3 months to see the states!

[Shamu2011]

Hi all. After finishing university in June a friend and i are planning a round the world trip. After spending 4 months in NZ, AUS and Fiji we will be arriving in the United States.

We will be arriving in LA in March and leaving from Miami around June.

We would love to fit in as many sites and cities as possible and would greatly appreciate any advice on the best (and cheapest) ways to travel across the country.

As of now the plan is to arrive in LA then make our wa to San Fran, from there travell onto Yosemite and the Vegas.. after this we are limited on ideas. Also because of the long time period we have in the country time pent in each destination is very flexible.

Further advice on availability of part time work in the area is greatly appreciated.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Your 'problem' is just about the exact opposite of most posters, who are usually fairly constrained on the amount of time that they have to spend. You all can get to just about anywhere you want in the contiguous US. In fact, you have the time to get to and explore at depth several regions of the US. That makes it hard to recommend things to do because the list would be nearly endless. Rather, I think you and your travelling companions should go over some of the posts on these pages and see what are the more popular destinations. Also get a fairly good atlas of the US and look for attractions that appeal to you. Once you know what you want in general, we can be of assistance in finding the most efficient way to see it all as well as offering tips on some of the lesser known things to see and do along your planned route.

As for keeping costs down, that does come up a lot, and two of our regular contributors have put together a number of suggestions. Part time work for foreign nationals is technically illegal unless you get a 'green card', a special type of visa. "Illegal Workers" is a hot political topic at the moment and pressure, including heavy fines, is being put on employers who hire foreigners. They may not be too willing to take the chance for someone just passing through.

AZBuck

[RoadTrippers A & R]

When we plan road trips we list the things that interest us most:
Wife loves scenery.
I love Historical locations.
The kids want amusement parks, rivers and lakes and off road adventures.
Then we draw the route and go from there.

For employment, you can research getting a green card, and perhaps consider seasonal locations like Sturgis, or Summer vacations spots along New England or the Colorado river that hire for just a short spell each year.
(Nevada has complicated rules requiring a difficult to get work card BTW).

Bartending skills are a big help.
A Red Cross lifesaving certificate is good for poolside lifeguard kinda work.
International Driver license a plus.

Apply with a nice (one page max) letter or in person, never telephone. Tell them your situation and stress honesty and willingness to be generally usefull to the biz.