3 Week Trip to the USA, Itinerary Advice
Replies: 20 - Last Post: Dec 14, 2012 2:18 PM Last Post By: smartcookiee
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3 Week Trip to the USA, Itinerary Advice
Hi guys,I've been avidly researching the forums, the internet and Frommers/lonley planet guide for my upcoming trip to the USA in January.
I'm a 25 year old single guy, and I'm planning on backpacking on most of this trip from the grand canyon onwards! I've come up with two itinerary's, could you all please provide me with some advise?
What sort of holiday I'm looking for:
-sightseeing (historical/museums)
-hiking (doing a 3 day hiking tour in the grand canyon)
-shopping (outlet, bargain, fashion forward clothes)
-Partying (clubs/bars)
-experiencing culture
My questions
-Not sure if I should go to new orleans or not. This would result in an additional day of travelling. I could either go to new orleans or spend more time in LA/NY or alternatively fit in San Francisco? What would you all recommend?
19/01/2012 Saturday vegas
20/01/2012 Sunday vegas
21/01/2012 Monday vegas
22/01/2012 Tuesday Drive to Phoenix (See Hoover Damn on the way)*
23/01/2012 Wednesday Grand Canyon Hiking Tour*
24/01/2012 Thursday Grand Canyon Hiking Tour*
25/01/2012 Friday Grand Canyon Hiking Tour, Arrive at 5pm in Phoenix, fly to DC Overnight*
26/01/2012 Saturday DC
27/01/2012 Sunday DC
28/01/2012 Monday DC
29/01/2012 Tuesday NY (train from DC in the morning)
30/01/2012 Wednesday NY
31/01/2012 Thursday NY
1/02/2012 Friday NY
2/02/2012 Saturday NY
3/02/2012 Sunday NY to SF (overnight)
4/02/2012 Monday SF
5/02/2012 Tuesday SF
6/02/2012 Wednesday SF to LA
7/02/2012 Thursday LA
8/02/2012 Friday LA to Melbourne (home)
Am I spending the right amount of time in Vegas? I really want to spend a lot of time in NY to take it all in
or alternatively:
19/01/2012 Saturday vegas
20/01/2012 Sunday vegas
21/01/2012 Monday vegas
22/01/2012 Tuesday Drive to Flagstaff
23/01/2012 Wednesday Grand Canyon Classic
24/01/2012 Thursday Grand Canyon Classic
25/01/2012 Friday Grand Canyon Classic, bus to phoenix
26/01/2012 Saturday Phoenix to New Orleans (southwest airlines)
27/01/2012 Sunday New orleans
28/01/2012 Monday New orleans
29/01/2012 Tuesday New Orelans to DC
30/01/2012 Wednesday DC
31/01/2012 Thursday DC
1/02/2012 Friday NY
2/02/2012 Saturday NY
3/02/2012 Sunday NY
4/02/2012 Monday NY
5/02/2012 Tuesday NY
6/02/2012 Wednesday NY to LA
7/02/2012 Thursday LA
8/02/2012 Friday LA to melbourne
Any travel advice?
Thank you in advanced!
Edited by: kumarx
1
Forgot to add, I really wanted to go to New Orleans to experience 'southern culture' and more importantly, southern food!Thank you!
3
It doesn't make sense to drive from Vegas to Phoenix and then backtrack to the Grand Canyon. You can drive directly from Vegas to the Grand Canyon. To be nitpicky, New Orleans is it's own culture with its own food (Cajun/Creole) and not particularly "southern." I'd try to include it as it is very unique and it will be warmer than DC and NYC. On the other hand, San Francisco is a "must" in my opinion. I'd take it over New Orleans and pretty much anywhere other than NYC. If it were me I'd steal a day from NYC and not spend any time in LA and instead add those days to San Francisco.4
To be nitpicky, New Orleans is it's own culture with its own food (Cajun/Creole) and not particularly "southern."
Not being nitpicky at all. I've lived in the south and have visited New Orleans. I wouldn't waste my time in New Orleans looking for hush puppies, meat-and-threes, peach cobbler, or a meal of greens, beans, and cornbread. OTOH, I wouldn't waste my time in the south looking for po-boys, jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish etoufee, muffulettas, or beignets. And then there are always dry counties...kumarx, enjoy New Orleans, but don't kid yourself for a moment that you are experiencing "southern" culture and/or food there.
5
In Version 1 "22/01/2012 Tuesday Drive to Phoenix (See Hoover Damn on the way)" I assume Phoenix is a typo for Flagstaff. In any case, go to Flagstaff.On the main question as posed, N.O vs. S.F: Both great cities, but you've said you want to experience a southern culture, and we have little else to go on. Between that and the fact that SF will be available to fly into from Australia on a future trip, I'd say New Orleans this time.
There's excellent other-southern cuisine available in D.C , by the way. B. Smith's, Georgia Brown, and Firefly come to mind.
