The USA.

Jalapeno

Snap said:

I've been to SF a couple of times and New York.  ....  ALso, the weather in SF can be iffy - we were last there in August and it was cold at night.

July & August are always crappy in SF - the desert interior warms up and sucks in cold & damp air through the Golden Gate break in the hills - go in June or September.  In what you think is peak summer all places around SF it will be 90+F (Cupertino, San Jose etc), yet SF will be in the 60sF, it has its own odd microclimate.

Snap

@Jalapeno - so true. Weather changes in different parts of SF too doesn't it? Can be cool at Nob Hill, warm in The Mission.

We had low 20s really for the 4 days we were there. I liked it, but I wouldn't rush back. When we left, it was about 21 and we were driving to Monterey. As we hit the valleys, the temperature steadily climbed to mid 40s within maybe an hour's drive. We got out at Gilroy for a stop and the thermometer was reading 115. By the time we got to Big Sur it was back down to 80 ish. Bizarre rapid changes in the space of a few miles.

California is ace, but out of all the places we visited, SF was probably my least favourite. Still v good, but much preferred Santa Monica and San Diego.

So much so, we are debating a holiday next summer solely in Santa Monica, and seeing more of the surrounding area.

Jalapeno

We did a week in a cabin in Julia Pfieffer State Park, Big Sur - it was fantastic. 1.5hrs sth to Hearst Castle/Santa Barbera, 1hr nth to Monteray/Carmel.  You have astounding scenery, and places like Nepenthe on your doorstep - the sunsets there are amazing (food's ok, nothing special) !

Sambostar

olafgarten said:

HAL9000 said:

Just remembered something that could be useful depending on where you're flying from - if you fly Aer Lingus look at going via Shannon or Dublin, as you can do US immigration there and land in the States as a domestic passenger. Much more pleasant than queueing for 90 minutes at JFK before being sneered at by someone who's had their sense of humour surgically removed (probably without the benefit of anaesthetic).

Going to Florida with my family was terrible because I'm a Muslim. My family was randomly selected and we were questioned for 3 hours. They asked my 9 year old brother if he had recieved any Military Training. 

I wouldn't worry, being a single ginger they always hold me in secondary for 4 or 5 hours so I miss all connecting flights of the day as standard. 

They probably had too many non religious pasty gingers sat down and quarantined in secondary on that particular day and needed someone to balance it out on paper so the stats don't look bigoted.  Last time I went I had quite an enjoyable long lengthy chat with an Iraqi fella and a Cuban.

On the first visit to America I was thinking this place is harsher than a mountain border patrol with AK47's pointing at you in South East Asia somewhere as the security guy dragged off some 85 year old Italian dude and his wife in a headlock.  I mean dragged, he had his legs on the floor and was being dragged by his neck.  Well at least he'#ll now learn not to complain and queue up like the rest of us eh.  Problem is, a lot of continentals don't do queuing for endless hours at a single non US citizen security desk whilst they have another 20 empty ones that are open to US citizens.

Never been to Florida but Philadelphia is a bad one for customs.  Always try and land in Newark NJ now, they are much more friendly and even have gingers on security.

Anyway for places to go.

http://www.gravedigger.com/contentpage.aspx?id=51 and it's in NC in the middle of nowhere.

http://www.davidlindley.com/cgi-bin/dltourdates.cgi

You'll have to wait for February for the Nascar.

grungebob

keithf said:

excellent,Im thinking maybe one of them multistop jobs , 4 night sf, 4la,4 vegas and home

been to USA every year since 2001, my advice would be to do Vegas first, you'll wake up in the middle of the night due to jet lag and inVegas thats when it gets good so pointless to miss a day for the sake of jet lag. We (the Mrs &I) always seem to be awake at 3am, perfect time to get dressed head to the bars and then have breakfast, g back to bed and wake up again on their time. 

keithf

ok, so it turns out its far more expensive than I previously thought, so we've compromised and decided on

a 10 night stay in the Luxor, Las Vegas with a few excursions.all booked for next September.

just got to find some tidy off strip bars with rock or metal

boogieman

keithf said:

ok, so it turns out its far more expensive than I previously thought, so we've compromised and decided on

a 10 night stay in the Luxor, Las Vegas with a few excursions.all booked for next September.

just got to find some tidy off strip bars with rock or metal

10 days in Vegas is a loooooong time. We stayed for 6 and were getting a bit weary of it by the end (and that included going to a wedding on one day and a visit to the Grand Canyon on another). 

HAL9000

keithf said:

ok, so it turns out its far more expensive than I previously thought, so we've compromised and decided on

a 10 night stay in the Luxor, Las Vegas with a few excursions.all booked for next September.

just got to find some tidy off strip bars with rock or metal

House of Blues is in one of the hotels near the Luxor - possibly the Mandalay.

