Holiday to USA - Advice and thoughts?

Paul Sommer


Stadler - What do you mean when you say Washington is it's own animal? Is it worth going there and is 2 nights enough / too much? All I know about Washington is the big things like White House, Pentagon, Washington Memorial, Lincoln Statue and the like.

 
Well, that's just it.  DC is less about visiting a neighborhood and more about seeing the center of government.  Not that you can't, but in my humble opinion, I've never gone to Dc just to "hang out", and I've done that literally 500 times in New York.  I suppose it would be neat to see the White House and stuff, some of the buildings are rather impressive.  But it is a different trip than LA or NY.   

Also, you mention jumping off the Amtrak in Philly. I would be interested in doing this, but do not know too much about Philly other than the fact that it is Always Sunny. How does the Amtrak system work? Obviously we will have luggage with us... Do we just jump on in Washington and are able to jump off in Philly and catch a cab to see some shit, and then get back on the train to go the rest of the way to NY? What station would we get off at Philly to see the most stuff? Is it worth staying a night in Philly, or coupla hours tops?

The train station is at Market Street and 30th and is called "30th Street Station".  The City itself is across the river.  You can get off the train and either bring your bags (if you stay) or probably get a locker in the train station.  A cab will get you in for about $10 USD.  As for whether you can get back on, it depends on your ticket, but yes, you can.  I live here, and depending what you want to do, you can do it in a day (if you want a cheesesteak and see Independence Hall).  If you want to stay over, you can see the Art Museum (where Rocky ran up the steps in the movie) and spend more time in the Independence Hall section of the city.  Then you can hang out on South Street (if you are more bohemian in your tastes) or on Broad Street (if you are more of a cultured tourist). 

Hells Patio did a better job of selling Philly than I did (though Jim's Steaks beat both Pat's and Geno's. ;))
 
Really, I love that you want to see our country, and I would love you to see it all, but be careful you don't bite off more than you can chew.  I lived in LA for a while, and in my opinion, you are wasting your time if you don't have a car.  It isn't like NY, where it is compact and there is ample public transportation.  I would also look hard at the drive from San Diego to San Fran via LA.  I've done the drive to San Diego (SD is BEAUTIFUL), and from a scenic perspective, the Pacific Coast Highway is the stuff of legend.  But I think the drive from SD to SF is about 10 hours with no traffic and no stops.  That's a whole day. 
 
You should consider how much time you want to spend in a place, versus how much time you want to spend BETWEEN places.  Almost every single person I've had the honor of introducing to our country (and I've had three exchange students live with us at various times, as well as placing others in host families, in addition to working for an international conglomerate) has said the one thing they didn't realize from movies and TV is just how f*****g BIG this country is.  I love Boston, and I love Philly, and they are very different in a lot of ways, but really, many of them are subtle, and on your first trip to the States they aren't SO different than you HAVE to do both. 
 
Personally, I think your original itinerary was spot on.  If you are going to add something, don't add another city that is "sort of like" ones you are going to.  If you are going to add something, add New Orleans, or Dallas, or Memphis.

Yeah that was very good to read. Thanks Stadler.
 
We are not planning on driving from SD to SF.
We would fly to LA and stay for a few nights, then hire a car and drive to San Diego which is what, coupla hours?
Stay in SD for a night or 2, then fly to the East Coast (Washington, NY, Possibly Phily) then fly back to Vegas and San Fran.
 
If we did hire a car in LA, is it easy to get around and get a park?
I guess if we had a car, we wouldnt need to stay down at Venice Beach for 2 nights....
 
If we did add San Diego in, would that be a place that you would say is "sort of like" LA and San Francisco and therefore, not recommended?

Ahhhh Washington DC . . . . ok
 
 
Nevermind, I thought you would be visiting Washington the state.

Paul Sommer


Once we fly into San Fran we wont need a car will we? All I know of SF is Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fishermans Wharf, Cable Cars and a shitload of steep hills. Is that Days Inn central to these sort of things or would we be better off looking for something closer to Fishermans Wharf? I like the idea of biking across the bridge

 
I would look at getting a hotel closer to Fisherman's Wharf and read the hotel reviews. The Days Inn is real far from all these places your looking for in your question. I think this place http://www.lombardmotorinn.com/ would be a start. Yes it's a bit more to stay in this area,but you two can walk to some of the best affordable restraunts on Lombard St. and nearby Chestnut St.
Fisherman's Wharf is not too far away,and Lombard St. turns into the Golden Gate Bridge. There are also a lot of cool shops on Chestnut St. too.
You might need to rent a car to get from the airport,it's a ways away from the actual city even though it is called SF airport.You would need it to take a drive to places like The Great Highway,Golden Gate Park, and Haight St. Parking is terrible on Haight,unless there is some kind of lot you pay for,I think I saw one.
I also think a good thing to do for the SF part of your trip is to Google Map the city and go up and down the streets in the areas you want to visit and click on hotels and restraunts as a way to plan everything.
 
