Itinerary Ideas / Advice for After the Tour??

6 Aug 2008 Robs asked

I'm finishing my Contiki tour in LA on the 5th of October but have another 3 weeks to kill before I fly out of the States. I'm trying to make up my mind about where to go / what to do and thought I'd throw the question out there.

Any advice?

I've been through part of California before (from LA up along Highway 1 to San Francisco and then across to Lake Tahoe) so, although I'd love to do California again (it's awesome), I think maybe it's better to try somewhere new? Really torn though!

My latest idea is to do the South - Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas. But I'm just a little worried about whether these cities are pedestrian / budget / solo traveller friendly? (Accommodation in Texas in particular seems really expensive! There's not much available by way of hostels.)

Anyone travelled in any of these places and have opinions on whether they're worth it? Or tips about must-see stuff?

• About
• california
• contiki
• dallas
• memphis
• new orleans
• north america
• san francisco
• texas
• travel advice

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• Answer this question 5 answers so far

• 6 Aug 2008 Robs said

  

  Well, before my tour starts I’m going to be travelling the east coast mostly – New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Washington DC.
  
  Then I’m on the Northern Escape Tour which starts in Chicago and runs through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah (to name a few) down to the Grand Canyon, and then Vegas before ending in LA.
  
  I did have a look at Contiki’s southern tour options but they start from LA the day before my tour ends so that’s not going to work <!--graemlin::)-->.
  
  I must admit though, the more I look at the South the more appealing it’s getting. My main concern is that it’s going to be pricey. Don’t want to run out of money three quarters of the way through my trip! <!--graemlin::D--> Also, I want to make sure I spend time in the right cities and don’t waste money going somewhere that’s not all that worthwhile.

  Well, before my tour starts I'm going to be travelling the east coast mostly - New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Washington DC.<BR><BR>Then I'm on the Northern Escape Tour which starts in Chicago and runs through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah (to name a few) down to the Grand Canyon, and then Vegas before ending in LA.<BR><BR>I did have a look at Contiki's southern tour options but they start from LA the day before my tour ends so that's not going to work <img src="http://connect.contiki.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smiler" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin::)-->. <BR><BR>I must admit though, the more I look at the South the more appealing it's getting. My main concern is that it's going to be pricey. Don't want to run out of money three quarters of the way through my trip! <img src="http://connect.contiki.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin::D--> Also, I want to make sure I spend time in the right cities and don't waste money going somewhere that's not all that worthwhile. or Cancel
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• 9 Aug 2008 gig08 said

  

  I did the Grand Southern tour this past winter, and it was amazing. I absolutely LOVED the south, and had a ton of fun in all of the cities we visited. Texas was great- if you can make it work, I highly recommend visiting.
  Memphis was also great- make sure you make it to Graceland if you stop there…. and from what I recall of New Orleans…it was also great- a place I plan to return to!
  Good luck planning the last leg of your trip <!--graemlin::)-->

  I did the Grand Southern tour this past winter, and it was amazing. I absolutely LOVED the south, and had a ton of fun in all of the cities we visited. Texas was great- if you can make it work, I highly recommend visiting. <BR>Memphis was also great- make sure you make it to Graceland if you stop there.... and from what I recall of New Orleans...it was also great- a place I plan to return to! <BR>Good luck planning the last leg of your trip <img src="http://connect.contiki.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smiler" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin::)--> or Cancel
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• 10 Aug 2008 MJ said

  

  Have you thought about doing places like Santa fe, NM and Albequerque? Also Grand Canyon (a few days for hiking). Denver, Colorado is awesome. You could hit Estes Park and many other great areas. Glacier national Park in Montana is awesome. There’s tons of stuff to do and see. You could rent a vehicle (if over 25) and travel on your own.

  Have you thought about doing places like Santa fe, NM and Albequerque? Also Grand Canyon (a few days for hiking). Denver, Colorado is awesome. You could hit Estes Park and many other great areas. Glacier national Park in Montana is awesome. There's tons of stuff to do and see. You could rent a vehicle (if over 25) and travel on your own. or Cancel
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