EPTAdvice - travelling in the US - Page 2
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backtoback
Canada1276 Posts
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VGhost
United States3613 Posts
On July 03 2011 02:29 PyroCat wrote: 1. What kind of clothing would be appropriate for Utah/Arizona in mid-September? 2. How much time would it reasonably take in order to properly see a place like Bryce Canyon or Zion National Park? 3. Is public transport good enough for me to get around or should I hire a car? 1. Depends on your tolerance for sun/heat. As a "northerner" who's spent significant time in Arizona, I'd recommend long pants (jeans or cargo) and short sleeves. (If it's really hot, long sleeves are actually better, weird as that sounds, but it doesn't get insufferable in September. Usually.) Don't forget a hat. Also make sure you have a sweater (jumper) or sweatshirt for nights, especially if you're camping at all. Last, you need good shoes - tough walking shoes or well-fitting hiking boots (get use to these first). 2. Depends if you want to see the highlights or "everything". You can see the best features of most parks in a day (sometimes an afternoon), but to really get a good idea you want 2-3 days. 3. Outside of NYC and DC, public transport basically doesn't exist, so get a car. Last time I rented a car, I needed license + another ID, but that may vary from state to state or by age. If you're not 25 yet, there may be extra fees beyond advertised cost. Assuming you're driving, get maps of the areas you're driving through (any rental agency will usually have these). (Ooooon the other hand, if you were feeling ambitious/crazy, you could try hitchhiking. Works best between big rest stops/travel plaza areas. Make signs with your destination, someone will probably be heading that way. I've got a friend doing that right now - going all the way across the country.) If you can manage to stay away from hotels (especially chains), do so. In some cities you can find "cheap" motels ($30-$60 a night - yeah, it sucks) but they're almost never well-advertised so you'll be lucky to find them. If you're going near Phoenix and need a place for the night, PM me - I have relatives near there who do a lot of work with international students and I can put you in touch with them. I can't guarantee anything, but you never know. If nothing else, see the Grand Canyon. It will blow your mind. | ||
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sob3k
United States7572 Posts
I spent spring break backpacking in Canyonlands, and while the major sights are fine and all, spend a day out hiking and you will literally have your mind fucking blown. Definitely visit some of the slot canyons....the terrain is just unbelievable and amazing to be in. Especially when you are the only one out there. | ||
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FreezerJumps
Canada653 Posts
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FabledIntegral
United States9232 Posts
 . Go to Yosemite in California. | ||
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Little Rage Box
United States84 Posts
But Moab is one of the most beautiful places on this Earth in my opinion. If it interests you or is within your budget I'd try to rent a Jeep or some other 4 wheel drive vehicle and ride on some of the Moab trails. Best way to see the area I think. Hope you have a good time while your in the States! | ||
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MaxField
United States2386 Posts
On July 03 2011 02:40 N3rV[Green] wrote: Well, glad I found this since I actually live in Utah, down in Moab. First off, GOOD FUCKING CHOICE. Utah is prolly the most beautiful state in the lower 48 (Alaska wins no matter what) but you will NEED a car of some kind if you wish to really see the good shit. Canyonlands, Arches, and the San Rafael swell are the places you MUST go in Utah and the proper way to have a good time is to bring a tent and such, and just drive around, park somewhere really cool, and go walk down some crazy canyon, and set up camp somewhere. The Swell is most likely the craziest, weirdest, most alien landscape you will ever see in your life. It used to be a massive coral reef system back when this part of the world was underwater. Now it all crazy as fuck slot canyons you need to be kinda skinny at times to get through. It's hard to find though, so look at some maps and get a good idea of where it is and such. Moab and all the surrounding area is fucking amazing. Come here and just explore......seriously, you just drive 15 minutes out of town, drive down some dirt road, park the car, and you're in the fucking wild ass desert. We got rocks like you wouldn't fucking believe son. BRYCE CANYON! so beautiful to hike and you can camp right by it. I lived almost whole life in AZ, and I will give you my advice for there, but i have to say, September it is still crazy hot down there and you might enjoy Utah more. The most common place to visit in Az is the Grand Canyon, but if you can not make it, it really is not that big of a deal. Most of the pictures on the internet are way better. If you can get a hold of a boat, there are many great lakes that you can spend some time at, if you enjoy that sort of thing (lake Powell is amazing). Also, right outside the Mesa/Phoenix area are some pretty nice places to ride Dirt bikes and ATV if you like that thing either. There is also some nice forest in northern Az if you like hiking. Let me know what you plan to do, and i am sure there will be something that you can find. EDIT becuase of post above me. If you are in Arizona in September, expect that the temperature to be from 90-110 degrees, and this is not an exaggeration, it can easily stay that hot almost into October. It also might have a few Monsoons, but they usually don't last past August. I would recommend mostly short sleeve and shorts, but 1-2 long things if you spend most the time in the valley of Az. | ||
