I met my future wife when I was working in America on a work and travel program
After five years, we got married and traveled to the US in 2019 for a wedding trip. We visited five cities on the East and West coasts in 15 days.
In California, we drove a scenic road from Los Angeles to San Francisco. In New York we slept in a motorhome in the middle of Manhattan, and in Denver we lived in a typical American house. In South Carolina, we relaxed on the ocean: swimming and thinking about nothing.
It took us a year to prepare, plan and save money. I will tell you how to organize such a trip and not to repeat our mistakes.
Itinerary
We spent 15 days in America. During that time we visited major metropolitan cities, drove along the ocean and saw the main American sights.
We decided to start our trip in Los Angeles: Alyona wanted to see the letters Hollywood on the Hollywood Hills, and I dreamed of visiting the Six Flags roller coaster park. We also had time to go to Santa Monica Beach and walk along the Walk of Fame.
We drove 800 kilometers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in a rental car along the ocean. This is a popular route for tourists. We spent two days on the road: we constantly stopped to walk along the beach, take pictures of seals, or have a coffee at a gas station.
We came to Denver to visit friends. It was interesting to see how ordinary Americans live. In three days we visited a gun show, saw how the local firemen work, and visited a casino.
Next we flew to Myrtle Beach, a small resort town on the East Coast. In 2013, Alyona and I worked here on a work and travel program. We wanted to visit familiar places, see our employers, and walk along familiar streets.
After ten days of traveling around the USA, a beach vacation in Myrtle Beach came in very handy: we were already tired of constant moving, changing places of residence and a kaleidoscope of impressions. In three days we had time to get sunburned, see both calm and raging ocean, and drive around the nearest towns.
We got to New York by airplane. This metropolis is unlike any other city in the USA. New York has its own atmosphere. In three days we visited the Statue of Liberty Island, the observation deck on the 70th floor of Rockefeller Center, and spent the night in a motor home in the middle of Manhattan.
Our trip turned out to be busy and expensive, but it was worth it. The coolest idea was to drive around the USA in a car: it’s romantic, comfortable and you can see a lot. We will allocate more time for this on our next trip. It’s especially interesting to see the non-touristy side of the US, like small towns.
Money
We took $600 cash per person for the trip. All other money was on Black cards. Before the trip, we opened foreign currency accounts. It’s convenient: you pay with your card, but immediately in dollars. You can avoid double conversion, keep track of your spending and the balance on your card.
I was surprised that the US terminals did not have a tap-to-pay function and the slider did not always work. I had to insert my card and enter the pin.
I carried my documents and cash in a thin belt pouch under my clothes. This is safer than putting it in a backpack or pockets. I carried my smartphone and $100 in another belt bag over my shoulder on top of my clothes for easy payments.
Rent a car
In the US, we rented cars in two states, California and South Carolina.
Where to rent. We rented cars through Rentalcars.com. Four days renting a Toyota Camry cost $158, three days renting a Ford Fiesta cost $138. In 2023, prices are up about 25-30%. Rentals often require a credit card, not a debit card.
When choosing a car, look carefully at the rental conditions on the service’s website: whether there is a mileage limit, an additional fee for renting a car in another city, what is the size of the security deposit.
We took cars with no mileage limit, which means we could drive even 10,000 miles without additional fees. The security deposit in California in 2019 was only $1, in Myrtle Beach it was $100. The deposit is returned to your card after you return the car.
We received and handed over the car with a full tank of gasoline. It’s much cheaper to pay for refueling the car yourself – it says so on the Rentalkars website. But I didn’t find information about the cost of gasoline on the rental company’s website.
In California, we picked up the car at the Los Angeles airport and turned it in a few days later at the San Francisco airport. Sometimes they charge a fee to return the car elsewhere, but in our case it was free. To get the car, the rental company requires a printed copy of the booking confirmation or an electronic version of it.
When booking the car, you must specify the time you plan to pick it up. If you are late, the rental company may classify it as a no-show and cancel the reservation without a refund. I recommend putting the pickup time an hour or two later than the arrival time. Sometimes flights are delayed and there are huge queues at airports to pick up the car.
To find the right renter at Los Angeles Airport, follow the Ground Transportation signs. They will lead you to the buses that run between the airport and the rental company parking lots. We arrived an hour and a half behind schedule to pick up the car. We got the car without any problems.
Parking lots
I recommend thinking about where you will leave your car before you rent it. Many places have paid parking. Sometimes tourists rent a cheap hotel for $30 and there are no free parking lots nearby.
We only had to pay for parking a couple of times. For example, we paid $5 for an hour and a half of parking near the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.
