StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Hi

Finaly me and a friend are taking the trip of a lifetime to the USA-

I will be at Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Death Walley, San Francisco and Orlando Florida between 20120711 - 20120801

And i would love some trip advice from any and all members, and if any sd.net member I know would like to meet, I would be happy to buy a beer or two.

Make sure to wink at the friendly TSA screeners and lick your lips when they grab your crotch. I'll be in SFC 7/30-8/6 myself, tons of stuff to do there.

Lets see I can give you advice about four of those things

First off invest in sunscreen and prepare for the massive sunburn your going to get because your not going to grasp that three of those locations will sunburn you in under twenty minutes and one in under five minutes.

Second off people die yearly in Death Vally. Carry water, not like a thirty two ounce soda but pack like your going to have to walk a hundred miles in the desert in case you do.

Third, keep a backup plan in everything you do so your not SOL if something goes wrong like say one of you gets picked up in Orlando because when you go to to the cops to report a robbery they throw you in jail for two days because you don't have your ID on you because... you just got robbed. It can and will happen.

Sunscreen tip is probably true. We currently have 17C or 63F right now in the height of our "summer"

We travel with rental car and airplane, and I have no intension of go exploring Death Valley. But it is something to keep in mind. I will load the car with fuel and water.

I have a photocopy of every document like passport, driver’s license and I will keep the stuff separate so if I lose one I will not lose all.

Faram wrote:We travel with rental car and airplane, and I have no intension of go exploring Death Valley. But it is something to keep in mind. I will load the car with fuel and water.

What I have always heard is that you can't possibly have too much water in a place like Death Valley or the Grand Canyon. Keep in mind, too, that the US is having an incredibly hot summer this year, and the west is even drier than usual. It is very easy to get dehydrated even if you don't get lost somewhere. When I've gone to Arizona my friends who live there were constantly nagging me to keep hydrated and you know what? They were right. And I was in "civilized" Phoenix and Tempe. Carry a lot of water with you. Death Valley reached 44 C today. That's not the record. The record for Death Valley temperature is 57 C. That's the second highest temperature ever recorded anywhere on earth. Of course, it's not that bad all time... but it's no place to underestimate. It didn't get the name Death Valley by being a safe place.

Here's a tip - monitor your urine. It should be very clear and transparent. If it starts getting darker you need more fluids. If you aren't feeling the urge to pee often you're not drinking enough. Dehydration can also manifest as headache or fatigue. If you stop sweating in an environment like that it can be a Bad Sign, get into a cool environment immediately.

I also suggest hats and sunglasses in desert areas when the sun is present, which is of course the case on most days of the year.

If you do catch Death Valley after a rainstorm, though, when the desert blooms, I'm told that's a truly awesome sight.

Stick to the tourist areas, stay on the marked trails/paths, listen to the park personnel and natives.

Meanwhile - have fun. Oh, and you'll want bug repellant spray in Florida if you're spending any time outside in areas with vegetation. Just a note: combining bug spray and sunscreen can lower the effectiveness of the sunscreen.

Faram wrote:Sunscreen tip is probably true. We currently have 17C or 63F right now in the height of our "summer"

We travel with rental car and airplane, and I have no intension of go exploring Death Valley. But it is something to keep in mind. I will load the car with fuel and water.

I have a photocopy of every document like passport, driver’s license and I will keep the stuff separate so if I lose one I will not lose all.

It shouldn't be a problem this time of year, but just remember that you shouldn't wear a hoodie while you're in Florida.

Are you planning to go to Disney World in Orlando? You could spend a couple of days there to see all the theme parks. The hotels vary depending on your budget, but I would advise at least one of the moderate ones if not a deluxe one. I also asked the board advice about Disney world a few years ago when I went as well, so I can give some tips if you are going there.

Don't let a cabbie in Vegas take you through the tunnel.

mr friendly guy wrote:Are you planning to go to Disney World in Orlando? You could spend a couple of days there to see all the theme parks. The hotels vary depending on your budget, but I would advise at least one of the moderate ones if not a deluxe one. I also asked the board advice about Disney world a few years ago when I went as well, so I can give some tips if you are going there.

