Visiting the United States in July as a tourist. Where to go?

"duurtlang" (duurtlang) 03/10/2016 at 12:12 • Filed to: None

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My girlfriend will be in the US for a conference early July. I’ll probably join her when the conference is done. What state or city/cities should we visit? And why? I’ve never been to the US before.

I can’t stand too much heat, so anything overly hot is out. So is New York, as she’s been there a year and a half ago.

edit:

Time isn’t the biggest problem. 2-3 weeks no problem, 4-5 weeks and my boss will start complaining, anything over 5 is too much.

What I’m looking for: I’m used to visiting old cities, but that’s not really feasible in the US. So my suggestion would be: something you can’t realistically do in Europe.

TheHondaBro > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:17

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Come visit us PNW folks in Seattle!

they-will-know-my-velocity > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:17

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Alaska.

Anything South of Nebraska is going to be hot everywhere. Some the Mountains maybe not. July-August is dead summer for the US though so...may just want to get used to being hot. We have great AC in Texas though.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:17

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What experience are you looking for?

Do you want to do be in the “great outdoors” or in the city?

What activities are you looking to do?

itschrome > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 03/10/2016 at 12:19

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exactly, we need to know more about what your looking to experience.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > itschrome 03/10/2016 at 12:19

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Yeah I’m not telling him to go to northern Michigan if he wants to go see theater performances

scoob > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:21

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No heat during the summer? Impossibru.

Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord. > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:21

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Colorado and Nevada must see. Alaska if you can. Don’t come to oklahoma we have nothing fun over here.

Ike > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:23

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Chicago, the answer is always Chicago.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:23

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Where is her conference at, so we know a possible starting point?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:23

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I think your starting phrase’s inclusion of “cities” might be the wrong way to look at a visit to the US. Cities are remarkably similar around the world, with some exceptions. Scenery isn’t, towns aren’t, and people and things aren’t. I’d recommend trying to include only things you expect to be revelatory - either on a small scale (museums), or a large scale like landmarks. Badlands of South Dakota, for example, would be a treat and very reasonable temperature.

EL_ULY > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:23

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Pretty much impossiburruuu for Texas in July if you don’t the heat

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:23

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Probably not Illinois if you like interesting places...

Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord. > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:24

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Also Hawaii because it's technically a state and and the weather there is the same all year round.

zeontestpilot > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:24

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Come to Michigan if you enjoy potholes and old American cars.

 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:25

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Depending how long you have, you could see a lot of America for cheap.

http://dereklow.co/across-the-usa…

Honestly, if you don’t have a lot of time to spend in each city this is a very viable option as it will give you a general overview of the whole country. I made a similar trip by a car a couple of times and it was well worth it.

ceanderson920 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 03/10/2016 at 12:25

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The bad lands are hotter than fuck in the summer, and the nearest city (Rapid City) is about 60+ miles from the badlands

tacogx > TheHondaBro 03/10/2016 at 12:26

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Can second, western washington is awesome in our 5 weeks of summer (including early July)

duurtlang > scoob 03/10/2016 at 12:26

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No ‘South of Spain during summer’ heat. ‘North of France during summer’ heat is fine.

not for canada - australian in disguise > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:27

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Either the PNW (only place in the US I’ve actually been), or Alaska, which is like Canada, but it’s in America.

ceanderson920 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:27

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I would say Colorado or Northern California, good scenery, nice cities and you can smoke doobie legally! The temp won't be very bad either. I would stay out of the south if you don't want to experience 90+ degree weather everyday.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ceanderson920 03/10/2016 at 12:28

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Ok. I was through there in September years ago, and it wasn’t too bad on the strength of northerliness, but July/August may be out. May have been unseasonable too. Anyway, my idea was in the way of long, long drives.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:29

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Come to Minnesota! Beautiful lakes everywhere, a pretty river valley in the south and a killer cars and coffee on July 2nd

lunr > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:31

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Traverse City, MI

Not too hot in the summer because of the breeze coming off the lake. Lots of walkable shops and historic buildings. Cherries. Wineries. Breweries. Old Mission Pennisula.

