When I heard about this Blog Fest I had to join. Thanks so much Jeremy Bates. Great idea. Since I haven’t had much of a summer and no hint of a summer holiday, I would like to at least hear about others enjoying their summer. Click on the badge to read other summer inspired posts.
Along with living vicariously though my fellow blog hoppers, I wanted to share with you my Ultimate Vacation.
I have a long bucket list of places I would like to visit all over the world, but my Ultimate Vacation might surprise you. I would like to drive across the United States. I know it doesn’t have the history of Europe or the cultural diversity of of Asia, but I think it would be so much fun to visit different parts of America and see first hand the american culture in all it’s forms. I have it mapped out already.
I would start in Maine in the springtime. I picture a harbor in Maine with a lighthouse as the perfect place to start my cross country adventure. Next stop would be New Hampshire to visit Dover established in 1623 (a long, long time ago) and Vermont to the Ben & Jerry’s factory. All the ice cream I can eat.
Then, I would spend a few days in Boston (great city), then New York (greater city) and New Jersey (I have to get to Pennsylvania some how) and then proceed west.
Next, I would stop in Philadelphia. Walnut Street is one of my favorite places to shop and I haven’t spent nearly enough time there. After shopping, it would be nice to drop in on family and friends in Maryland, DC and Virginia.
I would make a quick drive through Kentucky to get to Chicago. Chicago would be my food stop. From the pizza to 3 restaurants that are on my bucket list, I would leave Chicago full.
I would head over to Wisconsin (cheese and white water rafting), then Minnesota (Mall of the Americas). While the weather is still good, I would spend some time in South Dakota. I really want to see Mount Rushmore. Montana would be fun, too. It it’s not to cold, camping in Glacier National Park would be amazing.
I would drive straight through Wyoming to go skiing in Colorado, spend a week at a writer’s retreat in Taos, New Mexico, and then relax in a spa retreat up in the red mountains of Sedona, Arizona before driving to Vegas for some serious indulgence; food, shows and gambling.
I would proceed north, to Lake Tahoe for some golf and then proceed to Oregon to explore some of the ghost towns and then wind up in Seattle, Washington for what else, but coffee.
All in all this trip would take about a year. But, just think of the things I would see, adventures I would have and the stories I would write.
That is my Ultimate Vacation. What is yours?
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 
Sounds like it would be a fantastical trip!!!
Wait, wait, wait! Wouldn’t you stop in CA and come visit me? Sounds like a great trip Sydney even I haven’t been to a lot of the places you would stop and visit.
I know Karen. I thought long and hard about this because although I know great people in Cali, Yourself included, I have a dislike to hate relationship with California. Take off a few days and come and hang with me in Vegas or Tahoe. 🙂
My husband’s parents spend their summers in Maine and love it.
For the blogfest, my dream vacation involves hitting theme parks around the world.
That would be fun. I am a huge NFL fan and I want to see a game at every teams home stadium. I have hit 15 already.
LOVE this!! The Ben and Jerry’s factory tour is awesome! Make sure to visit Cabot cheese also. New Hampshire is even better, but I could be biased since I live there lol.
Hey Kerry, I will put Cabot on the schedule. I have a friend who went to school in New Hampshire and he loved it. You should be loyal to your city.
We took a year-long road trip throughout the U.S. back in 2006-07, visiting all the national parks in the lower 48. I highly recommend it. I’ve actually written a book about our experience (far more happened than simple travels) that will be published later this year.
Hey Suan, that sounds amazing. Congrats on the book release. Look forward to reading it.
I love your idea. Growing up, I had a map of the USA right over my bed and I used to plot such trips all the time. I’m glad you’ve included Vermont!
Thanks. It would be so much fun. I’ve never been to Vermont, but bet it is beautiful.
Holy gas prices, Batman!
Sounds like a pretty wicked trip. I have yet to do a coast-to-coast, but did ride on a bus from Anaheim, California to Columbus, Ohio with $4 to my name. That sucked. Arizona and New Mexico are beautiful, though. I would take that trip again — maybe on $20 — for the chance to stare at the window again for three hours.
That Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont stretch can be very mountainous… I felt like I was going down a mountain for two hours. I may have been.
Boston is cool, if you know where things are. I spent four hours with a buddy trying to find Harvard’s campus. We failed. One of the many reasons I didn’t get accepted into Harvard.
Yeah. I picture taking this trip in a car that uses French fry oil as fuel. How green of me? My brother’s friends did a hitch hiking trip from Houston to LA and survived on the food that McDonald’s throws away. They mad it there, but then his father found out and made them fly back. This was 22 years ago. You can’t do that now, can you?
What, survive on McDonald’s food? Probably. If you started a Twitter campaign, people would buy your McDonald’s food for you and stand in front of the buildings, like your were competitors in a literal cross country race.
Think Forest Gump, with fries.
I once got grounded for six weeks for skipping off to Canada when I was 16. I’ve had lots of road trips that were great, but the ones that went awry always make for the best stories.
I took off to Austin one morning and came back by curfew that night. Parents never knew. That was the most devious thing I did as a teenager. I also spent the night in a park with my friends once. I don’t even know why. Hahaha
I once had to (kinda) fend off a bull during a camping trip in rural Ohio.
I’ve never skipped off to Texas, though. That just sounds like something fun to do.
It was fun. A bull. Wow.
I too would like to do that. My parents did when they retired and had great fun.
I just hope I get the opportunity to do it before I get to old to enjoy it.
This sounds like a LOT of fun–but you can’t miss San Francisco. From Tahoe it’s just 3 hours west. It’s my absolute favorite American city, and the food–the *food*! Thanks for sharing!
That is funny how people notice I by passed California. My trip consist of places I love and places I have never been. I have been to Cali. and you are right San Fran is great, but in general, I am not a fan of California. Thanks for stopping by.
That would be a fantastic trip! One day, I hope to do that with my family. It’s much more realistic than my dream vacation of touring Europe. (Unless I win the lottery or find a genie!)
Hi Christine. You know after the initial plane ticket traveling around Europe is not that expensive and so much fun. Small territory and great train systems. Do it if you get the chance.
This sounds like an amazing trip! Some day I’d like to do a Bloody Mary tour of the country. Stop in cities all over the country and sample their particular style of Bloody Mary.
A2Z Mommy and What’s In Between
I would like to do a beer tour of Europe. That sounds like fun.
So when are you going? 🙂
Within in the next couple of years. I am not too sure how long the trip will take. That would be my next step in planning.
Cool trip. I have driven both I-40 and I-10 from east to west and it’s awesome. I believe I-40 has the most interesting sites and scenery, however. More shops and food stops as well.
By the way, I just spent 3 days in NYC and agree with you about that being a great city. You did seem to be a little bit east coast oriented, though. lol
Hey Jeremy. Great blog fest idea. Thank you. I have spent a lot of time in New York. My brother lives there. Each trip Wei discover something new. I know I really love the east coast and not a big fan of California. But I have never been to Oregon and Washington so they had to go on the list.
My pleasure! Oh, you need to scope out Oregon and Washington. Beautiful with friendly people. Love the redwoods trees.
I want to drive Route 66 from the beginning to the end.
That would be cool.