I'm looking to go overseas to America in 2011.. but i do not know what I should and shouldnt add to my itinary for when i'm over there... any suggestions from people who have previously travelled to the states / live in the states?
Reply to this IMO, some of the questions you need to ask yourself are;
- What do you want to do? Do you like hiking, camping, photography, people watching etc?
- What do you like? Do you like sports, the outdoors, sight seeing etc?
- Is there anything you want to cross off your list? The Grand Canyon, the Empire State Building, driving along Route 66 etc?
I've only been to the US twice - once as part of a road trip up to Canada and the other for work - so I wouldn't say I'm an expert.
Reply to this Hi Tegan. Welcome to Travelblog!
KP is correct. The U.S is extremely large and varied. Is there any specific area you were thinking of visiting (west coast, east coast, the south)? Or maybe there is a specific activity/climate/atmosphere you are looking for, in which case we could then recommend the best area for you to focus on?
I've lived, and traveled, all over the U.S so if I'd be happy to answer any questions you have, provided you can narrow down your criteria a bit more 😊
- Stephanie
Reply to this Well......
i've heard alot about the east coast, which sounds awesome, but which one in your own opinion would be best to see?
i love the warmer climate, then again, its what im use to from here in australia.
i love aviation, so a big airport would be amazing to see.
I'm into the whole sight seeing thing, so seeing things like the emire state building and things like that. shopping is another must do haha.
so yeah, thats about as narrow as i can think of at the moment 😊
Reply to this Hi Tegan,
Sight seeing, shopping and big cities? Fly into LA and then fly up to San Francisco. Stay a few days at each place. From there take a red-eye flight to New York. Then on your way to London!
- Tim
Reply to this that sounds pretty good!
thank you very much for the idea tim 😊
Reply to this i think you should hit up LA, New York and miami.... you get the sightseeing in New York and LA (And shopping) and then have fun at the ebches in Miami! (plus shopping in miami is cheaper, i lived there for 11 years so i know where im comign from lol )
Reply to this Hey Tegan, the best thing you should do is pick up a travel guide (I like eyewitness cos it has lots of pictures :P) and have a look for yourself to see which cities you would be interested in going. Domestic travel within the US is pretty cheap so that certainly helps. Each state in the US is almost it's own country (or at least each region is - the South, Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes area, etc) with its own sights and traditions and way of life. I'm Aussie too, and it's nothing like Australia where the differences are not too vast across the country.
For good weather definitely visit California (San Fran and LA) and the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington). For shopping, the state of Oregon is tax-free, and you'll find lots of designer boutique stores in NYC and Miami. If you're interested in seeing famous American landmarks, then add Chicago, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Mr Rushmore in South Dakota and Washington DC for the White House and many other national monuments/sites. If you're interested in nature, I'd highly recommend going to the states of Maine and Oregon.
Reply to this You should really check out Boston in the summer. Great city, you can get around easily by walking or taking public transportation and plenty of history. Plus shopping, great restaurants and Logan airport is a good sized airport.
Reply to this Hi Tegan, I live in Western Massachusetts but my mom lives in Florida (1.5 hrs north of Miami) so I visit down there a lot! I enjoy the warm weather too and would suggest stopping in Miami for it's beautiful beaches, nightlife and shoppig then drive 4 hours south all the way to Key West! It's known as "America's Caribbean", it's so beautiful down there. It's a great drive down A1A and across the famous 7 Mile Bridge on the ocean.
Whatever you do here, have fun and enjoy! I still have yet to visit Australia, I reeeeally want to and will eventually!! Take care.
Reply to this What time of year do you plan to visit and for how long?
Reply to this If you come to Texas I strongly suggest San Antonio. The list of things to see and do would take months. Come in the late Fall or early Spring when the heat is not oppressive. San Antonio has a good bus system and You can stay in weekly rental Suites at a place called Intown Suites for $189 to $215 a week. These come with kitchenettes. Only real drawback is Intown Suited does not have any non smoking rooms which to me is unbelieveable. Still with a bus pass you can get anywhere you want to go. The hotels downtown are very expensive and free parking is rare. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Reply to this 