If you go, head to the bar at the top of Park Place Hotel. Small and quaint but gives you a beautiful view of the Grand Traverse Bay.

duurtlang > ceanderson920 03/10/2016 at 12:32

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Interesting, I’ll look into it.

you can smoke doobie legally!

I’m Dutch...

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:33

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I always liked Maine in the summer, if you want to hang on the east coast. Plenty of hiking or sightseeing or even shopping if you’re into that. I’m in NJ, and we have some fantastic beachside towns, but otherwise the summers are hot and dull here.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:33

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Depends on where the conference is and what kind of experience you are looking for.

duurtlang > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver 03/10/2016 at 12:33

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Orlando. But she doesn’t want to stay in Florida. I’m most likely not going there.

That's gonna leave a mark! > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:34

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All the big cities tend to look like all the other big cities all over the world anymore. Lots of steel and glass with just the signs in different languages.

I would suggest the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley AZ. No place on the earth looks like either and they are copmlete opposites from each other (one high and one low). No one every goes away saying “whats the big deal”. Also in the AZ, New Mexico area is Sedona. Hike in and around an area that is so beautiful it looks almost man made. It’s so hard to believe the earth looks like this all by itself.

duurtlang > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 03/10/2016 at 12:35

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I’m used to Europe, so pardon my habits. I agree with you on trying things that are different .

duurtlang > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 03/10/2016 at 12:37

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I want to experience things I can’t reasonably experience in Europe. I’ll have 2-3 weeks, so a combination of things will be feasible. Outdoors, culture, museums, cities.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:38

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The Mountain/Desert States (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Idaho) have the most interesting and unique landscapes if you want to see what “America!” is all about. Maine has really cool coasts (coastal Maine is great in the summer...), so does Oregon. Come see us in Vermont, we’re super nice and have good beer .

Avoid Big American cities. With very few exceptions they offer nothing you can’t see in Europe (with the exception of NYC and possibly Miami all of our museums are lame).

If you can get to Alaska or Hawaii I won’t stop you, but they tend to be expensive to visit and either full of tourists (some parts of Alaska, Hawaii), or only offer “outdoorsman” activities (most of Alaska).

hedbutter > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:39

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I’d recommend Pittsburgh, as there’s still some old (relative to the US) buildings/architecture around, newer things and was recently rated number one on Zagats Top Food cities in the US. You can still see some of the old steel mills in action if that works and falling waters/state park arent that far away for some nature.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:39

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Our national parks are pretty amazing. In order of ones that will blow your mind.

1. Yellowstone-Volcanos, bison, and bears

2. Yosemite-Big trees and big walls of granite that randomly fall from the sky.

3. Glacier-The Swiss alps of the US with bears

4. Arches or Zion (hot as hell in the summer)-but great for tripping on shrooms.

5. Olympic/Lassen/Raineer-for that so busy alpine/volcano experience.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:40

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Need more info. Where is the conference so we have a starting point? What are your interests? Prefer cities, the great outdoors, or a mixture? How long do you have? Are you willing to travel around (assuming you are going to be here for longer than a few days)? And btw, there are very few places in the US in July where the average high temp is 80 degrees (27c) or below .

SHARPSPEED > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:40

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During July, most of ‘Murica gets up to “Satan’s Dutch Oven” levels of hot, so....

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > lunr 03/10/2016 at 12:41

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I’ll actually agree with this. Traverse City is quite pleasant (good food and beer) and although the landscape is not exciting there, the lake is nice.

duurtlang >  03/10/2016 at 12:43

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2-3 weeks. I’m Dutch, and I’m used to travelling through Europe. I didn’t buy a car until I was 27 because I never needed one, as public transportation was great and gasoline is expensive. While I genuinely like your suggestion, I’m not going to take a train in the US, land of comically cheap gasoline and boat-sized cars. I’ll be renting a slushbox Mustang or something typically American like that. Can you still rent Crown Vics?

haveacarortwoorthree2 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:46

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As I just said in another post, you are looking at very few places to go in the US in July if you are looking for sub 27 degree weather. I’m thinking Seattle, Portland, SF, maybe Boston. Heck, even Minneapolis is above that during July and August.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:49

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I’m going to recommend the West Coast of Michigan. From there you can easily drive to Chicago for the culture and museums but you also get views like this on the western edge of Michigan.

