first time in the USA where should I go ?

[Hay Dude]

I always have to laugh when I think of Camden.

No matter where I've traveled in my life, I never felt as scared as taking the wrong bridge in Philly and ended up in Camden after midnight.

Reality is just as you can be on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and see dilapidated homes / mobile homes with rusted cars and a non working 10' TV dish, you can always-* see the squalor of any large city. General rule of thumb is people will always be people.

Just always remember "There but for the Grace of God go I" as pretty much most people on this forum can have the luxury of traveling where and when they want.

For now.
Forced EV’s may curtail that “range of travel” a bit.

 

[Sigarms]

Check it out, because I don’t believe you need a passport to cross between Canada and the US as long as you have proper ID.

When we were at Niagara Falls, we were told you needed a passport.

When I visited a old friend in Oneida (east of Syracuse) on our trip there, he told me the same thing.

Looking it up online, end of the day, the person who is right is the person in authority you're dealing with at the border. Exactly what is proper ID other than a drivers license and perhaps a social security card?

 

[kenmbz]

Did you know the once great city of Camden used to be home to the New York Ship Building Company that employed 30,000 people? The first nuclear powered commercial passenger ship was built there. RCA employed 12,000 people.
All gone.

All of these failed-leadership cities follow the same pattern.

1. Local G_______t provides incentives for companies to locate there.
2. Companies are demonized for unfair employee treatment by local media and some workers.
3. Local media and citizens elect more “worker friendly” governments. Workers strike and unionize.
4. Companies close up and leave for more labor friendly areas (right to work states, for example)
5. Urban decay from loss of tax base (Camden, NJ perfect example)

6. Repeat steps 1-5.

You forgot all the tax incentives given to local politicians to build complexes and businesses, who took the incentives and never built anything.
I did work for Suburu and American Water and they got huge incentives, but their location does not integrate at all with the local population.
Even the hospital in the area has a private secured entrance from the parking garage, so you don't have to walk outside and get mugged every time.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Don’t forget to check out Baltimore or North Philly. lol

Visit Portland, Oregon for a slice of the real America...lol

there is a show i’ve watch with Hugo Girard (he is canadian retired world strongest man he had a well decorated career on the world stage) he has a show “at the peril of your own risk” he goes in the worst neighborhood of the worse cities all over the state and in Europe it was a eye open for me wow it’s crazy …

 

[Sigarms]

You forgot all the tax incentives given to local politicians to build complexes and businesses, who took the incentives and never built anything.

Is that any different on selling the lottery to the state under the disguise of having all proceeds go to the school systems?

 

[Rockbadchild]

Check it out, because I don’t believe you need a passport to cross between Canada and the US as long as you have proper ID.

yes you need a passport …

 

[Sigarms]

yes you need a passport …

I use to live up around Watertown NY. Short drive up 81 and we use to go into Canada all the time to paddle some good rivers. Never needed a passport, and no one ever counted how many boats were going in and then coming back LOL Same thing kayaking in NY when we'd come across Canadians on the river in the US.

Why I fell over dead when I found out last year that we needed a passport to visit the Canadian side of Niagara falls.

 

[two_bit_score]

What are we thinking!? This is a tractor site. The recommendations should be to tour all of the best dealerships on the US. (or at least the most 'famous').

Just to start the list in no particular order:
LSE (2 stores in Nashville area)
Messicks (Elizabeth town, PA)

Who has more suggestions?

I recommend Home Chad Little Outdoor Power Equipment

I have the cap to prove it!

 

[Rockbadchild]

I use to live up around Watertown NY. Short drive up 81 and we use to go into Canada all the time to paddle some good rivers. Never needed a passport, and no one ever counted how many boats were going in and then coming back LOL Same thing kayaking in NY when we'd come across Canadians on the river in the US.

Why I fell over dead when I found out last year that we needed a passport to visit the Canadian side of Niagara falls.

for us i believe it’s more to come back then to go … and yes you are right they say you need it but you might never need it until the time you get ask to go in the inspection area

 

[MossRoad]

Hasn't that been required since the mid 2000's?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Hi everyone

Inspired by the thread ''things to do in north California''

Me and my wife are looking to go in the USA this summer in late July my first time... so many place to choose from so we are having difficulty choosing... and she left it up to me which is the worse ...

We are planning on a week... I don't want to stay in one city the whole time we will be flying then renting a vehicle I don't mind driving a good distance. I want the area to be relatively safe and being the summer maybe we should stay away from the crazy hot although there is lots of cool landmark in these stats.

I would like a place that I could visit a few cool attraction/landmark, visit nice city with cool history and museum perhaps go to a live show and go for a long horseback ride and a cattle drive ... which state would you recommend ?

In 2011 I did an 8000 mile 31 day motor home trip with the twins who turned 14 on the trip.

