Alexx goes to the US

Discussion in 'Travel Tips & Advice' started by Alexx, Aug 25, 2010.

  1. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Hello everyone,

    I am about to depart for United States for three-weeks-long roadtrip around National Parks of the west. Me and my travel companions are going to write a blog every day:

    http://ctyrinaceste-usa2010.blogspot.com/ - original czech version

    http://ctyrinaceste-usa2010.blogspot.com/ google-translated english version

    Should you have any comments, advices, point to some differences between EU and USA we should be aware of (food, driving rules... whatever), I will be glad to read them here, or you can simply comment each article on our blog (english, czech, spanish... who cares?)

    The blog itself will be written in czech, however we will try to keep it in standard czech so it is translatable by google to some english-readable form (see link above).
     
  2. Jeff

    Jeff Well-Known Member

    Have a great trip Alexx!

    Dana and I traveled through the Southwest in 1999 and we thought the scenery was spectacular. There is so much to see there.

    Where are you going in Oregon?
     
  3. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Just one stop there, two nights tops, to see Crater Lake N. P. And then long drive via Bend, Boise and Idaho Falls to Yellowstone.
     
  4. Tagarela

    Tagarela Well-Known Member

    I don't know USA. But it seems a very interesting plan. I hope everything comes out as you all have planned or even better!

    And I liked the name of the blog. =)
     
  5. jen

    jen Well-Known Member

    Have a great time, Alexx! If you need help along the way, please let us know - I have family in the DC area who'd be more than happy to help if needed.
     
  6. meluzina

    meluzina Well-Known Member

    you have a nice fully-packed schedule...


    not sure if you have include this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Lake

    it is well worth taking a look - we always passed through on the way from yosemite to san francisco

    also, not sure how much time you have in san francisco - if you want a nice walk, http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/enviro ... otos_7.htm

    that trail is good - it takes you along the coast with nice views (as long as it's not foggy) all the way to the golden gate

    if you have time, also stop by muir woods just over the bridge from s.f. http://www.nps.gov/muwo

    looking at your map, you go from s.f. to sacramento - the coastal road is much more scenic - (highway 1)
     
  7. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Hi, yes, we go from Yosemite via Tioga Pass to Mono Lake, but I do not know how much time will left to spend there, because next day is dedicated to SF and there is nice portion of driving from Mono to SF, and closer we will get to SF, the more time we will have there.

    From SF we are going to Lassen Volcanic NP, then to Crater Lake, and then long way east via Boise to Yellowstone.
     
  8. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Looks like we missed each other in Toronto by 3 days!
     
  9. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Hey, you are finally on that long anticipated trip to the west coast.
    You are definitely the world traveler. I will read your posts and blogs.
    I've never been out west so your notes will be enlightening.

    I'm jealous, those are sights I only know from pictures. Never seen a buffalo in the wild.
    Zion, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton(interesting fact Grand Teton in czech means Velké Prsy. Some imaginative lonely french trader named them I guess), those must be sights to behold.
    It is posible you will see grizzlies. Keep pepper spray with you while you are hiking and make noise so you don't surprise them.
    That is an ideal journey you have undertaken Alexxi.
    It's fantastic.
     
  10. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Hi all,

    we just reached Santa Fe, and now heading for Roswell and Carlsbad Caves. Big Bend we wanted to go ... but we need to slow down and relax a little bit. Then El Paso, Vegas, and back to LA. Long week ahead of us, almost 5000 miles already driven.

    There still are some surprises, and there will be many things we are getting used to, which are not present in europe - picnic areas, ice machines, clean... everything is much cleaner here then in Europe I have to admit - road, public toilets, even cheapest motel rooms so far was very clean. And, of course, gas prices, here in Santa Fe only 2,69 for galon regular.

    Have a great time wherever you are.
     
  11. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Hey, I got a small suggestion for you guys.
    I know you guys got a rental(car), but just for the experience one morning when you are in a city, from the hotel take public transportation for a couple miles and then catch the bus going back to the hotel.
    Then you can give us a comparison of public bus transportation in the U.S. and the Czech Republic.

    Roswell, never been there, but everyone knows the name.
    It's where the aliens landed if you want to believe in conspiracies.

