Top US things to do

Like others have suggested, Oregon (and the Pacific Northwest in general) is fantastic. If you do end up in Portland, take the 30 minute drive out of the city to the Columbia River Gorge.

Not sure if you are staying any amount of time in NYC, but keep in mind that the price at a lot of the museums is "suggested". you can give them $0.01 to get in if you want to. But you can't see special exhibits that have additional charges until you have paid the full fair.

These include the Amer.. Mus. of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Those two are the crowning jewels of a truly huge museum scene (also include the Mus. of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the Frick, The Whitney, The Jewish Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Museum of the city of NY. There is a museum of sex, and many other smaller ones)

Also on the list is the NY Botanical Gardens, and if you are here on a weekend, particularly in nice weather, you have to spend a few hours just walking through Central Park.

For the most part avoid Times Square. It is Disney-NY now and pretty fake. But walk a lot. take the subways a lot. Talk to people.

If you're going to do baseball, keep in mind that (1) about half the time what you're really doing is getting drunk for 4 hours with your friends and (2) the minor league teams can be more fun than the majors. (TBF, though, my local team is the Twins which probably distorts my perspective.)

If you're going to do baseball, keep in mind that (1) about half the time what you're really doing is getting drunk for 4 hours with your friends and (2) the minor league teams can be more fun than the majors. (TBF, though, my local team is the Twins which probably distorts my perspective.)

Hahah, most likely!

(TBF, though, my local team is the Twins which probably distorts my perspective.)

Hey, the Twins are doing pretty well so far this season!

When I was at the Cubs game earlier this month I sat next to a gentleman from the UK. He kindly asked me to explain some of the rules and situations to him and it was fun to teach him how baseball works. He certainly enjoyed the great hot dogs and peanuts and Chicago craft beer, as well as the game. It's just a really pleasant experience.

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I second getting a Pastrami sandwich from Katz's. DO NOT get a burger there. Get a pastrami sandwich and add the deli mustard.

Don't go to Little Italy. Today it is just a tourist trap surrounded and overtaken by Chinatown. Do go to chinatown. A friend who grew up in Hong Kong said it was very reminiscent of the poorer sections of that city.

Eat things you don't recognize, especially if there is a crowd eating them.

Oh, and if you have a choice of spending your money on accommodations or on food, spend it on food. If there is a female, still spend it on food. And drink. If she is into you she will appreciate both.

The US is a fantastic place to travel, and I think you've already set your sights on the most interesting way to visit it, if at all possible, rent yourself a car, take your time, and just cruise leisurely across flyover country, its the best way to get to know the people and the place. If I was to recommend anything in particular, visit the less-mainstreamy national parks (ie. Zion instead of Yosemite) which are less overcrowded but no less imposing.
Have fun!

Hey, the Twins are doing pretty well so far this season!

When I was at the Cubs game earlier this month I sat next to a gentleman from the UK. He kindly asked me to explain some of the rules and situations to him and it was fun to teach him how baseball works. He certainly enjoyed the great hot dogs and peanuts and Chicago craft beer, as well as the game. It's just a really pleasant experience.

True, but the local minor league team is the St. Paul Saints. They're owned by Bill Murray and act like it. They've had nuns giving backrubs, games with the umpires replaced with an a judge and a jury, and have done a fundraiser with a local atheist group during which they changed their name to the Mr. Paul Ain'ts. Just hilarious, bizzare stuff.

BTW if you want to see some hardcore 'Murica action go to a rodeo.

BTW if you want to see some hardcore 'Murica action go to a rodeo.

This here actually.

Is there any tips from southern(?) where to see rodeos or anything else that should be known in advance?

I second getting a Pastrami sandwich from Katz's. DO NOT get a burger there. Get a pastrami sandwich and add the deli mustard.

Jeez, this looks awesome.

And it's only like 20min walk from our hotel. 0.8 miles, god damn I will need some app to change miles to km's and so on during the stay..

Jeez, this looks awesome.

And it's only like 20min walk from our hotel. 0.8 miles, god damn I will need some app to change miles to km's and so on during the stay..

he used to have the resturaunt in austin texas (where I live) sadly it ran out of buisness used to be packed daily. i only ever went there once when i was a little kid sadly i never got to eat it again. D: (its great btw from what I remember I don't know where he moved to but it looks like hes back up in business again.)

if your stopping by Austin, Texas. i know where alot of good palces to eat are. it also has good live music venue. South by South West (SxSW) and Austin City Limits music Festival (ACL Fest) (I don't know if those will be going on when your around) there is also the circuit of the americas but thats just a F1 track so its not exactly anything new/american.)

San Antonio has the River Walk, the alamo, and a sports team thats about all i know. I recommend checking out the river walk lots of shops and food stuff like that. alamo probably isn't bad either.

