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YOUR TRIP
Welcome to the USA ... 2
25 Top Experiences ... 6 Need to Know ... 18 What’s New ... 20 If You Like... ... 21 Month by Month ... 26 Itineraries ... 30
Road Trips & Scenic Drives ... 35
USA Outdoors ... 42
Travel with Children ... 49
Regions at a Glance ... 52
YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip
UNDERSTAND
THE USA
The USA Today ... 1100History ... 1103
The Way of Life ... 1115
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The Land & Environment ... 1146
Wild Things ... 1150
The USA Today Memories from the Past The 21st century has certainly been a tumultuous one for the USA. As Americans looked toward the future, many found it di cult to leave the past behind. This was not surprising since wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, launched a decade prior, continued to simmer on the backburner of the ever-changing news cycle. Add to that the 10-year anniversary of Sep-tember 11, which again brought back memories of that day when thou-sands perished in terrorist attacks. Earlier in 2011, in a subterfuge opera-tion vetted by president Obama, Navy Seals raided Osama Bin Laden’s Pakistan hideout, bringing an end to America’s greatest public enemy Economic Woes
Following his sober announcement describing the raid, Obama saw his
on omes-t ion omes-t per ,200 oy-% USA AUSTRALIA CANADA population per sq mile
≈ 11 people
1849 After the 1848 discovery of gold near Sacramento, an epic cross-country gold rush sees 60,000 ‘forty-niners’ Á ock to California’s Mother Lode. San Francisco’s population explodes from 850 to 25,000.
1861-65 American Civil War erupts between North and South (delineated by the Mason-Dixon line). The war’s end on April 9, 1865, is marred by President Lincoln’s assassination À ve days later. 1 Freed black m given the vote, South’s segrega ‘Jim Cro (which rema the 1960s) eՖ e disenfranchise from every mea sphere of da , g another hurdle, linking Midwestern farmers with East Coast mar
In 1836 a group of Texans fomented a revolution against Mexico member the Alamo? See p 667 .) Ten years later, the US annexed the Republic, and when Mexico resisted, the US wage war for it – an they were at it, took California too. In 1848, Mexico was soun y e and ceded this territory to the US. This completed the USAs conti expansion.
By a remarkable coincidence, only days after the 1848 treaty Mexico was signed, gold was discovered in California. By 1849, su rivers of wagon trains were creaking west À lled with miners, pio entrepreneurs, immigrants, outlaws and prostitutes, all seeking the tunes. This made for exciting, legendary times, but throughout o a troubling question: as new states joined the USA, would they be states or free states? The nation’s future depended on the answer. The Civil War
The US Constitution hadn’t ended slavery, but it had given Congre power to approve (or not) slavery in new states. Public debates rage stantly over the expansion of slavery, particularly since this shap balance of power between the industrial North and the agrarian So You can follow the
Lewis and Clark expedition on its extraordinary journey west to the Pacific and back again online at www.pbs.org/ lewisandclark, which features historical maps, photo albums and journal excerpts. JOHN ELK III /LONEL Y PLANET IMA GE S ©
Bright Lights, Big Cities merica is the birthplace of LA, Las Vegas, hicago, Miami, Boston and New York ity – each a brimming metropolis whose ame alone conjures a million diՖ erent otions of culture, cuisine and entertain-ment. Look more closely, and the American uilt unfurls in all its surprising variety: he eclectic music scene of Austin, the easy-oing charms of antebellum Savannah, the coconsciousness of free-spirited Portland, he magniÀ cent waterfront of San Francis-o, and the captivating old quarters of New rleans, still rising up from its waterlogged shes.
On the Road Again This is a country of road trips and great open skies, where four million miles of highways lead past red-rock deserts, below towering mountain peaks, and across fertile wheat À elds that roll oՖ toward the hori-zon. The sun-bleached hillsides of the Great Plains, the lush rain forests of the PaciÀ c Northwest and the scenic country lanes of New England are a few À ne starting points for the great American road trip. Food-Loving Nation Cuisine is another way of illuminating the American experience. On one evening in the US, thick barbecue ribs and smoked Welcome to
the USA
“
All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!
”
TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET
PAGE
2
PAGE
1099
GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP Learn about the big picture, so you can make sense of what you see
England in Fall
major event, one approaching epic proportions in New England (p 162 ): watching the s change color. You can do it just about anywhere – all you need is one brilliant tree. But if st people, you’ll want lots of trees. From the LitchÀ eld Hills in Connecticut and the Berk-Massachusetts to Stowe in northern Vermont, entire hillsides blaze in brilliant crimsons, nd yellows. Covered bridges and white-steeple churches with abundant maple trees put nd New Hampshire in the forefront of leaf-peeping heaven. New Hampshire (p222) The beer-loving city of
Portland pulls out the stops and pours a heady array of handcrafted perfection (www.oregonbrewfest.com; p 1039 ). Featuring 80 diՖ er-ent beers from around the country, there are plenty of choices; and it’s nicely set along the banks of the Wil-lamette River.
1Pageant of the
Masters
This eight-week arts fest (www.LagunaFestivalofArts. org; p 915 ) brings a touch of the surreal to Laguna Beach, CA. On stage, meticulously costumed actors create liv-ing pictures – imitations of famous works of art – which is accompanied by narration and an orchestra.
zNewport Folk
Festival
Newport, RI, a summer haunt of the well-heeled, hosts a world-class music fest (www.newportfolkfest. com; p 205 ) in late July. Top folk artists from every cor-ner of America and beyond take to the stage at this fun, all-welcoming event.
