Travel USA travel tips and tricks

[Glacier]

See, I was the other way. I loved Universal Studio and basically the crowds and rides at Disneyland made me pissed of like a long legged Puerto Rico by 5 pm.

The shows at Universal Studio has me in amazement and I found them to be fantastic. I loved the rides at both but I found Universal Studio to be much better.



The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest places on earth. I could not get my head around how big the canyon was. The Grand Caynon is a must for anyone who wants to see one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. You will not regret going.

When I first laid eyes on its sheer size it almost made me feel ill
It's a pity that most people don't seem to spend the time there, they get out if the car, take a few snaps and head off again

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

When I first laid eyes on its sheer size it almost made me feel ill
It's a pity that most people don't seem to spend the time there, they get out if the car, take a few snaps and head off again

First thing I did was just say, "wow". Words could not describe what I was seeing and could not believe how massive it was.

We have gone back to the West Rim twice now as it changes all the time. The colour, the smells, the wildlife and the atmosphere.

I was a bit nervous walking onto the sky walk but looking down was amazing.

 

[Nelso]

First thing I did was just say, "wow". Words could not describe what I was seeing and could not believe how massive it was.

We have gone back to the West Rim twice now as it changes all the time. The colour, the smells, the wildlife and the atmosphere.

I was a bit nervous walking onto the sky walk but looking down was amazing.

I was like that the first time I went to the Grand Canyon. Just in awe of the place however the second time I went there, I did not hit me as much.

Niagara Falls just blew me away both times I have been there.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

I was like that the first time I went to the Grand Canyon. Just in awe of the place however the second time I went there, I did not hit me as much.

Niagara Falls just blew me away both times I have been there.

We are doing New York and Orlando at the end of this year and are planning on doing a day trip up to Niagara Falls thanks to the photos posted on this site. They looked fantastic.

 

[Nelso]

We are doing New York and Orlando at the end of this year and are planning on doing a day trip up to Niagara Falls thanks to the photos posted on this site. They looked fantastic.

Make sure you go on the Canadian side of the falls. You get heaps better views. I have always gone down from Toronto each time which is only a short trip.

They were brilliant photos.

 

[Glacier]

I would love to see the east side of Canada
I loved New England in the USA, Vermont , New Hampshire and Maine in Autumn, magnificent

 

[NitroFan]

Disneyland is shit. go to magic mountain and knotts berry instead.

 

[ohhhBigMalcho]

Hey all, just wondering on peoples perspective of driving the USA, coast to coast, Vs. flying.

obviously would like to know if driving with say 2 other mates in a rental would be cheaper than flying/better (see more of the country) and other factors

cheers in advance if anyone has any stories or anecdotes on this

 

[Dee Won]

Disneyland is shit. go to magic mountain and knotts berry instead.

The shows at night are amazing though. California Adventure Park free show called "Colours of world" one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. A better version of the Bellagio fountains and Freemont street experience combined in one awesome show. The show at Disney was pretty good as well

 

[Glacier]

Hey all, just wondering on peoples perspective of driving the USA, coast to coast, Vs. flying.

obviously would like to know if driving with say 2 other mates in a rental would be cheaper than flying/better (see more of the country) and other factors

cheers in advance if anyone has any stories or anecdotes on this

Way back in 99 was the first time I went to the US, I drove from LA to Dallas to see a mate and then back through the top of Mexico and up the coast back to LA
If I could give you one tip it would be if you were going to drive coast to coast, plan a route that gets you off the main highways as much as you can. They are quite ugly and you don't get a sense of smal town USA if you stay on them
There is only so much " Route 66 " a person can tolerate !!
The other tip I would give is , if you are interested in doing a coast to coast a little differently , camp
The campgrounds at State parks and local council campgrounds, dept of fisheries , etc are amazing and cost bugger all to stay in
You can get your esky and a lot of what you need at Walmart for next to nothing and you meet heaps of interesting people doing it this way as well

 

[Jackfrost]

Don't loiter at the finish line of marathons

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Don't loiter at the finish line of marathons

Poor form, these sorts of comments are unacceptable.

Take your frustration out on your own board after a bad loss.

 

[Aussie Assault]

Hawaii. We're spending 9 nights there in October as the last part of our honeymoon. First time so probably just stay on Oahu. Suggestions of things to do? Places to eat/drink? Hikes, waterfalls, beaches, anything really?

