This is the 4th and final installment in my series concentrating on places in the continental United States that RTW travelers should consider. Even though I violated some naming rules in the process, I divided the country into 4 vertical slices, so you can catch up with my East Coast, Midwest, and Great Plains editions if you like.
Once again, the idea behind this series is that the USA is a monstrous place and visiting anything approaching it “all” would take a lifetime and also be really boring. So in that spirit I’ve identified places around the country that are different enough from other things you’ll see so you can determine if they work into your trip or not. Just like any other country on the planet, the US has plenty of cities that are great to live in or even great to visit if you’ve got a reason to go, but that just aren’t different enough from one another to justify the trip for most people.
West Coast cities to consider
Seattle, Washington – It’s been a while since Kurt Cobain and a few other musicians helped put Seattle on the global culture map, and that phenomenon has faded a bit in the last few years. Still, Seattle has plenty going on and it’s somewhat unique, at least if you aren’t also visiting Vancouver, BC or Portland, Oregon. It’s also fairly cheap compared to the California cities, which is another plus. If you go between November and April then you should expect cool and drizzly weather, but it’s not really as bad as many say it is. If you are looking for something to explore between California and Canada, this has got to be on your list.
Portland, Oregon – To me this is a perfect example of a nice city with a great quality of life that is also cheap, but honestly there isn’t anything here (it’s where I live now) to really distinguish the place. There are no tourist attractions at all, unless you count the huge and awesome Powell’s City of Books. It’s like a smaller and less chaotic version of Seattle, with cheaper beer, so it’s a fine stop if you are taking a car or the train up or down the coast, but don’t get your expectations too high.
The coast of Oregon – If you have rented a car and are driving up or down the coast, this is an excellent detour. The scenery is similar to most of California, but it’s almost empty by California standards, so finding cheap camping or a cheap hotel in summer is relatively easy. The whole area feels a bit forgotten by most US standards, so it has a slightly eerie feeling to go along with the natural beauty. Driving up and down the coast of Southern California is like being in a parade, so if you have the choice this is better.
San Francisco – Everyone always says, “San Francisco is America’s most European city” so naturally Europeans would want to go there, right? Everyone should definitely try their best to work San Francisco into their itinerary, but don’t expect to be reminded of Europe. There are homeless people panhandling everywhere, for example. This is a very interesting and unique city with plenty to see and do, but unless you are staying in a tourist district you’ll find the public transportation sucks and things are still weirdly spread out. It’s also a beautiful city, mostly because of the flowing hills in each direction, so make this a stop and try to stay somewhere central if you can. You won’t regret it.
The California coast – If you are driving between Los Angeles and San Francisco, then you have a few choices, and one of those is doing much of the trip on Highway 1 along the coast. During summer you can expect terrible traffic, and every hotel or motel you’ll see will be really expensive, but it is quite scenic so it can be worthwhile for some people. There are a few interesting cities along the way, plus the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, but if your time is limited you could skip this whole thing.
Santa Barbara – This isn’t an obvious choice at all, since Santa Barbara is known as the home and playground of the idle rich, but it’s actually a very cool city to spend a day or two in. The downtown area (on State Street) is unique and old school by California standards, and everything is walking distance, including a huge selection of bars that attract university students as well as locals. There are a few cheap hotels and hostels downtown, and if you can stay in one of those for a day or two you will probably love it.
Los Angeles – This is where I grew up, and I still have a love/hate relationship with the place, but even when describing the parts of it I hate I still contend that this is one of the world’s great cities and you have to visit at least once, at least for a few days, or you have no right to criticize the place. Hollywood sucks and isn’t nearly as fun as it should be, but if you are into entertainment at all you should probably check it out anyway. Downtown is getting better but still doesn’t have much to see unless you are really interested in some extreme ethnic neighborhoods.
Santa Monica and Venice Beach are probably the best places to stay and hang out, and you might think about the South Bay (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach) if you aren’t in too much of a hurry, since those areas are really nice yet don’t have too many tourists to worry about. Orange County doesn’t offer much that is special, though a drive along the beach in Huntington and Newport is worth a few hours at least once in your life.
Try to spend at least 3 nights here, and also think about basing yourself in more than one place during your stay. This city is so spread out that it’s impossible to deal with or understand if you try to see it in a day or two just to say you have.
San Diego – I put San Diego in the same category that I do Portland, Oregon, in that it’s a nice place to live but there aren’t many unique things to see. It’s all exactly like Los Angeles and Orange Counties, but with fewer hyper-aggressive people. If you just want to chill by a decent beach for a few days then San Diego is probably better than Los Angeles, but it’s all pretty forgettable if I’m being honest. Taking a day trip down into Tijuana is a must though, as it’s unlike anything you are likely to see anywhere else in the world, including other parts of Mexico itself.