What's the best 3-city trip you could take in the USA in the span (1 Viewer)

[Fly]

Bakersfield-->Fresno-->Modesto

You could do that in one day and still run out of things to do.

 

[massraider]

Austin --> Houston --> NOLA

1 and 3 sound awesome.

Must be a better choice than Houston. There HAS to be.

 

[Zegras11]

Sf. LA. Vegas.

 

[TenTimes]

Austin --> Houston --> NOLA

Austin -> NOLA -> Memphis

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Detroit

Grand Rapids

Traverse City

 

[TenTimes]

Austin --> Houston --> NOLA

1 and 3 sound awesome.

Must be a better choice than Houston. There HAS to be.

I did Memphis - NOLA - Austin over the last 4-5 days of a roadtrip once, talk about getting bombarded by great music, food, and culture. Was a fun few days.

 

[El Floppo]

San Fran - Portland - Seattle.. or vice versa.

Drive is longish but beautiful (PCH).

Too long.I would do Portland, Seattle, Vancouver instead

Maybe.. I'll take the wine country or the views along the coast over Vancouver.

I guess it isn't really the PCH north of San Fran, is it.. turns into 101?

1 goes up the coast a couple hours above SF... at least to Mendocino.

 

[ffldrew]

Durango-Ouray-Telluride

 

[The General]

If you have 2 weeks in the summer Seattle - Portland - SF is pretty hard to beat.

DC - Boston - NY by train is also pretty good.

New Orleans - some place in Florida - Key West is pretty cool as well.

 

[Smack Tripper]

Actually when is that Memphis BBQ fest... if thats late May I would build around that, that always sounds fun.

Or you can do something with the Preakness in Baltimore, go DC- Balt- NYC

 

[PIK95]

New York-Cranston-Boston $$

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

EDIT- title was supposed to say 2 weeks at the end.

You plan to fly to the first city and fly home from the last city, and drive in between.

so far I've got:

San Diego -> LA -> Las Vegas

Orlando -> Miami (long drive) -> Key West

Nashville -> Chattanooga -> Asheville (long drive)

We've been to San Diego and loved it. We're thinking of doing a SF-LA-SD vacation.

We've talked about doing Chicago-Madison, Dallas-Austin-San Antonio, and something centered around Denver and the Rockies.

 

[NutterButter]

San Fran - Portland - Seattle.. or vice versa.

Drive is longish but beautiful (PCH).

Too long.I would do Portland, Seattle, Vancouver instead

Same here

 

[jb1020]

I did DC, NYC and Boston in college, had a fantastic time. Started in Mississippi, ended in Vermont at a Phish concert.

If I were to pick one now...I'd stick with Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. I'd leave out San Fran.

 

[spOOfy]

Madrid Barcelona Paris

Yeah two weeks for any three American cities seems like a lot of time. Not sure about the rest of you, but I get very few opportunities to travel for two consecutive weeks, which is what you want for Europe. You can knock out any US city in a long weekend.

We did Spain two years ago plus Rome-Florence-Venice last year. We wanted this next one to be more of a relaxing beach type vacation so that's where Hawaii fits in the equation. if we don't decide to do it ($$ may be the only reason), I was looking at alternatives here in the states. We're certainly not against Europe so that's a possibility too.

Based on this, the Orlando/Miami/Keys options seems good. Still get the beach but you have the road trip.

 

[heckmanm]

If you have 2 weeks in the summer Seattle - Portland - SF is pretty hard to beat.

DC - Boston - NY by train is also pretty good.

New Orleans - some place in Florida - Key West is pretty cool as well.

I was thinking Savannah, (someplace), NOLA, but there's a whole lotta forgettable across that part of Florida. Pensacola maybe?

 

[jonessed]

Going up or down California will eat up drive time, but the coastal drives are beautiful. When I was younger and had more free time sometimes I would just hit the road and drive for hours (I've lived in several coastal CA areas), listen to music, stop somewhere and have lunch, etc. There are nice stretches all over. I think the best is between Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo, but opinions may vary on this.

I think if I had to do a trip I would do San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Big Sur, and Monterey. That's more than three, but Big Sur and Monterey are pretty close. That's a ton of variety with really nice drives mixed in. Big Sur is like nothing else. The mountains roll right into the beach. There's wine country in Paso Robles, Atascadero, SLO as well.

 

[kutta]

New York->Boston->DC would be a pretty sweet trip.

you got the order wrong

As much as I travel to that part of the country, the geography in my brain about the location of all those cities back there is really screwy.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

If you have 2 weeks in the summer Seattle - Portland - SF is pretty hard to beat.

DC - Boston - NY by train is also pretty good.

New Orleans - some place in Florida - Key West is pretty cool as well.

