Help me decide where in the USA to visit next summer!
Hi everyone, was just wondering if anyone could suggest a good destination in the US to visit next August (2015). My partner and I are 21 and 25, we're from the UK and would love to visit the US... but there are so many places to choose from it's difficult to decide! We've briefly looked into Florida, California and New York, but thought I'd ask here and see if I could get some advice from people who actually live in the US, who can maybe recommend states/places that are interesting and maybe not so typically touristy.
We would just love somewhere with hot weather, interesting stuff to see and do (vague but we are open to any kind of place!), with nice bars and with good vegan food available!
Any suggestions would be lovely, thank you in advance
We would just love somewhere with hot weather, interesting stuff to see and do (vague but we are open to any kind of place!), with nice bars and with good vegan food available!
Any suggestions would be lovely, thank you in advance
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Replies
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How long are you going to be here for?0
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if you plan on hitting a beach, go to cali or florida, but if you want the opportunity to explore a wide range of cultures nyc is awesome.0
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For sure NOT Florida in August, too darn hot and humid.
New York or New England is nice in August, or if you can bare the plane ride, take the train from Washington down through California wine country. North California is brilliant too.
What exactly are you looking to do here? Do you want to be on beach? On a mountain or in a city? That is what will determine where you should go.
Atlanta is good option for nice bars and restaurants plus culture.0 -
Given that it's such a HUGE place, it's going to be hard to narrow down.
But let's start with the vegan food part. I reckon your best bet is New York, or else Los Angeles. You could do the golden triangle of LA, San Fran and Vegas.
When I visited Florida I found it difficult to find veggies.....0 -
How long are you going to be here for?
10-12 days, maybe a little longer if I can make the budget stretch that far!0 -
How long are you going to be here for?
10-12 days, maybe a little longer if I can make the budget stretch that far!
New York City is EXPENSIVE, I am talking London expensive but you can stay outside of the city and take the subway or bus into town. At your age, you would love it but I do want to stress again how expensive it can be, especially for 10 to 12 days.
Atlanta may also be worth checking into. It is nice sized city but way cheaper than NY. It has a lot of things to do.0 -
Given that it's such a HUGE place, it's going to be hard to narrow down.
But let's start with the vegan food part. I reckon your best bet is New York, or else Los Angeles. You could do the golden triangle of LA, San Fran and Vegas.
When I visited Florida I found it difficult to find veggies.....
Veggies are plentiful and cheap in Florida. We have thousands of farmer's markets because we grow so much produce. Stay out of chain restaurants, and veggies are everywhere.
That being said, Florida in August is what I imagine hell would be like if it was humid. NYC smells like urine the most in August, and Las Vegas will cause sunburn if you stand outside for more than 3 minutes. I've spent way too much time in all three of these places in the Summer, and really can't recommend them. Unfortunately, if August is the only time you can travel and you don't foresee a Christmas trip to the US anytime in your future (these three places are best at Christmas), then go to NYC and just get used to the smell.
I would visit San Francisco and drive around the area and go to Napa Valley. That is probably my favorite part of this country any time of the year.0 -
How long are you going to be here for?
10-12 days, maybe a little longer if I can make the budget stretch that far!
New York City is EXPENSIVE, I am talking London expensive but you can stay outside of the city and take the subway or bus into town. At your age, you would love it but I do want to stress again how expensive it can be, especially for 10 to 12 days.
Atlanta may also be worth checking into. It is nice sized city but way cheaper than NY. It has a lot of things to do.
there are tons of things to do outside of the city as well, less than 50 miles out of the city and there are hiking trails in beautiful state parks and wineries, boating, beaches Etc... but you are right. it does get expensive in NY0 -
Given that it's such a HUGE place, it's going to be hard to narrow down.
But let's start with the vegan food part. I reckon your best bet is New York, or else Los Angeles. You could do the golden triangle of LA, San Fran and Vegas.
When I visited Florida I found it difficult to find veggies.....
Veggies are plentiful and cheap in Florida. We have thousands of farmer's markets because we grow so much produce. Stay out of chain restaurants, and veggies are everywhere.
That being said, Florida in August is what I imagine hell would be like if it was humid. NYC smells like urine the most in August, and Las Vegas will cause sunburn if you stand outside for more than 3 minutes. I've spent way too much time in all three of these places in the Summer, and really can't recommend them. Unfortunately, if August is the only time you can travel and you don't foresee a Christmas trip to the US anytime in your future (these three places are best at Christmas), then go to NYC and just get used to the smell.
I would visit San Francisco and drive around the area and go to Napa Valley. That is probably my favorite part of this country any time of the year.
If you truly love the beach, then Florida in August is great, but if you're from the U.K. then you will find it incredibly hot.
