San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago Visit

Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

TIA

PS We did WDW last year, so have a little knowledge of US,

USA2005 wrote:
Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Being familiar with, and having lived in or by all three places I think
that you will have a good time. However, the only thing I will address
is Las Vegas. Besides the casinos, there are pleasant things to do and
see outside the city. Redrock Canyon is a short distance to the west,
Mt. Charleston a short distance to the NW (good place to escape summer
heat), Valley of Fire a short distance to the NE, and Hoover Dam and
Lake Mead a short distance to the east. The raft trip (not white
water) below the dam on the Colorado River is pleasant. Further away
are Zion National Park, Bryce NP, and Grand Canyon NP, but all should
be done staying in their vicinity. Sedona is also nice. A day trip to
Death Valley NP is also possible.

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

Probably.

Have a pleasant trip.

George

USA2005 wrote:
Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Being familiar with, and having lived in or by all three places I think
that you will have a good time. However, the only thing I will address
is Las Vegas. Besides the casinos, there are pleasant things to do and
see outside the city. Redrock Canyon is a short distance to the west,
Mt. Charleston a short distance to the NW (good place to escape summer
heat), Valley of Fire a short distance to the NE, and Hoover Dam and
Lake Mead a short distance to the east. The raft trip (not white
water) below the dam on the Colorado River is pleasant. Further away
are Zion National Park, Bryce NP, and Grand Canyon NP, but all should
be done staying in their vicinity. Sedona is also nice. A day trip to
Death Valley NP is also possible.

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

Probably.

Have a pleasant trip.

George

USA2005 wrote:
advice as to attractions

For San Francisco: http://geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/Sights.html
at the site at Right in the sig. Other pages in the site's Travel
section deal with Las Vegas and Chicago. Don't overlook the Vignettes.

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

Yes!
__________________________________________________ __________
A San Franciscan in (where else?) San Francisco
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

george wrote:

USA2005 wrote:
Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Being familiar with, and having lived in or by all three places I think
that you will have a good time. However, the only thing I will address
is Las Vegas. Besides the casinos, there are pleasant things to do and
see outside the city. Redrock Canyon is a short distance to the west,
Mt. Charleston a short distance to the NW (good place to escape summer
heat), Valley of Fire a short distance to the NE, and Hoover Dam and
Lake Mead a short distance to the east. The raft trip (not white
water) below the dam on the Colorado River is pleasant. Further away
are Zion National Park, Bryce NP, and Grand Canyon NP, but all should
be done staying in their vicinity. Sedona is also nice. A day trip to
Death Valley NP is also possible.

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

Probably.

Have a pleasant trip.

George

Excellent, Thanks

george wrote:

USA2005 wrote:
Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Being familiar with, and having lived in or by all three places I think
that you will have a good time. However, the only thing I will address
is Las Vegas. Besides the casinos, there are pleasant things to do and
see outside the city. Redrock Canyon is a short distance to the west,
Mt. Charleston a short distance to the NW (good place to escape summer
heat), Valley of Fire a short distance to the NE, and Hoover Dam and
Lake Mead a short distance to the east. The raft trip (not white
water) below the dam on the Colorado River is pleasant. Further away
are Zion National Park, Bryce NP, and Grand Canyon NP, but all should
be done staying in their vicinity. Sedona is also nice. A day trip to
Death Valley NP is also possible.

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

Probably.

Have a pleasant trip.

George

Excellent, Thanks

"USA2005" wrote in message
...
Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

TIA

PS We did WDW last year, so have a little knowledge of US,

I see someone already posted that if you are in Vegas, you should see Zion
Canyon, Bryce National Park etc.
My best advise is that this is the best advice you will ever get. They are
magical magical places.

Vegas gets tiring after a few days, unless you are head on partiers (Dude!).
I suggest a couple of days there and then go and stay right at Zion, at
Springdale, or in the park. At Bryce, I recommend staying in the park, right
at the rim in the cabins.

You best bet for websites is to just Google "Las Vegas tourism", "Bryce
National Park Tourism" etc. and peek at the results (always try the ones
that look "official" rather than some marketing or travel company page.

www.tripadvisor.com
www.fodors.com

are tow of the best places to start any trip investigation.

"USA2005" wrote in message
...
Couple coming to USA 3 centre visit as above June 2005 from UK, can
anyone point me to really good websites, or offer advice as to
attractions, safety, etc

Is this the best newsgroup to post such a question ?

TIA

PS We did WDW last year, so have a little knowledge of US,

I see someone already posted that if you are in Vegas, you should see Zion
Canyon, Bryce National Park etc.
My best advise is that this is the best advice you will ever get. They are
magical magical places.

Vegas gets tiring after a few days, unless you are head on partiers (Dude!).
I suggest a couple of days there and then go and stay right at Zion, at
Springdale, or in the park. At Bryce, I recommend staying in the park, right
at the rim in the cabins.

You best bet for websites is to just Google "Las Vegas tourism", "Bryce
National Park Tourism" etc. and peek at the results (always try the ones
that look "official" rather than some marketing or travel company page.

www.tripadvisor.com
www.fodors.com

are tow of the best places to start any trip investigation.

Couple coming to [San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago]
June 2005 from UK...Is this the best newsgroup to post
such a question ?

This is a good newsgroup for questions about those cities, and you
should also search the archives of this group for older posts as these
cities have been discussed many times before, especially Vegas and S.F.
You should also check out the Las Vegas newsgroup.