    Wonder if you'd get a chance to visit an indian reservation.
    I guess you can only put just so much into a vacation, and then there's no more room for anything else,

    In Santa Fe you are surely seeing all the spanish and mexican influence on architecture.
     
  12. Jeff

    Jeff Well-Known Member

    Hi Alexx,

    Dana and I really enjoyed our stay in Santa Fe back in '99. We had a great time at the Ore House ( http://www.orehouseontheplaza.com/canti ... aritas.htm) doing some tequila and margarita tasting.

    I hope you enjoyed your time at Crater Lake. I have been there a number of times and totally forgot about being a good stop in Oregon. The squirrels are certainly friendly, aren't they?

    Looking through your blog, I see that you are having quite the adventure. But by looking at the previous trips in your signature, I see that it should be "the adventure continues..." :)
     
  13. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    What a great blog you are writing, Alexxi. Very descriptive. It's amazing you guys can pack so much into a visit. You are getting a real tour of the Southwest. Cool that you got to see a roadrunner. The only one I've ever seen is that clever one you mentioned in cartoons that always outsmarted Wily Coyote.
    Carlsbad Caverns, Rozwell, the graveyard of airplanes, indian cliff dwellings and Biosphere 2. Eclectic and thorough.
    You guys are impressive travelers.
    You pilgrims really know how to plan a trip. :)
     
  14. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Hm, it took many days of planning, and some of places we visited was not even in original plan. Biosphere 2, Roswell...

    We decided to skip Big Bend NP (sorry Texans) because of its remote location (it would took another 500 miles), and slow down a little bit for few days.

    We drove almost 7000 miles through 11 states (California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Nevada), from interstates to 4x4-recommended dirt roads, visited plenty of beatiful places uncomparable to anything in Europe, visited Juaréz in Mexico and Toronto in Canada. We was sleeping each night in different motel/hotel, mostly low budget (except for Las Vegas and Toronto), visited various cities - LA, SF, Salt Lake C., Santa Fe, Las Vegas (but we focused on National Parks and Monuments).

    Anyway, I am back in Prague, so if you guys from both Europe and US (or anywhere else) want to know my point of view, describe differences in certain areas,... just post it here.

    Edit: Special thanks to member of local forum, Alfonso, who gave us whole day tour around San Francisco, making it one of most memorable stops in our journey.

    Edit2: Just one short recent memory: We have seen many "hammer" look like oil-getting maschines (no idea how is it called) in few states, but what really surprised us all, was like huge (compared to what we have seen so far) oir-mining field just few miles from downtown LA. Really interesting place :).
     
  15. GlennInFlorida

    GlennInFlorida Well-Known Member

    we generally just call them "oil wells" but the actual name of the piece of equipment you see is a pumpjack

    see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpjack for more info

    glad you had a good time, really enjoyed you blog - thanks!
     
  16. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Thanks for reading, Glenn, David, and whoever else did. Hope you understood some of it, I am aware this is kind of mix of not very standard czech, some little english, and many references usually intended for just one person, which others are unlikely to understand.

    Anyway, it was nice trip, and I am starting on planning new one (apart from my usual 3-day trips around Europe and vicinity. Probably to South Africa, however Bolivia-Peru seems to be now one of hot candidates.
     
  17. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Yea, Pumpjack, I was trying to remember that word. Like Glenn says, generally just called an oil well. But 'pumpjack' is more precise. Distinguishes it from the the off shore wells.
    I thoroughly enjoyed your posts Alexxi. You are the forums resident world traveler. We live vicariously through your exploits.
    It was written in perfectly understandable czech(thank God for dictionaries). The online translator was questionable.
    South Africa or Bolivia-Peru, you set your goals high.

    http://www.travelblog.org/South-America ... 85516.html

    ..... (apart FROM my usual 3-day trips around Europe and vicinity.

    PART OF my bibliography is true, the rest I just made up to make it more interesting.
     
  18. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Short thought: I wonder why I have never seen Sierra Mist (drink) in Europe. Maybe because the word "Mist" in German means "manure"? :)

    Think about it next time you drink it ;-)
     
  19. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

  20. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

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