An Unofficial Guide to America...
The Guide to America has been an idea on my mind for years. The hope is that this becomes a guide for friends, family, and everyone else who finds it to both well known and obscure parts of America. This is a guide written by locals across the country highlighting "don't miss" landmarks based on regions and travel. The big-picture goal is to answer the timeless of question of "what do people do here?" Whether you are a backpacker or business traveler, I hope this helps. (Control F - then search by city name)
List is updated periodically, if you would like to contribute, email me info and I will post it.
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San Francisco, CA
Things to do in SF:
· Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf: You have to see the seals, all the shops, great restaurants (all of them on this pier), there's a good crepe place on that pier near the carousel, you have to get clam chowder in a bread bowl from the pier, visit Boudin bakery (it originated here at Fisherman's warf on pier 39), look through the binoculars to check out alcatraz, if it's good weather then i suggest taking the Gold & Blue Fleet 1 hour cruise around the bay, http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/ , if you're interested in history you can take the ferry to alcatraz and do the alcatraz tour as well: http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/
· BIKING: Biking is by far my favorite SF treat. You can rent bikes from Pier 39 from multiple shops called "Bay City Bike". http://www.baycitybike.com/baybike/index.php You rent the bike in the morning, follow the maps they give you and bike around the bay and across the Golden Gate Bridge. You have 2 options. First is to bike a 10 mile ride into Sausalito, enjoy the shops and restaurants there and take a ferry back to pier 39. OR you can ride your bike for 16 miles into Tiburon. This is for sure what I suggest you do. You get to downtown Tiburon, on the marina there, and go to a restaurant right on the dock called Sam's. This is an outdoor eatery right on the water. The food is delicious and the views are magnificent! All the socialites of SF go there and it's always packed and great people watching. After lunch, you don't have to ride your bike back across the bridge, but you take the $10 ferry back to SF Pier 39...super fun!
· Sausalito / Tiburon: If you cannot make the biking trip, I suggest you drive across the golden gate bridge into Sausalito & Tiburon. These 2 cities are beautiful. They're on the other side of they Bay and you get to see the views of SF from the other side looking in and it's just breathtaking
· NAPA: Napa is a getaway about an hour outside of SF. The wine country is absolutely beautiful and there are too many wineries for me to list off because they're all GREAT. I can suggest you do the California Wine Tour where you get a bus to take you to 3 or 4 or 5 wineries, depending on how long you want to do it & how much you want to spend. There are many sites you can use but I usually use California Wine Tours. http://www.californiawinetours.com/
· Lombard Street: You have to see the historic Lombard street. Walk up and down it and take lots of pictures!! If you're taking a cab there, you have to start at Lombard and Hyde street and walk down Lombard to Leavenworth to get the full effect. Here's the map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&abauth=91d30214:lClQLrhvjgF8oWNy1GFOmMSp7zE&view=text&q=lombard+street+and+hyde+san+francisco,+ca&btnG=Search+Maps
· Union Square & The San Francisco Shopping Centre: Most famous part of SF to SHOP that draws millions of people every year. The center of Union Square is where you can buy tickets to the theatre shows and the SF Symphony. I believe Wicked is the big thing in SF in April so you must check that out. The 4 sides that make up the square are: Side 1 is Saks 5th Ave block that is attached the famous LEVI's HeadQuarters & Tiffany & CO. Side 2: Designer block of Gucci, Dior & Chanel (there is an alley behind this block called maiden lane...go check out the french bakery there for coffee, espresso and some really really delicious and fresh lunch/bakery goods) and Neiman Marcus (even if it's just to look, you must go to the top floor of Neiman to see their restaurant called 'The Rotunda'. It's absolutely BEAUTIFUL) Side 3: Macy's (one of the largest macy's in the country; 2nd behind NY. There is a rooftop cheesecake factory on the top floor that has breathtaking views of the city. If you eat up there, insist on sitting outside. Side 4: The Westin St. Francis Hotel. One of the nicest and oldest hotels in the city. You can take their glass elevator up to the top floor just to get good views of the city as well. The SF Shopping Centre is just a couple blocks from Union Square and it homes a plethora of shops & restaurants including an enormous Bloomingdales & Nordstrom's.
