How are you traveling? How long do you have? What are you interested in seeing? Where are you from? Given these starting points, I’d suggest trying to get to Yosemite National Park from SF. Driving the coastal highway and through the redwoods between Portland and SF. Visit Whistler and maybe Victoria from Vancouver (assuming you mean BC, not the Portland suburb of Vancouver, WA). Is New York, NYC or the state? I’d try to get to Niagara Falls if you’re near Buffalo and the Adirondaks are worth a visit.

It’s ll just a bit of wondering at this stage. I may be traveling there for a couple of weeks up to a month or two depending on how my travel plans end up.

I meant Vancouver in Canada, and NYC just to clear that up; I’m interested in seeing the cities and the landscape whenever I can, so all sorts really, I can’t think of anything specific. I like going to music festivals too, so any good ones that you know of would be welcome.

I’m from Australia.

That sounds absolutely fantastic! I might give that a shot if I have some money to burn on a hire car, a cheap car of my own or if there’s anybody I can travel with.

Niagara Falls is a good idea.

Thanks,
Fifey

The Columbia River gorge from Portland is a beautiful drive too. Interstate 84 goes through it and there are several places where you can get off and take the “old road” which weaves through the woods and right by several of the waterfalls.

I’m interested in “why Portland?” It’s a great place, and I highly recommend it, but I doubt it’s one of the “top 10” tourist destinations in the US.

US and Canada are difficult to really tour without a car. Post back with any ideas and we’ll try to help you figure out how to get there….

Doing the trip by road is sounding like an increasingly good idea. All of your ideas so far have been great. It’s a perspective that i wouldn’t have got from just going for what I’ve seen on telly and the like.

Also, the reason why i’m going to Portland is because we have family friends living there.

One possible scenario: Fly to San Francisco and rent a car when you’re ready to leave the city. Drive to Yosemite and then back to the coast and take the coastal highway to Portland. After day trips to the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood/Columbia Gorge, Mt. St. Helens, I’d drive to Vancouver. If it’s too expensive to take the car into Canada, leave it in Seattle or Anacordes and take the ferry to Victoria/Vancouver. You can rent a car for a couple of days to go to Whistler and around British Columbia. Take the trans-Canada train with stops in Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff in the Canadian Rockies. http://www.canadavia… then stop in Toronto and Quebec. Cross back into the US at Niagara Falls and figure out how to get to NYC. Take the train to Boston and/or Washington DC and fly home from there.

Trains? I’m sold!

Starting in the south west and heading up north across Canada, and then down the east coast of the US sounds like a good idea.

Just a bit of American lingo….“Southwest” refers to the desert areas of Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, Utah and Nevada (which also have wonderful natural areas like the Grand Canyon to visit as well as the “a whole ‘nother planet” glitz of Las Vegas). SF wouldn“t be considered Southwest — it’s considered Northern California, or the boundary between Southern and Northern California. Flying to Los Angeles in Southern California and driving to SF along the coast highway is another, completely different, scenic drive if you’ve got enough time. If you drive the coast highway, I’d plan a minimum of two days between LA and SF and another minimum 2 days between SF and Portland.

Train service in North America is generally abysmal, but there is decent service along the East Coast and parts of the West Coast — another way to see the coastal scenery including some scenic areas between San Diego and LA that you can’t see any other way as they’re part of a military reserve. Cross country service is pretty much 1 train a day across either Canada or the US. It takes roughly 3 days (including 2 overnights) to cross from coast to coast. The part through the Rockies is very scenic in either country. The part across the great plains is long and dull (and as much as possible at night) in either country.