US help.

[staseus]

Thank you for the replies!!!!

Have put in more details to my intinerary.
Here it is:

D1: Arrive SF at 21:15H
D2: Fly SF to LAS, pick up rental car
D3: LAS to Zion NP (Overnight@Springdale)
D4: Zion NP to Bryce (Overnight@Bryce)
D5: Bryce to Page (Overnight@Page)
D6: Page to Grand canyon south rim (overnight@GCV)
D7: GC to Hoover Dam to LAS
D8: Fly LAS to SFO, pick up car and drive to monterey (overnight@monterey)
D9: Monterey/ Carmel (overnight@monterey)
D10: Monterey to Big Sur to Cambria (including Hearst castle) (overnight@cambria)
D11: Cambria to Paso Robles, stop at Fresno for lunch and groceries, then on to Yosemite (overnight at Yosemite west apt)
D12: Yosemite NP (overnight at Yosemite west)
D13: Yosemite to SF (maybe pass thru Berkeley)
D14: SF (inc Alcatraz Island)
D15: SF
D16: Depart home


How does this sound?

Should I keep the car until we fly back home? Or drop it off when we reach SF from Yosemite?

Any personal favourites in terms of accommodations/ restaurants?

Should I just omit the Pacific Highway route on D8 to 11 so that I can have more days in SF/ LV and cut down on the driving?

 

[GlitterBug]

It depends on ur preference and style. Some ppl like to stay in many different hotels during their trip.

I don't. I find it a mafan to keep on changing hotels every day or every 2 days. So I tend to sit at one place for a few days (min 3 days), jalan jalan to the tourist places around there and then proceed to the next destination and hotel.

I stayed in 4 hotels during my 2 weeks trip to US in Nov 2014.

Sent from my glitter paws using GAGT

 

[twinklingstars]

On D1, should fly to LV after u arrive at SF. U are already at the airport n the asian flights usually get in late morning so there will be plenty of time to get onto a connecting flight.
No point wasting money on transport n hotel for one night. U have to move your luggage around too.
Just give yourself at least 3 hours to clear immigration n get to the flight.

If u do fly between SF and LV, i highly recommend Virgin America. They are a top usa domestic airline.
The flight miles can also be credited to SQ.

U can buy separate round trip tickets between Sg/sf and sf/lv.

another option for domestic airlines is southwest airlines. first 2 checked in bags are free.

 

[twinklingstars]

Thank you for the replies!!!!

Have put in more details to my intinerary.
Here it is:

D1: Arrive SF at 21:15H
D2: Fly SF to LAS, pick up rental car
D3: LAS to Zion NP (Overnight@Springdale)
D4: Zion NP to Bryce (Overnight@Bryce)
D5: Bryce to Page (Overnight@Page)
D6: Page to Grand canyon south rim (overnight@GCV)
D7: GC to Hoover Dam to LAS
D8: Fly LAS to SFO, pick up car and drive to monterey (overnight@monterey)
D9: Monterey/ Carmel (overnight@monterey)
D10: Monterey to Big Sur to Cambria (including Hearst castle) (overnight@cambria)
D11: Cambria to Paso Robles, stop at Fresno for lunch and groceries, then on to Yosemite (overnight at Yosemite west apt)
D12: Yosemite NP (overnight at Yosemite west)
D13: Yosemite to SF (maybe pass thru Berkeley)
D14: SF (inc Alcatraz Island)
D15: SF
D16: Depart home


How does this sound?

Should I keep the car until we fly back home? Or drop it off when we reach SF from Yosemite?

Any personal favourites in terms of accommodations/ restaurants?

if you are going alcatraz prison, i highly recommend the night tour, but you have to book the tickets 3 months in advance cos the night tour is highly popular.

in terms of eateries, i highly recommend in and out burger, IHOP and cheesecake factory. im sure there are many other good eateries out there, but these are the good ones which i visited during my trip last year.

 

[Siyu]

Hi all,

Need some suggestions about an upcoming trip with my SO.

