Groundhog's USA Adventure

[Groundhog]

I'm making my way over to the States with a group of friends this October-November for the first time, in a bit of a whirlwind/see-as-much-as-time-allows type of tour.

The plan is 5 nights in LA, 8 nights NY, 2 nights Miami, 3 nights New Orleans, 5 nights San Fran, 6 nights Vegas. So far only NY and San Fran are booked.

I'm looking for recommendations for accom in LA, Miami, New Orleans, and Vegas mainly - the best areas to stay in mainly, especially with the limited time we have in Miami and New Orleans, but we are pretty clueless with LA too.

Also any tips re: domestic flights? Looks like New Orleans->San Fran is the only exceptionally pricey leg, although with a stop in GA it isn't so bad. We have LA->NY booked, but nothing else at this stage.

Any help/info/recommendations would be most welcome, thanks!

[DaddyTorgo]

Sounds like fun!!!

[Izulde]

As far as Vegas goes, I'd suggest the Cosmopolitan. It's fun, trendy, and just all around cool.

I'd also recommend staying on the Strip in general. Downtown will be cheaper, but for a first time visit, you want to be at the spot where there's the most action, I would think.

That said, I would still go downtown just to visit Fremont Street Experience, but I'd also do it at night.

Every casino has its overall vibe and feel. Some places have more history than others. If you're looking for an older hotel that's got a quirky sense to it, I'd suggest the Flamingo. Not as upscale a clientele as a lot of newer casinos, but everyone I know who's stayed there has liked it.

The Luxor I know some people like, but that's way on one end of the Strip. I'd also avoid the Stratosphere because that's way on the other end of the Strip and it's also quite close to North Las Vegas, which you never want to be in if you can help it.

As far as buffets go, I liked the one at Bellagio and have heard good things about the one at Rio and Cosmopolitan. Paris's is very blah and not worth it in my opinion.

And sorry if I'm scatter-shooting here. Just typing things as they come to mind.

[britrock88]

Ambitious itinerary! All I can offer is that is might save you $$$ to wait until September to book the flights.

[Scoobz0202]

I don't really have much to offer other than maybe a consideration. You seem to be hitting the major cities. Have you considered checking out some scenic places? Perhaps the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion National Park in Utah, the Rockies. Homer speaking, but I think the United States is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it's often forgotten about how much beauty is here even by those who live here.

But if it's just some boys wanting to have a great time in the cities, you'll have a blast. Just a suggestion.

[digamma]

I think you have three main options in LA, depending on what you want.

1. You have the beach areas, Santa Monica, or even the South Bay. The advantages there are obvious. Close to the beach. Good restaurants in Santa Monica and Venice.

2. West Hollywood/Hollywood. An area that is convenient to a lot of places and close to a lot of good restaurants and nightlife. If you want to do a lot of site seeing, this may be your best spot.

3. Downtown. Rejuvenated downtown area has a lot of restaurants and bars. The down side is that there isn't much else around and you're a decent drive from a lot of the sites.

[MrBug708]

How much per night are you looking at?

[EagleFan]

You may want to check out Spirit Airlines for teh trip from New York to Miami. Or if you want to drive a couple hours, not sure if Atlantic City to Miami may be cheaper. (especially if you want to take a night away from New York and head to AC for that night)

Unfortunately I have IT contacts in AC and not marketing contacts so I don't know if I could help find you a room there, though I could try.

[EagleFan]

dola: As for Vegas I would recommend somewhere around Caesars or Bally's if you want to be right in the heart of it.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

I don't really have much to offer other than maybe a consideration. You seem to be hitting the major cities. Have you considered checking out some scenic places? Perhaps the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion National Park in Utah, the Rockies. Homer speaking, but I think the United States is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it's often forgotten about how much beauty is here even by those who live here.

But if it's just some boys wanting to have a great time in the cities, you'll have a blast. Just a suggestion.

Completely agree, and the next time I go to the US that will be the plan - my gf has family sprinkled throughout Canada/Texas/Virginia so we would be doing a trip that would be half family, half scenic. This is more just a "fun" type of vacation with a group of friends.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by digamma

I think you have three main options in LA, depending on what you want.