August
»
(above) Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City.
»
(below) Mardi Gras, New Orleans.
P MONTH B Y MONTH ISBN 978-1-74179-900-2 9 781741 799002 9 9 9 2 5
USA
Outdoors
Best Wildlife WatchingBears in Glacier National Park, MT Elk, bison and gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park, WY Alligators, manatees and sea turtles in the Florida Everglades Whales and dolphins on Monterey Bay, CA
Top Aquatic Activities
White-water rafting on the New River, WV SurÀ ng perfect waves in Oahu, HI Diving and snorkeling oՖ the Florida Keys Kayaking pristine Penobscot Bay, ME
Best Multiday Adventures
Hiking the Appalachian Trail Mountain-biking Kokopelli’s Trail, UT Climbing 13,770ft Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park, WY Canoeing portaging and camping in the
Towering redwoods, a hills, chiseled peaks, lu dramatic coastline of u USA has no shortage of for a bit of outdoor adv we’ve described just o In the other 49 lie an a of natural wonders, fro and lush rainforests to tains and vast stretches of people but full of end No matter your weak kayaking, rafting, surÀ n rock climbing – you’ll À to commune with the if you’re thinking of tr the USA is a great plac hone your craft.
For outdoor activitie lent infrastructure and for planning an adven entails trekking some ( lachian Trail, mountain carving up the legend in the Rockies; for som
usa-7-cover.indd 2
usa-7-cover.indd 2 2/12/2011 3:31:02 PM2/12/2011 3:31:02 PM
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Regis St Louis
Amy C Balfour, Michael Benanav, Andrew Bender, Glenda Bendure, Sara Benson, Alison Bing, Jeff Campbell, Nate Cavalieri, Sarah Chandler, Jim DuFresne, Lisa Dunford,
Ned Friary, Bridget Gleeson, Michael Grosberg, Beth Kohn, Mariella Krause, Emily Matchar, Bradley Mayhew, Carolyn McCarthy, Kevin Raub, Brendan Sainsbury, Andrea
Schulte-Peevers, Ryan Ver Berkmoes, John A Vlahides, Karla Zimmerman
p244 & the Capital RegionWashington, DC p58
Pennsylvania New Jersey &New York,
p162 England New p651 Texas p1079 Hawaii p500 Great Lakes p598 Great Plains p703 MountainsRocky p1001 NorthwestPacific p785 Southwest p882 California p320 The South p440 Florida p1061 Alaska AK HI MI WI MN IA VA DE NY NJ WV MA CT RI MD VT NH ME PA OH IN IL MO AR NC SC FL GA KY TN AL MS LA TX OK KS NE SD ND WY MT ID WA OR CO UT NM AZ NV CA
YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
Directory A–Z ... 1154 Transportation ... 1168 Index ... 1187 Map Legend ... 1204VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
ON THE
ROAD
Accommodations
he listings in the accom-odations sections of this debook are in order of erence. For all but the pest places and the t seasons, reserva-advised. In high-rist hot spots, ok up months al, many s on their chains Bed Online(w BedandBrea (www.bedandbrea BnB Finder (www.b com)
Pamela Lanier’s Bed & Breakfast Inns (www. lanierbb.com)
Select Registry(www. selectregistry.com)
Hostels
Hostels are mainly found in urban areas, in the northeast, the PaciÀ c Northwest, Cali-À fornia and the Southwest.
Hostelling International USA(HI-USA; %301-495-1240; www.hiusa.org; annual member-ship adult/child/senior $28/ free/$18) runs more than 50 hostels in the US. Most have gender-segregated dorms, a few private rooms, shared baths and a communal kitchen. Overnight fees for dorm beds range from $ to $45. HI-USA membe entitled to small disc Reservations are a (you can book o advised durin when ther night
Directory
A-Z
PAGE56
PAGE1153
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o
Our author’srecommendation
S
A green or sustainable optionF
No payment requiredNEW YORK,
NEW JERSEY &
PENNSYLVANIA . . . . 58
NEW YORK CITY . . . .62
NEW YORK STATE . . . 113 Long Island . . . .114 NEW JERSEY . . . 127 Jersey Shore . . . 130 PENNSYLVANIA . . . 134 Philadelphia . . . 134 Pittsburgh . . . 155
NEW ENGLAND . . . . .162
MASSACHUSETTS . . . 167 Boston . . . .167 Cape Cod . . . 185 Martha’s Vineyard . . . 195 RHODE ISLAND . . . .201 Providence . . . 201 Newport . . . 203 CONNECTICUT . . . .207 Hartford . . . 210 VERMONT . . . 212 Burlington . . . 219 NEW HAMPSHIRE . . . .222 Portsmouth . . . 223 Manchester . . . 224 MAINE . . . 230 Portland . . . 233 Acadia National Park . . . 239 Bar Harbor . . . 240WASHINGTON, DC
& THE CAPITAL