If you need anymore help, let me know.
 
 

So it looks like we are going to go in and book this trip in the next week or so.
We are going to make sure we get a hotel that is a bit closer to the action in NY and SF.
We are now discussing the possibility of adding in a 'different' kind of city, like a New Orleans, or Dallas, or Memphis that Stadler suggested. Which of these 3 would you think would be the best choice in terms of things to do and see? Also, where would we add this in? Before Washington?
 
If we do decide to add a New Orleans, or Dallas, or Memphis, we would consider dropping San Diego maybe... good choice?
 
Lastly, can anyone recommend any good Grand Canyon tours that operate out of Vegas? That would take a whole day wouldn't it? Has anyone done the Skywalk?

I'd vote for New Orleans.  I've been to Dallas a few times and - no disrespect to anyone from that city - I don't really see the special attraction.  I've never been to Memphis.  San Diego is great, but I'd still probably choose New Orleans over it.
 
If you have the time while in the Bay area (and provided you enjoy fine wine) try to get to Napa or, even better, Sonoma.  Napa has some great wineries but they are much more expensive and hoity toity than Sonoma, where you get a lot more bang for your buck.
 
Have a great trip!

Sonoma.... My fiancee is making me watch The Bachelor at the moment and the dude owns a winery at Sonoma... That's about all I know about it :)
 
I will do a google search of New Orleans.... What do you recommend doing there?
 
 

^^^^That guy in The Bachelor is not very smart.  Just sayin'    But Sonoma is really beautiful and they have some kick ass great wine.  Don't let The Bachelor ruin it for you.
 
Ah New Orleans...so much to do.  Mostly you've got to walk around: 
Royal Street
Jackson Square
The French Quarter
Cafe Du Monde for beignets (delish)
Preservation Hall for great jazz
St. Charles Street Car for a tour of the incredible architecture and history
The Aquarium of the Americas
About a billion museums
 
And EAT EAT EAT - seriously NOLA has world renown restaurants.  Lots of people talk about Commander's Palace and yes, it is opulent and indulgent but frankly IMHO a bit over-rated for the price.  When you get to your hotel, ask for some recommendations and you'll find yourself eating some of the best food you've EVER had.
 
 

New Orleans is definitely on my to-do list (haven't been there yet). Just consider, however, September is hurricane season.... Just sayin'....

I would actually include Chicago as it is home to Sears Tower (no one calls it Willis Tower), which is the tallest building in the US, the Field Museum, Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, and great September weather. Lake Michigan coast is wonderful, and there are plenty jazz clubs including The Green Mill which was Al Capone's favourite where you can still request his booth. There are numerous underground tunnels under that part of Uptown, which were used during The Prohibition to smuggle alcohol as well as escape routes. If you like blues, Kingston Mines is a wonderful spot. The Shedd Aquarium is great as well, and The Adler Planetarium, which are all walking distance from the Field Museum and Art Institute.

I think any trip to the US should include the 3 largest cities (NY, LA, Chicago), as well as Boston (which is easily accessible from NY).

Just my two cents. Gladly following your story of adventure.

Of the three, two would not even occur to me. New Orleans is it.

Paul Sommer

Lastly, can anyone recommend any good Grand Canyon tours that operate out of Vegas? That would take a whole day wouldn't it? Has anyone done the Skywalk?

 
I can't recommend any tours but it's about a 4 hour drive each way to the south rim of the Grand Canyon from Vegas.  It would definitely be a very full day.  The Skywalk is very expensive and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless that's your only option to see part of the canyon.  It's about $75 per person (the ticket price they list on the website doesn't include the 'entrance fee' to the reservation) and I believe you can't even take your own camera out on the Skywalk itself.
 
If you were going to do it at all I'd just rent a car and drive down there yourself to the South Rim.  Once you're at the canyon a tour really isn't all that necessary.  Everything is accessible to just walk around at the viewpoints.

Memphis is a great city; barbeque like you read about, music up the wazoo, Sun Records (and Sun Studio, where Elvis and Johnny Cash got their start, and later U2 and Def Leppard went to recreate the magic) and of course the holy Grail of Americana, Graceland. 
 
