Howdy all, I turned 21 the other day, and as a gift from the family, they shouted me a trip to the US of A! Looking ford to it big time. My dad and I get there on August the 8th, flying into LA. I really dont know much about America, so what I am after is advice for travel. At this stage we will probably hire a car/camper and just drive ourselfs everywhere. Few things we have to do is head to the salt flats, because its the big speed week over there isnt it at this time? Better go check out Vegas too. And the day before we fly out is the Pomona swapmeet which I will have to save money up for big time. And is there some NHRA museum round the area somewhere too? And and maybe go to the drags somewhere. What would you guys recommend doing and how? Will be there for 12 days I think. Cheers Lee
You'll be busy. It's a big country, but sounds like a lot of fun and totally doable. There is a lot of talk about the NHRA museum closing, so hopefully it will be open still. I seem to remember later in the year is the close date. When you arrive, get yourself a good hiway map and if time allows, check out some of the two lane hiways on less traveled roads. Peterson Musuem is usually good too. Lots and lots of car related stuff in LA area. You could spend all your time there alone checking out hot rod related things and still not see it all. Be sure to take lots of pics. Have fun and happy early birthday!
Hey Cooon! I'm heading to the USA on July 21st for a month - gotta buy a new vehicle for Beach Hop 10. I know my way around so if you need a guide then let me know.... you should have my email address? Have fun! Noddy
Send me a PM... Will give you a few options... This is what I'm up to.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=366363 cheers bt
Staying on the west coast, or traveling wide? Do you just want to see cars-or America? I'd hit Yosemite,Bryce Canyon,Yellowstone, NY City, a midwest State fair-like Iowa or Minnesota. San Antonio. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Washington,DC and the Smithsonian Institution. If I had twelve days, not sure I'd spend a lot of it in car museums,much as I like them.
With just 12 days, you won't be able to attend the HAMB drags in Joplin, MO. Too bad, but if you're coming in on the West coast, there will be plenty to keep you amused while you're here. r
Don't want to sound like an arse, but if it's a hot rod related trip, rather than just a general check out the States trip, the first thing I'd do is change my travel dates. You want to be in Bonneville on the 8th, not arriving in LA on that day and then have to get sorted and to the Salt to see much racing - there are more cars and people at the salt early in the week. The hot rod trip I would do is leave NZ Oct 16, arrive LA, hire a rental and drive 2 hours up to Bakersfield, spend Fri, Sat, Sun nights there at the Hot Rod Reunion great nostalgia drag racing, swap meet, tons of cool cars and customs hanging out, http://museum.nhra.com/chrr.asp?Year=2009 Then Id do my driving about bit Yellowstone, Pacific Coast road San Fran to LA (Highway 101 I think), then to Vegas to catch the NHRA Drags on 29 Oct 1 Nov. http://sportsman.nhra.com/content/preview.asp?articleid=2446&zoneid=90&y=&navsource=23 Guys on the Hamb can bitch about NHRA all they like, but coming from NZ the Drags will blow your mind !!! Then either dump the car there and fly back to LAX and out or drive back to LA. And somewhere in the middle get to the Peterson museum in LA and/or NHRA museum : http://www.petersen.org/ http://www.museum.nhra.com/apcm/templates/general.asp?articleid=672&zoneid=41&navsource=maps Bonneville advice - dont wear boxers on the Salt, unless you like your peanuts roasted (Im 100% serious on this one the sun reflects up from the salt), take good suncream and a wide hat, take some plastic sheet and tape to tape over the floor of your rental cause the salt gets everywhere, you can sleep just off the salt flats beside the road for free, powerhose off your rental before leaving. Other general advice get sleeping pills for the flight, get a Sat Nav in the rental, Motel 6 is fine for motels, but call ahead and confirm you are arriving, because they will give your room away if you are late or even if they just feel like it or overbook, have a US motel address on you at US Customs because the forms require an address where you will be staying (and yeh I know you are just intending to get a car and trip around, but somehow US Customs doesnt grasp or accept that), buy beer at liquor shops not supermarkets (lower alcohol , at least where I go in Denver), you will need to carry your age ID everywhere and last try not to smile too much cause it will be a killer trip! http://sportsman.nhra.com/2009/schedule.asp http://www.socalcarculture.com/events.html
All of the above ideas sound great. It's clear that you may have to change your dates for some. 12 days will fly by what ever you decide to do. One thing you must do is eat and In N Out burger. They are all over SoCal with a bit of nostalgia and great burgers too... Have a blast.
gotta have an in n out burger. If you head down to san diego ill take you to tijuanna for a half day, you can check out my junk yards too, im on the border 3 hours south of LA
Poor guy. He asks for advice, he's flying into Los Angeles, and all the responses are from everywhere on the planet, except for California! We'll make sure you get hooked-up before you arrive, Lee.
