Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Coming to America

Hi all,

We (my DS8 and I plus grandma) are thinking of coming to USA for a couple of weeks just before Christmas.

We will arrive in LA and then were thinking of hiring an RV and driving around the SE corner.

I'm now having second thoughts on what we should do as it may just be a little too cold for camping.

I'm thinking it would be great to fly to Washington DC and then drive into Amish country to check it out and fly back to LA via NYC - is there a lot for an 8 year old to do in NYC?

What would you do? We have to arrive and depart from LA and of course Disneyland is a must. My DS is into planes/space/rocks.

cheers

Hi tory! There are a lot of beautiful national parks in the West, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Yosemite (beautiful in winter) The Grand Canyon.

Are you looking for a more touristy/museum/theme park type experience or a beauty of nature/outdoorsy type of experience?

Locals could better advise you about activities in NYC, but it is quite cold there in December.

Thanks Cathy,

I guess we're looking mostly at nature/outdoorsy with a bit of museum/activity type things as well.

I had the Camping trip planned (yes for the SW not SE - my mistake) for the parks that you mentioned - so much to do - so little time. Do you think it would be too cold in a camper?

I have seen the GCanyon from the southern rim so was thinking maybe the northern rim - via the Indian reservation!? My DS and mom haven't seen anything so it will all be new to them.

I guess one of my main ideas for camping was that it would give DS a chance to interact with other children. Then I was thinking there may not be many other campers at that time of year.

Have you seen Montezuma's Castle (I think that's what its called)? Is it worth a trip?

www.legoland.com/california.htm

Lego land sounds like a cool place if your into Lego's. I would love to take my son.

San Francisco, CA is a fun experience - Trolley Cars, Golden Gate Bridge. Try to google. I bet you'll find a lot.

Monterey Aquarium, CA

Sequoia Giant Redwoods, CA is awesome.

Salt Lake City, Utah is fun to stop and Float in the water

Geysers - I think they are in yellow stone National Park.

Keep in mind Weather conditions may be an issue this time of year - lots of snow in some areas.


NY City, Ellis Island, Central Park - Do the Horse buggy ride, Statue of Liberty, Museum of Natural History, Lots of Museums, Soho - very artsy, cool shops, Ice Skating Rink (- It's very central in NY can't remember the name), Broadway Plays, Concerts

You are smart to start your research now and plan your trip. I grew up in NJ.As a child, my family took a family trip out to california and back. It was a great experience. We kept a journal of the trip and took lots of photos.

Have a wonderful trip!!!!

How exciting! Since I don't know how long your trip will be I am going to assume it is a few weeks. There is so much to do in this country but if you stick with the SW I would suggest going through Santa Fe (It is suppose to be beautiful during the holidays and gives you a feel for Indian culture. Of course the Grand Canyon is a must and then keep going to Houston for NASA especially if your son is interested in space.

And if you do choose to head to NYC the answer is yes ... lots for an 8 yr old to enjoy and NYC is a magical place during the holidays and many museums full of culture and science, but I agree with others ... you really would enjoy the SW experience and temperatures are mild in the south during winter, you should be fine especially if you are looking to rent an RV. Do keep us posted.

Also ... where are you coming from?

Thanks ontheogmom - these sound fantastic and he loves Lego. I mentioned it to him and he told me about it, where it is and what they have there! I have no idea where he read about it but, as usual, he's one step ahead.


Kcab I really appreciate the tips, I'm definitely renewed in my idea to stick to the SW corner now and am pleased the RV idea should be ok. We took a trip through central Australia 18mos ago in one and loved it!


Katelyn'sMom we are coming for 2 - 3 weeks (my sister works for an airline and the flights are amazingly cheap - hence the short trip).
We're coming from Australia.
I have been myself before and spend some time in Santa Fe - it was as lovely as you say. He'd love to go to NASA but I don't think we'll get the time this trip.

Thanks for great tips - it is exactly what I was looking for.

If you're considering the Grand Canyon, you definitely want to check out the Glass Walkway thing they opened up recently. You can see it at www.thecanyon.com, which also has maps and answers to lots of questions. I don't know if you've seen anything about it--it's a big horseshoe-shaped thing that sticks out over the edge, and you can walk right out and look straight down through the glass! I live in Colorado, but I haven't actually been there yet myself--I'm not sure if I can handle it or not!

hi
i'm here in NY and there is a lot for an eight year old to do if you don't mind very cold weather and christmas crowds. Even I stay away and i usually love the city. If you are into museums and shows (broadway, ballet, opera, etc) it is a great place. A nice thing might be to come to NYC then fly to Florida for a few days (a cheap flight usuallY)- do disney world in Orlando instead of Disney Land. Florida is tropical and would be warm that time of year even.

I was never very impressed with L.A.(bland, ugly city), definitely avoid driving to San Diego along the cost from L.A.- big mistake, we learned the hard way. San Diego was nice but more for the weather than anything.

But driving up the coast north of LA is very pretty. I'm not sure about the weather that time of year, but you might want to consider a Northern California trip- i feel it surpasses southern Cal. in natural beauty and you could do Redwood national park.
good luck, have fun
irene

sorry to anyone in L.A. re. my last post- just realized it was a bit harsh. i really have tried to like the place and have visited several times.Have concluded that you must have to live there to appreciate.
irene

I love the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but the roads are inacessible from November through April or May. It's 8800 ft. elevation, and gets snowed in during the winter. I believe the South Rim is open year-round, and although quite touristy, it's still the Grand Canyon...


The Southwest is wonderful - Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff, even Phoenix and southern Arizona with beautiful Saguaro cactus. I've never been to New Mexico, but I understand Santa Fe and Albuquerque has interesting Native American history and culture.

You mentioned flying to Washington DC. That may be an all-day affair, just getting from LA to DC. If you can't fly direct/nonstop, try to make connections in a southerly route (e.g. Dallas, Phoenix)instead of northerly route (e.g. Chicago). December weather in Chicago can mess up your connection.

There is plenty of stuff for kids in DC - the Smithsonian museums including Air and Space (the original Wright brothers airplane), Natural History and the monuments (Jefferson, Lincoln, WW II, Vietnam), Arlington, etc
New York, of course, has museums (Natural History with dinosaurs and lots of rocks/minerals), Hayden Planetarium, the Statue of Liberty, Broadway shows, and at Christmas, Rockefeller Center is decorated with a huge Christmas tree, and there is outside skating on the frozen rink.

Sounds like an ambitious itinerary!