South Dakota Badlands was out first real stop. We did it at midnight under a full moon (awesome) then again the next morning and did Mount Rushmore that afternoon and then drove to Cody Wyoming that night and drove into Yellowstone the next day and booked North and south bus tours for the next 2 days. The kids rode horses on the way down to the Great Salt Lake park before heading to California but it could be a fly out point for you. If flying into Washington DC you should see some things there and hit all of the New England states with relative little driving compared to getting out west. Best of success.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Hasn't that been required since the mid 2000's?

i didn’t know but just search it … don’t need it by land need it by air …

 

[Sigarms]

We stopped at Mount Rushmore on my first truck trip to paddle Montana and Idaho. Honestly, I liked the Badlands a lot better than Mount Rushmore.

Need to make another drive and get a "Wall Drug" bumper sticker LOL

 

[Rockbadchild]

I am thankful for all the ideas … some of them made me wanted to change my mind but the wife liked the first idea plus the grand canyon and Vegas has always been a bucket list items for both of us so we will stick to that this year but keep them coming, a first good time attract a second time

 

[Rockbadchild]

We stopped at Mount Rushmore on my first truck trip to paddle Montana and Idaho. Honestly, I liked the Badlands a lot better than Mount Rushmore.

Need to make another drive and get a "Wall Drug" bumper sticker LOL

wall drug ?

 

[Sigarms]

i didn’t know but just search it … don’t need it by land need it by air …

Apparently the paid tour I paid for my son and myself when we were at Niagara falls was miss-informed. To think we were only a couple hundred of yards away from the Canadian border...

I have this theory... that the amount of time to research a law to verify if you're "legal" is proportionate to the amount of hassle time you're going to face if caught breaking a "perceived law" you had to research.

Take it from a United State Citizen "gun nut" that most law enforcement officers don't know their own federal gun laws.

That said, you may be right. Wish I had this thread when I was at Niagara falls last year. I could have seen what would have happened.

Edit, I looked at what I looked at last year per the tour company I booked with my son. This was taken off their website today, so perhaps they are incorrect, I honestly don't know...

Personally, if it were me, I'd bypass all the potential BS and just get a passport. Don't take this the wrong way, my passport expired some time ago and since I've never had a hankering to visit either Canada or Mexico. Don't know if you need one for Mexico now because I didn't need one when I drove to Tijuana (or perhaps I took a cab, don't remember LOL) but I KNOW I didn't have a passport on me.

 

[Sigarms]

wall drug ?

Kind of like "south of the border" in SC. I remember that as a kid when we took trips to Disney in Florida from the North East.

Wall Drug - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Makes me realize how my parents loved me as a kid. New perspective after having kids of my own on driving kids over a two thousand mile round trip to go to an amusement park. That said, in reality, driving my boys 1600 miles round trip to visit Vermont wasn't THAT bad...

 

[MossRoad]

i didn’t know but just search it … don’t need it by land need it by air …

Ahhh, the enhanced drivers license. Forgot about that.

From here:

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

Securing America's Borders

www.cbp.gov

What types of documents are accepted for entry into the United States via land and sea?

• U.S. citizens can present a valid: U.S. Passport; Passport Card; Enhanced Driver’s License; Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST); U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders; U.S. Merchant Mariner document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or Form I-872 American Indian Card, or (when available) Enhanced Tribal Card.
• U.S. and Canadian citizen children under the age of 16 (or under 19, if traveling with a school, religious group, or other youth group) need only present a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. The birth certificate can be original, photocopy, or certified copy.
• WHTI does not affect U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, who are still required to present their permanent resident card (Form I-551) or other valid evidence of permanent residence status.
• Canadian citizens can present a valid passport, Enhanced Driver’s License, or Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST).
• Bermudian citizens are required to present a valid passport.
• Mexican citizens, including children, are required to present a passport with visa, or a Border Crossing Card.
• U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) are able to enter the United States with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

[MossRoad]

wall drug ?

It's hokey but fun.

We took a two week trip from northern Indiana out to Yellowstone and back.

1st day long drive to Sioux Falls, SD. Pretty town. Large Catholic church on Sunday morning.

Sioux Falls

As South Dakota’s largest city, Sioux Falls is packed with cultural attractions, family-friendly activities and history.

www.travelsouthdakota.com

Then we never had more than a 2 hour drive for many days.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.

A couple little stops between there and Wall, SD for Wall Drug.

Spent a day in the Badlands just south of there.

Stayed 3 days in Rapid City, SD and saw Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil's Tower. We took a nice windy road from Rapid City through a large park and came through a tunnel with a great view of Rushmore. Diane Robinson Tunnel, I believe.

Deadwood and Lead, SD.

Cody, WY.

Yellowstone for 3 days.

Visited a TBN member north of Yellowstone for a couple days (RIP PJ).

Then made a long trip home, stopping at the Little Bighorn battlefield.

Lots to do in SD.

 

[Sigarms]

I am thankful for all the ideas … some of them made me wanted to change my mind but the wife liked the first idea plus the grand canyon and Vegas has always been a bucket list items for both of us so we will stick to that this year but keep them coming, a first good time attract a second time

A week for Vegas and the Grand Canyon gives you more than enough time.