01-06-2009, 03:59 AM
Miami in the summer is going to be just as hot or hotter than New York, but twice as humid. The whole southeastern US in the summer is mostly heat, humidity, and mosquitoes, IMO. They are still worth seeing if there's something there you don't want to miss (I went in the summer, heh), but you want to know what you're getting into.
I really think that New York and Washington DC would be high on my list. I don't know if you're a museum-goer, but both towns have quite a bit to offer in that area. That's one reason that I'd like to plan a trip back east to make sure that my daughter gets to see those things that I took for granted when growing up there. I guess the DC museums would be more America-centric than the New York ones, though, but from New York you could get to DC or Philadelphia with an easy train ride (or could when I lived there).
That said, I do think that something more laid back and non-East coast would be a nice compliment to that. You could find any of the "ranching" type things in Texas, Arizona, or New Mexico easily. You could also find some "cowboy culture" in Montana or Wyoming (and possible for less money), but really the southwest desert landscapes are not to be missed. Utah has some fantastic national parks, too.
Keep in mind that the US is much more spread out in the west. On the east coast, you could get to just about anywhere you want to go in a day's drive, but out west things are much more spread out. San Francisco to the Grand Canyon is quite a haul, for example. You wouldn't want to drive that distance unless you were including the drive as part of your vacation and not just a way to get from place to place.
My sister in law is Swedish, so I could ask her perspective on what to see as a tourist since she's been here as both a tourist and a resident, if you think it would be helpful.
I really think that New York and Washington DC would be high on my list. I don't know if you're a museum-goer, but both towns have quite a bit to offer in that area. That's one reason that I'd like to plan a trip back east to make sure that my daughter gets to see those things that I took for granted when growing up there. I guess the DC museums would be more America-centric than the New York ones, though, but from New York you could get to DC or Philadelphia with an easy train ride (or could when I lived there).
That said, I do think that something more laid back and non-East coast would be a nice compliment to that. You could find any of the "ranching" type things in Texas, Arizona, or New Mexico easily. You could also find some "cowboy culture" in Montana or Wyoming (and possible for less money), but really the southwest desert landscapes are not to be missed. Utah has some fantastic national parks, too.
Keep in mind that the US is much more spread out in the west. On the east coast, you could get to just about anywhere you want to go in a day's drive, but out west things are much more spread out. San Francisco to the Grand Canyon is quite a haul, for example. You wouldn't want to drive that distance unless you were including the drive as part of your vacation and not just a way to get from place to place.
My sister in law is Swedish, so I could ask her perspective on what to see as a tourist since she's been here as both a tourist and a resident, if you think it would be helpful.
Why can't we all just get along
--Pete
--Pete