A new world - lintworm in the USA

[TZDugong]

I will keep that in mind. As I have a nut/peanut allergy Asian food can be tricky and I have heard horror stories of restaurants in the US that refuse to serve people with allergies because they were afraid of lawsuits... I will be using mostly Airbnbs and cooking there is often possible fortunately.

As someone who also has a nut allergy I haven't really had many problems in the US. As others have pointed out, a lot of restaurants have little symbols that say whether or not something has nuts. I found these very useful. For Asian food I've had Chinese and Japanese food a lot of times in the US and have never had any problems; they're pretty safe options. I can't really say the safety of other Asian cuisines.

One thing, when I was in Southern California there were a couple of places that cooked some of their food in Peanut Oil. I'm not sure if this is a common thing but it's something to look out for

I have heard from multiple people now that Ocean Voyager is amazing and the rest of the aquarium a bit of a letdown, but that is fine, I will visit multiple other aquariums on this trip, but Whale sharks just sound like something you have to see . Apart from the sharks it is also really convenient to start in Atlanta as there are 4 flights per day from Amsterdam to Atlanta.

As someone who really enjoys the Georgia Aquarium (it's my 2nd favourite, only behind Valencia) I'll defend it a little bit. I think the Aquarium suffers from Ocean Voyager being so brilliant while the rest of the Aquarium doesn't hit those highs; but that doesn't mean the rest of the Aquarium is bad, far from it. I found the coral reef area to be very nice, the freshwater area is a bit pedestrian but has some interesting stuff and the Cold Water area with Belugas and Sea Otters is quite interesting. The Dolphin show though

 

[Arizona Docent]

I have traveled in many parts of the USA and contrary to @Zooplantman I can't recall ever seeing an average citizen (non law enforcement) openly carry a gun. A lot of people I know have conceal and carry permits, so I am well aware many people are armed (as evidenced by last week's Texas church shooting where armed parishioners stopped a shooter). However you don't see people just walking around with guns visible. Also many zoos (and some other public places) have signs at the entrance saying firearms arms are prohibited, though I suspect many conceal and carry persons just ignore the sign.

When I finally visited the much touted Monterey Bay Aquarium a year and a half ago, I found it mildly disappointing. I still liked it, but it does not live up to the hype and is almost certainly NOT the best aquarium in America. There is just not as much to see as I thought there would be. However they have a huge conservation and education ethic, which gives them extra points in my book. I also like the location on Cannery Row and the reuse of an industrial sardine cannery, which is portrayed right inside the entrance. It is a good aquarium, it is just overrated.

The train and light rail situation in the USA is slowly improving. When I lived in Los Angeles there was no subway and now there is. When I moved to Arizona there was no light rail and now both Phoenix and Tucson have them. I have already discussed on this thread the commuter train that connects Dallas and Fort Worth. When I visited Saint Louis Zoo we took a light rail that starts right at the airport. A private company (I think Virgin took it over from another company) is building our first bullet train to connect central and southern Florida. There is a cost ballooning and very controversial bullet train being built in sections to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, though at this point it is uncertain if it will actually be completed. Of course within any sizeable city buses are an option. We may never catch up to Europe or some other parts of the world with reliable train travel, but we are slowly improving. Also hybrid cars are increasingly common.

 

[Andrew_NZP]

A private company (I think Virgin took it over from another company) is building our first bullet train to connect central and southern Florida.

Virgin Trains USA, formerly Brightline. Goes from Miami to West Palm Beach, currently being extended to Orlando. The max speed is only going to be around 125 MPH, which is still faster than most trains in the USA, but its not bullet train speeds. They also plan on starting construction on a line between Las Vegas and "Los Angeles" (really Victorville, which is about an hour and a half from LA, according to Google) this year.

However, a company called Texas Central is trying to build a line between Dallas and Houston, which would have speeds around 200 MPH, which is more in line with true bullet train speeds.

 

[lintworm]

With less than eight weeks away, I have now booked all my transport for the whole four weeks I will be traveling in the US. This is kind of counterintuitive for me, as during my last holiday in New Zealand we had exactly 3 travel legs planned in advance for a total of two months.