Or if you can make it up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan you get to see this:

It’ll be warm/hot, but that water will cool you RIGHT OFF. And yes, it’s more beaufitul water than I saw in the Caribbean. Also fresh water, no salt.

RallyWrench > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:50

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Avoid the cities, you’ve seen cities and ours aren’t anything special. We might not have properly “old” culture in evidence unless you go to our many underappreciated Native American ruin sites, but we have geological diversity that continental Europe can’t touch, from Arches national monument to Yosemite. Get outside, see the good stuff, away from population centers. As a Californian, I’ll advocate coming here for favorable summer weather regardless of location, and heaps of options.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:51

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Canada.

RallyWrench > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:53

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Be glad you are not going there. This is an example of a typical Florida mosquito:

haveacarortwoorthree2 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:57

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Although it’s unfortunately as far away from Orlando as you can get in the lower 48, I’d start in Seattle or Portland, drive from the one you start in to the other, then drive through Washington (or Oregon) and Idaho to Yellowstone (there are some nice places to stop along the way), then head to Denver to finish your trip and fly home. I don’t know enough about the area to recommend whether the drive east through Washington or through Oregon would be better since I’ve never done the Oregon route, but Washington is beautiful.

ly2v8-Brian > haveacarortwoorthree2 03/10/2016 at 12:58

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Yeah 80s - 90s and the occasional 100 are typical int Minneapolis around that time. Oh and very high humidity.

McMike > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:59

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“Can you still rent Crown Vics?”

LOL fucking love it.

And no, I doubt it. You can still catch a Crown Vic taxi, though.

OPPOsaurus WRX > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 12:59

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to get a nice dose of Merica you could go to Florida. I hear the people watching is great.

I’ve always wanted to go from Boston to Myrtle Beach. Boston is supposed to be similar to some cities in Europe. From there you could hit Plymouth where the Pilgrims set up camp and stay on the Cape for a few nights. From there you could head to Pennsylvania. There is the Hersey choocolate theme park and I think Budweiser has a bewry with tours near there. Frank LLoyd Wright also has one of his most famous houses in PA. Fromt ehre head to DC cuz - museums, aquariums the Government. Virginia beach Is great and finally Myrtle beach is suposed to be beautiful and fun.

Then there is also another Route you could do which is Grand Canyon, Vegas up the Rockies to Colorado and over to Chicago and Michigan, maybe even make it to Niagara Falls

ly2v8-Brian > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:01

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Best way to do this is drive all over, experience all you can. This country varies a lot.

ceanderson920 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 03/10/2016 at 13:04

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And the bike rally is usually the first week in August (I think) so the whole black hills is jammed full of lawyers/doctors thinking they are hardcore bikers.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:06

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Well, if you are going to rent a car and don’t mind putting some miles on it, what about traveling some of the west coast from San Francisco to Seattle? There is an opportunity for great scenery in the redwoods, mt Shasta, crater lake, mt hood, mt rainier, Yosemite, and the Olympic peninsula; not to mention the coast. San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle you could get any amount of culture, museums, and city that you needed. And finally, driving 101 is excellent. If it ever looks hot inland, head to the coast and put the top back on that V6 mustang convertible you rented.

 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:10

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Alright, if you insist. It will take you 2 and a half days of straight driving to cross the country by car without making any long stops to look at anything. By the end of the trip you are gonna wish you took the train. If you do the trip in a Crown Vic you are gonna need to see a physiotherapist for your lower back and legs as well.

