are the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and the restaurant at Auberge de Soleil in Napa Valley off of Rutherford Hill Road. My wife and I have gone to Napa and Sonoma many times and if you are going, PM me and I will give you our favorites wineries we visited on both Napa and Sonoma.
10. When in Napa and Sonoma, take one of my all time favorite twisty roads -- the Oakville Grade. The road connects Napa and Sonoma Valleys by going up and over the mountain range separating them. The road is little known to tourists and it is harrowing. It's a blast to drive.
As far as cars go, if you are renting from one of the big companies, fly into San Francisco and rent a car from Hertz's prestige collection. The Corvette ZHZ is my favorite rental car as its power is breathtaking at 436 bhp. But if you wanyt a more comfortable car that handles really well, has a trunk is fast and will not cost you and arm and a leg, rent the Infiniti G37. We rented a G35 for this trip and is was a great drive on the twisties.
Wherever you go, have fun!! September is a great month to travel.
The itinerary that I like for this trip is:
1. Fly to San Francisco or San Jose airports and drive to te Monterey Pennisula.
2. Spend time exploring Carmel by the Sea, Monterey and the Monterey Bay acquarium.
3. Next, drive down the ultimate twisty road with the most amazing views in the country IMHO: the Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel south to Cambria California. Stop for lunch at Nepanthe in Big Sur. This section is about 120 miles of non-stop twisties perched high above the Pacific Ocean on cliffs. Since you are driving south, you will be on the edge of the cliffs the whole way down. Woo hoo! Driving does not get any better than this.
4. In Cambria, stay at the J. Patrick House, one of the 2 top-rated Bed and Breakfasts In town. Vicky and I loved it.
5. Use Cambria as your base for 1-2 days of fun. Spend one day touring Hearst Castle. Spend another day in the wine country in this part of Cetral California. The wineries in the Cambria/Paso Robles area are awesome and not touristy or overcrowed.
6. Next drive all the way north to San Francisco. The pretty drive with twistieis is to go back up the Pacific Coast Highway past the Monterey Peninsula all the way to San Francisco. Taking the Pacific Coast Highway is the slow but beautiful way to drive. If you have time, stop at Half Moon Bay and spend a night at the Ritz Carlton there. The resort is amazing with beautiful views, great food and great golf and tennis. Half Moon Bay is a great place to go Whale Watching although as I recall, September is not the time to do it as the whales are not there then.
7. The fast way to drive from the Cambria/Paso Robles area is up Route 101 North. This is not a scenic way but you can get to SF to 4-5 hours. If you go this way, you may want to stop in Palo Alto and take in the town and the beautiful campus of Stanford University.
8. Once in San Francisco, I'd spent 3 days. I love SF and have traveled there many times. It's a great city and there is tons to see and do. PM me if you're going and I can given yo my favorite things to do there.
9. Next drive up to the wine country of Napa and Sonoma Counties. The wineries and the restaurants here are amazing . My two favorite restaurants are the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and the restaurant at Auberge de Soleil in Napa Valley off of Rutherford Hill Road. My wife and I have gone to Napa and Sonoma many times and if you are going, PM me and I will give you our favorites wineries we visited on both Napa and Sonoma.
10. When in Napa and Sonoma, take one of my all time favorite twisty roads -- the Oakville Grade. The road connects Napa and Sonoma Valleys by going up and over the mountain range separating them. The road is little known to tourists and it is harrowing. It's a blast to drive.
As far as cars go, if you are renting from one of the big companies, fly into San Francisco and rent a car from Hertz's prestige collection. The Corvette ZHZ is my favorite rental car as its power is breathtaking at 436 bhp. But if you wanyt a more comfortable car that handles really well, has a trunk is fast and will not cost you and arm and a leg, rent the Infiniti G37. We rented a G35 for this trip and is was a great drive on the twisties.
Wherever you go, have fun!! September is a great month to travel.
07-12-2009, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by BMRMEUP' post='940361' date='Jul 12 2009, 09:14 PM
London is a great suggestion. There are also many wonderful walking trails in England. There is a book "The Ridgeway" by Neil Curtis which details various waypoints along the Ridgeway National Trail. Another is "Chilterns Illustrated Walks" by Trevor Yorke.