Finding Reason
A travel blog
United States of america
Sedona, Arizona
The United States has become like a second home to me. I've seen more of the U.S. than I have of Australia, having travelled and lived in the U.S. for almost two years. During that time, I immersed myself into the famous and unique cultures, while also being lucky enough to see some of the most celebrated scenery in the world.
The United States has the capacity to cater for so many different types of travellers. In saying that, there can be speedbumps, but we will go into them below. Sit back and have a read, pardner.
Accommodation
Accommodation, especially prices, can't really be summarised for the U.S. There is such a wide variety to choose from, and each can differ from state to state, city to city. AirBnb has evolved into an excellent tool to find cheap lodging in the U.S. Check out my how to use AirBnb guide.
Hostels
You'll rarely find hostels while travelling the U.S mainland. Although hostels can be common along the coastlines and major cities, I didn't find any while I was in the mid-west or south. Another bummer I noticed was - in California particularly - hostels can be more, or as expensive as cheap grade private hotels and motels scattered across the nation. However, cheap hotels rarely get into a city centre, whereas hostels do. For prices and locations, check out HostelWorld USA.
Camping
Camping is an excellent way to get across the U.S. I daresay nearly all of the state parks have campgrounds that can be very cheap to stay at (ranging from $0-$45 USD per night). You'll only find the camspites above $20 belonging to national parks like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, etc..
Hotels
Hotels in the U.S can be an option for any budget. In areas where you can't find campgrounds or hostels, budget and roadhouse hotels like Motel 6, Best Western, or Super 8 can be very affordable. In my experience, they range from $20 - $50 USD per night. A con of depending on cheap hotels is their uncommoness in city centres. If there is one available, it can be worth the extra couple of bucks to stay in a hostel, which often have the benefit of a central location.
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a very popular method of travel in the U.S, and you can find all the information you need by checking out CouchSurfing.com . Similar to AirBnb, couchsurfing works on trust. You'll need to create an account, profile, and build a positive reputation by having good experiences with hosts. I only recommend staying with a host who has enough reliable reviews, a verified ID, and a complete profile.
Hostel Trippin' - Sierra nevada, CA
The U.S is home to some beautiful (and cheap) campsites
Transport
The cost and nationwide inefficiency of public transport is definitely a challenge for backpackers or low-budget travellers. Be it trains, planes, busses or rental cars, no option is designed to help sustain a prolonged journey for the average backpacker.
Taxi
If you find yourself in a taxi, regardles of the city, you are expected to give a tip between ten and fifteen percent. Feel free to wave down a taxi. If you call to have one pick you up, be prepared to pay a little extra. While planning a trip, I've sometimes compared prices using TaxiFareFinder, and I've found it to be generally accurate.
Car Rental
Long haul transport in the U.S. is often tough on the solo traveller. The best advice I can give is to road trip with friends, or a group. Rent a car and drive along some (or all) of Route 66! I can't emphasise how remarkable some of the scenic American highways are, especially in Utah and Colorado. Travel costs are manageable when divided between a couple of people! It's a shame that there isn't a nationwide low-budget campervan rental company like Australia's Jucy or Wicked, which exists only on the west coast of the U.S via Jucy in California.
Trains & Coach
As you can see by researching Greyhound or Amtrak, long distance coach and train travel can be more time consuming, and more expensive, than flying. This is especially in the Mid-West and South. If car rental is out of the question, I'd recommend flying long distances, and utilising the trains and coaches to vist the neighbouring areas. Although more relevent to the coastlines, and for statewide travel, there are some regional bus companies like Megabus who commonly offer $1 tickets for their routes.
Flying
If you decide to fly across country, as solo travellers often do, make sure you compare flight prices on sites like Kayak.com and Google Flights. A huge benefit of flying long distances, instead of driving, is that you don't have to pay a rental car 'drop off fee'. While I'm travelling solo in the U.S., I often fly to get across country. Tickets from Kansas City to Orange County can be as cheap as $90. For somebody under 25, flying is remarkably cheaper than renting.
