Probably. But my best vacations have come from being on or in a vehicle just driving through the countryside with no definitive plan.

No Hike up Yosemite Falls trail? No hike in Tuolumne Meadows?   No hike to the top of Half Dome?  We spent a whole day on top of Half Dome.

Make the wife happy. During my divorce my ex wife said that I ruined our trip to France

I've travelled a good bit in the US and Verizon has, by far, the best coverage. I recall my little, spare, "travel" flip phone's "you've got service" chime going off on a ridge in northern Yellowstone. Called my dad from literally in the middle of nowhere. I would suggest a cheap Android from Walmart for your trip, if it uses Verizon towers.

You can shot at any range with gun rentals.

On driving times - just use Google Maps. It will be close enough for government work (and it takes traffic into account reasonably well). Add 30 minutes on a long-ish road trip for incidentals like piss breaks, unexpected traffic accidents, etc, and you're golden. Close enough. It needn't be an exact science. One Google Map feature is the ability to choose time of day - it will take historical traffic into account, if you do. Once you get out of the SoCal metroplex, you'll be fine. The exact details of when and where you need to be at a given time (in one of the worst traffic areas of the United States), are only going to be truly understood by a local. Don't worry about it. Use the tools you have (they're not bad), and go from there.

I can empathize with the wife wanting to do touristy shit. I'm planning a UK trip (first time!) next year, and my wife wants to see London (and all the normal tourist shit) in the worst way. Me? I can't be bothered. To me, it's like visiting NYC and saying you've seen America. You haven't, mate. You just haven't.

You’ll have to let us know how pricey London is in 2018. It seemed to get more expensive every time I went a decade ago

Some is.

The part with people isn't

Jesus we already covered this - with pics even

I said people, not person. Doesn't count

Here are some answers off the top of my head:
1. Las Vegas is your best bet out of all the places you listed to shoot guns. 2. Driving from Yosemite to San Diego - I would rather take the Pacific Coast highway if you have the time. If not take the 99 fwy. If you have to take highway 395 through Ridgecrest your best bet is to stay in Victorville, more hotel and restaurant choices. Don't stay in Barstow. 3. Not familiar with Whitecastle. 4. I prefer to stay in Tusayan right outside Grand Canyon's South entrance. Williams is ok but it will add 1 hour to your drive. There is a drive through zoo in Williams called Bearizona, it was really cool and the grandkids loved it. 5. If you stay within 5-10 MPH you should be fine. Your best bet is to just stay with the flow of traffic. 6. Restaurants tip 15-20%. 7. Alcohol is available everywhere in CA, Wal-mart is cheaper than the small liquor stores. 8. Again, Wal-mart is a good place for suitcases.

If your schedule is not set in stone, i would spend less time in San Francisco, it's a dump. Check out Alcatraz, Fisherman' wharf. Yosemite is beautiful but will be crowded at that time. The Grand Canyon is awesome, be on the lookout for elk walking around. We have always seen them everytime we've been there so you should be able to get some good pictures. Make sure to see the Hoover Dam and take the tour while in Las Vegas.

Hollywood blvd. is disgusting but you're already aware of that. Personally, my wife and I like to visit San Diego for weekend getaways. Check out the gaslamp district for nightlife, go see the aircraft carrier Midway and the Fish Market restaurant next door. The zoo and Sea World are great if you like those type of places. That's all i can think of at the moment. There is a lot of other good info. from the other members as well.

So uh, some of you have recommended that I go to Walmart.

After seeing "The People of Walmart" pages, I don't know if this is a trap

We are honestly thinking of going to Costco, since we have Costco cards here.

There’s a handful that aren’t totally like that which are near wealthier suburbs. But I’d say stick to Draegers in San Francisco by Golden Gate Park or any grocery store. It depends what you drink and what time you want it. Believe me, you’re set for liquor in San Francisco. If you want something in Hollywood boulevard besides Ralph’s grocery store which is at the intersection of La Brea and Hollywood Blvd just ask and I’ll help you out. Probably Korea town area a few miles away is your go to after midnight. NYC or Las Vegas I’ll leave to guys living there to tell you

I missed this, somehow.  If you plan on staying in Ridgecrest, let me know.  That's my area.  There isn't anything here (a Super WallMart is about it) and one decent Chinese/Thai restaurant.  Two decent steakhouses.  We're a small town, about 30K people, and literally two hours driving distance to anything else.  On a plus note, shooting on BLM land is easy here.

This is not a bad idea.  Depending on your itinerary, you should try to hit Trail of 100 Giants (redwood tree national park) when leaving Yosemite.

Yeah--you don't have to worry about that.  Aussies pay about 4X what we pay for gas.

