America, I'll See You There

[Enjoyed]

This could go into General Bullshit but I wanted to post the title REAL BAD. Sorry.

In just over a month I will be heading to America for an adventure that I've been wanting to go on since I moved back to England as a kiddy.
I'm in the country for 90 days from September 14th until December 13th and will be dropping into a bunch of different cities and states.

With such a diverse and ultimately lovely fanbase on here I thought I'd just ask if there was anyone in any of the places I'm planning to head to that may may be kind enough to put me up for a few days or show me around or even just make some recommendations for things to do.
I would be super grateful and will totally share some of my Fruity Pebbles with you to say thank you. (or buy you a beer, your choice).

ALSO. It would be swell to meet some fellow Chems fans. I have only ever met Iggy and Ryno and it'd be nice to have a conversation about Go that isn't about the hilarious thing the Radio 1 DJ said in the annoying talky bit he did afterwards.

The plan at the moment is to visit the following cities for about a week each, with some smaller / less going on places being shorter (Battle Creek, Buffalo etc.):
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Sacramento
Portland
Seattle
Denver
Milwaukee
Chicago (going to be here for Halloween for sure)
Battle Creek / Detroit
Toronto
Buffalo
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Washington D.C.
New York

I may not (probably wont) have time to do all of them, especially if Chicago is an excellent as I'm hoping it will be. But I will be starting in California in September and ending in NY in December. So if you are around in any of those places, or even if you know someone friendly who is, let me know!

Cheers my dears.

[MadPooter]

Dude. Certainly let me know when you're coming through San Francisco.

That sounds like a fantastic trip--I would be more than happy to help guide you through the necessary spots in California.

[Enjoyed]

Will do! Should be around the week of September 21st but I will let you know when I have more concrete plans!

[WhiteNoise]

We are totally meeting up when you do Chicago. Either I come up or I get you on a bus down to Purdue for a day or two. That would be fun, you'd see some proper America down here in West Lafayette!

I higly reccomend you add Boston to your list, even if it is a bit out of the way it's only 5 hours out from New York by bus and well worth spending 2-3 days in. A very very cool city. If you do end up going I have a whole list if things you should see and do there.

It does suck a little bit that you're coming  to the Northeast in the fall/winter, some of these places are best seen when warm! You'll have a good time regardless, just pack warm clothes and expect snow towards the end!

See the Convention Center in Pittsburgh. Hard to miss, and the architecture is stunning. Don't see the Liberty Bell in Philly. It's just a stupid bell and the security there can be worse than some airports.

Skip Detroit, probably. You'll be much better off seeing some lesser known places in Southern/Middle Michigan (I used to live there) on your way to Canada. South Haven is particularly beautiful and well worth a trip. Great pizza there too iirc.

The biggest thing I got out of travelling in Spain is that there's treasure everywhere - don't get too hung up on our biggest cities, come see some medium sized cities too and you'll stumble upon some memorable and unique stuff.

How are you getting around? Plane, train, bus, car?

[Enjoyed]

We are totally meeting up when you do Chicago. Either I come up or I get you on a bus down to Purdue for a day or two. That would be fun, you'd see some proper America down here in West Lafayette!

YES! Chicago is where I'm hoping to spend the longest amount of time. And will hopefully have a car by then so can totally drive down to hang.

I higly reccomend you add Boston to your list, even if it is a bit out of the way it's only 5 hours out from New York by bus and well worth spending 2-3 days in. A very very cool city. If you do end up going I have a whole list if things you should see and do there.

This is only trip 1. I would love to get up to Boston. And some parts of Maine. And I'm gonna do the southern states at some point too. Just need more time and money!

It does suck a little bit that you're coming  to the Northeast in the fall/winter, some of these places are best seen when warm! You'll have a good time regardless, just pack warm clothes and expect snow towards the end!

I know. I didn't really plan that too well. Especially as lots of bands I wanna see are doing East to West to stay with the warmth. Still. I love snow. And I have a new parka I've been wanting to wear for a while...

Skip Detroit, probably. You'll be much better off seeing some lesser known places in Southern/Middle Michigan (I used to live there) on your way to Canada. South Haven is particularly beautiful and well worth a trip. Great pizza there too iirc.

Ha! You're about the 9th person to tell me to skip Detroit. I will. I mainly wanna go to Battle Creek to see the home of Kellogg's then I'll be heading up to Toronto in a zig zaggy scenic route way. Hadn't heard of South Haven but I will check it out.

How are you getting around? Plane, train, bus, car?

All of the above! Trains and busses up the West Coast. Flights into Denver and then to Milwaukee then I'm hoping to buy a car to drive most of the rest.
Otherwise Greyhound. Though a friend was telling me they sometimes just don't turn up to places on occasion!

[Redout_Chemical]

When your in Toronto hit me up, ill take you out and if u need to crash i have a couch but my place is pretty small lol.

[Csar]

If you're into pizza and deep dish pizza, you should definately stop by at Gorgio's in Chicago

http://www.ginoseast.com/locations/superior#home

I bought the smallest deep dish pizza available and still struggled to finish it for two days and didn't make it. But it was oh so frigging delicious!

