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australians first trip to us
Hello.We are a mature couple (kids off our hands!) planning our first trip to the U.S. and would love some advice.He is a surfer of many years and both love the beach.
We are coming from Bali (where we have business commitments) into Hawaii on May 15th, staying for 2 nights, then heading off to Los Angeles, for 2 nights. We then plan to get to Las Vegas by either bus or drive, for two nights, then back to Los Angeles for 1 night. We then plan to drive down to Mexico in a rental car, staying at motels etc.,trying to keep costs down, and seeing a few beaches and maybe get a few waves along the coast. Then back to Los Angeles around the end of May and head home. Would love some advice on problems we may incur or hints on what to look out for, or even some places to stay.Would like to know about hiring cars into Mexico and back. We will probably try to get in a tour to the Grand Canyon while we are in Las Vegas. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. cheers Bruce and Barb |
I am just about positive that you won't be able to find a car rental that allows you to take the car to Mexico.
Drive or fly to Las Vegas. Huntington Beach, just south of L.A. is known as Surf City. If you stayed there you could find inexpensive airfare to Vegas from either Orange County (John Wayne) Airport (SNA)(on Southwest or USAir) or from Long Beach (LGB) on jetBlue. Flying from LAX can also be inexpensive. It is about 4.5 hours driving from L.A. to Las Vegas. I believe that there is surfing in the south bay of Los Angeles, in the towns of Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. I highly recommend taking the airplane tour from L.V. to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Not the helicopter tours - they don't go to the most scenic parts. looktours.com has a tour that we enjoyed, fly out in the morning to GCY airport and get on a tour bus. Stop at a couple of the best viewpoints then back to the airport and flight back to Sin City. I know that people fly from LAX to Los Cabos, at the southern tip of Baja California. I don't know if there is surfing there. |
Am pretty sure that you will need body suits to surf in May.
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One more thing: what is your budget for lodging? It would be a good idea to make reservations for Las Vegas now and then check prices again in a month or two.
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Hello westaustralians, bruce and bob! My husband and I were just talking today about planning a trip to southwestern Australia!
I hope you enjoy your trip. It sounds like you have a lot planned...you might considering cutting one place out. The water in Hawaii will be warmer for your surfing...if surfing is important I'd consider adding a 3rd night in Hawaii. I live in San Diego and personally I don't care for Los Angeles, but I understand lots of international visitors land there and like to explore a bit. Expect lots of traffic jams up there. It's a big sprawling mess...But I guess there's lots to do if you like city life. I love the Grand Canyon! If I were you I'd definitely include that if possible. Las Vegas is flashy and glitzy...the last time I went, I enjoyed wandering around watching everyone else gamble away their money, while we saved ours for the big buffets and a show! Sorry can't advise about Mexico as I tend to avoid Mexico although I live in San Diego so it's not far for me. I have a sensitive digestive tract and when I go to Mexico I can only eat in super touristy places, otherwise I get sick...what fun is that? Book ahead if you're going to the Grand Canyon...you need to book your accommodations way in advance. I hope your first trip to the USA is great! |
Thanks for the comments.
I thought that we could rent a car easily...sounds like we have to do a bit more homework..grr the beaches you mention are all parts of my youthful memory...all famous breaks as a kid I dreamt about.Will definitely go see them but as for surfing them....the crowds would be far too much I think. I dont know about driving in Los Angeles..far busier than here..and the wrong side of the road also!!! haha!. maybe we should look at hiring a car to drive round there..see all the beaches and drive thru to Las Vegas. We are used to driving long trips here..we would do around 1000kms every week just for work, altho the traffic is far less of course. Maybe we should fly into Mexico then? The Baja peninsula is where we wanted to go...maybe hire a car from there and return there? I would like to surf some of the remote spots in Mexico..I hate crowds...bad enough here.. yes...we are looking at doing the air trip...we have organised all costs from here as it would be cheaper I think, except the Mexico part. Is the water that cold in May? we will be coming from Bali where the water temp will be around 75 degrees! have wetsuits if necessary but thought it would be nearly summer by then. thanks again... Bruce and Barb |
Thanks Melissa..ummm..its Bruce and barb!!..not Bob!!...hahaha!
had me worried there for a moment. We will go thru all the comments in a while and take them all on board.We arent big city people ourselves but would like to have a look at the place...then get out where we feel comfortable...off the beaten track. We have been to vietnam, backpacked all thru indonesia, singapore, malaysia, sri lanka, mauritius, maldives,and all round australia..just want to visit all the places we have dreamt about for a long time...your a long time dead!!!..lol (notice they all have surf!) it is a big trip and we can adjust our timetable a little...we have a container coming in early june so have to be back for that but can extend a little if we wish. San Diego is a place we will certainly go to if we get time...all these places to see! Its a big trip for us...we usually go to Bali about 5 or 6 times a year on business (sure!!)..having been some 210 times over 25 years now.(nothing to do with the surf!) If you are going to come to West Australia. worth looking at a side trip...Bali is the best place! Anyway..we are smack in the middle of the southwest...any info you want, just ask away anytime.. you would love it here...very laid back...but it can get hot in summer..was 42 degrees the other day and been 35 for a month or so. but the beaches are among the best in the world, and heaps to see and do. A cold day in winter is 13 degrees. cheers and thanks Bruce and Bob hahaha!..i mean Barab |
Here is some info about water temps: www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/spac.html The 61F average in May at the L.A. beaches is about 16 Celsius. You really could skip L.V. |
May 25 is Memorial Day, a national holiday, so you probably don't want to be driving back from Vegas that day.
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You will not be able to take a rental car into Mexico. And the whole area along the border is VERY unsafe - with huge amounts of drug-related crime, many murders etc.
If you want to spend time in Mexico then fly into one of the major resorts - and then still be very careful (there have been reports of tourist kidnappings outside the major tourist areas). |
Having been several times to Sydney and Melbourne, you need to come to San Diego vs. LA..surf is great here in La Jolla and up the coast and it is a gorgeous city.
You can fly out of SD airport to Cabo for cheap and takes less than 2 hours..there is surf down in Cabo..zippers is very popular surf spot.some great deals on expedia right now. Vegas I would go with the Wynn..they are offering for a 5*hotel, rooms for $119.00 a night. |
I agree about the crime rate. The border towns such as Tijuana are dirty, sleazy and increasingly dangerous. They are not representative of the interior of Mexico. Just Google "Baja California crime" or "Tijuana crime" and you will see what I mean.
If you want to sample Mexico, it would be much better to fly, as nytraveler suggests. On an entirely self-serving digression, I'd appreciate any recommendations you may have regarding this <http://tinyurl.com/5mdo52> previous post of mine. Thanks in advance and <b>Welcome to our country!<b></b></b> |
hi..thanx everyone for your comments...we are going thru them all and have taken note..
it may be best to fly into Mexico as suggested, and will follow that up today. will advise what we decide..thanx again. with regards to Bali : We import containers into west australia from there monthly and wholesale to the public direct thru most of the big malls here..been doing it for 15 years, and have been there some 210 times. the bali travel forum, that someone has recommended to you is probaly the best source of info, altho many of the people on it are what we call 'yobbos' and have rose colored glasses about Bali and its people. It is the best place to go for a holiday. Most travel agents in australia are fine to deal with..just get a few quotes. the majors, such as travel land, flight centre, harvey world travel, jetset, even garuda orient holidays are all fine. prices are very competetive right now and often, you can get a flight plus accommodation for less than the airfare alone from most of the packages offered. darwin is a little different as it is so close to bali...closer in fact, than to any other capital city in australia, but i am sure you can get great deals. you can get internet airfares as well, but probably not much better than with a travel company, who deal in volume and get the best deals. any other info, just get back...pleased to help.(we are off to Bali on feb 4th) cheers |
hello again..question for ksucat...
if we flew into cabo, and it looks great on the net info we have searched,from San Diego, can you recommend a good area to stay in?..close to surf. i am looking for nice small waves and just to mellow out a bit. would it be wise to hire a car locally there and drive round, and are there good beaches within driving distance? cheers |
"We then plan to get to Las Vegas by either bus or drive, for two nights, then back to Los Angeles"
An alternative to driving (long and boooring) is the Lux Bus <http://www.luxbusamerica.com/index.php>. $99 RT (return). |
Cheers!
I have stayed at Palmilla Resort, Marina Fiesta, Pueblo Bonito Resort (pink and white) and many other resorts.. It will be hot and do not surf the Pacific side of Cabo..only the bay where zippers has this speedy wave that has a loyal surf following and that is up more towards San Jose del Cabo. I usually taxi/cab it but have rented a car but only for the day to go to Todos Santos which is a lovely town about an hour away. I don't know what your budget is. Happy to help anyway I can..been to Cabo about 20 times and all leaving from SD with no problems on Alaska Airlines..they have some package deals. |
thanx for that info...
why cant you surf the pacific side? are there many surf spots within driving distance? we will probly get a hire car and try to get to some places that dont have crowds...if possible. we arent that tight for money...am going to the travel agent later today to finalise it all... will probly get a bus down to cabo or a flight..just waiting for a costing. we want to stay in reasonable accommodation, near the beach. do you know if it is easy to rent or buy second hand surfboards there?,,i am thinking of leaving mine at home cos of the hassles with it in Los Angeles and Las Vegas...and on buses or airlines..maybe i will buy one and sell it when i leave thanx again.. |
The tip of Cabo where the Pacific and the Medano bay come together is fierce with many drownings..I am a life long ocean swimmer and only been once and thought I was going to die..
Rent or buy a board..to much hassle taking it all the way from OZ.. Rusty surfboards in La Jolla has some great short and long boards. Do not take the bus down to Cabo..way too much time. Flight is less than 2 hours and less than $300 round trip pp. Pueblo Bonita Rose is on the bay and its gorgeous..Melia Hotel too.. Expedia.com has a good idea on prices from SD to Cabo with flight/hotel/car.. |
Hi Bruce and Bob,
From a fellow, probably more mature couple of Aussies, don't worry about coping with driving around LA. Sure, the traffic can be a nightmare, but the road system is good, and the freeways are forgiving if you find you have made a directional mistake. You will need good maps - our NSW Auto club has reciprocal agreements, and the AAA maps are great. I think you may be disappointed with the surf around LA though, compared at least with east coast Australia. I think that it is only worth a surf to say you have done it - our beaches are better, it's hard to find how to get to the beach as houses are right up to the edge of the sand all along, and it's hard to find a parking place.There are far better things ro see in the USA - Yosemite National Park, for example. Have a look at the National Park Website, and the wealth of beauty and action available in California. As far as accommodation, we used to travel on spec, using the coupons availble from Welcome Centres and McDonalds for discounts, but mostly to find where the motels are - afterall, if you don't know a city, where would you start? But now, in the time of the internet, we prefer to book something better on Priceline, well ahead of time, and make day trips from a central point. For example, we've booked a Marriott Residence Inn at Manhatten Beach in April for about $140US. We've driven to San Diego, to the Mexican border and walked over to Tijuana, and another time taken a bus tour to Rosarito Beach - which doesn't compare with ours, although it is pretty. Can't say about any others beaches. I like the drive through the desert from LA to Vegas, particularly if you make a detour through the Mojave on the way. I think if you want to drive in Mexico, then you will need to hire in Mexico. Good luck. |
thanx for the info...was a bit concerned about driving in LA...but sounds like its not too bad.
I think we will just get the hotels sorted out this end and worry about car hire when we get there. yes..the surf thing is only really to satisfy my youth dreams..lol i agree that the surf on the east coast of Aus is probably the best in the world. even our local at a place caleld Secret Harbour ( it used to be called surf beach when no one lived there..now they put 3000 houses in and call it Secret harbour...oh..well..thats progress!...is a great little break. its is, as you say, just to say i have surfed these places and to see what they are like. thanx again |
<i>We've driven to San Diego, to the Mexican border and walked over to Tijuana, and another time taken a bus tour to Rosarito Beach - which doesn't compare with ours, although it is pretty</i>
Not any more. You may be allowed to walk to Tijuana, but don't. It's a dangerous place. Seriously. As for Rosarito Beach, it is the ugliest beach I've ever seen -- and the worst vacation we ever took as a result. |
can anyone advise?..
is it better to book accommodation and airfares this end in Australia for Mexico or are there enough bargains out the on the net? cheers B and B |
" Sure, the traffic can be a nightmare, but the road system is good, and the freeways are forgiving if you find you have made a directional mistake."
I am a LA native and I respectfully disagree. The freeways during rush hours are to be avoided. Notice I said HOURS because they are several hours long, in the AM and in the PM. Don't forget, you are used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road. This will be another big stressor. The freeways may be forgiving but people in a hurry to get to work or back home may be less charitable. Try to get out of town during the middle of the day. "You will need good maps - our NSW Auto club has reciprocal agreements, and the AAA maps are great." Yes, they are, but they have more than maps. They will route you to your destination(s), give you advice on road conditions and rest stops as well as places of interest. If you can, try to get a tourbook for each state you are visiting. |
thanx..all excellent advice
cheers B and B |
Please make sure you stay in Sedona, Arizona for at least one night on the way to Grand Canyon..its about 2 hours away..fly into Phoenix..drive to Vegas about 5-6 hours.
One of the most beautiful places in the world. Sedona Rouge Hotel $150 Enchantment Resort $480 La Quinta Inn $90 Best Western Inn and Suites $125 Radisson Poco Diablo $125 You will be so happy you stopped here! www.enchantmentresort.com |
Whoops! I meant Bruce and Barb, not Bob! Sorry, Barb! I was up too late...that post was 2:48 am.
I always recall seeing a list of the top 10 US cities with worst traffic and Los Angeles is one of them. It's just NOT an enjoyable driving area, it's very aggravating (and tiring) to drive in the traffic up there. (I live in San Diego). My husband and son used to drive down to Baja from San Diego and camp somewhere. But not lately...locals here are generally more nervous about travel to Mexico in light of recent news of violent crime in Mexico. My husband used to take lots of extra cans of Coke or other sodas when he drove down to Baja, because at certain stops he would be swarmed with kids who wanted to "watch" the car for him...and apparently they love soda! I hope you have a great trip. |
The popular surf spot in Cabo is near the Zipper's restaurant - called Costa Azul. Closer to San Jose del Cabo. MY |
thanx again everyone.
the current position is... we have paid the airfares yesterday for West, Aus to Sydney to Honolulu, staying a few days there..then flying into Los Angeles, and also the flight home. As costs are rising all the time it seemed best to at least get flights. We will take our time looking at the land content. Some of the comments about driving in LA kinda worry us but hey...we do heaps of driving here...probably around 1000kms every week and more...but of course it isnt the same as there! and you guys drive on the wrong side of the road. we are looking at biting the bullet and hiring a car at LA airport....transfers to hotels are so expensive and it seems if we can manage our driving times to off peak it wont be so bad. If we do that we will probably drive to Las Vegas and do the touring bit for a few days till Bruce gets withdrawals from being too far from the sea! we have San Diego as a must do...altho we love the beach and want to look at all the surf beaches that have been part of our life thru surfing mags for years and just cruise round...if we can. after a few days there we think we might now go into Mexico by bus..airfares to Cabo have been quoted at ridiculous prices and accommodation at like $300 a night!..our agent says that it is full of young drunken students!! (sounds like Bali and doesnt worry us at all) and expensive. this doeant sound right so we are looking at alternative ways to get there..maybe look at different towns down the peninsular and stay around the beaches, rent a car and drive around, bearing in mind the dangers that several people have pointed out. thanx Michelle for advice about Cabo...it sounds really nice there...we hate crowds and hope to find some out of the way beaches that are safe and not huge surf.(2000 drunken,screaming teenagers learning to surf isnt our thing...hahaha!) i am sure its not as bad as people say...lol..and we hope to get there somehow. oh...Melissa..we come from a city called Mandurah, just south of Perth, the capital, on the sea, and on the way to the southern part of the state..you can google it to see where it is and all..but any info you want about West Australia, just ask..no probs. thanx again all....its coming together, albeit slow.. |
Sad to say but your travel agent is giving you some false info. from taking a bus to Mexico..it is so dangerous and busses are being held up and all monies taken by the tourists..beheadings are very common..yes, its mostly drug traffickers but it is so bad that you don't want to spend your time driving around..it used to be so lovely but not anymore.
Cabo is not a bunch of drunk teenagaers..it can be a party place at night at some of the clubs but with the pricey resorts, that really isn't the case. There are some really good deals for 3-4 days with flight/hotel at a 4-5* for $500pp. from San Diego. LA is fine to drive..they are aggressive drivers so no driving in the fast lane (far left) and only go the speed limit. San Diego you will have a lovely time. |
thanx...yes..we thort it was a bit far fetched.Cabo looks a lovely place and i guess we could rent a car from there and do a bit of day travelling up the coast.
we will start looking online for packages. driving doesnt scare us...shouldnt have a problem, just drive carefully..lol cheers |
We have rented cars for the day up the coast from Cabo to Todos Santos..its right on the tropic of Cancer and it is a small town on the Pacific Ocean that is famous for the Eagles song..Hotel California..Google it..lovely artsy town and the Santa Fe restaurant is charming.
You could also drive up to San Jose del Cabo too. |
just wanted to chime in with my two cents worth....:)
I think having a car rental is a good idea; you can manage LA, just drive carefully and know others may be rushing around you. I think Vegas is worth a look see, kinda like Disney for adults. Check out Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Venetian and the Wynn. Just touring the hotels is fun. Vegas does excess well, :). I also agree Sedona is quite lovely....wonderful hiking amongst the red rocks. I would personally highly recommend it over the border towns of Mexico such as TJ. Totally unsafe and highly inadvisable. If you must go to Mexico, you must FLY to Cabo or La Paz. I've never had problems renting a car and driving around Cabo. I like San Jose del Cabo because it seems more authentically Mexican. Cabo itself is more of a touristy beach town. There are also gorgeous hotels along the "corridor" which is the road that links the two. San Diego is lovely and can easily consume 3-4 days. Be sure to kayak the La Jolla cove and hike the Torrey Pines state park while here. Also visit the downtown Gaslamp, Balboa Park, Coronado, our world famous zoo and Wild Animal Park, etc.....not to mention all the cute beach towns dotting the coast (Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Leucadia, etc) Have a great time! |
hi all..cant thank everyone enough for all your help..overwhelms us..thanx.
oh..the place re hotel california reminds us of something we thought funny..hope you do also. we were in Sri lanka last year...down at Galle..where the tsunami went thru...we had a young guy, 22, who latched onto us in his tuk tuk and drove us around. First day as we got in his little car, he goes..oh..sir, madam. I have new cd..brand new song in Sri Lanka...velly, velly good (yes..they do say velly while shaking the head!!) and he plays hotel california by the eagles! we go..you know that song is 35 years old mate? he says...oh..no sir..just new to Sri Lanka..new song sir! struck as as funny at the time cheers B and B |
Hi bruce and barb, another West Aussie chiming in with some input. I was in California in 2007 and, like you, was nervous about the driving issue. I was told driving was almost essential and yet incredibly difficult because of the dreadful traffic etc.
Since hiring a car was really the only way to do what I wanted to do, I bit the bullet and rented a car. I had very little problem driving on the other side. Most intersections are traffic light controlled and roads are well signposted (though the surfaces are even worse than Sydney) Mostly it's just a matter of following the car in front and giving yourself plenty of time to change lanes. A busy freeway is usually not travelling that fast and it doesn't really matter how many lanes there are- the only ones you really need to worry about are the two either side of you. That said, I did avoid the freeways where possible - there are other roads! I'd really advise renting a GPS as well as maps and prinitng out directions from Google maps or equivalent. I did mostly movie related stuff. I know what you mean about wanting to check out all the places you've heard and read about - all the places i the Beach Boys songs lol. Surely you can rent boards and wetsuits. You'll come home realy appreciating our beaches! It's only a short hop by plane to Vegas but then you have to factor in the time it takes getting to and waiting in the airport. People tend to regard the time spent driving as a waste, a chunk of time out of their trip, but in my opinion you see lots and it's part of the adventure. Anything else I can help with, just ask |
hi eigasuki.
thanks...we are getting more confident about driving in LA. i have decided not to take my board...which is a problem cos its one of 6 i have but my favorite....25 years old!..but a bit heavy and i can see heaps of problems driving round with it in a car or on buses or planes...been there... i will rent a board or maybe buy one and give it away to some kid when we leave i guess... will i need a wetsuit in May? probly not when we get down to Mexico tho. i think we will drive to Las Vegas..you make a good point about waiting in airports..that would take as long as driving and we do enjoy driving. we will spend some time in San Diego as from what people in here say, it sounds really nice... just stay a few days in LA to see some of the sights and head off to Las Vegas from there then stay in San Diego a few days before Mexico. At least we have paid the airfares so now its just a matter of doing some homework on the net. Do you think it is better to wait till we get there before booking hotels and airfares etc?...or would it be cheaper from home? it seems that doing it from there has more options. cheers and thanks...oh..do you surf and did you surf there? |
if you want nice warm waters, surfing, and if you're going to fly into mexico anyway, you might as well go somewhere where the surfing is great, food is great, water is warm, people are nicer, etc. etc. In other words, not Baja - it's overpriced and not as interesting. Try flying into Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, rent a car (easy) and drive 30 minutes to beach town of Troncones - lots of great, inexpensive hotels & B&Bs. Or the beach areas North of Puerto Vallarta. Or even better for surfing, the area around Puerto Escondido (Oaxaca state), but a bit more difficult (and fun!) to access. And believe it or not, Acapulco remains one of the all time great swimming bays in Mexico (it's cleaned up and safer recently than it has been in years).
We go to mexico almost every year, and find these areas much better than Baja. And the other writers are correct - limit your time in L.A. (check out a few museums, Venice Beach, etc), then scram to San Diego, Grand Canyon and other more interesting areas. |
Hello westaustralians:
I wanted to concur with what others have written about driving to Mexico. It is a gamble for you to cross the border and drive across that country. Many political issues that are occurring and even if you are minding your own business, things can happen. I speak from experience. Fly down to Cabo or any of the other tourist sites. As for surfing, the nicest area is the San Diego beaches. Los Angeles is one huge parking lot. Lots of horrible traffic congestion but if you want to say that you visited Hollywood or other places in the area, that's where you stay. A couple of hours down the coast and you could stay in San Diego, which is a beautiful area with lots of places to see. |
Do not wait to book your hotels and car until you get here..Spring break and other factors could have you with no hotel or car.
Expedia.com is good to book a 4-5 star hotels for a good deal right now. |
You can rent a car to drive into Mexico but you need addtional insurnace on the car which is often more than the daily car rental rate. My husband does business in Mexico and has had to use Hertz since they were the only ones allowing their cars into Mexico. His last trip was a year ago so I can only assume it is still allowed.
We drove down the Baja many years ago and loved it all. However, given your time frame and plans, I would suggest flying to wherever surfing is accessible in Mexico. For surfing, you could drive from LA to San Diego,stopping at San Clemente or Encinitas, (Swami's). My suggestion is to get out of LA as soon as possible and concentrate your time elsewhere. You must visit San Diego instead. You can drive or take a trolly out of SD to the border, walk across, grab a cab to the Tijuana airport for your flights into Mexico. Aero mexico is your most reliable airline and it is cheaper flying out of Tijuana. You may also be able to find some inexpensive flights out of LA to Mexico. Return back to SD and fly or drive to Las Vegas. Research your air on Kayak.com for the LA or Tijuana flights to the Baja and to Las Vegas. Include a search on the Southwest airline sight for Las Vegas. If you fly to Las Vegas, you can rent a car and drive to the Grand canyon. Remember in S. cal it is called "May Gray" for a reason. it is my least favoirete time of the year due to the marine layer that can linger on all day. The water is cold so you'll need a wet suit. |
Native San Diegan and used to live in Mexico and I would not advise ANYONE to drive to Mexico, especially from another country and then tell them to fly out of TJ airport to save a couple of bucks and the border wait can be 2-4 hours..
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