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[Fusebox]

So me and the missus are heading to the good old US of A in February! Heading to San Fran first for a couple of days, then NYC for a week with a trip to Niagra from there, then Orlando for a couple of days to go to theme parks, then to Vegas for a few days with a trip to the Grand Canyon from there and then LA and then home.

My main goal is to eat sausage in a pancake on a stick dipped in baconnaise, but am open to all other suggestions.

I'm also keen to buy an American made guitar, get into the audience of Jon Stewart or Colbert or Bill Maher, see a UFC and I also want to see the Ken Ham Creation Museum for the lols, and to eat awesome BBQ ribs and to dodge the bedbug plague that is currently upon your country.

What are some hot tips from the locals of those places? Let me know if there's anything we must see/do and I'll put it on our itinerary.

I'm very excited about this trip, I've always wanted to visit the States.

 

[Xeke]

So me and the missus are heading to the good old US of A in February! Heading to San Fran first for a couple of days, then NYC for a week with a trip to Niagra from there, then Orlando for a couple of days to go to theme parks, then to Vegas for a few days with a trip to the Grand Canyon from there and then LA and then home.

My main goal is to eat sausage in a pancake on a stick dipped in baconnaise, but am open to all other suggestions.

I'm also keen to buy an American made guitar, get into the audience of Jon Stewart or Colbert or Bill Maher, see a UFC and I also want to see the Ken Ham Creation Museum for the lols, and to eat awesome BBQ ribs and to dodge the bedbug plague that is currently upon your country.

What are some hot tips from the locals of those places? Let me know if there's anything we must see/do and I'll put it on our itinerary.

I'm very excited about this trip, I've always wanted to visit the States.

There is so much to do in NYC itself, I'd recommend Caracas Arepas in in East Village.

 

[Feep]

There is so much to do in NYC itself, I'd recommend Caracas Arepas in in East Village.

Rice to Riches is an important destination in New York City.

 

[smurfx]

if you go to san fran then don't forget to go to the mission district and eat some burritos.

 

[ToxicAdam]

That's a great trip you have planned there. Take lots of photos and post them here.

 

[totowhoa]

Been a while since I've been to LA, but I don't do a lot of traveling in the US either outside of nearby states. I had a ton of fun at the getty art museum if you're into that! Although, it was the first really awesome art museum I've had the chance to visit, so if you've been to others then you may want to pass. Definitely find some good American food joints. GAF can help. You should definitely go to some shitty greasy place that tastes amazing just once. I rarely do it, but it's nice... I guess those things might exist elsewhere, but GAF makes it seem like the US is fairly unique about that. I've never been to NYC, and only briefly been to the other places, so I'm not sure what else to offer other than that.... except, don't go to Hollywood. It's not actually fun, or maybe I was just doing it wrong.

 

[Fusebox]

I'd recommend Caracas Arepas in in East Village.

I've heard of East Village, that's a trendy/arty area isn't it? Is Caracas a bar or a restaurant?

Rice to Riches is an important destination in New York City.

Lol, that looks awesome, we're definitely checking that out.

if you go to san fran then don't forget to go to the mission district and eat some burritos.

Yum, I love Mexican food. Whats the Mission District? It sounds like a slum?!

 

[TheDrizzlerJ11]

So me and the missus are heading to the good old US of A in February! Heading to San Fran first for a couple of days, then NYC for a week with a trip to Niagra from there, then Orlando for a couple of days to go to theme parks, then to Vegas for a few days with a trip to the Grand Canyon from there and then LA and then home.

My main goal is to eat sausage in a pancake on a stick dipped in baconnaise, but am open to all other suggestions.

I'm also keen to buy an American made guitar, get into the audience of Jon Stewart or Colbert or Bill Maher, see a UFC and I also want to see the Ken Ham Creation Museum for the lols, and to eat awesome BBQ ribs and to dodge the bedbug plague that is currently upon your country.

What are some hot tips from the locals of those places? Let me know if there's anything we must see/do and I'll put it on our itinerary.

I'm very excited about this trip, I've always wanted to visit the States.