Seriously, if you can rent a Crown Vic, which I don’t think you can - don’t. As a Crown Vic owner, unless you get a Sport model which you won’t because rental companies don’t have them, the bench seats will kill you and you will hate the Crown Vic from that point on.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ceanderson920 03/10/2016 at 13:13

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Yeah, I ought to remember these things considering I had a boss who went to Sturgis every single year while I was working summers one place. Not a doctor or lawyer, though - I don’t think his full denim ensemble, taciturnity, and cultivated “grouch” demeanor would have got him past the bar.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle 03/10/2016 at 13:14

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Here is a route that would be about 20 hours of driving I’m guessing. Start in San Francisco(maybe take a few days there) and head east to Yosemite(plan at least one hiking route outside of the valley), from there head north through Reno and the Lake Tahoe area(see it but don’t stick around, too many people), keep heading north and be baffled by the sheer lack of people but nice backcountry cruising of Northern California and southern Oregon, If mountains interest you, mt Shasta is nearby. From there keep heading north, and see crater lake. Switch from inland to the coast in Eugene, Oregon by heading north and west from crater lake. Drive 101 north on the Oregon and southern Washington coast. See beaches and generally good driving. End up in Olympic national park where there are tremendous views, hot springs, good hiking, a temperate(cool weather) rain forest. Finally, catch a ferry in to Seattle, and spend a week sightseeing there.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:26

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The most beautiful place I’ve been in America was the Grand Canyon. Look up the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It is part of the Grand Canyon, but not part of the national park, so they don’t have as many restrictions. You can hike down into the canyon, camp there, swim in the blue-green pools and waterfalls, and hike back out. I think the hike is about 8 miles. Not too bad. Plan to spend at least one full day at the bottom so you can explore the caves and such at your leisure. It’s probably the lease “Europe-like” place I’ve been in the US.

The Rockies and Appalachia are beautiful, too. For something a little greener, you might check out the rolling hills of eastern Kentucky. It’s about the most picturesque you can get for horse and farm country.

If you come to Kansas City, let me know, and I’ll show you the best barbecue in the world.

ceanderson920 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 03/10/2016 at 13:27

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My dad went almost every years since the late 70's but he actually rides his bike everyday in the summer and is a Harley guy through and through. He has stopped going the past couple years because a lot of the people who do go can't ride worth a shit. He doesn't feel like he can enjoy riding in the hills while watching out for all the dumbasses the whole time.

spanfucker retire bitch > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:29

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Come to Niagara Falls to enjoy one of the natural wonders of the world.

And then get mugged if you walk more than half a mile away from the Falls park.

JGrabowMSt > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:30

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Texas.

About the size of France, with none of the tolerance.

It’s also home to the Cadillac Ranch.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:35

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Also, a word of warning: DO NOT go to Washington DC. It is a miserable place. The history and museums are awesome, but the traffic is horrifying, it’s basically a swamp, crime rates are high, and everyone is frustrated.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:35

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I live in Northern California (San Francisco) which is amazing as we have great coastline, good food, wineries, and race tracks.... just like you have in Europe though, so that’s out. I’d recommend either Austin TX or New Orleans.... or both. They’re close-ish to your launching point of Florida, they’re not very expensive compared to SF, NY, Chicago, Boston, etc, and each have very American touches. Austin, in particular, has great food (as does New Orleans) and manages to be progressive enough to not feel as backwards as, say, the rest of Texas, yet it is still very American with piano bars and BBQ and live music and pretty girls riding mechanical bulls. I prefer New Orleans, personally, but it does have crime, and the touristy areas are waaaay too touristy, but I’m old enough to know to avoid pretty girls who ride mechanical bulls in favor of fancier restaurants and mellow music.

Seattle is nice and fairly cool (the art museum blows), and Portland has a lot of good beer and guys with beards in flannel shirts that build their own bicycles from scratch and everybody I’ve met there has been super nice.

If you end up in CA, try out Santa Cruz. Very American boardwalk and mini-golf and roller coasters old enough to actually be quite frightening. It’s America as seen on TV. Santa Barbara is another excellent choice.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:41

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Are you really into motorcycles?

TheRealBicycleBuck > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:42

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Tour the western states. We did this when I was young. Major stops included:

Petrified Forest

Painted Desert

Grand Canyon

Disneyland (!)

