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*re-appears on FP after a few days missing*

See, this is why NZ is awesome. you don't have to worry about ANYTHING. The crime figures are low because there's no one to steal from

Have a great trip anyway, JB

www.zopilotemachine.com

San Diego has Ocean Beach... it's a great little beach with a really neat shopping area and one of the best Taco Stands I have ever encountered. (It's under a tatoo parlor on the strip by the beach). In LA - they have nice beaches as well and that is where I saw the **Hot Dog Car**. No joke.. the car in the Oscar Mayer Hot Dog commercials, really exsists and was driving around LA when I was there.

Of course there is the Hollywood Sign, Mann's Chinese Theatre, Sunset Strip, Melrose Ave, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Disneyland is not that far from there but closer the San Diego. I agree if you are going to Disney World in Florida though, that Disneyland might be overkill.
Universal is awesome!! There are 2 parks there now. The Islands of Adventure are cool if you like rides.... the Main park at Universal is based more on a split between Rides and Shows...
At Disney - plan a night to go to MGM and check out Fantasmic! By far - I enjoyed that night show the best. It takes place on water with a laser show and live characters, fire, boats, etc...

NYC - I am from NY... I can tell you a lot about NYC. Being your anniversary, have your boyfriend take you on a carriage ride through Central Park. In April, the weather is starting to get warmer and outside events are usually bearable by then. There is also the Big Apple Tour Busses around Times Square and downtown. . . Of course, there is always the option of a Broadway Show. <-- i can advise on that also.

The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Staten Island Ferry, Greenwhich Village, Madam Tusaud's Wax Museum... All good places to see if you are going to be there a few days and haven't been to NY before. (SOme people live there all thier lives and have never seen the Statue of Liberty... good thing my parents made me go when I was little.. Something I will never forget.)

PM me if you want more.... Have a safe trip!

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"it's the neck, it creaks under the weight of too much heavy thinking."

I haven't been to any of your planned destinations personally, but I was out traveling around the east coast this summer, and I think I can give ya a few general traveling/touristing tips

Don't look like a tourist--it's a big flashing sign that says "ROB ME, I'M A TOURIST AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON!!!"

Don't wear a fanny pack (read above).

Keep all valuables in zipper pockets in your pants... if it's not zipped up, it's going to be stolen.

Avoid carrying a purse. If you must carry a purse, don't keep anything valuable in it, and don't fight for it if somebody tries to take it. If you fight for it, you could be injured. My aunt learned that the hard way. Some d00d grabbed her purse as she was getting out of her car (he saw the out of state license plates) and she ended up getting hurt rather badly as he dragged her around on the ground until the strap on her purse broke... not a good day...

If you must carry large amounts of cash, get one of those little zipper pouches that straps around your waste and is tucked inside your pants... kinda kinky, but works great

Take LOTS AND LOTS of pictures... my biggest regret of last summer is that I didn't have a better camera and didn't take twice as many pictures (I took like 4000 pictures anyway... there's just so many random things that I tell people about but don't have pictures to show them what I'm talking about ). Get a small/inconspicus and preferably black (as opposed to shiny silver that sticks out) camera... keep it in a zipper pocket...take lots of pictures... hold onto it very well (preferably with a neck strap too)...don't use a flash unless you have to (draws attention and wastes batteries)... don't take pictures of you being retarded or making a scene or drawing attention to yerself EDIT - I vote for a digital camera... bring a laptop along too so you have a place to put all of your pictures!

Use public transportation if/when/where available. Driving thru big cities SUCKS! I prefer subway, but whatever works works, I suppose. I personally hate busses--American bus systems SUCK... I spent 4 hours trying to catch the right busses trying to get back to the hotel in Washington DC... half of the busses either didn't come or were late (which made us late for the next bus)! We ended up taking a taxi back after we got halfway across town

IMO, avoid taxis if you can... they're just really expesnive roller coasters that are NOT perfectly safe

Don't limit yourself to touristy things... the highlight of my summer was just wandering around and visting local shops in chinatown in Philly. If you're coming to see what the USA is really about, live it

Last, but not least, remember to HAVE FUN! Don't get so caught up in organizing/planning everything that you forget to have fun! Don't try to cram so much stuff into one day that you get all stressed out about it. Make a general plan of what you want to do, and head in that general direction... if there's a really long line for something, IMO it's best to skip it if you've got better things to do... just keep goin' down the list. If ya don't get everything done, don't fret, at least you had fun doing what ya got done

Have a great trip

Last edited by PoisonWaffle at 08-Jan-2006 22:49

San Diego is just an intermediate to go down to TJ. I couldn't tell you whether or not the surrounding city is as risky as those links given above sketch out, but I've been down multiple times without issue, both for volunteer work and just to check the place out. Then again, the risks outlined are quite real and there's really nothing to do in either San Diego OR Tj. IMHO, though, Orlando is the PLACE to be for the attractions as, well, Disneyworld>>>Disneyland, Universal Orlando>>Universal Hollywood, etc... The weather here in Cali is unbeatable, however. In any case, I'm sure you'll find great places to enjoy yourself thorughout the country. Have fun, etc. :.D

It is just a warming trend Chris. Things will most likely cool back down later in the month.

