Hey guys 21 year old Aussie here,
I've booked a flight to San Francisco arriving July 7 and returning July 25. It's my first time travelling solo. I was looking at doing a Contiki tour which departs LA July 12 and runs through LA, San Diego, Arizona, Grand canyon + Route 66, Vegas, Joshua Tree, Bass Lake + Yosemite national park and then ending in San Francisco again before I would go home.
Is there anything I should check out between July 7 - 12 on the west coast? I was also thinking of just heading straight over to New York and spending a few days in a hostel and checking out the city over there.
>la, j tree, arizona in july
i guess if you're from a miserable part of australia, and you want to keep being miserable, it'll be good. but if you're from a temperate part you're going to cook your fucking tits off. not to mention you're going to be smothered by other tourists and in the sierra the mosquitoes are apt to carry you away.
also, rte 66 and bass lake are dumb. rte 66 is only funny for old people who want to say they got their kicks there, and bass lake is in the middle of a drought and i doubt this year's snow is going to fill it. last time i went past it looked about like this.
>>1078869
Oh wow, looks nothing like I've seen on the photos. I know there is a drought in Cali at the moment but I didn't realise it would affect this lake.
>>1078869
Also I've been reading about San Francisco on the internet. Am I going to get swamped by homeless people there?
>>1078876
>>1078877
it's a small reservoir, and last year's snowpack was 7% of normal, and this year's been pretty meh, sooo, yeah...
re: homeless, you'll see a lot of them in sf, but if you ignore them they'll ignore you. some will approach you regardless, but just say something semipolitely dismissive like "sorry man, no cash" and they won't hassle you.
i know i was negative, but on the upside i hope you like sex. like a lot of sex. all the time. cause girls are gonna sploosh all over you just from your accent. and sf, la and yosemite are going to be a shitshow, but they're all pretty fucking amazing regardless.
>>1078877
San Francisco native here. San Francisco is an awesome city with many tourists, so you won't feel alone. It's made up of many small neighborhoods. As long as you stay away from The Tenderloin neighborhood, you'll be okay. The Tenderloin is where the the homeless hang out, with many drug addicts and weirdos. Look for it on your map and draw a big red circle around it to remind you to stay away. Now, other than that, like I was saying, San Francisco is cool. It has very low crime, and July is the perfect, sunniest, warmest month to go.
If you have an hour and a half to kill, this video is pretty in depth in what to see and do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPS9bEEEEs0
>>1079099
>1078867
I've noticed all the hostels and stuff are either in the tenderloin or right on the verge of it. Anywhere you can recommend staying?
>>1079140
hostels in america are...icky.
the u.s. doesn't have the same youth travel culture as europe. when we backpack we go to the woods, not the city, so we don't have the same infrastructure for inexpensive urban travel. our hostels tend to be pretty inferior lodging.
Disneyland?
>>1079140
I've never stayed in a hostel in SF. I believe there is one at or near Fort Mason. You can see the ocean from there and it's a peaceful area. Get a hostel anywhere not located in or near The Tenderloin and you'll be fine.
Also, remember San Francisco is Uber's headquarters. If you're traveling in SF, Uber will be your best friend :)
>>1079140
Hunters point as well. But no tourist ever goes out there anyway.
>>1079099
>homeless only in tenderloin
>low crime
That's cute that you call yourself a native. Moving here for the art academy doesn't count.
Interesting post. I might go to AX in LA in July and consider touring San Francisco and Route 1 before. Any nice areas to visit in that time?
Also, is there any place worth visiting while the 4th of July?
>>1079680
JIDF detected
pol was right
>>1079680
Sonoma's 4th of July is great if you can make it that far north. Lots of drinking in the town square and you're practically beneath the firework show at night. Tons of great wine in the area too if you're into that.
>>1079099
>As long as you stay away from The Tenderloin neighborhood, you'll be okay.
I hate this advice because there are some good areas in the Tenderloin that are worth visiting. Saigon Sandwhich is nationally known.
I would avoid *living* in the Tenderloin. On the flipside there are great restaurants/bars in the TL.
If anything I would avoid SOMA, west of 6th (Nothing there, accept startup offices - maybe Deli Board, but I can't imagine flying from Ausland for that), and anything south of ~20th and Mission (again nothing there.
Bring a jacket, it's cold as shit in San Fran.
Whats the better city out of SF and LA?
>>1079850
>Saigon sandwich is nationally known
I live in the South Bay and I've never heard of this place so I don't think you understand what nationally known means
>>1079140
green tortoise is alright and near interesting parts of the city
If you will have a car in SF, I would visit Muir Woods.
>going to the white privilege capital of the world
why would you do this op? california is disgusting
>>1079977
>4.5 Stars on Yelp - https://www.yelp.com/biz/saigon-sandwich-san-francisco
>Travel And Leisure - http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-sandwiches/7
>USA Today - http://www.usatoday.com/story/experience/food-and-wine/san-francisco/best-budget-restaurants/2013/09/11/san-francisco-ca-usa-food-and-wine-cheap/2798395/
>Playboy - http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Playboy-Bite-This-San-Francisco-Treat.html
I don't know, if people all over the country are talking about this place, I think that qualifies for "nationally" known. A lot of restaurants in SF are known nationally, or even internationally like Saison. Just because you've never heard of it, doesn't mean it might not be famous. Expand your horizons, you could have found all this info with a simple Google search.