Pearl Harbour & North Shore are definites for us.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Hawaii. We're spending 9 nights there in October as the last part of our honeymoon. First time so probably just stay on Oahu. Suggestions of things to do? Places to eat/drink? Hikes, waterfalls, beaches, anything really?

Pearl Harbour & North Shore are definites for us.

When we went to Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Centre was a very enjoyable day. It wasn't overly expensively, the food was very good and both the islands and show were worth it.

They have this luau dinner feast but if you don't wish to eat the native food from the polanisian islands, you can book your ticket from a normal menu.

http://www.polynesia.com/

 

[Aussie Assault]

the Polynesian Cultural Centre

Does it feel real or is like a theme park set-up? Gets some good ratings by the looks of it.

Also driving over there, is it busy? Or do you have the roads to yourself once you get out of Honolulu?

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Does it feel real or is like a theme park set-up? Gets some good ratings by the looks of it.

Also driving over there, is it busy? Or do you have the roads to yourself once you get out of Honolulu?

Yeah, it's hard to say. It's nothing like a theme park, no rides, no side shows or stuff like that and it is closer to the real thing but just very condensed. There are 6 islands and you get to learn their native dance or history with a tour guide.

LOL - let me just say, driving is harder in Melbourne.

Hawaii is very laid back driving is very easy. They have a peak hour and traffic jams but it clears real quick. Once your say, 30 mins maybe even only 15 mins out of the metropolitan area, the roads are clear. Waikiki is the main area where it's busy.

You will enjoy the drive down to the North Shaw. We circumnavigated our way around the island in 3/4 of a day and really enjoyed the scenic drive.

 

[Aussie Assault]

Cheers mate. Did you stay in the Waikiki area? One thing about accommodation is that it seems pricey. Might check out the AirBNB / Priceline options.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Cheers mate. Did you stay in the Waikiki area? One thing about accommodation is that it seems pricey. Might check out the AirBNB / Priceline options.

Yeah, we stayed in Waikiki at the Marriott and its pricy but it was well worth every cent. If you pay a bit more, you won't regret it.

You can stay down by the North Shore and that looked fantastic as well, but there are limited things to do.

 

[Goodo73]

Make sure you go on the Canadian side of the falls. You get heaps better views.

+1

Funny thing about Niagara was that I had this picture in my mind of a sleepy little town next to this well-known tourist attraction... dead wrong! The town of Niagara has to be one of the gaudiest tourist spots I've encountered, in terms of souvenir shops and other so-called attractions (I mean how do those Ripley's Believe It or Not places survive?).

 

[Nelso]

+1

Funny thing about Niagara was that I had this picture in my mind of a sleepy little town next to this well-known tourist attraction... dead wrong! The town of Niagara has to be one of the gaudiest tourist spots I've encountered, in terms of souvenir shops and other so-called attractions (I mean how do those Ripley's Believe It or Not places survive?).

It is bloody ugly the main street. Cheap and tacky! If you want to go a very beautiful town nearby go to Niagara on the Lake. Lots of cafes and restaurants.

 

[Nelso]

Hawaii. We're spending 9 nights there in October as the last part of our honeymoon. First time so probably just stay on Oahu. Suggestions of things to do? Places to eat/drink? Hikes, waterfalls, beaches, anything really?

Pearl Harbour & North Shore are definites for us.

I was in Hawaii 5 weeks ago.

Hike up to Diamond Head is a must. Great views. Taxi from Waikiki is about $10. The hike is about 30 mins to the top (quite steep in parts). You will laugh at the Japanese women walking up in their high heels

Do the grand circle island tour - takes you to North Shore, pineapple plantation, buddhist temple and various lookouts at the beach and in the mountains.

Pearl Harbour is a must.

Restaurants in Waikiki - PF Changs (great chinese food), Cheesecake Factory, Hard Rock, Moose Mcgillycuddys (great pub)

Shopping - Ala Moana shopping centre, Waikele factory outlets (about 40 mins from Waikiki)

Beaches - Waikiki, great beach for checking out the talent

We stayed at the Marriott the first time we there. That was pretty good. Last time we stayed at the Sheraton which was fantastic. Great pool area (2 pools plus an infinity pool). Was about $200 per night there.

 

[Dee Won]

Here's a review of my trip:


Los Angeles (3 days)
Great weather.
Very car centric with poor public transport.
The Hollywood & Beverly Hills areas gave off a fake vibe.
Sunset strip and Melrose Ave were quiet disappointing, appearing to be run down and a lot of vacant shops (probably a better area during the night?).
The Grove was a cool area.
Universal Studios, we got the front of line pass, max wait at any ride was 5-10mins, this also helped us get to ride on all rides. The Mummy was the best ride. Funny seeing the lady in front of me on the Jurassic ride complain about getting wet, it’s a water ride ffs.