REGION . . . 244
WASHINGTON, DC . . . .248 MARYLAND . . . .270 Baltimore . . . .271 Annapolis . . . 281 DELAWARE . . . .287 VIRGINIA . . . .291 Fredericksburg . . . 295 Richmond . . . 296 WEST VIRGINIA . . . 315THE SOUTH . . . 320
NORTH CAROLINA . . . .324 Charlotte . . . 333 SOUTH CAROLINA . . . 339 Charleston . . . 340 Columbia . . . 350 TENNESSEE . . . 350 Memphis . . . 351 Nashville . . . 359 KENTUCKY . . . .370 Louisville . . . .371 GEORGIA . . . .378 Atlanta . . . 379 Savannah . . . 391 ALABAMA . . . .397 Birmingham . . . 397 MISSISSIPPI . . . 402 Mississippi Delta . . . 403 Jackson . . . 407 LOUISIANA . . . 409 New Orleans . . . 410 ARKANSAS . . . 433 Little Rock . . . 434FLORIDA . . . 440
SOUTH FLORIDA . . . 445 Miami . . . 445 Fort Lauderdale . . . 459 The Everglades . . . 463 ATLANTIC COAST . . . .474 Daytona Beach . . . 476 Jacksonville . . . 480 WEST COAST . . . .481 Tampa . . . 481 St Petersburg . . . 484 CENTRAL FLORIDA . . . 489 Orlando . . . 489Walt Disney World Resort .493 FLORIDA PANHANDLE . . 495
GREAT LAKES . . . 500
ILLINOIS . . . 505 Chicago . . . 505 INDIANA . . . .535 Indianapolis . . . 536 OHIO . . . .542 Cleveland . . . 542 Amish Country . . . 548 Columbus . . . 549 Cincinnati . . . 551 MICHIGAN . . . .555 Detroit . . . 555 WISCONSIN . . . .572 Milwaukee . . . 572 MINNESOTA . . . .582On the Road
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
Minneapolis . . . 582 St Paul . . . 590
GREAT PLAINS . . . . 598
MISSOURI . . . 602 St Louis . . . 603 Kansas City . . . 612 IOWA . . . .616 Des Moines . . . 617 NORTH DAKOTA . . . 620 SOUTH DAKOTA . . . .624 NEBRASKA . . . 634 Omaha . . . 634 KANSAS . . . 639 Wichita . . . 639 OKLAHOMA . . . 644 Oklahoma City . . . 644TEXAS . . . .651
SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS . . 653 Austin . . . 656 San Antonio . . . 666 Houston . . . 672SOUTHERN GULF COAST 680 DALLAS-FORT WORTH . . 682
WEST TEXAS . . . 694
Big Bend National Park . . 694
Guadalupe Mountains National Park . . . 702
ROCKY
MOUNTAINS . . . 703
COLORADO . . . .709 Denver . . . 709 WYOMING . . . 741 Cheyenne . . . 742 Yellowstone National Park . . . 744 Grand Teton National Park . . . 750 MONTANA . . . .754 Bozeman . . . 754 Missoula . . . 758Glacier National Park . . . 761
IDAHO. . . .763 Boise . . . 763
SOUTHWEST . . . .785
NEVADA . . . 790 Las Vegas . . . 790 ARIZONA . . . 808 Phoenix . . . 809 Flagstaff . . . 818 Grand Canyon National Park . . . 823 Tucson . . . 832 UTAH . . . .837Salt Lake City . . . 838
NEW MEXICO . . . .857 Albuquerque . . . 858 Santa Fe . . . 863 Taos . . . 871
CALIFORNIA . . . 882
LOS ANGELES . . . .887 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST . . . 911Disneyland & Anaheim . . .911
San Diego . . . 916
PALM SPRINGS & THE DESERTS . . . .927
Palm Springs . . . 928
Joshua Tree National Park . . . .930
Death Valley National Park . . . 933
Big Sur . . . 940
SAN FRANCISCO & THE BAY AREA . . . .947
San Francisco . . . 947
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA . .975 Wine Country . . . 975
Sacramento . . . 984
SIERRA NEVADA . . . 989
Yosemite National Park . . 989
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks . . . 994 Lake Tahoe . . . 998
PACIFIC
NORTHWEST . . . .1001
WASHINGTON . . . .1007 Seattle . . . 1007 OREGON . . . .1034 Portland . . . 1034ALASKA . . . .1061
SOUTHEAST ALASKA . . 1064 ANCHORAGE. . . 1074HAWAII . . . .1079
OʻAHU . . . .1082HAWAIʻI THE BIG ISLAND . . . .1087
MAUI . . . 1091
O C E A N P A C I F I C Colorado River ke S na Rio d G ran e i Mssouri River River Utah Arizona California Nevada Idaho Oregon Washington Texas Nebraska Colorado Kansas Wyoming Montana North Dakota South Dakota New Mexico Calgary Flagstaff Tijuana San Diego MEXICALI Tucson SACRAMENTO San Jose San Francisco Reno SALEM Portland BOISE Spokane Missoula Vancouver Seattle OLYMPIA VICTORIA SANTA FE Antonio El Paso Ciudad Juárez Albuquerque San DENVER CHEYENNE HELENA PIERRE BISMARCK REGINA Colorado Springs CARSON CITY Rapid City Los Angeles Boulder Bozeman Las Vegas Fort Worth SALT LAKE CITY 120ºW 110ºW 100ºW 100ºW n a C e d ac s a R e g i s n at n u o M y k c o R C on tine nta lDivide 30ºN 120ºW 40ºN 20ºN 110ºW 130ºW Great Salt Lake ManitobaLake MEXICO CANADA ELEVATION 9000ft 12,000ft 16,000ft 5000ft 2000ft 1000ft 500ft Sea Level -500ft Tiju Die Seattle
