Help Planning 5 Week Trip to America

torbrex

I have been going to America at least once a year for the last 9 years for 2 weeks at a time and for what you are wanting to do 5 weeks will not be long enough even if you do as I have done and avoid all the cities. You will always come away from places like the Grand Canyon wishing that you had another day to see more.
I always hire a car and get away from the cities to where the real sights are to be seen but thats just me, I have passed through the likes of Boston and New Orleans, they can be done on foot (mostly gridlocked anyway), St Louis was great for the arch and the views of the river but I did not linger.

Get yourself a National Parks pass, that way you will not have to stump up entrance fees every time and if you get a car keep plenty of change for the odd toll road that you will come across.

Some of my best days out have been to underground caverns so dont discount that idea, I have also done a few whitewater raft trips, better than any water park you will ever go to, damn hard work but hard to beat for close to death thrills.

For theme parks you could have a look at the 'Six Flags' website to give you some ideas, there are other local ones but they are a bit underfunded at times.

With the exception of the cities, I have been to most of the places on your list and some of them twice, it is still not enough time to do them justice, I have met Americans that go to places like Death Valley or Bryce Canyon year after year and they never tire of them, I have been to 42 different states and with very few exception will need to go back to see the stuff that I missed first time round.

For your hotel accomodation, you pretty much get what you pay for, for cheap stick to the chains like Motel 6 or Super 8 and there is no need to book, just drop in, if you want to stay close to a particular attraction the you will need to book and be prepared to pay that little bit extra, for example when at Niagara a couple of years ago, I stayed at the edge of the city and paid $45/night and one of the couples on the tour bus stayed at the central location of the same chain and paid $180/night, now as the same tour but picked us up at both locations and they were not out on the town at night I could not see the point in paying the extra.

Sorry to ramble on but I do enjoy my trips over there.

greenface

great advice torbrex
blood donation 273 thats excellent ( i think there is another little one of you running around this earth in little parcels) thats nearly 50 years of donating the good juice top stuff . and respect

jamtart6

yosemite is super stay in camp curry

torbrex

greenface wrote: »

great advice torbrex
blood donation 273 thats excellent ( i think there is another little one of you running around this earth in little parcels) thats nearly 50 years of donating the good juice top stuff . and respect

I'm a platelet donor so only 30 years.