Despite all the precautions, I still got a parking ticket for improper parking by the beach in Myrtle Beach. I paid for two hours of parking and put the receipt under the windshield. When I returned an hour later, I found the ticket under the windshield wiper. It turned out that I had stopped in a no parking zone. The No parking sign on the asphalt said so, which I hadn’t noticed. It was a shame to pay $4 and still get a $25 fine. I had to pay it within 30 days. Further the amount would have increased to 75$.
I called the number on the ticket and left an appeal on the website. I never got a response. “Rentalkars did not charge me any additional money. I hope this means that my appeal has been granted and that I don’t have to pay the fine after all.
I don’t know what the consequences are for not paying the fine. I may still have it on my record and there may be a problem the next time I come to the US.
Gasoline and gas stations
The US has its own system of gasoline labeling. I have seen three types of gasoline at gas stations: Regular, Supreme, Plus. As far as I understand, they have different octane numbers. The cheapest gasoline is Regular. I asked a group of elderly Americans what is the best way to fill up. They said, “Always fill up with Regular and enjoy life, son.” I took their advice.
The cost of gasoline varies greatly from state to state. In California, a gallon of Regular cost $3.96, in South Carolina – $2.39. The price includes tax. In total, we spent $70 on gasoline. In 2023, the price of a gallon went up about $1.
Roads
We mostly traveled on free roads. I only found out that we were on a toll road when the rental company charged $11.3 from my card. I could not understand at what point and at what place we passed on the toll road.
For navigation, we used Google Maps with downloaded offline maps and the Sygic app. It allows you to create a route and determine your location without an internet connection.
By default, you can turn right at a red traffic light. The speed limit on the roads is set at 45 mph – that’s about 72 km/h.
In the USA, they drive adequately: no one cut anyone off or violated the speed limit. There were no police officers on the roads to stop cars and check documents. But in California we often saw signs that said: “Speed limits are controlled by aerial vehicles”.
The roadways have very bright and clear markings. In Los Angeles, there were often dedicated lanes for cars that must have at least two people in them. Such lanes are designated by the HOV sign.
The route from Los Angeles to San Francisco. We left Los Angeles at 11:00 and took U.S. Highway 101. In San Luis Obispo we turned onto California State Route 1, a winding serpentine along the ocean.
The California State Route is 200 kilometers long. It is a popular route. The route offers mesmerizing views of high cliffs and the ocean. But for us, this stretch of road was a stressful experience.
We started down the highway at sunset. The sun had quickly set, and it was pitch black. There were almost no oncoming or passing cars. I could tell where we were going only by the reflective markings. In the light of the headlights we saw only bats flying by.
The highway itself added to the problems. The highway is very narrow: one lane in each direction, with ascents, descents, and sharp turns. There were no guardrails on the highway – nothing to protect us from falling off the cliff into the ocean. We were driving at 40 km/h, and the road seemed endless.
We were very tired: we had been driving for more than ten hours and wanted to sleep. In such a state, it is scary to drive even on a familiar road. But we realized that it was a mistake to get on the highway after sunset only when we had driven 30 km. We didn’t want to go back and decided to drive forward to the nearest town, Carmel.
If you take this highway, stock up on gasoline, food, water and calculate in advance whether you will be able to reach the next settlement before dark. The peculiarity of the highway is that there is not a single gas station for 200 km. We met only one hotel. A night in it cost $200, which is expensive even for America.
Because of the darkness, we missed everything we could. For example, we dreamed of seeing the Bixby Creek Bridgebridge , the most photographed in California. But we passed it at night and didn’t even realize it was there. It was a real shame. We didn’t get to our next destination, Monterey, until midnight.
I found the California State Route to be the best way to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The most beautiful views of the precipitous ocean shore are from the San Francisco side.
Public transportation
Subways. Public transportation is not developed in the USA in all cities. For example, in Denver and Myrtle Beach, the only convenient way to get around is by car. If you do not take care of renting a car in advance, it is almost impossible to get to and around the city without a car.
Some cities, like New York, have too dense traffic and a well-developed public transportation network. It makes no sense to rent a car there.
In New York City, we got Metrocard passes and put $23 each on them. In 2019, we had enough money for three days of traveling around the city. In 2023, one subway or bus ride in New York City costs $2.9.
Cab. For the whole trip we spent $127 on cabs. Most often we ordered a car through the Lyft app.
Housing
I recommend booking accommodation in advance. We looked for rooms and apartments two or three months before the trip, but the most interesting, comfortable and inexpensive places were already taken.
In Los Angeles, we lived in Hollywood. The main sights are nearby: huge Hollywood letters on the hills, stars with the names of famous artists, the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are awarded.
We stayed in a private room that we booked through Airbnb. We had our own bathroom and a parking space. In three days we never saw any roommates. The accommodation cost $195.
We opened the apartment via August’s electronic lock. To do this, we installed an app in advance and synchronized it with Airbnb. At the entrance to the apartment, we had to turn on the bluetooth and press a button in August. After that, the door opened.