New Orleans, though, is special to me.  It isn't what it used to be, but it was a grand city, and one of the few that you could litereally walk into almost any restaurant at random and be guaranteed a good meal.  It's not for everyone though, and sometimes the night life is not for the faint of heart.  But I used to go there once a quarter when I was living in Atlanta, just to get the po'boys at Acme Oyster House, and a chilicheeseburger at a place I don't even know the name of right across from Pat O'Brien's.  Though, admittedly, I almost never leave the French Quarter. 

Wait . . . your wife works for LEGO?
 
Let's explore that fact a little more.
 
I could only give advice on NY and you've already gotten excellent info on that already. Enjoy the trip. It sounds like it will be a complete blast.

Oh - I totally forgot about O'Briens.  We LOVED O'Briens.  The 2 ladies at the dueling pianos in the bar were a scream.  They could play ANYTHING. 
 
And the hurricanes were pretty tasty too. 

Proglawyer is spot on about the PCH and Big Sur.  There's actually a wonderful drive overland from SF down to Monterrey through some state parks and some fantastic forests.  From there you can hit the PCH and drive down through Big Sur.  I found the PCH North of Monterrey fairly unremarkable,  which is why I recommend the overland route,  but the 70 miles South is breathtaking.
 
Personally,  I'd plan to spend a night in Monterrey or Carmel.  I found it much cooler than SF.  The aquarium isn't bad,  and it's the starting off point for driving Big Sur,  so you can spend most of a day doing it.  I would suggest tagging a couple of the waterfalls in your GPS.  There are several worth seeing on that drive.
 
Keep in mind that in SF,  you'll leave your car parked most of the time.  You'll probably need one,  but it's frustrating to pay for a rental car,  and then pay $30 a day to leave in a garage the whole time.
 
You can actually do San Diego as a day trip from LA,  if you like.  You can do the freeway in about an hour and a half,  or the PCH South in about 3.  The zoo actually is every bit as good as it's reputation suggests.  In LA,  I always recommend the Griffith Observatory for science geeks.  Neat place and great scenery.   If you're into roller coasters,  Magic Mountain is one of the top 3 coaster parks in the US.  Certainly worth a day.
 
Wherever you go,  plan some good dining experiences.

Ha - Rane..... I'm not surprised you are interested in my fiancee working at Lego.... Our house may as well be made out of the stuff we have that much of it lying around!
 
So reading your comments and my own research, it is pretty clear that New Orleans is a bit of a must see compared to Memphis. So if we do add in another place, it will be NO.
 
The only thing we need to decide is whether or not our trip is too full on. Would we be better off dropping a city or 2 and staying an extra couple nights in NY and Washington etc. Adding New Orleans certainly doesnt help!
 
The Grand Canyon is 4 hours from Vegas? Wow... that's 8 hours of sitting on a bus in one day... I'm sure it's worth it, but still... wow. Maybe a helicopter tour if we can afford it?

Paul Sommer

The Grand Canyon is 4 hours from Vegas? Wow... that's 8 hours of sitting on a bus in one day... I'm sure it's worth it, but still... wow. Maybe a helicopter tour if we can afford it?

Some friends and I just went there in November from Vegas and it's definitely a long way out there.  A helicopter tour would be more time efficient if you can afford it.  A little note of caution some of the helicopter tours aren't very long and charge extra to see more things.  I didn't look at them in detail just saying ask what you're getting in advance before you book.  Grand Canyon would be better if you had 2-3 days to go out there.
 
You could always go out to the Hoover Dam (~45 minutes) or so instead and walk around there.  Still very cool and a lot closer if you only have one day.

If you like to party, New Orleans is what I would recommend. If you're looking for something more laid back, Memphis is awesome, too. You definitely should hit one of them to get a taste of the South. 

I've grown up in San Diego and live just an hour north of there now. San Francisco, LA, and San Diego are all very different IMO. I would avoid Tijuana. You'd be better off spending that time doing/seeing other things. Legoland is ok, but geared more for little kids. That time of year is perfect summer weather in Southern California, but you're gonna get a lot cooler weather in San Francisco. Don't know if I helped much. Hope so.

Cheers Dudeman.
Anything inparticular you recommend in San Diego?
Do you think it is worth driving there and spending 2 nights, or would we be better off using those 2 nights and adding them onto New York or New Orleans or something? All I really know about SD is the zoo, sea world and beaches... But there are plenty of zoos in the world (though the SD one is supposed to be a good one?)...
 