You crazy as hell. Moderate/deluxe resorts are ripoffs. You're at disney world - You need a room for one reason: To crash out when the magical day is over. DONE.

I stayed at the caribbean beach resort last time I went. Not worth the extra cash and also its one of the last stops on the bus line.

I recommend the Pop Century resort. it's cute, adequate, and for some reason I really, really love the cafeteria area. I cannot explain why - I just do.

Also Faram - you must must must have sunscreen in Florida, bro. even though it will almost certainly be overcast some of the time you're there, it is damned oppressive this time of year especially. Also - go to Epcot, find the crazy fountain, it should be straight in from the entrance. Off to the right is a little place tucked away unassumingly where you can try flavors of coca cola from all over the world for free.


You MUST try the Beverly.

As soon as you do, report back here. I need to know what you think.

My first advice would be to skip the West Coast, the party's on the other side of the country. But since it's probably too late to make major changes at this stage, be sure to catch the trolley tour in San Fran, and visit the Navy Yard.

You will be a foreigner in Arizona; make sure your papers are extra-handy there.

EDIT: I'm only partly serious- on a more serious note, I don't agree with Ahriman; there are a lot of tourist attractions on the West Coast, especially if you like scenery. The scenery in the East is mostly less inspired and impressive, and it's a lot more heavily built up.

Ahriman238 wrote:My first advice would be to skip the West Coast, the party's on the other side of the country. But since it's probably too late to make major changes at this stage, be sure to catch the trolley tour in San Fran, and visit the Navy Yard.

Yeah man, all SF has to offer is Alcatraz, Redwoods, the Golden Gate, The Presidio/Marin Headlands. A Aircraft Carrier museum across the bay.


Obviously the SF Bay area is a shitty tourist locale.

Ahriman238 wrote:My first advice would be to skip the West Coast, the party's on the other side of the country. But since it's probably too late to make major changes at this stage, be sure to catch the trolley tour in San Fran, and visit the Navy Yard.

What's it like to be so wrong about everything? :p

Will you be driving from LA to San Francisco? If so, going by Highway 101 or better yet Pacific Coast Highway (or just Highway 1) offers you pretty awesome scenery. Check out Monterey and Santa Barbara especially.

General Mung Beans wrote:Will you be driving from LA to San Francisco? If so, going by Highway 101 or better yet Pacific Coast Highway (or just Highway 1) offers you pretty awesome scenery. Check out Monterey and Santa Barbara especially.

The PCH scenery is great, including Hearst's Castle, but don't expect to cover a lot of distance quickly. There are a lot of switchbacks along the coast overlooking the ocean so the speed limit is pretty low there. 35 MPH back when I did it in the early 90s. My dad, who really likes curvy roads, actually got sick of all the switchbacks. The view is outstanding though.

Chardok wrote:

mr friendly guy wrote:Are you planning to go to Disney World in Orlando? You could spend a couple of days there to see all the theme parks. The hotels vary depending on your budget, but I would advise at least one of the moderate ones if not a deluxe one. I also asked the board advice about Disney world a few years ago when I went as well, so I can give some tips if you are going there.

You crazy as hell. Moderate/deluxe resorts are ripoffs. You're at disney world - You need a room for one reason: To crash out when the magical day is over. DONE.

I stayed at the caribbean beach resort last time I went. Not worth the extra cash and also its one of the last stops on the bus line.

I recommend the Pop Century resort. it's cute, adequate, and for some reason I really, really love the cafeteria area. I cannot explain why - I just do.

:

I must admit I was swayed by reviews that the cheap resorts weren't so great, the buses deliver to them last etc.

I must say I did love the Grand Floridian - 24 hour food (I was famished when I got off the plane because I live in the Western part of Australia and it took so many connecting flights before getting there), had some nice restaurants, and some relaxation spa and massage service. Frankly, for me, most of the cost is in the plane trip because I live so far away. The hotels by comparison weren't that expensive, and since I am already there, I decided not to be cheap. I guess to each his own.