We have been to Los angeles, SF and San Jose last year, so thinking of some other places this time.

This are our dates of travel

9th April - Arrive in USA (please recommend where should we go?)
Till 17th April - is our fun time!
17th April - To reach Washington (I have business meeting there from 18th April to 22nd April. (My SO probably staying 2-3 days in Washington, look around the place herself during the day time and we dinner and see things at night together)
After 2-3 days, she will head home first.
23rd April - I will depart for home

About me (male) - like shopping, outlets, theme parks, maybe some must see attractions, more of a city person
About her - she likes nature, culture, less of theme parks

Any itinerary to share?

Regards,

 

[patryn33]

Hi all,

Need some suggestions about an upcoming trip with my SO.

We have been to Los angeles, SF and San Jose last year, so thinking of some other places this time.

This are our dates of travel

9th April - Arrive in USA (please recommend where should we go?)
Till 17th April - is our fun time!
17th April - To reach Washington (I have business meeting there from 18th April to 22nd April. (My SO probably staying 2-3 days in Washington, look around the place herself during the day time and we dinner and see things at night together)
After 2-3 days, she will head home first.
23rd April - I will depart for home

About me (male) - like shopping, outlets, theme parks, maybe some must see attractions, more of a city person
About her - she likes nature, culture, less of theme parks

Any itinerary to share?

Regards,

Washington is Washington DC or Washington state?

 

[patryn33]

if you are going alcatraz prison, i highly recommend the night tour, but you have to book the tickets 3 months in advance cos the night tour is highly popular.

in terms of eateries, i highly recommend in and out burger, IHOP and cheesecake factory. im sure there are many other good eateries out there, but these are the good ones which i visited during my trip last year.

I wouldn't highly recommend ihop or in and out burger.
Can go Makan in n out once but I perfer the original pancake house.
Chain burger place can try red robin or 5 guys.

For local joint try
http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/s4/Diners-Drive-Ins-Dives/CA/San%20Francisco

 

[Shiny Things]

How does this sound?

Should I keep the car until we fly back home? Or drop it off when we reach SF from Yosemite?

Any personal favourites in terms of accommodations/ restaurants?

I reckon your itinerary looks great. Go for it.

Dump the car as soon as you get back to SF; you don't need or want a car in San Francisco. It's going to cost zillions to park, and driving in SF is a pain. You can get to Berkeley on BART.

Favourite restaurants: ignore the haters, eat at In-N-Out burger at least once. Make sure you order the "animal style" fries. Other than that: if you're in Las Vegas I really like Sage restaurant at the Aria; in SF, pick out the cuisine you like and then ask the dude at the front desk, they'll always have the hookup.

For accommodation:

• In Vegas, if you're on a really tight budget stay at the Mandalay Bay or the Monte Carlo; if you can afford a bit more stay at the Vdara hotel. It's right in the middle of the strip, and the rooms are huge - you get a full studio apartment for the price of a regular room at other Strip hotels.
• In Springdale, stay at the Desert Pearl Inn if you can. If you can't (it's often full), the Cable Mountain Lodge is great too, and you can walk right into Zion NP from the back of the lodge (literally - it's just over a little bridge).
• In Bryce Canyon City, the only place I've stayed at is the Best Western, but I can recommend it.
• In Page, if you are fancy, the $1000-a-night Amangani is just up the road and it's apparently worth every penny. If, like me, you are not fancy, then there are a bunch of chain motels in Page, so just pick whichever one looks good on Tripadvisor (or whichever one you've got a frequent-customer account with).
• In Grand Canyon Village: they're all good, but book early because it fills up quick. If you can't get a place in GCV, go down the road to Flagstaff, which has plenty of motels.
• In Cambria: not sure, never stayed there.
• In Monterey: the Intercontinental if you're fancy, or just hit up Tripadvisor if you're not.
• In Yosemite: again, book early for accommodations in the park, but if you can't get in-park accommodation, look on Tripadvisor for highly-rated motels in the towns of Mariposa and Groveland. If those are booked out, then look in Modesto and Merced.
• In SF: it's very much a question of "what's your budget and what's your chain?". SF is expensive, but check out the website of your hotel chain of choice and see what you can find for not-extortionately-expensive prices.