Cheers to you as well. Sounds like an amazing trip you've got planned. I don't want to undersell San Diego because I think it's a fantastic city, but you probably won't get the whole relaxed flavor in 2 days. You might be better off adding that to NY. The zoo is supposed to be one of the best in the world, but it's hard to beat the beach in San Diego in the summer time. Downtown San Diego is a lot of fun too. A great revised Gaslamp quarter with lots of places to eat and drink, plus just a ferry ride across the bay to Coronado. It kind of depends on how busy you want to be. I know a lot of people who would say take one day and spend it at Disneyland. Just depends on if you're a fan or not.

Yeah, not keen on Disneyland... Waste of a day standing in lines etc. We might do Universal Studios as it is closer and seems more appealing to us...
 
I am very keen on doing San Diego (I wanna try that artificial wave machine thingy... Have you had a go on that?)... I've heard people say that the beaches in SD are good, but then I tell them that I am from Sydney and they think that the California beaches will disappoint me. We are pretty spoiled for beaches in Sydney, having some of the best and most beautiful in the world in Manly, Dee Why, Bondi, Coogee, Palm, Newport, Freshwater, Curl Curl, Narrabeen to name a few!

I have not yet tried the artificial wave machine. It's in Pacific Beach in the old Belmont Park area. Looks like fun, but it's kinda hard for me to pay and have a go on that when the ocean is 50 yards away and I can surf for free  :) . I've never been to Australia but you obviously do have some fantastic beaches. I will be curious to hear what you think once you've been here. La Jolla is a great place to hang out as well. Let me know as the time gets closer and I'll help any way I can with info etc. Wish I could spend 3 weeks in your country!

I'm jumping in late to this thread, so I don't know how much time you have and some other details.  Here's my 2 cents.  By way of perspective, I have lived my whole life just south of Los Angeles and have travelled to most of the places mentioned above.
 
If you've got the time, the drive from San Francisco to Southern California is not to be missed.
 
I would not skip San Diego if I were you.  Coming from AU, I don't think any California beach is going to do much for you, but there's SO much to do in San Diego.  The Zoo is excellent (there's also the "Safari Park" -- formerly the "Wild Animal Park, which is an hour north of SD but is much better IMO).  As someone said, SF, LA, and SD are all very different places (frankly, I think LA is the least interesting but I've lived in the area my whole life).
 
I don't know that I'd go out of my way for the Grand Canyon if I were you.  It's very cool, but it's very out of the way, if all you're going to do is stand at the edge and look.  If you had a couple extra days to hike down into it, that would be different.  An air tour out of Vegas will run you a few hundred $$ per adult.  Bus tours will be much less but will take MUCH longer because it is so out of the way.  I would recommend renting a car in Vegas and doing the drive yourself before doing a bus tour.
 
I would pick Memphis over New Orleans, but that's only because I've been to NO (although it was 22 years ago).  If I were you, I'd probably go with NO, but I don't think you could go wrong either way.
 
I'll throw in a pitch for Boston too.  Very different than New York, but equally as cool.  Tons of stuff to do from American history focused things all the way to modern art and Berklee School of Music, the birthplace of Majesty/Dream Theater!  And, if you're at all inclined to take in a baseball game, Fenway Park is the place to do it!
 
As others have said, I'm happy to chip in with suggestions.  Enjoy!

One other thing in the "Bill Bruford's drum track on Trio" school of thought... instead of jamming in another city, maybe pick one city, and take an extra day and just... chill.  Go to a bar, or a park or something and see if you can get the essence of that city.  Hard to do, and depends on your personality (I'll talk to anyone, anywhere; not everyone is like that).  I love to go to NYC, and sit in McSorley's and meet people.  Same with New Orleans.  I remember having beers all afternoon with a Hell's Angel and his "old lady" in a bar in NO once; if you know me you'll know that that is not something that happens every day.  But I wouldn't trade that for all the guided zoo tours in the world. 

Paul Sommer


I've heard people say that the beaches in SD are good, but then I tell them that I am from Sydney and they think that the California beaches will disappoint me.
 

You will be really disappointed with the SD beaches, coming from where you live. I think you'd be better off adding the two days to New Orleans. That's just me, though.

