American Girls update.

[Shadow Man]

Following on from my American Birds post and what to do this Christmas, I have booked return flights to New York this coming Christmas holiday.

I have a whole month to tour the US of A. I have no friends or family out there and have not booked any accomodation, so I can pretty much do what I want. I have never been there as a tourist, so EVERYWHERE will be an adventure.

I may hire a car or get further internal flights. I may even take a train like "Silver Streak".

The things I must do whilst in New York are:

Lay some flowers at Ground Zero
Eat a hotdog with all the trimmings in Central Park
Walk up the Statue of Liberty
Eat at a Taco Bell
Go up the Empire States Building

Any further ideas or dos and don'ts will be greatly apprecaited.

Also, I may not have time to go everywhere but what is worth travelling to:

San Francisco (and Alcatraz)
Hollywood
Florida
Grand Canyon
Great Lakes

Also, apart from New York, where do the Sarah Silverman lookalike Jewish women live?

[laurence2]

How about a visit to the Bronx, i've heard the night life is eyebrows raising

[confused79]

And you have to visit disney world even if its just once!!!!

[johnlambert]

1)Times square at midnight, it's like walking into daylight, make sure you keep an eye on your wallet tho minter, muggers will target you for bring a girl and they have guns.
2) Macy's store
3) Visit Remsen veterens post, (like our British Legion) and ensure they are still flying the Union flag I presented to them in 2003 on the SNCO's exchange
4) TGI on Times square, ensure you take mega bucks with you tho, your DSS money will only get you a plate of chips
5) West Point, visitors centre

[fiest82]

California- the beaches!

[Shadow Man]

Not really a beach person to be honest. However, Hawthorne CA (the home of The Beach Boys) may be worth a visit.

How far is Hollywood from the beach anyway?

Memphis and Graceland is also on the cards, but there is simply to much to do!!!

[annie0000]

i would recommend Boston and the New England area.

[Shadow Man]

Boston??? That never really comes up on the tourist lists. Perhaps it does and I know nothing!!! What's there apart from a Tea Party?

[fiest82]

I think Hollywood's a couple of hours away from the beach.... nothing wrong with getting a tan on the way.

Also, Las vegas, if you like that type of thing...

[johnlambert]

Washington is worth a visit, it's got lots of interesting places to see
The White house, Lincoln memorial with the Gettyburg address, washington memorial. also memorials to the vietnam, korean, and 2 world wars, although the ww1 memorial is hard to find and disapointing when you find it, also the Iwo Jima statue is awsome and the museums are incredible

[Shadow Man]

If I went to a casino, I wouldn't have a clue what to do!!!

[redcrx]

check out if anyone decent is playing at madison square gardens!

Im still pee'd off with my ex who sulked so much when i said i wanted to see Bowie on our trip that I didnt get tickets.

Take one of the walking toursaround new york, theres a good rock tour taking in famous areas and CBGB's

BIG DONT: dont let the weirdos pour maple syrup on your fried eggs and bacon!!!! :)

[fiest82]

And most important of all, shopping in New York

[johnlambert]

Yeah I agree with red,
Go to any Wendys for breakfast and be prepared to have your chin (or chins) thud on the floor when they ask you how many eggs you want in your ommellete, 6 or 12?
what kind of bread for your toast? white/brown//Italian/German/French/polish/russian etc
DONT eat in a Korean restaurant, the Kogogo tasts like pickled straw that has passed through a horse's digestive system

[Shadow Man]

Shopping???????? Er no.

I had the misfortune of having a MacDonalds breakfast once, and even in this country there was pancakes, some flat dog terd thing that pretended to be a sausage, and a carton of Maple syrup.

As much as I like food, there is something quite sinister about such a concoction.

[fiest82]

Also, avoid Chinese food and products like the plague, you don't know what they put in them these days!!

[cruella]

Hi shadow Man
Take a trip to Baltimore harbour, Washington DC is a lovely place to visit, you have to visit Dunkin Dounuts and taste their doughnuts. I alos love their toasted cheese sandwiches, they are so much better than ones you get here. If you like to eat a lot, then visit a Smorgasborg (think that is how you spell it) restuarant. Eat all you want when you are there. So much to choose from! I also loved Atlantic City. Have a great time.

[johnlambert]

Aviod eating blue cheese, it isn't blue, nor is it cheese, but it tastes delicious and will add mega inches to your waistline

[jake-the-peg]

Grand Canyon is definately worth seeing - it doesn't disappoint - do one of the flights, plane or helicopter.

If you don't gamble reckon on no more than 24 hours in Las Vegas before getting bored - but stop by the Hoover dam between the Canyon and Vegas, you won't see a bigger piece of concrete.

I love San Francisco but I have no idea why - it is a great city to just go and explore. Alcatraz is OK if you like old prison blocks but your life won't be meaningless if you miss it.

I'd agree Washington is well worth a day doing the tourist thing - if it's your sort of thing the Smithsonian Air and Space museum there is good.

Oh I don't think you can walk up the statue of liberty any more - security and all that

[hau kola]

The Alamo,San Antonio,Texas.Dallas,Fort Worth-all worth a visit.And could you bring me back a Native American Indian please?

[Clanad]

Check here for Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty:
http://www.doi.gov/news/040803b (One can still tour)

Check here for Hollywood:
http://www.trustedtours.com/store/Los-Angeles- C428.aspx
(Closest beach is Santa Monica - the pier has lots going on and the food is good, quite a distance from Hollywood though)

A word about the weather:

The Grand Canyon has a mean elevation of over 5,000 feet above sea level. It'll be cold, windy and blustery and bone numbingly cold that time of year.
The "Great Lakes" is a huge area, from Buffalo, NY on the east, to Chicago and Milwaukee on the west. Same thing about the weather... fair warning.

I would suggest that you do a little planning. Although a month seems a lot of time, remember the U.S. is 2,500 miles distance coast to coast and as much as 1,800 miles from north to south. A lot of it has a lot of vacant space in betwee. I live in the inter-mountain area of western U.S. and it's 100 miles to the nearest larger town, 500 miles to a large city like Denver or Salt Lake City.

Contd.