Negoblle2

NW Wyoming

hang around in Jackson Hole (especially if you love to ski), see the Grand Tetons, then follow up by going through Yellowstone National Park. Beautiful.

FallGirl

Charlottesville,VA:

Monticello
UVA Campus
Michie Tavern
James Monroe's home (can't remember name right now, might be Ashlawn?)
James Madison's home (nearby)

The area is beautiful.

phbmom

Portland, OR

In town: Powells Bookstore, Willamette Jet Boats, shop/eat N.W. 23rd.

Easy day trips: Multnomah Falls, Mt. Hood (Timberline Lodge), Wine tours (Willamette Valley/Yamhill County) Oregon Coast.

Interesting article from yesterday's Oregonian: Urban Walkabouts
10 enticing urban walkabouts help you explore Portland and its unique suburbs | OregonLive.com

Hidden Gems: Tualatin Hills Nature Park, Philip Foster Farm (Oregon history)

Breakfast: Pine State Biscuits
Lunch: Bunk Sandwiches
Dinner: Pok Pok (check out Diner 2010 on Oregonlive website for many more ideas)

dudedad

Wash DC hidden gems:

Old Post Office pavilion elevator ride to tower (nice alternative to long lines at the Wash Monument.
Tour of 7th floor rooms at State Department (instead of the well known White House tour).
Roosevelt Island.

abasket

The Old Post Office tower in DC is a standard stop for our family! We went there on our first trip to DC and now when anyone visits, they are sure to stop! (Plan your visit there around lunch and you can grab a quick meal on the main floor - kind of an ethnic food court.)

JustAMomOf4

An easy day in Washington DC -
Shop at the Eastern Market - you can easily spend several hours...
Stop at Capitol Hill books - a really cool used book store literally stacked floor to ceiling in books. Look for Foreign Lang books in the bathroom
Catch lunch at a nearby bistro (eat outside if the weather is nice) or sports bar.
Walk down the hill to National Park and catch a ball game.

somemom

ihs- no hidden gem restaurants in Page, because they change so often, though if you are a Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives fan, the Ranch House has a pretty good coffee shop breakfast and the RDs drive in is amazing after a day on the lake. Great little chocolate malts.

Avoid the Dam Bar & Grill, foods not bad, service is atrocious.

The Mexican places are quite decent.

HImom

Honolulu--where to start?
My favorite is the best shaved ice places with heavenly syrups & toppings.
Hanauma Bay snorkeling
Dim sum in any of so many restaurants
Sea Life Park
Iolani Palace (the only palace that occupied by royalty in the US)
Glass Bottom Boat tours
Whale Watching Tours (Jan thru April)
Body Surfing at Bellows Air Force Base beach
Surfing on the North Shore
Eating all the different foods found in our island state

BunsenBurner

^^HIMom, your island is spectacular!

I'll add: brunch at Roy's in Ko Olina.
Walking up the hill through the wonderful tropical botanical gardens and taking a dip in Waimea Falls. Waimea Falls Park

(We'll be back soon )

mom55

This is a great thread... makes me want to go to Nebraska, and other places!

Anyone have ideas for Montreal? Weekend trip fast approaching.....

morrismm

Santa Fe, NM--

Museums-Museum of International Folk Art, Palace of the Governors, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, etc., etc.

Taos and the High Road--A round trip of about 165 miles.

Hiking in the Sangre de Cristo mountains (southern rockies).

Great food, great weather and many historic sites.

nicksmtmom

Indianapolis:

- Speedway (Indy 500)
- Children's Museum (one of the BEST in the nation)
- NCAA Hall of Fame
- Connor Prairie (working pioneer village with interpreters in character...awesome!)

musmom2

Mom55:
Haven't been to Montreal in a while, but I saw this the other day:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/travel/15hours.html
Fun city for walking around, European feel, especially in the old town.

Northernwoods

Albuquerque and Santa Fe

Albuquerque

Gondola to the top of Sandia Mountain, bonus if you go at sunset.
Rio Grande Botanic Garden and Rio Grande Zoo.
Petroglyph National Monument

variety of restaurants along Central Avenue, for a good greasy spoon breakfast/lunch place try the Frontier restaurant near the UNM campus.

Take the Turquoise Trail behind the Sandias up to Santa Fe, there are some fun towns with artsy areas along the way.

Santa Fe

Lots of interesting galleries in Santa Fe
Governors Palace and New Mexico Museum give a good intro to Santa Fe and NM history
Museum of the American Indian is interesting and has a great view of the area surrounding Santa Fe.

Shed restaurant has good authentic NM cuisine.

BigAppleDaddy

Everybody knows the obvious places in New York City so take yr choice: The Met (museum and opera), Broadway shows, Empire State or 30 Rock for the view, Ground Zero, Times Square, Central Park, riding the subways (if you’re from somewhere without any this is pretty amazing), Yankee Stadium, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, etc etc

So some hidden gems:
--Anything you see of interest playing at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) with awesome theaters and an an awesome mix of mainstream and offbeat programming in theater, dance, music and film.
--Go kayaking for free on the Hudson River (in season).
--Visit a Korean indoor water park in Queens. Which are a combination spa, massage, restaurant, and water park—and all very family friendly. They’re called jim jibang if my spelling correct .
--Watching the cricket matches in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
--Attending a big summertime ethnic parade. Take your pick: Greeks, Puerto Ricans, Israelis, West Indians, which I here is the biggest parade in the nation every Labor Day), among many.
--Going to a poetry slam on the Lower East Side. The Nuyorican Poets Café is the gold standard here.(Not always family friendly!).