For the coming trip there will be 6 trips by bus, 3 by train, 1 short flight and two times I will be renting a car. In addition there will be lots of using local public transport with MARTA, BART et al. in metropolitan areas (seriously, why do these systems have such ridiculous abbreviations). I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences on trip planning with public transport in the US. Contrary to what is generally written, it is not as impossible as it seems, but it is certainly harder than in continental Europe and many small zoos are nearly unreachable. The last part is not a problem for me as I am not a snowleopard and I want to focus on bigger zoos during my trip.

One thing that becomes noticeable about the US early on is that it is big, really big. Distances are huge and given the small number of options of long-distance transport, I can see why everybody flies everywhere. I personally found Google Maps a helpful tool to get a feel for these distances and they have a tool which calculates possibilities for public transport. Unfortunately this tool is not very reliable as there are some sham companies on there, which do not really exist, but still offer fast imaginary bus services. In the end I used the websites by Greyhound, Megabus and Flixbus to look for actual possibilities (and booking). I will find out soon enough about the reliability of these companies, I do not have high hopes, so it will be easy not to be disappointed. Prices are very reasonable and Megabus offers 1$ tickets if you book far enough in advance. But for your convenience they add a booking fee of 2,50 (2,99 for greyhound) and you cannot seem to book multiple legs at once.... It seems that hidden costs are popular in the US and people just expect to get ripped of at the counter, as so many things are quoted without tax....

Booking with Amtrak, the national train company, is much easier and also very reasonably priced on the economy class variety. Again it will be interesting to see how much they are delayed, but I have planned my trip in such a way that only with a 4 hour + delay it would impact my zoo visiting (otherwise it will only affect my mood ). It seems kind of telling I am preparing for the African experience of public transport, rather than for the European experience (though Deutsche Bahn seems to think we need a more Tanzanian experience from time to time). The main thing with Amtrak is that their trains just don't run very often and are not the fastest on the planet either. It can be a chore to plan around a train that only runs every 2-3 days, but then I like train traveling very much and I look forward to my leg of 18 hours. I certainly hope these high speed train projects in the US become successful, as large parts of the country look perfect for it.

But the US is car country and while planning, I found out that so many nice places can only be reached easily by car, so in the end I will be touring 2 of the 6 planned states by car mostly. As a European I have opted for the smallest available car, but I am curious how small that will actually be .

Now the waiting game has begun, only 1250 hours left according to KLM

 

[FunkyGibbon]

One thing that becomes noticeable about the US early on is that it is big, really big.

Citation needed.

 

[Great Argus]

In addition there will be lots of using local public transport with MARTA, BART et al. in metropolitan areas (seriously, why do these systems have such ridiculous abbreviations).

An excellent question, especially when one hears them spoken and not just written! No real good answer other than the people naming it wanted a bit of fun listening to people saying all these funky abbreviations.

One thing that becomes noticeable about the US early on is that it is big, really big. Distances are huge and given the small number of options of long-distance transport, I can see why everybody flies everywhere.

Indeed. California itself is about twelve hours nonstop driving from San Diego to the Oregon border via the interstate, barring traffic snarls in LA or Sacramento. Given that one generally has to refill the gas tank a few times at least in that, plus food, lodging, etc it does become more cost effective to fly sooner or later. The downside to flying is you don't get to see the countryside.

It seems that hidden costs are popular in the US and people just expect to get ripped of at the counter, as so many things are quoted without tax....

I'd say rather we learn to account for it, if we live in a state with a sales tax. But it is frustrating a lot of times when the tax makes the final cost several dollars more...
Be prepared to spend a bit extra in California particularly because of it, and be forewarned some places add the tax into the advertised price and some do not. As long as you're not buying anything expensive (i.e. over $100 USD) tax shouldn't be more than a few dollars per purchase at most.

