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6 days in that part of california is not a vacation nor really what I hope you come away thinking that the united states is like. That is one of the highest risk areas in the united states for crime so you be very careful while in that area. Orlando not only has disney world but is close to the Atlantic Ocean, manatees, okeefenoke swamp, everglades, etc. If you have extra time down in Orlando we'd drive down and say hey. Extra time in California, that far south is hard. Sure venture towards Mexico but leaving the country and crossing the border with your Australian passports and accents just be very extremely careful. 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?

Bad things that happen in Tijuana:

[link=http://www.nampn.doenetwork.us/cases/provost_david.html]http://www.nampn.doenetwork.us/cases/provost_david.html" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2005/01/new_drug_war_be.php]http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2005/01/new_drug_war_be.php" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link]

The bureaucracy of a murder investigation

If an American in Tijuana gets killed, kidnapped, arrested or assaulted, Al Anzaldua, the American Citizen Services chief, is one of the first to hear about it. From a hillside office overlooking the city, Anzaldua and his team try to help Americans navigate Tijuana, and help the local government handle Americans. Most of the time, says Anzaldua, that means helping them deal with trouble.

But the excess that is easily had in Tijuana comes at a price: one American citizen per day dies in Tijuana and the surrounding area of Baja California, according to Al Anzaldua, chief of the American Citizen Services (ACS) section in the Tijuana American consulate. Three are reported missing. It is the most active, and perilous, tourist destination in the world.

You have no consulate there. Thereis no one to help an Australian in Tijuana, please just think about it.

[link=http://www.tijuana.com.mx/21/]http://www.tijuana.com.mx/21/" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/may30-03/beer.htm]http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/may30-03/beer.htm" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link]

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

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

geeze, what a way to welcome someone to the states.

JB's not dumb. Quit telling horror stories.

If you're going to be in Orlando for long enough, Gatorland is an awesome place to go. At least, I loved it when I was little. [link=http://www.gatorland.com/]http://www.gatorland.com/" style="COLOR: #808080[/link] I know you've probably seen some crocs down in Australia, but have you ever laid eyes on a real alligator? Might be worth a look, anyways.

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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."

i just came back from orlando, and i am sure u will have a great time. their are alot of outlet shopping areas if u like to shop, i think we did that for a entire day. and the parks should be fun.

the cruise sounds awesome, hope u have a great time, i never did a 2 weeker so that should be double the fun.

in NYC it may be a bit chilly, but dont for get to go to the empire state building, and the shows. and while you are haveing a blast, dont forget to stand in a park, and soak in the atmosphere. the venders on the corncer, hundreds of people, hundreds of yellow taxi. all the good stuff.

i hope u have a blast everywhere you go, sounds wonderful.

Ohhh!!! NYC!!!

Actually, I hate the city. I'm afraid of it. There is a nice aquarium to visit though. I cant remember the one in the city, but if you get the chance to come over to Long Island, come visit Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead. 20,000 gallon reef tank, 120,000 gallon shark tank. It's beautiful.

And in the city of course, you gotta do all the cool things like visit FAO Schwartz, the Toys R Us with the ferris wheel inside, the Empire State building, Broadway, Jekyll and Hyde, Hard Rock Cafe, ohh there's so much to see! Too bad you missed Christmas time. It's the prettiest ice skating by the giant tree.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

if you do go to san diego, you can visit seal beach and see one of my all time favorite signs posted anywhere i have ever been in the world:

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

That's nice, moondog!

I have to agree with Tim, we Australians are not quite as naive as we look! And I have travelled before. But all the advice is well appreciated all the same. We've decided to go on a 'play it by ear' basis. If we get sick of LA after a few days, we may well hire a car and drive up to San Francisco, or wherever takes our fancy.

I am most excited about going to New York. Will there still be a bit of snow around, or is it all gone by then (I imagine so, but then I've heard temps can still be around freezing at that time of year). One of my closest friends just returned from a trip to NYC and Boston, he was actually there from Christmas and his photos are just divine, especially Central Park.

I can't wait to hit Central America and the Caribbean as well - you know how some regions of the world just speak to you? Well, this is one of those places to me. I've been longing to go there for years, to see jungles and Mayan ruins as well as tropical beaches. And though I'll only have a day in each place, not nearly as long as I would prefer to spend there, it's a start at least.

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

its really been warm this winter, and so it may snow in late feb if at all(it snowed maybe 2 times by me, and a good amount, but of course like last year during the blizzard my school was still open.) so i doubt their will be any snow. sry.

