Planning a trip down the east coast. What would you do?

Historically my friend and I have driven from my ex winter home in CA to my summer home in NC. There's so much room between A and B that we could "make our own adventure" pretty easily. This winter buzzgirl and I lived in southern Vermont instead of California. My friend and I still want to make a trip out of it, but we can't come up with anything, especially around the 1st week of April, that we really want to do or visit. In the past we've visited theme parks, Detroit, car museums, Biosphere 2, the 10th Tallest Pyramid and countless other attractions big and small.

We're pouring over maps and checking out Atlas Obscura for everything vaguely between VT and NC. We want to do Cedar Point, but alas they don't open until May. Would love if anybody knows of a cool thing, place, event on the east coast roughly April 1-6.

Newport, RI.

Visit the Audrain Museum and The Newport Car Museum in nearby Middletown. Both great. The roads and scenery are great as well. Also, great drivers' roads in eastern CT if you're interested.

Ha.  Cedar Point is just minutes from my home and nowhere near VT, NC, or the East Coast.

How about Wash DC?  If not for the monuments how about for The Smithsonian?

Norfolk,VA area has both Busch Gardens Amusement Park and or Historic Williamsburg for historic recreation 

I'm personally a fan of Annapolis. Sadly, April makes you about a month too early for The .05K Run they hold every year in May.

In reply to John Welsh :

If you are at all interested in aircraft, visit the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy museum near Dulles.

As you head south there's some touristy stuff, like mystic seaport in CT, the 911 memorial and museum in Manhattan, Ellis Island, Liberty state park in NJ for a view of the Statue of Liberty. 

The Chesapeake bay  bridge and tunnel is an interesting experience, and then  you can go through Virginia Beach.

If you stick to the coast you could check out Diggers Dungeon (not sure if it's open this time of year), the The Wright Brothers museum in Kitty hawk, take the ferry to Ocracoke island (check out the Banker Ponies), then drive across the island to take a different ferry south to continue the drive. 

You can also check out several lighthouses along the way. 

John Welsh said:

I'm personally a fan of Annapolis. Sadly, April makes you about a month too early for The .05K Run they hold every year in May.

I'll put in trip thoughts later but needed to bump this glorious link. Thanks for sharing!

In reply to bbbbRASS :

I'm a big fan of The Maritime Republic of Eastport.  Also see their annual event, The Tug

The MRE events look really cool! Love fun and silly stuff like that. I've driven past Annapolis a few times, but never spent any time there.

If you're interested in more aviation,  stop at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. See where man first took flight.

Tough to say, what do you like to do?  Bike, hike, museums, music, history, wineries, etc?

While it's a little out of your way if you are traveling the coast, I recommend a tour of Fallingwater. The house is really cool to see and there are private tours that get you a little deeper into the property. Even at that time of year, hiking in the area is decent, and they have a good visitor's center. Kentucky Knob, another Frank Lloyd Wright home, is nearby and also worth a visit. You will be near Ohiopyle, a neat little town to visit and have some lunch even if you don't want to go rafting. Rent a bike and hit the trail for a while.  You can also visit Fort Necessity, though it isn't a necessity. (rimshot) And if you like forts and history, it's easy to hit Fort Ligioneer on the way down. Another neat little town to visit and have lunch. 

If you are sticking closer to the coast, my plan would be a visit to NYC to hit Katz's Deli, then on to Philly for a Cheesesteak, a stop at the Inner Harbor for some crabs (I assume, I don't eat seafood), then DC for the Air & Space Museums and sandwiches at Potbelly's,  tour the Norfolk Naval Yard, visit Colonial Williamsburg, then end up in Duck, NC at the Red Sky Cafe.  
 

I'll put in another vote for a stop in Washington D.C. I went up last year to visit my sister and did a whole day on rented bikes seeing the capital. You can stop in and see the stuff you want to want or just pass by on the bike. 

NYC, DC, DelMarVa peninsula, Savannah, and South of the Border.  Eufala GA is a super neat town as well.  It's like you're stepping back to 1850.

I like the Falling Water idea.  A bit out of the way, but worth it.

Lancaster PA isn't far out of your way, and full of neat Amish stuff.  Shady Maple Smorgasbord is the largest in the US, but IMO the food is hideous and institutional.  I would rather eat at a Hospital or a prison. Miller's Smorgasbord is way better.