Las Vegas (3 days)
Really fun city with lots to see and do to keep you entertained.
Plenty to see at all the Casinos even if you don’t like gambling with each having an individual theme.
Lots of free attractions like the Fremont St Experience, Treasure Island pirate show, Mirage Volcano, Bellagio Fountains.
Lots of alcohol available.
Walked right by Snoop Dogg (Lion) while out on the strip one night, yelled oh my god that’s Snoop.
Grand Canyon really lived up to its name “Grand”.
O by Cirque De Soleil amazing show, was totally blown away and regret not seeing more shows while in town.
North outlet mall was great did a full day of shopping, easy to get to using public transport.
Spearmint Rhino, so many fine ladies, went on Friday night so it was busy (not a good dude to girl ratio night) but still had plenty of fun, regret not having more fun.

New York (9 days)
A very cool city.
Great subway system that is easy to use, didn’t use a taxi ever while in town.
The Book of Mormon was excellent. We had excellent seats only eleven rows from the front but it’s a small theatre so there probably aren’t any bad seats.
Niagara Falls was cold, rainy and windy. We struggled to get good photos but at least we experienced the strong force of the falls.
Ran into Kevin Rudd while walking on Lexington Ave, we had a little chat while waiting at the traffic light and crossing the street.
Rangers vs Peguins NHL we had excellent seats only 13 rows back, saw plenty of goals and a fight. Home team won so crowd was in a great mood. Probably the best energy and atmosphere of all the sports we attended. Much better sport to watch live than on tv.
Yankees vs Red Sox MLB, while lining up to go inside the stadium, I turned around and behind us was Eva Longoria all rugged up. Saw a couple of homers, some nice defensive plays and Mariano Rivera’s 1st appearance/save of his final season.
Knicks vs Bucks NBA, great atmosphere, Melo dropped 41pts on the bucks, home team won so fans and atmosphere was excellent. Enjoyed the chants of MVP for Melo.
Museums: MET, MOMA, Museum of Natural History: The best one imo was the MET
Empire State Building and Top of the Rock: View is better from the top of the rock observation deck.
Shopping: Century 21 would be my recommendation

San Francisco (3 days)
A lot of interesting cats (a lot of homeless and people with “issues”) in this city.
Crazy amounts of hills and boy oh boy are they steep.
Giants vs Rockies MLB, excellent atmosphere, much better than Yankee stadium, visually pleasing stadium. Got to see Lincecum pitch wildly, Tulo homer and home team rally to win, witch had the place rocking. Missed out on a free World champions snow globe as just ran out as we entered.
Yosemite, place was simply amazing. Need a full day to do more of the trails, plenty of awesome photo ops.
Did the night tour of Alcatraz, would definitely recommend this as they open up some areas not normally available during the day. Night tour adds to the atmosphere imho.

Anaheim/Disneyland (2 days)
Disneyland and California adventure park. Highlights were the free evening shows, especially the one at Cali adventure park.

Los Angeles (3 days)
Hired a car to drive around, roads are in bad condition, don't need to obey speed limits, people don’t signal and are very quick on the horn.
Lakers vs Spurs NBA, watching Steve Blake’s pregame warmup, he was on fire, carried it over to the game. Kobe was injured just a few games before so very disappointed to miss out on one of the all time greats.
Santa Monica & Venice Beach: It was extremely windy so not many people out and about.

tl:dr disappointed with LA, loved NYC, Vegas is FUN, SF is hilly

 

[Nelso]

Hawaii. We're spending 9 nights there in October as the last part of our honeymoon. First time so probably just stay on Oahu. Suggestions of things to do? Places to eat/drink? Hikes, waterfalls, beaches, anything really?

Pearl Harbour & North Shore are definites for us.

here a few photos from our trip 5 weeks ago

Waikiki (early in the morning)



Buddhist Temple (grand circle island tour)

 

[RWnBluey]

hey guys,

Heading over to the States for the first time next year and need some advice. Planning on staying in NY for around 2 weeks, can anyone recommend places to stay and any reliable websites that have good accomodation deals?

 

[Freakie]

I was just reading back a few pages re fastpasses at Disneyland. Guys just tell them its your birthday at the guest desk and you'll get a big badge stating such, it's like a free pass to the front of the line! It was my birthday the first day we were there and I wore it all three days!