mmmkkk2139

My girlfriends and I (5 of us) want to travel within the US in the spring or summer of next year for 7 to 10 days, and we are having a hard time finding a good location. The ideal trip would involve various outdoor activities, such as hiking, kayaking, biking, whale watching, beach walking, hot springs, wineries, beautiful scenery, good food. One friend gets seasick and carsick, so she prefers to stay in one location, and we would like to rent an entire house. Are there places that have varied outdoor activities all close by and that do not involve much boating? We would be willing to drive a few hours from the airport we fly into.
Thanks!!

isabel

Maine has everything you asked for except maybe the hot springs. (I'm sure they have hot tubs though). To go whale watching anywhere you probably need a boat trip but the sea sick person perhaps could find something other to do that day. But in fact most coastal area in the US probably have most of what you are asking for. I think you first need to decide which coast you would rather be on and then maybe a few other things that would narrow it down because really things like hiking, biking, kayaking, beach walking and beautiful scenery are everywhere on both coasts. Wineries are springing up everywhere and there is whale watching in lots of locations (though it's better in some).

janisj

Anywhere along the northern California Coast or just inland from the coast would have all of your wish list and more. (Marin County through Mendocino County plus Napa County).

Also on the Monterey Peninsula (Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove)

You actually could check most of your boxes anywhere along the CA / OR coasts.

Gardyloo

Another possibility would be the San Juan Islands in Washington - either/both Orcas or San Juan Island. The ferries needed to get to the islands from the mainland travel on inland waters, so seasickness isn't an issue, and once on the islands virtually all of your requirements are close at hand. There's a natural hot springs on Orcas, at the Doe Bay resort, and a couple of wineries on both Orcas and San Juan. There's kayaking, whale watching (both from boats but also from shore) and miles of trails, cycle routes etc. The islands are reached from Seattle in around 3 hours depending on ferry timing from the mainland port of Anacortes. (Map - https://goo.gl/maps/hVFCUxHd73BLXLvW8 )


I'd also mention Whidbey Island, also in Washington, as another contender. Whidbey is a long island reached by ferry to its south end or by road to its north end. It offers many of the same features as the San Juans, aside from the relative isolation. There aren't any natural hot springs on the island, but most everything else you'd like are there in abundance - picturesque towns in Langley and Coupeville, stunning hiking and cycling destinations like Deception Pass and Fort Casey State Parks, terrific food including local shellfish, beaches to roam, and easy ferry or road connections to places like historic Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, or pretty La Conner back on the mainland. There's whale watching, kayaking, wineries and "farm to table" restaurants on the island, as well as a vibrant arts scene. Google the places on this map - https://goo.gl/maps/chqqTfxgdtYJu7SU7


One last thought along the same lines would be one of the Canadian Gulf Islands, in the Salish Sea in Canadian waters just north of the San Juans. I'd look at Salt Spring Island, easily reached by BC ferry from the mainland or from Victoria on Vancouver Island. Salt Spring offers many of the same advantages as the San Juans or Whidbey, but with a Canadian twist to things. It can also be a little cheaper than the US islands, owing to a favo(u)rable exchange rate. You could fly into either Vancouver BC (well worth a few days on its own) or to Victoria in order to access Salt Spring or some of the other Gulf Islands. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/6eUeo3hgVw4KJWfP6

PrairieHikerII

I second the Monterey Peninsula (Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove). You can hike through the majestic redwoods in Big Basin Redwoods State Park which is 90 minutes north of there. You can see sea otters and whales.

MmePerdu

Gardyloo: "I'd also mention Whidbey Island, also in Washington, as another contender."

I visited a resident on Whidbey Island very recently & though it's a beautiful place, maybe less desirable because of the possibility of disruptive noise from training flights from the Naval Air Station. It's an ongoing problem for residents.

https://www.quietskies.info/

Gardyloo

It's mainly a problem around Oak Harbor at the north end of the island. By the time you're in Coupeville or farther south it's not an issue.

Jean

The San Juan Islands were my first thought... If you miss out on viewing whale migration by boat cruise, which isn't always enjoyable for the seasick prone, you can try your luck from shore at Lime Kiln Point on San Juan. Also, the orca whales live there year-round.

suze

I see my ideas are mostly already mentioned above... Northern California, Oregon Coast (fly into Portland, rent a car/van), or Washington Pacific coast (2.5 hr from SeaTac) or San Juan Islands (also fly into Seattle but it's a bit more than a couple hours to get there, due to driving and ferry times).

mlgb

You might not have to go as far north as has been suggested.

Would you be able to fly into San Diego for example?

isabel

It's only been three days, but the OP hasn't been back and we still don't know where they are coming from. All the responses (except mine) are for the west coast, yet you can find all these things on the east coast as well. I wonder if the reason all the suggestions are for the west coast is cause the posters all live there so it's what comes to mind first, or if there is some other reason.

janisj

I see nothing at all curious about any of the ideas so far. I think all the suggestions (including yours) are totally reasonable and give info why those destinations tick most of their wish list.

(I do hope the OP isn't a one and done who we never see again)

mmmkkk2139

Thanks for your responses. We were looking at Orca's Island but people were worried there wasn't enough to do there for a week, so we thought of adding Olympus National Park, but our carsick friend felt that was too much driving. Even though people say the ferries are calm, she was still worried about being seasick. Monterey sounds very nice, but I believe some of my group have already been there.
We are now looking into Sedona.

MmePerdu

I'm wondering about the seasick person's age & when was she last affected. I ask because when I was younger I couldn't even think "boat" without getting queasy. However, in more recent years I've found it seems to have gone away & I've now taken some ocean voyages I wouldn't have dreamed of in former days. I take a Dramamine first thing when I get up just for good measure & am never bothered (on a good-sized ship, haven't pushed my luck on a small boat). I was recently on 2 ferries in the Seattle area, November weather so not glassy calm, and felt no movement whatever except forward. I suspect no longer being as motion-sensitive is one of the few benefits of getting older.

MichelleY

Our good friend gets motion sickness very easily. He gets his doctor to prescribe the patch for behind the ear. Works great for him!

MmePerdu

I tried the patch & one of the side-effects, blurred vision, made it impossible for me to use. It seemed like trading one difficulty for another but if one isn't affected in that way, yes, good.

MichelleY

I know he has to take it off after several days. One cannot wear it continuously. He let me use one and it seemed to help. Bonine was not helpful on our last fishing excursion in Mexico. 🤮

mlgb

Whale watching and beaches are off the agenda in Sedona.

zootsi

Some other places to consider:
Cape Cod - wonderful beaches, lighthouses, whale watching, great bike trails. A short one hour hop to Boston for a day trip.
Vermont/New Hampshire - Mountains, beautiful scenery, kayaking, biking, hiking. Some wineries, many brew pubs. Burlington Vt is a wonderful small college city on lake Champlain.
The Eastern Townships of Quebec - world class road biking trails, 2 dozen beautiful wineries, apple orchards, lakes, mountains for hiking. A unique French speaking culture. A short hop to Montreal, one of the world's great cities also, Quebec City - the most picturesque city this side of the Atlantic, is just a few hours drive.