Second trip to the US

Hello everyone!

My gf and I are planning our second trip to the states and we wanted
to collect some suggestions. In our previous trip (which we really
enjoyed!) we visited New York city, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco
(took the amazing route 1 drive from LA), Orlando (went to the major
theme parks) and finally Miami (South Beach, which we enjoyed least).
We loved New York city and had a great time in Orlando's theme parks,
especially Disney's. We also enjoyed shopping in malls and outlets and
dining in famous American chains like the Cheesecake factory, Outback
steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.

Our trip was 30 days long during September. This time we have only 14
days during February. Now I know this isn't the best time of the year,
but I noticed there are still several sunny getaways such as Florida
and California. But this time we'd like to find some new attractions
and places we haven't been. I've been thinking about the Key West and
the Caribbean which we haven't got a chance to visit the last time but
I'm not sure if there's 14 days of travel for just those two or if it
would be diversified enough (we don't want to lie around on the beach
as beautiful as it may be, for 14 days). We'd love to visit NYC again
but weather.com shows it's going to be freezing cold...

So I guess my questions are -
Should we go anywhere else? And if so, where?
Should we stay in the southern east coast or also go to the west?
Any other tips / suggestions are welcome

Thanks in advance,

Danny

14 days during February

Most of the U.S. will be pretty cold in February, except Hawaii,
California, and the southernmost states like Florida.

In Florida you'll find pleasant days with highs in the low 70s F, but
cool nights, and the water will be too chilly for swimming (except for
heated pools). The Keys & Caribbean will be a little warmer, but I
haven't visited the them so I'll let someone else talk about them.

You might want to consider a few days in the southern city of New
Orleans. Although the city is still recovering from the hurricane &
flooding which occurred a few years ago, the main tourist areas (the
French Quarter & the Garden District) are back to normal, as are the
picturesque plantations outside of the city.

James

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:55:16 -0700, Dan24
wrote:

Hello everyone!

My gf and I are planning our second trip to the states and we wanted
to collect some suggestions. In our previous trip (which we really
enjoyed!) we visited New York city, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco
(took the amazing route 1 drive from LA), Orlando (went to the major
theme parks) and finally Miami (South Beach, which we enjoyed least).
We loved New York city and had a great time in Orlando's theme parks,
especially Disney's. We also enjoyed shopping in malls and outlets and
dining in famous American chains like the Cheesecake factory, Outback
steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.

Our trip was 30 days long during September. This time we have only 14
days during February. Now I know this isn't the best time of the year,
but I noticed there are still several sunny getaways such as Florida
and California. But this time we'd like to find some new attractions
and places we haven't been. I've been thinking about the Key West and
the Caribbean which we haven't got a chance to visit the last time but
I'm not sure if there's 14 days of travel for just those two or if it
would be diversified enough (we don't want to lie around on the beach
as beautiful as it may be, for 14 days). We'd love to visit NYC again
but weather.com shows it's going to be freezing cold...

So I guess my questions are -
Should we go anywhere else? And if so, where?
Should we stay in the southern east coast or also go to the west?
Any other tips / suggestions are welcome

Thanks in advance,

Danny

We spent a very pleasant and interesting 14 days driving
from New Orleans to Washington DC via most of the states of
the "Deep South" in late March 2003. Weather in the South in
February would be great, but DC would be cold. That was
before Katrina, but the other poster indicated NO may be OK.
However, that sort of trip may not be exciting enough for
you.

Another place we visited was Charlotte Amalie in the US
Virgin Islands. Not exciting, but laid-back and lovely and
you'll need to keep the gf away from the jewellery shops.
Possibly ten days wandering the South and four in the
Caribbean could be worth investigating.

Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest

"Dan24" wrote:
My gf and I are planning our second trip to the states and we wanted
to collect some suggestions... This time we have only 14 days during
February.... [T]his time we'd like to find some new attractions and
places we haven't been. I've been thinking about the Key West and
the Caribbean which we haven't got a chance to visit the last time but
I'm not sure if there's 14 days of travel for just those two or if it
would be diversified enough (we don't want to lie around on the beach
as beautiful as it may be, for 14 days). We'd love to visit NYC again
but weather.com shows it's going to be freezing cold...
So I guess my questions are -
Should we go anywhere else? And if so, where?
Should we stay in the southern east coast or also go to the west?
Any other tips / suggestions are welcome

Here's a novel idea -- A Caribbean cruise. You could leave from
Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Miami, or San Juan, PR,
for a 7-10 day cruise among the warmer waters... much as we in the
States will cruise the Mediterranean. Spend any extra time touring
some the lesser Florida sights, like Kennedy Space Center, Universal
Studios (Orlando), Bush Gardens (Tampa), Everglades National Park,
or drive the Overseas Highway (US 1) from Miami to Key West.

