Holiday in the States
 

Hey guys! On Monday I will be booking my trip to America with my cousin. We are going for a month and are stopping at a fair few places. Was just wondering if people in America or who have been before know of any must see places in the cities we are going to.

We have been to the US before, but that was just LA, Vegas, Seattle and NY.

This time around we are going to...

- Seattle
- San Francisco
- Phoenix
- Orlando
- Miami
- Memphis
- Toronto (yes, I know it's in Canada)
- New York

While in New York we are spending a day in Washington DC and another day in New Jersey (yep - the 25th of July so I get to see Bon Jovi in East Rutherford haha).

Any suggestions of places to visit that we might not think of? Also, we are in San Francisco for the 4th of July so if there are any events that you would recommend for that day I'd love to hear it.

Cheers! :D

Aloha !

I can't give you an answer as to all your cities as I've seen only 3 of your list, but can give you some advice based upon my experiences;

You can cover Toronto in a day if you plan well. If you intend to stay longer than a day I'd advise you to look for activities around the cities. Most Canadian cities have plenty of other activities build around it as the cities themselves don't really have a lot to offer. I spend a day going to Niagara Falls, which is rather close to Toronto. Do realize that although it's only about 90 miles or so from Toronto, it'll take you at least 2 hours to get there. Traffic is a bitch around there.

You're saying you're going to Washington while you're in New York, but erm, Washington D.C. isn't in New York but about 250 miles away from it. You can do the drive in one day but it's a quite boring one. It takes about 5 hours as traffic is quite heavy over there. Considering you've got only half a day left after the drive there's no way you're able to cover everything if you intend to go back the next day. Apart from the memorial, the museums and the White House and such it's pretty much a shithole, but there's quite a lot of museums there which are all free, or at least they were the last time I went.

If I were you I'd drive to Washington, spend the rest of your day walking around getting your picture taken with Lincoln and the White House, and then have an extra day doing the museums. The National Air and Space Museum I thought was one of the most awesome museums I've ever been to. It's got a very biased view towards to space race with America obviously being super awesome (not a word is said about the Challenger) but it's still very interesting nonetheless. It's also a lot bigger than what you'd expect when you arrive in the entrance hall. Once you're driving back to New York I can recommend going to Baltimore. I remember planning a similar trip for someone as a birthday present and finding out that Baltimore has a very big aquarium. The Baltimore docks were a nice play to hang out as well.

Out of all the big cities I've ever been to I felt New York was most disappointing. It's a lot of big buildings, but down the line that's all it really is. Don't get me wrong, the food is great and both the Metropolitan and the American Museum of Natural History are good, but that's about all their is really. Spend 2 days in that city and you're pretty much done when it comes to me. I never felt the city was worth the hassle and frankly I enjoyed the one day I spend in Washington a lot more than the days I actually spend in New York City. I guess Europeans are spoiled though when it comes to great cities to be at, so down the line it all depends on what you're used to, I guess.

A word of advice; don't speed. America is one of those countries where police officers don't do shit all day only to hide themselves behind a billboard just so they can start the chase once you're passing by. I've never been chased, but I've seen them set themselves up several times, or was pointed to how they do it by the company I was it back then. Know that traffic is terrible in America, pretty much every highway around any big city is highly congested, even at night. I've no idea what driving in Australia is like, but compared to Europe, American traffic is slow, people not just drive slowly but respond slowly as well; Just because you think they've seen you, doesn't mean they actually did. I thought I was the only one who felt like this, but my girlfriend back then said the same thing. I always felt at ease when I was in the car with her. I've never covered the westcoast though, just the east coast and Detroit + Chicago. Surely they can't all be shit? :p

I hope this helps? :)

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Hey thanks for that Seb. Appreciate the time it took to write all that.

We actually aren't driving ourselves to Washington. We have booked a day trip there via train so we'll get there much faster than a car would.

It's funny you mention New York being your most disappointing because for me it was the highlight last time we were there. We are spending 7 days this time round and are ending our trip there.

Thanks for the speeding advice haha, but we won't be driving ourselves. Most of it will be buses and trains :)

As for Toronto we are there for 3 nights so I'm sure we can find things to fill that up with. Will definitely have a look at neighbouring towns for activities and attractions. Do you know if Canada's Wonderland theme park is any good?

Thanks again for your tips. Will certainly read it over once again.

It's not a bad park. They've put in a couple of new roller coasters in the past three years, so if you like big coasters, you're in luck. If you do go to Wonderland, I would suggest not buying your ticket at the front gate. Many convenience stores will sell discounted tickets.

I know you're not a stranger to warm weather, but Toronto in July can be disgustingly hot, humid and sticky. Make sure wherever you are staying has air conditioning because you will need it.

