Guide to UNITED STATES

[bothar]

What hoops do you have to jump through these days, before you even board a plane? I haven't been there since 2004, which was before post 9/11 extra security came in. You just had to fill out a Visa Waiver form, about 30 mins before landing.

I'm put off by reports of 50 or more questions, details of itinerary and sullen customs staff at US airports. In NY, SF and Orlando, they were civil, in a businesslike sort of way.

you need to get an electronic authorisation in advance https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

As for the sullen part, it depends who you get.

[Comstock]

And as long as folk are daft enough to keep going there they will keep imposing these rules.

[Burns]

Why is going there daft? I went to California last year and I'm planning on going back (although another state next time).

[Osthagen]

There's nothing daft about it.

I've had some of my best travelling experiences in the US.

[KeithW]

Its a great place to drive. I have driven old Route 66 , US 40 from New York to Utah as well as the Alaskan highway from Calgary to Fairbanks, the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to Seattle and 'local' trips from Columbus Ohio to Washington DC, Knoxville TN and Nashville but then I lived and worked there in the late 90's so I might be biased

[SteveA30]

Thanks for that Bothar, I've added that to my Favourites? list.
At Frisco, Tamsin had to take her shoes off, but I didn't. Is there a Foot Fetish Dept?

I didn't know that airport runway was built out into the bay. We descended lower and lower to the water, I thought, 'we really are very close to the SEA, we're GOING TO CRASH!!'. Then the runway appeared.

[Comstock]

There's nothing daft about it.

I've had some of my best travelling experiences in the US.

I realise that. My point is, unless and until people stop going to America these silly rules will continue.

Folk are proper daft sometimes.

[mikehindsonevans]

What hoops do you have to jump through these days, before you even board a plane? I haven't been there since 2004, which was before post 9/11 extra security came in. You just had to fill out a Visa Waiver form, about 30 mins before landing.

I'm put off by reports of 50 or more questions, details of itinerary and sullen customs staff at US airports. In NY, SF and Orlando, they were civil, in a businesslike sort of way.

you need to get an electronic authorisation in advance https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

As for the sullen part, it depends who you get.

We have been travelling to the USA since the 1970s. Remember that The Colonies had a massive shock in the autumn of 2001 and have decided to protect themselves in this way. They quickly realised that their tourist business is a vital part of their economy - they lost a lot of tourist trade in 2004-2005 with the initial "Fortress America"; we just chose to visit Canada the next year! The current US ESTA processs is quick, easy to follow and - assuming you have kept your nose clean - not an impediment to visiting their country. The crucial point is that YOU are asking to visit THEIR country. They do NOT have to let you in!

The country is lovely, varied and has a wide range of welcoming people.

However, I would opine that Canada is even better - and even the Canadiennes introduced an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) system in 2016. In fairness, they announced it in the April and mandated it from the Autumn; caused us no problems at all when we visited Montreal in the August.

Sullen immigration staff? Not in my opinion - as another post said, it depends who greets you. On the positives, I have been wished a friendly "welcome to the Colonies" on more than one occasion. But take a book with you - most major USA airports have a queuing system for International arrivals which makes Disneyland look efficient! The slowest part of America is Immigration. Also, I have been greeted by more rude, sullen Immigration staff when I arrived home (here to my own country) early in the morning at Heathrow.

Go West!
Mike

[mikehindsonevans]

Thanks for that Bothar, I've added that to my Favourites? list.
At Frisco, Tamsin had to take her shoes off, but I didn't. Is there a Foot Fetish Dept?

I didn't know that airport runway was built out into the bay. We descended lower and lower to the water, I thought, 'we really are very close to the SEA, we're GOING TO CRASH!!'. Then the runway appeared.

In fairness, the only recent failure to reach the runway was an Asiana Airlines 777 in 2013 (flight 214), which left its tail on the seawall (along with the rear row of passengers). The local news stations incorrectly named the crew (it's worth looking it up).

But if taking your shoes off is the price of entry - what's the prob? I always fly with brand new socks!

[exiled]

Massachusetts has switched to ANPR on its tolling on the MassPike.

YouTube has some interesting videos from local TV about the change. But ANPR seems to be the way tolling is going in the US and Canada.

[Bryn666]

I've not really been following this, but has a cause of the I-85 viaduct collapse been determined (don't just say the fire...)?

[ScottB5411]

This is the most up to date news on it

http://www.ajc.com/news/local/things-kn ... 6J0TuaTHL/

[bothar]

"But on Wednesday, McMurry announced the contractor behind the repairs, C.W. Matthews, can earn an extra $1.5 million for completing the project by May 25 – three weeks earlier than the target completion date..

According to AJC’s David Wickert, the contractor could earn $2 million for completing it by May 21 and $200,000 for each day before that, up to a total of $3.1 million"

Useful bonus, 24/7 working there I would have thought.

[bothar]

Massachusetts has switched to ANPR on its tolling on the MassPike.

YouTube has some interesting videos from local TV about the change. But ANPR seems to be the way tolling is going in the US and Canada.

Are US/Canadian plates well suited to ANPR, the State name doesn't seem to be consistently signalled?

