Your favourite things in the US

[Bucks Boy Jett]

Have done 3 nights in LA, took a private tour and saw so much. Even had time to get a little frightened in the evening in downtown LA as the night people started coming out of the woodwork. Universal Studios was awesome.

Then a day in Memphis where we saw Graceland. Again, had to give some guy $5 to get him to leave us alone that night on Elvis Presley Blvd. Quite a seedy part of town.

Leaving New York tomorrow morning, and then on to Niagara Falls. NYC has been fantastic. A little surreal at first but I have taken to it like a local. Grabbing buses and subways and walking soooo much. Will be sad to leave.

Sounds like your having an awesome time. It's 4 weeks today until we leave for the US.

 

[justthedukes]

Going for a quick trip to the US end of the year.

L.A on the 24th for 5 nights
Vegas for 4 nights (including NYE)
NY for 6 nights
Washington for 3 nights
Chicago for 3 nights

Anyone got any tips for me?

What do I need to do before I leave? Visa?

Also, is the drive from L.A to Vegas any good? We were thinking about doing that?

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Going for a quick trip to the US end of the year.

L.A on the 24th for 5 nights
Vegas for 4 nights (including NYE)
NY for 6 nights
Washington for 3 nights
Chicago for 3 nights

Anyone got any tips for me?

What do I need to do before I leave? Visa?

Also, is the drive from L.A to Vegas any good? We were thinking about doing that?

I'll see you there

As for the VISA, you need to sign a waiver. It is on the smart traveler website. I think there is also a small fee you need to pay. I've been before and booked a while ago so I didn't have to pay one.

 

[Bucks Boy Jett]

Just thought I'd ask in here as I'm going to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than a month which place would be the best to most of our shopping?

 

[bigange]

Going for a quick trip to the US end of the year.

L.A on the 24th for 5 nights
Vegas for 4 nights (including NYE)
NY for 6 nights
Washington for 3 nights
Chicago for 3 nights

Anyone got any tips for me?

What do I need to do before I leave? Visa?

Also, is the drive from L.A to Vegas any good? We were thinking about doing that?

Have done the drive a few times. Nothing special to see really.

 

[peternorth]

Going for a quick trip to the US end of the year.

L.A on the 24th for 5 nights
Vegas for 4 nights (including NYE)
NY for 6 nights
Washington for 3 nights
Chicago for 3 nights

Anyone got any tips for me?

What do I need to do before I leave? Visa?

Also, is the drive from L.A to Vegas any good? We were thinking about doing that?

Visa - no.
but as hardballget said you need to sign a waiver. doesnt cost anything.
after completing the form (online) print it out and take it with you.
if you forget to do one the airline will remind you just before landing.

Just thought I'd ask in here as I'm going to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than a month which place would be the best to most of our shopping?

lots of outlets on the way to vegas
ontario mills in the outskirts/suburbs of LA = nice (although i dont recall seeing any tourists there).

Have done the drive a few times. Nothing special to see really.

^^^
this

 

[Cousin Jed]

Visa - no.
but as hardballget said you need to sign a waiver. doesnt cost anything.
after completing the form (online) print it out and take it with you.
if you forget to do one the airline will remind you just before landing.

Now costs $14. You gots to help the US govt back into some money.

And agreed. LA to vegas drive, pretty boring.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Niagara Falls is a beautiful place. Clean and green. Could have relaxed there a lot longer. You must get a hotel with falls views to get the most out of it. Maid of the Mist is pretty cool. Journey Behind the Falls is okay but not necessary. Be careful of which weekends you are there though, as going on a holiday weekend you will get held up by customs re-entering the USA. The queues on the Rainbow bridge are pretty long. Allow plenty of time to catch your flight out of Buffalo.

In Vegas at the moment and three parts cut on these souvenir 50 oz frozen cocktails. What an amazing party place.

 

[camsmith]

Have done the drive a few times. Nothing special to see really.

I have never done the drive, but probably not much to see as others have said. Unless you go via the Yosemites, Death Valley and San Fran on route to LA from Vegas which would probably take too long given you seem to be on a tight schedule..

 

[Keys]

I have never done the drive, but probably not much to see as others have said. Unless you go via the Yosemites, Death Valley and San Fran on route to LA from Vegas which would probably take too long given you seem to be on a tight schedule..

Would take two days to get from LA to Vegas via Yosemite or San Fran. Death Valley would be a detour but is essentially similar country to what you drive through on the way to Vegas anyway.

There's one pretty cool caayon you drive through on the way from LA to Vegas bit it's only about 15 miles long, the rest is fairly flat along a six lane interstate.

It's only a 4-5 hour drive though and you can use your car to drive out to the Hoover dam when your in Vegas so it's worth doing. Could also do a day trip to Zion NP from Vegas if you don't mind a drive.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Niagara Falls is a beautiful place. Clean and green. Could have relaxed there a lot longer. You must get a hotel with falls views to get the most out of it. Maid of the Mist is pretty cool. Journey Behind the Falls is okay but not necessary. Be careful of which weekends you are there though, as going on a holiday weekend you will get held up by customs re-entering the USA. The queues on the Rainbow bridge are pretty long. Allow plenty of time to catch your flight out of Buffalo.

In Vegas at the moment and three parts cut on these souvenir 50 oz frozen cocktails. What an amazing party place.

Its Columbus holiday weekend atm, and Grand Canyon was overflowing, I missed you in Vegas by a day.

 

[Reincarnation]

Niagara Falls is a beautiful place. Clean and green. Could have relaxed there a lot longer. You must get a hotel with falls views to get the most out of it. Maid of the Mist is pretty cool. Journey Behind the Falls is okay but not necessary. Be careful of which weekends you are there though, as going on a holiday weekend you will get held up by customs re-entering the USA. The queues on the Rainbow bridge are pretty long. Allow plenty of time to catch your flight out of Buffalo.

