Personally, I disagree with this, at least the Southern California part. I think it’s wildly overrated as a tourist destination if you’re choosing among the entire country (I’m an L.A. lifer, BTW.)
My first suggestion would be Yosemite National Park. It’s a vacation destination for a lot of Europeans, though. Don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. What if you bump into your ex there? :smack:
If you live in LA you tend to overlook a lot of the things that make a tourist go ooooooooooo
Things like
The Hollywood sign
Grauman’s Chinese
Rodeo Drive
The Hollywood walk of fame
Universal Studios
Santa Monica/Malibu
When I was with Volvo I would get to squire various groups of visiting Swedes around. They went crazy to see stuff like the above.
If you do decide to visit LA let us know we can probably get a dopefest together in your honor.
Yeah, those sorta reinforce my point. There’s better stuff to see when you are considering the entire U.S. (All IMHO, of course.) Although I did the Universal Studios tour a month ago (first time in a while) and it exceeded my expectations (not considered as good as WB Studio tour, though, depending on your tastes). And I gather the Hollywood sign is (somehow) arguably most iconic image of the U.S.A. to out-of-country visitors.
There are quite a few What-to-do-in-L.A. threads on SDMB if you do choose this route.
I can recomend the Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, & maybe NORTHERN California (not to be confused with San Fransico). You get the beach (free public access in Oregon), the Cascade and the Coast range mountains, the semi-arid eastern part of both these states, and Idaho’s many mountain ranges. There is the Columbia, the Rouge, the Wilson, the Tillamook, and the Snake Rivers to name a few.
I also agree with Mama Zapa the South West is nice. It is desert so if you want to see some desert, this is a good choice. Although Eastern Oregon and Eastern washington are fairly dry, they are not deserty.
Also, I think Mama Zapa left out a zero when she said “The distances are long, and as a friend who lives in Phoenix said: don’t let your car get below half-full on gasoline because there are places where it’s 20+ miles to the next fuel stop.”
There are places where the next fuel is over 259 miles away. Keep your tank FULL!! Bring lots of water, 3 to 5 Gallons is not out of line. Seriously. Some of the “roads” I travel are so sparsly used that if I break down, it maybe 3 to 4 days before someone else drives that way. Heat is hard on cars, and unless the rental company you use is in desert counrty, the car will not have the larger radiator needed for long HOT trips.
I try to travel in the early AM or the late PM. I hide out durring the heat of the day.
I would also sugest that you bone up on what the symtoms are for heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Know the causes and the treatments. You are going to have to be able to self diagnose, and self treat. Thus the need for the water and perhaps some salt also.
It can get COLD at night in the desert. you may want to bring a warm sleeping bag and a warm coat. Your call on that.
IHTH, Matt W.
I think you need to focus carefully on what kinds of things you’ll want to do in U.S. I know no psychology, but will bounce some ideas anyway.
Is Grand Canyon a place you and GF would have enjoyed together? If so, maybe that’s a bad idea; maybe look for a place you’d enjoy but she wouldn’t.
It might be good to chat with others, perhaps other European tourists. But neither Vegas nor Grand Canyon would be good for relaxed sincere conversation, IMO.
A week or two isn’t a long break. Don’t waste it.
If you are not a luxury traveller, consider a trip by the Green Tortoise. It’s a travel outfit very popular among Europeans that runs unique semi-camping style trips out of converted school busses. They have quite a selection of national park focused trips, including good ones in the West. Its a lot of fun, easy to plan, a good way to meet people, and very affordable.
Thank you all guys!
This is way too much information, I have to do my homework now, plan tickets, dates, destinations, prices, budget etc.
I will post again when I will have a clearer picture of what exactly I want to see.
I’ve only read this far.
Many movies were shot in the Antelope Valley and surrounding area. This is the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It’s the high desert, so the heat is bearable even at 110ºF. If you see joshua trees, it’s that part of the country. The Antelope Valley is about 75 miles north of Los Angeles. (Lancaster and Palmdale are in L.A. County.) It’s an easy drive, except in the city during rush hour, up the 405 to the 5 to the 14. Along the way you’ll pass Vasquez Rocks Natural Area. Lots of Westerns shot there, as well as the ‘Arena’ episode of Star Trek, the cover of a U2 album and a ton of car commercials.
