O/T New England v Texas??

[Evewolf65]

I'm a big fan of the U S of A so I thought considering I am 50 next year and I have visited a few cities on either the east or west coast my two vacation picks would be 3 weeks touring in either Texas or New England

I know Woody lives in Texas and Ray grew up there so any info they can give will be invaluable
New England again any travel history ideal places to base ourselves would be greatly valued I understand the travel thing on here is frowned upon but I'm hoping to get feedback from a couple of 'in country' experts thanks in advance Eve!

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

I'm a big fan of the U S of A so I thought considering I am 50 next year and I have visited a few cities on either the east or west coast my two vacation picks would be 3 weeks touring in either Texas or New England

I know Woody lives in Texas and Ray grew up there so any info they can give will be invaluable
New England again any travel history ideal places to base ourselves would be greatly valued I understand the travel thing on here is frowned upon but I'm hoping to get feedback from a couple of 'in country' experts thanks in advance Eve!

Good deal Eve. I have to run out at the moment but will catch up with you on this later.

[TundraWolf]

Texas much hotter in summer, New England has more snow in winter. If you like urban adventures go to Boston as your base and then expand out from there. Boston is easy to get around in, check out the many universities (Harvard, UMass, etc.) Close to Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. Downtown Boston easy to get around in and, unlike some of the larger American cities, it is relatively safe at night, many people who can afford it live downtown and there is an active nightlife!

You are less than a day's drive from Montreal (north) or Washington, DC, (south).

If my wife and I had to live in one American city it would be Boston (unanimous)!

[Evewolf65]

Texas much hotter in summer, New England has more snow in winter. If you like urban adventures go to Boston as your base and then expand out from there. Boston is easy to get around in, check out the many universities (Harvard, UMass, etc.) Close to Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. Downtown Boston easy to get around in and, unlike some of the larger American cities, it is relatively safe at night, many people who can afford it live downtown and there is an active nightlife!

You are less than a day's drive from Montreal (north) or Washington, DC, (south).

If my wife and I had to live in one American city it would be Boston (unanimous)!

Nice one Tundra that's a massive for Boston??
funnily enough where my wife would like to go!
would be a great base camp, especially as she has said Autumn in New England is something we'd both like to witness.

[Robus]

Lots to consider, Eve. Two key questions would be: how long do you have, and will you have wheels?

If it's a single-stop visit, simple: Go to Boston. If renting a car is an option and you're open to traveling around, there's lots more to think about.

The best way to experience this country is by driving through it. If you only visit major cities, you'll miss biggest part and in my opinion the best part of America. It has to be done by car as our passenger rail service is nowhere near European standards.

Two years back I did a motorcycle tour to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, then through New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont) and back west through upstate New York. I posted pictures here, though the thread is long gone. It was great trip through beautiful country.

Hey, who says travel threads are frowned upon? I'm just getting ready to post another in a couple of months.

[TundraWolf]

Several questions come to mind:

-What time of year, Eve?
-City or countryside?
-Many things to see or wide open spaces with a notable distance between cities?

I'll wait until you hear from Woody before going all touristy on you!


BTW, should you choose Boston aim for October, the local NFL Patriots, NHL Bruins, and NBA Celtics should all be in full swing, not to mention autumn leaves. Go in September and catch the Patriots or MLB Red Sox.

[Evewolf65]

We would be looking at going in late September early October and because I intend to make a visit to ether location a road trip we would hire a car and ideally take in both cities and the countryside
Sporting events along the way would be a bonus!! Trip duration probably two weeks maybe longer depending on what we're trying to fit in

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Texas, well as someone above said it's going to be hot as hell. But that's why we have lot's of swimming polls, A/C and ice cold beer! if you want to dodge the heat November/December are normally magnificent for weather.

Anyway, using Houston as a base to travel you would have the City itself which is very cosmopolitan, has great restaurants and lots of interesting stuff to see. You could of course go and see the Astros [the worst team in baseball last year} in their spectacular stadium. Ninety mins south you have Galveston which is a fine old town with plenty of seafood and beaches and historic homes to visit.

New Orleans is about 5-6 hours to the East, Baton Rouge and the Plantation Homes 4-5 hours.

The state capitol Austin is about two hours West, again plenty to see including a visit to the State Capitol Building and of course Austin is a great music town with plenty of venues. It tries very hard to live up to it reputation as "weird" and gets very wild on the weekends.

Going w

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

A few pics of Big Bend.

[Evewolf65]

[quote="WOODLANDSWOLF"]Texas, well as someone above said it's going to be hot as hell. But that's why we have lot's of swimming polls, A/C and ice cold beer! if you want to dodge the heat November/December are normally magnificent for weather.

Anyway, using Houston as a base to travel you would have the City itself which is very cosmopolitan, has great restaurants and lots of interesting stuff to see. You could of course go and see the Astros [the worst team in baseball last year} in their spectacular stadium. Ninety mins south you have Galveston which is a fine old town with plenty of seafood and beaches and historic homes to visit.

New Orleans is about 5-6 hours to the East, Baton Rouge and the Plantation Homes 4-5 hours.

The state capitol Austin is about two hours West, again plenty to see including a visit to the State Capitol Building and of course Austin is a great music town with plenty of venues. It tries very hard to live up to it reputation as "