· The SF Trolly: An absolute must. If you're in Union Square you can hop on the trolly and take it just about anywhere in city. The most popular route for tourists is from Powell in Union Square down to Fisherman's Wharf. It's $5 each way...make sure you hang off the edge like they do in Full House :)
· Night Life, Downtown District: Downtown clubs include Ruby Skye, http://www.rubyskye.com/ , Slide, http://www.slidesf.com/ , Vessel, http://www.vesselsf.com/ ,Temple, http://www.templesf.com/index2 ; a good lounge is the Bubble Lounge because they have lounging upstairs & dancing/DJ downstairs: http://www.bubblelounge.com/ ; fun downtown restaurants include Cafe Americano, Carnelian Room,
· Night Life in the Marina District: The Marina District is the best. My favorite nights are in the marina. There is AMAZING sushi at Mas Sake on Lombard st: http://www.massake.com/ You can get Sushi there and there is a karaoke bar right across the street called Silver Clouds: http://restaurantrow.com/MoreInfo.cfm?Code=814577&state=CA . I often get sushi and go there for karaoke. OR you can grab sushi and walk to the Matrix, http://www.matrixfillmore.com/matrixfillmore/ , Bar None, Balboa Cafe, and always end with dancing Hi-Fi because it's the most fun: http://www.maximumproductions.com/ . Also, the famous Chestnut street (chestnut in the marina ofcourse) is home to many many cute restaurants, bars and shops!! Also Union Street (in the marina) has really cute shops & restaurants as well
· Must Go To Restaurants: Cliff House, http://www.cliffhouse.com/ , Waterfront SF http://waterfrontsf.com/ . These 2 restaurants have the most breathtaking views of Pacific & the waterfront has amazing views of the bay bridge. These are 2 of my favorite places to dine in the city...not to mention romantic. Definitely check out this website, depending on when you are in SF, to see what time the sun is setting and make sure to make reservations at these restaurants around that time because these restaurant at sunset are unreal: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=224
· Crissy Field: Crissy Field is a gorgeous park in the marina that stretches along a the water and a bed of yachts right in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. This is a link to Crissy Field and on it you can navigate to all the other parks in SF: http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park.asp?park=14
· Pacbell Park: If you can catch a SF Giants game I would. Even if you aren't a fan...going to the park is an experience of its own. Get there.
· Museums: Museum of Modern Art - MOMA http://www.sfmoma.org/ (I'm not really into museums so this is all you get)
· The House of Prime Rib on Vanness is a great experience. For late night snacks, Lori's Diner and Mel's Diner are open 24 hrs and you can find them all over the city. My preference is Lori's. After a night in the marina go to Pizza Orgasmica (on Filmore St at Greenwich st) around 2am or so and you'll find the line wrapped around the door. Their pizza is AWESOME.
· Ghiradelli Square is a SF trademark! You can go their after you've done Pier 39, the embarcadero and Fishermans wharf!! Make sure you save room for dessert before you go there because this SF treat is toooooo good to miss!!
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Baltimore, MD
- fells point - restaurants and shops on the water, really really good pizza place called brick oven pizza (BOP) off of broadway (http://www.fellspoint.us/)
- little italy (http://www.littleitalymd.com/) near fells point, past the inner harbor
- mt. vernon cultural district (http://mvcd.org/), a lot of good places to eat and art galleries, the walter's is here as well as the BSO
- Hampden is off of 83, it's north of the city but there are a lot of thrift stores and weird shops here, food is okay (http://www.hampdenmerchants.com/)
- American Visionary Art Museum (http://avam.org/) always has really cool exhibits
- the inner harbor, obviously: the aquarium is $5 after 5pm on fridays, there is the science center, too. there's an espn zone, more restaurants, some stores and of course water and boats.