I'll definitely second the Napa Valley/Sonoma County idea.0 -
Honestly, it all depends on whether you want to visit a lot of places and get a little taste of it all or go to a few places (or one place) and really experience it there.
My guess is that it is the former. I would recommend (depending on your budget) to go to New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and LA. Each has something distinct for you to experience.0 -
CALIFORNIA!0
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My favorite area of California is San Diego- it's just beautiful. I've also found it much easier to find healthy meal options in CA; there are so many vegans and vegetarians that menus have more choices for them. California wine country a close second.0
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I'd vote for New York since I can personally vouch for the availability of vegan food, but you should seek out places online beforehand, as not every place to eat has lots of vegan options. Also, all chain restaurants in NY are required to list calories, but I'm not sure about the other cities. There's a lot of variety as far as activities, including typical tourist stuff, but certainly much more.0
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I'm English, but my sister and I went to the US in 2003. We started off in San Francisco, then rented a car and drove to LA, then went on to Vegas, and flew back from there. In SF we did the usual tourist things - walked around, went on a tram, visited Alcatraz, did a bay cruise, went to Fisherman's Wharf, went to Golden Gate park etc. I really loved it there because you can walk a lot and explore.
Driving to LA was lovely too, on the Pacific Coast Highway. If I did it again I'd stop off for longer in Santa Cruz. We did spend the night in a little cabin in Big Sur somewhere (I think. That wasn't booked in advance.)
LA itself was a bit disappointing, so I'd spend less time there. We stayed near Venice Beach, and it was nice hiring a bike to cycle around there. Santa Monica was worth a visit. Hollywood was a big let down.
Vegas was definitely worth a visit, but I'm not sure I'd go back there.
I'd like to have headed further South, to San Diego, as I've heard it's lovely there.
If I went to the US again, I'd like to go to New England.0 -
In august it's gonna be warm everywhere. Florida in August is brutally hot & humid.
I say California if you want laid back beaches. NYC if you like excitement and culture.
New England is nice in the summer too .0 -
Alaska is fantastic in August.
I live in the Kansas City area, which is very hot and humid in August, and not generally thought of as a big tourist destination. We do have some unique attractions though, such as the Steamboat Arabia Museum showcasing a Missouri River paddleboat that sank in 1856 and was excavated from beneath a farmer's field in the 1990's.
It is possible to take a coast-to-coast trip by rail, with stops along the way. I don't know how expensive this is, or how long it takes, but my aunt and cousins did this a number of years ago and had a great time. They scheduled extended layovers in several cities to visit family and friends, so they made a whole summer of it.
Nebraska has the Strategic Air Command museum, if you're interested in aviation or military history. Omaha, Nebraska has a really amazingly great zoo.0 -
Vegas, duh.0
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My favorite area of California is San Diego- it's just beautiful. I've also found it much easier to find healthy meal options in CA; there are so many vegans and vegetarians that menus have more choices for them. California wine country a close second.
I'm sorry, but on what planet is San Diego a tourist destination?0 -
Come to Arizona.
Fly in to Phoenix, but stay in Flagstaff.
Visit the Grand Canyon, but invest the extra time to go to the less touristy North Rim.
Take a day and go to Sedona for a Pink Jeep tour of red rock country.
Spend a couple of days in Phoenix (you said hot weather, right?) stay at any of the cool resorts and take a spa day.0 -
Myrtle Beach has great weather, bars, and golfing!0
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You could fly into Houston Texas rent a car and drive to New Orleans and then over to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My wife and I had the same dilemma when we went to the UK. So we toured from London down to the stonehenge then to Cardiff and then up to Northern Wales before coming back to London.
So, there is a lot to do and see is the point. I highly recommend renting a car and driving.0 -
Honestly, it all depends on whether you want to visit a lot of places and get a little taste of it all or go to a few places (or one place) and really experience it there.
My guess is that it is the former. I would recommend (depending on your budget) to go to New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and LA. Each has something distinct for you to experience.
NY: 2 days: See the major museums, visit Central Park, go to a Broadway musical, visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, walk around Midtown, do other touristy things... there are so many that it is hard to list.
Chicago: 1.5 days: Visit Navy Pier, go to the top of the Sears Tower, go to a Cubs game, visit some of the awesome museums there as well0 -
I'm a sightseer type myself. . great outdoors, rather than urban jungle. . I'd pick Yellowstone. . It's sitting on top of a Volcanic Caldera (basically a massive state-sized volcano). . the Geo-thermal features are unbelievable and the wildlife is out of this world.0
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I'm sorry, but on what planet is San Diego a tourist destination?
My planet. I love the Thai food in the university district, and I spent three days at the zoo staring at the tapirs. I got to know a little bit about their nap schedules, and I watched one of them spray pee on a group of old women.0 -
I'm sorry, but on what planet is San Diego a tourist destination?
