Posts Tagged ‘USA’
RTW in the USA: West Coast edition
Monday, September 21st, 2009
This is the 4th and final installment in my series concentrating on places in the continental United States that RTW travelers should consider. Even though I violated some naming rules in the process, I divided the country into 4 vertical slices, so you can catch up with my East Coast, Midwest, and Great Plains editions if you like.
Once again, the idea behind this series is that the USA is a monstrous place and visiting anything approaching it “all” would take a lifetime and also be really boring. So in that spirit I’ve identified places around the country that are different enough from other things you’ll see so you can determine if they work into your trip or not. Just like any other country on the planet, the US has plenty of cities that are great to live in or even great to visit if you’ve got a reason to go, but that just aren’t different enough from one another to justify the trip for most people.
West Coast cities to consider
Seattle, Washington – It’s been a while since Kurt Cobain and a few other musicians helped put Seattle on the global culture map, and that phenomenon has faded a bit in the last few years. Still, Seattle has plenty going on and it’s somewhat unique, at least if you aren’t also visiting Vancouver, BC or Portland, Oregon. It’s also fairly cheap compared to the California cities, which is another plus. If you go between November and April then you should expect cool and drizzly weather, but it’s not really as bad as many say it is. If you are looking for something to explore between California and Canada, this has got to be on your list.
Portland, Oregon – To me this is a perfect example of a nice city with a great quality of life that is also cheap, but honestly there isn’t anything here (it’s where I live now) to really distinguish the place. There are no tourist attractions at all, unless you count the huge and awesome Powell’s City of Books. It’s like a smaller and less chaotic version of Seattle, with cheaper beer, so it’s a fine stop if you are taking a car or the train up or down the coast, but don’t get your expectations too high.
The coast of Oregon – If you have rented a car and are driving up or down the coast, this is an excellent detour. The scenery is similar to most of California, but it’s almost empty by California standards, so finding cheap camping or a cheap hotel in summer is relatively easy. The whole area feels a bit forgotten by most US standards, so it has a slightly eerie feeling to go along with the natural beauty. Driving up and down the coast of Southern California is like being in a parade, so if you have the choice this is better.
San Francisco – Everyone always says, “San Francisco is America’s most European city” so naturally Europeans would want to go there, right? Everyone should definitely try their best to work San Francisco into their itinerary, but don’t expect to be reminded of Europe. There are homeless people panhandling everywhere, for example. This is a very interesting and unique city with plenty to see and do, but unless you are staying in a tourist district you’ll find the public transportation sucks and things are still weirdly spread out. It’s also a beautiful city, mostly because of the flowing hills in each direction, so make this a stop and try to stay somewhere central if you can. You won’t regret it.
The California coast – If you are driving between Los Angeles and San Francisco, then you have a few choices, and one of those is doing much of the trip on Highway 1 along the coast. During summer you can expect terrible traffic, and every hotel or motel you’ll see will be really expensive, but it is quite scenic so it can be worthwhile for some people. There are a few interesting cities along the way, plus the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, but if your time is limited you could skip this whole thing.
Santa Barbara – This isn’t an obvious choice at all, since Santa Barbara is known as the home and playground of the idle rich, but it’s actually a very cool city to spend a day or two in. The downtown area (on State Street) is unique and old school by California standards, and everything is walking distance, including a huge selection of bars that attract university students as well as locals. There are a few cheap hotels and hostels downtown, and if you can stay in one of those for a day or two you will probably love it.
Los Angeles – This is where I grew up, and I still have a love/hate relationship with the place, but even when describing the parts of it I hate I still contend that this is one of the world’s great cities and you have to visit at least once, at least for a few days, or you have no right to criticize the place. Hollywood sucks and isn’t nearly as fun as it should be, but if you are into entertainment at all you should probably check it out anyway. Downtown is getting better but still doesn’t have much to see unless you are really interested in some extreme ethnic neighborhoods.