1. You have the beach areas, Santa Monica, or even the South Bay. The advantages there are obvious. Close to the beach. Good restaurants in Santa Monica and Venice.

2. West Hollywood/Hollywood. An area that is convenient to a lot of places and close to a lot of good restaurants and nightlife. If you want to do a lot of site seeing, this may be your best spot.

3. Downtown. Rejuvenated downtown area has a lot of restaurants and bars. The down side is that there isn't much else around and you're a decent drive from a lot of the sites.

We were thinking downtown, but what would the commute be like to Santa Monica & Hollywood from there? We would be taking public transport.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

How much per night are you looking at?

Our preference is for apartments that can sleep 5. We are paying around $100ish each a night in NY and SF so far - so around $500 a night total.

[thesloppy]

With that many people, and that budget, have you thought about renting houses, where appropriate? I do a trip with 7 other friends every year, and the best decision we ever made was moving our accommodations from hotels into rental houses. Way more room, way more privacy, comfort and generally a lot more bang for your buck. Vegas, for example is full of awesome rental houses often with pools and all sorts of amenities, for the same price you'll pay for a strip hotel....of course, the catch is that you're not on the strip, and finding a place that's close to the action/destination is often the biggest challenge with rental houses. Here's my two favorite sites for home rentals:

http://www.vrbo.com/
HomeAway Vacation Rentals: Beach Houses, Condos, Cabins, Villas & Vacation Rental Homes

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I'm making my way over to the States with a group of friends this October-November for the first time, in a bit of a whirlwind/see-as-much-as-time-allows type of tour.

The plan is 5 nights in LA, 8 nights NY, 2 nights Miami, 3 nights New Orleans, 5 nights San Fran, 6 nights Vegas. So far only NY and San Fran are booked.

I'm looking for recommendations for accom in LA, Miami, New Orleans, and Vegas mainly - the best areas to stay in mainly, especially with the limited time we have in Miami and New Orleans, but we are pretty clueless with LA too.

Also any tips re: domestic flights? Looks like New Orleans->San Fran is the only exceptionally pricey leg, although with a stop in GA it isn't so bad. We have LA->NY booked, but nothing else at this stage.

Any help/info/recommendations would be most welcome, thanks!

5 nights in la is a long time man. Unless you're planning on going elsewhere, I'd reallocate 3 of those days to Miami and New Orleans.

[MrBug708]

I'd say it depends on what you want to do. Hit up a Lakers/Kings game, head to Disneyland, see Hollywood, hang out on the beach, visit the space shuttle. There is a ton to do, just depends on what you want to do.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

5 nights in la is a long time man. Unless you're planning on going elsewhere, I'd reallocate 3 of those days to Miami and New Orleans.

I was thinking 6 nights in Vegas seems nuts. I have been 10 times so it's not like I am a puritan but after 3 nights (even two) you should be able to see the entire city and do any amount of gambling/partying you want. SF also seems long but not compared to Vegas. I might expand to Boston, Chicago, or DC. Not trying to ruin your fun, the trip sounds fantastic just trying to help "troubleshoot"

[TLK]

You can definitely do 6 nights in Vegas, but I'd break it up and stay 4 nights on the strip and 2 downtown. We're going this weekend and will probably spend more time downtown than on the strip.

[CleBrownsfan]

Originally Posted by TLK

You can definitely do 6 nights in Vegas, but I'd break it up and stay 4 nights on the strip and 2 downtown. We're going this weekend and will probably spend more time downtown than on the strip.

Ohhhh... March Madness + Vegas = greatness!! Done it twice and can't wait to do it again

[panerd]

Don't want to derail the thread much so I will just leave it at this. It would be like going to Europe and spending 3 nights each in London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Berlin and 7 nights in Amsterdam. Sure Vegas is fun but 25% of your trip? (expensive also, probably only topped by New York on his list) And Vegas on Thurs-Sat is 100x different than Vegas on Sun-Weds.

[Coffee Warlord]

Six nights in Vegas is ... a lot.