True -  all kidding aside I love Oregon, fruity, fucked up people and all. Of course you're obviously excepted from that comment.

Hell Oregon even has a rain forest and Maine has a desert.  America is a surprising place.

As for more advice.  Skip L.A..  Went there, it sucked.  Wouldnt go back. lol  I would however go to Laguna Beach again if you're set on doing something in SoCal.  I would also do as another poster meantioned.  See the Mir woods north of San Francisco, and go to Marshalls beach. Its off the beaten path, but awesome for pictures, and just not being crowded.  Lastly for the SF area if you can squeeze it in hit up Napa and do the tour HERE  Wife and I had a blast.

Some photos from when I took my wife to San Francisco

Don’t make her happy, hasten the divorce. A penchant for touristy crap is an indicator that your woman needs to be ditched. Drop her someplace plastic and go enjoy a wilderness or historical area solo. Irreconcilable differences and all that jazz.

I didn't see Venice Beach on your list .  It is a must see!

I am advised by the Beastie Boys that White Castle fries only come in one size.

I grew up in Oregon, I miss it very much. I have about 80 acres between Portland and Salem I will probably return to someday.

8.  Do you really need more suitcases when you get back home?  If not, you can use cardboard boxes with bubble wrap for the fragile items. As long as the boxes meet the airline size limits, you should be fine.

Since no one else mentioned it. At a minimum I want a full aar w/pics after you get home.

LOL.  Know how I know you've been stationed here?

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. Come to Alaska
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? Try to hit Tahoe
3. I saw some documentaries on White Castle. Where is this famous castle of whiteness that sells burgers? Yuk, In and Out is mucho better
4. Where do you recommend staying at for the Grand Canyon? We have allocated 2 nights there. Just stay n Vegas and drive to the Canyon early and stay all day
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? 10 to 15 mph over is safe usually
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. Valet $5 servers 10-15% cabbies a buck or two
7. What's the best place to buy alcohol? Strip Joints
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. Walmart, big ass case set is $100

great idea, 3 days in DC is better than a week in NYC

I like your style!
either way your going to be miserable, might as well be miserable doing what you want to do.

Trust the hive... Go to a walmart... You will find all kinds of America there... oh and thats where I'd legit get luggage. Like duffel bags if you're taking stuff home.

5 over on the speed limit won't get you looked at, but as mentioned, watch out in little towns! 10 over and depending on the area budgets might get you stopped and possibly shot. And again as mentioned, don't fuck around in school zones, they'll crucify you. Watch the open container laws, try to finish what you buy to drink.

Oh yeah,

Where is the best place to buy sports gear, specifically Steelers gear?

And where can I buy America pants and shirts?  And a sweet cowboy hat maybe.  I'll look like Borat

You can buy all that crap from Amazon.  You won't find much Steelers stuff outside the Pittsburgh area, but Amazon has everything.  Get it shipped to your hotel.

Anything can be had in NYC, although you will pay premium prices.

You'll need to hit one of our malls in any of the major cities you plan on visiting.  Always a sport clothing store or two.
The Amazon choice will be much cheaper, however, and with better selection.  Stuff like that is usually regional.

I've bought all the tickets and booked all the accommodation except Williams and somewhere in between Yosemite and SD.

In NYC we will be at the Hilton Garden Inn W35th, and I've paid for a room with a view of the Empire State Building.  Looks to be very close to the ESB.

In SF we will be in the Hotel Cornell De France.  Gets a good rap on our local forums as being not ridiculously priced yet right near Union Square.

In Yosemite we will be at the Evergreen Lodge.

IN SD we will be in an AirBnB near thr Fashion Valley Mall, since it's close to where the bachelor's party is going to be and nearish to where the wedding will be.

In Vegas we will be at the Vdara.  Booked a room via AirBnB, so we will be getting the advertised room and not having to pay the resort fee or parking fees.

In LA we will be staying at the Marriott LAX or somewhere.  I only chose this due to proximity to Hertz and LAX lol.

Picking up the hire car from Hertz at SFO, so I should be able to get something nice from the President's Circle lot.

OK,

Apparently Verizon doesn't work properly in Australian phones, seeing how Verizon uses CDMA for their non LTE bands whereas Australia uses GSM.

Looks like it's between AT&T and T-Mobile.  Which has better coverage?

Say crikey a lot.

Grand Canyon.  You can drive up to the south rim at sunrise and marvel at its beauty like most people but I recommend actually getting down inside the thing for a very different perspective.  The corridor trails are easily accessible if you're in  decent shape.  Its probably too late to get a backcountry permit for Bright Angel campground but you might be able to arrange Phantom Ranch if you took a mule down.  Disclaimer: My only experience with the mules was having to press myself against a rock wall with a mule's ass in my face while the mules took a rest on South Kaibab.  Fortunately it didn't have to poop.
Backcountry permits
Mule Trips

I’m headed there at the end of March for the first time. Looking forward to it.