Yosemite National Park San Francisco
Los Angeles
Grand Canyon
Trend-setting coffee lover near lush wilderness (p1007)
Waterfalls, granite peaks and dreamlike landscapes (p989)
Hilly grand dame with a bohemian soul (p947)
Multicultural 'hoods, beaches and endless amusement (p887)
Vast, wondrous and utterly unforgettable (p823)
USA
O C E A N a S e i h c A R C T I C Ch uk A l a s k a G u l f o f S e a B e r i n g Alaska Fairbanks Anchorage JUNEAU 70ºN 150ºW 170ºW 160ºW 140ºW 140ºW 150ºW 60ºN 170ºW Island Kodiak Island St Lawrence Island Nunivak Islands Aleutian PeninsulaSeward R U S S I A C A N A D A 2 1 2 3 1 300 miles 0 0 500 km P A C I F I C O C E A N Hawaii HONOLULU Kona Kailua-Hilo 20ºN 160ºW Moloka‘i Maui Kaho‘olawe Lana‘i O‘ahu Ni‘ihau Kaua‘i Hawai‘i 100 miles150 km 0 0 500 km 300 miles 0 0›
USA
Beaches, volcanoes and tropical island allure (p1079)
Creative and indie-loving music capital (p656)
Cajun cookin', hot jazz and Mardi Gras (p410)
Cuban food, art deco and sultry beaches (p445) Stunning architecture and
lakefront festivals (p505)
Drive among the scenic Appalachian Mountains (p39)
Iconic monuments on America's front lawn (p249)
Follow the cobblestones into history (p167) Famed metropolis and
cultural capital (p62) Hawaii Austin New Orleans Miami Chicago
Blue Ridge Parkway National Mall Boston New York A T L A N T I C O C E A N G u l f o f M e x i c o S s Mis sis ip p i r e s pi issip s Riv Mi n re tL aw ec iver R River Florida Alabama Louisiana Mississippi Georgia Iowa Minnesota Oklahoma Kentucky Tennessee Missouri Arkansas Illinois Indiana CarolinaSouth WV Ohio Virginia Wisconsin Pennsylvania New York DE MD NJ RI CT VT MA NH Maine Michiga n North Carolina HARTFORD MONTPELIER ALBANY Wilmington RALEIGH RICHMOND ANNAPOLIS Charleston HAVANA COLUMBIA Tulsa Houston AUSTIN Dallas ROUGE BATON New Orleans JACKSON Birmingham Memphis Tampa TALLAHASSEE Orlando Jacksonville St Augustine MONTGOMERY ATLANTA Savannah Augusta Wichita LINCOLN TOPEKA Omaha Minneapolis FRANKFORT NASHVILLE St Louis SPRINGFIELD INDIANAPOLIS Charlotte Greenville Cincinnati CHARLESTON Pittsburgh COLUMBUS Baltimore MADISON ST PAUL LANSING Chicago Milwaukee Detroit Toledo Cleveland HARRISBURG OTTAWA TORONTO Montréal Miami NASSAU DOVER TRENTON New York Philadelphia AUGUSTA BOSTON PROVIDENCE CONCORD WINNIPEG QUÉBEC Corpus Christi WASHINGTON, DC Kansas City DES MOINES JEFFERSON CITY OKLAHOMA CITY LITTLE ROCK Thunder Bay Green Bay Burlington Fort Lauderdale Key West 20ºN 90ºW 70ºW 90ºW n p p A i h c a l a a M t n uo s n i a 80ºW 30ºN 40ºN 80ºW 60ºW L a a L gi hc i M e k Lake r o i r e p u S n r no u H k a e C U B A B A H A M A S MEXICO
Top Experiences
Top Experiences
›
Karla Zimmerman
Great Lakes As a life-long Midwesterner, Karla is well-versed in the region’s beaches, ballparks, breweries and pie shops. When she’s not home in Chicago watching the Cubs, er, writing for newspapers, books and magazines, she’s out exploring. For this gig, she curled in Minnesota, caught a wave in Michigan, heard the curds squeak in Wisconsin and drank an embarrassing number of milk-shakes in Ohio. Karla has written for several Lonely Planet guidebooks covering the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Europe.
Read more about Karla at: lonelyplanet.com/members/karlazimmerman
Bradley Mayhew
Rocky Mountains An expat Brit, Bradley currently calls southeastern Montana home. Half a lifetime of travels through Central Asia, Tibet and Mongolia has made him feel quite at home in Big Sky country. He is the coordinating author of a dozen Lonely Planet guides, including Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Central Asia and
Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks and he hikes nearby Yellowstone Park
and the Beartooth Mountains every chance he gets. See what he’s up to at www. bradleymayhew.blogspot.com.
Carolyn McCarthy
Rocky Mountains Carolyn became enamored of the Rockies as an undergradu-ate at Colorado College. She studied, skied and hiked her way through the region, even working as a boot fi tter. In the last seven years she has contributed to over a dozen Lonely Planet titles and has written for National Geographic,
Outside, Lonely Planet Magazine and other publications. You can follow her
Americas blog at www.carolynswildblueyonder.blogspot.com.