- Phillips Harborplace Restaurant
- Restaurante Tio Pepe
- Fells Point
- John Hopkins
- Power Plant Live
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Blacksburg, VA
- Tailgating. it's a religion in Blacksburg...get to the parking lot at least 6-7 hours before the game, bring beer and a grill (for cooking and warmth) and have a great time with the thousands of other friendly Hokie fans tailgating who'll come up and talk to you, throw the football with you, play flipcup with you, etc
- Enter Sandman (if I was putting these in order this would prolly be #1): Go to a night-time football game in Blacksburg. If the opponent is Miami, all the better. And then get ready to experience more adrenaline than you thought possible just by jumping up and down...it's seriously electric: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h1EW5z1wdc , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjJolf1IBPA&feature=related
- Downtown Blacksburg - although very small (only a couple blocks on Main St), it's jam-packed with very fun, chill, laid back bars and with the number of crazy college students in each one, you're bound to experience something crazy/hilarious/memorable/unfortunate no matter which bar you choose
- Joe's Diner - the top place to get drunk breakfast food after leaving the bars at 3 AM...right in the heart of downtown. You'll know it when you see it, there'll be a line out the door. Old run down place but awesome late night drunk breakfast food. Or just general breakfast food.
- Cabo Fish Taco & Hokie House (food) - Both places double as great bars at night, but phenomanal food during the day and you can't find em anywhere but Blacksburg. Get the Hokie Burger if you got to Hokie House.
- Blue Ridge - Hike some of these beautiful mountains, go tubing on the New River with friends and a case of beer, and cliff-jump off the Quary into the river...all amazing experiences and all offer beautiful views. Also, go for a drive down the Blue Ridge parkway on a nice day, spectacular views...don't try this in rain or snow though you'll prolly tumble down a mountain.
- Wineries - not in Blacksburg itself, but surrounding southern VA is filled with some of the best wineries on the east coast.
- ...most importantly, just enjoy the chill, laid back surroundings. Hokies are truly some of the friendliest people you'll find anywhere...you'll notice it as soon as you get to Blacksburg. If you stay a while longer, you'll be blown away by the sense of community...people here love their school more than their families. The people are just all around great people who'll treat a stranger like their best friend, take some time to enjoy it.
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Orange County, CA
· Newport Beach – lay out and swim and play beach volleyball…all day long
· Sutra is fun in downtown Newport (alan Iverson is a regular there)
· Drive across the bridge to BALBOA ISLAND: http://www.balboa-island.com/
· I recommend renting some kind of a boat, whether it’s a sail boat or motor boat, and taking it out…guaranteed amazing time
· Fashion Island is home to great shopping
· South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa has great shopping too
· Laguna Beach / Laguna Niguel
· Go to the Montage Hotel and have coffee on the terrace in their lobby while enjoying breathtaking views of the beach…best at sunset or sunrise
· The Aegean Café is a fabulous greek restaurant right in downtown Laguna. They have great food, great views and I feel like I’m in the middle of the Greek Isles: http://www.aegeancafe.com/
· Huntington Beach – beach it up…it’s nice for tanning/swimming and more affordable than Newport or Laguna
· Knottberry Farm is the amusement in the OC and it can be fun
· Irvine Spectrum -shopping, food, movies, games, dave & busters
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Los Angeles, CA
· Westwood
o Didi Riese Cookies are a must. Lines are out the door for this $1 icecream cookie sandwich that you will be licking your fingers after. http://www.diddyriese.com/home.php
o All the movie premier’s are right here in westwood
o Lots of shops and other restaurants are in westwood too
· Hollywood
o Sunset - Shopping, restaurants and shops are great
o Saddle Ranch on sunset is always fun for a weekend brunch or at night for some horse
o BEST BREAKFAST: Griddle Café on Sunset http://www.thegriddlecafe.com/
o Have to do Pinks Hotdogs…it’s famous: http://www.pinkshollywood.com/
o Roscoes Chicken & Waffles is an LA must
o Hollywood & Highland Ave
§ Home of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (many movie premier’s ere)
§ Walk of the Stars
§ Lots of shops & restaurants
o Griffith Observatory – LA landmark, amazing views of Mt. Hollywood & you can see the Hollywood sign from all the movies pretty nicely from here
o Melrose Ave – home of crazy shops and lots of celebs
§ Eat at the Bungalow Café…it’s AMAZING for lunch in between shopping - http://www.thebungalowclub.com/bungalow.htm
o Roberston Ave – also home to many cute shops and lots of celebs
o If you really want to see a celeb, make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance at The Ivy restaurant on Robertson ave…guaranteed celeb and lots of paparazzi
o Best Sushi = Koi Restaurant on La Cienega…also guaranteed celeb siting and lots of paparazzi
o Ketchup Restaurant on Sunset…go on Sunday because you get half off and you’ll need it cuz it’s expensive. This restaurant is all over the Hills and it’s 50’s theme is pretty cute
· Rodeo Drive
o Every designer store you can possibly imagine. I’ve never been there without drueling over cars and celebs…yes, I can almost guarantee that you will see some kind of celeb
· Santa Monica – 3rd Street Prominade
o Beach, rides, boardwalk
· Old Town Pasadena
o 21 Flavors is a must (great frozen yogurt)
o Lots of shops and restaurants in Old Town
· Downtown LA
o The Standard rooftop bar/restaurant. Great views of LA, water beds on the roof of a very chic hotel.
