West coast of America

[Mrs. K Nolan]

My friend and i are planning a trip to the west coast of america and then to las vegas over the summer and we are looking for any advice people can give.
We would like to know good hotels, places to see, trips to go on - any advice or tips at all!!!

Thank you.

[jno]

temperature in Las Vegas in summer gets up to 100 degrees and more - dry heat as it's in a desert, but all the same it's not the time I'd choose to go there.

[naomi24]

Alcatraz, and the Grand Canyon (from Vegas) are a must.

[cc1]

Depends how long you have, obviously. Canyon De Chelly, Arches, Monument Valley, Yosemite, are all brilliant though well spread out and East of Las Vegas. The coastline above San Francisco is stunning. In Las Vegas, the Tuscany Suites is a great place to stay, a couple of blocks off the Central Strip, huge rooms. The Fremont Experience is a must see, I can't believe we went twice and never saw it, but we like to leave a reason to return.

[jason.p]

we did the WestCoast coach trip the year before last, it was absolutely brilliant. A bit hectic and living out of a suitcase, but it's the best way to do it. We had a really good tour guide who was with us for the whole trip and gave us so much information that we would never have found out on our own. We started at LA then San Diego into Arizona &Nevada taking in the grand canyon, Yosemite and Las Vegas (as cc1 says do not miss Fremont Street-it's jaw droppingly amazing). Then back along the coast, the big Sur, to San Fransisco (make sure you have some warm clothes, it can be a bit of a shock after Las Vegas). Back to LA then to fly home.
I can thoroughly recommend it. It gives you and idea where to go back to and where to avoid if ever you wanted to go back.

[Clanad]

All good advice... but it comes down to whether you want the standard "Cook's Tour" or would like to find some of the hidden gems. I live in the western U.S. and the west coast is almost a sub-nation in itself.

My favorite city in California (everyone has their own tastes) is San Diego. But there are lots of things to do just in and around ' Diego... The finest zoo in the world is at Balboa Park and takes at least a full day. The original Sea World is also in San Diego and still the best in my opinion. There's The Star of India anchored in the bay down town. It's an 18th century iron clad clipper ship fully restored. I'd also recommend Point Loma in the Cabrillo National Monument.
One thing... please don't consider going to Tijuana, Mexico... not only is it depressing and squalid, it's also become down right dangerous what with all the drug gangs, etc.

It's then, an interesting day long drive (or bus trip) from San Diego to Phoenix AZ. The route takes you through the desert by the Salton Sea and thorugh the old frontier town of Yuma (take time to go through the old Territorial Prison). Once in Phoenix one can then go northwest to the Grand Canyon. You arrive at the South Rim which is much more accomodating than the North Rim, but the crowds at North Rim are significantly less (it's another day to get there, though). It's then a 6 hour bus or driving trip back to Las Vegas and from there, a 5 hour drive back to L.A. and all that offers.
If you have couple of weeks, I'd certainly recommend the San Francisco/Monterrey area and all the wine country, but that's another story...
Welcome to the US.!

[Dee Sa]

for Clanad
quite a while ago we stayed with friends in the US near San Jose for a month using their place as a base we did various trips at bargain prices, one was to Vegas and aother to Anaheim, from there hubby desperately wanted to do the trip to Tijuana but as he holds a Portugese pasport [ mine is a UK one] we were advised by the tour company not to go because he might have had difficulty getting back into the US, now you have given the place a write up I dont feel so bad about it.
Tell me why are here so many good internal flight deals in the US but if you try and do the same thing from UK its double the price ?

[Clanad]

It could be a couple of things, Dee Sa... Firstly, the large difference in the exchange rate. The Pound Sterling is worth a lot more than our sad sack dollar. Additionally, even here, the difference between a fare purchased three weeks or a month in advance is always far less than one purchased just a few days in advance.

Lastly, there a small number of "niche" airlines, such as Allegiant ( http://www.allegiantair.com/ ) that operate on a semi non-scheduled basis. They're a good, safe airline, but they operate from point-to-point rather than hub-and-spoke and they only fly on, say 4 or 5 days per week rather than daily.

I'm glad you enjoyed your American sojurn! Come again...

[KARL]

If your American trip is to straddle the border between Canada/Mexico and the USA then you should in advance familiarise yourself with the requirements for any stamps you must have before your return trip across the border, assuming you are flying to and from the same point. Some people have unwittingly fallen foul of the rules by ending up without one stamp or another and had lots of aggro from USA officials when attempting to re-cross. If your American trip is to be limited to the west coast of the USA then that is is relatively easy to explore, especially if you have a car in which case you can usually rely on motels and other hotels along the way - just don't leave your stop (or booking) too late in the day when you want to check in to be sure to get a room. Have a look at the room before you commit yourself and if you don't like it, move on.