Santa Monica and Venice Beach are probably the best places to stay and hang out, and you might think about the South Bay (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach) if you aren’t in too much of a hurry, since those areas are really nice yet don’t have too many tourists to worry about. Orange County doesn’t offer much that is special, though a drive along the beach in Huntington and Newport is worth a few hours at least once in your life.
Try to spend at least 3 nights here, and also think about basing yourself in more than one place during your stay. This city is so spread out that it’s impossible to deal with or understand if you try to see it in a day or two just to say you have.
San Diego – I put San Diego in the same category that I do Portland, Oregon, in that it’s a nice place to live but there aren’t many unique things to see. It’s all exactly like Los Angeles and Orange Counties, but with fewer hyper-aggressive people. If you just want to chill by a decent beach for a few days then San Diego is probably better than Los Angeles, but it’s all pretty forgettable if I’m being honest. Taking a day trip down into Tijuana is a must though, as it’s unlike anything you are likely to see anywhere else in the world, including other parts of Mexico itself.
Tags: itineraries, rtw, USA
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RTW in the USA: Great Plains edition
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
This is Part 3 in a series of 4 articles that give recommendations for places in the United States that those on a RTW trip might consider visiting. The “Great Plains” has a specific definition that I’m mostly ignoring here, by the way. I’m dividing up the US mainland in 4 parts, and this article covers the western half of the country, except for the West Coast, which will be covered in Part 4.
In case you want to follow along, you can see the RTW in the USA: East Coast one and the Midwest edition in order to catch up.
Once again, here’s the premise: Everyone knows that the US is ridiculously large and spread out, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit almost every corner of it on various road trips and other journeys over the last couple of decades. If you have 6 months to spend in this country, then you can just get here and go wherever you please, and if you only have time to stop in 2 or 3 cities on this trip, then you probably already know which ones appeal to you (and will work in your itinerary). But if you have a month or two, and especially if you will have access to a car or don’t mind taking the buses around this country, this series of articles might help you decide which cities to consider when you are planning your round the world trip.
And, as I’ve said before, this country is filled with cities that are excellent places to live for a variety of reasons, but most of them aren’t really “special” enough to go out of your way to visit unless you have many months or another specific reason to go there. So if a city you like is left off this list, it’s not because it’s boring or a bad place, it’s mostly because it’s not unique enough for visitors to consider as a special stop, at least in my opinion.
Great Plains cities to consider
Austin, Texas – If you are at all curious about “Texas” and you can only choose one city then this is the one to pick. It’s historic, and the state capital, and it’s also a fantastic college town with amazing nightlife and one of the best communities of tech people and artists in the country. But there is also barbeque and Tex-Mex restaurants, and most of the other common clichés about Texas at your fingertips as well. It’s smaller than Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, and that’s a good thing. Spending a night or two in the 6th Street entertainment district is something you won’t soon forget, and it’s pretty cheap here as well.
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota – This is where you’ll see those 4 presidents’ faces carved into that enormous rock in the side of the mountain. It’s pretty spectacular, and the national park surrounding the sculpture is more impressive than you might think, but the whole thing probably isn’t worth going too far out of your way for. If you are driving across the country along this route then it’s only a few miles out of the way and you totally should stop to see it. Otherwise, probably not.
Yellowstone Park – This claims to be the first-ever national park in the world, and it’s the largest and most famous in the United States. If you are a true nature enthusiast, and especially if you are on a long road trip, then this place could be a great stop for a few days, but be warned that outside of the warm summer months this place is almost completely shut down. If you think you’d like to see it but are wondering if it’s too far out of the way then you might consider Yosemite Park in Northern California instead. That one is only a few hours drive from San Francisco, and it’s quite similar to those of us who aren’t forestry students.
Santa Fe, New Mexico – Back down south, you have this interesting city that, like Austin, Texas, contrasts well with everything else around it in the state, while still giving you most of the charm of the region. Santa Fe is hundreds of years old, which is quite rare for this part of the world, and in the last few decades it’s gained a reputation as being one of the major art centers in North America, at least in some respects. This mountainous area is really beautiful, and the downtown area is charming and unique, though it can be a bit expensive.