If you're going to be around SF I can suggest a few good national parks.

Muir Woods


Just north of San Francisco Muir isn't very large or remote but it does offer absolutely incredible walks through an old growth coastal redwood forest. The nice thing about Muir Woods is that you don't need to camp out to see it because it is so close to SF. If you're in the city and don't plan to go far you owe it to yourself to visit.

Big Sur


Three hours south of SF you'll find Big Sur which features hikes through old-growth redwoods and along the gorgeous California coast line. In particular I would suggest the McWay Waterfall Trail (second image), Ewoldsen trail, Pfeiffer Falls, and Limekiln Trail. Some of the trails (particularly McWay) can get crowded in the afternoon so the earlier you start the better. Lodging is on the expensive side unless you rent a campground but if you're willing to drive another hour south Gorda Springs offers somewhat cheaper rooms. Finally, an hour drive south of Gorda will take you to Hearst Castle where you can see how the 1% used to live.

Yosemite National Park

Three hours to the east of SF is Yosemite with it's spectacular rock formations and plentiful hiking. The picture doesn't do it justice, those cliffs are HUGE. I haven't been there in ages though so I can't offer too much first hand knowledge.

Death Valley


Being in Death Valley is the closest you will ever get to being on Mars. If you're driving cross country you'll probably pass through Furnace Creek which offers lodging and car camping. Badwater Basin is just south of there and is the biggest draw in Death Valley as it is the lowest elevation in the US but frankly it isn't that impressive. More impressive is Dante's View (first picture) which offers an incredible view of the valley for a small hike, Artists Palette with its multicolored rocks, and Ubehebe crater, an active volcanic field. If you have a vehicle that can handle gravel trails and are willing to drive an hour or two then the Eureka dunes further north and The Racetrack (second picture) south of Ubehebe are also well worth a visit. One thing I cannot stress enough about Death Valley, particularly in the summer, is that you want to start your day just before sunrise. By the time the afternoon rolls around it will be so hot you won't want to do a thing.

Also, here are some things you can do around SF:

Rent a Bike and Ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Marin Headlands

Provides a great view of the city and is one of the most iconic sights to see in SF. Don't do this during weekday rush hours though.

Tour Alcatraz

A bit touristy but still really cool. In particular the audio tour is worth it. You get another great view of the city from the warden's house.

Visit Golden Gate Park

Basically SF's version of central park but with bison. Like central park there are lots of museums scattered around.

Experience the Japanese Tea Gardens

Located in Golden Gate Park the Tea Garden isn't that large but it's well maintained, very relaxing, and quite beautiful. Unleash your inner weeaboo by ordering some tea and mochi there.

Watch a Giants Game at AT&T Park

Order some garlic fries and enjoy the best ball park in America (suck it Chicago.) It might be an odd year but the Giants have been on fire lately as well.

See Beach Blanket Babylon

It's basically The Rockey Horror Picture Show performed live with bigger/gayer hats and more political/celebrity satire. Go in the evening if you go because they censor some of the jokes in the afternoon.

Visit Chinatown

A lot of Chinese restaurants and Chinese stores selling cheap crap. Still looks cool and is plenty historic.

Go Shopping at Fisherman' Warf or Pier 39

Both are tourist traps teaming with stores if that's your thing. Fisherman's warf smells like crabs and has a lot of fresh crab meat for sale while Pier 39 smells like sea lions but doesn't have any fresh sea lion meat for sale.

Visit the Beach

Baker Beach is located in the Precidio and provides a scenic view of the golden gate. Also sometimes nudists in the northern most area. Further south is Ocean Beach, a nice long stretch of sand favored by surfers. In either case the water will be cold as shit.

Visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

If you feel like driving an hour south the boardwalk has a lot of rides and a great beach. Every Friday night in the summer they hold a concert on the beach as well. Santa Cruz in general is pretty awesome too, total surfer town. The water is still cold as shit though.

BONUS:

Santa Cruz Mystery Spot

Nuff said.

Cool stuff, I will move these to board to discuss what we will check out of these!

Man so much awesome stuff to do there, I'm jealous :0 For how long are you gonna be travelling?

I live in alexandria VA. Like alexander said the food in that area outside of D.C. is fantastic.

Make sure you check out the grand canyon. That is definitely a must see on your trip through the west.

Something to consider is a guide book to #1 top destinations in each state. Might make it easier to know what to check out when driving through each state.

Man so much awesome stuff to do there, I'm jealous :0 For how long are you gonna be travelling?

We will travel for one month, so pretty cool!

I live in alexandria VA. Like alexander said the food in that area outside of D.C. is fantastic.

Make sure you check out the grand canyon. That is definitely a must see on your trip through the west.

Something to consider is a guide book to #1 top destinations in each state. Might make it easier to know what to check out when driving through each state.

We'll check grand canyon for sure!