What to see in the USA in June - visiting from Down Under!

[Peter Aawen]

Hi all, bringing the Child Bride (of 34 years now... damn, doesn't that sneak up on you!! :yikes:) to visit the US during June, only for a short trip this time around but wanted some advice from the locals on what we should really make an effort to see while we are there?! :helpsmilie:

It's a whistle stop tour, with a few other things thrown in, so we've only got a few days free -

the 15th in New York (staying in Midtown NYC & a first visit there for both of us);
the 17th, 18th, & 19th in Seattle (more than 30 years since I visited Todd Seattle Shipyards with the Royal Australian Navy & back then I assured her that it was really worth visiting);
the 21st in San Francisco (staying at Fisherman's Wharf & effectively a first for us both, altho I do vaguely recall a few port visits & runs ashore during the odd deployment... probably don't want to take her to those places :opps:) & finally
the 23rd in Honolulu (doing the volcano tour on the 24th by decree).

So what do you recommend??

Of course, there are a few Spyder necessities that I'd like to pick up for my 2013 RT Ltd while I'm that much closer to its home, so info on any good dealers/bike shops near any of those stops would be appreciated. I am just a wee tad annoyed that we couldn't get the timing right to let us attend Spyderfest, but still....

Anyhow, we both like to see/watch what the locals do to rather than just follow the tourist crowd, altho I guess that with just a day free in most places we might hafta go with the flow a little, but at least we can try to get a feel of the places & maybe plan a longer trip for later on?! Anyone got the time for a catch up & a coffee or two while we are near your home, or if you have other recommendations or options?

Thanks for any input, Peter (& Sylvia)

[szohar]

While in San Francisco, go visit Sausalito, Angel Island (no tourists there), I am sure you will have fun.

[garb55]

While at Fishermen's Wharf take the cable car to Market St. down town and back
you will like it

[Peter Aawen]

Thanks guys, the list of things to do & see is quickly racking up....



Does anyone know if Ivar's Fish Bar is still doing its thing on Pier 54(?) in Seattle - or has it been swamped the waterfront tourist trade? (not that we aren't really tourists.... :opps: buuut!)

[Chupaca]

that is whirlwind..so much to see and so little time. Looks like your retracing your past a bit so must have places you want to see. New york..time square take in a show if possible. Seattle I don't about. San Francisco..Fishermans wharf, Gheradilli Square, Alcatraz Island. Honolulu just wander about. Always found the best was take a tour remember the places that interest you and head back there..have a great trip and enjoy it all...:thumbup::thumbup:

[Woody]

Go to www.tripadvisor.com , enter the city of interest and click Things To Do. The. Community ranks the best things to do and you can choose what interests you and what you have time for. Do this before you leave Oz.

For the best restaurants, go to www.urbanspoon.com - same ranking scenario, usually with menus.

On any ranking by a community, I advise caution if fewer than, say, 100 people have weighed in.

[SpyderAnn01]

I suppose you are heading home from Hawaii? If not, head to Durango, CO for the BRP Owners Event. You may have missed Spyderfest but the Owners Event is an impressive gathering too.

[PrairieSpyder]

I suppose you are heading home from Hawaii? If not, head to Durango, CO for the BRP Owners Event. You may have missed Spyderfest but the Owners Event is an impressive gathering too.

:agree:

You can order things from aftermarket vendors and have them shipped to you c/o your hotel. I recommend looking at the sponsoring vendors on this site, like SpyderPops, TricLED, etc.

[Dan_Ashley]

In Seattle make an effort to spen a couple of hours at Pikes Fish Market. It is really weird and fun!

[Yazz]

Thanks guys, the list of things to do & see is quickly racking up....



Does anyone know if Ivar's Fish Bar is still doing its thing on Pier 54(?) in Seattle - or has it been swamped the waterfront tourist trade? (not that we aren't really tourists.... :opps: buuut!)

http://www.ivars.com/locations/acres-of-clams

Looks a little different from when we ate there back in the '70s...

[Dan_Ashley]

http://www.ivars.com/locations/acres-of-clams

Looks a little different from when we ate there back in the '70s...
"Little different"???. There are table cloths and waitresses now....and the place does not have its own unique smell. It is posh now. Then it was kind of a dive (which I loved)

[spyder3]

New york: Ground zero, Statue of Liberty, empire State building, Central park.

[Frank G]

(Of course, there are a few Spyder necessities that I'd like to pick up for my 2013 RT Ltd while I'm that much closer to its home, so info on any good dealers/bike shops near any of those stops would be appreciated.)

Most of the Items you would be looking for will not be on the shelf of any dealer. So, I would suggest you find a trusting Mate or one of your Hotels to use as a drop shipping point. Go online and have what you are looking for shipped to that location for your pickup.