o Figueroa Corner: http://www.downtownlawalks.com/?f=Figueroa_Corridor
§ The Coliseum – now home to the USC Trojans Football team; was built in 1984 for the ’84 olympics.
§ Exposition Park Rose Garden (in front of the coliseum)
§ The Shrine (home to the American Music Award, The Emmy’s and other award shows)
o The Fashion District…find some incredible fabrics, Persian rugs, clothing, JEWELRY, shoes, and other goodies at unreal prices.
o Windows Restaurant in DT LA is amazingly good with amazing views
o Staples Center…catch a lakers game or a concert
· Theme Parks:
o Magic Mountain in north LA
o Universal Studios
§ There’s also universal studios city walk that has a bunch of shops, restaurants
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San Jose, CA
· Santana Row – row of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars (corner of Stevens Creek blvd & Winchester ave) - http://www.santanarow.com/
o Blowfish has awesome Sushi here
o CineArts theatre has awesome new and old movies
o The Left Bank is a great French cuisine
o Pizza Antiqua has great Italian food
o Sino has really good asian fusion food
o Cocola Bakery has TO DIE FOR desserts & espresso/coffee
o Consuelo’s is truly delicious and authentic Mexican food
o V-Bar is a rooftop bar on the top of the Hotel Valencia on the row
· Downtown Los Gatos
o Forbes Mill Steakhouse is by far the best steakhouse in the entire bay area - http://www.forbesmillsteakhouse.com/
o Vasona Park – largest park in san jose & has a great lake and awesome trails for running
o Bocce Ball – an old Italian game that is great to go with groups to
o There are always events on Main St & N. Santa Cruz, so check out the Los Gatos website to see what’s going on: http://www.town.los-gatos.ca.us/
o Wineries in Los Gatos & the santa cruz mountains is far better than Napa in my opinion…my preferred wineries:
§ Burell School Winery: http://www.burrellschool.com/
§ Loma Priety Winery: http://lomaprietawinery.com/
§ David Bruce Winery: http://www.davidbrucewinery.com/
§ Byington Winery: http://www.byington.com/index.php
§ TestaRosa Winery: http://www.testarossa.com/
§ Google map of all these wineries to help you plan your day: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=300-A+College+Avenue,+los+gatos,+ca&daddr=21439+Bear+Creek+Road,+los+gatos,+ca+to:21850+Bear+Creek+Road,+los+gatos,+ca+to:24060+Summit+Road,+Los+Gatos,+CA+95033+to:26985+Loma+Prieta+Way,+Los+Gatos,+CA+95033&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.195629,-121.968398&sspn=0.268558,0.4422&ie=UTF8&ll=37.147729,-121.948242&spn=0.134365,0.2211&z=12
· Palo Alto
o Stanford Shopping Center & the Stanford Campus
o Fayrouz Restaurant is the best Middle Easter Cuisine in the entire Bay area…it’s on California Ave
o University Ave is downtown palo alto and is home to cute shops and restaurants
· Santa Clara – Great America Theme Park is a great amusement park…tons of fun
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Denver, CO
-camping, hiking, skiing, snowboarding
-Red Rocks
-Garden of the Gods
-Seven Falls
-The Fort Restaurant
-Pikes Peak Mountain
-Mile-High City of Denver and 16th Street mall
-Heritage Square
-Coors Brewery
-Red Rocks
-Garden of the Gods
-Seven Falls
-The Fort Restaurant
-Pikes Peak Mountain
-Mile-High City of Denver and 16th Street mall
-Heritage Square
-Coors Brewery
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Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, NC
· Sullivan’s Steak house is amazing steak
· Angus Barn is awesome food
· Prime Only is great steaks and if you’re a cisco employee you get half off on their steaks on every other Friday!
