Coming home soon, Need some new places to go! ADVENTURE!

[P.I.A]

Whats up huddle? Its been a while. Ill be leaving this hell hole in a few months and have had a HUGE feeling of wanderlust. So I will ask two questions:

1. where can I go locally (North Carolina)? Where are some of your secret places/ hole-in-the walls/ under travelled state parks?

2. Where can I visit nationally that some of you would recommend?

 

Im taking a road trip with three of my bros. We are for sure visiting Colorado and Washington State. We would like to hit up Rocky Mount Natl. Park. and Black Sand Beach, WA. I would love any travel hints/ cool stories/ and or super cool travel destinations you all might have! 

 

Also, we are camping at both set locations!!! woooo.

[Chimera]

Just hit up NC first. If you don't, you'll find NC very lacking in the natural beauty department compared to those two states.

I think Cherokee/Smoky Mtns/Clingman's Dome areas are a must, as is the coast (not just beach towns, but also some of the untamed wilderness out there).

I don't even know where to start in WA: The entire Olympic Peninsula (Nat'l Park, NA Reservations, small towns). Every time you stop, you'll find something you've never seen.

Some of the National Parks have offroad trails if you're into that. But make sure you have some serious ground clearance.

Tillicum Village (NA themed island near Seattle)

Hole in the wall: Moulton Falls Park. It's close to Mt. St. Helens and locals don't even realize it's there. Foodwise, a burger joint in Lacey called Norma's

CO: haven't spent enough time there to give a good answer.

[P.I.A]

Just hit up NC first. If you don't, you'll find NC very lacking in the natural beauty department compared to those two states.

I think Cherokee/Smoky Mtns/Clingman's Dome areas are a must, as is the coast (not just beach towns, but also some of the untamed wilderness out there).

I don't even know where to start in WA: The entire Olympic Peninsula (Nat'l Park, NA Reservations, small towns). Every time you stop, you'll find something you've never seen.

Some of the National Parks have offroad trails if you're into that. But make sure you have some serious ground clearance.

Tillicum Village (NA themed island near Seattle)

Hole in the wall: Moulton Falls Park. It's close to Mt. St. Helens and locals don't even realize it's there. Foodwise, a burger joint in Lacey called Norma's

CO: haven't spent enough time there to give a good answer.

I now live out in the Sylva/ cashiers/ cherokee area now that I attend WCU, so exploring all that area is paramount. dude, thank you for the tips about WA. Im excited for the thrill of real travel again. Seriously, keep it coming!

[PhillyB]

dude awesome! if you're doing RMNP i definitely recommend doing some exploring north of denver. if you head up to the loveland/fort collins area and head west into the mountains you'll have an incredible drive that's not as commercialized and overpacked as anything in the colorado springs/denver areas, where most people tend to congregate. the drive up 34W along the big thompson river is spectacular. there's a dam halfway to estes park that fills up with fly fisherman at dusk… kick back on the boulders along the shore with a beer… incredible. and then estes park is outstanding as well, on the northern end of RMNP.

 

however the most spectacular drive you're gonna find in CO (if you're looking to do some serious exploration) is actually west of colorado springs. if you haven't been there i recommend it just for pike's peak (drive up it if you don't have time to hike, i think it's 13 miles) and check out garden of the gods and poo, take 24W through manitou springs (a trippy little town, it's friggin awesome) and up to woodland park before cutting west. when you drop out of the mountain pass between badger and culver it's like god just started showing off with earth and poo. fairplay is the end of the line at the west end of the valley and from there you can head up north to breckenridge and vail (detour through buena vista and leadville if you want, it's worth a shot, leadville in particular.) you can loop back to denver on I70 easily enough.

 

have fun man, i'm super jealous. i miss CO

[Chimera]

I now live out in the Sylva/ cashiers/ cherokee area now that I attend WCU, so exploring all that area is paramount. dude, thank you for the tips about WA. Im excited for the thrill of real travel again. Seriously, keep it coming!

 

The Seattle waterfront has a few nice areas and some stores that will make you beg someone to take your money. Seattle Center (the area with the Space Needle, Key Arena, etc) has some nice entertainment value. Overall I think the rest of Seattle is pretty bland, but I didn't explore it as much as I could have.

 

Portland, OR is a pretty unique place, as is Victoria, BC (take the ferry from Port Angeles across the strait). But in Victoria, there are a lot of attractions and some of them are horrible tourist traps. Unfortunately you won't know until you've paid to get in. If something catches your eye, ask someone coming out if its worth the cost. The miniature museum there is definitely worth cost of admission.

 

I wanted to explore the Columbia River basin east of the Cascades, but never had the chance. LilSmitty09 lives in Spokane. He can tell you about Eastern Washington, which is a complete contrast to Western Washington... I mean, it's like another planet.

[PandaPancake]

dude awesome! if you're doing RMNP i definitely recommend doing some exploring north of denver. if you head up to the loveland/fort collins area and head west into the mountains you'll have an incredible drive that's not as commercialized and overpacked as anything in the colorado springs/denver areas, where most people tend to congregate. the drive up 34W along the big thompson river is spectacular. there's a dam halfway to estes park that fills up with fly fisherman at dusk… kick back on the boulders along the shore with a beer… incredible. and then estes park is outstanding as well, on the northern end of RMNP.

That dam was destroyed in September during the flood. Along with US34 going up to Estes.

The only place you need to see in NC? Linville Gorge.

I'm about 45 from the RMNP. I'm not even sure what to tell you to see. They normally open Trail Ridge Road by Memorial weekend. But could close due to a blizzard up there. And if you have a dog stay away from the moose.

I would say you have to see the bald eagles in the wild. Also missile silo park is in Greeley that you can tour. And if you want directions to a real Titan missile silo I can help with that. You can pull up to the gate and have a look.

Sent from my XT1080 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

[TheRumGone]

Dude go to Boone and hike. It's amazing

And glad to read you are safe

[PhillyB]

That dam was destroyed in September during the flood. Along with US34 going up to Estes.

 

wtf! 34 is still open though right? i remember tons of little houses and shops and campgrounds along that entire stretch from loveland to estes park… it's all gone?

[PandaPancake]

Most of its gone. They've already rebuilt the road. Just Google us 34 to Estes flood damage. The images are crazy. We had towns we couldn't get to. Roads just disappeared. I think it was Obama getting revenge on white people for Katrina

Sent from my XT1080 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app