Travel USA travel tips and tricks

[TheStinger]

I highly recommend Universal Studios in LA. Was a great place and the rides are really good. The Waterworld show is off the charts. Awesome. And there are some really good shops and things in the mall outside of the park.

 

[Drumroe]

Does the Universal Studios have an Islands of Adventure attached to it? I thought that theme park was awesome. Harry Potter World has some good rides and The Hulk ride was really good

 

[ThePezDispenser]

Does the Universal Studios have an Islands of Adventure attached to it? I thought that theme park was awesome. Harry Potter World has some good rides and The Hulk ride was really good

The Hulk ride and Harry Potter type of rides are unseen in Aus... so too the Rip Ride Rockit - unreal rides.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

I highly recommend Universal Studios in LA. Was a great place and the rides are really good. The Waterworld show is off the charts. Awesome. And there are some really good shops and things in the mall outside of the park.

Citywalk was awesome.

 

[TheStinger]

At night when it is all lit up, it's all kinds of awesome. I went into the comic book store and got three t-shirts of Star Wars and Iron Man.

 

[Drumroe]

The Hulk ride and Harry Potter type of rides are unseen in Aus... so too the Rip Ride Rockit - unreal rides.

Yeah they were definitely my highlights of the theme parks. The best part of universal over Disneyworld is that you can pay an extra $60-$70 and get an express pass which skips you pretty much to the front of every line. The most I ever waited was about 5 minutes. Well worth it if you're impatient like me

 

[ThePezDispenser]

Yeah they were definitely my highlights of the theme parks. The best part of universal over Disneyworld is that you can pay an extra $60-$70 and get an express pass which skips you pretty much to the front of every line. The most I ever waited was about 5 minutes. Well worth it if you're impatient like me

To be honest the express pass sounds good, but all you need to do is get there right on starting time and smash the best rides.

One morning I went on the Hulk and the giant drop type ride twice, then just tried out a few quieter rides, grabbed lunch and even then dinner then came back at night and smashed the Harry Potter rides out with no lines at all.

Similarly the next day we the Rip Rode Rockit twice in the morning then went to the new cartoon ride with no wait (lines later were 90 minutes) then went on the quieter rides again, lunch and dinner and then back at night to jump on any rides we wanted to do again. That Universal light/fireworks show was pretty cool too.

 

[Drumroe]

To be honest the express pass sounds good, but all you need to do is get there right on starting time and smash the best rides.

One morning I went on the Hulk and the giant drop type ride twice, then just tried out a few quieter rides, grabbed lunch and even then dinner then came back at night and smashed the Harry Potter rides out with no lines at all.

Similarly the next day we the Rip Rode Rockit twice in the morning then went to the new cartoon ride with no wait (lines later were 90 minutes) then went on the quieter rides again, lunch and dinner and then back at night to jump on any rides we wanted to do again. That Universal light/fireworks show was pretty cool too.

Yeah I guess it depends when you go, I got there 8am and there were no lines to start but by 11 it was pretty busy. I'd say it saved me a couple of hours of standing in line all together, which for me is worth it

 

[cammania]

I spent 3 days there in June last year as part of a bigger trip to Western Canada and we drove down from Vancouver to Seattle.

It's a very picturesque place and relatively easy to get around. We stayed at the Holiday Inn which was in a pretty good spot and we had no problems walking around the city especially as we were traveling with my now 3yo son and my mother-in-law who is in her 60's and at no stage did we feel our safety was threatened.

Depending on what sports you like I recommend the tour of Safeco Field where the Seattle Mariners play baseball and follow it up with a tour of the Seahawks NFL stadium which is next door.

We actually did a tour of seattle via one their amphibious vehicle tours which was a great way to see the city. Check the link below
http://www.ridetheducksofseattle.com/

All in all I really liked Seattle and I would have liked to have spent some more time there.

Thanks for post.
I'm looking up at heading up that Way, also want to go to Portland and various bits of Oregon. It doesn't seem to be the type of place that is up there when people say they are travelling in the USA. BUT reviews from the few on here and looking around sound good.

Ironically blueboy, a bulk of my trip and destinations are revolved around sport and stadium tours and just soaking it all up when I'm there. Safeco field and centurylink field are on the list of places where ill be having a tour (and hopefully catching a Seahawks game too)

List of stadiums and sports venues to visit is huge. Loving it and all the research.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Seattle.
Whose been there, what's it like. Safe? Would you recommend it.