You aren't doing Florida justice by just checking out Orlando. The best rollercoasters in the state are at Busch Gardens in Tampa anyways + it's an awesome zoo (Although Animal kingdom is the best theme park zoo). If you have the time check out Miami, it's only a 4 hour drive from Orlando and definitely worth spending a weekend in. Just a pricey city, but you're going to NY so it's nothing compared to that. Biscayne key and it's surrounding islands are beautiful and the nightlife is like no where else.

Have fun and spend as much money as you can! We need it.

 

[DanteFox]

1. eat some burgers in California
2. eat some bbq in da south.
3. eat some new york pizza and tell the locals how overrated it is. they'll love you for that.

once you're done with the trip be sure to update us with your impressions of the food, places, people, etc.

 

[sebajuNujabes]

Come visit me. I'm very lonely over here.

 

[golem]

Colbert tickets (none available?)
http://www.colbertnation.com/tickets

Daily show tickets
http://www.thedailyshow.com/tickets

Another good site for free tickets
http://www.1iota.com

 

[Fusebox]

You aren't doing Florida justice by just checking out Orlando. The best rollercoasters in the state are at Busch Gardens in Tampa anyways + it's an awesome zoo (Although Animal kingdom is the best theme park zoo). If you have the time check out Miami, it's only a 4 hour drive from Orlando and definitely worth spending a weekend in.

Great tips, thanks man, we were just gnona do the Harry Potter/Universal combo but I think I'd prefer an American zoo experience over those.

1. eat some burgers in California
2. eat some bbq in da south.
3. eat some new york pizza and tell the locals how overrated it is. they'll love you for that.

I really want to go South and eat BBQ and gumbo and other Southern dishes but I dont think I'm going South, I also can't wait to tell NY'ers their pizza is over-rated. They do those super-huge slices don't they?

Come visit me. I'm very lonely over here.

I'm sure you're not lonely, but are you anywhere on my route? I could be down for a watery USA beer or 10. :lol

Colbert tickets (none available?)
http://www.colbertnation.com/tickets

Daily show tickets
http://www.thedailyshow.com/tickets

Another good site for free tickets
http://www.1iota.com

Legend! Thx man.

 

[TheDrizzlerJ11]

Great tips, thanks man, we were just gnona do the Harry Potter/Universal combo but I think I'd prefer an American zoo experience over those.

If you're a harry potter fan it's pretty awesome. It's insanely crowded though because of how new it is but if it's your only chance to see it, well it's up to you (any of the theme parks are a new experience compared to anything else in the world though). And the zoo experience in Animal Kingdom is much better than Busch Gardens, but Busch Gardens by far has the most and the best roller coasters on top of it and you aren't in Orlando. That city is just a headache, if you go there take public transportation everywhere because you'll spend half your time there lost / paying tolls, it's absurd (and they don't have the greatest public transportation but if you're close to the parks it's not as big a deal just more $). Tampa has a beautiful coast, Saint Pete (the nicer part of tampa bay) has some great restaurants and does Florida a bit more justice. I'm from the Southeast part of the state though so I'm spoiled when it comes to the cities of Florida. Just if you choose Orlando and Orlando only don't assume the rest of Florida is anything like it.

Animal Kingdom is my favorite theme park in Orlando. I'd prefer a vacation in Tampa and stopping by Busch Gardens one day though (but I'm a roller coast nut). The city just has more to offer than touristy crap and outside of the theme parks most of the touristy shit is crap. But then again after a theme park you are pretty exhausted anyways. Depends how long you're staying in Florida I guess.

You'll have a blast regardless though, traveling the states is awesome and you're going to experience a lot more than most citizens have from the sounds of it. I have yet to go west of Atlanta->Chicago. I plan on it though!

 

[pirata]

Come visit me. I'm very lonely over here.

 

[Shaneus]

NY pizza really is shit. They have nothing on the various styles you can get here in Australia. From what I can remember, they have a plain cheese base, and if you order a slice they dump whatever you asked for (so for Hawaiian, they threw a couple of pineapple chunks on there, some pepperoni or ham (I think) and cheese) and whack it in the oven for a bit. The shredded ham-topped pizzas in recycled cardboard containers we get here take a huge dump all over them.

