A very special thank you to all of the agencies, hotels, restaurants, and activity venues that have made our four (soon to be five) cross country adventures better than we could have imagined. Thoughtful planning from convention and visitor bureaus, coupled with hotel and activity discounts and sponsorship have made this “happy accident” of ours turn into the trips of a lifetime. We would also like to thank Amtrak for making our trips memorable and answering endless questions about planning a train trip! Whether it was a national park, greeting “Walkers”, zip-lining over alligators, historical venues, boat rides, horseback riding, sky -high ledges, or local night life we have had some incredible adventures. We are looking forward to the final destinations and publication of the second edition. We recommend without reservation the following activities, accommodations, food and resources.
Happy Planning!
Hotels
Regency Suites, Atlanta, Georgia
Glacier Highland Resort, Belton-West Glacier, Montana
Hampton Inn & Suites Charlottesville, Virginia
JW Marriott, Chicago, Illinois
Hilton Chicago, South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Kings Daughter’s Inn, Durham, North Carolina
Motel Dubeau & Grand Canyon Hostel, Flagstaff, Arizona
Hyatt Place Fort Worth Historic Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas
Brewster House B&B, Freeport, ME
Best Western Antlers, Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Cork Factory Hotel, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Metro Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, California
Magnolia Hotel, Omaha, Nebraska
Drury Inn & Suites, Orlando, Florida
Drury Inn & Suites, Pittsburgh, PA
Courtyard by Marriott, Provo, Utah
The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, Virginia
Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, Roanoke, Virginia
Best Western Sutter House, Sacramento, California
Drury Inn & Suites, San Antonio Riverwalk
Menger Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
Emeryville: Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, California
FOOD
Taco Mac Sports Bar, Atlanta, GA
Four Seasons Boston, Bristol Lounge, Boston, MA
Tap Tastings Brew Tours, Cape Cod
Donut Connection, Charlottesville, VA
Chicago Food Planet, West Loop Tour
Giordano’s Restaurant, Chicago, IL
Garrett’s Popcorn, Chicago, IL
Billy Bob’s Texas Honky Tonk, Fort Worth, TX
Brewster House B&B, Freeport, ME
Portersfield Cider, Freeport, ME
Tuscan Brick Oven Bistro, Freeport, ME
The Pullman, Glenwood Springs, CO
Annie Baileys Irish Pub, Lancaster, PA
Miller’s Smorgasbord, Lancaster, PA
Old Mystic Village Shops, Mystic, CT
Upstream Brewery, Old Market, Omaha, NE
Alta Colina Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA
The Pit Authentic BBQ, Raleigh, NC
Donnie D’s Bagels, Roanoke, VA
The Pilot House at the Delta King, Sacramento, CA
Activities
Atlanta Movie Tours, Atlanta, GA
Martin Luther King National Historic Site, Atlanta
World of Coca-Cola Tour, Atlanta, GA
Monticello Tour, Charlottesville, VA
Chicago’s First Lady Boat Tour, Chicago, IL
The Ledge, Sky Deck, Chicago, IL
Spa In Your Space , Chicago, IL
Central Coast Trail Rides, Creston, CA
Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ
Billy Bob’s Honky Tonk, Fort Worth, TX
Seacoast Tours of Freeport, ME
Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Tour, Freeport, ME
Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, ME
Cattle Drive, Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, TX
Stockyards Gunfighter, Fort Worth, TX
Glenwood Springs Resort, Glenwood Springs, CO
Iron Mountain Hot Springs, Glenwood Springs, CO
Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves, Glenwood Springs, CO
Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides, Lancaster, PA
Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Warner Bros. Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Hop on Hop Off Bus Tours, New Orleans, LA
National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA
Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, NE
Kennedy Space Center, Orlando, FL
Alta Colina Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA
Paso Bike Tours, Paso Robles, CA
Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, PA
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Garden, Pittsburgh,
National Aviary, Pittsburgh, PA
Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
Art’s Dune Tours, Provincetown, MA
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, NV
Pedego Bike Rentals, Richmond, VA
Roanoke Pinball Museum, Roanoke, VA
California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, CA
San Antonio Bike Tours, San Antonio, TX
Go RIO River Cruise, San Antonio, TX
Pedego Electric Bikes, San Diego, CA
La Jolla Kayak Tours, San Diego, CA
Horn Blower Boat Tours, San Diego, CA
Experience Music Project Museum, Seattle, WA
Resources
Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau
Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau
Montana Convention & Visitors Bureau
NOLA Convention & Visitors Bureau
Visit Sacramento, Sacramento, CA
Budget Car Rental, Los Angeles, CA
Enterprise Car Rentals, Fort Worth, TX
Resort Trends, Inc., Glenwood Springs, CO
Sandwich Community Television, Sandwich, MA
Disclosure: We have received free or reduced rates for many of the hotels, restaurants and activities you see listed.
Thank you to Gatorland for this VIP Tour. I am out on the island with the staff, never in a million years did I think I would be this close to live alligators! (Later they had me zip-lining over the gators – a little too much screaming from me on that video!)