We wish you a wonderful trip. :yes::yes::yes:

[Yazz]

"Little different"???. There are table cloths and waitresses now....and the place does not have its own unique smell. It is posh now. Then it was kind of a dive (which I loved)

Lots of good memories at Ivars. Forgot about the unique smell...

Glad Pike Place Market hasn't changed much.

[Peter Aawen]

I suppose you are heading home from Hawaii? .....

Yeah, next stop after Hawaii is Auckland for a few days, then we head back home... so it is a whistle stop tour, but we are cramming a fair bit in! So I won't be able to get to any of the Spyder events :(

Thanks very much everybody for the contributions/ideas, we will be getting on the first flight tomorrow morning... early! :yikes: So from here on in will only be able to check up intermittently before we hit the States; so if I don't reply to you between now & then, it's not that I'm ignoring you :opps: Buuut, I will be keeping an eye out to see if anyone mentions anything new/must see, so please mention anything you can think of that hasn't been covered already.

We will surely have a great trip, thanks everyone! :thumbup:

[Motorcycledave]

Angle Island is nice but there is nothing there it is a protected place for birds and such
there are NO services there, Close to Fisherman's Warf is China town, Union Square,
Pier 39, and the cable cars also if time permits take a bay cruise to Alcatraz...
Hawaii: There are NO volcanos on the Island of Oahu where you are going they are on the
Big Island of Hawaii they are active right now. the best thing to do is to take a Helicopter
that you will find at the airport that is the best way to see them they will no longer let you
walk out to the flow. Have a Fantastic visit to the States and enjoy.
San Francisco Native
Motorcycledave



Hi all, bringing the Child Bride (of 34 years now... damn, doesn't that sneak up on you!! :yikes:) to visit the US during June, only for a short trip this time around but wanted some advice from the locals on what we should really make an effort to see while we are there?! :helpsmilie:

It's a whistle stop tour, with a few other things thrown in, so we've only got a few days free -

the 15th in New York (staying in Midtown NYC & a first visit there for both of us);
the 17th, 18th, & 19th in Seattle (more than 30 years since I visited Todd Seattle Shipyards with the Royal Australian Navy & back then I assured her that it was really worth visiting);
the 21st in San Francisco (staying at Fisherman's Wharf & effectively a first for us both, altho I do vaguely recall a few port visits & runs ashore during the odd deployment... probably don't want to take her to those places :opps:) & finally
the 23rd in Honolulu (doing the volcano tour on the 24th by decree).

So what do you recommend??

Of course, there are a few Spyder necessities that I'd like to pick up for my 2013 RT Ltd while I'm that much closer to its home, so info on any good dealers/bike shops near any of those stops would be appreciated. I am just a wee tad annoyed that we couldn't get the timing right to let us attend Spyderfest, but still....

Anyhow, we both like to see/watch what the locals do to rather than just follow the tourist crowd, altho I guess that with just a day free in most places we might hafta go with the flow a little, but at least we can try to get a feel of the places & maybe plan a longer trip for later on?! Anyone got the time for a catch up & a coffee or two while we are near your home, or if you have other recommendations or options?

Thanks for any input, Peter (& Sylvia)

[Peter Aawen]

Ta!!:cheers:

Got the Volcano tour all organised; flights to, from, around, & over all sorted, & a guide on the ground teed up & rearing to go! :thumbup: I think we'll get one of the best 'off the regular books' tours you could possibly get, it's not a matter of what you know, it's more a matter of WHO you know, and it seems that we know the right people for Volcano tours! ;) Doesn't hurt having a Son who's a Geo-physicist tho.... :)

All the rest is basically coming together now - the stuff we HAVE to do is pretty much all organised, and now we have a pretty good idea of how we can fill in the little 'spare time' that's available to us, and get a bit of a feel for the places & people wherever we are as well. Should be a fantastic trip all up. There's only one thing that bothers me about this trip.... if she gets a taste for it, she might want to travel in a way that will cut in on my Spyder time!! :yikes:

[Motorcycledave]

RENT A Spylder while your here

Got the Volcano tour all organised; flights to, from, around, & over all sorted, & a guide on the ground teed up & rearing to go! :thumbup: I think we'll get one of the best 'off the regular books' tours you could possibly get, it's not a matter of what you know, it's more a matter of WHO you know, and it seems that we know the right people for Volcano tours! ;) Doesn't hurt having a Son who's a Geo-physicist tho.... :)

All the rest is basically coming together now - the stuff we HAVE to do is pretty much all organised, and now we have a pretty good idea of how we can fill in the little 'spare time' that's available to us, and get a bit of a feel for the places & people wherever we are as well. Should be a fantastic trip all up. There's only one thing that bothers me about this trip.... if she gets a taste for it, she might want to travel in a way that will cut in on my Spyder time!! :yikes:[/QUOTE]

[Dan_Ashley]

Before you go google the Seattle acquarium. You might not be interested, but the used to have the world's largest octopus.

I didn't see it swim. It was sleeping.