kcooke Loc: Alabama

My wife and I will be taking one of our annual "See The USA" road trips in 2022. We will be pulling our travel trailer and we are beginning to rough out our trip with stops. Duration of trip will be 3-5 weeks. We will be traveling from Alabama to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on our first leg. Second leg will be from Michigan to Upstate New York, Last leg will be from New York to Alabama. Here are some areas of interest so far. Western side of Michigan, UP, in New York Finger lakes, Adirondaks, Catskills, Pennsylvania - Alegheny National Forest and central part of state, West Virginia - Harpers Ferry, Virginia - Peaks of Otter. We sometimes will just travel on backroads for days at a time So, If anyone will provide recommendations on places to see and things to do along this rough route I would appreciate it. We already know of some things but want more suggestions. We will be avoiding large cities because we are pulling a trailer. We will be planning our stops at the various places to camp along the way. Thanks

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I cannot give you much help in places other than some of NY and PA. In the Finger lakes region of NY there are two places I'd suggest, Letchworth State park and Watkins Glen State Park. Both have some very beautiful scenery with waterfalls and rocky gorges through which the streams flow. Allegheny National Forest has numerous campgrounds and some very nice scenery also. Another scenic area is the Kinzua Dam and Reservoir. The dam was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers starting in the 1950s and was completed in the later mid 1960s. It was a very controversial project with an entire town, a Native American Reservation and numerous roads relocated. A portion of the reservoir lies within the boundaries of the national forest. Johnny Cash immortalized the dam and reservoir with a song on the "Bitter Tears" record album, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow" about how the government broke a treaty signed by George Washington and Chief Cornplanter of the Seneca Nation of Native Americans. A lot of history in the area also

Possible outside your travel itinerary, but the town of Titusville, PA, is where Edwin Drake was the first person in the country to drill an oil well.

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

In W Mi. Look into Keweenaw peninsula for waterfalls, hiking, beaches and Brockway overlook. Most of UP has dark skies if you like astrophotos and star gazing.
Pictured rocks, Taquamenon falls and area including Whitefish point.
Straits of Mackinaw and area.
The UP has lots of trailer camping available but camps fill quickly sometimes so plan ahead to assure a site.
The shores of any where on lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron are beautiful.
Have fun!

kcooke Loc: Alabama

Thanks for the ideas. I will get them into our master list of places to see on this trip. I also just thought of the Poconos in PA.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Antietam in Maryland is not far from Harpers Ferry.
In Central Pa. the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon” is near the town of Wellsboro.

kcooke Loc: Alabama

Thanks I’ll add these to my list. Yes we do like astrophotography and stargazing. We will be planning and booking most stops but In the UP it may be first come first served in government run sites. Will have to check it out. We may do some off the grid camping in state or National forests too. Usually you can book private campgrounds

National Park

I'm glad you will be seeing the Adirondack Park (the largest State park in the lower 48 states) and the Catskill Park. In the Adirondacks, I think you would enjoy driving Route 28 between Warrensburg and Blue Mountain Lake. Check out the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake. Then drive route 28N from Blue Mountain Lake to Long Lake, (check out the funky store in Long Lake) then take route 30 from Long Lake to Tupper Lake. Check out the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. Then take route 30 and route 3 to Saranac Lake. Then take route 86 from Saranac Lake to Lake Placid. In Lake Placid, take a boat ride tour on Lake Placid, tour the Winter Olympic facilities (including the famous "miracle on ice" rink) and take the elevator to the top of the ski jump. Visit John Brown's Farm. If real adventurous, go to the bobsled run at Mt. Van Hoevenberg and take a ride down go (not for the faint of heart). Also, drive the road that goes up to the summit of Whiteface Mountain (not sure if you are allowed to tow a trailer up the road)--great view from the summit! When you leave the Lake Placid area, drive through the High Peaks by taking Route 73 all the way to Route 87 (commonly referred to as the Northway), then head south on the Northway. Although the Northway is a four lane highway, it is a very pretty road from when you get on all the way to Lake George. Side trips--visit to Fort Ticonderoga (Tour the Fort and visit the Start Trek museum (yes, the Star Trek Museum!); stop in the Saratoga area and tour the Saratoga Battleground, Performing Arts Center, and Race Track)

If interested in Albany, take a tour of the gorgeous State Capitol building, visit the State Museum (which includes a 9-11 exhibit) and go up the Corning Tower Observation Deck.

In the Catskills, drive route 23 from Catskill to Windham, then route 296 from Windham to Hunter. In Hunter, ride the chairlift to the top of Hunter Mountain. Then take route 23 A to Haines Falls and make a short side trip on North Lake Road to the top of Kaaterskill Falls. Then take Route 23 A to the Town of Catskill. Cross the Hudson River on the Rip Van Winkle bridge and take a tour of Olana, the beautiful home and grounds of the Hudson River School Painter Frederic Church. Then drive south to Hyde Park and take a tour of FDR's home (where he and Churchill met to discuss WW II strategy), and farther south to the Vanderbilt Mansion. Drive to Poughkeepsie and walk the bridge across the Hudson. Then drive back across the river and go to New Paltz, drive up to and spend part of a day at beautiful Mohonk Mountain House. You could then drive north and from Kingston drive route 28 through the Catskills, or drive further north to Saugerties and take route 212 to Woodstock.

kcooke Loc: Alabama

Thank you. I will also add these to my list. I definitely want to go to Antietam. Forgot about that. I’ll research the canyon in PA. Sounds great .

kcooke Loc: Alabama

Wow thanks for all this information on New York State!! These are some good directions for us to use. I’ll get a map out and chart this out to see what we can do in your outlined itinerary. Thanks

Jodevoy

Although I have not been there personally, yet, I would suggest you check out Cherry Springs State Park in PA which is just south of Coudersport. It is a designated dark sky park that is on my bucket list. Check it out online (google it and check Facebook) - there is a separate field for stargazers and another for campers. The comments are worth reading. Looks like it might be right up your alley! Enjoy your trip!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Niagara Falls and Lake George come to mind in NY, how about NYC? Hudson Valley From Albany south to NYC, baseball fan? Cooperstown

Polock

here's one in up state NY
https://www.paulsmiths.edu/vic/butterfly-house/

Carnpo Loc: North Carolina

While in the UP visit the USS Silversides Museum. You can tour the original. I served on the USS Silversides SSN-679. It is now decommissioned. They have the diving planes station from my Boat at the Museum. Was not my job. I was a Reactor Reactor. Ken Carnley, Plankowner (was on the crew when it was commissioned) USS Silversides SSN-679.

Tote1940 Loc: Dallas

Just below Peaks of Otter Smith Mountain Lake

oldschool

Pretty sure the Silversides is in Muskegon, west side of the Mitten, not the UP. In addition to the other MI UP suggestions, I would add a stop to the Lumberjack Inn in Big Bay. It is the site of the actual event that spawned the classic 1959 movie "Anatomy of a Murder." Get a burger and ask to see their scrapbook. Also check out the Pine Mountain Ski Jump near Iron Mountain.