My Itinerary - Does it look ok? - USA and Canada in 10 weeks - Page 2 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

affectstrike · 01-08-2007, 04:10 PM

a few suggestions from someone who is from the la area and currently lives in san francisco: sf is a great place for tourists, and much easier to get around in than in la. though you will have a car, so that makes it a bit easier... los angeles and its surrounding cities are fairly spread out. i think a thomas guide of la and orange counties would be a really good investment if you'll be driving around there (http://www.randmcnally.com/rmc/store...hdghf.0&cmty=0) i just know it's personally indispensable for someone like me, with no sense of direction. some of my favorite things around la (that others have enjoyed visiting):
-the beaches
-disneyland
-the getty museum
-the museum of contemporary art
-the natural history museum and la brea tar pits
-restaurants, clubs, etc. that you might have seen in movies. if you've seen the movie swingers, one of my favorite places to have drinks is the dresden room (where marty & elaine perform).

crime in la? i guess, if you're in bad neighborhoods. but i don't think la is any more unsafe than any other big city. i'd just follow a general rule and say if it feels uncomfortable, don't stay there.

as for san francisco, i have plenty of suggestions as to things to visit here!
regarding the 7 days in las vegas, i've been to vegas before and i think you could do with 2, tops. it's fun if you have money for gambling, food, tourist traps, but gets tiresome fast. i would add most of those days onto another destination.

**omisan** · 01-09-2007, 03:11 PM

I'm going to add to the chorus of folks saying spend more time in San Francisco. WAAAY cooler than LA

**indierock05** · 01-10-2007, 11:35 AM

Dude, Detroit is not the bad. I was born in raised in the suburbs and spent much of my time there. Also, if you stay in the downtown area and don't go floating into the West side there is no worries. I'm a girl and have walked around there many of nights, normally intoxicated, and no worries. It really is a beautiful city and I can tell you some places to hit up, in and around Detroit. Also, down south is definitly the place to go. It has a lot of culture and is amazing, I've been here for about 4 years now and I love it.

lula · 03-23-2007, 06:33 PM

i might be biased, but really do spend a bit more time in san francisco. yes, i do live hear, but i've also done the all american road trip, and this is really the most beautiful city in the US. i just posted a list of things to do if you're interested. anyway, you should be warned, there's just not a whole lot in the middle of the country, besides pretty countryside and all of that.

no offense to everyone, but i spent last summer driving from la to ny, looking forward to discovering the quintessential "american small town" that us city folk tend to romanticize, and frankly, i just didn't find it. we took the 40, and it was just truck stop after truck stop (all the same corporate chain), with a sprinkling of fast food places and a walmart every few hundred miles (all identicle big chain places).

nashville was definately the highlight of the south for us, but that might be because we had friends there. anyway, the california coastline is amazing, try taking highway 1 (pch) between la and sf, time permitting. yosemite is also very cool, but you have to get out of the lower valley, and away from the tourists to really enjoy it. have fun!