[Coffee Warlord]

And ditch New Orleans and swing up to Chicago instead.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

Ohhhh... March Madness + Vegas = greatness!! Done it twice and can't wait to do it again

I'm just curious - how all do you do MM in Vegas? I won't be going anywhere for Spring Break this year, but I figure being in town during MM isn't so bad.

[thesloppy]

Yeah, I love Vegas, but by the time the third night is over I'm usually "let's get thee fuck out of here ASAP, before my soul dies." And there's literally nothing to do that hasn't been meticulously engineered to part you from your money, in as quick as manner as possible, so moods and finances can sour quick.....to that end, I'd think about putting Vegas at the end of your trip, then it can both serve as a celebration, and there's no chance of anybody's money/gambling/strippers/hookers issues surfacing and dampening your trip before it's over.

[cartman]

My record for The Strip was 11 consecutive nights. I wasn't the same person leaving Vegas as the one when I arrived.

[Subby]

Kinda surprised you don't have DC in there. Shave a few days off NY and take the train down.

[PilotMan]

Damn that's an impressive sounding trip! I'm pretty sure that you will have plenty of things to see no matter where you go. I do think you might want more time in Miami and maybe a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Vegas might be fun too.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

5 nights in la is a long time man. Unless you're planning on going elsewhere, I'd reallocate 3 of those days to Miami and New Orleans.

Or a couple to San Diego, one of my favorite spots in Cali. Coronado Island, the Gas Lamp disctrict and spend a day renting jet skis and of course a trip to Seaworld.

[PilotMan]

Longer stays are fine. You are going to need to recharge one or two days and there is no way you want to spend hoards of time traveling. Its a big country and while most of the time flying goes off without a hitch, you can count on at least 1 major delay with that itinerary. It can be exhausting, so don't cut up your vacation to see everything because you'll be traveling way more than you end up wanting to.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

We were thinking downtown, but what would the commute be like to Santa Monica & Hollywood from there? We would be taking public transport.

Public transportation to Santa Monica is difficult. It is pretty good between Hollywood and Downtown and vice versa. Availability for apartments for a week is probably greater downtown, Santa Monica second and Hollywood may be third.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

And ditch New Orleans and swing up to Chicago instead.

+1 on visiting Chicago if you can fit it in. Great city with tons to do and easy to get around in using public transportation.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

5 nights in la is a long time man. Unless you're planning on going elsewhere, I'd reallocate 3 of those days to Miami and New Orleans.

There is plenty to do in LA for 5 days. It's the 6 days in Vegas that I think is a little much. I love Vegas, but I usually tap out at around two nights.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

We were thinking downtown, but what would the commute be like to Santa Monica & Hollywood from there? We would be taking public transport.

Oh good heaven, that would be a nightmare. I highly recommend you get a rental vehicle for LA. Trust me, you want mobility in LA and you want to walk, no run, away from public transportation here. LA and all the various things you can do here are all way too far away from most any other tourist stuff. Ever heard that Missing Persons song "Nobody Walks In LA"? Most accurate song ever.

Someone made a trip out here a couple months ago and had a thread for what there is to do. It's a pretty terrific thread to help planning your stay here, IMO. I would do a search for that thread.

[Logan]

Where did you book in NYC?

And I think 6 nights in Vegas can be done. But you'll need to only be spending about half that time in Vegas, baby, Vegas, and the rest of the time in Las Vegas, Nevada. I can't imagine spending a week in Vegas at the rate I've spent long weekends there.

[molson]

Vegas can be kind of fun if you give yourself a little time to breathe while you're there, it's just a different kind of trip. You can do day trips to Grand Canyon or into the desert, you can have leisurely meals, spend an entire Saturday or Sunday in a sportsbook, and you'll never run out of shows or good food.

[Pyser]

definitely rent a car in los angeles. and go to disneyland.

if all things are equal, i'd try to stay on the west side (santa monica, venice, west la). they are easier, smaller towns to get around/walk, and you wont be stuck in traffic as much because everything will be closer. and if you do want to go downtown, you will be going against traffic (yeah, makes no sense, but la is weird like that).

also, i think you'll find miami and new orleans can be just as debaucherous as vegas, so i agree you could cut down on vegas if you wanted.