Monument Velley is another place you’ll recognise from the movies. It’s on the Arizona-Utah border, so it will take you a while to get there from L.A. Basically an all-day drive.
If you want a remote location but can’t stand the heat, what about northern Alaska or one of the more remote Alaskan islands? Maybe Barrow, AK - pictures show what could be a typical seaside town but it’s on the Arctic Ocean.
In 1976 I graduated high-school and took advantage of a special Greyhound Bus Company offered. For $76 I got a one-way ticket west. I left Pittsburgh, PA and rode buses west to Sacramento, California. There was a time limit for use, maybe 3 weeks, but it was a blast.
TMI galore!
I think you should start your planning by deciding if you want to do a whirlwind tour (see lots and lots of places, perhaps only briefly each), or do a more focused tour (see just one or a few places, in more detail).
Also, decide if you are more interested in an urban vacation (theater, museums, opera, stuff like that) or more rural outdoorsy stuff (Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Point Reyes and northward, etc), or some of all of that.
Finally, consider places that are different from the things you have near home. No point visiting places that are similar to places you can see at home. If you’re coming from any place in the world other than Northern California or the Pacific Northwest, then the Redwood trees are always a top contender.
Once you decide that, then you can work on all the kinds of choices that fit that decision.
I’ll stick to my suggestion (also suggested by Voyager above) or San Francisco and/or surrounding areas, and areas to the north of that (includes Point Reyes, just a short drive north of San Francisco).
Or, as Dag Otto suggested, perhaps Death Valley (gets you into the desert as Johnny L.A. described) and Point Reyes, with possibly Yosemite too.
ETA: But if you want a more urban vacation, then places farther East might be best: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. – lots of American historical sites, big museums, city lights and entertainments, the Smithsonian Museums (!), the whole works.
I’m in the Phoenix area, but I have to put in a plug for southern Arizona. Its the wild wild west, baby! Tombstone, Kartchner Caverns, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a little bit of wine country and a lot of grass-fed beef, San Pedro River, and the cowboy poetry gatherings near Sierra Vista. Beautiful vistas everywhere you drive.
Want to see deserts? Open up any National Geographic magazine. Want good times and good food? Go to Philly.
Fly into JFK, stop off in Brooklyn for a bagel and an egg cream, then make a beeline south to Philadelphia (aka: The City of Brotherly Love, or, as I like to think of it, Paris on the Delaware River). Have a typical Philly snack, check in to your hotel and get a good night’s rest. Wake up in the morning and eat a hearty Philly breakfast of scrapple and eggs. Check out a little American history, then walk into literally any eating establishment in center city and order a big, olive-oil-dripping Italian Hoagie for lunch.
Next, for a bit of culture, hit up the Philadelphia Art Museum and immerse yourself in some fine art. For dinner, head on down to South Street and enjoy Philadelphia’s signature culinary delight, then take in a show. After the show, drive a little south for a late nightPhilly snack. Some things bear repeating.
Next day, head west to Lancaster County (aka: Pennsylvania’s Silicon Valley). Mingle with the locals. Have a big slice of shoofly pie, before heading over to the Sweetest Place on Earth for lunch. On the way back to Philly, visit the Mushroom Capital of the World for dinner.
Next day, head east to America’s enchanting Garden State. Mingle with the locals. Have a swell lunch at one of New Jersey’s refined eating establishments (hands off the sexy waitresses, buster!). After lunch, drive slowly through the Pine Barrens so as not to miss the any of the magnificent indigenous wildlife, until you reach the Jersey Shore. Mingle with the locals. Take in a show. Partake of some Jersey shore seafood. Don’t forget dessert. Later, to fatten your financial portfolio, take advantage of some of the Jersey shore’s low risk, high yield investment opportunities.
