In need of a fun place to go

Keep 'em coming! Those are great suggestions. I DO like outdoorsy stuff. I've never been to West Virginia for the rafting, but I've rafted all around the Chattanooga area. I used to live up there. Chicago is definitely high on my list right now!

 

2 days isn't enough to do Chicago justice.

 

It's the New River Gorge... Finest (commercial) whitewater rafting on the east coast.
Lots of rafting companies to chose from.
There are other nice tourist spots there too. New River Gorge Bridge, Beauty Mountain, the Mystery Hole.

I was a former raft guide there for sevens years. It was a blast!
PM if you want some more info.

 

Go to White Sulphur Springs. On the way, you can go through Ghent. The locals are too dumb to pronounce it with a hard G.

 

stay the fuck away from miami this time of year. it's fucking brutal here with the humidity. otoh, if you don't mind unbearable humidity, i hear you can get cheap flights down this way this time of year because it's the offseason, so to speak.

 

Yeah, but that's no reason not to go. Chicago is great. Probably get a good fare from Atlanta to Chicago.

 

Delta likely would have the best prices, or am I wrong?

 

You're right, but I think the first time in Chicago, you need to do it right.

 

grrrl, call in sick Monday and make it a 3-day trip to Chicago.

 

But you're never going to take it all in during four or five days, either, so I'd head up there for two days -- picking out a couple of things to do ahead of time -- and then maybe come back again next year. That's what I do with New York.

 

If you want to go to the beach, as you originally suggested, but don't want 4th of July crowds, try Bermuda. Not nearly as hot as the Caribbean; out of season cheap; and the flights don't cost much. Not much to do - but that's kind of the point.

 

You also could go up to Minneapolis and get hammered with Jonesy.