Airlines
After becoming familiar with several airlines in the U.S., I would definitely recommend Delta. I've never had problems with Southwest or Frontier, so I would fly with them if Delta doesn't meet the schedule. The only airline I have to warn you about is American Airlines. Over the past two years that I've been travelling in the U.S, I've had nothing but comically shit dealings with the company. It was nothing petty. I don't complain often, but American Airlines would repetitively cancel my flights. I've calculated that the airline has caused me to miss a connecting flight 8 out of 11 times - aint nobody got time for that!!
Airports
A useful tip for flying long distance is to check the landing airport by region. Google Flights is an excellent system to utilise this method. The interactive map on the search engine shows clearly which airport costs what amount to fly into, in comparrison to your 'currently selected' airport. You might be able to wangle a better deal by changing the airport you land into. It's a longshot, but could be worth a try.
van livin' - 6 people, 9 nights, 4400 miles. Good times.
Hopping off the Amtrak in Merced, for a bus into Yosemite
FOOD
Food is quite cheap in the U.S. You can easily get fast food meals for as cheap as $2, but I'd highly recommend spending a bit extra to get something healthy. You'll find fruit and vegetables just as easy as fast food. A good diet is important, and will help to keep you strong and lively during your travels. I tend to avoid buying meat when I'm in the U.S because of how expensive it is.
Similar to my tips for saving money on food in Australia, you can pickup some good grocery prices by buying company branded food. For example, if you are in a Publix store, you will be able to buy Publix branded beans for 99c instead of $2. You'll always find company branded foods to be far cheaper than the stocked products from a different source. If you have an able budget, support the other businesses! Especially local.
Turn On Yer Sweet Tooth, Son!
Food in the U.S is notoriously sweet. Bread, processed meat, iced tea and BBQ sauce seem to stick out the most to me. A serving-size cup of 'sweet tea', a common refreshment in the U.S, can contain 40 - 55g of sugar! Ma dear lawd!
Culture
The U.S has an excellent food culture. You should sample the American BBQ and Mexican restaurants during your travels. After having sampled BBQ from the three states that claim to have 'the best in the U.S' (Tennessee, Texas and Kansas), I must conclude that Kansas takes the victory by a landslide. If your travels ever take you to Kansas City, you have to try 'Jack Stack Barbecue', and 'Oklahoma Joe's'. Texas and Tennessee have a dominant 'dry rub' BBQ effect, whereas Kansas seemed to specialise in melt in your mouth, saucy BBQ - winning me over every time.
Rendezvous BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee
Finance
Considering the information above, managing your money while in the U.S should be fairly easy. Cheap food and fairly priced accommodation aren't too hard to come by, but you'll find transport to be the fund killer. Leave plenty of space for transport in the budget.
Banks
The major banks are secure, and have various global ATM partnerships, inclusive of Westpac, Scotiabank, Barclays and CCB. Some of the most common include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Opening up a simple account can have some major benefits if you're staying for a longer period. It may not be worth the hassle if you're only travelling for a month or two.
Tipping & Taxes
Despite the common implication, tipping is not optional. Staff often depend on tips to be the majority of their income.
Taxis (15%)
Hotel Assisstance with luggge/vehicles ($1-2)
Delivery Drivers (10-15%)
Restaurants (15%)
Bartenders ($1 per drink)
Guides ($1-$10)
~~ Waiting on yourself to avoid paying a tip is immoral ~~
Cards
The U.S runs on EFTPOS and credit transactions. You should never have any problems using cashcards or international credit cards, as long as they have a Visa, Mastercard or American Express logo. Some Mastercards have a Cirus logo too, which certifies a more secure and speedy experience when using a foreign ATM.
what to look for in a travel card
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foreign conversion fees
It is unaviodable with some credit cards, but there are preload currency cards that allow you to load into a specific currency. This guarantees that you won't have to pay extra conversion fees. Some of these cards include CashPassport, Qantas Cash Card, NAB Traveller Card and the Travelex Travel Card.
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online account
Make sure the card can be tied to an actual account, that is accessible online. The best services will also give you a BSB and Account Number for the account. This allows you to pay and receive out of the account.
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customer support
Having an all-hours customer support centre is very helpful. Thankfully, nearly all travel cards have this feature, and will provide you with a contact and emergency number.
I'd highly recommend signing up for a travel card via your favourite airline, provided they offer one. If you're Australian, read up on the Qantas Cash Card. You'll get flyer points for every USD$ you spend. I ended up getting a tax only flight from the U.S to Australia by spending with Qantas Cash. I ended up putting the flight money on a two week trip across Hawaii.