We found a comfortable motel in Monterey called Stargazer Inn and Suites. The night cost $100 for two people. We paid another $7 for the opportunity to use the washing machine.
We lived in a guesthouse in San Francisco, renting a room through Airbnb. We chose a place near a public transportation stop, but never used it. Living in the guest house was comfortable: home-like atmosphere, kitchen with all the utensils, clean bathroom and toilet, and unobtrusive tourist neighbors.
The lodging in San Francisco was the most expensive of our entire trip. We paid $251 for three days’ rent.
In Denver, we stayed for three days at an immigrant friend’s house. We were given a separate bedroom. Most of the Americans in the suburbs of Denver live in separate houses. We visited a few and were amazed at their size: usually each house has two floors and a huge basement. It can be considered as a separate floor: there are often offices for work, game rooms, laundry rooms. The houses also have a small backyard.
In Myrtle Beach, we stayed in an ocean view room at the Ocean Reef resort. The room cost $247. In addition, we were charged 13% tax and a resort fee. We ended up paying $323 for three days.
In New York, we wanted an urban extreme, so we spent the night in a motorhome. Before booking, I asked the hostess if she could give us a discount. She gave me a $10 discount. We ended up paying $107 for the night.
Americans call a motorhome a “van.” Inside there is a mattress, a portable charging station, a TV, a trash can and a small mirror. Our van was parked in lower Manhattan.
Sleeping in a motorhome is an interesting experience, but terribly uncomfortable. The main reason – there is no bath and toilet in the van. The nearest bathroom was 700 meters away at a Starbucks. To access it, we had to buy a small coffee for $5. “Starbucks was closing at 8:00 pm. The hostess said that after that you could go to the bathroom at the bars nearby.
To take a shower, you had to sign up for a free guest pass to the gym near the van. This required filling out an application form and receiving an invitation. We didn’t wait for it, so we went to the clubhouse and asked to be let in for a “trial session”. I guess we weren’t the first campers to come in for a bath. The administrators obviously guessed it, but they were understanding and let us into the hall.
The problems did not end there. During the day, the van got very hot in the sun – it was impossible to stay in it. At night we didn’t feel safe: Manhattan is full of harmless homeless people and violent lunatics. To have something to breathe, we opened all the windows and slept as if we were on the street: we could hear the rustle of garbage on the pavement, the conversations of people passing by and the sounds of cars. Next time we will not stay in a van: it is too expensive and a lot of inconvenience.
For the remaining two nights in New York, we slept in Harlem, the upper part of Manhattan. They say it has a high crime rate. But we felt safer in Harlem than in Manhattan in the middle of the street.
We rented a room in Harlem through Airbnb. It was in the basement of a two-story apartment. The hosts were a nice married couple. They didn’t take their shoes off in the house, so we also wore street sneakers and felt like real Americans.
We were assigned a separate bathroom and toilet, given a key to the apartment, and told to make ourselves at home. We paid $147 for two nights in a room in Harlem.
I was confused by the decoration of the room: to the right of the bed there was a wooden mask framed in something that looked like leather, strange paintings, and other details. There was also a locked door behind a curtain in the room, and it was unclear where it led. The sunlight didn’t enter the room, and it was eerie to fall asleep that first night.
Food
In America, the portions are huge and caloric. We usually ordered one dish for two and were full.
An average meal for two cost us $15-25$ in 2019. For example, lunch at a Japanese restaurant on the way from Los Angeles to San Francisco, including tax and tip, cost $20.25, breakfast at Denny’s Cafe in Monterey cost $13.85, and dinner at Red Flame Dinner in New York City near Times Square cost $28.8.
Cafes and restaurants have friendly staff. Waiters work for tips, so they are interested in keeping the customer happy. In establishments we always had the feeling that we were visiting a friend who had known us for a long time and wanted to do us a favor.
Everywhere was delicious. Even when ordering an ordinary sandwich, you would be sure to get a salad, sometimes fries. In the cafe they immediately serve free water, even if you didn’t ask for it. Sometimes they can bring soda or iced tea and not charge you for it.
Here’s our list of places to eat at:
- The IHOP cafe chain is in all the cities we visited. I recommend trying the pancakes and omelettes.
- Denny’s Cafe chain is popular in all states of the USA. I advise you to stop there for breakfast.
- Green cafe near Central Park in New York City has adequate prices and a great selection of food.
In the USA, buffets are also popular: you pay a certain amount of money and eat as much as you like. We have been to two such cafes: in Denver and Myrtle Beach. Both times we were satisfied. The Buffet in Myrtle Beach cost us $17 per person. In Denver, our friends paid for us.
Tax and tips are not included in the price of the meal. For example, in New York, the sales tax is 8.875%. If the menu shows a price of $15, you will pay $16.33, with a 15% tip – $18.78. In the article I give the cost of dishes with tax included.