The US date convention is Month/Day/Year.
6
OP, you say you are "backapcking" but you have an expensive trip lined out there. So, assuming money isn't a probelm, I'd modify your two proposed plans into an third option that takes the best of the original two:-3 days Las Vegas (including tour to Grand Canyon and day hikes at red rock park or other)
-Fly Las Vegas to New Orleans 3 days music, eating and partying
-Fly New Orleans to New York, 4-days New York (if you can afford it).
-Bus or train to Washington DC and stay 4 days
-Fly Washington DC to San Francisco and stay for 4-days (visiting outlying areas like redwood park).
-AMTRAK or fly to Los Angeles and stay the last 3-days
7
If you would forget Vegas you could see the best in the USA, San Fran, New Orleans, Wash DC and NYC. Vegas is overrated and the biggest tourist ghetto in the Western Hemisphere. When in San Fran, go to Yosimite for a great national park, the Grand Canyon is great, but you need 3 days minimum IMO to hike and enjoy the scenery.Wash DC has a lot of free museums, all the Smithsonians, and they are 3 hours each.
NYC is the place to enjoy nightlife and partying and clubbing. Not that San Fran and N.O are not fun, just a different more defined genre that NYC, which has something for all lifestyles.
Best outlet for fashion and designer is Woodbury Commons outside NYC, you can take train or do a tour/shuttle from hotel. The other really good one in near Palm Springs CA, at Cabazon.
San Fran has a lot to do both nature, wine country, arts and food, so 4 days is hardly enough IMO.
9
This is one the best drives in America, allow 3 days for SF to LA.Also, for good southern food, head to North Carolina, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or head to Charleston SC, one the nicest historic old cites in the US. Low Country cuisine, farm to table, and great plantations, cafes, seafood and nightlife. Asheville and Biltmore estate are also worth 2-3 days, great arts, blue grass and folk scene, young hip and trendy too...
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/the-food-lovers-drive-along-the-blue-ridge-parkway
10
Echoing others. Skip Vegas (It seems every traveler coming to the US from down under or Europe wants to do Vegas - I don't get it - is there some hit TV show abroad based there or something? It is a horrible place, unless you like cities as theme parks.). Definitely skip Phoenix. Echoing #9, if you have car allow more time from drive from SF to LA along Highway 1 and 101. Of course, a big pacific storm could change that. Since it's January, I might also recommend replacing DC with New Orleans in itinerary 1. Both DC and New York will be cold, cold, cold.11
But #1 all the free museums and attractions in DC.will be warm,warm warm...Where incidentally does the OP say they wish to drive, San Francisco to LA ??? carracar14
Hi guys,Thank you all for your replies, you've all been a lot of help! I do love to party and I am an engineer, so I'd really like to go to vegas to check out the ridiculous amounts of money people have spent to build these engineering 'marvels'. This is also another why I want to go and see hoover damn as well.
I'm not interested in driving from SF to LA due to time constraints, I'll be flying most of the time. Lets say that money isnt an issue, the main reason I am 'backpacking' is because I will be by myself and its a great way to meet people!
I've taken out new orleans as it would mean loosing a day, getting there is a bit of a hassle. I've also decided to spend a lot more time in SF as well.
In terms of the grand canyon, I am going on a guided hiking tour led by Just Roughin` it tours for 2night/3days which will take me in the canyon. We will be camping and hiking during this time. the tour company said they can either pick me up from Phoenix or Flagstaff, I thought there would be more to do at night in Phoenix than in Flagstaff, that's why I thought I might drive there instead.
What are your thoughts on this? Phoenix and Flagstaff, they both seem pretty boring TBH lol.
I've revised my itenerary based on your recommendations. I figure i can sample great southern food in new york, or DC as recommended before. I'll definately be comming back to america again, so i'll probably check out central america next time including new orleans, texas and a bit of south america as well.
19/01/2012 Saturday vegas
20/01/2012 Sunday vegas
21/01/2012 Monday Drive to Flagstaff (leave vegas at 2pm, see hoover damn on the way!)
22/01/2012 Tuesday Grand Canyon Hiking Tour
23/01/2012 Wednesday Grand Canyon Hiking Tour
24/01/2012 Thursday Grand Canyon Hiking Tour, Arrive at 5pm in Phoenix, fly to DC Overnight
25/01/2012 Friday DC
26/01/2012 Saturday DC
27/01/2012 Sunday DC
28/01/2012 Monday NY (train from DC in the morning)
29/01/2012 Tuesday NY
30/01/2012 Wednesday NY
31/01/2012 Thursday NY
1/02/2012 Friday NY
2/02/2012 Saturday NY to SF (overnight)
3/02/2012 Sunday SF
4/02/2012 Monday SF
5/02/2012 Tuesday SF
6/02/2012 Wednesday SF to LA
7/02/2012 Thursday LA
8/02/2012 Friday LA to Melbourne (home)
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