Kevin Raub
The South Though Indiana born, Kevin grew up in Atlanta and started his career as a music journalist in New York, working for Men’s Journal and Rolling Stone magazines. The rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle took its toll, so he needed an extended vaca-tion and took up travel writing while ditching the States for Brazil. This home-coming, covering Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, only reaffi rmed a bumper sticker he has contemplated for years: Hoosier by Birth,
Southern by the Grace of God! This is Kevin’s 13th Lonely Planet guide. You can fi nd him at www.
kevinraub.net.
Brendan Sainsbury
Rocky Mountains, Pacifi c Northwest UK-born Brendan lives in White Rock, Can-ada within baseball-pitching distance (almost) of the USA and the Pacifi c North-west. He has been researching the area for Lonely Planet since 2007 and his forays across the border have included fi ne-dining in the San Juan Islands, hitch-hiking in western Montana and running 100 miles unassisted across the Cascade Mountains in a so-called endurance race. Brendan is also a co-author of Lonely Planet’s
Washing-ton, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest guidebook.
Andrea Schulte-Peevers
California Andrea fell in love with California – its pizzazz, people and sunshine – almost the instant she landed in the Golden State. She grew up in Germany, lived in London and traveled the world before getting a degree from UCLA and embark-ing on a career in travel writembark-ing. Andrea has written or contributed to some 60 Lonely Planet books, including several editions of this one as well as California,
Los Angeles and Southern California.
Ryan Ver Berkmoes
Great Plains Ryan fi rst drove across the Great Plains with his family in the 1960s. Among his treasured memories are a pair of Wild West six-shooters he got at Wall Drugs in South Dakota and which he still has (in a box someplace not under his pillow). Through the years he never passes up a chance to wander the back-roads of America’s heartland fi nding beauty and intrigue where you least expect it. Find more at www.ryanverberkmoes.com.
John A Vlahides
California John cohosts the TV series Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled, screening on National Geographic Channels International. John studied cooking in Paris with the same chefs who trained Julia Child, and is a former luxury-hotel concierge and member of Les Clefs d’Or, the international union of the world’s elite concierges. He lives in San Francisco, where he sings tenor with the San Francisco Symphony, and spends free time skiing the Sierra Nevada. For more, see johnvlahides. com and twitter.com.johnvlahides.
Read more about Brendan at: lonelyplanet.com/members/brendansainsbury
Read more about Ryan at: lonelyplanet.com/members/ryanverberkmoes
Read more about John at: lonelyplanet.com/members/johnvlahides
Ned Friary & Glenda Bendure
New England Ned and Glenda hail from Cape Cod, their home since the 1980s. Ocean swims, long bike rides and road trips around New England are favorite pastimes. The highlight of their latest trip was a climb to the summit of Acadia Mountain in Acadia National Park, where the jaw-dropping views reminded them just how wildly diverse New England is. They’ve written extensively on the region and are co-authors of Lonely Planet’s New England and Discover USA’s Best
National Parks guides.
Bridget Gleeson
California A journalist who divides her time between California and Argentina, Bridget has written about food, wine, hotels and adventure travel for Budget Travel, Afar, Delta Sky, Jetsetter, Continental, Tablet Hotels and Mr & Mrs Smith. Follow her travels at www.bridgetgleeson.com.
Michael Grosberg
New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania Growing up Michael spent family holidays crisscrossing NY, NJ and PA and with his large New York City family and grew to know their neighborhoods as if they were his own. After several long overseas trips and many careers, some abroad, Michael returned to New York City for graduate school and taught literature in colleges. He’s lived in three of the fi ve boroughs and takes every opportunity to hit the road and explore these diverse states.
Beth Kohn
California A lucky long-time resident of San Francisco, Beth loves to be playing outside or splashing in big puddles of water. For this guide, she hiked and biked Bay Area byways, lugged a bear canister along the John Muir Trail and selfl essly soaked in hot springs – for research purposes, of course. An author of Lonely Planet’s Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and California guides, you can see more of her work at www.bethkohn.com.
Mariella Krause
Texas Although she currently lives in California, Mariella will always consider as home. She lived in Austin for 15 years and still sprinkles her language with Tex-anisms whenever possible, much to the amusement of those who don’t consider ‘ya’ll’ a proper pronoun. Fresh off last year’s Texas guide, Mariella is as proud as a kitten in a pickup to once again share her favorite places in the Lone Star state.
Emily Matchar
The South A native Tarheel, Emily lives and works in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (when she’s not bopping around the globe, that is). Though she doesn’t have a Southern accent, she does know how to smoke a hog, hotwire a pickup truck and bake a mean coconut cake. She writes about culture, food and travel for a variety of national magazines and newspapers, and has contributed to a dozen Lonely Planet guides.
Read more about Bridget at: lonelyplanet.com/members/bridgetgleeson
Read more about Emily at: lonelyplanet.com/members/emilymatchar
Sara Benson
USA’s National Parks, California, Hawaii After graduating from college in Chi-cago, Sara jumped on a plane to California with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She has bounced around the Golden State ever since, in between stints living in Asia and Hawaii and working as a national park ranger. The author of 50 travel and nonfi ction books, Sara dodged avalanches in Lake Tahoe and rock-slides along Big Sur’s splendid coast while writing this guide. Follow her adven-tures online at www.indietraveler.blogspot.com and www.twitter.com/indie_traveler.