In Vegas at the moment and three parts cut on these souvenir 50 oz frozen cocktails. What an amazing party place.

ah those really stupidly massive amazing frozen cocktails...how i have missed thee....

niagara falls was just amazing watching all that water go by...it sounds really silly however it was just awe-inspiring seeing...all that water go by...

my friend and i sat on the ledge closest to the drop (if that makes sense) for a good few hours again...just watching the water go by...

 

[Reincarnation]

Now costs $14. You gots to help the US govt back into some money.

And agreed. LA to vegas drive, pretty boring.

the drive is just desert with the odd massive food/mall thing literally in the middle of nowhere...thank you greyhound for letting us eat...

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

Just thought I'd ask in here as I'm going to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than a month which place would be the best to most of our shopping?

I just got home yesterday from a trip to LA and San Francisco but was also in Vegas 2 years ago. I'd say Vegas for sure as the outlets are close by. You can easily jump on a bus from the strip and go to the Premium Outlet Mall. It has great stores all the big brands and it's bargain galore. Also for your regular shopping cente, The Fashion Show Mall is right across from the Wynn hotel so again easy to get there. There is also couple of other outlets in Vegas which are easy to get to but I didn't go to those.

I did some shopping in San Francisco a couple of days ago and it was not bad but the same as you'll find all over the US. Monday was Columbus Day which is a big sales day, do I did alright.

As for LA I hired a car and did some shopping. I went to the Premium Outlets which as usual were great but the location is down San Diego way so a bit of a hike.

Basically all 3 have great shopping but Vegas is easier to get to.



WWW.premiumoutlets.com - check out the store lists.

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

Its Columbus holiday weekend atm, and Grand Canyon was overflowing, I missed you in Vegas by a day.

San Francisco was crazy on the weekend, I didn't know til I got there but it was the biggest tourist weekend of the year as they had the air show over Fishermans Wharf. It was huge, you couldn't move but it was pretty cool.

 

[Ghostwriter]

San Francisco was crazy on the weekend, I didn't know til I got there but it was the biggest tourist weekend of the year as they had the air show over Fishermans Wharf. It was huge, you couldn't move but it was pretty cool.

Fleet week, all the ships and sailors and families were there, I saw the Blue Angels practising over the bay whilst I was there, another cool thing about the US is you always see a military flyby of some sort, saw 5 or 6 Blackhawks fly over Hoover dam a couple of days ago.

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

When we arrived last Thursday the Blue Angels were practising. We were driving through the city and heard the deafening noise of the planes and without knowing what it was it had a bit of a Sept 11 sound to it. Our driver filled us in as we were like WTF was that.

 

[Bucks Boy Jett]

Seeing the Blue Angels would have been awesome.

 

[crownie]

will be in Vegas for 7 nights around NYE for a bucks party, staying at the Imperial.

not really a casino/gambling kind of person but if anyone has places they recommend to have a drink/eat or something to do during the day please tell me

will probaly do a helicopter tour of the grand canyon.

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

I just got back from the US a couple of days ago and did quite a bit of driving around LA. I have no problem driving over there and have found it quite easy to adjust to driving on the other side of the road, but one thing confused me. At a 4 way intersection where there are no lights, who has the right of way? This confused me a bit, so I always just proceeded cautiously. I tried watching what taxi drivers did so I could work it out but even they looked confused. Anyone know what the rule is?

 

[rdhopkins2]

Trying out a few new US cities next month (Anchorage and Fort Lauderdale) and also spendning 2 weeks in Canada (Montreal and Toronto) so I'll report on them when I'm back.

 

[Keys]

I just got back from the US a couple of days ago and did quite a bit of driving around LA. I have no problem driving over there and have found it quite easy to adjust to driving on the other side of the road, but one thing confused me. At a 4 way intersection where there are no lights, who has the right of way? This confused me a bit, so I always just proceeded cautiously. I tried watching what taxi drivers did so I could work it out but even they looked confused. Anyone know what the rule is?

Four way stop signs. First one to the intersection has right of way

Seems like an accident waiting to happen but I guess they work.

Don't remember seeing too many roundabouts over there

 

[Ghostwriter]

will be in Vegas for 7 nights around NYE for a bucks party, staying at the Imperial.

not really a casino/gambling kind of person but if anyone has places they recommend to have a drink/eat or something to do during the day please tell me

will probaly do a helicopter tour of the grand canyon.

I'm not a gambler either, the Harley Davison bar was good, also the New York themed casino was good too, as for driving on the other side of the road, i'm ok with it too, intersections are thought provoking, when you get to a stop sign, if you are first there then you go, its all about politeness, drove down the I-15 today, speed limit 75 mph!!!, was getting passed easily too. Yellowstone and Grand Tetons were awesome, Jackson Hole is a cool town too, in Pocatello Idaho tonight, another thing is take your laptop to the US they have Wi Fi everywhere. Americans are the nicest ppl, and the service industries leave Australia for dead.

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

Four way stop signs. First one to the intersection has right of way

Seems like an accident waiting to happen but I guess they work.

Don't remember seeing too many roundabouts over there

Thats so weird. By the way people were driving it, I wondered if that was the case but I thought surely not.

 

[Shell]

Trying out a few new US cities next month (Anchorage and Fort Lauderdale) and also spendning 2 weeks in Canada (Montreal and Toronto) so I'll report on them when I'm back.

Fort Lauderdale is a great town.. er sorry i cant offer more about it.

Only visited there a few times, from Boca Raton where I was based.

Have fun!