I am coming to America, but not to find a Queen.  My friend has found a Queen to clean his Royal Penis and to yap like a dog, so I am going to go and celebrate their union and have a holiday while I'm at it.

I'll be going to NYC (7 nights), San Francisco (5 nights), Yosemite (3 nights), San Diego (8 nights), Vegas(2 nights), Grand Canyon (2 nights, probably in Williams) and then I fly out of LA (in that order).  We will be hiring a car on the last day at SF and driving everywhere at the West Coast and using Uber/Taxi when it's easier than driving/parking ourself.  We are only doing 1 night in LA just so we can see Hollywood Blvd and thats about it.  We have not much of an interest in LA.  8 nights in SD because that's where my mate is getting married and thats where his bachelor's party is happening.

I have a few questions.
1.  Where can I shoot guns besides Vegas as a foreigner?  My mate that is getting married has a few guns but he's gonna be busy prepping for his wedding and he just has the usual lame Cali legal stuff.
2.  We intend to stay for a night somewhere between Yosemite and SD about halfway.  We want to go through the Tioga Pass and leave Yosemite on the East, so was looking at staying at Barstow or Ridgecrest, but I don't know if they are crime infested shit holes.  Any recommendations?
3.  I saw some documentaries on White Castle.  Where is this famous castle of whiteness that sells burgers?
4.  Where do you recommend staying at for the Grand Canyon?  We have allocated 2 nights there.
5.  I hear Americans like to go over the speed limit alot.  How much should I speed by?  Will the police pull me over and shoot me?
6.  How much do you tip valet parking people and stuff?  We don't tip here and I know you tip servers at restaurants 15-20% and cab drivers about 10% but otherwise I have no idea.
7.  What's the best place to buy alcohol?
8.  Whats the best place to buy more suitcases?  We intend to fly there with 1 suitcase each and fill up on stuff to bring back so will need 2 suitcases each on the way back.

If you have any advice then I'm all ears

Watch out.  I've only ever driven on the left hand side of the road and my rental car is fully insured with no excess.

Vegas is the only safe place to play.

White Castle isn't on the west side of the country as far as I know. Try In-n-out Burgers.
ETA: I was wrong.
Apparently there is a White Castle in Vegas. The address is 3411 S Las Vegas Blvd and they are open 24 hours.

What time of the year?

Less as time in NY, SD  and sf and add in King's Canyon and Death Valley., maybe Lake Tahoe and Bodie

California is big and some of the roads are more curvy and slower travelling than it looks on a map

Out west you may only find them if you are lucky in the grocery stores frozen

They are mainly from what I know only east of the Mississippi river..  and that is what i am going to have for lunch today... Sliders! Yum

Just drive the speed limit and no they wont shoot you.. lol

you can buy alcohol anywhere.

Wal-Mart for your suitcases...

9 over or less you are generally fine around here.  I've even got clocked at 15 over and they didn't light me up(but that's likely an exception, not the rule)

End of May/Early June

I'll try and squeeze it all in thanks!

5. 5 over should be good. If you do get pulled over be friendly. You won't get shot, I promise.
6. Give 'em 5 bucks and call it good
7. Literally any liquor store in America. Stay away from places that have a lot of bars on the windows.

If you want to fit in dress like this.

YESSSSS THANK YOU!  Woo!  I may not even like it but I need to try it

Pro tip. Left , Right, middle of the road, leave the politics in your head. It's just a really weird time here and you don't need any abdication on vacation. You probably already realize this so just saying.

#1 many indoor gun ranges rent guns and some even rent full auto. Try and link up with a fellow ARFCOMer if you can and go to a private range.

#2 outside of my territory, sorry.

#3 You will either love or hate WC, but you will find them around NY for sure.

#4 Been there but stayed in Henderson near the strip.

#5 5-10 over should do it. The PoPo (that's what they like to be called) won't shoot you for speeding as long as you stop when they hit the lights, and argue in a strange accent while waiving your arms and putting your hands in your pockets a lot.

#6 I tip a couple bucks usually, more if the occasion calls for it. Just rent a Jaguar and don't tip, they'll be used to that.

#7 what was the question?

#8 Just find a decent department store.

Most of all, just enjoy yourself.

I have one question off topic for you.. If Australia has no semi auto fire arms like AR's..  whats interest in the AR15 site you have been on here longer than i have.. I am just curious?

You will find Hollywood Blvd. seedy and disappointing.  Rodeo Drive will leave you saying "that's it?".

I fully intend to buy an America shirt and America pants.

I also want to find an Outback steakhouse with some mates and we will lay on THICK Aussie accents and comment how it's just like home.