Tipping can be left in cash and paid by card. It seemed to me that charging a tip to a card in the US was a space for fraud. The waiter would take the card away and make the payment himself.
Our friends in the US say they have never encountered tip fraud.
To tip when paying a bill with a card, you must write the tip amount and the order total on the receipt. The tip was deducted from the card a few days later than the main bill
Entertainment and excursions
In Los Angeles, the first thing we did was to go to the Santa Monica Pier on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. This is a popular place among tourists and citizens: it is where the famous US highway 66 ends. There are a lot of bars, street dancers and musicians there.
If you have two or three hours to spare, rent bikes and ride the Santa Monica and Venice Beach bike paths. Be sure to wait until evening: you can catch the most beautiful red sunset. The ocean is cold, but if you have a great desire, you can go for a swim. We didn’t risk it.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a roller coaster park. It is located an hour’s drive from Los Angeles.
In addition to tickets to the park, we bought a Priority Pass, a pass that allowed us to enter the slides in an accelerated queue. The Priority Pass saved us a lot of time, but even with it we stood in some queues for about an hour. People who didn’t have a Priority Pass waited much longer. If you don’t want to be crowded, go to the park on weekdays: they say there are fewer people during the week and you can do without the Priority Pass.
We spent 12 hours at Six Flags Magic Mountain. During that time we rode 15 slides, some of them several times. There was not a single ride that did not meet our expectations. For example, the Superman slide cabin accelerates to the speed of 160 km/hour in seconds and soars vertically up to the height of 127 meters. On the Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom slide you can fall from a height of 122 meters, or 36 floors, in five seconds.
The most exciting one for us was the CraZanity slide. It works on the principle of a pendulum, which accelerates to a speed of 120 km/h and flies up to a height of 52 meters, rotating around its axis. There were caps and shoes scattered around the slide, which were ripped off the riders. The slide is closed for reconstruction in 2023.
In the afternoon it became unbearably hot in the park: the temperature rose to +37°C. We felt as if we were rolling around inside a red-hot oven with the fan on. In order to cool down, we doused ourselves with water, but our clothes dried completely in a couple of minutes. The water from the taps with drinking water gave off chlorine, and a liter of bottled water in the park was expensive – 6.5 $.
When it got dark, the show started with different characters: zombies, Freddy Kruegers, Frankenstein’s monsters. The show was interactive – the actors were constantly moving around the territory. At any moment a big butcher with an axe could come out of the corner and chase us. All this was complemented by special effects, such as fog. It was cool, impressive and really scary.
In San Francisco, we visited the Alcatraz prison, where the famous Al Capone served his sentence. The prison has long operated only as a tourist attraction. We enjoyed the excursion.
The prison is located on an island to which there is a ferry. Travel is included in the price of the excursion. We bought tickets three months in advance at alcatrazcruises.com. They sold out quickly – you could hardly do it locally.
In Denver, I visited the Gun Show, an exhibition where guns are sold. On 700 tables there were brass knuckles, body armor, helmets, telescopic sights, pistols of all calibers, shotguns, rifles, and much more.
In the USA, firearms are in free circulation: almost anyone can buy a gun. All the weapons at the show can be touched, tried on, and checked to see if the gun fits in a lady’s purse. In my opinion, the weapons and equipment at the gun show are enough to arm the inhabitants of a small town during a zombie apocalypse.
I was surprised that visitors were not searched at the entrance and exit of the show. But at the exit there were people in bulletproof vests and with guns on duty. Apparently, so that no one would think of running away with a couple of guns.
The exhibition schedule is on the official website, and they also sell tickets there.
In New York, we went up to the roof of Rockefeller Center. We bought a ticket on the spot and were surprised that it took only 45 minutes to get to the observation deck: there were too many visitors in the center.
We also bought a tour that included a visit to Statue of Liberty Island. We visited the museum of the history of the monument’s creation and visited a neighboring island. We didn’t manage to climb the crown of the statue: tickets are sold out too quickly.
We spent most of our time in New York City just walking around Manhattan: we saw the statue of the attacking bull on Wall Street, the 9/11 memorial, Central Park, and Times Square.
Manhattan is growing upward, not outward. They say developers are buying the right to the air above to build skyscrapers
What’s the bottom line
We grew up on movies filmed in the USA: Home Alone, King Kong, Spider-Man. A trip to the USA was the fulfillment of our childhood dreams. We wanted to see the Empire State Building, where King Kong climbed, and wander the streets where Peter Parker walked. We took over 23 GB of photos and videos during the trip.
After our return, it took us a long time to restore our sleep patterns: the time zone difference made us want to sleep during the day and wake up at night with terrible hunger.
We had enough of a busy 15 days to relax and at the same time get tired of the constant traveling. We do not regret a single dollar spent, because it was the honeymoon of our dreams.