Security
Aside from being a patron in a BBQ restaurant or brewhouse, I've never experienced a situation where my financial security was threatened. Try to carry small amounts of cash on you, say between $10 and $50 USD. It's safer to rely on your card than it is to carry large amounts of cash. Random crime is certianly present in the U.S, though you'd be very unlikely to experience such crime, it's better to be safe.
I have a good friend who got scammed by a rigged ATM in San Francisco. Try to avoid ATMs that don't belong to a recognisable bank.
places to see
There is way too much stuff in the U.S to list here. I've made a list of my top ten favourite places in the U.S below.
Yosemite, CA
10 - San Diego, California
San Diego is an excellent place to experience the western way of summer. Conorado beach has a stretch of beautiful white sand. Look to the south, and you'll see Mexico. If you're after the restaurants, bars and nightlife, head down to the Gaslamp Quarter.
smartdestinations.com
9 - Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recognised as being the oldest state capital in the U.S, Santa Fe has a remarkably unique atmosphere. The original, Spanish-like architecture of the city is still very preserved. The scenery driving into Santa Fe is beautiful, and it is only about an hour away from Aalbuquerque.
Santa Fe
8 - Nashville, Tennessee
If you're a fan of raw American culture, which includes music, you need to hit up Nashville. The night starts with the live bands, which commonly commence at around 5pm. I had a night out in Nashville with a group of people on a Tuesday night, and we were all done by 10pm. Everybody is dancing to live bands, there's tipsy Tennesseeans out busking in the street, and everybody is friendly. I would easily rank Nashville as being up there in culture with New York and Chicago.
Main Street - Nashville
7 - Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park is a beautiful area in Colorado that spans into the great Rocky Mountain Range. I was lucky enough to do two hikes in Estes Park. Black bear sightings are common in Estes Park.
6 - Appalachia
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the U.S, is on the far eastern side of Tennessee, nestled in the Appalachian Mountain Range. Seeing the Appalachian Ranges is beautiful all year round, with significant seasonal changes. Spend a weekend up in a log cabin, and do some of America's most remarkable hikes.
5 - Manhattan, New York
Despite it's reputation as the 'fast paced' capital of the country, New York has the tendency to be completely dreamy, especially in places like Central Park or Greenwich Village. In manhattan, the foggy streets are lined with skyscrapers and American flags. To see how different sub-cultural evolutions have spread within, and are contained by the concrete jungle is a globally unique factor that makes visiting New York all the more important.
4 - Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is a small city in Arizona, south of Flagstaff. One of John Wayne's favourites, Sedona has an authentic cowboy feel - featuring marvellous red canyons, that have now eroded to form natural walls that encolse the city. Despite being in the desert, Sedona has a surprising amount of greenery, and offers a huge variety of tourist activities.
Sedona, Arizona
3 - Zion Canyon, Utah
Zion Canyon is a definitive example of American land, and is for any traveller to see. Driving into the main canyon from the east entrance subjects the viewers to remarkably unique examples of erosion on a massive scale. When a group of friends and I arrived into Zion, we were all silenced with astonishment at the sights. A MUST SEE on any tour in the US of A.
Zion Canyon
2 - Kauai'i, Hawai'i.
Kauai is such a beautiful Hawaiian island. The scenery is very diverse, featuring canyons, swamps, huge waterfalls, freshwater pools, beautiful beaches, epic ridges and stunning sunsets. Commonly referred to as the 'backyard' of Hawaii, the culture in Kauai is rich with hitchhikers, beach campers, local businesses, and slow speeds. Kauai is 'must' for hikers and adventure lovers. Yes, you can go to where the helicopter enteres the island on Jurassic Park. I'd highly recommend hiking the 'Kalalau Trail', and staying over night on Kalalau beach. The trailhead is at 'Kee Beach', which is photographed below.
Ke'e Beach - Kauai'i
1 - Yosemite, California
Taking five nights to explore Yosemite National Park was perhaps one of the best decisions I've made during my time travelling the United States. As soon as you arrive into the National Park, you'll feel dwarfed by the spectacle of El Capitan, Glacier Point and Half Dome.