 

[fzhfzh]

I guess you can try in-n-out once. I don't really know what's so great about it. It's good for fast food, but I'm kind of sick of it after 3-4 times. Doesn't help that there's an in-n-out just opposite my apartment and it being a convenience food I hate as much as subway now.

 

[engshing]

hello ppl,

i will be heading for work in US for 3 months from end feb till mid may. will be in wichita kansas. any ideas what are the places to visit for the weekend? be it road trip or domestic flight. i will be driving the company car so car is of no issue.

 

[Shiny Things]

hello ppl,

i will be heading for work in US for 3 months from end feb till mid may. will be in wichita kansas. any ideas what are the places to visit for the weekend? be it road trip or domestic flight. i will be driving the company car so car is of no issue.

Wichita? Wow, did you lose a bet or something?

Anyway, no, there is nowhere interesting to drive to. Dallas is five hours but it's the dullest megalopolis imaginable; Austin and Denver are both awesome but eight hours away; Chicago is eleven hours; and I don't know, maybe there's stuff to see in Kansas City but it's still three hours' drive away.

You can fly to Denver or Chicago for the weekend, but if you want to go anywhere other than those two cities (or Las Vegas) you're going to have to connect, probably through O'Hare (which is THE WORST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD) or Dallas.

Also the weather's going to suck; March and April in Kansas are cold, and May is rainy.

On the bright side, you're going to have plenty of time to develop a drinking problem.

 

[Siyu]

Hi, to repost, my work is Washington DC.

Quote "Hi all,

Need some suggestions about an upcoming trip with my SO.

We have been to Los angeles, SF and San Jose last year, so thinking of some other places this time.

This are our dates of travel

9th April - Arrive in USA (please recommend where should we go?)
Till 17th April - is our fun time!
17th April - To reach Washington (I have business meeting there from 18th April to 22nd April. (My SO probably staying 2-3 days in Washington, look around the place herself during the day time and we dinner and see things at night together)
After 2-3 days, she will head home first.
23rd April - I will depart for home

About me (male) - like shopping, outlets, theme parks, maybe some must see attractions, more of a city person
About her - she likes nature, culture, less of theme parks

Any itinerary to share?

Regards," Unquote

 

[patryn33]

hello ppl,

i will be heading for work in US for 3 months from end feb till mid may. will be in wichita kansas. any ideas what are the places to visit for the weekend? be it road trip or domestic flight. i will be driving the company car so car is of no issue.

What do you wanna do or see when u get out?
When you drive you intend to head out Friday? How long do you wanna drive?

What's boring to you? What's boring to others maybe fun to you. I have ppl who find NYC very boring and Singapore 100x more exciting.

 

[patryn33]

Hi, to repost, my work is Washington DC.

Quote "Hi all,

Need some suggestions about an upcoming trip with my SO.

We have been to Los angeles, SF and San Jose last year, so thinking of some other places this time.

This are our dates of travel

9th April - Arrive in USA (please recommend where should we go?)
Till 17th April - is our fun time!
17th April - To reach Washington (I have business meeting there from 18th April to 22nd April. (My SO probably staying 2-3 days in Washington, look around the place herself during the day time and we dinner and see things at night together)
After 2-3 days, she will head home first.
23rd April - I will depart for home

About me (male) - like shopping, outlets, theme parks, maybe some must see attractions, more of a city person
About her - she likes nature, culture, less of theme parks

Any itinerary to share?

Regards," Unquote

U flying into which city on the 9th?
U driving?

 

[engshing]

Wichita? Wow, did you lose a bet or something?

Anyway, no, there is nowhere interesting to drive to. Dallas is five hours but it's the dullest megalopolis imaginable; Austin and Denver are both awesome but eight hours away; Chicago is eleven hours; and I don't know, maybe there's stuff to see in Kansas City but it's still three hours' drive away.