Holy shit, you stayed at the Grand Floridian? Check out uncle moneybags over here !

I will cop to the fact that I would love to stay at the contemporary. that place is soooo "1980's future" that you really can't not love it.

Lonestar wrote:

Ahriman238 wrote:My first advice would be to skip the West Coast, the party's on the other side of the country. But since it's probably too late to make major changes at this stage, be sure to catch the trolley tour in San Fran, and visit the Navy Yard.

Yeah man, all SF has to offer is Alcatraz, Redwoods, the Golden Gate, The Presidio/Marin Headlands. A Aircraft Carrier museum across the bay.


Obviously the SF Bay area is a shitty tourist locale.

San Francisco is a lovely tourist area, but New England is better. If nothing else (and there is much else) you can go outside without suffering heatstroke.

Ahriman238 wrote:

Lonestar wrote:

Ahriman238 wrote:My first advice would be to skip the West Coast, the party's on the other side of the country. But since it's probably too late to make major changes at this stage, be sure to catch the trolley tour in San Fran, and visit the Navy Yard.

Yeah man, all SF has to offer is Alcatraz, Redwoods, the Golden Gate, The Presidio/Marin Headlands. A Aircraft Carrier museum across the bay.


Obviously the SF Bay area is a shitty tourist locale.

San Francisco is a lovely tourist area, but New England is better. If nothing else (and there is much else) you can go outside without suffering heatstroke.

That's pretty funny. Have you seen the weather in the NE area lately?

Ahriman238 wrote:
San Francisco is a lovely tourist area, but New England is better. If nothing else (and there is much else) you can go outside without suffering heatstroke.

Well if there is one thing San Francisco is known for, it's for inducing heatstroke.


Seriously, you must be high as a kite.

Ahriman238 wrote:San Francisco is a lovely tourist area, but New England is better. If nothing else (and there is much else) you can go outside without suffering heatstroke.

Heatstroke in San Francisco? Isn't that a place known for being foggy and a bit cool?

Dude, if you said "I prefer New England myself" that's an opinion and no one's going to argue, but your implication that New England is somehow either inherently or objectively better is unsupportable fly feces

Broomstick wrote:Heatstroke in San Francisco? Isn't that a place known for being foggy and a bit cool?

Define "a bit cool"; I'm from a part of the world where 80o farenheit is a rare scorcher of a day at the height of summer, and 85o was enough to have me nearly pass out in the street in Niagara last year.

Well, OK, but then you should basically not visit the US in summer anywhere except, maybe, Barrow, Alaska. Even in the "frozen north" the summers routinely get into the 80's, with New England no exception.

This week's weather forecast for San Fran: Highs in the mid 70s. Forecast for Boston: highs in mid 80s, reaching 90 on sunday. SF proper tends to be remarkably temperate, though it does heat up quick when you go inland. Of course if the traveller has already survived the Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Death Valley legs of the journey he should be more worried about bringing warm clothes to San Francisco than about heat stroke.

If you have time while you're in LA, go up to Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead/Lake Gregory up in the mountains. It is absolutely gorgeous and will offer some respite from the hellish weather of the valley. If you like zoos and stuff, visit the Moonridge Zoo in Big Bear, as it's a nice little zoo and they could use the extra revenue.

If you don't already, you should either get a GPS when you come or before. Large US cities can be rough to navigate without a local (luckily, my wife was born and raised in SoCal, so I didn't need the GPS there all that often).

If you're visiting Disney in Orlando, fit as much of the parks there as possible. Even Magic Kingdom, as I went there a few years ago and had a blast. SeaWorld's pretty awesome too.

And, if you're planning on only using your hotels for sleeping and washing clothes, just go for cheap and dependable hotel chain with decent reviews on Google/Yelp/etc. Like Chards said, no need to waste money on something you're not going to use.