Sequoia National Forest

Yosemite National Park

Redwood National Forest

Hwy 1 on the California & Oregon coasts (stay in a cabin near Yachats and spend some time at the lighthouses, beaches and tidal areas)

Oregon Dunes (rent a sand rail for real kicks)

Mt. St. Helens

Seattle

Mt. Ranier

Rush through Idaho and Montana to get to Yellowstone National Park

Pikes Peak

Cave of the Winds

The bigger national parks are getting crowded. Even when I was there, busloads of foreign tourists were at every park. You might want to trade some of the national parks for state or local parks.

It was one hell of a trip. The Oregon coast made such an impact, I went back for my honeymoon! By the way, there’s nothing better than a sand rail to scare the bejeezus out of your girlfriend (or in my case, my new wife). Just remember, momentum is your friend when trying to climb a dune.

1111111111111111111111 > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:52

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Yosemite. Hands down. Then perhaps San Fransisco.

duurtlang > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 03/10/2016 at 13:53

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I don’t have a motorcycle license, sadly. Merely a normal drivers license.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:54

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But do you like motorcycles?

slipperysallylikespenguins > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:56

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Go early and you could catch the Pikes Peak Hillclimb end of June.

duurtlang > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 03/10/2016 at 13:57

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Not passionately, no.

StoneCold > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 13:58

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How much of an alcohol-connoisseur are you? Because if you head north from Florida, you’ll hit the Bourbon belt (Tennessee & Kentucky) and the Craft Brew belt (Northwest Indiana, Chicago, South Wisconsin).

Chicago [I’m biased] is then just about the most cultural you can get without getting to either of the coasts. It has art, history, science, American sports, architecture, food, and also is not nearly as expensive as New York or California.

The problem is, from there, it’s a longish drive to anywhere else. You could go Chicago-> Madison, WI-> Minneapolis, MN -> South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore & Black Hills)-> Wyoming (Yellowstone) -> Colorado (Denver is an airport hub, so flights out would be easy)

If you two are really into museums, then hands down, you have to go to Washington D.C., which would take you up the East Coast. The Appalachians are beautiful, and North&South Carolina have fun things like white-water rafting and ziplining.

So my Number 1 suggested plan is this:

https://goo.gl/maps/6KhP4zQzm…

My Number 2 suggested plan would be something like this:

https://goo.gl/maps/mPM2q5Rfd…

And these are just skeletons of plans, you could flesh them out as you see fit.

......

......

Also if you visit Chicago I will totally meet you for lunch and let you drive my Mustangs. :D

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:03

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Well..... Nevermind then. If you were I was going to suggest Barber Motorsports museum.

Whatevs > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:28

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One of the gems of the east coast is Acadia National Park in Maine. Absolutely beautiful. The Outer Banks in NC are also amazing. With your time you could do a trip from one to the other...

Scott > SHARPSPEED 03/10/2016 at 14:31

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Depends where, the West tends to get dry and hot, where as the East is a little more like central parts of Europe in that it gets Humid, and then rains and cools down. Alaska is very nice in a the summer, excellent way to avoid the heat.

wiffleballtony > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:36

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You can probably rule out the entire Southwest and probably the South as well

Big Bubba Ray > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:39

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If you can, spend some time in Washington D.C. It’s too cool.

If you want to see an old city, go to Charleston, South Carolina. Gorgeous city. There’s an insane amount of history and things to explore.

Scott > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:40

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Be sure to understand the US is much larger than Europe. be sure to visit a small area. I know some that come and want to see everything and end up seeing nothing as they spent all their time travelling from place to place. Not much that I can think of the you can't do in Europe, but perhaps the biggest difference is the open spaces available. Keep in mind that time period is the height of tourist season. If you wanted to Visit Yellowstone Park, you better reserve a room now... if there are any available. If your in an area that is a tourist area, book soon. I used to live near Glacier National Park and in July there are more tourists than locals. Hotels raise their rates and are full up weeks in advance. The cheap places start charging Hilton or Marriot rates, and also fill up days in advance.

