Hey I will be finishing my degree this summer and I have decided I would like to go explore California for a few weeks before I start my job. So I suppose I am looking for some advice from people who have experienced this or done something similar. I have a two other holidays on the go with uni mates etc but I would like to do this one by myself so I will have approx £1500 to spend. Cheers
I've also thought about this Do you have any idea how much its going to cost you for travel? i've always wanted to spend a few weeks in the US
Flights to LA stopping in JFK are around 600 pounds return, But I think its prob going to be another 100ish for buses etc while I am there.
Thats not a bad price to be fair i was looking once and was coming up around £450 one way ticket I was planning to go there with friends and just see where we end up probebly not a great idea but atleat there won't be a lanuage barrier
I would say it really depends on what you want to see. I personally didn't like LA very much, I prefer San Diego and San Francisco. Both cities have quite decent public transportation, and there is tons of stuff to do for free/cheap. I'm relatively certain that there is a youth hostel just outside San Diego (La Jolla iirc).
I stayed out there for a week, and the only thing I can take away from it is don't go. I couldn't stand the people, the transit, or pretty much anything else about the area. I covered from Indio all the way to San Jose, and I didn't find a place I could stand for even a few hours. YMMV, but I thought it was pretty much the worst place I'd ever been.
I echo this - I had a lot more fun in SD and SF. LA seems like the kind of place where you need to know people there who can take you places to get the best out of it. I stayed at hostels in all the places mentioned and they were fairly inexpensive (although this was about 5 years ago). Would recommend them both although it is still worth hanging around Venice beach, it was very entertaining (full of absolute nutbags). If you can, also try and squeeze in a cheeky trip to LV - the greyhound from LA is peanuts and you can get really cheap deals staying in a hotel in a casino. Its worth it for a night or two, just to explore a bit, and there is always loads going on. I wouldn't say it was my favourite part of the US. I haven't been everywhere but I personally loved Arizona. Texas also is good for novelty. GL & HF - if I can help you anymore, feel free to ask (ahhh, the memories)!
Really ?? Well the main thing I want to see is the Golden gate bridge and the grand canyon (architecture student) I am told the people in LA aren't the best my initial plan was to do LA in a day then catch a flight or bus up to San Francisco stay there for a 4-5 days, then do Vegas and The Grand Canyon. That just a loose plan I want to give myself plenty of time to get distracted. Mark
Third person to echo LA is horrible if you don't know people there. Best to make SF your base and take a day trip to the popular LA tourist spots. Alternatively Vegas first then on to LA and finally to SF.
the best places imo to visit are san diego, yosemite (in the summer when you can get to half dome by car), and the sequioas the road along the beach is nice too.. berkeley can be fun if your young- places open all night around campus the air is nice and clean around stanford unlike the valley- but not much to see really, unless you want to check out the campus montery to santa cruz is a pretty good drive too.. you can visit cannery row and the montery aquarium.. there's lot's of vineyards if your into wine tasting up around hursts castle actually hursts castle is a very good touristy thing to do here.. you'll leave pretty amazed at what he built we've traveled a lot- so anything you want to see specifically, just ask.. probably been there san fransisco can be fun.. the bay bridge in, make sure you see china town.. not every part of san fran is lovely.. the local parts you'll start seeing crazy things like naked people running around.. locals there don't seem to care either you might catch that guy on the docks- he performs with his son now in silver paint as the tin man was just there recently actually avoid oakland if possible.. you'll see what I mean if you accidentally stray too far they would love to get their hands on a couple of british guys over there best places imo- yosemite, sequoia national park, san diego- have a nice aquarium there too, and hursts castle
yeah I feel you.. san jose xD you go through livermoore, los banos xD it's all mexicans and beer cans- actually pretty much the entire central valley is like that.. all agriculture you would love modesto.. they just did a bust and like half the town is now missing
you and your homophobia As for other things to do in and around San Diego- -Sea World -The Aircraft carrier down in the harbor (USS Midway) -Gaslight district, usually a decent number of the bars have live music -Balboa park -San Diego Zoo and Wild animal park -Open mic night (monday iirc) at the tiny venue next to Lestat's coffee shop up in Normal Heights is usually good (and sometimes awful, but entertaining nonetheless) -There used to be (3 years ago now.... wow it has been a long time ) a really awesome frozen yogurt place at the intersection of Robinson Ave, and Park Blvd, in Hillcrest. I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but they had 8 or nine soft serve flavors every day, and about 100 different toppings at a topping bar.... I ate way to much of the stuff, lived right around the corner.
hehe well that's san francisco, castro.. oakland is really run down in comparison- meant gangstas you'd end up then whip cream in the banana splits.. hurst castle think would be a perfect trip for foreigners this time of year.. spring and summer time is better for the parks san diego is a lot of fun.. medieval times is pretty fun if you go around that area too.. knotts berry farm one of my favorite parks- there's even a ripleys believe it or not museum across from medieval times- has a real human shruken head I like it cause end of the cow corral they had a iq test.. that's always funny to try with friends.. find the dumb one if you go to medieval times though.. make sure you ask the guy in the armory if he'll let you hold the swords.. they're the real deal oh yeah forgot to add.. if you go rambo and just wherever and up in fresno- we have some of the best theaters around.. try edwards =]
DO NOT MAKE ANY PLANS From experience I can say that any plans WILL fail an you will find yourself somewhere where you have no idea of how to move on, and that is really the best case scenario as it is then you really are travelling. Have your ticket home and then just go wherever the wind takes you. I have found that going somewhere as a tourist is great, but going somewhere as a traveller is the only proper way to experience any place.
I'll add another vote against Los Angeles. I visited once and it really is one of the nine layers of Hell. My father has been traveling back and forth to the San Francisco area, and I hear very few negative things about it. If you're intent on going to Las Vegas, I would recommend getting a really cheap hotel room just off the strip. If you really want the casino experience, then stay in one of the less popular casino/hotels located a few blocks off the strip. Either way, you'll save money. The major casino/hotels on the strip aren't worth it, and since you'll be out walking around anyway there really isn't any point in overspending for a room that you'll only be in for a few hours a day. The whole area isn't so large as to preclude walking, but there are buses and the monorail system that runs along the East side of the strip is nice when your feet hurt at the end of the evening. If you have time, Freemont Street (the original Las Vegas Strip) is worth a visit. The ceiling light show is more entertaining than most of the crap on the new strip (excepting perhaps the Bellagio fountains). As for food in Las Vegas, I highly recommend Battista's Hole in the Wall (located just behind the Flamingo casino). I've recommended it in similar threads, and it's just about the only thing I look forward to in my yearly trip to Las Vegas. The rest of the city can fold under the collective weight of its grimy facade, but as long as that restaurant survives Ragnarök then I'm happy. I've never made it out to the Grand Canyon. I may have to try that one of these years. That and Hoover Dam.
any bars you'd recommend in vegas super? I was in espn once and told the bartender about mixing jd and horchata.. he said he might put it on the menu- just never went back to check.. had my plywood down my pants already though noticed you like anything with the word 'hole' in it
I usually end up at the Nine Fine Irishmen pub/restaurant; it is located in the New York New York hotel/casino. Like most places on the strip, it is overpriced and tailored for the tourist rather than an authentic atmosphere, but I don't really drink that much so it's not really a problem for me. The main reason I end up there is because I like the house band, Sin e Ri Ra. Pro tip: The step-dancer is hawt . One of my British co-workers introduced me to McMullan's Irish Pub last year. We saw a band called Darby O'Gill and the Little People. My co-worker likes that place better because it's a little closer to home for him, and from what I can remember, the food was pretty decent.