Fashion valley is a good place to get luggage.
The place you’ll be staying is in Misson Valley. The main freeway through it will become a complete mess during rush hours. On the bright side the SD trolley runs right through and there is a station in Fashion Valley Mall. Decent choice if you want to avoid driving downtown.

Wtf is a hire car? Are you meaning a rental car?

lol no advice. Just have fun and be careful.

AT&T. It’s not even close.

Did you tell us what time of year this would be yet - really comes into play in and around Yosemite, but also NYC to a lesser extent.

As for shopping for you and the wife, the biggest network of American outlet stores has a store on the way from San Fran to Yosemite, in the town of Livermore. Since you will have your car then, might be the best chance to do some power shopping for you both,

Oh, and generally Americans only hire people, we rent equipment like cars. Don’t be surprised if that verb confuses people not used to foreigners (Edit: see above post, surprised it took that long).

Speaking of foreigners, if you really want to see crazy foreign shit, California’s Central Valley will be quite an experience. It has transformed into the worst parts of rural Mexico. So, you kind of knock out two countries in one with this trip.

You asked about luggage... assuming you want “good enough” and cheap, two stores that a can be found knstrip malls all over the US are Ross and TJ Maxx. Both always have a luggage section and will have the best prices for “good enough” luggage you will likely find. Both also have their own special people, based on the region. You usually can learn to the immigrant demographics of a given area for them. Good stuff.

I recommend you start a separate thread on just NYC. There’s quite a few of us who have spent a lot of time there, and will help filter out those who just want to scoff. But, remember, NYC really isn’t the US - it’s an international city that is in its own separate category. New Yorkers are also, ironically, some of the most insulated and ignorant about the world people you will meet. There’s something about everyone coming to visit you that makes people there think they know all there is to know about where those people come from and also develop new desire to see the world outside of their city (or borough even). But, they don’t. And, it’s funny and yet sad.

Coming in 11 May and leaving on 8 June.

We have TJ Maxx here too but apparently its way better in the US.  Good enough luggage sounds plenty fine.  Easier to lug in/out of the car than a box and just needs to last the flight back home.

I'll probably make a NYC thread closer to the date.  I've already got a decent idea of things to do and there are so many things to do.

1. On two-lane roads bypassing the urban areas
2. No chain restaurants
3. No chain hotels
4. Proclaim loudly in the best Aussie accent you can muster "You Yanks should have voted for Hillery!"
   
5. Maybe not #4

--AT&T for phone likely best other than Verizon  T-Mobile seems more spotty in reception in rural areas
--most wal-marts are fine--- but if its in a shitty area, its going to be a shitty walmart.  Ignore, or say "no thank you" to anyone trying to get money or get you to buy something outside walmart, or anywhere...people (scammers) may pick up on your accent and figure you a easy target for scam/money
--liquor stores everywhere---just ask siri/gps/interwebs.
--wifi almost everywhere--just do a search and it will likely find a dozen wireless points--each bar/restaurant will likely have it for free--may need to ask for code...its perfectly ok to ask bartender or waitress
--in Vegas---there are ABC stores everywhere--when walking the strip or downtown its your cheapest place to buy a beer or ten...I usualy go in and grab a 24 oz beer, pay for it, walk out and open it up and walk the strip.
--you-- you will RENT a car, RENT a hotel room...you really don't "hire" something here, you hire someONE...to do a job, to work for you...
--gas is cheap, but you will be using a lot of it--I will look at your plans, but if traveling across the country, there are some vast open spaces (like AUS)--keep the car tank full when you can!
--speeding--everyone has got this subject already--you will be fine.  if ya get pulled over, just to what the cop says--it aint hard--we all have done it...  don't reach for, or dig around car if pulled over unless they ask for drivers license, etc.  keep the car rental agreement handy--they will prob ask for it too.  Play the stupid tourist routine--may help :)
--dressing Murican'?  oddly enough its one of the biggest things I look into when I'm traveling to foreign location.  I want to blend in.  Its not hard here--wear what you want--jeans/shorts/t-shirts, dress shirts...just depends where you are at.  99% of restaurants any of that is fine.  fancier places will want shirt/khakis or whatever, but most don't care.  
--shopping for Mureica' stuff?  there are stores and malls EVERYWHHERE...just stop in and get something...we are the land of excess and buying stupid shit...come have some fun!  ( I hope you have fun!  try to see the sights and not spend all your time on the road!

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