If you go to Orlando, watch out for the crazy trolley driver lady. Seriously, she is nuts.

posted Jan 6, 2012

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Thank you for answering my questions! :)

2. Basketball would be just as fun if it's the NFL/NBA?
3. I think I might do some minor North travel if there is snow :)
5. I don't want to wake up "surprise married" - the age thing is no issue.

7. Spiccy....I love spicy food!

posted Jan 8, 2012

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Florida right?

posted Jan 8, 2012

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Yeah, they have these green trolleys down International Drive and there's this one woman driver who is nuts.

She won't move until everybody is standing at the back of the bus and she will shout at you until you move. She's just crazy!

posted Jan 8, 2012

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If you think that's crazy, have you ever met a Russian in real life? :P

(non related: izismile.com/2009/09/03/these_crazy_russians_63_pics.html)

I would like to do Miami though - I like American television :D

posted Jan 8, 2012

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1. We're fine with foreigners here in the south. People will probably give you a lot of weird looks with your accent, but otherwise, it shouldn't be much of a problem, especially if you're in big cities. Your fluency in English definitely helps, though, since people can be snobs and punks about that sort of thing. And yes, we sometimes have problems with foreign accents. Don't change for them. Let them squirm and suffer in their own close-minded cultural-centric lexiconography. :P

2. Wikipedia tells me the season begins on March 28. I don't know much about sports, to be honest... But... hahaha, you do not need to know anything about the National Anthem. :P Borat was trollin' anyway. The National Anthem is sung before any major sporting event. You're supposed to put your hand over your chest and sing it. But you definitely don't have to sing. I haven't in ages out of disrespect toward my own country. And apathy, cos I really don't want to sing in public. [; So long as you don't scream at anyone while they express any benign patriotism via song for that 30-60 seconds, you can stand silently and quietly, and people watch. :P

3. It depends on where you go. In the Deep South, there's hardly any snow. The north gets significantly more. But this year we're suffering the effects of El Niña, and thus, haven't seen very much snow. That might change by the time you visit. Bring some jackets though. Frankly, I'm betting Russia is colder than here. :P

4. TEXAS. Particularly Austin and San Antonio (avoid Houston - Dallas-Fort Worth is alrigh). But I'm obviously biased. :P Georgia can be fun too. Go to the Gulf of Mexico at least once to play around in the warm ocean! Assuming you're going to be elsewhere in the states, the whole of the northeast is full of awesome. DC, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, et. al. Personally, I love Chicago, and the whole west coast. Feel free to ask me, since I'm just not sure which direction y'all will be driving.

5. You can be married through a drive-thru. In the same way you can pick up a hamburger at McDonald's... so... just be careful. :P I'm not sure what you mean by standard alcohol. But mind you that 21 is the legal drinking age here, so if you are not 21 with valid ID, you won't be able to drink.

6. Of course! It simply depends on how long you stay in any given place. Some places merit longer than others. You could stay in Austin or New Orleans for weeks without getting bored; however, somewhere like Mobile, Alabama? You'd get bored after a night. Just do your research. Pick cities you'd like to visit, and try to find two or three things to do there on the internet. When you actually get there, and get a feel for the city, you can decide if it's really worth the time.

7. Cajun food is all kinds of yum. Very unhealthy, rarely vegetarian/vegan friendly, and it'll burn your tongue off.

posted Jan 8, 2012

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Hi Elle,
I am German, but I have been to the United States multiple times and have lived there a total of 1.5 years. I have also done some extensive travelling while there so I think I can give you a few hints. (Your Questions have already been answered)

East Coast(ish) Places I have been and recommend:
Obvously NYC (still fashion capital, great museums, central park, statue of liberty... need I say more?)
Boston (US History Sites, Newbury Street, Harvard Campus, Student Town...)
Washington DC
Chicago
Atlanta (if you are in the area, don't make it an extra trip)

West Coast(ish)
OK this is my favourite for travelling in the USA, so I'll just trow sites and cities with my Rating from 1-5 at you! 1 Being worst and 5 being best. (In the rough order that I travelled them)
Las Vegas (2)
Grand Canyon (5)
Glen Canyon (3)
Bryce Canyon (4)
Hoover Dam (2)
Rainbow Bridge ( via Lake Powell, 5)
Antilope Canyon (5)
Death Valley (2)
Yosemite National Park (6)
San Francisco (4)
Highway 101 (5)
Monterrey Bay (4)
LA, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica (4)
LA, Walk of Stars (1)
LA nightlife (was too young to get in back then)
Universal Studios (4)

Things missing on my list and overdue to be visited:
Niagara Falls
Miami
New Orleans
Smokey Mountains
Indian Summer (late Fall in the northwest of the USA)
Rocky Mountains

PS: This seems like a travelling list of a rather odoorsy person, but I am actually a big city kinda man.

PPS: Please, fellow Travellers, please do enlighten me with anything I might have missed here!

posted Jan 8, 2012

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1. Do Americans like foreigners? I really want to go visit the south (cultural history and the whole Americana thing) but I don't want to be abused by rednecks or crazy anti-foreigner people.

You're going to get a lot of "I like your accent" and "what?" when you talk, but as a whole, no, Americans do not usually hate foreigners.

1.1 Do Americans really have a problem understanding foreign accents?

To an extent, yeah, but I think everyone in every country has a problem understanding foreign accents.


2. When is baseball season? or another American sport (winter).

Baseball is a in the spring and summer, I do believe.
It's hockey and American football time season when you plan on visiting.

2.1 Do I have to know things about America like the national anthem? (I saw Borat).

No, you don't have to. Just stand and be quiet while others sing along.