1. Vegas is the only place where you are sure to shoot - unless you add a stop in Florida or Hawaii.
2. No idea.
3. White Castle burgers are a novelty. They are on the east coast - White Castle locations
4. No idea.
5. It depends on location, and road type. Interstate - do not exceed the posted speed limits in school zones, during posted school times. 8km/h over is safe everywhere, 14km/h is safe on most highways.
If you are driving on a road with 3+ lanes, if you flow with the traffic in the middle lane(s), you should be fine - except in CA where everyone drives like it's a preview of Max Max meets Nascar.
6. Valets get $3-5 per instance. So a $3 to park, another $3-5 to retrieve
7. Different states have different rules on booze purchase. You will not have an issue here.
8. Amazon.

Don't expect a stick shift for your rental.
Don't leave anything of value in the rental car
Do keep a lot of singles & $5s in your wallet for tips. If you can, avoid paying  tips on your card. Pay your bills with your card for the exact amount billed, tip in cash.

Way better than new york

I like guns and used to shoot pistols competitively before I decided that I can't justify the costs.  That and I like places with liked minded individuals.  And this site has a ton of random shit, not just guns.

Buy suitcases on amazon and have them delivered to your hotel.

Speeding really depends on local conditions. 10 over is generally fine in California, and you’ll probably get passed frequently.

Barstow is a shithole. If you can afford the time take the PCH down from San Francisco and just enjoy the scenery.  It’ll take a lot longer but it’ll be a lot more enjoyable and the scenery will be a lot better.  And you can stop anywhere and be confident it’s not a shithole.

You are aware of the distances involved with driving out west?  Be careful, America doesn’t have signs all over imploring you to pull over every 45 minutes

I missed the part about visiting NYC, they should be easy to find there.

well if you are ever in central Ohio.. let me know.. we will take you out the range and get the big guns out..

enjoy your visit ..

I'm actually Libertarian leaning, but I understand our cultures are actually very different so what applies here won't apply there.

Hey, I've seen enough documentaries to know that you should leave your hands out of your pockets.  The "blue bloods" documentary has taught me that if Donnie Wahlberg shows up, somebody is gonna get shot

I actually want to hire a Jaaaaaaaaaaag.  I've got Hertz President's Club status so hopefully a Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag will be in the PC lot.

I ask about alcohol because over here you can only buy alcohol from designated bottle shops.  There is 1 main chain here that is the cheapest by far.

Yeah it's more for ticking the box.  We have no interest in Disneyland or Universal Studios so just want to do the typical tourist take a photo with a star and Hollywood sign and then fuck off to the airport.

i am saddened that LA, NYC, San Fransisco and San Diego= America.

come to think of it though ive never been to any of those places, Yosemite or the grand canyon either.

I’m not sure what your daytime plans are in NYC for one week, but drive 1 hour West on Route 80 takes you to Northeastern PA region called “The Poconos” which has some gun ranges that rent handguns & machine guns.  They also have casinos and trashy “romantic” hotels where you can have sex in a champagne glass-shaped tub, or theme based hotel rooms.

I know there are White Castles in New Jersey 5-10’ from NYC in Bloomfield, NJ.

http://www.poconopistol.com/

http://www.heritageguild.com/Ranges/Machine-Gun-Rentals.aspx

Hey mate, I'll be in the US ar the same time.  Maybe we can meet up somewhere along your route.  If you pass theu Dallas,  I'll take you to the range with some toys.  Beltfed RPD, ARs, AK, BAR, and put you on the 600yrd line.

Yes, thank you!  Someone who uses proper speed units

Best place to buy alcohol would be to have your US friend buy it for you at the exchange if he’s military.  Walmart probably second lowest prices.

I’m not sure of the laws in regards to foreigners and shooting.  Best bet is to have your friend take you out. Lots of BLM land in SoCal to shoot on for free.

California is big...keep that in mind when making your plans. Traffic can be very bad in LA and San Francisco. SF city is not a fun place to drive, but a fun place to see.

Bars here are not like Aussie pubs; they’re adult only and much less family themed.

Lake Tahoe in California seemed to impress the Aussies I’ve entertained more than SF did, but that might be because we caught snow while we were there.

I haven’t traveled commercially very much, but I’m positive there are rules regarding what you can bring back; might want to research that with your customs so there won’t be any sticker shock back home.

Yeah driving distances are no problem.  Approx 8 hours in between Yosemite and SD, which is why I was thinking of breaking things up and that way we can leave Yosemite later or go somewhere in between.  Driving distances are pretty similar here.  Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne is about 12hrs.  I do 8hrs a day sometimes for work and our roads are fucking terrible.

Thanks for the offer, but when travelling with the wife unit, I gotta tick off the tourist boxes.  Central Ohio doesn't seem very touristy

For tourists, that's the main part of America.  This is our first time there so just need to tick the boxes and get things out of the way so we don't have to do it again next time we are there.

