Where to for USA holiday?

We had a tornado yesterday and one today. They get bigger as May comes around. As a matter of fact, we have the dubious record of having the biggest and fastest (over 300mph) tornado in the world. It literally sucked the pavement off of the road and rolled cars into round balls of scrap metal. I have a metal yard stick that was stuck in the trunk of a tree and still straight.

Hal

Where do you live Hal?

Wow! A tornado tour. I am fool enough to want that ride!

I am going to have to put my foot down on that tornado hunting trip!

I've been under a tornado watch all day and my head has been very, very unhappy. The barometric pressure changes are awful! Not to mention that tornadoes can be very dangerous!

Okay, now go back to planning your SAFE trip to the US.

Yes well, have done some terrible things to hire cars in the past, I think maybe being swept up in a tornado might not be covered by insurance if delibrately chasing the tornado.

Did take a little Hyandi Getz (tiny car) four wheel driving to get to "the end of the road", the most southerly point accessible by car (or should I say 4wd) in Tasmania. Car hires are amazing.

I live in Tornado Alley, just north of the National Severe Storms Lab in Norman, Oklahoma.

Yes, Tornadoes are potentially deadly. However, after chasing them for more than 30 years and getting training every year, I can assure you that there are safe ways to go about it.

Rule: If you are ever in the path of a large tornado and you cannot get out of the way, do the following:
1. Very quickly dig a 12 foot hole in the ground.
2. Jump into the hole.
3. Pull the dirt in after you.

You are going to die anyway so you might as well bury all of the parts in one place instead of having to have someone go looking all over the country for you.

Hal

Hal,

You are too funny. We get a fair number of the destructive things up here but that advice is new. Not sure I could dig a hole quick enough though. Although a deep ditch would probably work too.

The stupidest thing I ever saw...my grandparents were visiting up here from SE Colorado (no tornadoes) and we had one come within a mile of the house. We lived on the side of a hill so you could see quite a ways. Those two were standing outside watching the thing - no fear but it was like, grandma and granddad get down to the cellar - we have one for a reason. I can understand the awe of the things though...

Becky,

My husband and youngest son are the same way.

Where I grew up in central Minnesota, tornados were a consistent possibility. I remember having tornado drills in school (long time ago). Montana has tornados, but not as frequently. When a tornado warning is announced, I take the dogs and head to the basement. My husband and son are standing outside exclaiming how cool everything is.

Becky

Try to do a bit of the Redwood Coast in northwestern CA. You'll be glad. There are 2 kinds of native Redwood trees in California, the coast redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens, and the inland, Sierra redwoods, Sequoiadendron giganteum. They are both magnificent, truly nature's wonders. Of course, by going to the places where they both are, you will also get the accompanying spectacular landscapes and in the case of the coastal redwoods, seascapes. If you're interested, I can suggest a route whereby you can see both types of redwoods and visit Richard too. He's not all that far from the Sierra redwoods. Of course, Californians are used to driving long distances so maybe what I see as a relatively short distance you may not agree with.

Chris

Distance no problem. Yes would love a mud map for Redwood forest.
And if I'm not pushing my luck how to incorporate Yosemite in the loop.
Probably driving down from Seattle to Los Angeles.
Although in winter how close would I get to Yosemite before jumping on a tour bus?
Have you done this area too crt?

You can drive right into Yosemite; though once there, it is best to park and use the free shuttle bus to get around Yosemite Valley, and up to Badger Pass Ski Area. During the winter only three of the four highways into Yosemite are open. Highway 120 from the East-side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains over the Tioga Pass does not start getting plowed until spring. During the winter the best route into Yosemite is highway 140, the All-weather Highway, out of Merced. The other choices are highway 41 north out of Fresno, and Highway 120 out of Manteca / Oakdale.

Here is a link to the website of the official concessioner at Yosemite National Park; and here is a link to driving directions.

Thanks Mule Kick. Thanks everyone.
My husband threw a spanner into the planning when declares he would like to see the South.
Now you know why I start planning 9 months ahead.

Also sold my old Toyota on the weekend so trip now funded, or a big chunk anyway.

Very sad though. She taught both my kids to drive, has taken us on countless holidays for over a decade and has driven me home with m's more times then I care to count.

She is old and rusty and noone cared if I crawled along in the slow lane, but I do swear she knew her way, specially the days when aura was really bad.

When my son and I went to get the new car, she really played up. Jumped out of gear, never done it before or since, made funny noises, not heard again.

Lucikly a nice man has bought her and going to do her up. So hopefully she will see another 500,000 klm.

Maybe you should have a little ceremony for your car. I get attached to certain machines and miss them when they're gone.

Chris