America The Beautiful

[kposey]

Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown are good one also! You can travel the Colonial Parkway to visit each place.

[bake315]

How in Heaven's name did we all manage to forget Carlsbad Caverns? That used to be the trip that families would travel far and wide to experience.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by coriolis1

How in Heaven's name did we all manage to forget Carlsbad Caverns? That used to be the trip that families would travel far and wide to experience.

Back in '69 my family traveled from our home in South Georgia to my Grandparent's in Central California with our pop-up camper and we stayed at a camp ground at Calsbad Caverns. IIRC, that was the campground that had a "roadside" zoo at it or the Caverns and the male lion kept roaring during the night and kept my Dad awake. Needless to say, he was not interested in dilly-dallying around the camp site the next moring!

[genearnold]

Melody Ranch suggested the western Nebraska sand hills. This is a great suggestion. Nebraska is overlooked by a lot of people, perhaps because it has no mountains.

If one plans well you can do the Devil’s Tower, Wyoming/Black Hills, South Dakota visit, then drop down to NW Nebraska at Fort Robinson (rich in western history – here was where Chief Crazy Horse was killed) which has a large RV camping area, then drop down to State Highway #2, a good two lane that runs diagonally across Nebraska, through a cross section of the sand hills as well as some of the metro area (although not very metro by some standards).

Pioneer Village at Minden is only a few miles south of Highway #2 (on US 6 & 34). It is one of the more interesting museums I’ve ever visited. Its focus is on the industrial age. There is so much to see that they issue a free second day pass for those who want to come back.

And only a few miles NE of Lincoln on I80 is Mahoney State Park and adjacent to it is the awesome SAC Aeronautics and Space Museum at Ashland. Focus is on aircraft from WWII through the present (you walk into the door underneath a Blackbird that is so close you can almost touch it). You can even take a turn in a trainer and do a simulated mission over Iraq!

Try it, you’ll like it!

Gene

[Stefrobrts]

Mt St Helens, SW Washington State. The power of natural forces will blow you away pun intended

Lava Beds National Monument, Tule Lake, CA. See if you can get a ranger to show you the cave paintings in Fern Cave (guided tours only)

[bake315]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

Back in '69 my family traveled from our home in South Georgia to my Grandparent's in Central California with our pop-up camper and we stayed at a camp ground at Calsbad Caverns. IIRC, that was the campground that had a "roadside" zoo at it or the Caverns and the male lion kept roaring during the night and kept my Dad awake. Needless to say, he was not interested in dilly-dallying around the camp site the next moring!

You have to be talking about White's City, which is right at the entrance to the park. Definitely one man's effort to cash in on the influx of tourists coming to see the caverns. It's no less unusual today - we stayed there at the same campground (in a pop-up no less) about 4 years ago. It was probably a lot nicer back then. It's very, 'er, rustic, now.

The most memorable aspect of the whole White's City experience was the tarantula on the wall "greeting" people as they entered the bath house! Just about the only "zoo" type left!

[Melody Ranch]

Try the Prada Store in Marfa. Then stay for the Marfa lights.

Then on to, I hesitate to mention for fear of spreading the word, a stop in Alpine. Suprise...suprise....look at the elevation there and compare to....say...Denver. Its the way Santa Fe was...befor being converted to its present pathetic condition. Speaking of Santa Fe....pass it by and go to Ghost Ranch and the Chama Bluffs.

Take Hwy 90 to the Rio Grande Valley....from Alpine area. When you get around Valentine (Texas) look South...way South. Thats the Apache hideout land....very historic and absolutely unvisited.

Damn! I love this Country! ( even New York City)..just kidding.

[bake315]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Try the Prada Store in Marfa. Then stay for the Marfa lights.

Then on to, I hesitate to mention for fear of spreading the word, a stop in Alpine. Suprise...suprise....look at the elevation there and compare to....say...Denver. Its the way Santa Fe was...befor being converted to its present pathetic condition. Speaking of Santa Fe....pass it by and go to Ghost Ranch and the Chama Bluffs.

Take Hwy 90 to the Rio Grande Valley....from Alpine area. When you get around Valentine (Texas) look South...way South. Thats the Apache hideout land....very historic and absolutely unvisited.

Damn! I love this Country! ( even New York City)..just kidding.

Gotta agree with you there! We were in that area over July 4 weekend, escaping the central Texas heat in Ft. Davis. Alpine was surely nice - though I found Marfa to be kinda creepy for some reason. Never did see the Prada store, though I've heard it's sort of surreal seeing it sitting out there like that. The lights were interesting, though they weren't what I was expecting. Still a "must see" though!

[asta2]

Columbia/Snake Rivers, OR/ID
Prescott, AZ (Oldest rodeo)
Montezuma's Castle, AZ
Ground Zero

[maxandgeorgia]

Missouri Ozarks and the Jacks Fork/Current River National Wild and Scenic Rivers area-try in mid spring or fall, after the tourist crazies clear out!
Boundary Waters/MN
Sawtooth Range-ID--Salmon River
Colorado canyons: Arkansas River, Cache la Poudre, others?
Traverse Bay area/peninsula-MI
(Cannot recall exact name-help please!)-Sand Dunes National Park -Sleeping Bear?-gorgeous!

[FreshAir]

LAKE TAHOE. We live not far from it and see it in all 4 season's. A while back we lived on the other side of TAHOE in the Carson City, Nevada area. So we had more opportunities to 'play' there. Winter at TAHOE is spectacular!
Neil.

[nymphfishin]

Summers in WY are great!

[klattu]

Great additions!
If I could edit would add them..so will continue list here.

Icons of America...continued with your help,

NASA Cape Canaveral (I could kick myself)
Giant Redwood Forest
Gettysburg
Cape Cod
Blue Ridge Parway
Stone Mt Georgia
Zion Ut (Utah is just great)
Amish (Intercourse,PA / Holmes Co, Ohio)
Carlsbad Caverns
Meteor Crater
Erie Canal

[LuminumTraila]

I would add Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho,
Hopewell Culture NHP and Fort Ancient in Ohio,
sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park
and I second Condoluminum on the Minute Man National Historical Park, very close to our home here in Massachusetts.

Nice list you guys!!

[msterry]

I was born and raised in N Georgia. Helena is a small swiss-type little town. Have not been there in several years, but it was beautiful the last time I was there!!!!

[kaulike]

Dinosaur National Monument, near Vernal UT. It is an unbelievable place. The interpretive center is built into an archaeological dig, such that one 2-story wall of it is just a huge rock face with bones sticking out. You can walk up and touch them, or look at them from the 2nd floor gallery. Great museum in Vernal as well.

http://www.nps.gov/dino/

[skykingpilot]

How about the Boundry Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). Take a trip up the Gunflint or Sawbill Trails! Beauty that defies imaginatioin (no you don't turn your AS upside-down to enjoy it)! - Just camp at the end of the trail and bring/rent a canoe and ENJOY preistine solitude and wildlife!

[skykingpilot]

SOOO MANY REALLY COOL PLACES... SOOO LITTLE TIME!

This is turning into an unbelievable list. Any question in anybody's mind that we live in the most unbelievably blessed country in the world?

[klattu]

Damn!
Hoover Dam...
Be sure to drive across it soon!
Closed to traffic in 2007...must use new bypass being built.
We are loosing so many of our freedoms.
Used scenic view pull off back in 80s, all blocked now.

[Silvertwinky]

Eurka Springs Arkansas

http://www.eurekasprings.com/attractions/