First Impressions of America - 2025 Winter Break Travelogue

📍 San Francisco · 👁 1611 reads

The plan to travel to the United States was actually made long ago. After visiting Canada in 2017, I thought about when to go to the US. Originally planned for 2020, but due to well-known reasons, it was delayed until 2024, and two elderly friends joined the group, making it a group of five spanning young and old. The travel itinerary had to be revised repeatedly, and the places I was interested in were almost zero; even if there were any, I could only skim through them. In April 2024, the travel itinerary was finalized, flights were booked, hotels were reserved, and a car was rented. But then one of the elderly companions fell ill. Canceling or postponing became the most pressing issue. However, to avoid disappointing the two seniors, everyone decided to postpone the trip to the 2025 winter break, meaning we would celebrate the Chinese New Year in America. Thus, the new dates were from January 19 to February 12, 2025, totaling 25 days.

As mentioned earlier, 'skimming the surface and checking in' was the main purpose of this trip, so the target direction was simple: in the western US, three cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego; and in the eastern US, four cities: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. The western US totaled eight days: three days in San Francisco, three in Los Angeles, and two in San Diego; the eastern US: eight days in New York, and three days each in the other three cities. As also mentioned, the summer vacation trip turned into a winter vacation trip, and the main change in the itinerary was from the original plan of 'east first, then west' to 'west first, then east', because we needed to spend the Chinese New Year with relatives and friends in New York. Another change was the cancellation of the planned self-drive trip along Highway 1, as it was indeed not suitable in winter (later I heard that Highway 1 had not been repaired and required a detour).

Finally, the detailed itinerary followed the companions' preferences in four aspects: visiting relatives and friends, outlet shopping, landmark check-ins, and university tours. The following are recommended attractions based on our actual experiences. Additionally, you can refer to other travelogues and a fantastic website called US Travel Guide.

The streetcars (cable cars) in the city are a must-ride experience; they can take you directly to Fisherman's Wharf. If you are a walker, you can buy a day pass and use the streetcar to visit all the attractions along the way. The winter Fisherman's Wharf is very pleasant, perfect for watching sea lions. You can also choose a restaurant, sit by the window, and enjoy seasonal seafood while admiring the bay view. Afterwards, we took a bus directly to the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Although you can't overlook the bridge from a high vantage point like at the northern end, viewing the bridge at eye level or from below is still very nice. If you have the energy, you can also walk across the Golden Gate Bridge round trip. As for Chinatown, it's not worth it—shops were closed for the New Year. We also visited the home arena of the Golden State Warriors and bought some satisfying items at the official store. On the way to Los Angeles, we stopped by Stanford University, the first university we visited on our trip.

Overall impression: Public transportation is very developed—subways, buses, and trains are all good, with diverse and convenient transfer options. We stayed near Union Square, so safety was high. The winter weather is dry with very strong ultraviolet rays, so sun protection and moisturizing are essential. San Francisco is arguably the most technologically advanced city in the US.

The Getty Center was temporarily closed due to wildfires, so we had to change plans and visit the Huntington Gardens. The highlight was its library, which houses some of the most famous Western books from ancient to modern times, such as incunabula, Shakespeare's First Folio, the American Declaration of Independence, and first editions of famous authors—too many to list. Griffith Observatory is worth visiting if you want to overlook the entire city of Los Angeles from a high point, and you can also check in the Hollywood sign along the way. In the city center, Hollywood Boulevard and the wax museum are interesting if you haven't been before. UCLA, which claims to be the top public university in the US, we watched students practicing and competing, which was exciting and very professional. Unfortunately, we didn't go to Universal Studios; maybe next time. But we did go outlet shopping for an entire day—couldn't drag us away.

Overall impression: Driving is the only means of transportation, otherwise it's too exhausting. We stayed in a neighborhood not far from UCLA, which was generally good and convenient for eating out at night. Honestly, visiting Los Angeles once is enough; as for living and working, it's not as good as San Francisco.