Shenendoah NP
Smithsonian Air/Space Museum
Boston
Smoky Mountain NP
Colonial Williamsburg
Baltimore Aquarium
NYC - Coney Island, Highline, Manhattan/Chelsea/Village.  Edit to add... how could I forget that you need a slice from Difara's in Brooklyn.  Harlem also has amazing street art and an open-air market with a lot of African influence.

Gettysburg NP (about 30 miles from me and I'll gladly go with you for the 500th time)

If you have time to go a bit East and North to start your journey... Acadia

I searched Google for info on Washington DC cherry blossom blooming, and it returned this... 

What is the best time to see cherry blossoms in DC?

On average, the peak bloom occurs sometime around the last week or so of March through the first week or so of April. But precisely when during that period varies year to year.

There's always the Pez Museum in Orange, CT.

+1 vote for DC and surrounding area, which has no shortage of cool things to do In April, which is sort of their kick-off to summertime... 

Sidenote- How did you like the experience working at Stratton?  A buddy of mine is a gypsy liftie/terrain park groomer and is considering it for next year... 

John Welsh said:

What is the best time to see cherry blossoms in DC?

On average, the peak bloom occurs sometime around the last week or so of March through the first week or so of April. But precisely when during that period varies year to year.

afaik, it's been trending earlier instead of later the last couple of years (warmer/wetter winters impact?)?  when we head down to see them, we usually go early in the morning... there's a different parking setup in the inner basin for cherry blossom viewing, and it can pay off to be down there early, instead of late.  also, you get to see the sun rise, and there's good photo opportunities that way.

berm peak has a good video about how good cycling infrastructure is downtown. if you don't have a bike, though, be prepared to do a bunch of walking.

otherwise, yeah, Udvar Hazy is 'out my way'.  there's also Manassas Battlefield not too far away (and Gettysburg is ~2hours north of DC, Antietam is 1hour north west).

dunno what car you're planning on taking, but there might be an event at Summit Point going on to drop in on?

further north, April is probably a bit early for seeing the horses in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Cooperstown is a bit west of there, and would set you up for 'pleasant' drive south outside of the 95 corridor.  ymmv

otherwise, following the eastern/95 route.. yeah, you could spend a day or two at Williamsburg and Jamestown.  good "beginning of the US stuff down there".

You could spend days in the DC area then hope over the the Shenendoah area and enjoy some scenic roads and mom&pop restaurants/wineries. I live just outside of DC and there is no end to things to do/see. And yes the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy museum near Dulles is a must, I've been at least 10 times. Also, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is a must visit. Do it now before it gets closed or something.

If you go down i95 and cut through Richmond, try to visit japanese classic cars llc, their showroom is full of cool J-tin if you like JDM stuff.

Another vote for Digger's Dungeon and the Wright Brothers National Museum/Monument if you end up anywhere near OBX. Those were two highlights of my trip down there a couple years ago. 





Standing RIGHT THERE where the Wright Brothers did their thing and then thinking about how far we have come since was a super cool experience. 





When we hit the Dungeon, they were doing self-guided tours only, but that was good enough for us. It was interesting seeing how far they had come from the original modded farm truck to what we have today. I bought a sticker and a T-shirt, and I felt like I was 8 years old again. 

You might hit Patriots Point if you come through Charleston SC. 

The local forts are fairly interesting as well. 

If you are into historical cities, downtown is pretty decent. 

I live in the Virginia Beach area and can confirm that Kitty Hawk and Digger's Dungeon are cool to check out. There is also a great warbird museum in Pungo, VA where nearly everything in their collection is flight worthy and gets flown on a fairly regular basis. The USS Wisconsin museum ship, a WW2 era Iowa class battleship, is in downtown Norfolk and super cool to explore. There is also a tour-boat by the battleship that will take you up through the Norfolk naval base and you can get a good look at some of the carriers (if they are in port), subs, cruisers, etc.

Some really great suggestions my dudes! I've lived on the Outer Banks my entire life so I'm familiar with most of the surrounding areas.

Driving over to western PA sounds pretty interesting. My friend is way into architecture, and I am an appreciator, so that is a great suggestion.  My wife is from Lancaster so I'm all to familiar with Shady Maple(I've been once, she worked there). VT down to CT over to PA down through WV back to NC might be a fun route. I'll share this with my friend and see what he thinks.