In other words, there are times above and below average...so far this winter has been at or below average for a few places(though it has been like a heat wave as of recently)but I wouldn't completely rule out the chance of some late season snow in NY yet.

have a great flight and have fun on the cruse. now i would never go on a cruse for a few reasons a have a thing about big open water dont ask me why but i do all well no matter. have fun. oh ya have enough fun for everyone on fp lol well i dotn think u can have that much fun

it's snowed in june before

Orlando has Disneyworld, Sea World, and the Animal Kingdom (I think). I have never been there but would love to if the opportunity came. I hear LA is crowded and very smog ridden. I have never been there either, but watched a video in a class about the air pollution there from all the cars.

And yes..Mexico can be dangerous. There is stuff all the time on the national news stations about that in places right over the border...so be careful.

Oh and I hear St. Thomas is beautiful. Actually I have seen pictures of it because a lady I work with went there...and it is so nice looking. Maybe one day someone will take me on a cruise.


Last edited by GirlieGirl8519 at 19-Jan-2006 23:07

Last edited by GirlieGirl8519 at 19-Jan-2006 23:12

*Kristin*

It's now been suggested to me that we actually go to Disneyland in LA instead of Disneyworld in Orlando - apparently Disneyland is better *confused*. Can someone who's been to both give me their opinion on which is better? We do have only two full days in Orlando from what I remember so this may well be the best option.

I didn't know about there being a Sea World in Orlando, that sounds good. Our Sea World is less than an hour away and I've been there many times, but it would be great to see a different one.

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

It is getting more dangerous for Americans going into Mexico as it is let alone australians! Let us put it this way, I would not go to Mexico alone, or without a group of at least 4-6. People go missing mmmkay?

No offence, but what a stupid thing to say!

Crime happens, revolutions happen, natural disasters happen. You just have to have the self confidence and wits to deal. Telling someone not to go to a country just because maybe a crime might happen against them is just stupid and unfair. OK, so a good indicator is if you can't get travel insurance because the FCO (or equiv.) have advised citizens not to go to that country, then fair enough. But otherwise.

You might get murdered in your home town. You might get caught up in a revolution in Uzbekistan or an earthquake in Turkey - what does it matter? You're dead all which ways!

Between me and my immediate family we have.
Been behind the Iron Curtain when the Berlin Wall fell
Driven along the Karakorum Highway with stones hitting the back window of the jeep as we raced a landslide.
Been in the middle of the Turkey earthquake
Been in a revolution (well, more than one)
and others.

Don't be frightened to take the risk, or if you are, dont spread the poison of fear to others! When people use fear to close off other people's horizons, a little bit of human understanding is lost and the world becomes a darker place!

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

...
why LA for six days?

That's like six days of smog and boredom, unless of course, you planning on heading down to the OC and ride the Disney attractions.

Also, I'm sure you can arrange for a bus to TJ from San Diego, so perhaps you could drive down here, then take the bus to Mex thereafter.

I hate my comments being singled out. The United States has on and off within the last 5 years officially released travel advisories for those heading into Mexico. Our official agency is the US Department of State.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2139.html

doesnt matter shes going to have a good time no matter where she goes.

I've been to both; disney world rocks disneyland imo

Koi

Last edited by Koi Keeper at 21-Jan-2006 17:44

Empty chairs at empty tables, the room silent, forlorn.

Tiny lives on the edge (what can I say though, I'm planning on going to the Middle East this coming summer)

If you go to Mexico the main thing to remember is to bring bottled water. Or at least drink bottled water while you're there. I know from experience how painful it can be to catch something from the water (caught an amoeba the first time I went to Tijuana - was hospitalized in San Diego on the way home because I was so sick).

><>

yeah, dysentery really does suck!!

whereabouts in the Middle East? I love the Middle East, esp the Levant. It's beautifuL!!

Last edited by tiny_clanger at 21-Jan-2006 18:32

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

Turkey, actually

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ahhh turkey's lovely - Wherabaouts? The coast is so beautiful and the interior is so interesting. Kind of how Eastern Europe was before the revolutions, such a contrast.

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

As far as the whole Disneyland in LA vs Disneyworld in orlando goes. NO CONTEST! Disneyworld in Orlando is HANDS DOWN better. You're wasting time if you go to Disneyland. If you're in orlando you are also close to other cool things like the Kennedy Space Center, Sea World as already mentioned, anyone know if Bush Gardens is still around? That's cool that you're coming over to the U.S., You will have a great time. I live in Michigan but have been to every state in the U.S. except for Hawaii and Alaska and I'm only 20. I would absolutely LOVE to visit Australia. My goal is to visit Ausi after I graduate college (only 2 years left) and see the great barrier reef. I would love to take my car over (just bought a Subaru Impreza WRX) and have some fun in the outback. Well, have a great time in the U.S. and be sure to take it all in.

Hahaha...Subaru Impreza in the outback..You'll last about 3 minutes.

The Busch Gardens is located in Tampa, I think that's about a two hour drive away from Orlando. I didn't care for that Busch much, the Virginia one is way better.

Last edited by sirbooks at 22-Jan-2006 17:43

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

You're wasting time if you go to Disneyland

erm, are you really not wasting time if you go to disney anywhere?

deleted because it was pointless saying it even though it was true.

Having read through the travel advisory (and I have seen fairly good evidence that the US DoS does not produce objective advisories anyway) I dont see where it advises no travel to the region, therefore, where is the problem???

Last edited by tiny_clanger at 23-Jan-2006 18:58

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions