Hmmmmm.... I'm going to stick to my guns on saving southern CA for its own trip. I think the OP is wise to hit cities in this trip that she may not have otherwise (i.e., Chicago, DC), and to keep a somewhat northern orientation to the visit. A week in each area she hits will give her an excellent taste for those parts of the US (although I'd be happy to see her add Boston to the list). LAX is also a major hub for the Australian airlines, so it isn't like she can't get to LA if she wants to.

Her list also comprises cities with lots of history and lots and lots of things to do. That knocks a certain Silicon Valley city out of the running-- its history isn't all that interesting, and.... A large city that barely rates an afternoon visit, according to an international travel source (i.e., fodors.com), isn't worth a detour when you've come from halfway 'round the world.

Whether it's true or not that possibly a anti San Jose troll is here, at the end of the day it really doesn't matter. San Jose would not make the top list in any category in my book. It's a modern, wealthy, young city. That's great, but sooooo what? Yes, I know it was one of the first cities in Califoria, but it did not become a real city till 1950's and 60's. These kind of cities are dime a dozen all over the world.
I do think her choice of cities is great. Each of the cities represents a milestone in US hitory. There are other great places in the US, but time and budget restrictions limit to what anybody can do in one trip, so there is no need to tease her with other great choices. She will discover so much in the ones she chose.

Here is my short list of places I would choose WAY ahead of San Jose if I did have unlimited time and budget:

Boston, Philadelphia both rich in US history especially the revolutionary times.
St.Augustine, Florida, the oldest US city, beautiful and also a great beach community.
Galena, Illinois, it was suppose to be "Chicago" at one time because of Mississippi river, but with the advent of railroads it didn't make it. Still, it does have great history.
New Orleans, do I need to say more?
Charleston, South Carolina, again, do I need to say more?
Atlanta, Georgia, Gone with the wind.
Some of the smaller panhandle communities in Mississippi and Alabama, some great history from the "dark ages" in US history, slavery.
Los Angeles, modern history, Hollywood.
Las Vegas, nothing like it in the world.

Some of these places are good for a day or two, some would require some more time, and I'm sure there are many other places that I can't think of now, but San Jose is not on any of the short lists.

I just wanted to chime in about a budget for Chicago, there are several hostels, the most centrally located one is the one on Congress (south end of the business district) that was already mentioned for around $30 per night http://www.hichicago.org/reservations.htm

There is also one up in one of the nicer neighborhoods, Lincoln Park, called Arlington House for $24 per night. You might consider splitting your stay between these two if you are staying for a full week so you can experience a Chicago neighborhood (more restaurants, entertainment)http://www.arlingtonhouse.com/

Transportation-you can get an all day CTA pass (bus, el) for $5, a 5 day pass for $18. There are also free trolleys that run on weekends and in the summer months.

Museums/sights-All of the museums have free days throughout the year, typically during the non tourist season. Check the museums' website to see which days. The Terra Museum, which should be open through October 2004, is free every day. Lincoln Park Zoo is also free every day.

Theatre-1/2 price tickets to a lot of Chicago area productions are available at the Hot Tix booths, visit www.hottix.org for more info

Food-Many of the foods Chicago is known for are inexpensive-pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef are all good budget options. And the further you get away from the city center (North Michigan Avenue and the loop), generally the less expensive the food is. You might also check out a feature they had on Metromix (Chicago Tribune)on low dough dining

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/r...me_bottom_heds

Tours-the Chicago Greeter service is free, you can use them to visit parts of the city that are off the beaten path

So if your lodging is $30, transportation $5, entertainment $50 or under, food $30 or under, you would be under your estimate of $132 per day.

For trips between major cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, Washington), the train (Amtrak) is definitely better than flying. The trains take you from one city-center to another, saving costs and time for transport between the airport and the city proper. Amtrak trains vary in price, with the Acela being very expensive.

But even cheaper than the trains, and just about as fast, is bus service. There are "Chinatown buses" between major cities that run VERY cheap service. They're a bit iffy -- questionable vehicles, driver qualifications and rest, no actual stations etc., but fortunately they've forced the regular bus companies to reduce their fares drastically. One major bus company is Greyhound. Just do a Google search that includes the word bus and any two cities.

Look into bidding on Priceline, where you can get a 3-star hotel for the price of a hostel. There's lots of good guidance at www.biddingfortravel.com. Have a great trip!

Guarto,

The statistic you brought up and supported with US Dept. of Commerce chart is so very misleading. San Jose gets the foreign visitors for one very important reason - it's the Sillicon Valley capital. Mostly, it's the business people coming for business reasons, nothing else.

I would love to see results from a real "tourist" poll from any foreigners on this board - How many of you ever thought of San Jose as a "must do" when visiting US?

I really don't want to get into it right now, but I would be very surprised to see San Jose make the top 50 on my list of US places to visit if I did take the time to make a list.

SanJose vs SanFran are just two places in this entire country, so why get bogged down with either? There's a LOT more to see.

I think that both Amtrak and Greyhound have deals with, while maybe not unlimited, a LOT a travel possibilities on a fixed price ticket over a number of days.

Greyhound North American Discovery Pass:

http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/passes/index.asp

USA Rail Pass (International Travelers Only):

http://www.amtrak.com/savings/usarail.html

An organization (company?) called "Student Advantage" allows for 15% discounts with both Greyhound and Amtrak, plus discounts at various shops, restaurants and attractions throughout the USA.

https://www.studentadvantage.com/enr...ode=AMT48L9001


Someone mentioned the Chinatown buses, but be aware that major companies like Greyhound and PeterPan are matching those prices along the NE corridor but require that you purchase tickets in advance.

katierina,

One thing to verify is that your bank card/atm card will work ok here. Talk to your bank before you travel. My wife (she's from Melbourne) still has an account with one of the major banks of Oz and she couldn't get access to her account through the atms here. Make sure they are aware you're traveling abroad.

As for where to go:

I think you have a pretty good starting list as far as big cities go. Each different than you might find in Sydney or Mel. I don't want to wade into the above mess, but try to think about why you've heard of certain famous cities while others have to be "explained" to you. I think I would recommend getting into the Rockies somewhere. The mountains of Oz are old and beautiful, but not so dramatic as the Rockies. Boulder, just north of Denver is a pretty, western college town just at the foothills. Always a favorite.

Do keep in mind that once you get out of the cities and away from the east coast, that ground transport is difficult in the US. We don't have quite the train system that Australia once you get into the Western, Southern or mid_US. And many, if not all rental car companies require you be 25 years or older to rent.

Hope you have a good time!