Driving to Maryland...

rworkman83 · 05-23-2007, 11:28 PM

Two weeks from tomorrow I'm embarking on a journey with a high school buddy and my eight year old brother....

We are driving to Maryland to visit my dad, but are planning on a few stops along the way. As of right now, we are planning on stopping in South Bend, Ind.; Cleveland, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Penn.

We already have plans to hit up DC, Baltimore, Philly and Boston while we are there, but can anyone think of any good spots to hit up on the trip out?

pulse · 05-23-2007, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by rworkman83

Two weeks from tomorrow I'm embarking on a journey with a high school buddy and my eight year old brother....

We are driving to Maryland to visit my dad, but are planning on a few stops along the way. As of right now, we are planning on stopping in South Bend, Ind.; Cleveland, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Penn.

We already have plans to hit up DC, Baltimore, Philly and Boston while we are there, but can anyone think of any good spots to hit up on the trip out?

Unless you're a ND fan, there is no reason to stop near South Bend..

rworkman83 · 05-23-2007, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by pulse

Unless you're a ND fan, there is no reason to stop near South Bend..

I'm not a ND fan, but we are both big college football fans and thought it would be cool to see ND Stadium....

BvK1126 · 05-23-2007, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by pulse

Unless you're a ND fan, there is no reason to stop near South Bend..

I've gotta disagree with you on that. If you're a college football fan, it's worth a visit. I am not a Notre Dame fan by any means, but I'm glad I stopped in on South Bend during a road trip. The sense of tradition on campus is palpable. The Grotto is a sight to behold, and Notre Dame's chapel is incredible.

Plus the College Football Hall of Fame is in South Bend, which is something that any college football fan -- even die-hard Notre Dame haters -- should be able to appreciate.

rworkman83 · 05-23-2007, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by BvK1126

I've gotta disagree with you on that. If you're a college football fan, it's worth a visit. I am not a Notre Dame fan by any means, but I'm glad I stopped in on South Bend during a road trip. The sense of tradition on campus is palpable. The Grotto is a sight to behold, and Notre Dame's chapel is incredible.

Plus the College Football Hall of Fame is in South Bend, which is something that any college football fan -- even die-hard Notre Dame haters -- should be able to appreciate.

I had no idea the Hall of Fame was there...should Have known...were planning on going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, so that might be our Friday afternoon stop...

pulse · 05-24-2007, 12:00 AM

Okay, my experience was probably much different than others who have been there. My car broke down there and I got stuck at some motel at 3-4am. A bunch of cops broke down the door of the room next door and stormed the place for whatever reason. It wasn't a pleasant night as I didn't get much sleep with all the commontion and the cops with their guns drawn flying past my window.. I couldn't wait to get out of that town...

BvK1126 · 05-24-2007, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by rworkman83

I had no idea the Hall of Fame was there...should Have known...were planning on going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, so that might be our Friday afternoon stop...

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is awesome. Budget as much of a day as you can there, because there's a lot to see. Unfortunately, the College Football Hall of Fame hadn't opened when I visited South Bend, so I can't give you a report on that. But being a huge fan of college football, I'd see it in a heartbeat if I were anywhere close to the South Bend area.

BvK1126 · 05-24-2007, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by pulse

Okay, my experience was probably much different than others who have been there. My car broke down there and I got stuck at some motel at 3-4am. A bunch of cops broke down the door of the room next door and stormed the place for whatever reason. It wasn't a pleasant night as I didn't get much sleep with all the commontion and the cops with their guns drawn flying past my window.. I couldn't wait to get out of that town...

Man, that sounds like some of the hotels I've stayed at near Midway Airport in Chicago! When I called to inquire about room rates, a couple of the places literally quoted me their rates-by-the-hour!

(I didn't choose those hotels, but the ones I did stay in couldn't have been much better...)

cyclonenum1 · 05-24-2007, 07:24 AM

Rock-n-Roll HOF in Cleveland.

cyclonenum1 · 05-24-2007, 07:24 AM

Antietam Battlefield in Maryland.

BvK1126 · 05-24-2007, 01:42 PM

If you're a history buff at all, check out Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennyslvania. I like Antietam, too, but if you have a chance to do only one, Gettysburg is it. The battlegrounds are beautiful and haunting at the same time. The visitors' center is fantastic. Now that they've demolished that unsightly observation tower that some private group constructed as a money-making venture several decades ago, the battlefield park is even better. If you go there, make sure to eat at General Pickett's Buffet near the battlefield in the town of Gettysburg. The concept and decor of the restaurant are kind of cheesy, but the home-style food is excellent for buffet fare. My favorite part of the restaurant: the sign at the cash register that says, "Pickett charged here. So can you! Visa and Mastercard excepted."

rworkman83 · 05-31-2007, 11:25 AM

Just found out we are going to New York City instead of Boston...

Anyone have any good spots other than Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, The Garden and Yankee Stadium?

SuperCy · 05-31-2007, 11:39 AM

The field that Flight 93 went down is only 75 miles from Pittsburgh.
I was just out there in December. My wife is from the area and we went to check it out.

There's not much there now other than a field, the American Flag marking the spot and a fence where people leave things.

It's a depressing place to go, but it's something that I'd recommend if you are in the area.

Here's a link.

Flight 93 Memorial Project | HomePage - Driving Directions

BvK1126 · 05-31-2007, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by rworkman83

Just found out we are going to New York City instead of Boston...

Anyone have any good spots other than Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, The Garden and Yankee Stadium?

There are lots of things to do in addition to your ideas.

Ellis Island is great. It's right by the Statute of Liberty. If I remember correctly, you can catch a ferry that will take you to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, so you can usually hit both those places at the same time.

Times Square is pretty tourist-centric, but it's kind of neat to see and doesn't take much time.

The Empire State Building is a must-see, in my opinion. The views from the observation deck are amazing.

There are plenty of good museums in NYC, too. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka "the Met"), the Museum of Modern Art ("MOMA"), and the American Museum of Natural History are among the best-known. If you're there with your younger brother, the art museums may be a little boring for a kid. But he would probably enjoy the Natural History Museum.

Central Park is also great. I know it has a reputation for being kind of dangerous, but the park was really cleaned up and made safer during Giuliani's administration. As long as you're there in the daytime, there should be nothing to worry about.

It's always fun to catch a Broadway show, if you get a chance. Even if you're not a big theater fan, there's something unique and memorable about seeing a play or musical in New York. You can usually get discounted tickets for most shows on the day of the performance. A few of the shows -- like Monty Python's Spamalot, in particular -- should be appropriate (and fun) for a young kid.

There are plenty of other things to do in New York besides these suggestions. But if you're only going to be there for a couple of days, this will definitely give you a full agenda.

Hope these suggestions help. I'd love to hear your full trip itinerary (from Iowa to the East Coast and back) when you have it figured out.

Knownothing · 05-31-2007, 12:43 PM

DO all of the civil war stuff you can do. It is amazing. Expecially Gettysburg. It's creepy awesome. Yeah I know that sounds like a 12 year olds description of the place but it works. You realize how many people died in the Civil war. You realize that Abe Freakin Lincoln was there giving the speach. It's awesome yet a lot of blood was spilled for some good and bad reasons.

Oh yeah Yankee Stadium Sucks. Maybe it's just the team that plays there..