Other than that, sounds like a crazy-wicked trip you have planned. Can I ask what various parts (if organised, such as the flight and accom.) are setting you back? I have a tonne of leave owing that I'm thinking of using up during the US spring/summer seasons.

 

[DanteFox]

NY pizza really is shit. They have nothing on the various styles you can get here in Australia. From what I can remember, they have a plain cheese base, and if you order a slice they dump whatever you asked for (so for Hawaiian, they threw a couple of pineapple chunks on there, some pepperoni or ham (I think) and cheese) and whack it in the oven for a bit. The shredded ham-topped pizzas in recycled cardboard containers we get here take a huge dump all over them.

let's not get carried away here. it's only overrated compared to the rest of the states. ^_^

 

[Fusebox]

Other than that, sounds like a crazy-wicked trip you have planned. Can I ask what various parts (if organised, such as the flight and accom.) are setting you back? I have a tonne of leave owing that I'm thinking of using up during the US spring/summer seasons.

For sure! Still working out some of the finer details atm, the only one I can remember at the moment is 3 nights at the Bellagio for our Vegas part of the trip so I'll get the itinerary of the missus tonight and post up the costs.

 

[Nerevar]

Sounds like you're hitting the highlights. IMO LA and Vegas are the least interesting parts of your trip. Grand Canyon is a must-see though, top 5 natural world wonder. Niagara is interesting, that's like 300+ miles outside of Manhattan. are you flying to Buffalo or something? Can't imagine why it would be worthwhile otherwise. You'd be better off trucking south to DC and seeing the capital sights, museums, etc (Smithsonian are some of the best museums in the country, and they're free to boot).

Also, some general tips; BBQ is more of a southern / southwestrn thing, which you're not really doing. Probably best to find a decent spot in NYC that tries best to mimic the real smoker feel of traditional BBQ places. NY Pizza really does suck, it's more about doing the "original" thing than anything else. The UK is a better place to find deep fried terrible foods. Really, the USA is such a big place that trying to fit in the whole country in a 2 or 3 week trip is just going to to be pointless. Pick a couple spots and just do the highlights, you won't fit in much else. Go to the top of the empire state in new york and catch a broadway show, ride a trolley to Fisherman's wharf in san fran, ride some dumb theme park rides in Orlando, go see the Grand Canyon and hike down into it, etc. You'll barely fit in half of what you realy need to see.

 

[weekend_warrior]

Sausage pancake dipped in baconaise? Jon Stewert? Ken Ham? Bed bugs? I don't know where you get your information about America from but what this is I don't even. :|

 

[Kusagari]

Make sure to go to a Lil B concert to see America at it's finest.

 

[sphagnum]

You know the Creation Museum is in Kentucky, right?

 

[kn4rf]

You know the Creation Museum is in Kentucky, right?

I met a guy down in DC on a course who was nice enough to show me the city. (Which was awesome)

He mentioned that he was taking his family to the Creationist Museum for their vacation.

I kind of started to chuckle because I thought he was cracking a joke and had made the place up. Fortunately he was a good spirit about my reaction.

 

[Mindlog]

If you're a harry potter fan it's pretty awesome. It's insanely crowded though because of how new it is but if it's your only chance to see it, well it's up to you (any of the theme parks are a new experience compared to anything else in the world though).

Universal shouldn't be too crowded in February. The Blue Man Group puts on an entertaining show. Busch Gardens definitely has a lot of great coasters. Can't wait to see more of Cheetaka.

OP
If you do decide to visit Tampa mid-February you could also visit the Florida State Fair. You'll get a more authentic taste of The South :lol I'm pretty sure there's still a giant Confederate Flag near the area as well. It's a carnival so there should be a large assortment of fried everything.


It's stupid that it has taken this long for Florida to get serious about high speed rail. Florida benefits so much from tourism that linking Orlando, Tampa and Miami should have been a no-brainer.

Vegas - Well book the show you really want to see and wing the rest. I had some awesome random times last time I went.

 

[Fusebox]

You know the Creation Museum is in Kentucky, right?

Yeah, I was just wishful thinking.