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reneg
United States859 Posts
If you have the time while you're there, go to the Angels Landing in the park. it's breathtaking. | ||
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Ghost151
United States290 Posts
Public transport in the states is really only well developed in the heart of cities,; since there is so much landspace you'll be hard pressed to find anything that is gonna run everywhere you want to go; the best you can do is get close. There are cross country bus routes (Greyhound, MegaBus) that run between major cities in the U.S. If you don't mind the long ride, they aren't badly priced at all and generally pretty comfortable, at least on the line I rode... Beyond that, actually getting out where you want to go (i.e. away from any city limits) is going to *REQUIRE* a car, so you need to look into what you need to do as far as licensing and insurance to rent one, or otherwise acquire some wheels. If you HAVE to, a taxi service can get you pretty much anywhere but it will cost a bit depending on the company and distance. Somebody a little more familiar with the area might help you out with that. A suggestion I read in one the earlier posts that I think is pretty swell is the coach/bus tour idea; they'll get you where you want to go and you wont have to worry about transport. also, listen to this dude: . Public transport is certainly NOT good enough for you to get anywhere, unless you go to one of the coastal cities. In Utah/Arizona you 100% should rent a car. Make sure you stock water in the car, and a good map. Pay attention to signs that say things like "No gas station for 100 miles", etc. In fact, I would probably bring some extra gas just in case. It would really, really suck to break down or run out of gas in the middle of the desert, of a place you've never been to, with no cell phone service, and have to walk a majillion miles to civilization. (Try to stick to the main roads rather than take little back roads, it's safer for someone who doesn't know the area.) Of course, this is September, not July, so the probability of you dying out in the middle of nowhere is incredibly low. BUT STILL take some precautions. Also, learn enough about cars so you don't do stupid things, like open your radiator cap until your car has had sufficient time to cool down if something does happen. (I know several extremely dumb people from that part of the country who got severe steam burns from doing this when their car broke down middle of the summer.) ...because you DO NOT want to be running into trouble in the middle of nowhere (plenty of that in the US countryside) least of all in a damn desert. | ||
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Boblhead
United States2577 Posts
Stateparks up north in arizona are cooler than down in the valley of phoenix. Grandcanyon and monument valley are roughly 10-20 degrees cooler. But that doesnt mean you don't need sunscreen. If your going to be traveling by yourself through the dessert Bring tons and tons of water. Trust me it happens every year in arizona 10-20 people from europe rent a car, the car breaks down and they only have like a bottle of water. Get a pack of 48 bottles, and bring some food as well. Other than that you should be set. I suggest you see the grandcanyon and take a walk on the sky deck ( a bridge like thing that hovers 40ft or something like that over the edge of the grand canyon. Its really cool. Another thing is you have to see monument valley its gorgeous. Utah I know nothing about. | ||
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happyness
United States2400 Posts
As others have said, it is usually hot in southern Utah/Arizona in september. And be prepared for a lot of driving. A LOT. On July 03 2011 12:29 Barrin wrote: Utah? Oh boy. Beware of Mormons. There is a pretty good chance that one or two (or ten) might try to convert you. Do not be afraid, they won't bite. If you're not interested in what they have to say, I recommend being ready to do one of these two things if you are unable to prevent yourself from being detected as a foreigner: (1) Lie, and tell them that you are already a member. Research one or two particular wards (churches) to claim that you belong to. The second one is just in case you're near the first one and nobody recognizes you. (2) Smile and politely tell them that you are not interested in the religion before the conversation goes on too long. The longer you let them talk to you, the more uncomfortable it will be to tell them you have other things to do. I've never actually been to Utah to be honest, but from what little I do know, I would personally be prepared to do one of these things if I went there. LOL. I hope this is a troll | ||
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Perihelion
82 Posts
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mikyaJ
1834 Posts
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MaxField
United States2386 Posts