That last one is a lot of driving. That's going to be ~15 hours on the road. If I was going to start in New Orleans, I'd probably go NOLA - > Destin - >St, Pete (or maybe Sarasota/Siesta Key.) Otherwise, if the Keys are the main draw, start in Orlando if you're into theme parks or St. Augustine if you aren't and go from there to Miami to Key West.

 

[Poke_4_Life]

Dallas - Austin - San Antonio

WTF? This is the worst stretch of I35 to drive. You will never leave a metropolitan area for more than 30 miles. The view of the semis will be ever present tho! Oh, and don't forget the never ending construction too.

 

[No. 16]

All inclusive to Mexico or Jamaica instead of HI.

 

[jamny]

Dallas - Austin - San Antonio

WTF? This is the worst stretch of I35 to drive. You will never leave a metropolitan area for more than 30 miles. The view of the semis will be ever present tho! Oh, and don't forget the never ending construction too.

yeah, that didn't fit with the "scenic" part of my list but they're 3 good cities to visit.

 

[No. 16]

EDIT- title was supposed to say 2 weeks at the end.

You plan to fly to the first city and fly home from the last city, and drive in between.

so far I've got:

San Diego -> LA -> Las Vegas

Orlando -> Miami (long drive) -> Key West

Nashville -> Chattanooga -> Asheville (long drive)

We've been to San Diego and loved it. We're thinking of doing a SF-LA-SD vacation.

We've talked about doing Chicago-Madison, Dallas-Austin-San Antonio, and something centered around Denver and the Rockies.

I'd skip LA and just do SF -> SD -> Vegas. LA and Vegas are pretty much interchangable to me.

 

[The General]

If you have 2 weeks in the summer Seattle - Portland - SF is pretty hard to beat.

DC - Boston - NY by train is also pretty good.

New Orleans - some place in Florida - Key West is pretty cool as well.

That last one is a lot of driving. That's going to be ~15 hours on the road. If I was going to start in New Orleans, I'd probably go NOLA - > Destin - >St, Pete (or maybe Sarasota/Siesta Key.) Otherwise, if the Keys are the main draw, start in Orlando if you're into theme parks or St. Augustine if you aren't and go from there to Miami to Key West.

Definitely. I drove all around Florida for a promo job in college over the course of a summer. The Miami to The Keys was awesome drive.

The drive from I think either Jacksonville or Orlando to New Orleans was long but I remember the last few hours we were able to get on some side roads and the the coast / bayou looking stuff was pretty cool and very different than the rest of the country.

 

[Poke_4_Life]

Dallas - Austin - San Antonio

WTF? This is the worst stretch of I35 to drive. You will never leave a metropolitan area for more than 30 miles. The view of the semis will be ever present tho! Oh, and don't forget the never ending construction too.

yeah, that didn't fit with the "scenic" part of my list but they're 3 good cities to visit.

I get that, maybe I'm just jaded because I've driven through all 3 on the way to the Gulf several times which has made me hate that drive with a white hot passion.

You are right though, they are all nice cities to visit.

 

[The General]

If you have 2 weeks in the summer Seattle - Portland - SF is pretty hard to beat.

DC - Boston - NY by train is also pretty good.

New Orleans - some place in Florida - Key West is pretty cool as well.

I was thinking Savannah, (someplace), NOLA, but there's a whole lotta forgettable across that part of Florida. Pensacola maybe?

Never been to Savannah but hear good things.

 

[sho nuff]

Phoenix - Sedona, (stop at Grand Canyon) - Vegas

This is the one I was going to suggest. Every part of the trip is great and totally different. Beautiful ride, the crazy crystal people in Sedona are awesome, you get some normal city time in Phoenix/Scottsdale/whatever and Vegas is Vegas.

Have done a version of this.

Was in Vegas for a conference and did a week before it with my wife. Few days in Veags, drove to Sedona with a stop at the GC..only did a night in Phoenix for dinner with my brother when he was living there.

Then back to Vegas and stopped at the Hoover Dam.

 

[sho nuff]

EDIT- title was supposed to say 2 weeks at the end.

You plan to fly to the first city and fly home from the last city, and drive in between.

so far I've got:

San Diego -> LA -> Las Vegas

Orlando -> Miami (long drive) -> Key West

Nashville -> Chattanooga -> Asheville (long drive)

Orlando to Miami is not a long drive, you can cover that in < 3 hours. It would actually take you longer to drive Miami to Key West because it's one lane, low speed limit through most of the Keys. Either drive is shorter than LA to Vegas.

Sub in St Pete instead of the Keys? Get some nice beach time in...obviously changes the order.

 

[Scoresman]

SF, Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver are all great visits. Cant go worng with a combination of these.