Sounds like you're hitting the highlights. IMO LA and Vegas are the least interesting parts of your trip. Grand Canyon is a must-see though, top 5 natural world wonder. Niagara is interesting, that's like 300+ miles outside of Manhattan. are you flying to Buffalo or something? Can't imagine why it would be worthwhile otherwise. You'd be better off trucking south to DC and seeing the capital sights, museums, etc (Smithsonian are some of the best museums in the country, and they're free to boot).

Also, some general tips; BBQ is more of a southern / southwestrn thing, which you're not really doing. Probably best to find a decent spot in NYC that tries best to mimic the real smoker feel of traditional BBQ places. NY Pizza really does suck, it's more about doing the "original" thing than anything else. The UK is a better place to find deep fried terrible foods. Really, the USA is such a big place that trying to fit in the whole country in a 2 or 3 week trip is just going to to be pointless. Pick a couple spots and just do the highlights, you won't fit in much else. Go to the top of the empire state in new york and catch a broadway show, ride a trolley to Fisherman's wharf in san fran, ride some dumb theme park rides in Orlando, go see the Grand Canyon and hike down into it, etc. You'll barely fit in half of what you realy need to see.

Thanks man, heaps of things to consider there. Not sure how we're getting to Niagra, if there's a flight we'll take it.

Universal shouldn't be too crowded in February. The Blue Man Group puts on an entertaining show. Busch Gardens definitely has a lot of great coasters. Can't wait to see more of Cheetaka.

OP
If you do decide to visit Tampa mid-February you could also visit the Florida State Fair. You'll get a more authentic taste of The South :lol I'm pretty sure there's still a giant Confederate Flag near the area as well. It's a carnival so there should be a large assortment of fried everything.


It's stupid that it has taken this long for Florida to get serious about high speed rail. Florida benefits so much from tourism that linking Orlando, Tampa and Miami should have been a no-brainer.

Vegas - Well book the show you really want to see and wing the rest. I had some awesome random times last time I went.

Yeah?! I didn't know Blue Man group performed there, I'm keen to see them! Thanks for the other tips too.

So far I've confirmed the following accomodation and all the connecting flights:

2 nights Grand Hyatt San Fran
6 nights Grand Hyatt New York
3 nights Fairfield Inn Marriott Village Orlando
3 nights Belaggio Las Vegas

And Shaneus, we're up to about $14k so far, but that's for myself, the missus and her two younger sisters that we're taking with us.

 

[Lunchbox]

get off the airport and buy a gun from the shop inside there

its standard issue, you cant survive without it out here. pancake hotdogs and john stewart, what? you have no idea where youre coming bruh. dont get shot at

 

[Devolution]

Stuff to See in San Francisco:

Chinatown
Japantown
Ferry Building
Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39
Ghirardelli Square
Lombard Street

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

So me and the missus are heading to the good old US of A in February! Heading to San Fran first for a couple of days, then NYC for a week with a trip to Niagra from there, then Orlando for a couple of days to go to theme parks, then to Vegas for a few days with a trip to the Grand Canyon from there and then LA and then home.

My main goal is to eat sausage in a pancake on a stick dipped in baconnaise, but am open to all other suggestions.

I'm also keen to buy an American made guitar, get into the audience of Jon Stewart or Colbert or Bill Maher, see a UFC and I also want to see the Ken Ham Creation Museum for the lols, and to eat awesome BBQ ribs and to dodge the bedbug plague that is currently upon your country.

What are some hot tips from the locals of those places? Let me know if there's anything we must see/do and I'll put it on our itinerary.

I'm very excited about this trip, I've always wanted to visit the States.

you're only coming to see stereotypes i see.... don't get shot or stabbed while here.

1.

My main goal is to eat sausage in a pancake on a stick dipped in baconnaise, but am open to all other suggestions.

make it at home i guess....?

2.

and to dodge the bedbug plague that is currently upon your country

wonder where that plague came from.. maybe outside?, oh yes, you have to buy a gun first thing you get off the plane. don't worry though, they sell them right on the street corner or the local wal-mart.

for NYC, i'd advise not to look at a map, walk a lot and ride the subway. go to the other boroughs as well. Manhattan is not the end-all be all.