Sedona, Arizona – This small town is dramatically set among red rocks, that can look otherworldly in the right lighting, so if that sounds at all interesting then it’s worth considering a visit. Sedona is also known as a major destination for “spiritual (but not religious) people” from around the world, and many claim there are energy vortexes that can be easily felt by those perceptive few who know what they are. Regardless of whether you are into the new age aspect of this place, the scenery is stunning, and the famous Pink Jeep tours of the nearby canyons are unforgettable.
Grand Canyon, Arizona – Chances are, you’ve already made up your mind whether you really want to visit this place or not. I’ve been there probably around 10 times, starting around the age of 5, so it doesn’t really feel special to me, but many people feel that it’s nearly a religious experience since it’s such an extreme example of topography that isn’t found anywhere else on the planet in this scale. During summer it’s packed and expensive, and during winter it’s cold and not very accommodating, so avoiding both of those extremes is good if you can pull it off. The South Rim is very commercial and easy to reach, and the North Rim is neither of those things, in case that sounds a bit better.
Las Vegas – In spite of being only a few hours by car from the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, as you might imagine, is the exact opposite of the Canyon in almost every way. And for that exact reason, it’s highly recommended that everyone check it out at least once in his or her life. Everything is so out of scale and over-the-top that you won’t believe your eyes. Through 2008 Las Vegas had become quite crowded and weirdly expensive, but that has all changed in 2009, and it’s likely to stay that way for years to come. There are a few real hostels in Las Vegas, but they aren’t in good locations, and the Vegas hotels are now fighting to stay even half full, so visitors can practically name their price.
Feel free to chime in with your thoughts, as I know this is a subjective list and mine is only one opinion. But I know that none of these places are really in the Great Plains by the traditional definition, so there’s no need to point that out.
photo by nikkorsnapper on Flickr
Tags: rtw, USA
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RTW in the USA – Midwest edition
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
This is part 2 in a series of 4 articles that will suggest places to consider in the US for those on a round the world trip. The first part covered East Coast suggestions and the final two will be the Great Plains (more or less) and the West Coast.
If you are from another country then you might find choosing which places to visit more than a little daunting. This country is huge and getting from one place to another is rarely easy, cheap, or convenient. If you are going to spend 6 months in the US then you can hit most of these suggestions plus many other places in between, but if you are limited to a month or two, you’ll want to pick carefully.
I’ve spent a couple decades criss-crossing the country myself and checking out everything I could. As I mentioned in the previous article, there are plenty of really wonderful cities that are fantastic places to live, but still aren’t really “special” enough that they are worth going out of your way for.
By the way, there are many different definitions of Midwest, but for this I’m just considering the Eastern half of the mainland that doesn’t border the Atlantic Ocean.
Midwest cities to consider
Chicago – If you aren’t skipping everything in between the coasts then this should be one of your highest priorities. I’m from Los Angeles and I’ve lived a long time in New York City, but still I will admit that everyone loves Chicago when they visit. It’s huge and busy, but still the people are noticeably friendlier than on the coasts, the food is excellent, and there are tons of worthwhile museums and attractions. There are also dozens of ethnic neighborhoods that feel authentic and are easy to reach, so there’s a good chance you can find an expat community from your home country here.
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Tags: midwest, rtw, USA
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RTW in the USA – East Coast
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
If you are planning a round the world trip, and you are from either the US or Canada, then the list below will mean very little to you, and it might even make you laugh or motivate you to disagree. But we know that plenty of people from Europe and elsewhere go on RTW trips, and those who are coming through the United States would have every right to be baffled about which places to hit and which aren’t worth the time.
This series will cover the entire United States, but we’ll start with just the East Coast states here.
My criteria
I’ve lived in many different cities in the US (plus in Amsterdam), and there’s a big difference between a nice city that is pleasant to hang out in or live in, and a city that is so special that it’s worth going out of your way to see. For example, I currently live in Portland, Oregon, and it’s a fantastic place to live, but I wouldn’t even put it in my Top 20 if I were making recommendations to a foreign friend who wanted to tour the States for the first time.
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Tags: rtw, USA
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