Top US things to do

This is not CoH related post, not meaning USF here.

So, we're doing coast-to-coast trip in US starting next week.

Top US things to do. ©

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visit small towns, go to local diners where regulations don't have a reach and have the most disgusting, cancer ridden yet delicious lunch ever. and make sure they use transfats and a lot of MSGs.

maybe it will be cool to go through towns where all these racial/class related protests are on. see some cool-kitted cops and watch democracy at works. i personally always wanted to drive through real baltimore's bad neighborhoods after watching The Wire.

visit small towns, go to local diners where regulations don't have a reach and have the most disgusting, cancer ridden yet delicious lunch ever. and make sure they use transfats and a lot of MSGs.

maybe it will be cool to go through towns where all these racial/class related protests are on. see some cool-kitted cops and watch democracy at works. i personally always wanted to drive through real baltimore's bad neighborhoods after watching The Wire.

We have added some movie/series spotted on our route. I think we'll find some excitement though on having New York license plate and then driving through the southern route (I've read somewhere that there might be some comments from locals if they see northern plates). Hopefully they notice that the car is rental.

Good suggestions, diners and small villages are definitely on our route and I'm curious to visit some.

The D.C. area is really nice this time of year, come tour the monuments. Old Town Alexandria (near where I live) has some of the best sea food on the entire east coast!

The D.C. area is really nice this time of year, come tour the monuments. Old Town Alexandria (near where I live) has some of the best sea food on the entire east coast!

We will visit DC at the early part of our trip. However, I don't think we will be spending too much time there. Most likely visit the monuments and politically important places.

the monuments are great. and there is a vendor who sells fake military patches smack dab in the middle. i got a few lel.

We will visit DC at the early part of our trip. However, I don't think we will be spending too much time there. Most likely visit the monuments and politically important places.

D.C. honestly has the best selection of restaurants on the east coast, I would linger a while longer at least just to see everything and eat somewhere new every dinner/lunch. You can easily spend a few days and not run out of stuff to do.

Come up north, to Massachusetts. Some of the best seafood around, and you'll also discover why drivers from around here are universally referred to as 'Massholes' )))))))))))))

Come up north, to Massachusetts. Some of the best seafood around, and you'll also discover why drivers from around here are universally referred to as 'Massholes' )))))))))))))

witness the gentrification!
it might be one of the better ways to get a sense of culture if you can catch a bohemian sort of area, before they turn into BMW dealerships.

west to east, as far as destinations are concerned i guess off the top of my head,
san fran's china town, the golden gate, seattle + space needle :3
grand canyon, mt. rushmore, yosemite & yellow stone park, decayed detroit, deep dish pizza in chicago, new orleans, driving through vermont, niagra falls / great lakes
i was taking high school physics when i visited kennedy space center, that was a really cool trip that tied things together steeped in the history and the narrative.

personally i would try to find people willing to let you stay in their home, you could be extreme and sort of couch surf, it seems renting places are trendy at the moment, but it's always nice to get a guide in places you think look cool, who better than people who live there. on the topic of accomodations too, since schools "out" if you're looking for places to stay, university dorms may be offered to rent out for a night, they'll usually be cheaper than hotels AND be situated in cool parts of town.

a tip i've learned while traveling is: follow the food!! you'll learn a lot about the area and the people that live there if you can find out where all the him places to eat are, where people are congregating, sharing a sandwich and a story. these will usually be the sort of epicenters of communities, and also give you a great feel for the place, and what they revolve around. it will be tough on the road, but if you plan a route, try and find any seasonal events that are going on, like BBQ cook outs in memphis for instance.

I agree most that you're saying turbo, but travelling with 4 guys it might be difficult to convince stranger to take us to their home.

I agree most that you're saying turbo, but travelling with 4 guys it might be difficult to convince stranger to take us to their home.

yeaahhhhh. i sorta disregarded the "we're" part xD
sry, just tell 'em your european and well adjusted!!

erm... yeah, hahaha. i suppose just ask around, obviously weekdays ppl'll be workin' but, i'm sure waiters and bar staff, information center attendee's, they'll all have their opinions on where to go, and you'll be able to make your choices from what sounds cool!

also, i think now the expectation is a travelogue.