If you're going to be in Toronto for three days, a trip to Niagara Falls is do-able. Like Seb said, it's about 2 hours from Toronto but nice to see in the summer.

If you have any other questions, let me know!

Are you flying to the west coast?

Otherwise it would be a pretty insane trip :eek:

Also, Toronto is about 10 hours bus drive from NYC. Make sure to plan enough time ;)

Thanks so much for the info Steph :) Im a little worried now cos I didn't even think to check if our hotels had ACC. Ah well, if they dont it wont be the first time ive had to take on a few warm nights... I am Australian after all haha.

Niagara Falls is definitely on our list of things to do while in Toronto!

Hey Choclady. We start off on the west coast in Seattle, then to San Francisco. After that we fly from San Fran to Phoenix, then onwards to Orlando.

And we are actually flying from Toronto to NY so we won't have to worry about the 10 hour trip, but thanks for the heads up anyway. In fact we are flying to and from all our destinations, except Orlando to Miami which is a bus trip.

Thanks for the help you lot! Everything has been booked and paid for. June 27th to July 28th. CANT WAIT!

That sounds like an awesome trip. Of the cities you've listed I've been to San Francisco, Orlando, DC, and obviously NYC, since I live here. San Fran is a spectacular city, both culturally and aesthetically. If you're going to be there on the fourth, I'd suggest checking out what's going on in Golden Gate Park that day. I'm sure they have something going on. As far as DC, I pretty much reiterate everything Seb said. Orlando doesn't really have much going on outside of the various theme parks (which is fine for me, as a theme park/Disney junkie). You going to any of them?

Golden Gate Park? Awesome, I'll look into it! Thanks!

I am a theme park lover too. That is the only reason why we are going to Orlando. We are staying at one of the many Disney World resorts. Plan on doing at least 3 of the 4 theme parks at Disney World, as well as Universal Studios.

I do have one question about Universal Studios... Is it worth going to the Islands of Adventure theme park there? Neither me or my cousin are Harry Potter fans so we're not really interested in that harry Potter world thingy they have there. Is it worth going?

I've only heard good things about San Fran so we're really looking forward to that one. We are spending four nights there (originally just 3 but we're leaving a day earlier now :D).

Thanks for the info Crushgen!

Dont agree with your synopsis of New York at all, Seb. I went in 2010 for a week and, with Istanbul & St Petersburg its one of my favorite cities that I've visited in the world. Saying thats all there is when it comes to the museums....nah mate. There is far far more.

For me, you want to visit the Empire State in the day, but the Rockafella at night. From the Rockafella you see all the view of the city, PLUS the iconic Empire State. This is for the picture to go on your facebook profile!

My favorite parts of NYC were the southern parts of Manhattan. Greenwich Village, Soho, Bleeker Street. It is far more individual and personal than Times Square. More locals go there and you can stumble across the most quirky jazz bars, blues bars, stand up bars. Also on Bleeker Street is a massive guitar shop. Cant remember the name, but Jon Bon Jovi and Richie bought their guitars from there. You have the meet packing district too down there which is all the run down docks converted into a more plush neighbourhood. The old warehouses have all been converted into boutiques, bars, restaurants and apartments.

I loved Harlem as well. It is so bustling and SAFE. Didn't feel at threat at all and we ate out there a couple of times. Locals are so warming up there. I think its past 65th and onwards.

Take the free ferry to Staten Island as well. It goes right next to the statue of Liberty and its FREE. To visit the statue is about $15 and its an absolute waste of space. Staten Island is brilliant too.

Enjoy!

I live in a suburb of Phoenix, and depending on how long you're staying/how far you're willing to travel kinda affects what you'd want to do. If you like hiking/nature, there's things like the Camelback Mountain which I'm told is a great hiking spot. There's also the Phoenix Zoo, and I believe there's the Desert Botanical Gardens which are both popular tourist sites. Depending how much you want to travel outside of Phoenix, I'd recommend seeing Flagstaff or Sedona too as those are pretty scenic places. The Grand Canyon is quite far away from Phoenix, so if that's something you want to see that'll probably take up most of your stay in Arizona.

Yeah to be honest the only reason we are doing Phoenix is for a day trip to the Grand Canyon. We are only there two nights. Will check out Phoenix Zoo to see if it's worth seeing on our final day there before we fly out. Cheers! :D

The Grand Canyon is amazing, it's so massive. I have family in Arizona, and I agree with bonjovi821, Flagstaff and Sedona are great places to visit, too. And they're on the way to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix anyway.

I just checked, the tour we are looking to book goes via Sedona and Navajo Reservation. So I'm glad you guys are recommending Sedona. Will have to check out about Flagstaff.

Aloha !

