A big 3 weeks US trip in 2011

If you're coming into Los Angeles, I suggest a day at Disneyland in Anaheim, or at least a few hours at Hollywood and Highland (home of Grauman's Chinese Theater).

A drive from the LA area to the San Francisco area takes approximately 8 hours. I suggest staying in Oakland rather then SF proper. Lodging rates are considerably less expensive in Oakland.

 

Not a whole lot in Miami other than South Beach and fishing. Considering the cost to get there it is not worth your time. If you want to come to Florida visit the Central Florida area eg Orlando where you can visit both Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Daytona Beach all within a short drive.

 

I'm with revmitch about Miami. Unless you have family there you wish to see, I'd say Miami wouldn't be worth the trip.

 

I suggest that if you're going to be anywhere near the Orlando area, I highly suggest spending at least a few days on Disney property. Disneyland Paris doesn't remotely compare to the four Disney theme parks in Orlando. I would at least suggest Disney's Animal Kingdom if your time is limited.

I'm somewhat of a Disney Park entusiast. I live near Disneyland in Anaheim, and have am a Disney Vacation Club owner in Orlando. I'm in Orlando about once a year.

 

If by Secession war, you mean the war of northern aggression that Lincoln started against the south, you should stop by the "CYCLORAMA" in Atlanta.

It may be just because I was born and bred "southern", but that display was a very moving experience and the fact of so much "brother against brother" violence in that senseless & un-necessary war really ripped my heart out.:tear:

 

What do you mean by typical?

 

They are clean and well kept but very basic.

 

St.Augustine Florida has quite a bit and the local income is tied up in things like old forts and jails, the fountain of youth etc. You can easily drive from Orlando to and from and see the sites in one day. Most of that history is tied up in the spanish occupation of Florida.

 

http://www.oldcity.com/attractions-sightseeing-information.cfm

 

Sounds like a great trip. Personally I do not care much for Miami.

On the Grand Canyon, I like the north rim better than the south rim. It is 1000 feet higher and not overrun with tourists. It is a bit more difficult to get to, but to me it is worth the effort.

If you have time rent a car and drive California Rout 1 through the Big Sur. You would go north if you are driving from LA or south if you are in SF.

You can save quite a bit of money by stopping at grocery stores and purchasing food. Many have Deli's and will make good sandwiches for you. They also have good salads. Another option is to buy bread and sliced mean and cheese and make your own sandwich ... stay away from American White Bread ... it is an abomination before the Lord in my opinion. Usually you can buy a decent loaf of bread, especially if the grocery store has a bakery. They will slice the specialty bread for you on their machine.

 

Spear, if you want to save some money, here's a few tips that may help you:

Find a motel that has a refrigerator and microwave in your motel room. Also, see if you can find motels that serve a continental breakfast. Holiday Inn is a good motel chain that usually has breakfast and many times, the option of the fridge and microwave. This will save you on food. You will find that in the USA, our restaurants serve much larger meal portions than in Europe. It is perfectly acceptable here to ask your waiter for a "doggie bag" or "to-go box" to take your leftover food home with you. You can take this back to your room and put in the small refrigerator and microwave it later for another meal. My European friends tell me taking home leftovers is frowned on over there, but here it is very common and even expected. Expect to tip your waiter 15% of your total bill. We usually do not tip at fast food restaurants, or at cheap motels like the ones mentioned so far in this thread.

You will find that the bigger the tourist attraction, the more money you will be charged, especially for food or water. For example, a normal restaurant might charge between $1-$3 for a hamburger, but at a theme park you might pay $5 for the same burger. If possible, schedule your meals around the times you will be in tourist areas and buy food from local grocery stores instead of eating at restaurants.

Crabby is right about our white bread. I suggest you swing by West Virginia and I'll gladly give you a loaf of my homemade bread that I sell at our local farmers' market!:laugh:

I have good friends in France, so if I think of any other tips, I'll add them to this thread.