Alison Bing
California After 18 years in San Francisco, Alison has done everything you’re sup-posed to do in the city and some things you’re not, including falling in love on the Haight St bus and eating a Mission burrito in one sitting. Alison holds degrees in art history and international relations – respectable diplomatic credentials she regularly undermines with opinionated culture commentary for newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and books, including Lonely Planet’s USA Trips, California,
San Francisco and San Francisco Encounter guides.
Jeff Campbell
Florida Jeff is the great-grandson of Florida pioneers who cleared the pines, mined the phosphate, and paved the roads in central Florida. As a child, he re-members searching for alligators in the local lake, and riding Space Mountain the year it opened. As an adult, he’s been a travel writer for Lonely Planet since 2000. He was the coordinating author of Florida, as well as three editions of
USA, among other US titles.
Nate Cavalieri
California A native of central Michigan, Nate lives in Northern California and has crisscrossed the region’s back roads by bicycle, bus and rental car on a tireless search for the biggest trees, the best camping and the hoppiest pints of craft beer. In addition to authoring guides on California and Latin America for Lonely Planet, he writes about jazz and pop music and is the jazz editor at Rhapsody Music Service. Photos from his travels in Northern California and other writing can be found at www.natecavalieri.com.
Sarah Chandler
Southwest Long enamored of Sin City’s gritty enchantments, Sarah jumped at the chance to sharpen her blackjack skills while delving into the atomic and alien mysteries of rural Nevada. In Vegas, Sarah learned the secret art of bypass-ing velvet ropes, bounced from buff ets to pool parties, and explored the seedy vintage glamour of downtown. Sarah is currently based between the US and Amsterdam, where she works as a writer, actress, and lecturer at Amsterdam University College. When in doubt, she always doubles down.
Jim DuFresne
Alaska Jim has lived, worked and wandered across Alaska and even cashed a Permanent Fund Dividend check. As the sports and outdoors editor of the
Juneau Empire, he was the fi rst Alaskan sportswriter to win a national award
from Associated Press. As a guide for Alaska Discovery he has witness Hubbard Glacier shed icebergs the size of pickup trucks off its 8-mile-wide face. Jim now lives in Michigan writing for www.MichiganTrailMaps.com and regularly returns to the Far North to update Lonely Planet’s Alaska.
Lisa Dunford
Southwest As one of the possibly thousands of great, great grand-daughters of Brigham Young, ancestry fi rst drew Lisa to Utah. But it’s the incredible red rocks that keep her coming back. Driving the remote backroads outside Bluff , she was reminded of how here the earth seems at its most elemental. Before becoming a freelance author 10 years ago, Lisa was a newspaper editor and writer in South Texas. Lisa co-authored Lonely Planet’s Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks.
Read more about Sara at: lonelyplanet.com/members/Sara_Benson
Read more about Nate at: lonelyplanet.com/members/natecavalieri
Read more about Sarah at: lonelyplanet.com/members/sarahchandler
OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born. Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
Regis St Louis
Coordinating Author, Washington, DC & the Capital Region A Hoosier by birth, Regis grew up in a sleepy riverside town where he dreamed of big-city intrigue. In 2001, he settled in New York, which had all that and more. He has also lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles and has crossed the country by train, bus and car, while visiting remote corners of America. Favorite memories from his most recent trip include chasing the bluegrass scene across southern Virginia, chant-ing with Krishna devotees in West Virginia and crab feastchant-ing all over Maryland. Regis has contrib-uted to more than 30 Lonely Planet titles, including Washington, DC and NYC.
Amy C Balfour
Southwest Amy has hiked, biked, skied and gambled her way across the South-west, fi nding herself returning again and again to Flagstaff , Monument Valley and, always, the Grand Canyon. On this trip she fell hard for Bisbee and Chir-icahua National Monument. When she’s not daydreaming about red rocks and green chile hamburgers, she’s writing about food, travel and the outdoors. Amy has authored or co-authored 11 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, including Los
Angeles Encounter, California, Hawaii and Arizona.
Michael Benanav
Southwest Michael came to New Mexico in 1992 and quickly fell under its spell; soon after, he moved to a rural village in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, where he still lives. A veteran international traveler, he can’t imagine a better place to come home to after a trip. Aside from his work for Lonely Planet, he’s authored two nonfi ction books and writes and photographs for magazines and newspapers. His website is www.michaelbenanav.com.
Andrew Bender
California Andrew is a true Angeleno, not because he was born in Los Angeles but because he’s made it his own. Two decades ago, this native New Englander packed up the car and drove cross-country to work in fi lm production, and even-tually realized that the joy was in the journey (and writing about it). His work has since appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, over two dozen Lonely Planet titles, and on his blog, www.wheres-andy-now.com. Current obsessions: discov-ering LA’s next great ethnic enclave, and winter sunsets over the bike path in Santa Monica.