The Harry Potter ride is hands down one of the, if not the most amazing ride I've ever been on, so yes it's worth it. The combination of visuals with the whole technical aspect of it is insane, and this is coming from someone who never really cared for Harry Potter.

Some words of advice; you can do both of the Universal Parks in 1 day, just as long as you buy a fast pass, which is a pass that makes you able to skip the waiting queues. I went to the park on January 3 though, which is essentially low season for the park so I've no idea how busy the park is in the summer, but it'll obviously more crowded. The longest I've had to wait for a ride was about 20 minutes I guess, where normal waiting lines were all going well over 1 hour. It's expensive (I think it was about 35 dollars per person for one park) but well worth it considering how much you save on waiting. It made the experience a lot more enjoyable.

The pass doesn't grant fast access to every attraction though, the Harry Potter ride was excluded. So go to that one first, make sure you're there when the doors of the park open. I was able to go in 1 hour before general opening times, but once I left the attraction there was a que of 100 minutes already. Half the day we checked to see if we could ride it again and the waiting time was over 3 hours. I've no idea what it's like now though, when I went the attraction had only been open for a couple of months I think, so the place was packed with Harry Potter geeks. :)

Like I said, I've never been a fan of Harry Potter but in regards to building Hogwarts and that attraction they really got it right. It's been 3 years now since I rode it and I still remember how excited I was once I walked out of it.

Yeah, maybe to you there is. Honestly, no offence, but of all the things you mentioned none of them are particular reasons as to why I'd go see a city. Certainly not a big guitar shop where Jon and Richie buy their guitars, I've never been one to care for places where "that artist used to eat or buy his clothes". (No idea if you meant it like that). Back then I was asked as to if I'd like to see where Jon used to live and all that, and I really don't care for it.

It's the same with those views. I've never been on top of any of the buildings you mentioned because it's "just" a high building to me. I don't need to be on top of them, but if that's your thing then yeah, New York is the city for you. I really loved seeing the skyline from Hoboken though, but that's about it. I'd always wanted to go to New York but once I'd been on Times Square and had walked through the city it really was a "been there done that" kind of thing where as with London and Paris I always quite enjoy a stay there and once I leave really can't wait to go back.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Yeah i get where you're coming from. I suppose its each to their own. Everyone's totally different. For instance I had no intention of visiting the Louvre in Paris a few years ago and people were, like, "are you insane". But one of my highlights in Paris was getting totally lost in the tiny cobbled streets in Monmartre and stumbling across tiny bars where we'd go to get out of the tourist trap. Me and the missus hate doing the big tourist things and have no interest in museums. Seen them once, you've seen them all.

But I agree with you. Times Square is Times Square. It is what it is. THere were no surprises. I forgot to mention we went to a Knicks game too. I just really liked NYC. It just had a proper "in your face" vibe to it. Was so far from being pretentious. My advice is for people to explore the streets past Times Square.

Anyone else been to Rome and been thoroughly underwhelmed?

I didn't feel underwhelmed by Rome. I thought the history was amazing. In the grand scheme of things, Canada is a very young country so to be able to see and experience ruins that were 2000 years old was incredible. I would love to go back again.

I love NYC, but (and I know this sounds local douchey) but if one only does the "tourist" stuff I can see how it can be boring. You have to dig a bit deeper.

exactly the point I was making. You just put it better than me!

Yeah I can totally see why Americans and Canadians like coming to Europe for that reason. Aside from the history and the grand old architecture I didn't feel anything in Rome, i thought the place had no soul to it. It was JUST the old tourist things that were there, not much else. The most disappointing parts were the Colosseum, and the Vatican. Way too touristy. I didn't find anything surprising in Rome. The Spanish steps were nice, but I kinda knew they were there.

Now, Barcelona....that is some City.

Make sure you purchase an "all day pass" for the Metro in DC. It takes you, almost everywhere you would want to go in DC, practically drops you off at each tourist/history destination.

Also, as you are probably aware, almost all of those destinations are free to get into/explore, etc.

My personal favorites, were the Vietnam Wall, something extremely special about that place.

And, the Smithsonian Museums.

To be honest, I'm not a "history buff", so I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed DC. I could easily spend three days there, but one day is also very good.

Enjoy!!!

Cool! Thanks for that :) ... I'm not much of a history buff either but Im happy to dedicate one day to it. I've heard the museums in DC are worth it.

So I leave in under a month! Hooray!

I have another question however... We would love to see an Ice hockey game and/or an NBA game while we are over there. However, from what I can see, it doesn't look like there is much on while we are there.

Are the seasons over by July? We don't know much about them because we aren't huge fans, we just thought it would be cool to experience a match or two.

We are looking to attend a match in either San Francisco (1st-5th July), Miami (11th-14th), Toronto (16th-19th) or New York (19th-26th). I know our dates arent very flexible, so it will be no surprise if there aren't any games on during the dates we are in the mentioned cities.