· Chapel Hill – home to UNC and a cute down town
o Top of the Hill is a fun bar and grill
o $2 wings on Tuesdays…pretty good
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San Diego, CA
· La Jolla
o La Jolla cove for some scuba diving/snorkeling
o La Jolla shores has an office
· Mission Bay
· Old Town
· Sea World
· San Diego Zoo
· LEGOLAND (great for kids)
· Coronado Island
o My favorite part of SD
o Go biking along the beach, running on the sand, swimming in the ocean, relaxing and tanning. Del Coronado is one of my favorite places to go and relax.
o The Hotel Del is great for eating, people watching and hanging out and if you can afford it, staying there is amazing: http://www.hoteldel.com/
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Chicago, IL
· Navy Pier
· Sears Tower
· Wrigley Field Stadium
· Water Tower Mall & North Michigan Avenue Shopping
· Original Pancake House (amazing breakfast place) or even the Bongo Room (breakfast as well)
· Bars: Rednofive, Bon V, John Barlycorn, McFaddens, Climax, Lions Head.... ( I have more)
· Rock & Roll McDonald's (i promise, its not normal)
· 95th Floor of the John Hancock Building
· United Center (Chicago Bulls)
· Shed Aquarium
· Field Museum
· Planetarium
· Museum of Science and Industry
· Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL
o All the great Museums (6-7)
Cafe Iberico (my favorite restaurant)
Foco de Chao Restaurant
John Hancock and Signature room and lounge
Sears tower
Navy Pier
Of Course Downtown Chi-town
Millennium Park
Miracle Mile and all the shops
Cafe Iberico (my favorite restaurant)
Foco de Chao Restaurant
John Hancock and Signature room and lounge
Sears tower
Navy Pier
Of Course Downtown Chi-town
Millennium Park
Miracle Mile and all the shops
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Seattle, WA
· Space Needle
· Seattle waterfront
· Pike place market
· Bainbridge Island Ferry
· Alki beach * don't be deceived, nice scenery
· Pacific science center
· Museum of flight
· Snoqualmie falls and Various hiking trails
· South Lake union
· Seattle Aquarium
· EMP (experience music project)
· Argosy cruises
· Seattle sculpture park
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Miami, FL
· South Beach / Miami Beach
· Coconut Grove
· Fort Lauderdale area
· Miami Seaquarium
· FOOD and Cuban coffee (anywhere)
· Sports -Miami Heat
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South Bend, IN
-Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame
-Notre Dame Football Game
-Notre Dame Cathedral
-Notre Dame Ghetto
-Tippecanoe Place restaurant
-Football Hall of Fame
-Corby's Irish Pub
-Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame
-Notre Dame Football Game
-Notre Dame Cathedral
-Notre Dame Ghetto
-Tippecanoe Place restaurant
-Football Hall of Fame
-Corby's Irish Pub
New Orleans, LA
o Café Du Monde
o Harrah’s Casino
o St. Marks
o St. Patricks Catherderal
o French Quarter
o Mothers Resturant
o Emril Live
o 9th Ward / Levee Breech Site
1. MGM Casino
2. Greek Town Casino area
3. Somerset Mall
4. Many shooting ranges
5. Commerica Park (Detroit Tigers)
6. Palace (Detroit Pistons)
7. J. Alexanders (food)
8. Downtown Birmingham (great place to walk around)