My planet. I love the Thai food in the university district, and I spent three days at the zoo staring at the tapirs. I got to know a little bit about their nap schedules, and I watched one of them spray pee on a group of old women.
Ugh....0 -
Southeastern Utah is beautiful. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are both very close to Moab. You can camp at either, if you like, or stay at a hotel in Moab, Utah and drive in each day. There are a lot of trails for hiking, and make sure you take a camera with a huge memory because you'll be taking tons of photos. It's 'red rock country' (the rocks are actually red ... lots of sandstone) and natural-formed arches and bridges and other rock formations are all around.
It does get very hot there in August, easily into the upper 90s. It's also quite dry (humidity in the teens or lower) so plan on having lots of water with you on your adventures - there is running water in the campsites, I believe, so you don't have to pack it all in, but on the hikes it's easy to get dehydrated if you don't plan properly. Still, well worth it!
Grand Canyon is a few hours south, in Arizona, so if you have the time/money you could possibly hit both. (A few days in Moab area, a few days in Grand Canyon)0 -
I'm English, but my sister and I went to the US in 2003. We started off in San Francisco, then rented a car and drove to LA, then went on to Vegas, and flew back from there. In SF we did the usual tourist things - walked around, went on a tram, visited Alcatraz, did a bay cruise, went to Fisherman's Wharf, went to Golden Gate park etc. I really loved it there because you can walk a lot and explore.
Driving to LA was lovely too, on the Pacific Coast Highway. If I did it again I'd stop off for longer in Santa Cruz. We did spend the night in a little cabin in Big Sur somewhere (I think. That wasn't booked in advance.)
LA itself was a bit disappointing, so I'd spend less time there. We stayed near Venice Beach, and it was nice hiring a bike to cycle around there. Santa Monica was worth a visit. Hollywood was a big let down.
Vegas was definitely worth a visit, but I'm not sure I'd go back there.
I'd like to have headed further South, to San Diego, as I've heard it's lovely there.
If I went to the US again, I'd like to go to New England.
I'm going to agree with most of this post. Coming down from San Fran to LA along the coast is beauty. In a train it's drunken responsibility free beauty. Stay somewhere along the way if you drive that's a good idea too. Venice is not nor ever has been my personal favorite but mostly any other beach, I like. Try Huntington or Redondo for something casual but off the beaten tourist path. If you must say where you went and it must be a name, try Malibu or something. For a truly eye opening vacation experience to write home about try Black's Beach. (you can thank/kill me later)
As far as LA sucking just don't come here again. Please and thank you.
As for Las Vegas being a dissappointment, it's not California so that's okay you feel that way (get a map). Plus really it's too much for one trip. I think the ideal way to see Cali is top to bottom San Fran, LA, San Diego area. Make sure you see chinatown, koreatown, and hotel del/legoland respectively.
To me that also lets you fly in and out of NON LAX airports and if you take the train down the coast you can keep your foreign driving off our roads. We have enough traffic problems as it is without you europeans driving all backwards and autobahn style. (amtrack.com) For the best experience take a hint from the Canadians and show up sans any pretentious accents or elitist attitudes. Please and thank you.
ETA: you could also take the train from LA to San Diego along the coast and depending on the time of the year you might get mooned by the locals in San Clemente.0 -
Hi everyone, was just wondering if anyone could suggest a good destination in the US to visit next August (2015). My partner and I are 21 and 25, we're from the UK and would love to visit the US... but there are so many places to choose from it's difficult to decide! We've briefly looked into Florida, California and New York, but thought I'd ask here and see if I could get some advice from people who actually live in the US, who can maybe recommend states/places that are interesting and maybe not so typically touristy.
We would just love somewhere with hot weather, interesting stuff to see and do (vague but we are open to any kind of place!), with nice bars and with good vegan food available!
Any suggestions would be lovely, thank you in advance
California definitely has lots of vegan restaurants, San Francisco is lovely in August, lots to do in San Francisco, the Napa Valley wine country is close and then Lake Tahoe is close too and very beautiful and relaxing. Then you could drive down the coast highway stopping in Monterey and Santa Barbara before getting to Los Angeles. Or you could do Los Angeles and San Diego, there is a lot of touristy amusement park type stuff to do there. If you want beaches to lay out on Southern California because the water is too cold in Northern California. Since I grew up in the Southern California area I prefer the San Francisco, Napa, Lake Tahoe area to vacation. Have fun planning!0 -
I'm sorry, but on what planet is San Diego a tourist destination?
My planet. I love the Thai food in the university district, and I spent three days at the zoo staring at the tapirs. I got to know a little bit about their nap schedules, and I watched one of them spray pee on a group of old women.
Ugh....
Sounds like a winner! :laugh:0 -
Savannah, Georgia, nice history, walkable city, beach, food fun bars0
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