Then, with wallet fattened, on the way back to Philly, you’ll want to spend some quality time in Camden (NJ’s city of Romance). Drive around the charming back streets, stop and chat with the locals; socialize with the young ladies and find yourself a sweet, new girlfriend to spend a romantic evening or two with. Don’t be thinking of engagement rings just yet though, you’ve got more vacationing to do!
This should bring you to about the half-way point in your vacation. No need to go anywhere else new from now on; simply repeat the last three days exactly. Then go back home with memories aplenty and dreams of returning someday for another Philly vacation. Be sure to get a check-up when you get home, however.
Sure, I poke a little fun at Philadelphia, but it’s where I grew up and I have fond memories. There really is a lot of fun to be had there. Take the Franklin Institute, for instance, they have the most animated tour guides. You certainly won’t find a city with a bigger heart!
Nah - if the OP wants to see a water tower that looks like produce, there’s a much better likeness here! (that also serves well if the OP wants to see a water tower that looks like a part of the human anatomy :D).
And these cities also have the advantage of not requiring you to have access to a car to get around to the sights. I know LA, San Francisco et al have mass transit but from my understanding of LA’s at least, it’s not going to be as good as NY, DC or Boston’s. Of course in San Francisco, the transit is one of the sights (the cable cars). I don’t know much about the transit system in Seattle or other larger western cities.
My experience with the L.A. public transportation system is limited to those times when I had to take a motorcycle to the shop. It seemed I had to wait longer than I thought for a bus to come around. My rides were between Culver City and Marina del Rey, so they were on the west side of L.A. and not downtown or in Hollywood. People seemed well-behaved. The buses were a bit noisy, and a little on the warm side. Being inexperienced with them, the part I didn’t like was waiting for one. The light rail lines existed when I was there, but service to the west side didn’t exist so it was of no use to me.
I’ve been impressed by Seattle’s Metro system. Buses are plentiful and frequent. There used to be a Ride Free Area downtown, but that was ended after 40 years in 2012. Last time I checked, it cost $2.25 (or was it $2.50?) for a ride. Great deal going from the Park & Ride in Northgate to Belltown, but not so much if you want to take a short trip. FWIW, the office is 1/2 mile from Pike Place Market, so it’s an easy 10-minute walk. (Well, it’s easy if you know the route with the shallowest hills! 
) Light rail seems popular, but I haven’t had to go where it goes. I’d like to ‘Ride the SLUT’ sometime, just for fun. (The South Lake Union Trolley was renamed to South Lake Union Streetcar after someone noticed the original acronym. I think you can still get ‘Ride the SLUT’ T-shirts.)
In New Orleans it’s easy to get around in a cab, and it’s not too expensive. They also have the streetcars, of course.
There’s a ton of stuff to see and do in L.A., but you really need a car. ‘Nobody Walks In L.A.’
Yawn, I see that every time the wife steps out of the shower (about the same size, too).
Not that I should have to sweeten the deal any more to convince Dog80 to take his vacation in and around Philadelphia (I bet he’s already made arrangements)…so consider the following, bonus material:
Dog80, do they have any giant clothespins where you come from? Probably not. Well, you will see one in center city Philadelphia. Granted, they should demolish that blighted, old building in the background, but check out this big pin!
Dog80, we here in America like to idolatrize our national hero’s and Philadelphia has tastefully immortalized one of our most beloved and revered national treasures—Mr. Larry Fine (first draft, here).
Amazingly, you can then hop, skip or jump the short distance over to Metuchin, New Jersey, and see Mr. Fine exalted yet again, this time along with his esteemed partners, Messrs.’ Howard and Howard. Bring along a box of Kleenex, tears will fill your eyes.
Alas, New Jersey could have competed fiercely against Philly’s giant clothespin, with its giant golf ball, but they turned it into an uninspired cruiser in the cornfield. Bastards.
Dog80, are you by chance a WWII history buff? If so, you will certainly want to stay a bit longer in New Jersey and arrange a guided tour of this important piece of Third Reich memorabilia.
