Planning a trip to the Americas

[Mirajj]

Calgary Stampede

If you ever do get down this way, look me up. I'm a resident Calgarian.;)

[kandrathe]

They are actually, at least for some things. Circus World that I mentioned is something like 65% of the visitors are from what is considered the midwest, but that doesn't mean there isn't cool stuff to see, it's just different from what many think of as tourist stuff. :)

Yeah, I take the boundary waters area and the north shore of Lake Superior for granted. It's like in the sweltering heat of July we take a 3 hour drive and boom, the temperature drops 15 degrees. Most people are not into miles long backpack hikes and primitive camping like I am, so for me it's very easy to find a camp site. It's only bad when there is a camp fire ban (due to some people not following Smokey's advice and all).

Chicago is a great city, and the greater Chicago area has tons to see and do. I spent a week there with some Aussies and South Africans during some rugby championships and we spent far too much time in sports bars watching games, and then going to blues clubs afterwards. I guess its near a lake too.

[DeeBye]

Please don't insult Canada like this again.;)Canada in any season is a great place to visit, though to really get the most out of your visit, come here during the winter.

I'm giving you a high-five over the internet.

[VinnieJones]

If you ever do get down this way, look me up. I'm a resident Calgarian.;)

That explains so much! :P Go Oilers!

[Jim]

Hi,


I'm from the old school & would recommend a Tour, no matter where you land here in the USA, 2 weeks is not enough time to do both coasts by car !

While in the Navy I visited many Ports, first thing I did was look for a Tour of the Area...Yes, sit on a bus with other visitors & see the Sites :w00t:

Tomorrow I'll go to the Bar with the boys...45 years later I remember the Tours, Not the Bars. (ok, 1 bar the one I got arrested in by the MP's) :blush:

New York, Florida...We have not decided on anything yet, and we're still considering our options. We also talked about touring the west coast and seeing San Fransisco, Vegas, the Grand Canyon and San Diego. My friend also mentioned in passing that she'd like to visit a texan ranch and do like a packaged tour of ranchy stuff.

Above in the quote are your Standard tourist spots. You might want to let your Interests be your guide for your Visit :wub:

[Mirajj]

That explains so much! :P Go Oilers!

Yep. Been watching them "go" right towards the bottom of the league (again). ;P

[Nystul]

I went to a youth Congress in DC when I was a high school senior and we hit most of the places you just mentioned. I'd say the Air and Space museum ranks in the must see category for any DC visitor. Anyways, it was the typical 95 degree drought type of summer, and it was funny to see how the kids from different states and countries reacted to the heat. Most of us thought it was quite dreadful. The guys from the northwest could not believe the humidity. This girl from Texas though: for a bus trip to Georgetown or something while we are all wearing collared t-shirts and shorts, she decides it is cool enough to break out the denim jacket. I haven't been to Texas in the summer, but I can only imagine...

[SpazBear]

You're Norwegian? You should come to Minnesota!! You'll be right at home. We even celebrate Syttende Mai!

While here, we'll make fun of you like you make fun of us.

You can be an ambassador for your country and help heal the rift.

You want shopping?? Biggest mall in the States

I don't know if getting here is cheap from Oslo. Flights to Amsterdam via NWA/Delta or KLM are quite reasonable, usually. Is Oslo to Amsterdam fairly sheap?

[eppie]

Argentina is cheap, especially in the less touristic areas. Their peso is linked to the dollar, so still especially cheap for europeans......and if you are from Norway beer is cheap anywhere....you could consider a holiday in sweden for cheap beer.:)
If you go to weeks to the US I would not do any internal flight but rent a car. So fly somewhere, drive around and fly back from the same airport ) or another but realise that drop off charges for rental cars can be high.
Think about what you like most...cities, national parks, beach or a combination. Make sure to take your time. E.g. if you go to the grand canyon it is nice to go and walk all the way down and up again...this mean that you should take a day for that (6 hourse if you are fast). You can just drive up there, take a glance over the edge and drive on again but it is not the same.And as I said before, 2 weeks is too little to see everything, so why not take it easy and make sure you enjoy the things that you choose to go and see and not rush off to quickly.
West coast is quite nice for an ittinerary. So can do some desert (arizon is fantastic) combine it with vegas, LA anda bit of west coast for the beaches. Yellowstone is fantastic, but you have to combine this with seattle (or salt like city, and make you trip in the north west. New England is nice, but less spectacular in terms of nature although the cities are nices (especially boston of course).
The midwest is not worth a visit for your first USa trip, unless you want to see real american life (I like to drive around there, but I think not everybody does). If you go east coast, you will focus on the cities (boston, NY, DC and that you can combine with a flight to miami for some beach life) you can rent a car for a few days to visit Great Smokey Mountains and Shenandoah for some nature. And for shopping; some of the new england states have 0 % sales tax.