 

[17seconds]

SF-Napa-Vegas

 

[LarryAllen'sJockstrap]

Ft. Worth -> Austin -> New Orleans

 

[TenTimes]

Dallas - Austin - San Antonio

WTF? This is the worst stretch of I35 to drive. You will never leave a metropolitan area for more than 30 miles. The view of the semis will be ever present tho! Oh, and don't forget the never ending construction too.

Agree. San Antonio -> El Paso -> Santa Fe on the other hand is beautiful. Santa Fe is a pretty cool little town.

 

[Ilov80s]

Detroit

Grand Rapids

Traverse City

I love Michigan, but no way.

 

[The General]

Dallas - Austin - San Antonio

WTF? This is the worst stretch of I35 to drive. You will never leave a metropolitan area for more than 30 miles. The view of the semis will be ever present tho! Oh, and don't forget the never ending construction too.

Agree. San Antonio -> El Paso -> Santa Fe on the other hand is beautiful. Santa Fe is a pretty cool little town.

El Paso and San Antonio :X

 

[TripItUp]

SD - Malibu - Vegas

/thread

 

[TripItUp]

Austin --> Houston --> NOLA

Austin -> NOLA -> Memphis

three days bro?

 

[RC94]

When I was a kid we did an American history driving vacation. Starting at home (NYC) we went to places like Gettysburg and Valley Forge, Philadelphia, Washington DC and ended in Williamsburg, VA (which is a town/city I highly recommend). So I guess in this context it would be NYC, Philly, DC with some other stops in between and Williamsburg in the end. You can do a similar vacation going north to Boston instead, but we really wanted to go to Williamsburg.

Since you don't have kids this may not be what you are looking for, but as a child this vacation really resonated with me and gave me an interest in American history that I still have today. I was like 8 or 10 years old when we did this.

 

[TenTimes]

Austin --> Houston --> NOLA

Austin -> NOLA -> Memphis

three days bro?

It was part of a longer trip to see as many cities as I could in 2 weeks. That stretch was the best.

 

[FairWarning]

If in Canada,

Toronto-Niagara Falls-Montreal

Would like to take this myself.

 

[chauncey]

Grand Canyon NP > Bryce Canyon NP > Zion NP

Fly into PHX, Vegas, SLC, Denver, or ABQ then hit the road for two weeks of some of nature's greatest works.

Last week of May might be a little cold and white, better to do this trip in June/July/Aug.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

EDIT- title was supposed to say 2 weeks at the end.

You plan to fly to the first city and fly home from the last city, and drive in between.

so far I've got:

San Diego -> LA -> Las Vegas

Orlando -> Miami (long drive) -> Key West

Nashville -> Chattanooga -> Asheville (long drive)

Orlando to Miami is not a long drive, you can cover that in < 3 hours. It would actually take you longer to drive Miami to Key West because it's one lane, low speed limit through most of the Keys. Either drive is shorter than LA to Vegas.

Sub in St Pete instead of the Keys? Get some nice beach time in...obviously changes the order.

If he's starting in Nola, yeah. Siesta Key has nicer beaches than the Keys if that's what you're looking for. Crescent Beach and Siesta Key Beach have the best sand anywhere on Earth. Key West might be my favorite place in America but damn that's a hike from New Orleans.

 

[the moops]

If you have 2 weeks in the summer Seattle - Portland - SF is pretty hard to beat.

DC - Boston - NY by train is also pretty good.

New Orleans - some place in Florida - Key West is pretty cool as well.

I was thinking Savannah, (someplace), NOLA, but there's a whole lotta forgettable across that part of Florida. Pensacola maybe?

Pensacola is terrible.

 

[Mister CIA]

Another vote for Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo.

 

[jamny]

We're going to Scottsdale in May. Is Tucson worth checking out while we're down there?

 

[got_nugs]

That drive to key west is amazing. It never gets old and I've driven it for almost 30 years. You pick the 1st 2 cities just make sure the last includes heading towards the southernmost point. Grab a pair of kenos and drink at sloppy joes.

Miami-islamorada-key west would be my 3 if you fish.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

I would do Portland, Seattle, Vancouver instead

This was going to be my rec. We did this 7 or 8 years ago and it was pretty great.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Youngstown--Detroit--Gary

Plus you can stop off in Sandusky and Flint on the way.

 

[FUBAR]

Savannah-----Hilton Head------Charleston

Could support that.

Probably San Diego - LA - Las Vegas

 

[FUBAR]

A couple years ago we did Indianapolis-Chicago-Ann arbor-Detroit-DC-Willamsburg over a couple weeks. That was fun but family driven.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

Youngstown--Detroit--Gary

Plus you can stop off in Sandusky and Flint on the way.

If you're going through Gary, bottle up some of that delicious smelling air for me.