RallyWrench > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:49

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On a different topic, how did the Carbage run go?

they-will-know-my-velocity > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:54

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I don’t think so but I rented a Ford Fusion the other day with an Ecoboost that was pretty damn good.

If you rent a “premium” level vehicle, something large like a full size SUV or the like, I bet they have some other options.

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:55

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I really liked Grand Canyon and the Arizona desert. There is just nothing like that in Europe. Oh dammit, I just read the heat thing.

GMart > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 14:56

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I would say that if your Other is starting in Florida, have her fly to Dallas and meet her there. If you’re talking about wanting to do things that you can’t do in Europe, go to Texas. Spend a few days each in Dallas, drive to Austin and check out the music scene, head to San Antonio and take in the stuff there, head out to Houston and go to the beach near Galveston, then head back to Dallas. Each city is 3 hours or less from each other, each has its own flavor, and none of them are european.

All of them will be hot in July, but it’s SUMMER and that’s just how it is here.

Full disclosure, I’m from the northeast and have never been to Texas, so my thinking could be 100% bunk.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 15:05

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As some have suggested, Michigan is beautiful in the summer. It can be quite hot, but we do have plenty of water to stop and cool off in. Doing a drive around one of the Great Lakes is definitely something that you can’t do in Europe. Lake Superior would give you the most rural experience as there aren’t a lot of big cities on its shores. There really aren’t any big cities, the largest is Duluth with a population of about 275,000 for the whole metro area.

There is some interesting history to be seen with the copper mining that went on in the Keweenaw, and the old trading forts that are spread around the Great Lakes. You can tour the Quincy Mine in Hancock where they still have the old steam hoist.

You would also get to see some of rural Canada including the Wawa Goose.

By P199 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?cu…

And you go through Sault Ste. Marie which would give you a chance to check out the Soo Locks .

If you want to stay in the U.S. you could do the circle tour of Lake Michigan which would put you through Chicago giving you a chance to see a big U.S. city. It would also give you a chance to drive across the Mackinac Bridge . Once you are there it would make sense to take a day trip to Mackinac Island on a ferry. Mackinac Island and the bridge are only about an hour south of Sault Ste. Marie, so if you do the Lake Superior circle tour it would be a very reasonable detour.

By Dehk - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?cu…

duurtlang > RallyWrench 03/10/2016 at 15:05

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Went well. Loud but well. Still need to finish writing that article. Thanks for reminding me. (no sarcasm)

duurtlang > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 03/10/2016 at 15:13

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My girlfriend suggested to stay east (as opposed to the west coast), so I was thinking Michigan, Toronto, maybe drive to Maine.

How are the borders in Northern America. Here you just drive and there’s suddenly a sign in a foreign language notifying you of having just crossed a border. When it’s a Belgian border you’ll also notice a sudden difference in the quality of asphalt as well, but that’s about it. I believe the US-Canadian border is different. How different?

RallyWrench > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 15:14

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I saw the sidebar post and was reminded of it myself, I’d love to hear about it!

Slave2anMG > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 03/10/2016 at 15:38

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Blue Ridge Parkway and the mountains of North Carolina...a day’s drive from Orlando. Stop in Asheville, NC...experience wonderful craft breweries and restaurants...wait, you got great beer there...but no mountains in the Dutch Alps :) Go west from there to Nashville for music and such or go to Washington DC and see the amazing Udvar-Hazy air/space museum out by Dulles Airport. It’s stunning. So are the NC mountains by the way...

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 15:42

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The U.S. / Canada border has manned checkpoints at all the crossings. You will have to show your passport and they ask what the purpose of your trip is, then they say “welcome to Canada / welcome to America” and you go on your way. I’ve never had them do anything more than ask to see in the trunk. Some of the border crossings can be time consuming to cross because of the amount of traffic. The Ambassador Bridge crossing between Detroit and Windsor can have major delays, but something like 25% of the trade between Canada and the U.S. crosses there. As with anything like that if you get unlucky and a bureaucrat with an attitude is manning the booth you pick they can make it a much less pleasant experience.

