Travel USA travel tips and tricks

[00Stinger]

Got to head over to Palm Springs in Nov/Dec for a week and I'm thinking of spending another 2 weeks.

I've already done LA, SF, Vegas and Yosemite so I'm thinking of spending 2 weeks in some other areas relatively close by as I'll be traveling with a 3 year old and a baby.

Any suggestions?

I'm thinking of definitely doing San Diego but I need some other areas to explore

 

[Dirty Bird]

Got to head over to Palm Springs in Nov/Dec for a week and I'm thinking of spending another 2 weeks.

I've already done LA, SF, Vegas and Yosemite so I'm thinking of spending 2 weeks in some other areas relatively close by as I'll be traveling with a 3 year old and a baby.

Any suggestions?

I'm thinking of definitely doing San Diego but I need some other areas to explore

Santa Clara?

 

[00Stinger]

Santa Clara?

haha that is very well on the cards.

I've been to Candlestick Park before so why not pop in. Might be a little difficult with the little ones. Worst case I want to try and catch a game in LA though

 

[Aussie Joe]

Santa Clara?

Really? To watch a game, sure. But there is nothing else to do or see in the South Bay.

Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and the coast would be my recommendation on the way up to see a Niners game then leave South Bay as soon as possible. Unless driving around tech company campuses interests you.

 

[Glacier]

how has everyone gone with driving in the states?

shitting myself over it a bit tbh

It's easy
I actually love driving in the states
Everything is well signposted, roads are generally great, and on the highways the trucks stay in the lane where they are supposed to be, unlike here
You should think about camping your way around to save money for other things

 

[Dirty Bird]

Really? To watch a game, sure. But there is nothing else to do or see in the South Bay.

Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and the coast would be my recommendation on the way up to see a Niners game then leave South Bay as soon as possible. Unless driving around tech company campuses interests you.

Haha, he’s a 49ers fan
How can you not recommend a game

 

[00Stinger]

anyone been to San Antonio or Austin? and if so, have you driven between the two cities?

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[NitroFan]

i didnt stop in Austin, but I have driven between the two on a trip from Dallas to SA.

 

[HirdyLannister]

I've driven between the two, can't say I remember much though.

 

[Aussie Joe]

anyone been to San Antonio or Austin? and if so, have you driven between the two cities?

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Yes. I like Austin more. It has a younger vibe due to it being a college town. San Anton is a beautiful city with lots of history and south west culture. The drive is about 2 hours.

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

I've done the drive. Was pretty standard. Not much to see, quite busy, but both cities on either end are beautiful- and very different.

 

[00Stinger]

I've done the drive. Was pretty standard. Not much to see, quite busy, but both cities on either end are beautiful- and very different.

would you say that they would be good places to have a young kid with you?

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

would you say that they would be good places to have a young kid with you?

San Antonio, absolutely. Maybe the most beautiful city I've ever been to. Austin, I'm not completely sure, I was barely there for 36 hours and spent most of my time eating brisket and listening to music. Sorry I can't be a big help there.

 

[HigginsHawk]

anyone been to San Antonio or Austin? and if so, have you driven between the two cities?

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Drove I 35 a couple of times in the new year. Some quick points:
(1) Lot of road work going on at the Austin end and there can be quite lengthy delays.
(2) Nobody drives the speed limit.
(3) If you must use a rest stop I recommend Buc-ee's. Best rest stops in Texas. Exceptionally clean 'rest rooms'. You are warned about which food places etc are available at the next exit and you are given a few minutes notice before you have to exit. Similar to a fuel stop off the Hume.

Petrol is cheap even on the Interstates. Was about $2-2.20 a gallon when I was there. Preferred Austin ahead of SA but I liked both of them.

 

[00Stinger]

Drove I 35 a couple of times in the new year. Some quick points:
(1) Lot of road work going on at the Austin end and there can be quite lengthy delays.
(2) Nobody drives the speed limit.
(3) If you must use a rest stop I recommend Buc-ee's. Best rest stops in Texas. Exceptionally clean 'rest rooms'. You are warned about which food places etc are available at the next exit and you are given a few minutes notice before you have to exit. Similar to a fuel stop off the Hume.

Petrol is cheap even on the Interstates. Was about $2-2.20 a gallon when I was there. Preferred Austin ahead of SA but I liked both of them.

Cool cheers

I wanted to go to San Antonio last time I was in the states but had been travelling for 8 weeks and ended up bypassing it. So I want to make sure I visit this time plus I have heard it is good for kids (I will have a 3 and a 1 year old with me). Figure if I'm there I will pop into Austin too as I have only heard really good things about it.


