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Visits in US
In the US of A, the cheapest, and probably most enjoyable, form of travel is
by road. Renting a car for that is the most common practice. However, we took
our own car, a Honda Accord EX-V6 , whenever we could.
Some of the places we visited in the US are...
Las Vegas
Who needs Online Casinos? Las Vegas, the real Sin City, is located in Nevada. About 10 hrs drive from the Bay Area, it's the city that never sleeps. Sitting in the middle of Nevada Deserts, it attracts people (along with their dollars) from all over US for its Shows, Rides, Entertainment and of-course, Gambling. Major attractions are the Casinos, cheap hotel rooms, delicious buffets and free shows. Don't miss the Bellagio Fountains, Conservatory at Bellagio, Free Circus Show at CIRCUS CIRCUS, Sirens of TI at Treasure Island, Free show at Ceaser's Palace and Gondola Ride at Venice. If you are visiting on Christmas or New Years, make sure to reserve show tickets beforehand before reaching Vegas. Parking can be painful on thosetimes too.Lake Tahoe
This is a huge mountain lake at the foothills of Sierra Nevada mountain range, and at the border of California and Nevada. About three and Half hours of drive from home, it's a major tourist spot for North Californians, for hiking and watersports in the summer, and ski-ing and snowboarding in the winter.Mono Lake
East of Yosemite National park, in the deserts of Nevada, sits Mono Lake. The only outlet of water from Mono lake is evaporation, making the water extremely salty, and almost lifeless. From Yosemite, a tremendously scenic drive through Tioga Pass and INYO National Forest take you to Mono Lake, and the Tufa formations in the middle of the lake. You must not miss the sunrise at Mono Lake.Lake Shasta
Lake Shasta is one of the man-made lakes. Building Shasta Dam created this lake, spreading it's arms in the mountains at northern boarder of California. We didn't find the lake to be as beautiful as Lake Tahoe or Crater Lake. But the Caverns at Lake Shasta were interesting. Also, Lassen Volcanic park at the east of Lake Shasta was nice. About an hour north of Lake Shasta is Mount Shasta, a must visit. In the Winter, roads might be closed due to snow.Yosemite National Park
One of the oldest National Parks in US, it is located on the eastern border of California and Nevada. Lush green forests on Sierra Nevada, and gigantic waterfalls make this one of the most visited tourist places in Northern California. A must thing to do in Yosemite is camping overnight next to Merced river deep into the valley.Crater Lake
Further north from Lake Shasta, into the greens of Oregon,is Crater Lake. One of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, Crater Lake is breathtakingly blue. If you are fit enough, you can hike down the crater to the waterfront. Nearby city MedFord has a nice Indian restaurant run by an American lady and her Indian husband.Los Angeles
LA, the ever bustling city of glitter, is the home to HollywooThe prime attractions we visited are Universal Studios and Disneyland. For adults, Universal Studios is better than Disneyland. But if you have kids in your team, Disneyland is a must go. Also, Hollywood Blvd. and Walk of Fame are must goes for a first time visitor.Death Valley
One of the National Parks in US, Death Valley was first discovered by a bunch of fortune seekers on their way to California in the days of Gold Rush. It rains about 1.9" on average every year, and it rained 1" on the day we went to visit it (call it luck!!). Small Canyons and Sand Dunes are the major attractions of Death Valley. Also, do not miss visiting BadWater, the lowest point on western hemisphere (298 ft. below sea level).Hearst Castle
About four hours drive from Sunnyvale through the coast hugging scenic Highway 1, near the city of San Simeon, is Hearst Castle. From bottom of the hills, it looked like one of thosefairy tale castles. A bus ride takes you through the estate to the entrance of the Castle, where a guide will take you through the luxorious rooms, gigantic swimming pools and huge dinner setups while telling you the saga of how Hearst built his dream castle. Do not miss the introductory movie at the bottom of the hill before boarding the bus for the tour. We found the Castle worth the visit, but nothing extremely spectacular, specially compared to the drive through Highway 1 to the castle.A significant part of the awe-inspiring elements of the castle are actually bought from the 'Garage Sales' of European Castles.Weather at My part of the world
