So, I’m thinking of taking a long weekend sometime this spring to get away for a bit. I haven’t taken a vacation since last summer and I really need to get away for a bit in order to retain my sanity. I won’t have the money or time to go far, so I’m thinking I want to go somewhere in the States. I’m wavering between looking for someplace warm with a beach or going to somewhere in New England (I’ve always wanted to go to Maine after reading Sarah Plain and Tall.)
I’ve traveled by myself quite a bit in Europe, but never in the US. I don’t have a car so that limits where I can go, I suppose. I don’t mind buses. I DON’T want to go to a big city like NYC - I get plenty of big city stuff in Chicago, and I’m looking for a bit of quiet for this particular weekend.
You should totally come up to New England. I can show you the sites!
“Well, there’s the beach…those are some mountains, oh, the Ben and Jerry’s factory! Well…let’s go get you some lobster, clam chowdah, and go see a Sox game”
Yeah, that’s pretty much the whole New England experience.
I went to Rocky Mountain National Park alone last summer and camped. I had a car, but if you can get to Estes Park there is a shuttle that goes into the park and more shuttles that take hikers from the campgrounds to the popular trailheads. It was great doing it alone. I went where I wanted to and hiked as far as I wanted to hike.
You kind of have a dilemma, because you don’t want to go to a big city, but you don’t have a car, and you only have a weekend. If you could be more specific about what “getting away” means to you, probably people will give you better suggestions. As I’m sure you know, unless you can afford a plane, travel time will eat up a lot of that weekend–which is too bad, because New England is great at that time.
But I hear you. Once, I wanted to get away from Berkeley, so I threw a few things in my backpack, and hitchhiked to the Central Valley. There’s really not much there except farms, but it was a good change. I slept in a hammock next to a farm, and then had breakfast in a diner in Turlock, and talked to locals (and then wrote an article about them). Then I went home.
Another time, I was traveling in Mexico, and only had enough money to get to Nuevo Laredo. So I crossed the border, and hitchhiked back to L.A. That was a weird experience; I was propositioned twice, albeit politely. I don’t know if you are a man or a women, but I don’t suggest hitchhiking. Take the train or a bus. Maybe Niagara Falls?
Oh, I can afford a plane. I just meant I won’t be able to rent a car whever I end up going.
I don’t mind a city, upon reflection, just not a city like NYC, Chicago, or LA. If I do go to a city I was thinking maybe Boston or Portland or even Vancouver. (Actually I’d love to go to Prince Edward Island, come to think of it, but that would include two plane trips since there’s nothing direct from Chicago.)
I suppose I could just fly out to Hawaii and sleep on the beach for the entire weekend.
Choose someplace that Southwest flies to! You can totally get some great deals on weekend trips (albeit, having to endure their annoying seating policy).
If you’re interested in the scenery of the area, I’ve found New England best to visit in the autumn, and you’ll want a car, to drive along the coast.
The Pacific NW is best to visit in salmon season because, OMG awesome cheap seafood every meal. You can easily go to Seattle or Vancouver (never been to Portland) and get around without renting a car. (actually, driving in Seattle sux, because their street signage sux; get GPS if you get a car there)
Seattle happens to be my favorite city, ever, and there’s tons to do there: art museum, Pike’s Market, shopping downtown, day cruise on the Sound, etc. I usually stay near the Space Needle and monorail downtown. And Mt. Ranier is nearby for outdoorsy stuff.
I recommend Charleston S.C. It;s a great “little city” with all the amenities of a large city and the charm of a small city. Great restaurants and shows, and lots of nature and history. It’s not very cold right now, unlike the north east, and they have a decent transit system. Being a college town, there is a vibrant nightlife as well. I did a whole week alone there last February and really enjoyed it.
I like road trips and have taken a few. I visited Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2006 and have visited Philadelphia in 2006, 2007, and will hopefully be seeing it again next month. I also plan on visiting Danvers, Massachussetts to spend time with a friend and using her home as a base of operations for hitting all of New England which I am really excited to see.
My own personal favorite city (and state) is Portland, Oregon, though. Lovely medium sized city with all kinds of natural beauty and alternative appeal.
New Orleans is very good for solo travellers. The French Quarter and other touristy parts of the city are mostly back in good shape. Transportation is excellent and you can walk lots of places. Very nice hotels can be had for $100 a night or less and you can get them quite cheaper if you lower your standards. There is way more than enough for a solo traveller to do and see including some cool walking tours. It won’t be unbearably hot in the spring either.
Portland, Maine or Portland Oregon? I hear both are nice (I’ve only been through the one in Maine). It’s kind of cold up there this time of year though.