 

[Fusebox]

I don't get the stereotypes comment.

And do you think Sausage in Pancake on a stick or Baconnaisse are sold in countries like Australia? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly sure those particular products are available only in the US. Hence why I have them on my list - or did Colbert lie to me?!?

 

[Lost Fragment]

He mad. Don't mind him.

As far as the Kentucky part of your trip goes...well, there are some pretty cool tourist attractions here if you're into history and such. Kentucky has some of the most gorgeous parks and waterfalls and forests and naturey attractions in the country too. And also Mammoth Cave, which is the longest cave system in the world (not that the tours go awful far down).

But honestly, if you're a foreigner vacationing across the country with a limited amount of time, I'd recommend you not come to Kentucky just for the creation museum. Unless you're a big fan of caves, tress and waterfalls and shit, or for some reason a foreigner hugely interested in American history. There really isn't a lot in or around the state that's interesting when compared to a lot of other places in the country, and there are similar monuments to stupidity in pretty much every other state too.

But the museum is actually pretty nice, dumbfuckery aside.

 

[Pikelet]

Me and my girl wanna go on a trip next year too, we are definitely going to Canada first but we haven't decided whether to go to the the west or east coast when we go to the states, and we can only go to one. What say you, gaf?

 

[SpacLock]

I hope you have fun. If you make it obvious that you're a foreigner everyone will be extra nice to you. Believe it or not, Americans love making people feel welcome.

Me and my girl wanna go on a trip next year too, we are definitely going to Canada first but we haven't decided whether to go to the the west or east coast when we go to the states, and we can only go to one. What say you, gaf?

It all depends on what you're looking for. America is very diversified and each coast is drastically different than the other.

(screw the coasts, the Midwest is the best

Spoiler

excluding Ohio

)

 

[Fusebox]

As far as the Kentucky part of your trip goes...well, there are some pretty cool tourist attractions here if you're into history and such..

Not really into history much, but the scenery sounds fantastic.

But honestly, if you're a foreigner vacationing across the country with a limited amount of time, I'd recommend you not come to Kentucky just for the creation museum. Unless you're a big fan of caves, tress and waterfalls and shit, or for some reason a foreigner hugely interested in American history.

Yeah, I think I'll have to skip Kentucky this time unfortunately.

Shame, I heard the Creation Museum is in receivership or something so if I ever get a chance to return to the US it will probably be gone by then.

I hope you have fun. If you make it obvious that you're a foreigner everyone will be extra nice to you. Believe it or not, Americans love making people feel welcome.

Thanks man. It'll be pretty obvious I'm an Aussie, coz when I don't concentrate on my pronunciation I have a tendency to slide back into my country town twang. Crocodile Dundee didn't have any probs when he was in the US though so I should be right.

 

[djtiesto]

Club-wise, you'll probably get a kick out of Sullivan Room, Cielo, and Santos Party House.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Thanks man. It'll be pretty obvious I'm an Aussie, coz when I don't concentrate on my pronunciation I have a tendency to slide back into my country town twang. Crocodile Dundee didn't have any probs when he was in the US though so I should be right.

Oh good, you're from a country of real size so you know how to travel accordingly, unlike the Euros from their small city state like nations that think the East Coast and West Coast are right next to each other.

 

[SUPREME1]

Great trip you got planned, but the order is all kinds of jacked up and makes no sense. You'll be wasting like two days in the air. Instead of going back and forth across the entore USA, maybe one of these would be better:

East to West:

NY > ORL > LV > LA > SF


or


West to East:

SF > LA > LV > ORL > NY



You'd also be saving a lot of money since the flights are a lot shorter in distance between each other. Just a suggestions. Have fun!

 

[JoeBoy101]

Sausage pancake dipped in baconaise? Jon Stewert? Ken Ham? Bed bugs? I don't know where you get your information about America from but what this is I don't even. :|

This shit is not even funny. Go google 'bed bug epidemic'. Being intimately involved with rental property and management, I can tell you, the shit is absolutely insane. But hey, we don't use nasty pesticides!