The Alaska trip is just around the corner. Weather is a bit of a concern. Chicago will not be pleasant. Temps will barely make it out of the 40s with occasional rain showers and it will probably be windy as well. Could be worse. At least it won't rain all day. I imagine that the baseball game will still be played. Again, I don't care if I miss part of it. I just want to see the ballpark and reach the 20 mark. I'll probably limit my sightseeing at the Riverwalk and Magnificent Mile and spend more time indoors at Navy Pier.
As for Alaska, the forecast is about what you'd expect this time of year. Highs will be in the upper 50s with partly to mostly cloudy skies and a low chance of rain. I don't care if it's dreary in Seward but I want it to be sunny in Denali. Since I am staying in Anchorage all 3 nights, I can be flexible.
San Francisco's weather will be NICE. Perfect sunny and 65. I just hope there will be no flight delays so I can see both Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks. Baker Beach could be too tight.
After this trip is complete, I will have been to all 50 states at least twice. There are still 6 more bucket list trips after this. Then, I will go heavy international.
#1 National Parks in Washington State.
Probably the front runner for Labor Day weekend. Fly to Seattle. I've been there before and thought it was an okay city. I wouldn't mind seeing Kerry Park again. I got a sample of Rainier but didn't really do it justice. What I really want to see is Olympic and North Cascades. I could take a ferry to Victoria, BC for a day if it's not too far out of the way.
#2 Pacific Coast Highway.
Fly to LAX. Take a dip at Manhattan Beach then head north to Santa Cruz via the Interstate. I'll start the next morning with a Redwood Park then take 2 days on the PCH back to LA. First night stop will probably be Santa Barbara. I will likely hold off on this one because the beaches in Malibu are probably still damaged by the fires.
#3 San Diego and Orange County
If by some miracle I am healthy, I've wanted to do a half marathon in San Diego for a long time. I didn't do justice to that city and largely missed out on Laguna and Huntington Beach as well. I can see an Angels game too. The race is in August so if I am to do it, there will be no Labor Day trip.
#4 Great Lakes
Fly direct to Detroit for a Tiger game then drive through Canada to Niagara Falls then loop back on the USA side with stops in Cleveland, Erie and possibly Buffalo. Summer is definitely the time to do it but crowds could be a serious issue especially at Niagara Falls.
#5 New England Foliage
Fly to Hartford, CT. Only 30 miles north is the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. I'll take a scenic drive through the Berkshires then cut down to Greenwich, CT with a stop at the FDR Museum in New York state. From Greenwich, I can take a train to NYC. I really want to see Central Park in Fall and the Brooklyn Bridge lit up at night.
#6 Hawaiian Islands
I have been to Oahu and the Big Island but not Maui or Kauai. I'd have to take 7-10 days off but it might be possible to hit both islands on one trip. I'll take an overnight layover in Vegas for an A's game on the way back.
No comments:
Post a Comment