But the US is car country and while planning, I found out that so many nice places can only be reached easily by car, so in the end I will be touring 2 of the 6 planned states by car mostly. As a European I have opted for the smallest available car, but I am curious how small that will actually be .

True, and for the most part you will probably reach your destination considerably faster than if using public transportation. There are a few though that are actually worth using!
Probably it will be fairly large still!

 

[CGSwans]

Indeed. California itself is about twelve hours nonstop driving from San Diego to the Oregon border via the interstate, barring traffic snarls in LA or Sacramento. Given that one generally has to refill the gas tank a few times at least in that, plus food, lodging, etc it does become more cost effective to fly sooner or later. The downside to flying is you don't get to see the countryside.

That, and there’s also the additional downside that a single flight ticket from San Diego to Portland causes roughly as much carbon emissions as the average Indian person creates in a month.

 

[Giant Panda]

In the end I used the websites by Greyhound, Megabus and Flixbus to look for actual possibilities (and booking). I will find out soon enough about the reliability of these companies, I do not have high hopes, so it will be easy not to be disappointed.

Greyhound has the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Have fun!

 

[HOMIN96]

As a European I have opted for the smallest available car

What car is that?

 

[CGSwans]

What car is that?

 

[HOMIN96]

\

That fits so well with the "Texas road house" sign

 

[CGSwans]

\

That fits so well with the "Texas road house" sign

Where do you think Lintworm is hiring it from?

 

[Coelacanth18]

Again it will be interesting to see how much they are delayed, but I have planned my trip in such a way that only with a 4 hour + delay it would impact my zoo visiting (otherwise it will only affect my mood ). It seems kind of telling I am preparing for the African experience of public transport, rather than for the European experience (though Deutsche Bahn seems to think we need a more Tanzanian experience from time to time.

Hmm, I and others might have given you too low an opinion of Greyhound... I haven't had the European public transport experience, but 2+ hour delays are unlikely, and I can assure you that nothing in the US is quite like the experience of a Tanzanian bus service. Certainly fewer music videos and traveling salesmen, for instance

 

[Arizona Docent]

One issue I have had a few times in airport car rentals is they don't have any compact cars available, even though that is what I reserved. They just rent cars out to anyone and if they run out well too bad they give you a free upgrade to a bigger car (that uses more gas). I can't think of any other industry where you can reserve something in advance with a credit card deposit and have no guarantee of actually getting what you reserved. When this happened on my last flight (San Jose, California) all they had were minivans. I got in one but it was so huge (and I was driving into a very tight parking garage in San Francisco) that I told him I couldn't take it and was going to switch rental companies. The attendant said no, wait, we'll get you a car and just then a worker pulled in a newly returned compact. This has only happened a few times (and it hadn't happened in several years until this last trip), but just be prepared you may have to put up a small fight or be prepared to switch companies. I do admire your effort to use public transport as much as possible (something I do more than most Americans I know).

 

[Jurek7]

One warning. In a car rental in the New World, on the counter, you will usually be informed that your 'full insurance' does not cover everything, and then pushed and coaxed to buy 'really full insurance', 'additional insurance' or 'additional vignette' for an inflated price.

Make sure that before landing in the U.S. you either are sure that your personal liability insurance covers additional damage; or your credit card covers it. Or purchase a separate excess damage insurance which covers damage to undercarriage, bodywork, roof, glass, windscreen, tyres etc etc not covered by the standard CDW. Worldwideinsure, icarhireinsurance and others sell excess car insurance online for a fraction of the price you would pay for a 'really complete insurance' in a car company. It can be a significant saving during your trip.

I knew it, and still I was tricked by a clerk in Budget car hire on the Houston airport to buy some electronic vignette for Texas motorways. He completely misinformed me about how these things operate. Needless to say, I do not recommend Budget car hire.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Just don't do what I did when I rented a car and attempt to drive through mud in a white Ford Fiesta.

~Thylo

 

[Buldeo]

...barring traffic snarls in LA or Sacramento. Given that one generally has to refill the gas tank a few times at least in that, plus food, lodging, etc it does become more cost effective to fly sooner or later. The downside to flying is you don't get to see the countryside.

