your favourite places to visit in the USA please

[mckenzie]

DH has worked really hard for the last 12 months, had no time off this summer and has decided to take four weeks off next summer and for us all to travel a little in the US. We being DH, DS (10 by then), DD (6 by then) and me.
We plan on going mid July and DD and I would like to spend some time on a ranch and DH and DS would like to go to San Franscisco but that's as far as we've got.

We have been to Florida and the Disney Parks the last few christmas holidays so we don't want to go there and we'd really like some ideas of places that are perhaps a bit less commercial that we will only find out about by personal recommendation.

Where would you recommend?

TIA

Sorry, it's not what you're looking for in terms of obscure special places, but - The Grand Canyon. I will never forget seeing it for the first time.

When I stayed there (errr 20 years ago ) there were tepees you could stay in which weren't that expensive.

Charleston, SC is lovely.

yellowstone national park

one of the MOST AMAZING places i've been in the whole world (and i'm quite well travelled)

you will LOVE it!!!

Seattle. Seattle. Seattle. Seattle. Seattle.

Easily do-able from San Franscisco too.

I love the whole SW area. Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California, all full of great places to go. In particular I really liked some of the ghost towns (former, now abandoned gold mining towns) in California and Tombstone in Arizona is fun for the kids. Moab in Utah is also a fantastic place to base yourself for a while - amazing scenery and loads of to in the area if you have sporty children.

thanks you so much for this. Just what i was looking for.

I think I need to get a map and start plotting!

Paradise Ranch Wyoming is a truly amazing place. The Tripadvisor reviews don't do it justice. 75% of their guests have been going back and back and back for years...

With 4 weeks you could do San Fransisco, Monterey, Carmel, Yosemite NP, Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP and over to Paradise! What a phenomenal trip that would be...

San Francisco gets my vote - love it!

Its far, but Hawaii is amazing.

Hawaii is on DS's list! Thanks for these posts - I'm off to check out the link.

Phoenix Arizona and the Grand Canyon were absolutely marvelous. I've also done the cowboy ranch thing in Banderas, Texas not far from San Antonio.

Hellish flight if you did it all at once though- I recommend breaking the journey on the East Coast somewhere. Washington D.C. is a nice short stop-over. The museums are fabulous and almost all easy walking distance from one another and the famous landmarks.

Friends rave about California (but not L.A. which no one has recommended to me: Marin County and the Pacific Highway are apparently breathtakingly beautiful. Also Hawaii.

Have just bookmarked that Wyoming ranch. Dd2 won't really be old enough for another three years - better start saving now! I always wanted to do a ranch holiday - now I have 2 dd's who adore horse-riding this could be my chance.....

thanks for the extra postings. I lived in LA for a while back in the 80s EldritchCleavage and I have no desire to go back there now.

I actually don't mind the thought of a long flight at the start of the holiday (hell, I took the DCs to Australia by myself. After that I feel that I can cope with anything ). I'd like to start furthest away and creep closer so that the shorter flight is at the end of the holiday.

The more I hear and read about Hawaii I do think we are going to have to grant DS his wish and go for it.

Strandedatsea - how old are your DDs? Ours is only 5 and has just started riding about 2 months ago and she's loving it. I think even i might have to start again, especially if we are going to go to the Paradise Ranch

McKenzie - mine are 5 and (nearly) 3 - they both ride, the 3 year old will now sit on her own and steer the horse, the older one is starting to learn how to ride properly. But this is only because where we live at the moment (St Lucia) we can afford to take them riding every week. Once we are back in the UK in a few weeks we won't be able to afford riding lessons (although I do have a friend with a horse so maybe they could continue?).

sorry this is strandedatsea - I name changed for a post I didn't even end up writing and have yet to bother changing back!

It is so expensive isn't it? We live in North London and pay £25 for a one hour group lesson for DD.
But then I was remembering the other day about my livery bills back in 1985/86/87. I'm sure I used to pay £42.50 for full livery. The yard did have indoor school but still. How on earth did I afford that when I was only in my late teens/early twenties? And I paid it all myself out of my salary. There can't have been anything left! I dread to think how much that livery bill would be now!