Please let us now what you are planning etc.....to keep this thread interactive. I am also still waiting for Gekkos europe trip stories.:)

[VinnieJones]

Yep. Been watching them "go" right towards the bottom of the league (again). ;P

Yeah, nothing new about that though sadly, however I'm one of the few that's always there to cheer regardless of their play. At least this way you get another fan come playoffs time since I cheer for the closest Canadian team still in it.

[LochnarITB]

You're Norwegian? You should come to Minnesota!! You'll be right at home. We even celebrate Syttende Mai!

While here, we'll make fun of you like you make fun of us.

You can be an ambassador for your country and help heal the rift.

You want shopping?? Biggest mall in the States

I don't know if getting here is cheap from Oslo. Flights to Amsterdam via NWA/Delta or KLM are quite reasonable, usually. Is Oslo to Amsterdam fairly sheap?

Oh, for some reason, I had always thought you were from Sweden. Even so, you could also go an hour north of Minneapolis/St. Paul to Mora, Minnesota (near and dear to my heart), where Norwegians and Swedes freely co-mingle:o, and visit the Dala Horse commemorating the sister cities of Mora, Minnesota and Mora, Sweden.;)

[Artega]

I'd definitely suggest stopping by Texas. It's a completely different place from the rest of the country. Then again, I am a Texan, so I may be a bit biased.

San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin are great places to visit. Houston in the summer is definitely not a place to be; very hot, and very humid. I'd say San Antonio and Austin are the places to go. You can see The Alamo at San Antonio and eat some amazing Tex-Mex food there, and the Riverwalk (don't worry, it's a major feature of the area, you'll be able to get directions easily) is great. A little toasty in the summer, but the humidity's relatively bearable. Austin is home to an amazing local music scene and is overall a great place to be; big city things in a much more manageable area. Whether or not you like the music is really a matter of taste... I personally prefer foreign bands like Opeth and In Flames to a lot of American music, amusingly:)

[kandrathe]

The Midwest is not worth a visit for your first USa trip, unless you want to see real American life (I like to drive around there, but I think not everybody does).

What!?!

:lol: You just don't know what to look for! Next time you come the the Midwest, let me know and I'll plan an itinerary that will blow your mind. For some flavor, check out this photographer from Mpls who catches some of the best sites -> http://flickr.com/photos/waynephotoguy/ .

[eppie]

What!?!

:lol: You just don't know what to look for! Next time you come the the Midwest, let me know and I'll plan an itinerary that will blow your mind. For some flavor, check out this photographer from Mpls who catches some of the best sites -> http://flickr.com/photos/waynephotoguy/ .

That is a great idea. I will contact you when I will go there.
My point was that somebody that visits the US (or 'somewhere in the americas') for the first time and only has two weeks will probably not to go to the midwest.

[kandrathe]

That is a great idea. I will contact you when I will go there. My point was that somebody that visits the US (or 'somewhere in the Americas') for the first time and only has two weeks will probably not to go to the Midwest.

I understand. It would entirely depend on what they wanted to see, though. For example, some of the best jazz and blues in the world comes from Chicago. If you were really into hiking and camping in near pristine wilderness, then northern Minnesota offers some of the most accessible and astounding natural beauty. Then you come across amazing things in places you may not think of stopping like the city museum in St. Louis (http://www.citymuseum.org/home.asp ) where you take the eight story spiral slide down from the tenth floor, only if you successfully navigate the maze to get there. This museum also has a section devoted to the "Museum of Mirth, Mystery, and Mayhem" which sports the worlds largest pencil (21,500 lbs) and the worlds largest pair of underwear.