With no car, you pretty much need to stick to cities in the US. Even then, by the time you pay for taxis to and from the airport and to wherever you guy while you are there, you may be better off renting a car.
Boston is nice.
I was just in the Fort Meyers, FL area and that was also really nice. Hotel is a bit pricy but you can rent a car for the weekend for like $170.
If you just want to get away from it all, wouldn’t it make more sense to find a local getaway? Maybe check into a luxury hotel for a couple of days, take a lake cruise, something like that. You’d avoid the expense and hassle, not to mention the time, of traveling by plane, train, or bus. Your money would be concentrated on your pleasure and comfort and you wouldn’t be exhausted from scurrying home at the end of your holiday.
I spent 5 days by myself in Chattanooga based on a Doper recommendation several years ago. While I did have a car (so I could see some of the tourist trap stuff just outside of town) there were quite a few things I walked to that were in the city. I stayed downtown and walked to the aquarium, to a minor league baseball game (which wouldn’t really help you now, but…) and a couple of other things.
Noting where you are starting from, I would recommend one of those islands in Michigan or Wisconsin where they do not permit automobiles. I understand there are a couple of them. Or you could go to the Upper Pinensula. I think there are a couple of places there that are similar. I imagine you could go by ship and boat, be alone and yet meet new people.
When I was younger, I would catch the Durango/Silverton narrow gage railroad and have them drop me off half way in between and I would hike into the high country and fish for food and camp out for about a week. I would occasionally see people hiking by, and we would visit. It wasn’t bad at all. Not for everyone though.
You can take Amtrak to and from, for about $50 round trip. Once you’re there, Metro operates light rail as well as bus routes in the city. There’s plenty to do to fill up a weekend.
[ul][li]The Gateway Arch – you can ride to the top to check out the view and there’s a museum of Lewis & Clark’s exploration in the base.[/li][li]Busch Stadium – if you go in late spring, you can catch a ballgame. Otherwise, I think they have tours.[/li][li]Forest Park – is a huge park in the middle of St. Louis, where the 1904 World’s Fair was held. The park holds the St. Louis Zoo and the Art Museum, both of which are free, as well as several other things. The park is easily a day on its own.[/li][li]The Anheuser-Busch Brewery – they offer tours and you can meet the Clydesdales.[/li][li]Grant’s Farm – is owned by the brewery, and was once owned by Ulysses S. Grant. Has animals and stuff.[/li][li]The Cathedral Basilica St. Louis – is a cathedral with the world’s largest collection of mosaics.[/ul][/li]
There’s a bunch of other stuff too. Downtown’s interesting, the Fox Theatre is an amazing theatre with some good shows coming up, there are five or six casinos in the general area. There are also a TON of great places to eat.
Eh, I’m not really into luxury hotels though. And I’d like to visit someplace new if I can.
Thanks for the recs, everyone. Been to DC (I have friends there) but not quite what I’m looking for. Charleston does sound nice. I’m only iffy about Seattle and Vancouver because I’ll probably be going in March (although I may put it off until May, depending). I was actually considering New Orleans as well, but I thought it might still be in the process of recovering from Katrina.
The reason I won’t have a car is that I don’t have a valid US license. My current license is Korean and I haven’t touched a car in over a year, so I’d be nervous about starting to drive again in unfamiliar territory.
Guess it’s time for me to do some research on my own. If I end up going anywhere with Dopers I’ll let y’all know.
For what it’s worth, the weather in Seattle is somewhat less sucky in May than in March. It usually gets reliably nice beginning in July. August is absolutely beautiful (unlike most places in the US).
Portland (OR) is a good place to not have a car - it has a good public transit system, which is free downtown. I’ve only gone there for work or to visit my daughter, and spent most of my free time in bookstores.
We did go to Seattle just for vacation. Pikes Market is interesting, there is a nice Underground Seattle we just barely touched, and there is the Rock and Roll museum in the old fair grounds, and also a science fiction museum. We didn’t get to them, but we’re going back. We didn’t rent a car when we went - there is good and cheap bus service from the airport, and things are fairly close to one another.
I used to live in Cajun country, and so visited New Orleans often. It is best if you want to listen to jazz and eat. Especially the eat part.
I used to live in Boston (Cambridge, actually.) That’s another good place to not have a car, and there’s plenty to do.
While on a solo car trip to Chicago from Georgia once, I took a side trip to Quincy,Ill., and a side side trip to Hannibal, Mo. , then to the Sandusky, Ohio, peninsula in Lake Erie, then to Boston. But that was summertime.
Boston is easy to get around on the subway and on foot, but cold now. If you want warm, you’ve got to get to at least Florida in southeast or SoCal.