...the other poster indicated NO [New Orleans] may be OK.
However, that sort of trip may not be exciting enough for you.

Well, you can definitely find excitement in New Orleans if that's what
you're looking for. It's a party town that's famous for its
nightlife. (Although personally I like the city more for its history,
architecture, antique shops, jazz, the Victorian homes in the garden
district, etc.)

But I agree with your broader point -- the original poster has already
visited some of the most exciting cities in the U.S., and a drive
through southern states in February is likely to be a lower-key
vacation.

James

On Oct 6, 11:55 am, Dan24 wrote:
Hello everyone!

My gf and I are planning our second trip to the states and we wanted
to collect some suggestions. In our previous trip (which we really
enjoyed!) we visited New York city, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco
(took the amazing route 1 drive from LA), Orlando (went to the major
theme parks) and finally Miami (South Beach, which we enjoyed least).
We loved New York city and had a great time in Orlando's theme parks,
especially Disney's. We also enjoyed shopping in malls and outlets and
dining in famous American chains like the Cheesecake factory, Outback
steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.

Our trip was 30 days long during September. This time we have only 14
days during February. Now I know this isn't the best time of the year,
but I noticed there are still several sunny getaways such as Florida
and California. But this time we'd like to find some new attractions
and places we haven't been. I've been thinking about the Key West and
the Caribbean which we haven't got a chance to visit the last time but
I'm not sure if there's 14 days of travel for just those two or if it
would be diversified enough (we don't want to lie around on the beach
as beautiful as it may be, for 14 days). We'd love to visit NYC again
but weather.com shows it's going to be freezing cold...

So I guess my questions are -
Should we go anywhere else? And if so, where?
Should we stay in the southern east coast or also go to the west?
Any other tips / suggestions are welcome

Thanks in advance,

Danny



How about the Southwest of the US? Use Las Vegas as your starting
point, and drive to places like the Grand Canyon, Southern Utah,
Northern Arizona. Lots of national parks.

Another suggestion would be Texas. Dallas, San Antonio, Austin,
Houston.

On 10/6/2007 2:55 PM Dan24 consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
Hello everyone!

My gf and I are planning our second trip to the states and we wanted
to collect some suggestions. In our previous trip (which we really
enjoyed!) we visited New York city, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco
(took the amazing route 1 drive from LA), Orlando (went to the major
theme parks) and finally Miami (South Beach, which we enjoyed least).
We loved New York city and had a great time in Orlando's theme parks,
especially Disney's. We also enjoyed shopping in malls and outlets and
dining in famous American chains like the Cheesecake factory, Outback
steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.

Our trip was 30 days long during September. This time we have only 14
days during February. Now I know this isn't the best time of the year,
but I noticed there are still several sunny getaways such as Florida
and California. But this time we'd like to find some new attractions
and places we haven't been. I've been thinking about the Key West and
the Caribbean which we haven't got a chance to visit the last time but
I'm not sure if there's 14 days of travel for just those two or if it
would be diversified enough (we don't want to lie around on the beach
as beautiful as it may be, for 14 days). We'd love to visit NYC again
but weather.com shows it's going to be freezing cold...

So I guess my questions are -
Should we go anywhere else? And if so, where?
Should we stay in the southern east coast or also go to the west?
Any other tips / suggestions are welcome

Thanks in advance,

Danny


Danny,

Ft. Lauderdale and Key West Florida are some of my favorite vacation
spots. But there is something you should know. Anyplace warm in
February is going to have very high hotel rates. Reservations three
months in advance are necessary at most places, if you want a decent room.

Unless you are fishing, snorkeling or scuba diving Key West is mainly
about R&R. One of my favorite things to do is rent a bike for the time
of my stay and use it to explore Key West's back streets and alleys. If
I need a refresher, theres either Smathers, Higgs beaches, my B&B pool.
If I am near Atlantic Shores, I use their pool. AS as many people call
it has the largest clothing optional pool on the island. All are welcome
to use the sun deck, pool and bar. Only hotel guests may use the towels
and lounges. The sun deck goes out over the ocean. Unless it was
destroyed in a storm, they have a stairway where you can go down and
swim with the fishes in the ocean.

