Archive of Traveling the US

I’m about to go to the country of baconnaise, the home of hamburgers, fries and Dr Pepper. The land where you get asked a question and are not expected to really truly fully answer.

Can’t wait to see how Miki, my travel mate, will react to this. Entering shops, placing orders in a restaurant, pretty much everywhere you get greeted by a phrase that might look like this:

“Hello (Sir), how are you doing today?”

When I first went to California, this warm and open greeting seemed kind of alienating to me. You get asked how you were doing today… In the most formal restaurant? That – to me – used to be material I talk to friends and people close to me about. Not waiters. Not staff. Until I realized that this is not supposed to be some intrusive question or anything of the kind. It’s just a way to greet someone and loosen up a bit.

You are not expected to give detailed updates to your waiter on your critical condition concerning your inflamed right pinkie toe. Just shoot back a nice “Fine thank you, and you?” and where ever you are – may it be in a café, restaurant, shop,… everywhere – the person that will be helping you for the day will appreciate it.

What Europeans get wrong very often: You are not expected to give orders to a waiter before you greet him/her accordingly. That would be considered entirely rude. “Hello, how are you?” – “Two scrambled eggs and bacon as an aside!”. You get used to that warmness very quickly and I sometimes miss this kind of dealing with people. Use phrases like “May I have another diet coke, please” instead of “My coke’s empty. REEEFILL!”… You get the idea.

What Europeans get wrong too often: Tipping accordingly.

Can’t wait to give you more updates on our upcoming trip. Just ordered the New York City guide by Lonely Planet since the Encounter version was just too superficial for a 10 days stay. Covering just the basics that I knew about already made it look like there wasn’t too much to do.

As the summer months approached not too long ago, people board planes to get away from it all. We take our family and friends with us on all sorts of trips. Following that logic, we have to bring along the iPhone, of course.

As we will see, a high-technological device like the iPhone can turn out to be quite a handy tool on the road.

First we’ll look at special settings that any reasonable traveler should activate while being abroad. Then we’ll extend our iPhone’s functionality with several apps off the App Store. 

High Line Opening Day · Michael Surtees (found via flickr.com)

Adding this to the things I ought to see when I hit the streets of NYC. Those lounge chairs, to me, seem very inviting. Great views over the city. Let’s hope it’s not packed with tons of annoying tourists.

The High Line in New York city just opened for the public.

Relaxation guaranteed. High Line Opening Day · Michael Surtees (found via flickr.com)

San Francisco viewed from Port View Park, Oakland, Summer 2002 · //ichael Patric|{ (found via flickr.com)

I wouldn’t mind going on a sailing trip in the San Francisco Bay. Especially on a sunny day like that. That’s when reality hits me, reminding me of the fact that I’m trapped in Vienna with lousy weather. Come on it’s June. We need sun rays to retain sanity.

How handy, I already have a category on my blog that covers entries on US related traveling topics. The rumors are right: I’m going to the US one more – and probably not the last – time. You know what they say, third time is a charm. I’m lucky to announce that I’ll be able to share that American East Coast charm with High School friend Miki who also wanted to take a peak at the awesomeness and thus will also be on board of the Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to New York. Here is our itinerary.

Our awesome theme picture. Based on a shot by joiseyshowaa on flickr.com

Our Flight Schedule

7/11: Vienna International (VIE) to John F. Kenedy International (JFK) – Austrian Airlines (round-trip ticket 595 EUR or ~790 USD).

New York, Neww York.

We’re hoping that Economy is overbooked, so that we get the seats in Business class we initially wanted. We booked a nice hotel near Central Park that will allow us to navigate easily around in NYC. Ten days is our time window to do all things New York. You know anything really special, that our travel guide won’t tell us?

7/22: John F. Kenedy International (JFK) to Miami International (MIA) – Delta (120 USD or ~90 EUR).

Miami, down south in Sun State.

We head down south on a flight by Delta in order to get some sun, beaches and a cool cocktail served to us by some hostel staff. We’re still working on that. But I guess, we need to be economic down there.

7/27: Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International to Logan International (BOS) – Jetblue (140 USD or ~105EUR).

Boston aka Athens of America.

Ideally meeting up with a friend that stayed in Austria for a semester as a FEZ (foreign exchange student)… Can’t wait to see Boston. Heard so many good things about it.

7/30: Logan International (BOS) to John F. Kenedy International (JFK) – Jetblue (65 USD or 50 EUR).

Now, quick, Phil and Miki, you’ll need to catch that flight home. I her it already “Passenger Philipp A, we are boarding. Go to gate XYZ. Your Schnitzel is waiting. Same goes for Passenger Mee-kee Row – How the hell do I pronounce that?”

7/30: John F. Kenedy International (JFK) to Vienna International (VIE) - Austrian Airlines (see the flight from VIE to JFK).

I can see it all ready. All teared-up and still short of breath from transfering from the Jetblue terminal to the one that Austrian Airline operates from, we’ll board our flight taking us home to European ground. Where we’ll face our Master card bills flying in, just 10 days later. One thing’s for sure, we won’t regret anything. And I’m more likely to actually keep to that rule, if the Dollar is really weak compared to the Euro. Fingers crossed.

This is where You come in…

We have quite some time on our hands, we need suggestion for restaurants, sights off the beaten track, ball game recommendations. Really anything that will spice up our touristy program. Things I have in mind for our trip and thus need other people’s opinions… (Remember we’re going to New York City, Miami and Boston)

• Great, affordable restaurants
• Off the beaten track places and fun activities
• Coffee shops where you can hang all day long, possibly internet access
• Beach recommendations for Miami
• Boston museum tip (there are too many for only 3 days)
• Excursions from New York to some great place, I was thinking of going up the Hudson River, or up the coast. Public transport?
• Any other ideas?

If you’re planning a similar trip, have a look at the prices stated after the flight information, to get an idea how cheap or expensive those flights are. Prices stated in currency we purchased it. Per person.

Even though Florida is considered to be thee old people’s home of old people’s homes (according to Sarah Silverman’s The Great Schlep), Miami is still on our imaginative table of options for our East Coast project this summer. We want sun, we want beaches and we don’t mind partying. Our decision is still in progress though. Mostly because we’re still negotiating the budget with financiers who basically consider our cheery spending policy and our enquiry for support as venture capital*. Let’s hope we won’t need a bail-out.

Cousin Lisa just came back from her trip to Sunshine State. Florida that is. I asked for a picture of Miami that I then – I couldn’t help it – CSI-Miamified it in a matter of seconds. See the before picture.

I’m not messing with the Almighty H here. Don’t want to offend the CSI Miami fan base.

CSI-Miamified.

*What’s venture capital you ask? A type of private equity capital typically provided to early-stage, high-potential, growth companies in the interest of generating a return through an eventual realization event such as an IPO or trade sale of the company. Or a trip by college students to the US. Not. (adopted from wikipedia.org)

San Francisco at night by Thomas Hawk

“It’s simply a very romantic place. Just one look at any of those streets, and you couldn’t be anywhere else – it’s so beautiful, and there’s that location, and the sense of the free spirit. Who couldn’t become ravenous in such a place?” (by Julia Child)

Excuse this lame anglo-french approach in the title. Here one more reason to get onto a plane and escape the fierce Austrian winter…

Feel free

“It never rains in Southern California” (Albert Hammond)

Winter here in good old Austria made me really desperate. Desperate enough to have me pick up the clichést of clichés. Look what I found on my hard drive looking for a cosy warm desktop wallpaper.