We went specifically to check in the USS Midway aircraft carrier—it was magnificent. The interior of the ship was like a maze; without the guide lines, we wouldn't have known how to get out of the cabins. Everywhere we saw retired elderly couples; it's truly a vacation destination. We also went to an outlet on the US-Mexico border shopping, making us feel more and more like a shopping group.

On our first day in Boston, it snowed heavily. The white Boston indeed had a different charm. Harvard and MIT are must-visits; the winter campus was quiet and solemn. If it weren't the weekend, we probably could have had the place to ourselves. Harvard Art Museum houses stolen artifacts from the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. At the time, I didn't feel much, but when I visited the Mogao Caves in June and saw the incomplete murals, my heart felt pricked like a needle. Quincy Market is like an indoor street food market, with exorbitant prices—a lobster roll costs over $40, so we just looked. Boston Common is worth a stroll, especially the skating rink inside; in summer it's a lake with ripples, but in winter it becomes an ice stage for everyone. Unfortunately, we missed the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; maybe next time.

Overall impression: I think Boston is the best city in the eastern US for tourism and living. It has four distinct seasons and complete public facilities. Perhaps due to the Chinese American mayor, it feels most friendly to Chinese people. We stayed in the city center, so walking everywhere was convenient, and the subway station was right below our hotel.

The main purpose was to visit the University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is huge, like a small town. We checked in some popular spots and saw two of the Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum. Then we visited City Hall and Independence Hall. Honestly, without familiarity with American history, it's hard to feel much, like the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Overall impression: It doesn't take long for a capital to fall into a slum, which is something a country still in urbanization like ours should be wary of.

Washington DC:

As the capital, it's grand and upscale. Individual buildings are majestic and solemn, and the city planning is neat and orderly. There are too many museums and landmarks; three days are simply not enough. We mainly visited the National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, the White House, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial, and saw the Pentagon from a distance. I particularly want to mention that the United States presents its history with war as the main thread—haha, judge for yourself. In contrast, China uses maps showing the size of its territory.

Princeton University in New Jersey:

We passed by on the way. The museum was under renovation, so we couldn't go inside; we just strolled around the campus. I personally recommend it—it's a quiet and leisurely town, after all, it's a cradle for producing social science scholars.

We stayed for a full week, with two days when I was alone, visiting bookstores and MoMA. Two or three days were spent with relatives and friends in New York, mainly checking in popular spots. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park can be visited together. We took a free ferry to get a distant view of the Statue of Liberty, not because we were unwilling to pay to go to the island, but to experience the feelings of the new immigrants in movies when they first saw the Statue of Liberty.

Overall impression: Well, as a Shanghainese, there might not be too much novelty. We stayed near the New York Public Library in Manhattan, with many subway lines making it easy to get anywhere. The smell in the subway stations was really unbearable, but it got better once on the train. My impressions of New York were all from movies and books, but being there in person still gave me an inexplicable thrill.

After posting the photos, I suddenly remembered we also visited the 9/11 Memorial. I didn't take photos, but I note it here to pay tribute to the victims.

Our family of three spent about 120,000 RMB in total. The biggest expense was airfare. Actually, the airfare could have been lower, but we bought summer vacation tickets and then changed the dates; otherwise, we could have saved nearly 20,000 RMB. Another big expense was accommodation; we chose hotels, basically around $300 per room per night. These expenses were unavoidable, as inflation in the US is evident. But what is hard for Chinese people to accept is the sales tax and tips. In China, prices are generally tax-inclusive, while in the US, prices are generally tax-exclusive, and tax is only added at checkout. The minimum tip rate option is 15%, with 18% and 20% also available. For example, if you eat a bowl of noodles in downtown New York for $25, with a sales tax rate of, say, 11%, plus tax it becomes $27.75. Tip is calculated on the $25 price, minimum $3.75, making the total $31.50, of which $6.50 is the sound of the cash register when you sit down—this is also the dividing line between the rich and the poor. All fast-food restaurants have tax-inclusive prices and no tipping.

Alright, I've rambled on with a lot of nonsense. Now look at the photos in the article—I think they're decent. Thank you, readers! Salute!

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