Not that you'll see much going up and down the 5 either. What's that quote about the highway system? Oh, yeah:

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.

Traffic in Los Angeles is given. It'll be bad too. At any time of day except, maybe, two in the morning. You'll be able to get through relatively quickly then. It's a shame too. What was once the city of the future is going to, one day, come to a complete and grinding halt. The patchwork of public transit is only a half measure.

Greyhound has the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Have fun!

Greyhound is the cross one is forced to bear for the crime of being poor in the United States.

It seems that hidden costs are popular in the US and people just expect to get ripped of at the counter, as so many things are quoted without tax....

Just wait until you come across the wildly popular "convenience fee". Which is especially great when it's the only option to buy something.

Booking with Amtrak, the national train company, is much easier and also very reasonably priced on the economy class variety. Again it will be interesting to see how much they are delayed, but I have planned my trip in such a way that only with a 4 hour + delay it would impact my zoo visiting (otherwise it will only affect my mood ).

Amtrak would be a fine service if it owned its own tracks. But since it operates at freight's pleasure, it twiddles its proverbial thumbs as freight trains rumble on. It would probably be even more popular if it didn't take just as long to drive somewhere. For example, it's a ~27 hour train ride between Denver and Los Angeles, but only a ~16 hour drive.

Just wait until you depart Union Station and arrive at Union Station!

 

[Chlidonias]

I will find out soon enough about the reliability of these companies, I do not have high hopes, so it will be easy not to be disappointed. Prices are very reasonable and Megabus offers 1$ tickets if you book far enough in advance. But for your convenience they add a booking fee of 2,50 (2,99 for greyhound) and you cannot seem to book multiple legs at once.... It seems that hidden costs are popular in the US and people just expect to get ripped of at the counter, as so many things are quoted without tax....

Greyhound has the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Have fun!

Out of interest, do these buses need to be booked in advance, or can one just turn up at a bus station and buy a ticket for the next bus? I prefer to be less restricted in my travels, and it also seems likely that a bus will be more certain to be present if you're buying the ticket for that bus on or just before the day of travel, as opposed to a month ahead of when you need it.

The movies tell me that a person can just go to a bus station and get on a bus, but I have come to realise that movies do not always reflect real life (stupid Thor Ragnarok).

 

[CGSwans]

Out of interest, do these buses need to be booked in advance, or can one just turn up at a bus station and buy a ticket for the next bus? I prefer to be less restricted in my travels, and it also seems likely that a bus will be more certain to be present if you're buying the ticket for that bus on or just before the day of travel, as opposed to a month ahead of when you need it.

The movies tell me that a person can just go to a bus station and get on a bus, but I have come to realise that movies do not always reflect real life (stupid Thor Ragnarok).

I don’t know the answer to the question, but I will point out that the consequences of rocking up and *not* getting a ticket are much higher. There’s typically between one and three buses a day, depending on where you are and where you’re trying to go. Tickets get more expensive the later you book. And unlike Asia, where you can book a bed to sleep in for a few dollars at a moment’s notice, accom in America is quite expensive. Your style of travel comes at a much greater cost in North America or Europe than it does in Asia.

 

[Arizona Docent]

I am fairly certain with Greyhound (and presumably other bus services) you can just walk up to the ticket counter and buy a ticket for the next bus. In fact I think that is what most people do. I only used Greyhound once as an adult, for a one way ride from Tucson to Phoenix, and that is what I did. However I did check the schedule online ahead of time so I knew when to go to the station.

@CGSwans is correct, though, about booking hotels ahead of time. I always do this, searching for the best deals on Expedia (and also using their customer reviews to find the nicer places). However, everyone's favorite ZooChatter @snowleopard has a much more laissez-faire attitude in this regard and seems to thrive on the uncertainty of finding a room at the last minute. If you read his Wisconsin trip report from summer 2018 you will see it did not serve him that well. Of course it also depends on when and where you are traveling. In summer (most places) it's a bad move. In other seasons when hotels are not full it's a safer bet.