[Logan]

And not sure about ages or marital situations, but a bunch of guys with Australian accents in Vegas clubs...it's almost not fair.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by cartman

My record for The Strip was 11 consecutive nights. I wasn't the same person leaving Vegas as the one when I arrived.

I did 10 nights in a row over bowl week and New Year's and it definitely wasn't enough. We're going for my eleventh stay in Vegas this June and we're doing 7 nights and I'm not sure that is enough.

[Groundhog]

Firstly, thanks everyone!

Re: LA, I think we have enough ideas to last us the time there - theme parks, Hollywood, Santa Monica, a few cruisy shopping days, and most importantly the first day of jet lag zombieness.

To be honest we're a little wary of hiring a car in LA, but we'll see when we get there... We've all heard nightmare stories from other travellers re: the roads in LA, but it's probably not as bad as it's been made out to be.

Re: Vegas, none of us are big gamblers, but I imagine it will be a few nights of hitting the strip, a trip out to the Grand Canyon, and a few cruisy days outside of Vegas - hopefully a good way to end the trip.

We wanted to hit DC but basically the people we are travelling with are spending nearly 2 weeks in NYC alone, so me and the GF decided to go off and do our own thing for 5 nights and meet up in SF with everyone else. It came down to the south east or DC basically, and we went with Miami/New Orleans. Would love to see DC, but will have to be on another trip.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Logan

Where did you book in NYC?

We got an apartment somewhere in Hell's Kitchen - can't remember exactly where.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Logan

And not sure about ages or marital situations, but a bunch of guys with Australian accents in Vegas clubs...it's almost not fair.

Alas, two couples and a single gal.............

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

We got an apartment somewhere in Hell's Kitchen - can't remember exactly where.

Good area for tourists with access to a lot of different subways that will get you everywhere, restaurants, bars, etc. If you need recommendations as it gets closer, let me know!

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Alas, two couples and a single gal.............

Does your GF has an Aussie accent?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by stevew

Does your GF has an Aussie accent?

Yup, we've all got Aussie accents, though we have "Sydney" accents which aren't quite as stereotypically Aussie as people probably see on TV, so we'll have to ramp it up a little.

[korme]

I feel like this is the most expensive trip ever, and one hell of a time. I'm jealous.

[Peregrine]

Seems to me you could easily shave a couple of days off Vegas and go to Chicago - cool city to visit and to me 6 days in Vegas is a lot - I know some people love to stay a long time there but for me 3-4 days at a time is all I can take. I mean Vegas us awesome, not knocking it at all, but for me Chicago is essential on any trip like the one you guys have. Just 2 cents.

I'd also add that you should make sure you have a list of stuff everyone wants to see or do before you come - some of the cities on your trip are compact and easy to see most of the main sites (San Fran, New Orleans) but others like LA and NY are sprawling and could require a lot of driving and or mass transit - all good but you just want to make sure you don't end up spending too much time in transit. Places like NYC especially, it's nice to be able to have enough time where you can just walk around a neighborhood and get the feel of it.

[MrBug708]

Based on where they are going, it seems he is picking warmer places than cooler ones. If you want an experience, maybe try El Paso? Lubbock? Mobile?

I echo the car. Ya traffic can be a nightmare at times, but based on facebook, you guys have a good time so provided you don't decide to drive across LA from 4-7, you probably will be fine.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by korme

I feel like this is the most expensive trip ever, and one hell of a time. I'm jealous.

Unfortunately you may well be right... $5k (AU) so far for us 2, and that's just return flight to LA, domestic flight to NY, NY and SF accom, and a 3-day pass for NY to various tourist attractions.

[cartman]

Got to meet up with Groundhog, his fiancée, and their friends last night at the Venetian. It was great getting to meet another FOFCer in person. Also a note to self, have more than just a shrimp salad before drinking with Aussies!

[claphamsa]

pics or it didnt happen...

and lol at death hearld

[cartman]

The Vegas code forbids pics, unless it is Subby snapping ones of jailbait at a buffet.