Where to go on my own?

September 30, 2008 9:36 AM

Help me plan a solo vacation! I had been planning a vacation with friends at the end of October, but they're now considering a destination I'm not so hot on. I still want to travel, so what would be a good alternate trip? So much more inside.

Original Plan: visit a friend in Boulder over Halloween. Do the things that normal late 20 somethings do: eat, drink, and be merry.

New Plan: visit a friend in Houston.

The Problem: I have some real geeks as friends. Chances are, more than one evening will be dedicated to Smash Brothers and Magic the Gathering. Fine, whatever, but no thanks. Thing is, I know Boulder well enough that I can go off and do my own thing; many interesting places are within walking distance. If we go to Houston, I'll be trapped in a boring suburb (their own admission) and I fear more nights than not will be me watching a movie while they play Morrowind. I can do that just as well at home.

Backup Plan: I thinking about a road trip. Somewhere within a 16 hour drive of central Illinois. Let's say less than $800.

Likes and Dislikes: taking photos. Being outside and taking photos. Visiting museums/historical sites, and taking photos. I think you get the idea. I just bought a wide angle lens and I've been making excuses to use it. Send me somewhere I can take my camera along!

I also like hot showers and warm beds. So while day hikes are invigorating, multi-day hikes are annoying.

So, where should I go?

To head off the inevitable: yes, my friends are aware of my problems with the new plan. But they're excited about Houston and I'm not going to raise a huge stink. I'd rather just bow out and do my own thing.

posted by sbutler to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total)

Well, by late october the color's faded for most of the country, but you might be able to head south, or even stay near home, and do state parks. If you were going *now*, I'd say take two days to get up to Vail and the San Juans, and just get a good cry on , it's so beautiful. If you *can* go right away-move your trip up - go to Boulder , or even just to Theodore Roosevelt national park in ND. There's rinkadink hotels you can get for next to nothing.

800 dollars can get you pretty far, esp if your car gets good mileage.
posted by notsnot at 10:44 AM on September 30, 2008

Best answer: Why not stick with the original plan, just by yourself?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:28 AM on September 30, 2008

I'll make the case for Cincinnati. We have lots of museums and a lot of park and forest land within and ringing the city. Lodging should be easy to find at a reasonable rate and since we are only 5 or 6 hours from you, you could use this as a jumping off point to explore the distilleries of Kentucky or something else.
posted by mmascolino at 11:34 AM on September 30, 2008

I love Houston but it's no place for a vacation. It's a place to make a load of money so you can move to Austin.
posted by aliasless at 12:04 PM on September 30, 2008

Asheville NC is really nice at that time of year. Lots of campgrounds with showers, including one with hot springs! Tons of hiking, biking, and I think the fall colors will still be showing. Delicious food and enough stuff to do walking around the town. Lots of other little towns in the area too.

Other ideas:
- Austin/Marfa
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- Memphis
- Badlands National Park
posted by barnone at 12:15 PM on September 30, 2008

You could totally do a mini-roadtrip from Knoxville to Asheville through the Smoky Mountains. It looks like the end of October / beginning of November is usually an excellent time to see the fall colors. That would be a pretty and fun trip!
posted by barnone at 12:28 PM on September 30, 2008

Response by poster: Hmm... some good ideas. Thanks guys. I could just go out to Boulder anyway, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to go somewhere else!
posted by sbutler at 12:19 AM on October 1, 2008