On July 03 2011 12:29 Barrin wrote: Utah? Oh boy. Beware of Mormons. There is a pretty good chance that one or two (or ten) might try to convert you. Do not be afraid, they won't bite. If you're not interested in what they have to say, I recommend being ready to do one of these two things if you are unable to prevent yourself from being detected as a foreigner: (1) Lie, and tell them that you are already a member. Research one or two particular wards (churches) to claim that you belong to. The second one is just in case you're near the first one and nobody recognizes you. (2) Smile and politely tell them that you are not interested in the religion before the conversation goes on too long. The longer you let them talk to you, the more uncomfortable it will be to tell them you have other things to do. I've never actually been to Utah to be honest, but from what little I do know, I would personally be prepared to do one of these things if I went there. Alright i am sorry, but this is really one of the least educated things i have read, and of course that comes with a lot of bias on my part, but you do not know what you are talking about. I do not want this to turn into a discussion about Religion, but do not give advice when you do not know what you are saying. To op, do not listen to this post. | ||
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Ultimate Weapon
United States132 Posts
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FragKrag
United States11552 Posts
2. at the larger national parks be prepared to spend anywhere from an entire day and up to three if you intend to hike on the larger trails. I spent a day at Arches National Park and still didn't see everything I wanted. Zion is a beautiful place. Make sure you spend a decent amount of time hiking and sightseeing there. I assume you're going to see Grand Canyon (and I guess Petrified Forest) while in Arizona, so for those two, you can spend less than a day at Petrified Forest, it's really not too big of a deal (imo at least). As for Grand Canyon, the most I would spend there is 2 days. A hike down and up the grand canyon will take pretty much a whole day, and you can use a bit of the other day to hit up some of the trails and be on your way to Petrified Forest. 3. A car is a requirement for any National Park. Driving in Arizona and Utah during the summer can be tough. Make sure you bring plenty of water for you (and your car!) and make sure you have a cell phone capable of calling for help because often times while you're on one of those desolate highways down there, people don't pass by too often. Somebody said something about bringing extra gas on the way, and that's a great idea too. It's going to be blistering hot. After giving this advice though, as a Californian, I have to say I'm disappointed you chose Arizona and Utah over Yosemite, Sequoia (King's Canyon?), Joshua Tree, and Redwood National Parks ! | ||
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MaxField
United States2386 Posts
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flavorless
United States59 Posts
P.S. Don't worry about Mormons attempting to convert you. The tourism industry pretty much drives southern Utah. If somebody tries to, politely tell them that you are not interested. We take the hint pretty easily. Edit: Little Wild Horse, in the Goblin Valley area, is probably the best slot canyon ever. For the record. | ||
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Ketara
United States15065 Posts
On July 03 2011 02:36 Taf the Ghost wrote: 1: It's going to be roughly 37-40 C during the entire time you're there. Dress how you like for that. Bring a Hat & sunscreen as well. 2) The area you want to go is larger than France and there is areas where you could be 100 miles from any city with more than 1k people. You need a car. 3) You need a car. There's just no way around it. I've driven most of that area a few times. Bring a MP3 player. There is a LOT of time between getting to places. When traveling the USA, outside of the NYC, Washtington DC axis, think of it like traveling the entire length of England & Scotland as a "day's travel". There's a reason public transport doesn't work well in the USA, it's just a massive expanse in most of country. There's a lot to see, but it's REALLY spread out. This is a good guide. You'll also want to check and make sure your drivers license will work there. I don't remember the specifics but either an American liscence is not valid in England or a British liscence is not valid in the US. It's either one or the other and I forget which. I might also suggest if you aren't against the uncomfortableness renting a reasonably sized car or taking a good sleeping bag with you, and just camping out in the car. Cheap hostels are rare in the US, and in this part of it basically nonexistant. If 800 pounds is your travel stipend for the entire trip, you can expect even the cheapest hotel rooms to run you 50 pounds a night, so the money might dry up pretty quick. I wouldn't suggest sleeping in your car in big cities (I'm assuming you'll spend at least a day in Salt Lake City on this trip), but in SLC there should be a reasonably inexpensive hostel. In the more rural areas you're very safe camping outside though. Utah breeds nice people. I've been to the places you want to go to, they're really pretty amazing, I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip. | ||
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sconcrack
25 Posts
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