Let me save you some heartache now: that Whitecastle is not a real Whitecastle, and the food there is really bad. It’s sort of a snack bar in a casino, not what you’re looking for.  Unless you were looking for disappointment.  It was...well, kind of soggy.  Soaked, actually.  Meat was steamed, I think?  Not really representative of American burgers.  If you’re just trying to kill a Harold and Kumar jones, then do what you gotta do. That section of Las Vegas requires you to park in a parking garage: you can’t access Whitecastle from your car.  Just get close and park, then walk the 10-15 minutes to get there.  It’s stuck in a back wall corner of a casino, and kind of a pain in the ass to find.

As another poster said, look for an In-n-Out Burger for that American hamburger experience (on the West coast).

Your itinerary is rather ambitious. You will be living in the car just to cover the distances. For reference, just a drive between Vegas and Reno is 8ish hours driving 75 mph or better.

You will love the price and selection of liquor here.  We have booze superstores like Total Wine and Bevmo that are well stocked and quite competitive.

That’s fair—I did the American version of your plan at Lone Star Steak House in Perth.

Swing by the Hoover Dam while you're in Vegas. It's a short drive.

Daytime plans are basically do touristy shit and do some shopping.  Aussies have a ton to do in NYC since it's so different to anything here and shopping is way better than here.  Unfortunately we probably won't be able to spend much/any time outside of NY

5.  Speeding, generally keep it under 10 MPH more than posted and you'll be ok.  Don't speed in designated construction zones.  Normally, those are like hunting over baited fields for cops and they give no leeway, so enforcement begins at 1 MPH over.  Most of the time, just stay with the flow of traffic.  If you're getting passed by 90% of the other cars, speed up.  If you're passing most, slow down a bit.

What he said.  Make sure PCH is open first; there was an immense landslide a while ago on part of it.

Won't be heading to Dallas this trip unfortunately.  I've got a couple of friends there but no way to fit it in

Looks like Walmart for grog it is!

We are only going to be driving out of SF and into LA.  Any other time spent in those cities will be Ubering around.

#7.  NO OPEN CONTAINERS IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.  Even having an open container in the trunk is risky in some states.  Do not drink, even beer, while in the car.  Our DUI laws are no joke.

If you really want to see America drive from NY to SF.

Honestly we will be doing a ton of shit just for the whole tourist experience.  We gotta do what we see on TV and movies for our 1st trip, because Murica.  So even though Vegas Whitecastle is shit, we will probably just do it for the sake of it.  Everyone says don't eat at Vegas buffets, but for us we gotta do that

In Arizona, damn near everywhere sells liquor and beer.  Even convenience stores / corner shops / gas stations, except on the Indian reservations, which are generally dry (no alcohol allowed).

Things will generally be less expensive in "not California."  So, wherever you go that is not California.... Especially gas.  They have insane taxes on gasoline.  Crossing into AZ, you'll save about a dollar per gallon.

I've allocated 5-6 hours for SF-Yosemite
Then another 5-6hrs for Yosemite to somewhere like Bakersfield or whatever just to eat dinner and stay the night.
Then 5-6hrs to get to SD.  I'd prefer to drive inland to avoid the LA area as much as possible due to traffic.
SD to Vegas is another 5-6hrs.  Planning to leave around 8am to get there around 2pm
Vegas to Williams is about 4hrs but we will be leaving in the morning and going via the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and taking our time
Williams to LA is about 7-8hrs

Is my math right?

Hey man, I totally get it.  There’s a boomerang on the wall and a didgeridoo in the corner.

Gas will still probably be cheaper than here.

Today I think it's about 1.40/L for the cheap stuff.  So about 1.10/L so about 4.16USD per gallon

Bacchanal Buffet is what you seek in Vegas.

Bakersfield is kind of a shithole.  Make sure your hotel has security in the parking lot. They have an Outback there, might be a good place to knock that out. Not anything else to do there.

You are telling someone who lives in Australia about driving distances?


I did a month there 2 years ago (or was it last year)? Two weeks into my trip I ended flying everywhere - Cairns, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Avoca Beach, New Castle, Wagga Wagga - most of those places we switched to flying on Virgin AUS (those FAs! ). We had already planned on flying to Adelaide and Perth. From Brisbane to Sydney = 10hrs.

Just a suggestion. Trim a day or 2 off of your NYC time and hop a train to DC.  Check out the monuments, museums, and Arlington National Cemetery.

Also, keep in mind that alcohol laws can vary by state. Some states only sell through state authorized stores, in some states you can buy it at any store. I believe NY and CA are free states though.

Why Yosemite to SD then all the way back to Vegas? That wastes a lot of time