Aussie travelling to USA – your suggestions?!?
My partner & I are travelling to the USA in August/September 2011 and I’d like some pointers from some locals if possible please… We wanted to do so much but after consideration we have realized that we just can’t cram it all into one trip and are best to really have a good look at a couple of places and if need be its just a good excuse to come back for a second trip.
When flying to USA from Australia, you have to fly into LA before anywhere else so we might as well spend a day or two there to start with. My partner really (for some reason) doesn’t want to be in LA so just thought we could do Disneyworld and universal studios in Orlando…
Please see my “hopeful” itinerary below and let me know if you think I should can anything or add anything… thank you for all your help!
LOS ANGELES – 2 days
-Walk of Fame
-Venice Beach
-Sunset Blvd
-Rodeo Drive
LAS VEGAS – 4 days
-Caesars Palace
-Treasure Island
-Bellagio Fountains
-Venetian Hotel/Casino
-M&M/Coca Cola factory
-Cirque Du Soleil (if in town at that time)
-Mandalay Bay Aquarium (maybe not if the aquarium in Miami is better?)
-Grand Canyon
ORLANDO – 3 days
-Disneyworld
-Seaworld
-Universal Studios
-Ripleys believe it or not
-Kennedy Space Centre
MIAMI 2 – 3 days
-Metro Zoo
-Seaquarium
-Maybe do a Bahamas cruise
BALTIMORE 1 – 2 days
-My partner LOVES NFL and we are hoping once the draw comes out we might be able to catch a Baltimore game as they’re his fav team!
NEW JERSEY – 3 days
-Cape May whale cruise
When in new jersey we will be spending time with family so they are going to do the whole “local tour guide” thing, same goes for New York City below, my dad and his partner are flying straight to LA then to NYC and going down to New Jersey for a week and then onto New York with other family for a week also doing the local tour guide thing… I don’t necessarily want to be in Jersey for a whole week so that’s why I threw Baltimore in there… not sure if a trip to see the whitehouse is worth the trouble?
NEW YORK CITY – 7+ days
-Time Square
-Statue Of Liberty
-Brooklyn Bridge
-Empire State Building
-Wall Street
-Central Park
-Rockefeller Centre
-China Town
-Soho district
-Ground Zero (which I believe has now been reinvented into a memorial park?)
-Staten Island
-Broadway Show?! I hope to catch one..
Any suggestions?!
We have a month maximum
Thanks!
check http://www.bayareavisit.com/ for your guide to LA and NYC
There isn’t much to see in Las Vegas, Baltimore and New Jersey
Key West and two national parks( Biscayne, Everglade) are must see in Miami
Unless you’re flying from the west coast to the east coast, I honestly don’t think that’s doable, and still have it be an enjoyable vacation.
Out of a month, you’ve got 23 days allocated. Vegas to Miami is going to be four days of driving, unless you do nothing but drive. I just punched it in on Google maps, and they’re saying 40 hours of driving. Getting off the Interstate to get to the Grand Canyon and back kills close to three hours, plus you’ll want to spend some time there.
Orlando to Baltimore is about 15 hours, so that would burn another day, and Baltimore to New Jersey kills another half a day, as does LA to Vegas.
Unless you like to gamble, I’d cut one or two days off Vegas. Outside of the casinos, there isn’t a whole lot to do, and traffic on the Strip is a nightmare most of the time (It’s generally as fast to walk, and is less frustrating). If you are flying from the west coast to the east, a day trip to the grand canyon will burn an entire day. You can easily see all the casinos in one day, and hit the Circ show in the evening.
I always think DC is good for a day (I once spent an entire day just in the Air and Space museum). Driving and parking in DC is a hassle, so it might be easier to go to Baltimore first. You can then take Amtrak from the airport to Union Station in DC, which is centrally located, and one of the stops on the DC metro. Seeing the White House is very cool, and you may be surprised–from Pennsylvania Ave (which is the front of the WH), it’s really not as big as most people think
You should fly into and out of Hawaii…
Two, three day trips in Hawaii….It is a long flight and Hawaii seems to be the midway point and is paradise. To US…Australia to Hawaii…From US…Denver to Hawaii…
From Hawaii, fly straight to Las Vegas…3 days…with a long flight it will be more like 2 days in LV
LV to Miami…3 days (fly)…it will really be 2 days because the flight should take up a day…
Miami to Orlando…3 days (drive)
Orlando to Baltimore…1-2 days (fly)…just to let you know, the NFL might go on strike, so that means a possibility of no games…if this happens, go to DC for 1 or 2 days…
Baltimore to NYC…5 days (train)…5 days is long enough…a lot of these things you list can be experienced in a few hours.
NYC to New Jersey…3 days (train or drive)
New Jersey to Chicago…3 days (fly)…Willis Tower, eat on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building, and many other experiences
Chicago to Denver…2 days (fly)…you have to see the Rocky Mountains
Other things…
For flights inside of the contiguous US, fly Southwest Airlines…it is good service and cheap…