It's not as hot in February as say July. Actually you can get a cold
snap where it can go down to 40F at night.

There are all sorts of dive boats, you need to shop for the best deal.
This is true for fishing boats as well. There really isn't anything
close to shore where you can dive or fish. Boats are a necessity. There
are some marinas where you can rent a boat. Anything of substance will
probably cost more than your entire vacation budget. There are open
"dingy" boats with 5 hp motors. But unless you are with someone
familiar with the waters it's not a good idea. Aside from safety
issues, the area is under environmental regulation. You can only drop
anchor in certain locations. Areas over reefs have stationary floats
that you moor up to.

I was in Key Largo when someone inexperienced sailed their sailboat and
went aground on a reef. The fine is $1,000. an hour and he had to wait
5 hours for the tide to come in to get a tow.

If you take your time, the drive down to Key West can be fun. Each key
is a little different and has different attractions.

One thing that's true, if you like seafood that's fresh, you have come
to the right place. I've had some of the best seafood in the keys. You
can get it gourmet, but at it's best is simple preparation of the catch
of the day, grilled, breaded pan fried , or blackened.

Another possibility is New Mexico, see the Pueblo Indians outside of
Taos, or take in the outdoorsy artsy culture in Albuquerque.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

You might want to consider a lower key but still (imo) fascinating trip
through the desert Southwest. February is a good time to visit the warm
desert, late February if you want to hit the beginning of wildflower
season. In two weeks, in fact, you could do a nice tour from, say, New
Orleans through west Texas to New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and then into
S. California for Death Valley, and then on to LA or San Diego. Good
hiking and archeological and historical sites, and some good public caves,
including Caverns of Sonora in TX, Carlsbad, NM and Kartchner in AZ.
http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/feb/stories/caves.html
http://www.explorethecaverns.com/
http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/index.php?id=104
The desert offers plenty of dark sky, too -- the stars are breathtaking
on a clear winter night.

Another area you might want to explore is the Natchez Trace area
in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee:
http://www.nps.gov/natr/
http://www.scenictrace.com/

"Dan24" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello everyone!
I'm not sure if there's 14 days of travel for just those two or if it
would be diversified enough (we don't want to lie around on the beach
as beautiful as it may be, for 14 days). We'd love to visit NYC again
but weather.com shows it's going to be freezing cold...

So I guess my questions are -
Should we go anywhere else? And if so, where?
Should we stay in the southern east coast or also go to the west?
Any other tips / suggestions are welcome


The western coast is much warmer in the wintertime than is the eastern
coast. Freezing weather is unusual in Seattle and doesn't eve happen every
year, is almost unheard of in San Francisco and never occurs in Los Angeles
and San Diego though it can occur in Florida. You didn't say where you live
now, so it's difficult to give you a gauge as to how much warmer southern
California is than the southern east coast. You would probably enjoy Santa
Barbara, Santa Monica, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San
Diego. Unless you want to consider Hawaii where most people from temperate
climates can't tell the difference between summer and winter. If so, you
are invited to visit my Hawaiian Islands webpage at:
~ http://hawaii.home.att.net/ - where you'll find no advertising, no
pop-ups, no cookies and nothing for sale. Bon voyage! KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website view over 3,600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI, and
NBA, the White House, Academy Awards, 150 language translators!
Visit Hawaii, Israel and more at: http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

On 7 Oct 2007 09:42:02 GMT, Kay Lancaster wrote:


You might want to consider a lower key but still (imo) fascinating trip
through the desert Southwest. February is a good time to visit the warm
desert, late February if you want to hit the beginning of wildflower
season. ...

Someone else mentioned Albuquerque.

Last year, we took two weeks in January to wander from Denver, south through
Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, Taos, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, El Paso, Tucson,
Phoenix, and Yuma to San Diego. It was a great trip.

We got snowed in in Santa Fe and Taos (which is a great place to be snowed in!),
and iced in in Abq. Northern NM is *cold* in the winter. Once we got an hour
south of Abq, it started warming up, and was beautiful from then on..

The snowed-in days caused us to miss Flagstaff, unfortunately.

-- Larry