Everyone is different, but I'd have to agree with the above. As much as I love cars, the Western USA is an absolutely amazing place to visit. Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, etc. Experiencing those places can change your life. My hotrod chick and I took a trip out there a few years ago, and hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, stayed at Phantom Ranch, and hiked back out the next day. One of the most amazing things I've ever done in my life. Pete
Me and my wife made a 2-weeks/ 4000 miles camping trip in 2006 when we lived there. We had this one advice in mind: Once you've seen one city you've seen 'em all. And that's somewhat true. The nature and landscape are amazing. Here's a few highlights we went through: Highway 101, Oregon coast, SF, Malibu beach, Hollywood, The Studios, Historical Route 66, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion national park, Death Valley, Great salt lake, Lake Tahoe etc... http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b193/Mikaka2/Road Trip 2006/?albumview=slideshow Have a nice trip! --mika
The GRAND CANYON! You've got to see the Grand Canyon. There are no words that can describe it's awesomeness in beauty and grandeur. Peace, Chaz
In Colorado, supermarkets are restricted by law to only sell 3.2% alcohol beer, so youd have to go to a liquor store for "real" beer. If your staying in California the supermarkets should still carry the "real" stuff.
Aside from Grand Canyon and Bryce/Zion, NZ has the scenery beat. If you're late, you could fly to Salt Lake City and rent your car there, come back to L.A. via Bonneville, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Death Valley.
If you're in the area, stop by Winfield's shop in Mojave. We also have a race track (Willow Springs) which is the fastest track in the west as well as a "historical point of interest", and we're right next to Edwards AFB so you'll get to see lots of really cool aircraft!
Thanks for the help team, cant really change the dates, everything is locked in. Do you think it would be wiser to drive to Bonneville from LA or fly? I dont really want a full on car holiday, but to check out the local destinations too, like grand canyon and vegas etc.
Dude you got to see the land. I am not saying don't do anything car related but make sure you see the sites. I would say screw vegas and go see the nature and stuff like Yosemite Yellowstone. See the golden gate. Alcatraz stuff like that. As much as I love cars the beauty of the land stays with me longer.
I'd definately take a cruise up the coast on the 1 highway in Cali. The NHRA museum is a must see if you are gonna be in Pomona. Speedweek should be fun too.
You will need a Passport, blablabla. Definitely book your hotels ahead of time, bring the print outs with you. Check the hotel cancellation policy, some will let you cancel, some won't. Good luck getting a room near Bonneville.
http://maps.yahoo.com/ for planning routes. You can use the cursor, to change the route between two points. http://www.weather.com/ for weather forecasts. Type in the closest city and state at the top of the page.
Ha I didnt have a party so we are doing this instead. I definitly do want to mix it up with cars and landscape, and the things you have suggested seem to be the go. Now start planning the finer points I guess. Oh and better get a passport too!
Glad to hear you're coming to visit; lots of stuff to see and do; much more than time usually allows.
According to my calendar, the first day of Speedweek is the 8th. You might think about hopping a plane to Salt Lake City and renting a car there. Drive to Bonneville (approx 2hrs). Driving from LA to Bonneville will easily kill a whole day each way. Fly back to LA rent a car and hit the sights from there. The first few days of SW are best for spectating, lots of cars there. Lots of racers go for a few days and leave. Air fare is really cheap right now. FYI gas is about $3 a gallon. I know its cheaper than home, just a figure to plan your expenses. By August last year it was $4+. Sounds like the best bet is do the Petersen, NHRA museum and Pomona swap the last days of your trip. If you are into scary rides, hit Magic Mountain. Better than anything Disneyland has to offer. Go to Grand Canyon, hit Vegas for a night, FORGET MEXICO, maybe hit the beach somewhere along the ride. The Ca coast is nice, but it probably isn't as nice as what you have at home. There is tons of stuff to do, the weather is nice and hot, great time to be on vacation.
If you want to see the USA, use the two-lane roads. The State Routes. Use the Interstate Highways only if you need to get somewhere far away fast. If you want to see what is America, drive through the actual towns as you go along. Now that I think of it, a ROUTE 66 tour would be great. There are several websites that deal with Route 66 and all it's history. You can take quite a trip even before you get here. Then when you see it for real, you can take it all in and know the stories behind the places. Stop and pick up some tumbleweeds that roll across the highway in Kansas. Watch the deer cross the roads. Go where the Buffalo are. Drive to the top of the mountains and have a snowball fight in the middle of summer. Take a swim in a mountain stream on a hot day and marvel at how it feels like ice water (melted snow). Take all day to float down Current River on an inner tube. Look down from the Arch. Drive down a deserted gravel road late at night and watch the "jumping rocks". (small toads crossing the road) Ride a Gator Air Boat thru the Florida marshes. Drive the two lane roads wherever they take you. You'll have lots of stories to tell the grandkids later. My kids want me to take them on a bike trip this summer. I plan to stay on the two-lane roads and show them everything up close.
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