Page 2 | America first timers!

ThirtysomethingMummy · 2026-02-09T18:26:02+00:00

We are wanting to take DC to America in 2027. We need to be careful of budget and need to be able to book soon and pay it off. None of us have been to America before. DC will be 12 and 11. we don’t really know where would be good as first timers?! one DC loves rides etc but the other hates it. Both like shopping and eating out. can I have recommendations please?

GloiredeDijon · 04/04/2026 00:46

mathanxiety · 04/04/2026 00:32

It's a huge pity people think this way.

If you go on holiday to America you go on holiday to a specific state, unless your plans include a very long road trip.

You are free to avoid states that voted for trump. You are free to avoid counties that voted for trump.

Equally, you are free to choose to go to states and counties that voted for Harris.

Be aware when you climb aboard your high horse that the hospitality industry tends to employ a lot of immigrants.

Also consider the fact that your point of sale taxes for goods and services stay within the city and county you are in. Sales taxes are divided up between municipalities and counties and pay for the services provided to the citizens of those counties and municipalities.

These services include public schools and SEN provision, police, fire, and EMS services, water/ sewage reclamation, county hospitals including psychiatric wards, county public health departments, city public health department, streets and sanitation department, homeless services, county sheriff and jails, municipal.police, county courts, emergency/ disaster response, city libraries, and much more. The people using the services of the county hospitals and benefiting from the services of the public health departments, libraries, and public schools in particular tend to be low income residents.

So go ahead, hurt the people who benefit the most from your tourist dollar, or do a little research into the meaning of 'The United States of America'. There are fifty of them.

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I completely disagree.
People boycotting the country show that the way Trump, and therefore America, is behaving is not acceptable.
The rest of the world needs to unite against it, not carry on as if the horrors aren’t happening and it is still OK to pop over on a jolly.

mathanxiety · 04/04/2026 04:57

You disagree based on ignorance of how the US is governed and how states, counties, and cities are financed, and apparently it doesn't matter to you that the people who depend on states, counties, and cities for vital services are hurt

But fill your boots if it makes you feel better to harrumph. Just remember that staying away endangers the livelihood of low income people, many of them immigrants, working in hospitality, and that local services are not financed by the federal government the way they are in the UK.

Nearly all of the counties where large American cities are located vote Democratic. It does not hurt trump when tourists stay away from NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc.

RampantIvy · 04/04/2026 05:56

IMO visiting the US on a limited budget is going to be difficult.

A PP has already pointed out that the prices you see in the shops aren't what you pay as they add tax on at the till.

Eating out is expensive as well. You are expected to add at least 20% on as a tip. At the bottom of your bill you will see percentage suggestions to help you work out how much to give.

LoudSnoringDog · 04/04/2026 06:02

Most expensive place we have ever been to ( although we have only ever done NYC - twice. Orlando three times and the Keys once).

Oriunda · 04/04/2026 09:35

mathanxiety · 04/04/2026 00:32

It's a huge pity people think this way.

If you go on holiday to America you go on holiday to a specific state, unless your plans include a very long road trip.

You are free to avoid states that voted for trump. You are free to avoid counties that voted for trump.

Equally, you are free to choose to go to states and counties that voted for Harris.

Be aware when you climb aboard your high horse that the hospitality industry tends to employ a lot of immigrants.

Also consider the fact that your point of sale taxes for goods and services stay within the city and county you are in. Sales taxes are divided up between municipalities and counties and pay for the services provided to the citizens of those counties and municipalities.

These services include public schools and SEN provision, police, fire, and EMS services, water/ sewage reclamation, county hospitals including psychiatric wards, county public health departments, city public health department, streets and sanitation department, homeless services, county sheriff and jails, municipal.police, county courts, emergency/ disaster response, city libraries, and much more. The people using the services of the county hospitals and benefiting from the services of the public health departments, libraries, and public schools in particular tend to be low income residents.

So go ahead, hurt the people who benefit the most from your tourist dollar, or do a little research into the meaning of 'The United States of America'. There are fifty of them.

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This. We visited the US last just before the election, when it was Biden. FL under Trump? No way.

Time before, it was during Trump's first term, but we deliberately chose blue, as in CA.

Both places we used our Spanish, and practically all the servers etc were immigrants.

reluctantbrit · 04/04/2026 10:30

@mathanxiety While I do agree with some what you said, I am not prepared to provide the US federal government with all the personal data they seem to now want to collect and if the plans go ahead - they want even more.

The dangers of being detained without any good reason and send back, having an ESTA cancelled suddenly are just too high.

DH planned a conference in autumn and several east coast cities were in the run but even most US attendees suggested going to Canada instead and most n on-US guests said they may have to decline as their companies do not support US travel anymore. So they are now booked Toronto.

mathanxiety · 04/04/2026 20:08

RampantIvy · 04/04/2026 05:56

IMO visiting the US on a limited budget is going to be difficult.

A PP has already pointed out that the prices you see in the shops aren't what you pay as they add tax on at the till.

Eating out is expensive as well. You are expected to add at least 20% on as a tip. At the bottom of your bill you will see percentage suggestions to help you work out how much to give.

Eating out doesn't has to be expensive - or at least not every single day - because it doesn't have to be done at places where there is wait service. There are lots of places where you can eat delicious and filling food that you order at a counter. I am not talking about McDs or other unhealthy fast food joints. Do a little research for best local sandwiches/ burgers/ local pizza/ local specialties. Avoid Starbucks, which is egregiously expensive. For sales tax, it's usually 10% or thereabouts, which is easy to calculate.

RampantIvy · 04/04/2026 20:43

mathanxiety · 04/04/2026 20:08

Eating out doesn't has to be expensive - or at least not every single day - because it doesn't have to be done at places where there is wait service. There are lots of places where you can eat delicious and filling food that you order at a counter. I am not talking about McDs or other unhealthy fast food joints. Do a little research for best local sandwiches/ burgers/ local pizza/ local specialties. Avoid Starbucks, which is egregiously expensive. For sales tax, it's usually 10% or thereabouts, which is easy to calculate.

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You are right. When DD and I went to Florida our two favourite places were self service.