USA branch FAQ

This branch covers: Mainland USA, Hawaii & Alaska

So many posts request the impossible - that a bunch of people who have never met you magically intuit how much you have to spend and what will make you happy on vacation, generally planning out your route for three months and helping you get discount flight reservations.

So, what can you do to get great travel advice?

1. Do your homework
The web is filled with basic information like how far it is from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, or how to get from JFK to Manhattan (all major US airports have websites with transit info). Google is your best friend. See the list of indispensable sites below. Get your basic info first, then you can ask intelligent questions on the TT and pick the brains of the many knowledgeable locals who frequent this site just hoping someone will ask about a romantic B&B in New Orleans or a baseball g... more »

Road trip from NYC area to Richmond va or outer banks

Really need ideas for a slower paced road trip , as in minimal driving but maximum activity between westchester county ny and Richmond va at least possibly onto the outer banks round trip

We are four active people mid 40s and early 20s , with mixed interests , theme parks, history etc

Love kayaking, active tours eg Segway ,keeping active - sleepy areas great for a short while but interactive stuff great for us that said however we will also need a couple of days to veg out

We have 12 days in August to have as much fun as possible any ideas how and where ?

Would appreciate any suggestions

Brunch in Miami Beach

Hi

In Miami Beach, I saw a 45$ brunch @ the Nikki Beach.
That's cool but I wanted to know if a less expensive brunch exists, in a restaurant with an access to the beach still.

Thank you for help.

Marcin

Parking in San Francisco

Can anyone recommend a good hostel that has free parking included in San Francisco? Or anywhere else I may be able to park for free? Thanks!

Louisiana and Texas Road Trip

Hey

My boyfriend and I are flying into New Orleans on June 5th. We are planning on renting a car and travelling around Louisiana and Texas for two weeks. We are also thinking of going to a Rodeo in Texas.

We would appreciate any suggestion of fun places to visit. We are in our mid 20's and from Ireland.

Thanks :)

Tusayan to Grand Canyon for sunrise

Apologies if this question has already been posted but I cant find the answer. We are on a bit of a whistle stop tour so only have 24 hours at the Grand Canyon, we are staying in Tusayan (Red Feather Hotel), we will arrive about midday on the Tuesday and plan to do an afternoon walk and watch the sunset, we then want to get back the following morning for sunrise and then a walk before heading back to our hotel for about midday.

My question are:

1. how can we get from Tusayan to the South Rim in time for sunrise as from what I’ve read the shuttle bus doesn’t leave that early from Tusayan, only from the village. We have our own car, but I’m not sure you can drive all the way to the start of the trails?

2. I’m assuming when we arrive on the Tuesday we can get a shuttle bus from Tusayan to the park easily enough to do a 3-4 hour walk and then the bus back again af... more »

4 day adventure vacation suggestions needed

My husband is coming back from an 11 month deployment and we will have 4 days of vacation time. We want to do something off the beaten path, but no laying around on a beach. Has to be in the continental US and stick to the 4 day time line, not a huge budget. White water rafting? Budget Windjammer cruise? I need suggestions of what trips you went on and loved!

Alaska - using public transport for 3 week trip, June

Hi Guys,

I'm off to Alaska on Saturday for a 3 wk trip & as the title suggests, I'm planning to use public transport to get around as I'm travelling alone and not on a massive budget. I therefore plan to stay in hostels wherever possible and will be taking my tent/backpacking gear (18kg's!)

I was thinking of bus to Homer, then to Seward (although Homer to Seward busses only run once a week?), bus to Whittier, Juneau area (via ferry), then making my way from South East overland to Fairbanks via Haines Junction & then back to Anchorage for my return flight via Danali Nat. Park. I'll miss McCarthy though if I follow this route.

Would be nice to do some backpacking/mountain biking/(kayaking maybe) and see some bears etc so any advice about where to go & how to do it on public transport/hostels will be gratefully received.

Also, is Alaska having a cold summer so far as temperat... more »

Portland to Olympic National Park - 1 week

I will be traveling with another person to Portland, OR and Washington towards the end of August for one week. I have never been to this area of the country before, and I'm really excited about this trip. We don't have much of an itinerary yet, other than this: spend a day in Portland, head to see Mount St. Helens and spend a night somewhere, then head to Olympic National Park. What I want to do is a lot of hiking and taking in the "great outdoors." We also talked about driving up the coast of Oregon to Olympic. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good 1 week itinerary? Is Mt. St. Helens worth seeing, or should we skip it and head to the Columbia River Gorge or McKenzie area instead, and then drive up the coast?