Ok... So we have just received an updated itinerary from our travel agent.
It now looks like this:
 
Arrive in LA on September 6th at 10:30am. Stay 2 nights at GRAFTON ON SUNSET (Website | Map)
Arrive SANTA MONICA on September 8th. Stay 2 nights at LOEWS SANTA MONICA BEACH (Website | Map)
Drive hire car to SAN DIEGO on 10th September. Stay 2 nights at HOLIDAY INN ON THE BAY (Website | Map)
Depart SAN DIEGO - Flight US AIRWAYS on September 12th at 6:25am.
Arrive WASHINGTON, DC on September 12th at 4:05pm. Stay 3 nights at HOLIDAY INN, CAPITOL (Website | Map)
Depart WASHINGTON - Flight US AIRWAYS on September 15th at 8:25am.
Arrive NEW ORLEANS on September 15th at 10:23am. Stay 2 nights at W, NEW ORLEANS (Website | Map)
Depart NEW ORLEANS - Flight DELTA AIRLINESon September 17th at 10:45am.
Arrive NEW YORK on September 17th at 2:50pm. Stay 5 nights at HOTEL BEACON, NEW YORK (Website | Map)
Depart NEW YORK - Flight DELTA AIRLINES on September 22nd at 10:20am.
Arrive LAS VEGAS on September 22nd at 12:48pm. Stay 3 nights at NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Website | Map)
Depart VEGAS - Flight CONTINENTAL AIRLINES on September 25th at 9:35am.
Arrive SAN FRANCISCO on September 25th at 11:21am. Stay 3 nights at RADISSON, FISHERMANS WHARF (Website | Map)
Depart SAN FRANCISCO September 25th and fly home to SYDNEY.
 
What do you think of the updated itinerery?
Is it an improvement on the first one, or do you think it still needs some tweaking?
Are the new hotels for NY and SF better located to the action?
 
Does it all seem too rushed, or will it be ok?
At this point in time, I really want to see all that is on the list, but if I had to drop some places to add extra nights in other cities, I would drop Santa Monica Beach and San Diego probably...... The others are pretty non-negotiable. Are there any of the cities we could do with extra nights to stay in?
 

Looks cool. It looks like your Hotel in New York is associated with the Beacon Theater. Very cool. I gave you the website for the theater, above. Maybe you can take in a show. The Allman Brothers usually play there for about two weeks in March (I know you are coming in September, but I just wanted to underscore how legendary the place is)

Yes I went back through your posts and saw you mentioned the Beacon Theatre and then saw that this hotel was the same thing.
Cool!
 
Still, the hotel in NY seems to be just as out of the way as the last one we were looking at?

Quick bump for those that may have missed the updated itinerery.
Would again appreciate your thoughts :)

Paul Sommer


Yes I went back through your posts and saw you mentioned the Beacon Theatre and then saw that this hotel was the same thing.
Cool!

Still, the hotel in NY seems to be just as out of the way as the last one we were looking at?

Not really. You can take a quick cab ride (may even be able to walk) across central park and go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 80's on the East side. You can probably walk down to Lincoln Center.

Just remember, plan your sight seeing according to the neighborhoods. Take a cab to the neighborhood and then walk to the places that you want to see in the neighborhood.

Be prepared in case it rains. Just like being out in the wilderness, you will be outdoors a lot and will be exposed to the elements, even if you are jumping into cabs. A good rain slicker and umbrellas are very useful, but you can probably buy them when you get there instead of carting them around with you.

You are going to love NYC. There is so much human energy and so much to see!

have a good time. (can i tag along?) ;p

Hey quick question.
What is it like in New York City on September 11?
Is it sombre, is there some sort of rememberance / memorial / event every year, or is it just another day.
2012 will be 11 years.. So it's not a major anniversary.
We have the coice of either doing New York from the 4th til 9th September or from the 10th til 16th.
 
Would the date of September 11 play any part in making our decision do you think?
Is it more/less touristy around that time, or it really is no difference?

Well for the last 10 years, they've had a memorial service down by the Trade Centers, but (as I could be wrong) they're ending that now. It was only for victim's families I believe, so you wouldn't be able to go anyway. They just read everyone's name out loud, but as far as I know, they're not going to read the names anymore (correct me if I'm wrong).

But whatabout in the rest of the city as a whole?
Do people just go about their daily business as normal?
 

Given the choice I would pick being in NYC on the 11th TBH. 
At the very least you can visit the memorial on that day and also go to the news agencies and see everything thats being reported. 

I have never been in NYC during 9/11. While there may be a memorial service (or not) the city is so huge and there is so much human energy that I doubt that it will be a somber feeling during the whole day.

Take a look and see if you can find when the festivals are happening:

http://gonyc.about.com/od...ptonyc/a/september.htm

Either way, the Eleventh falls on a Tuesday, there will not be any festivals on a week day.