[exiled]

Massachusetts has switched to ANPR on its tolling on the MassPike.

YouTube has some interesting videos from local TV about the change. But ANPR seems to be the way tolling is going in the US and Canada.

Are US/Canadian plates well suited to ANPR, the State name doesn't seem to be consistently signalled?

North America has a 'uniform' size for its plates. Even North West Territories with its polar bear shaped plates fits in that model. It is not difficult to spot the state/province.

However..... If I lived in Prince Edward Island, CANADA, I could use the 407 ETR (Toronto, Ont, CANADA) as much as I wanted. For free. Because Charlottetown will not give Toronto my info, I would, however, be clobbered by Albany. Because New York State collaborates with Ontario. PEI , NB, and NS do not.

[Andy J]

Well that was quite the holiday, never to be beaten I am certain. I have absolutely no idea what the highlight was, pretty much every day was just jaw dropping.

We found the Americans to be incredibly friendly - as soon as you open your mouth and they spot the "accent" they launch into conversation, something I have never experienced in Europe, not being able to fluently speak any of their lingos. They really like the Brits. We did 2500 miles in the three weeks, all amazingly easy, though I would recommend hiring a car with high clearance (if not a 4x4) if anybody is planning on doing the state parks and the drive around Monument Valley. I was a bit concerned when we woke up on morning#2 to find a huge dent in the back of the car, but AVIS were not bothered in the slightest.

Being able to fill up your tank for $27 was quite the thing as well.

I was over there in August/September time and did a tour which included driving on some of route 66. If you're going to Seligman make sure you stop by Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In though, it's worth a visit.

Embarrassingly I was underwhelmed by Seligman and Delgadillo's I'm afraid. It all has a bit of a tumbleweed feel about it. Looks like I'm more into maps than roads and cars.

Unless you have been before do NOT miss a trip to the Grand Canyon, IMHO the North Rim is better but the south rim is easily doable as day trip from Seligman. One place that is really close to Vegas and absolutely spectacular is Valley of Fire State Park Nevada.

Grand Canyon South Rim was superb. We stayed in the village so could easily do a couple of sunrises and a sunset and they were awe inspiring. We did pop into Valley of Fire on our way back to Vegas and I would thoroughly recommend that to anyone just doing Vegas. Those colours man!

Very good itinerary

Since you have a day free in Flagstaff consider the drive to Petrified Forest NP and /or Meteor Crater

We did do Meteor Crater in the end instead of Sedona, and very glad we did too. I mean, how often will you see a three quarters of a mile across meteorite impact crater in the middle of the desert. Petrified Forest was too far off our itinerary but we did see the petrified forest in Escalante and the rainbow colours of the fossilised wood there were amazing.

I really hope we can get back to do some of the bits we missed out one day soon. I shudder to think of anyone doing the Grand Circle in less than three weeks, that must be mental.

[Peter Freeman]

What hoops do you have to jump through these days, before you even board a plane? I haven't been there since 2004, which was before post 9/11 extra security came in. You just had to fill out a Visa Waiver form, about 30 mins before landing.

I'm put off by reports of 50 or more questions, details of itinerary and sullen customs staff at US airports. In NY, SF and Orlando, they were civil, in a businesslike sort of way.

you need to get an electronic authorisation in advance https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

As for the sullen part, it depends who you get.

The 'ESTAS' pre-qualification process is easy, cheap, and makes passport control quick - except for the massive queues. As commented above, "sullen" depends who you get. You must also appreciate (as I have, since I worked for American companies virtually my whole life) that the USA is so large, and so populous, that generalising can be misleading. Most Americans are very friendly, and while many are parochial and naïve, not all are.

I returned from USA only 2 days ago - the most recent of many visits. This time I was in SFO and NYC; and also, with a car, in Kansas City and rural Missouri. Travelling by car is always a pleasure there: freeways everywhere, their road designers actually know how to join two high capacity roads together, most drivers are courteous and patient, and now they even drive normal cars, like we do.

[KeithW]

I've not really been following this, but has a cause of the I-85 viaduct collapse been determined (don't just say the fire...)?

There was apparently a large quantity of combustible material stored there including High Density Polyethylene Pipe which wili difficult to light would have produced a very hot fire. I am rather sceptical of claims that this was all that was stored here as HDPE is very hard to set light to. I struggle to imagine a couple of homeless guys could get it going with an open fire unless there were other things like wooden planks and road tar also in the store. There are numerous possible mechanisms by which a concrete structure can fail in these circumstances.

The expansion due to heat (A 50-foot beam could expand several inches) could easily overload the concrete columns which would have already been weakened by the fire. In addition the steel reinforcing bar could have got hot enough to lose 50% of its strength and the concrete on the columns would likely have spalled from the heat.

No reports have yet been released but at the end of the day its likely that multiple failures due to the heat brought it down. IMHO the greatest cause of failure was storing combustible materials under a highway bridge.

[Bryn666]

In any case it has since reopened.

[ScottB5411]

Someone mentioned upthread about UK immigration staff being worse than USA staff and I agree, I've never had an issue coming into the USA by land or air, always a pleasant greeting. The UK always seem to have a miserable attitude, I found Gatwick staff have been the most miserable.