For the past few years, I have wanted to take 4th of July week, pack up my Wrangler and go on a road trip. I don't have a particular destination in mind, but don't want to wander completely aimlessly. So, help me plan my trip. My wish list? It can be 5-7 days in total. I'd prefer not to haul it for a long stretch on the last day. I am open to a nice hike or scenic spot. I don't care if it's north or south. There can be a destination at the end of the ride....or a few stops on a round trip. My favorite piece of the trip would probably be the dumpy little diners or weird people I'd meet along the way. I'm leaving from West Hartford, CT. Think Jack Kerouac meets Easy Rider meets Planes Trains and Automobiles meets a short fat guy on a minor mid life crisis.
The Blue Ridge Parkway in West Virginia is a great drive, especially in a Jeep. Lots of hiking opportunities as well. It's West Virginia, so your chances of meeting weird people is extrememly high. Be nice, some of them are my cousins ... at least that's how we identified them when we were kids. http://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm
Many years ago I had opportunity to take a boat from Troy, NY to North Tonowanda, along the Erie Canal. Great trip through some real interesting parts of NY State. Lots of old mill towns, farms and whatnot. You could evn take a side trip down the Niagara River to see the falls, if you were interested.... I expect that it would be a pretty good trip by land, as well...
On the way out to the UConn/Michigan football game a year and a half ago, we stopped at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub for some giant burgers, hit up the Pro Football HOF in Canton, caught a Cleveland Browns preseason game... on the way back, we stopped at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo for wings and the Baseball HOF in Cooperstown. Could maybe mix in some nice ballparks too...
You're the second person to recommend WV to me. They have a thousand state parks. This might have legs.
What about along the coast of Maine to Nova Scotia? Visit Bar Harbor on the way. I've wanted to take that trip for a while. Hit Fenway on the way home. EDIT: Posted before I read above^
I would add that if you consider this, white water rafting on the penobscot river is pretty cool too.
what kind of wrangler do you have? tj? those are my favorite years... are you on jeep forum or any of those off road forums? even if your not into that stuff they have endless amounts of threads on good trips to take for fun.
I was going to suggest this as well. It's a nice trip. Stop around Boston on the way up. Eh, Baxter is nice and I've always wanted to do a predawn hike up to the top of Katahdin and be among the first (i.e. whoever else is up there) to see the sun rise that day, but it is a different kind of a trip.
Around 1995 I had the thrill of ww rafting down the north branch of the Penobscot. I remember it often. It's pretty remote, tho. And i like the idea of traveling the Maine coast...but get to Prince Edward Island if you go.
+3 on Nova Scotia. Make Cape Breton Island your destination. Pick a few hikes on the Cabot Trail. Stay on Aspy Bay (http://www.themarkland.com/ or http://www.campingcapebreton.com/oyster-market.html). Eat oysters. Rent a sea kayak for an afternoon. Choose different route there and back; take ferry to or from St. John one way; drive all the way the other.
Blue Ridge Parkway is in Southern Virginia and goes into Tennessee. It is NOT in West Virginia. It actually starts out as Skyline Drive in Front Royal Virgina. It's a two lane road that travels the spine of the Blue Ridge through Shenandoah National Park. Tremendous views, camping and hiking. After a 150 miles or more?? it turns into the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hike Old Rag Mountian.
Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and go all the way to Asheville, NC. Great and scenic ride to a great small city known for its micro breweries. Lots of small town weirdoes along the BRP.