3. Is snow a common thing in America?

In certain places, but since you want to visit the South, there probably will be no snow. But, the farther north you go, the more snow you get. It still gets cold though.

4. Must see locations?

The South is a definite, along with New York, Chicago, Louisiana, Florida, California, and Seattle.

5. Is it really that easy to go marry in Vegas? Or is it better to sober up?

It's not that hard to get married in Vegas, but it's not easy either. You'll be fine, just don't walk into any chapels.

5.1 - Do Americans have the standard alcohol or are there restrictions?

You can't drink under the age of 21 and you must have a valid ID with your date of birth as proof you are old enough.

6. Is nearly two months doable for all over America?

Definitely. There are some places in America that are far too boring to consider going to so you can definitely see all there is to see here in America in 2 months.

7. Is canjun food alligator?

No, cajun food is not alligator. At least I don't think it is. It's just the name of the type of food that Cajuns in Louisiana cook. It smells amazing and is spicy, but is so worth it.

posted Jan 8, 2012

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I know others have already answered your questions really well, but I also wanted to add some of my favorite places in America to the list of must-see locations. I will say I'm definitely more drawn to nature and the country than to cities and nightlife (except where fashion is concerned), but I'll try to be pretty broad in my recommendations. :)

- Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming — probably my favorite place I've ever been.

- Like Chris K. already said, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and a lot of places in the Arizona/Utah area. Also Zion National Park in Utah is beautiful. :)

- As far as the south goes, I think every state has its own unique variety of southern culture. So is there a certain aspect of it that's particularly interesting to you? You might want to research that before you decide exactly where you want to go. There's some pretty big differences between the "southernness" of Virginia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

- The Gulf Coast is lovely and also full of its own unique brand of southern cultural charm (lots of Cajun food, seafood in general, beautiful old southern houses, etc). You may not eat one, but you will probably see an alligator! :) I've really enjoyed several vacations to the gulf shores in Mississippi and Alabama.

- I've also heard really good things about the gulf coast in Texas (Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas in particular). Also, San Antonio is a really neat city in Texas that's worth visiting. Texas is good if you're more interested in the south + cowboy and "wild west" culture.

- Some of the most beautiful areas of the country, in my opinion, are the portions that are in the Appalachians or the Smoky Mountains, like Tennessee or North Carolina and the states around them.

That's all I can think of for now. I don't think I would recommend coming to Oklahoma (although it is a very lovely state in its own way) unless you are really, really interested in tornados, American Indian culture, or cowboys. :)

posted Feb 11, 2012

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I'm from the us, born and raised in NY. If u have any additional questions pls message me, happy to help! Baseball season starts across the USA in April. Pre-season games start in March. Alligator is part of Cajun dishes, such as alligator quesadilla. Rather tasty believe it or not and I am not a fan of eating much meat (mostly fish). In the south when you go to the cities, you won't see many "rednecks". The further you travel into the state, the more rednecks and away from the city. You wouldn't want to go there neway :)

posted Feb 11, 2012

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Hey, I'm 19, born in Washington State, and now live in Texas. If you have any further questions about America, send me a message! :)

1.Americans LOVE europeans. We'll ask about your country, and tell you how much we love your accent.

1.1 Sometimes, but mostly the older people ( 60 and up) have trouble with it. Just talk slowly and smile a lot.

2. I have no idea, sorry. Not all Americans are into sports.

2.1 Hahahahh, no. Most Americans don't know all the words to it.

3. America is SO BIG that it depends on which state you visit. The closer to Mexico the hotter it will be while States near Canada will have lots of snow in the winter.

4. Yellow Stone National Park is AMAZING. Also, The Grand Canyon, New York, SanFrancisco, Disneyland or Disney World, The Florida Swamps..

5. Hahah, people GO there to get married fast. Have fun, stick with a friend for safety though. I wnet and it can be sketchy at night.

5.1 I don't know what the Standard is for Germany/Europe, but here you have to be 21 and have ID.

6. Two months is enough time, by plane. I think you'll be okay by car too. Don't forget to rest too!

7. Cajun food is spicey rice, shrimp, sea food, its wonderful! Sometimes you can have Aligator, but not always!

Hope that helped!

posted Feb 13, 2012

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Oh! Americans ALWAYS tip their waiters at restuarants. Give an extra 5 percent of the total of your purchase if the service was good. Less if the waiter wasn't good. If you don't tip people will think badly of you.

posted Feb 13, 2012

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1. The majority of people here in America love foreigners. But it all depends on where you go. I know for sure that in states like New York, California, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana they really like foreigners.

1.1. It depends on the person. In the South, there are some really strong Southern accents so they may not understand your accent. It depends on the way you say things. If you are from England and say "till" in America they probably wouldn't understand you. Like the person above said, it depends if the person understands the accents and have been around them.

2. Some winter sports are football, hockey, and basketball. Baseball starts in the summer.

2.1 No, you don't have to know the national anthem. Actually, I forgot half of the lyrics. Sometimes, especially in school, you hold your hand over your heart but many people don't do that. Oh, and if there are people on the streets trying to sell you fake bags or bracelets don't buy them.

3. I know that in the North and East it does snow - a lot! But I don't think that it snows as much in the south and west.

4. Well, New York, California, Louisiana (New Orleans), Florida, and maybe Las Vegas.

5. Yea it is but I don't recommend it.

5.1 You have to be 21 years old or older to buy or drink alcohol here. Also, you need to show ID. Often, there is a limit on the amount of drinks you are allowed to have in the bar.

6. Yes, if you know where you're going and exactly where and what you're doing in each place.

7. Cajun can be but you should try it!

posted Feb 18, 2012

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