Read more about Regis at: lonelyplanet.com/members/regisstlouis
Read more about Amy at: lonelyplanet.com/members/amycbalfour
OUR WRITERS
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
ABN 36 005 607 983 7th edition – Mar 2012 ISBN 978 1 74179 900 2
© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 2012 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in Singapore
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
OVER PAGEMORE WRITERS
Itiner-aries
# # • • CANADA Provincetown Bennington Salem Portsmouth New York Boston Concord New Hampshire Vermont New York Pennsylvania Connecticut Maine Massachusetts Rhode Island # • #•#• # • # • # • # • # • É É É É É # •Cape Cod HamptonsTwo to Three Weeks
East Coasting
The great dynamo of art, fashion and culture, New York City is America at her most urbane. Spend four days exploring the metropolis, visiting memorable people-watching hoods such as the West and East Villages, the Lower East Side, Soho, Nolita and the Upper West Side, with a museum hop down the Upper East Side. Have a ramble in Central Park, stroll the High Line and take a detour to Brooklyn. After big-city culture, catch your breath at the pretty beaches and enticing charms of the Hamptons on Long Island. Back in NYC, catch the train to Boston, for two days visiting historic sights, dining in the North End and pub-hopping in Cambridge. Strike out for Cape Cod, with its idyllic dunes, forests and pretty shores. Leave time for Provincetown, the Cape’s liveliest settlement. Back in Boston, hire a car and take a three-day jaunt taking in New England’s back roads, covered bridges, picturesque towns and beautiful scenery, staying at heritage B&Bs en route. Highlights include Salem and Concord in Massachusetts; Bennington, Vermont; and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. If time allows, head all the way up to Maine for lobster feasts amid beautifully rugged coastline.
Whether you’ve got six days or
Whether you’ve got six days or
60, these itineraries provide a
60, these itineraries provide a
starting point for the trip of a
starting point for the trip of a
lifetime. Want more inspiration?
lifetime. Want more inspiration?
Head online to lonelyplanet.
Head online to lonelyplanet.
com/thorntree to chat with other
com/thorntree to chat with other
travelers.
travelers.
PL A N Y O U R T R IP ITINER AR IES # # # # # # # # # # # # • • • • • • • • • • • • Deadwood Cody Madison Spokane Seattle Bozeman Missoula New York Philadelphia Minneapolis Chicago Harrisburg Pittsburgh Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Montana Michigan Nth Dakota Nebraska MEXICO BAHAMAS Ohio New York Washington Utah Wyoming Sth Dakota Wisconsin West Virginia Rhode Island Minnesota Oregon Nevada # ÷ # ÷ # ÷ # • San Juan Islands Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex Glacier National Park Olmpic National Park Mt Rainier Badlands National Park Corn Palace # • Pine Ridge Indian Reservation # ÷ # ÷ Yellowstone National Park Grand Teton National Park É É É É Mt Rushmore & Crazy Horse # • # • # • # • # • #• #• # • # • #• #• # • # • R # • #• # • CANADA
Three Weeks
Northern Expedition
For a diff erent take on the transcontinental journey, plan a route through the north. From New York City, head west toward Harrisburg via Philadelphia, but stop fi rst to explore the idyllic backroads of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Next is
Pitts-burg, a surprising town of picturesque bridges and green spaces, cutting-edge
mu-seums and lively neighborhoods. Enter Ohio by interstate, but quickly step back in time on a drive through old-fashioned Amish Country. Big-hearted Chicago – aka Second City, the Windy City – is the Midwest’s greatest city. Stroll or bike the lakefront, marvel at famous artwork and grand architecture, and take a culinary journey amid Chicago’s celebrated res-taurant scene. Head north to Madison, a youthful green-loving university town.
Detour north to the land of 10,000 lakes (aka Minnesota) for a stop in friendly, arty
Min-neapolis, followed by a visit to its quieter historic twin, St Paul, across the river.
Return to I-90 and activate cruise control, admiring the corn (and the Corn Palace) and the fl at, fl at South Dakota plains. Hit the brakes for the Badlands National Park and plunge into the Wild West. In the Black Hills, contemplate the nation’s complex history at the massive monuments of Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Watch mythic gunfi ghts in
Deadwood and learn about Native American culture at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Halfway across Wyoming, cruise into Cody to catch a summer rodeo. Then take in the wonders of Yellowstone National Park, home to geysers, alpine lakes and waterfalls, with magnifi cent wildlife watching. Next, hike past jewel-like lakes and soaring peaks in Grand
Teton National Park. Through rural Montana, the outdoorsy towns of Bozeman and Missoula make fun stops. Hit the boutique- and cafe scene, enjoy a fabulous meal, then
head off again into the alpine beauty of Glacier National Park followed by a trek through the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
After a few days out in the wild, surprising Spokane is a great place to recharge, with a pleasant riverfront and historic district sprinkled with enticing eating and drinking spots. For more cosmopolitan fl avor, keep heading west to Seattle, a forward-thinking, eco-minded city with cafe culture, abundant nightlife and speedy island escapes on Puget Sound. If you still have time, the region has some great places to explore, including Mt Rainier, Olympic
National Park, and the San Juan Islands.