June is a good month for travel, although you may encounter crowds as
U.S. schoolchildren are on summer break then and many families are
taking their vacations. Be sure to make hotel reservations well in
advance.

San Francisco is one of the best cities for tourists, and you can also
make some great day trips from there. Spend a day to the north of the
city visiting Muir Woods national park www.nps.gov/muwo/ where you
can see giant redwoods, and also see beautiful Napa Valley (wineries).
Also spend a day or two south of the city seeing the dramatic Pacific
coastline of the Monterey Pennensula (be sure to drive the picturesque
"17 Mile Drive") and Big Sur.

Any guide book or S.F tourism site will list the major attractions in
the city of San Francisco itself, but if you have any specific
questions we'll be glad to provide some guidance.

Vegas is another great city for tourism (as long as you aren't offended
by gambling and the adult atmosphere.). Be aware that the weather will
be HOT as Vegas is in the desert, so if you're outside for any length
of time carry a bottle of water and pace yourself.

There are 2 main tourist areas -- "the strip" (the area where the newer
hotel / casinos are located), and the smaller, downtown area near
Freemont Street where the older casinos are located. Most tourists
spend their time in the newer strip area. Some like the older Freemont
Street area where there is less glitz, but it's generally regarded as
a little dreary by comparison.

If this is your first trip to Vegas you might want to spend at least
one night at one of the casino hotels on the strip, such as the
Bellagio, Venetian, Paris, etc. if your budget will allow. You'll pay
more than you would at a hotel elsewhere in town, but it's part of the
Vegas experience.

Remember that *you get what you pay for*; some of the places on the
strip that advertise really cheap rates (like Circus Circus) are
somewhat rundown. Do some research. The site Cheapo Vegas
http://www.cheapovegas.com/ is a good place to start.

It's fun just to drive or walk on the strip and visit all the crazy
casinos. Some are quite beautiful (Bellagio, Venetian, etc.) and some
are spectacularly tacky. It's a unique experience.

Lots of good shows in Vegas -- magic, comedy, music, dancing, etc. Do
some research into what's available and get tickets in advance.

Many great places out of town to visit -- Hoover Dam, Death Valley,
Bryce and Zion, etc., as others have mentioned. Also the Grand Canyon,
one of the most spectacular places in the country, can be done as a
long day trip (about 5-1/2 hours each way) by car or bus tour (or small
plane if you can afford it), but it's much better to spend at least one
night there.

It's been a while since I've been to Chicago so I won't offer any
advice concerning it, except to say that it's a great city.

Jim

Couple coming to [San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago]
June 2005 from UK...Is this the best newsgroup to post
such a question ?

This is a good newsgroup for questions about those cities, and you
should also search the archives of this group for older posts as these
cities have been discussed many times before, especially Vegas and S.F.
You should also check out the Las Vegas newsgroup.

June is a good month for travel, although you may encounter crowds as
U.S. schoolchildren are on summer break then and many families are
taking their vacations. Be sure to make hotel reservations well in
advance.

San Francisco is one of the best cities for tourists, and you can also
make some great day trips from there. Spend a day to the north of the
city visiting Muir Woods national park www.nps.gov/muwo/ where you
can see giant redwoods, and also see beautiful Napa Valley (wineries).
Also spend a day or two south of the city seeing the dramatic Pacific
coastline of the Monterey Pennensula (be sure to drive the picturesque
"17 Mile Drive") and Big Sur.

Any guide book or S.F tourism site will list the major attractions in
the city of San Francisco itself, but if you have any specific
questions we'll be glad to provide some guidance.

Vegas is another great city for tourism (as long as you aren't offended
by gambling and the adult atmosphere.). Be aware that the weather will
be HOT as Vegas is in the desert, so if you're outside for any length
of time carry a bottle of water and pace yourself.

There are 2 main tourist areas -- "the strip" (the area where the newer
hotel / casinos are located), and the smaller, downtown area near
Freemont Street where the older casinos are located. Most tourists
spend their time in the newer strip area. Some like the older Freemont
Street area where there is less glitz, but it's generally regarded as
a little dreary by comparison.

If this is your first trip to Vegas you might want to spend at least
one night at one of the casino hotels on the strip, such as the
Bellagio, Venetian, Paris, etc. if your budget will allow. You'll pay
more than you would at a hotel elsewhere in town, but it's part of the
Vegas experience.

Remember that *you get what you pay for*; some of the places on the
strip that advertise really cheap rates (like Circus Circus) are
somewhat rundown. Do some research. The site Cheapo Vegas
http://www.cheapovegas.com/ is a good place to start.

It's fun just to drive or walk on the strip and visit all the crazy
casinos. Some are quite beautiful (Bellagio, Venetian, etc.) and some
are spectacularly tacky. It's a unique experience.

Lots of good shows in Vegas -- magic, comedy, music, dancing, etc. Do
some research into what's available and get tickets in advance.

Many great places out of town to visit -- Hoover Dam, Death Valley,
Bryce and Zion, etc., as others have mentioned. Also the Grand Canyon,
one of the most spectacular places in the country, can be done as a
long day trip (about 5-1/2 hours each way) by car or bus tour (or small
plane if you can afford it), but it's much better to spend at least one
night there.

It's been a while since I've been to Chicago so I won't offer any
advice concerning it, except to say that it's a great city.

Jim