If I don't do Austin & San Antonio I am going to do Portland & Seattle instead

 

[kirky]

Really? To watch a game, sure. But there is nothing else to do or see in the South Bay.

Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and the coast would be my recommendation on the way up to see a Niners game then leave South Bay as soon as possible. Unless driving around tech company campuses interests you.

Hearst Castle is a good stop and viewing. San Luis Obispo is a quaint town.

 

[RW]

San Diego is far better than LA. Pacific Beach is just like Venice beach, but less people and less tourists. Still a fair few people around though. Plus you can go to Tijuana easily from San Diego if you want as well

I only spent a day in San Diego so can't say much about the city itself, but the USS Midway museum is fantastic and well worth the visit if you do happen to find yourself there.

 

[FRUMPY]

anyone been to San Antonio or Austin? and if so, have you driven between the two cities?

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Yeah when I was there we went Dallas - Austin - San Antonio. Don't remember anything difficult about the drive so must be easy enough.

We went to San Antonio last minute as they were playing in the NBA finals and went to see a game. Austin is good fun, but we mainly went for drinks/music scene. With kids there are some nice water holes/pools from the river/creek and there is a place you get a tube and float down the river (3 and 1 are probably too young for that haha)

San Antonio was a bit of a ghost town compared to Austin. I was there for 2 nights I think and went to a few bars. Not sure what there is to do there

 

[Alfonz]

anyone been to San Antonio or Austin? and if so, have you driven between the two cities?

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I lived in Austin for 7 years. If you aren't in a rush, I would personally detour through the hill country from Austin before joining the main highway (I35) near New Braunfels. There's Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood. And Wimberley is a really nice quaint town with some of the best swimming holes in central TX nearby (Jacob's Well and Blue Hole). Gruene (pronounced Green) is nice as well and has an awesome historic music hall that has free afternoon music on Sat/Sun (and regular night shows).

 

[00Stinger]

I lived in Austin for 7 years. If you aren't in a rush, I would personally detour through the hill country from Austin before joining the main highway (I35) near New Braunfels. There's Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood. And Wimberley is a really nice quaint town with some of the best swimming holes in central TX nearby (Jacob's Well and Blue Hole). Gruene (pronounced Green) is nice as well and has an awesome historic music hall that has free afternoon music on Sat/Sun (and regular night shows).

ive got about a week as i need to be in Palm Springs for a wedding straight afterwards.

Swimming holes sound awesome as i will be with two little ones. so i need family things like that

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[juss]

How does Houston compare to Austin?

 

[Silent Alarm]

I didn't love America, actually borderline despised the east coast cities I was in, but didn't mind the mid west, but I still really want to go to Texas. Seems like a pretty interesting place. Those swimming holes Alfonz mentioned look a cool retreat for a few days while drinking PBRs.

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

I didn't love America, actually borderline despised the east coast cities I was in, but didn't mind the mid west, but I still really want to go to Texas. Seems like a pretty interesting place. Those swimming holes Alfonz mentioned look a cool retreat for a few days while drinking PBRs.

Where abouts in the mid west? Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa are place's I could spend weeks at a time.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Where abouts in the mid west? Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa are place's I could spend weeks at a time.

Chicago and Milwaukee. I think I asked about Wisconsin on here and someone said Madison but glad I went to Milwuakee; really cool town as you can just walk around everywhere, it's got that bar grungey feel, then the refurbed old quarter, then the immaculate green suburbia. I had a nice time there and quite often reminisce about it.

If I went to the states again with 10k or so I probably wouldn't ever bother again with New York (feels a buzzy place if you've never been to a huge city before, but eh it didn't do much, I kept waiting for the cool to jump out at me and unfortunately the longer I was there the more I disliked it and its awful people) and I'd spend maybe a month in Texas and see all the cities (concentrating on Austin and then four or so days in San Antonio) as well as those little lake towns and I'd love to see a classic hick Texan town for a night or something.

Otherwise I'd go (around Lolla time, but winter would be sick) Chicago, Milwaukee, somewhere else a little quiet in Wisconsin, Madison, Minneapolis, then Seattle and Portland.

If I did those two trips in month long bursts before 30 I'd feel fairly content.

 

[phantom13]

I didn't love America, actually borderline despised the east coast cities I was in, but didn't mind the mid west, but I still really want to go to Texas. Seems like a pretty interesting place. Those swimming holes Alfonz mentioned look a cool retreat for a few days while drinking PBRs.

Whereabouts on the east coast did you go, cause from top to bottom was vastly different