Both the NHL and the NBA seasons will be over by the time you make it here. The only thing that would be on would be major league baseball.

Ah I was afraid that would be the case. Oh well! No dramas! Thanks so much for the info :)

What about the NFL? Is that on during July?

The NFL's barely bloody on. Regular season this year is Sept - Dec with the playoffs in January and February. And they only actually play for about 5 minutes a game, it's all standing around and endless substitutions.

So, rant over, to answer your question, no it's not :p

That's how short the season is? Wow, it's over by the time you know it! The Football league in Australia runs from February-September (including preseason and finals).

Thanks for the info.

Summertime in the States means BASEBALL! I know that wasn't one of the sports in which you expressed an interest, but I'd be happy to check schedules to see if there are any games that fit into your schedule. You're visiting several cities with teams.

The NFL training camps start at the end of July. Each team will play 4 pre-season games and then the 16-game regular season starts in September. Play-offs after that culminating with the Super Bowl. The 2014 Super Bowl is on February 2 at MetLife Stadium in NJ.

Thank you so much Terri :)

The only reason why I didn't express interest in Baseball is because I saw a Mariners vs Red Sox game last time I was in Seattle... so I would rather experience another code. But alas, I cannot so Baseball it is! I'll check over with my cousin who I am flying with and we'll see when will be the best time to fit it in.

You guys have been great in regards to information. I truly appreciate it.

I should have mentioned this earlier, but if there's any way that you can get there, one of my favorite things near San Fran is Muir Woods - http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm. If you have a car, it's a fairly short drive from the Golden Gate Bridge, but it's like stepping back in time. Sounds from the "real world" don't seem to penetrate into that redwood forest, and the trees are absolutely awe-inspiring. Of course, there's PLENTY to do in San Francisco if you aren't renting a car. Be sure to allow lots of time to laugh at the sea lions at Pier 39. They're such characters!

I love northern California (really should go back now that I think about it), and as great as San Francisco is, there's so much around it that's even better. The Monterey area is incredible. The Montrerey Bay Aquarium - http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ - is one of my favorite places that I've visited on any trip, and the 17-Mile Drive through the Pebble Beach golf course - http://www.pebblebeach.com/activitie.../17-mile-drive - is truly beautiful. We did it twice while we were there - once on a fairly calm day and again before we left when it was stormy. I couldn't resist seeing it again when the waves were crashing in.

Thank you so much for those links Terri! Unfortunately we don't have a car, but instead relying on public transport, hired transfers and tours. But I'm sure we will be able to make it to a few of those spots. We have a few days open while in San Fran :)

I have a quick question for NY/NJ people... I have heard by someone who visited New York last year that taxi drivers in Manhattan aren't likely to drive people out of Manhattan because it's not worth their while. Is this true? I only ask because we are staying in Manhattan and were planning on catching a taxi home from MetLife after the Jovi show. I dont want to be stuck without a ride home late at night in a city I've never been before! haha.

One of our NY/NJ folks will probably speak up about whether you can count on taxi service, but I thought I'd mention a couple of other options. There's train service between MetLife and NY Penn Station - http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servl...=MeadowlandsTo. There's also bus service between MetLife and the Port Authority - http://www.coachusa.com/info/coachusa/ss.351express.asp. I've ridden NJ Transit many times while in NJ (although not to MetLife), and it isn't scary at all. :D I have no experience with that bus service.

I just sent a pm with similar info Terri. I have not been paying any attention to this thread and I should have jumped in sooner.

Most NY taxi drivers will not want to go out of Manhattan but some will and will charge you a LOT. For me, the train or the bus would be a far better bet.

Ah ladies thank you so so much for your help. I extremely appreciate it - I cannot say that enough :) And thank you for the PM Kathleen.

It looks like we will be catching the bus/train afterwards. I wonder what time the concert will finish roughly.

On a different note, we are looking into doing a tour of the Californian Academy of Science... just so I get to finally see a T-Rex fossil :P

If the past shows are anything to go by and they start playing by 8:30, they will be done by 11:30. I have heard 3 hour shows from them but they don't go much past 3 hours. So I would say it's a good guess that the show will be over around 11:30 or maybe 12:00 if they start really late.

Thought I'd add to your visit via YouTube:

This one should get you pumped up:


This one might put you to sleep or not:


Ummm, not sure if you will like this one:

Cheers for that! :D We are ending our trip in New York for 7 nights so those vids are definitely making me even more excited!

My flight leaves in just over 5 hours :onfire: Cannot wait!

Thanks again everyone for the advice and tips. Was a big help!

(this means I won't be able to update the tour thread!)

:p

Have a blast :)