If you enjoy rain, you will like Seattle. The weather and the streets, roads and stuff like that reminded me of Melbourne. Saying that, that was 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

Seattle has a really good music vibe. I really liked the city but when I was their, it was for family reasons. Not for any sightseeing. But it's a really nice and easy going city.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Thanks for post.
I'm looking up at heading up that Way, also want to go to Portland and various bits of Oregon. It doesn't seem to be the type of place that is up there when people say they are travelling in the USA. BUT reviews from the few on here and looking around sound good.

Make sure you go to the Nike factory.

Other than that, I can not remember much else about Portland. I'm sure it's a lovely city but IMO it was just a bit dull.

 

[cammania]

Make sure you go to the Nike factory.

Other than that, I can not remember much else about Portland. I'm sure it's a lovely city but IMO it was just a bit dull.

Portland blends in well with seeing some NBA games. So it could be a unique place to go.
Nike will be a must.

 

[crownie]

planning my next trip to America and plan to have 6 nights in Texas visiting 2 cities.

i have chosen Dallas as one of the them but would like some advice on what i should choose out of Austin,Houston or San Antonio.

thanks.

 

[wce4premiership]

At universal the best was Hulk and Red Rcokit or whatever it was called. In Disneyworld The Aerosmith ride was unreal, accelerates like a boss and then goes into almost pitch blackness as you flip around. So good.

 

[NitroFan]

Rip ride rockit was great. the coaster itself isnt the best but being able to chose the music (if you didnt pick kickstart my heart you failed) makes it so much fun.

I thought the hulk was pretty overrated.

 

[Iason]

planning my next trip to America and plan to have 6 nights in Texas visiting 2 cities.

i have chosen Dallas as one of the them but would like some advice on what i should choose out of Austin,Houston or San Antonio.

thanks.

Austin, and it isn't even close. One of the coolest cities in America.

 

[Iason]

Make sure you go to the Nike factory.

Other than that, I can not remember much else about Portland. I'm sure it's a lovely city but IMO it was just a bit dull.

At one point (may still be the case), Portland had the largest amounts of microbreweries and strip clubs per capita in the country. Not surprised you didn't remember much.

 

[Iason]

I also recommend Dinosaur Bar-B-Q in Harlem, and Junior's in Midtown Manhattan. IF Spanish food is your thing, Meson Madrid in Palisades Park, New Jersey is the place. And yes, they DO have LOBSTER!!! www.mesonmadrid.com

I used to go to Meson Madrid as a kid, my dad was friendly with the owner and it was only a town away. Never thought I'd ever see it mentioned on a website.

Also, good shout on Dinosaur. Get the wings. If you're looking for more BBQ, get the moist brisket at Hill Country, 26th between 6th and Broadway.

 

[Iason]

Seattle.
Whose been there, what's it like. Safe? Would you recommend it.

It is safe, and Washington is a mutual combat state. If you and the person you're going to fight agree to fight, and no property is damaged, the police won't arrest you.

 

[MrKK]

At one point (may still be the case), Portland had the largest amounts of microbreweries and strip clubs per capita in the country. Not surprised you didn't remember much.

Not sure about strip clubs but I've heard the microbrewery part is definitely still true and continues to grow. Portland was featured in the Virgin magazine on the last flight I took and the article mentioned it has more breweries than any city in Belgium or Germany.

 

[TheStinger]

Citywalk was awesome.

View attachment 11481

I knew I had a pic of this somewhere. This is the same scene at night.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

I knew I had a pic of this somewhere. This is the same scene at night.

That is fantastic. We were staying in Hollywood and had to catch the shuttle bus to the train station. We were thinking about staying near the park next time.

My wife swears she saw Kim Kardashian at Citywalk but then she thought every limo had a celebrity in it, and every black man jogging on Mulholland was Will Smith.

 

[Drumroe]

A necessity of New York.. see one of the big production Broadway shows. Yes they're expensive, but they're incredible

 

[smiddaz123]

A necessity of New York.. see one of the big production Broadway shows. Yes they're expensive, but they're incredible

Book of Mormon is hilarious and worth the $$$.

 

[Drumroe]

Book of Mormon is hilarious and worth the $$$.

Yeah, wish I could have seen it, but being there over xmas when its at its busiest, the cheapest ticket I could get was about $500. I saw The Lion King in San Francisco, then saw Newsies and a smaller show called Grace while in New York. All were amazing, but Newsies was probably my pick of the bunch. Just an awesome show.