SHARPSPEED > Scott 03/10/2016 at 16:19

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Stay away from the Midwest. There’s no middle ground here when it comes to seasonal weather.

FlimFlamMan > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 20:26

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Pro Football Hall of Fame - Canton, OH (hit up an Amish bakery store along the way)

See what sporting events are taking place during your stay. Baseball is one of our great pastimes, you should take in a game some day. I would recommend Wrigley Field in Chicago, but there are plenty others to choose from.

Do you like rollercoasters? There are some seriously good ones in the States various amusement parks.

Plenty of places that have great American cheeseburgers (and I’m not talkin’ about McDonalds), BBQ, etc. Research and you’ll find some great places for American grub.

Rent a car and drive the Tail of the Dragon or wherever... there are plenty of twisty roads to enjoy.

We have massive grocery stores loaded with processed foods. You should check some out. And go to an appliance store and see how freaking big our refrigerators are.

ranwhenparked > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 22:00

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My family rented Crown Victorias exclusively on our summer vacations from about the early ‘90s on up till the kids grew up and we stopped taking family vacations. Great road trip cars, but as it’s been 5+ years since they ceased production, I doubt any are still in rental fleets.

Chrysler 300s and Dodge Chargers, absolutely, along with the aforementioned V6 automatic Mustangs.

DasWauto > duurtlang 03/10/2016 at 23:17

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I can’t claim to have visited too much of the US myself so I’m gonna be biased toward Canada. North America is generally going to be quite warm in July because of the longitudinal location (Toronto is a similar distance from the equator as southern France, IIRC) so avoiding heat may be difficult in that time of year.

The East coast of Canada is a beautiful place to visit and the climate is fairly temperate compared to other places in North America. It’s a trip I made with my family several years ago and highly recommend it. Beautiful coast lines, whale watching and great historical cities and sights for the first settlements and forts on the continent. You can fairly easily spend a week there, as I did on our visit.

I’d also suggest Quebec City (very European but some great sights and culture) and Montreal, Toronto are also good visits and Niagara Falls may as well be obligatory.

As for places I’ve been in the States, the pacific Northwest (Washington state, Oregon) are fairly temperate as well and you can hike some mountains (I did Mt saint Helens, totally worth doing).

Las Vegas is fun, but waaay too damn hot.

Upstate NY is nice, good scenery and hiking. NYC is cool but you mentioned that was out of consideration, which is too bad but understandable.

It’s late so I’m gonna cut it there but if you have any questions about things I’ve seen and you’d consider, ask away.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > duurtlang 03/11/2016 at 00:15

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us/canadian citizens can just show up with a passport. You might want to check to make sure Canada doesn’t require a visa or something for other nations.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > duurtlang 03/11/2016 at 00:30

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great lakes area, northeast, or canada.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/epic-drives-th…

Just read this and it looks like a very good trip

wafflesnfalafel > duurtlang 03/11/2016 at 00:55

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where is the conference? You could just take a 4-5 days and drive across the country. San Francisco, Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, maybe north through Montana, Dakotas, grand canyon, etc.

duurtlang > ranwhenparked 03/11/2016 at 01:39

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My father in law dailies a Magnum RT in Germany, a car which I’ve driven as well, so I’m going to skip the Chrysler boats.

Ferrero1911 > duurtlang 03/15/2016 at 19:23

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Almost all of the US is going to be very hot in July. Many places will also be very humid. Keep in mind though that air conditioning is a lot more common here than in Europe, like buildings without air conditioning are the exception to the rule except in places very far north.

I know Bird and I haven’t been around for a while, hopefully we’ll be posting a big update soon. I was wondering how much you would charge to check out this car, and then also how much you would charge to arrange shipping to the US. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3914033061…

I have no idea if this is close to you or if you’re still interested in doing that kind of thing, but if you are shoot me an email - corinne@roadtripmotorcars.com.

duurtlang > Ferrero1911 03/16/2016 at 06:44

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I’ve sent you an email 1 minute ago.