ToneControl

slacker said:

I loved San Franciso. You dont want a car there as there a billion one way streets. If you buy a bus ticket you can use it for the second bus if it's one journey ie take a bus, wait for the next bus and use the ticket. 

Book some bus tours, we did a Muir Woods and Alcatraz tour. 

you get a 7 day pass from Walgreens (don't ask me why they sell them), covers all the cable cars too.  You  won't want to walk up and down the cable car roads unless you are a  very keen hill walker

ToneControl

HAL9000 said:

Just remembered something that could be useful depending on where you're flying from - if you fly Aer Lingus look at going via Shannon or Dublin, as you can do US immigration there and land in the States as a domestic passenger. Much more pleasant than queueing for 90 minutes at JFK before being sneered at by someone who's had their sense of humour surgically removed (probably without the benefit of anaesthetic).

we looked into that, and were told that you have to book the flight separately, leave  airside in Dub/Shannon, and come in through security again as a new passenger

You can also do this via YYZ and other Canada airports

& Manchester airport will offer  US customs  soon too

The other benefit is that the  flights can land at less busy, cheaper "domestic" airports

also: do not miss this trick: if you've been  there in the last  couple of years, and still have a valid ESTA and the same passport, you queue with the US Citizens to go through customs. I got through  SF customs  an hour ahead of the  other Brits who didn't have  a previously-used ESTA

Chalky

boogieman said:

keithf said:

ok, so it turns out its far more expensive than I previously thought, so we've compromised and decided on

a 10 night stay in the Luxor, Las Vegas with a few excursions.all booked for next September.

just got to find some tidy off strip bars with rock or metal

10 days in Vegas is a loooooong time. We stayed for 6 and were getting a bit weary of it by the end (and that included going to a wedding on one day and a visit to the Grand Canyon on another). 

We had a fabulous 4 nights in and around Vegas and it was just the right length of stay.

ToneControl

check the weather BTW

SF is colder than you think for a lot of the year. It was  quite cold in May, for example. Sunny, but cold
NY has arctic winters and tropical summers

dtr

Not long back from a week in Vegas.  Fucking hated the place.  Just a huge machine of fakery and shite designed to part you from your cash.  If you thrive on soulless bonhomie, high-pressure salesmanship and insincere bullshit, you'll be OK.  Otherwise you can see all of it you'll ever need to in a day.

Snap

ToneControl said:

we looked into that, and were told that you have to book the flight separately, leave  airside in Dub/Shannon, and come in through security again as a new passenger

we did it via Dublin, you don't have to do what you think. One booking, one ticket. Its a bit of an arse as you need about 90mins in Ireland to get through immigration. YOu have to fill out your forms, go through immigration, and eyeball your luggage. But you don't check back in. Its all set up for American flights at Dublin, has its own area etc. Its alright.

We flew direct to LAX last year, and immigration in USA took hardly any time, no more of a chore than any other country tbh.

On Vegas, no I don't fancy it at all. Not really my thing from what I have heard, from everyone who's been there. For one, don't like hotels. I get an apartment every time, if I can (if with the family).

Snap

Jalapeno said:

We did a week in a cabin in Julia Pfieffer State Park, Big Sur - it was fantastic. 1.5hrs sth to Hearst Castle/Santa Barbera, 1hr nth to Monteray/Carmel.  You have astounding scenery, and places like Nepenthe on your doorstep - the sunsets there are amazing (food's ok, nothing special) !

I thought Big Sur was jaw droppingly ace. Didn't stay there, couldn't get anything booked. Stayed either side of it instead (Monterey, then Cambria). Wonderful part of the world. The 90 miles or so of Big Sur took us all day as we were constantly pulling over to get out and gawp at the view or have a walk off somewhere. I bet staying there was great. McWay Falls - wow.

goldtop

Another vote for Seattle, maybe a 2-stop with San Francisco.

And I'd save both NYC and LA for their own trips.

keithf

its all booked, I'm off to vegas,

capo4th

Great if a little artificial America. 

Bellagio or The Wynn are fantastic hotels

boogieman

capo4th said:

Great if completely artificial America. 

Bellagio or The Wynn are fantastic hotels

FTFY. 

It is completely bonkers but still entertaining, for a while. As my wife said when we were there "it's like Disneyland, but for adults...and less tasteful ".   

Agree about the Bellagio, the dancing fountains are great. 

Chalky

capo4th said:

Great if a little artificial America. 

Bellagio or The Wynn are fantastic hotels

Bellagio front room, high so the tops of the fountains go just a bit higher. I think TV channel 40 plays the music to match the fountain display. Truly spectacular.