» (above) Vineyard, Napa Valley (p975) » (left) General store in a small
Texan town JERR Y ALEXANDER /L ONEL Y PLANET IMA GE S © S TEPHEN S A K S /L ONEL Y PLANET IMA GE S ©
PL A N Y O U R T R IP ITINER AR IES # # # # # # # # # # # # # # • • _ • • • • • • • • • • • New York Philadelphia San Francisco Las Vegas Sedona Santa Fe San Antonio Austin Taos Houston New Orleans Savannah Charleston Ocracoke Williamsburg Cape Hatteras Washington DC BAHAMAS Colorado Alabama Georgia Louisiana CANADA Maryland New Mexico Mississippi MEXICO North Carolina New York Utah Texas South Carolina Virginia West Virginia Rhode Island Arizona Nevada California Florida # ÷ Grand Canyon National Park # • # • Galveston Island # ÷ Mojave National Preserve # ÷ # ÷ Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Yosemite National Park # • Napa Valley # • # • Outer Banks # ÷ Big Bend National Park É É É É # • # • # • # • # • # • # _ # • # • # • # • #• # • # • # • # • # • •#
One Month
Coast to Coast
The Great American road trip: It’s been mythologized hundreds of ways. Now live the dream, driving the length and breadth of the USA. Start in New York City (but hire a car in cheaper New Jersey) and hit the road. First stop: Philadelphia, a historic city with a burgeoning food, art and music scene. Continue on to Washington, DC. The nation’s capital has a dizzying array of sights, plus great dining (crab feasts, global fare) and revelry, after the museums close. Continue south through Virginia, taking a detour to visit the fantastic historic settlement of colonial Williamsburg. Stick to the coast as you drive south, visiting Cape Hatteras with its pristine dunes, marshes and woodlands. Catch the ferry to remote Ocracoke Island where the wild ponies run. Further down, take in the antebellum allure of Charleston and Savannah, two of the south’s most captivating des-tinations. Next it’s on to jazz-loving New Orleans, with a soundtrack of smokin’ hot funk brass bands, and succulent Cajun and Creole food.
The big open skies of Texas are next. Hit the beach at Galveston Island outside
Hous-ton. Follow the Mission Trail and stroll the tree-lined riverwalk in thriving San Antonio,
then revel in the great music and drinking scene in Austin. Afterwards, eat your way through barbecue-loving Hill Country, then walk it off in jaw-dropping Big Bend National
Park. Head north to New Mexico, following the Turquoise Trail up to artsy Santa Fe and
far-out Taos. Roll west to red-rock Sedona, one of Arizona’s loveliest and – to Native Ameri-can tribes – most sacred places. The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon is next. Stay in the area to maximize time near this great wonder. Try your luck amid the bright lights of (luck be a lady tonight?) Las Vegas, then skirt the vast desert wilderness of Mojave National
Pre-serve on your ride into California. From there, it’s onto the lush towering forests of majestic Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks in the Sierra Nevada, followed by hiking and
wildlife watching in Yosemite, California’s most revered national park. The last stop is in hilly San Francisco, an enchanting city spread between ocean and bay with beautiful vis-tas, world-class dining and bohemian-loving nightlife. If there’s time, tack on a grand fi nale drinking in the vineyards and gourmet produce of Napa Valley.
PL A N Y O U R T R IP ITINER AR IES Mendocino Ashland
San Luis Obispo Bend Arcata Seattle Portland Santa Cruz Monterey San Francisco Santa Barbara Los Angeles San Diego Eureka Montana Colorado Idaho Montana New Mexico CANADA Washington Utah Wyoming Arizona Oregon Nevada California Montana # ÷Mt Rainier National Park R Sisters # • Crater Lake Lost Coast # ÷ Redwood National & State Parks Napa & Sonoma Valleys Big Sur Hearst Castle Channel Islands # • # • É É É PA C I F I C O C E A N RMt Hood # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # • # •#•
Three Weeks
The Left Coast
Geographically and politically, the West Coast couldn’t be further from Washington, DC. This is a trip for those who lean left, and who like their nature ancient and wild, and their horizons and beaches wide-open.
Start in Seattle, taking in sprawling food markets, microbreweries and waterfront scenery. Heading south, visit Mt Rainier National Park, with superb hiking and relaxing inns nestled beneath the snow-covered peak. Continue on to the cutting-edge city of
Port-land, known for its sprawling parks, environmentally minded residents and progressive
ur-banism – plus food carts, coff eehouse culture and great nightlife to boot. After your culture fi x, jump into nature’s bounty by driving east along the Columbia River Gorge. Then turn south and make for Mt Hood for winter skiing and summer hiking. Further adventures await in the Sisters, a trio of 10,000ft peaks, and the striking blue waters of Crater Lake. Catch a Shakespearian play in sunny Ashland, then trade the mountains for the foggy coast. Enter California via Hwy 199 and take a stroll through the magnifi cent old-growth forests in Redwood National & State Parks.
Hug the coast as it meanders south through funky Arcata and seaside Eureka, lose yourself on the Lost Coast, then catch Hwy 1 through quaint Mendocino whose scenic headlands and rugged shoreline make for a requisite wander.
Make your way inland to the Napa & Sonoma Valleys for a wash-up and wine tasting amid rolling vineyards. Then continue south to the romantically hilly, ever free-spirited San
Francisco.
Return to scenic Hwy 1 through surf-loving Santa Cruz, stately bayfront Monterey and beatnik-fl avored Big Sur, where you can get scruff y again. In no time you’ll reach the sur-real Hearst Castle and laid-back, collegiate San Luis Obispo.
Roll into Mediterranean-esque Santa Barbara, then hop aboard a ferry in Ventura to the wildlife-rich Channel Islands. The pull from Los Angeles is strong. Go ahead, indulge your fantasies of Hollywood then cruise through LA’s palm-lined neighborhoods – from Santa Monica to Los Feliz, Beverly Hills to Long Beach. After wracking up a few sins in the city of Angels, move on down to picture-perfect San Diego, visiting the historic Mission, the world-famous zoo, and of course those enticing beaches.