What do you like most when you travel/ visit new cities and places?

[whirlygirl]

It would be awesome to meet you! I'm in Santa Ana, California -  not too far south from Los Angeles. My home is about 3 miles from the Santa Ana train station so if you're heading down to San Diego by train, feel free to make my city your stop along the way - I'd love to have you, there's lots to do and my husband and I love playing tour guide. Or I can come up to L.A. Either way it's all good.

And speaking of trains, the ride down to San Diego is wonderful and everyone should travel it once.

[Enjoyed]

What do you like most when you travel/ visit new cities and places?

Food. Meeting people. Walking around listening to music. Learning about the history of the city. In that order.

Definitely gonna try the pizza. Then go for several runs to burn it off.

[androidgeoff]

I can show you great craft beer spots in Chicago. I live dangerously close to Revolution. Then there are places like Piece (pizzeria that also makes great beer), Hopleaf, Half-Acre, and Local Option. Midwest beer is some serious stuff.

[Enjoyed]

Are we talking ales? I'm a bit of a wet blanket when it comes to seriously hoppy beers. I much prefer a refreshing pilsner.

[MadPooter]

Will do! Should be around the week of September 21st but I will let you know when I have more concrete plans!

I may be out of town that weekend. Not a definite thing, though. Definitely let me know when you'll be around.

[Bosco]

well I must say this sounds like one epic adventure.

As a Midwesterner, I do have some recommendations for you to see, however I'm not sure they are totally tailored to what you want to experience while you're here.

Wisconsin:

Depending on when you arrive in Milwaukee, rural Wisconsin might be one of the most beautiful areas on earth to experience fall foliage. There is a famous lake not too far from Milwaukee which you can experience this, Lake Geneva. The lake itself is spring fed, and the water is very clean. If you're an angler, it has fantastic fishing. But  the perimeter of the lake has various lake walks and scenic roads which really show off it's beauty.

Illinois:

Chicago has some great museums. Museum of Science and Industry is my favorite, but the Field Museum and Art Museum are worthy checking in on, and are both in pretty convenient locations for travelers. If you see a music concert Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, The Vic, and The Metro (personal issues aside) are all pretty awesome venues. Willis Tower (formerly and still to me, as The Sears Tower) is world renown. Instead, skip Willis Tower and go to The John Hancock building's 'The Signature Room' and bypass the admission fee in exchange for an overpriced cocktail on the 95th floor. Better view than Willis (IMO), and nothing better than sipping on your favorite scotch while on top of the world.  Millennium Park is great and as is Navy Pier. The list really could go on and on for the city of Chicago. Easy rule of thumb for tourist safety. Stick to the northside and downtown areas of Chicago, don't linger too far south or west, and you'll be fine. And lastly, tons of public transportation throughout the city. Trains, Buses, Cabs/Uber, and Divy (bike rental) everywhere in the city. Depending where you're staying in Chicago area you might be better off without the burden of finding parking and driving a car through Chicago traffic.

Michigan:

Whitenoise mentioned South Haven, and I'll echo that. Well not necessarily South Haven, but the coastal cities of Western Michigan all share the best kept secret in the United States. The Michigan Dunes. Unfortunately, the temperature and time of year you'll be here you wont be able to utilize them fully. But if weather should work in your favor, the beaches/dunes along side Lake Michigan are spectacular. Sunsets are a thing of magic, especially since it sets directly over the lake. Lots of cheap and well maintained camping in the area.

I never have been to Detroit, but I would like to make it there out of curiosity. I have a post apocalyptic fetish. I feel terrible for  the countless amount of people who had their lives ruined from the downfall of industrial cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Flint and Gary. But the ruins of what remain are intriguing.

[Enjoyed]

QUESTION.

Do you guys have catch up TV in America? Like, if I go to the ABC website can I watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. online if I have a US IP address?

Obviously I'll be super busy eating delicious things and pretending I don't ever have to go home. But when I do get some downtime, it'd be nice to catch up with shows without having to download/stream them illegally on hostel wi:fi.

ALSO.

I have decided to go for a car for basically the whole journey. So I'll have a lot more flexibility for visiting places. I'm guessing parking is similar to the UK? Free in some places at certain times and pretty expensive for overnight in a multi-story?

One week to go...

[androidgeoff]

When will you be in Chicago? I think we are Fassbook Friends.

[MadPooter]

I only regret that helping you fight your parking ticket in San Francisco isn't something I'm able to do.

Safe journeys--fantastic to meet another Chemical Brothers forum member!

[Enjoyed]

When will you be in Chicago? I think we are Fassbook Friends.

We are! I arrive on the 20th and will be in the area (going to head up to Milwaukee at some point) until November 2nd.

I only regret that helping you fight your parking ticket in San Francisco isn't something I'm able to do.

It would be SO beneath you! I'm pretty chuffed with my 1000 character appeal anyway. We'll see what happens.
Thank you so much again for the pie that I didn't know I wanted. It really was a great night. More of the same next time.