Well if you are in New York you should definitely go to the world trade center. They have this sweet elevator that shows you the city being built as you rise to the top floor.

Also the food, everything is delicious in Manhattan. Just don't try to drive there. You'll be stuck in traffic for hours and there is no parking, just take the subway around.

Yep we will get our car after we leave New York.

I'm confused with the current World Trade Center situation. Is it called One World Center where you can go to the site seeing spot?

How long do you have to make this trip?

One piece of advice. Stay off the interstate highways. You will see much more of the local flavor if you do.

Are you zigzagging around or driving "straight"? Because if you go straight there is no way to not miss things. But there are places to see all over though some regions are more densely packed than others. Distances here can be vast in comparison to those in Europe.

The US does not have the density of things to see or the depth of history as in Europe or Asia. Much of what there is here is the landscape, the national parks, etc. And the people can be lovely. Engage them. I come from a European family but do a lot of business in the rest of the country and I have found Americans can be very friendly and honest. They can have a lot of preconceptions, but the truth is so do people from other countries.

Read food blogs or check out the show (or their website) of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" for some good local food all around the country.

How long do you have to make this trip?

One piece of advice. Stay off the interstate highways. You will see much more of the local flavor if you do.

Are you zigzagging around or driving "straight"? Because if you go straight there is no way to not miss things. But there are places to see all over though some regions are more densely packed than others. Distances here can be vast in comparison to those in Europe.

The US does not have the density of things to see or the depth of history as in Europe or Asia. Much of what there is here is the landscape, the national parks, etc. And the people can be lovely. Engage them. I come from a European family but do a lot of business in the rest of the country and I have found Americans can be very friendly and honest. They can have a lot of preconceptions, but the truth is so do people from other countries.

Read food blogs or check out the show (or their website) of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" for some good local food all around the country.

Good stuff, thanks!

Our trip will last for 4 weeks. We have created a shared google maps and there is a lot of pins regarding those national parks. Mostly they are near west coast.

Everyone seems to emphasize the meaning of food places. I need to add some pins to our route based on the stuff I find on internet.

-EDIT- And yes, if our route is drawn on a map, we will do some zigzagging atleast.

The D.C. area has a lot of cool museums that are big and free of charge to enter, such as the Air and Space Museum or the Natural History Museum. There is also an International Spy Museum in D.C. which I have been to, but it's not as big as the others and costs like $20 to get in. Still a cool place to check out.

Any chance you're coming down to Florida while on the East Coast? The beaches on the Gulf Of Mexico side are really nice this time of year. There's always a ton of stuff for tourists to do in Orlando, namely the theme parks and water parks, and Disney.

And yes as mentioned early by others, one of the big aspects about America's economy and tourism is it's food industry. Eating food out at restaurants with the family has been a large part of American culture since the post-WW2 era in the early 1950s. Mainly due to the large surplus of food America was able to produce thanks to the genetically-modified food technologies developed by British scientists of the time, as a means of combating the food shortages in mainland Europe caused by the war.

Unfortunately we have to skip Florida this time. We simply run out of time. My brother is with his friend at the same time in Florida and we will meet in Las Vegas so I just have to settle for the pictures he has taken.

Yep we will get our car after we leave New York.

I'm confused with the current World Trade Center situation. Is it called One World Center where you can go to the site seeing spot?

Yeah that's the one. I don't think you are going to miss it, it's the biggest damn building in the city. Nice and shiny too.

Could always check out Astoria, Oregon. Over 300 movies have been filmed and produced using Oregon's varied scenery, most notable in Astoria is of course The Goonies which is a bit of a cult classic from the 80's.

There is also an arcade there, awesome place to visit if you like old cabinet games. Also there is a restaurant there called the Columbian Cafe. Had the best hand-rolled fettuccine with a extremely smooth smoked sockeye and smoked cheddar sauce. It was divine.

Kind of expensive but worth the trip to try their food.

Fair warning, everything in that cafe is hot, temperature and spice wise.