Anyway, the point is... If you wanted to spend two weeks in the Midwest, depending on your interests, it can be time well spent. Of course, if you are into surfing, then California or Hawaii are better choices.

[Roland]

I personally prefer foreign bands like Opeth and In Flames to a lot of American music, amusingly:)

That's just because the style of music you enjoy originated, and became popular, more in Europe than the U.S. Opeth and In Flames in particular originated in Scandinavian countries, but I'm sure you already knew that.:)

I still prefer Communic, myself.

[[wcip]Angel]

Dear all
Thank you very much for your impressively thought-through suggestions.:)There is more to America than I ever knew. It's always been a dream of mine to experience this country. I've studied America in school and at university, I've watched the movies and the television-series and I've spoken with numerous Americans, both fine and asinine.:)Consider yourself firmly placed in the former category, fellow lurkers!

(Yes, I am Norwegian. Appreciated the links, Spazbear;))

You might find it a slap in the face after all this, but it seems our destination will still be Miami. *facepalm* My friend is hellbent on seeing those sandy beaches. She's been watching too much CSI, if you ask me, but there you go.

I will however, bookmark this thread from here to eternity. Your sound, wise and generous suggestions will not disappear into the midst of the icky goo that is the Internet. I do want to return for an extended stay and visit what this vast landmass has to offer.

Should this thread bleed into obscurity, I'll ressurrect it somethin' fierce come June/July with fresh pictures of our trip.

Again, gratitude.

[kandrathe]

Angel' date='Jan 12 2009, 02:02 PM' post='159914']
Dear all
Thank you very much for your impressively thought-through suggestions.:)There is more to America than I ever knew. It's always been a dream of mine to experience this country. I've studied America in school and at university, I've watched the movies and the television-series and I've spoken with numerous Americans, both fine and asinine.:)Consider yourself firmly placed in the former category, fellow lurkers!

(Yes, I am Norwegian. Appreciated the links, Spazbear;))

You might find it a slap in the face after all this, but it seems our destination will still be Miami. *facepalm* My friend is hellbent on seeing those sandy beaches. She's been watching too much CSI, if you ask me, but there you go.

I will however, bookmark this thread from here to eternity. Your sound, wise and generous suggestions will not disappear into the midst of the icky goo that is the Internet. I do want to return for an extended stay and visit what this vast landmass has to offer.

Should this thread bleed into obscurity, I'll ressurrect it somethin' fierce come June/July with fresh pictures of our trip.

Again, gratitude.

So like South Beach or Key Biscayne then? You will be close to Miami, but more in the heart of the tourists area. But, be sure to check out everything thoroughly in advance. I like to use Trip Adviser. I'm not you, but I would rather spend the money staying at the A rated B&B in Key Largo (like Dove Creek Lodge) 60 miles south of Miami for the same price you'd spend staying on South Beach at the C rated hotel. I can't afford the $600+/night to stay at the A rated places on the beach. You can always drive up to South Beach for the evening if you'd like, but if you find its not your scene then you don't need to go there. When you know the exact dates for departure post it here and I can research things that are going on in the area you may want to know about. I always find its fun to participate in some of the local events when I travel (like fairs, street dances, festivals, etc.).

[eppie]

Angel' date='Jan 12 2009, 07:02 PM' post='159914']

Should this thread bleed into obscurity, I'll ressurrect it somethin' fierce come June/July with fresh pictures of our trip.

Again, gratitude.

Florida never appealed to me but in 2005 we decided to go there. And despite part of the holiday was ruined by hurricane Wilma (although experiencing such an event in the safety of a south beach hotel was unforgettable) I really enjoyed it and was surprised by the beauty.
Of course we were there in off season, so I guess what Kandrathe said about hotels is worth a check for you seeing you go in main season.
Because the everglades were closed due to water damage we ended up in Myakka state park in the direction of Tampa....this was very nice....especially the canoeing on the river in between the alligators.


When you have time try to go to dry tortugas NP (a few hours by boat from key west) you can stay there overnight (very limited so you have to reserve I think) on one of those tiny island.....should be amazing.