You can fly to Denver or Chicago for the weekend, but if you want to go anywhere other than those two cities (or Las Vegas) you're going to have to connect, probably through O'Hare (which is THE WORST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD) or Dallas.

Also the weather's going to suck; March and April in Kansas are cold, and May is rainy.

On the bright side, you're going to have plenty of time to develop a drinking problem.

wichita is the headquarters of my company and i have heard a lot from my colleagues that there are really nothing to do over there. u can sort of guess which company i am in, pretty famous or infamous depending on which political party u believe in.

i intend to fly to chicago, las vegas, atlanta, denver as well as san francisco over several weekends. my cousin and his family is staying over in san frans so decide to pop over and pay him a visit.

now i just have to decide wat to do over in these cities. this is my first time in US and i know nil about these cities. i like watching performances so las vegas will be pretty awesome for me as well as go around seeing natural beauties.

thank u for your input! it is very helpful

 

[engshing]

What do you wanna do or see when u get out?
When you drive you intend to head out Friday? How long do you wanna drive?

What's boring to you? What's boring to others maybe fun to you. I have ppl who find NYC very boring and Singapore 100x more exciting.

i will be able to drive 2,3 hrs max i guess since i most likely be alone unless i can get my US colleagues to join me.

since this is my first time to US, i have no expectations at all. i like watching shows/plays/performances as well as seeing sights. finding nice restaurants to eat is also a joy i like when going overseas

 

[patryn33]

i will be able to drive 2,3 hrs max i guess since i most likely be alone unless i can get my US colleagues to join me.

since this is my first time to US, i have no expectations at all. i like watching shows/plays/performances as well as seeing sights. finding nice restaurants to eat is also a joy i like when going overseas

Flying from ICT to the coast over weekend cost about like usd$600++.
It's a 5-6 hr flight and you might have to leave on sat and return on Sunday. You just have a good day in the city. Cannot do much

Nearby cities like Chicago will cost a bit too with weekend travels

 

[Siyu]

U flying into which city on the 9th?
U driving?

No idea, only 7 days with wife (final destination in Washington DC) - so should drive or uber all the way?

Any itinerary to share? any airbnb or stay in hotel?

Thanks in advance

 

[Shiny Things]

i will be able to drive 2,3 hrs max i guess since i most likely be alone unless i can get my US colleagues to join me.

since this is my first time to US, i have no expectations at all. i like watching shows/plays/performances as well as seeing sights. finding nice restaurants to eat is also a joy i like when going overseas

Righto, then you're definitely going to want to get over to the coasts. (Though, depending on the performances you like, you might not need to go too far: Dallas has a surprisingly rich arts scene, as does Chicago.) NYC obviously has Broadway; SF has a very strong theatre scene as well. Austin is the home of live music, and if you like jazz you owe it to yourself to get down to New Orleans for a weekend.

For natural beauty, Las Vegas should be your starting point - it's spitting distance from Death Valley, Mojave, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. You can also get to Santa Fe, which is worth a weekend. Denver gives you the Rocky Mountains, which are great (and Boulder, just up the road, is a cool college town).

Head down to Miami if you get the chance! It's warm, it's great fun, it's an adventure.

The one thing you should be able to get in Wichita (and Kansas City) is good barbecue, so that'll be worth hanging out for.

And make sure you capture the frequent-flyer miles from all this travelling! Stick to one airline if you can - United flies out of Wichita, and they're alliance partners with Singapore Airlines, which means mad miles for you that you'll be able to spend on upgrades.

 

[Hisashiburi]

U have about 7 days to enjoy.
Since u are going to DC, suggest fly into NYC and spend several days there.
There are museums, shopping, central park.

U can also go to Niagara Falls for a two day trip n then fly to DC.

There are loads of museums in DC n in April, there might be cherry blossoms. DC is also famous for that.

No idea, only 7 days with wife (final destination in Washington DC) - so should drive or uber all the way?

Any itinerary to share? any airbnb or stay in hotel?

Thanks in advance