That isn't the United States, that is Mexico



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

Clanger, have you actually ever been to the U.S. and went to disneyland or disneyworld? If not than where do you get off saying how much of a waste both are? Disneyworld has loads of cool things like the Epcot Center and Animal Kingdom, both of which need at least a day or 2 to get a good idea of what they're like.

hmmm... Southern Cal huh.... Is Black's Beach still down there? If so, I might would make a trip out to Southern Cal and go with you JB to that beach. Been about 20 years since I was in SD. Alot has changed since then. The Zoo used to be a really nice one, might take a day there.

But just let me know if you plan a day at THE beach, lol. So I can get myself a ticket, lol.

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There is always a bigger fish...

But Dempsey, what value do they have aside from their intellectual value as a paen to commerciality?

Why waste your time visiting an illusion?

Disneyland Paris is a great example. People go to france JUST for Disney, this is the city where the world changed, where some of the most beautiful and important artifacts for all humanity are on display, and people go to some fake, illusory world! What A Waste Of Time!

The point of travelling is to see how the world contrasts, how the world is different to what you know. Are you saying that American culture is so shallow that people should visit this illusory world rather than taking the time to see the real culture?

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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

Black's Beach???? Like at Torrey Pines State Beach???? I'm not quite sure JB would want to go there.....unless she's into clothing optional....


You might want to go to the L.A.Zoo. From what I recall it isn't a 'fantastic' zoo, but I always enjoyed it. The Huntington Gardens is a nice place to go too, beautiful. Maybe the J.P. Getty Museum in Malibu too. Bars on Sunset Blvd are always fun -- Viper Room, Rainbow Bar and Grille, etc.

As I stated before, I have been to both Disneyland and DisneyWorld. IMO - Disney World in Orlando is much better. Although, I was bored with parts of Epcot Center, I do love the Animal Kingdom and MGM was my favorite. (MUST SEE FANTANSMIC - BEST NIGHT SHOW THEY HAVE).

I would check out Univeral Studios too. (Not far from Disneyworld in Orlando).

St. Augustine is not far from Orlando. Only a couple of hour drive. It's toward Jacksonville.... It is absolutely beautiful and full of history such as the Old Fort, Flagler College, George St. etc... we did a walking tour one night of "Haunted, St. Augustine". It was very interesting what people believe in. I don't personally believe in that stuff but it's still cool to hear the stories and some of them are so off the wall but, some actually get you thinking. . .
here is more information St. Augustine website

Hope this helps,
~r

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

Black's Beach???? Like at Torrey Pines State Beach????

Yes, that's it, lol. It was a joke piscesgirl. And yes, clothing is optional. I wondered if anyone knew of it, and would get it. lol. I have never actually been there, did hang glide over it several times while I was stationed in SD though, but never actually been on the beach.

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There is always a bigger fish...

moondog do you mind if i steal that picture?

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

go ahead

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

thanks

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

Thanks for the replies everyone. Still got a lot of planning to do but we're getting there. I'm sure a lot of our decisions about what to do and where to go will be made on the spot anyway, as that's the way we usually do things when travelling.

Just another quick question, for the purposes of budgeting - how much would a meal usually set you back in New York and Los Angeles? Let me know a bit of a range if possible - mostly we'll be trying to eat at cheaper sort of places (no fast food though ) and sometimes we'll cook for ourselves if we find a hostel with a half-decent kitchen (not easy!) but may succumb to the allure of fine dining once or twice, especially as there are a few special days to be celebrated while we are there.

About the Disneyworld thing: Tiny_clanger, I agree with you in a lot of ways, when I travel it is about experiencing an actual culture first and foremost. But isn't the whole Disney thing part of the United States culture, albeit a prepackaged, expensive one?

Granted, it's probably not something I would choose to do if I was only going for a short time - i would never visit another country for the sole purpose of going to a theme park - but since I will be there anyway and in the US for a whole month, it's really a 'why not' kind of situation for me, especially as it is something I have always associated with the US.

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

Err, hard to say. Both NY and LA have a plethora of dining experiences with prices all over the place. Ethnic foods are probably your best bet for cheaper, filling, and great foods.

I should probably mention that I'm a strict vegetarian as well!

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

most restaurants, especially in metro areas like NY and LA, will have plenty of vegetarian options. it's all a matter of "atmosphere" as to how much they will charge you. personally, i found the food in LA to be quite inexpensive but i have never been to NY so i can't compare the two.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Oh. Not to worry though, as vegetarian cuisine seems to be pretty hot nowadays, and I'm sure there are such dining areas all over the place in both NY and LA; it might set you back a bit, though.