Arriving Boston from Europe and have 2 weeks to get to Vancouver to catch a boat to Australia. Where to visit on the way?
Sylvia and I are travelling back to Oz from the UK in September/October, 2012.
Our route is:
- Train from London to La Spezia in Italy;
- Freighter from La Spezia to Boston;
- Train from Boston to Vancouver;
- Cruise from Vancouver to Sydney (half price as it is only 1-way).
We have 2 weeks to complete the Boston to Vancouver leg. Our current plan is to travel via Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Seattle.
As we know next to nothing about the USA, we would like some suggestions as to whether there are some other places we should visit along the way.
We contemplated renting a motorhome but decided it would be too expensive. On reflection, I wonder whether this might actually be a good option as we would not have to pay for hotels. Any observations regarding this would be welcome.
John
[Edited: 2012 Jun 24 06:37 - John and Sylvia:18619 - Spelling mistake (Oops)]
[Edited: 2012 Jun 24 06:40 - John and Sylvia:18619 ]
Reply to this If you are traveling via the Empire Builder (which I believe is the Amtrack Train that goes from Chicago to Seattle) try stopping off in Glacier National Park. This would be a great way to get the "off the beaten path" experience without renting a motorhome for the whole way.
I've heard the trip is great - havn't gotten to experience it ourselves. Seattle is wonderful (we're biased). Make your way up to Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill one morning with coffee or tea to watch the sunrise over the Puget Sound. You will NOT regret it and the weather 'should' still be decent. The seafood will still be going strong both there and Vancouver.
Reply to this Hi. Thank you for your suggestion. I had noticed that Glacier National Park was on the Amtrak map and wondered whether it was worth a visit. We will add it to our list.
We love train travel as you will see if you visit our (unfinished) blogs. I get too involved in the travelling to write up the blog as we go and am too lazy to finish it when we get home. This time I am going to keep a written journal so I can write up the missed bits. I'll have plenty of time on the freighter to catch up.
Most recently we have traveled from Sydney to Broken Hill (in Aus) on the Indian Pacific. Sadly, the train ran into a mob of kangaroos about 100 kms out of Broken Hill and the front car was wrecked - no people were hurt - so we had to complete the 18-hour return journey to Sydney by bus!
Thanks for your suggestion.
John (& Sylvia).
Reply to this Hello frnd,
i have no suggestion but i think Stephanie and Andras suggestion may be right....
Thanks
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[Edited: 2012 Jul 13 09:07 - Rat on the Road:23681 - No URLs in signatures please]
Reply to this Americans are addicted to cars (to the point some of us can't imagine travelling other ways!) so our rail service is pretty bad. The times I've done it (all in the Northeast) its had the ambiance of a slow moving plane. If you can afford it, a car or RV is the best way to see the country, especially rural areas. I used a convertible for my trip 😊
As for what to see, what are you interested in experiencing? This country has huge cities full of history and cultural sites, wilderness areas with some of the best scenery on earth, and much in between. I travelled for nine months are barely scratched the surface.
Reply to this finest accommodations and hotels in Waterton Lakes national park, Alberta in Canada to enjoy a rugged natural beauty you won't see anywhere else in this world.
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[Edited: 2013 Apr 18 19:14 - Roosta:95057 - No commercial links in the forums, please. See TOS]
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