When visiting the United States, you will notice right away that the US is full of all sorts of interesting people with different backgrounds, different ways of dressing, different ways of speaking, and on and on. You will fit in just by being you as everyone here is unique in their own way, so you see there is no need to feel nervous about being a foreigner here because most people won’t even notice you especially in a large city, they are used to seeing a diverse group of people every single day.

The one thing that sets Americans apart from most of the world is our love of the automobile. When vising the United States for the first time you will see every make and model of car and truck, RV’s, travel trailers, SUV’s, sports cars etc. You will also see many types of motorcycles and off-road vehicles. Americans love their toys, and you will see them everywhere.

Let’s get back to the type of people you will run across and still hold to the topic of motorcycles. You will often see, in groups, Harley Davidson riders. The Harley Davidson is an American made street motorcycle which are just commonly referred to as “Bikes” or “Hogs”. They are usually loud and flashy with lots of chrome and accessories, and the riders are often times very intimidating in looks. Harley riders love to dress up in their leathers and spikes and boots. Maybe you have an image in your mind from the movies or TV of the American biker and they are all in an outlaw Biker gang. Far from it! There are thousands of “MC’s” or motorcycle clubs in the US, and they are a way for riders to get together and show off their bikes, take road trips and have fun. If you are visiting a Nation Park, you may see large groups of riders in the park. They are just out on a ride seeing the sites and having a good time just like you, don’t panic, if they are stopped somewhere go admire their machines, but be advised don’t touch!!! It’s always best when visiting the US to remember it’s always good manners to look but not to touch anything that is not yours!!! Americans are very particular about their personal property, and the last thing you want to do is put your hands on someone’s prized car or motorcycle. One last thing on bikers, yes there are outlaw motorcycle gangs in the US but the chances of running across any are small. The days of the Hells Angels wreaking havoc are long gone, but occasionally I hear on the news of some rival gang fighting or violence. These outlaw gangs don’t usually like one another and will occasionally have run ins that will make the news. Best advice, if you are pulling up to a restaurant or bar and there are rows of motorcycles parked out front, find another place to eat just to be safe.

Americans really love their cars and trucks. We love to fix them up and make them our own. Hot Rod is an American term for a fast car. If you are visiting an area that is having a “Car Show” by all means take the time and go!!!! Americans love to show off their cars and going to a car show will give you an opportunity to see the best of the best!! Remember please don’t touch the car!!!! Often times car shows will have many events happening such as a car cruise or drag racing, definitely worth a visit if you have time!!

Americans also love their pickup trucks. You will see them more as you leave the big city areas and get more into rural areas. Expect to see four-wheel drive trucks that have huge tires and are lifted up from the factory height. Americans also love to lower their cars and trucks; we just love to modify anything with wheels literally!!! Not only are the people of the US diverse so are their vehicles lol.

When visiting the US you will have many opportunities to go play if you like. As stated, Americans love their toys. ATV’s, dirt bikes, snow machines, jet skis, boats etc. are in every part of the country and many places have them for rent for everyone’s enjoyment. The price can be high for some rentals depending on what you are renting but if this is your one chance to ride a snowmobile do it!!!!! In the USA you can pay to do just about anything or have a guide or outfitter take you out and help you. Take advantage of this if this is a once in a lifetime chance for you to say take a raft trip on a white-water river. If you are never going to have the opportunity to do something again in your life by all means splurge!

• Let’s talk about the people of the US for a bit. You probably will have noticed right away after arriving that not everyone in the US is white, far from it!!! as stated before we are a very diverse nation. One thing about the people of this nation you might have already noticed is Americans love to swear a lot!! It has become common place to throw out swear words as regular vocabulary. It may not be proper, but it is what it is, and a lot of people have no filter on what comes out of their mouth. Americans are also very polite we really are. We hold doors for others, and we greet strangers as if we know them. We will apologize all over ourselves if we bump into you or cut you off while walking. Most people will greet you with “how’s it going” or “what’s up?”. You may be asked “how is your day” or just a simple smile and a nod. These simple greetings are really only intended for a short reply such as ” fine thank you”. To reply to “what’s up” a reply might be “not much just enjoying this great weather thanks”. Americans once they find out you’re from another country will most likely become very interested in where you are from and want to hear all about your country. We in general love to talk and learning about new things is always of interest. It is probably best to steer a conversation in another direction if they start asking you about how you view our politics. The US is deeply divided on this topic. I do not plan on discussing it here but just know a political conversation in the US can become heated in a hurry and is probably best avoided if possible. It is also best to avoid political rallies, demonstrations, protest etc. They could possibly become violent at any moment. 
  Another thing people in the US require for the most part is personal space. Americans do not like someone up in their face. Try and stand back a few feet when engaging in conversations. Don’t crowd people in lines, don’t cut in while in lines go to the back when you get there. This is really a big deal at places like Disneyland, the movies etc. If you are invading someone’s personal space expect at some point that they will let you know eventually. This is important to recognize, if you hear someone say something like “DUDE” in an aggravated tone you are probably annoying them!!! Most people will be tolerant for a short time but if you notice the person keeps moving back a bit at a time you are too close. Hand shaking is making a comeback, but fist bumps still are the same thing. Most people are not touchy feely with strangers so don’t expect a lot of hugs. Southern women sometimes may call the males in your group “sugar” or “Sweetie” they are not trying to pick up on your husband it’s a figure of speech. The south especially is full of all kinds of unique fraises and ways of speaking. Southerners have strong accents that are very noticeable. There are southern draws and twangs that very greatly from state to state. The same goes for the northern states as well as eastern states. Our whole country is different from region to region, and state to state. 
  The main language in the US is English but Spanish can be found to be our second most popular language especially on the West coast. If you need to contact emergency services, they are probably fluent in English and Spanish and depending on what part of an area you are in possibly other languages but that I’m not sure about. Ok just googled it and 911 dispatchers have access to over 200 languages available via interpreters. 
  If you are staying in a hotel, you probably will be eating out for most meals. If you are using Vrbo or similar services, you will most likely have a kitchen. America is blessed with one thing for sure and that is food!!! If you plan on cooking meals at your Vrbo or hotel if it has a kitchen, you will need to grocery shop. Do not do your major shopping ay the gas station connivance store they are for soda and snacks; you need to find a major grocery store. Costco, Walmart, Sams club etc. are found pretty much everywhere as well as many other large grocery store chains. Many grocery stores will have other departments or services. Many have banks, pharmacy’s, coffee shops etc. In some states the store may not provide bags for your groceries or charge you if you use their bags. Try and pack some sturdy but light weight bags for taking with you when you shop. California is one of those states that have bag laws, but I believe it is not in full affect yet. If you are eating out, you have lots of options. To get the full experience of American food try and eat at local restaurants vs chain stores. Some chain restaurants will give you a good authentic American meal such as Texas Roadhouse, they will even do a line dance for you every so often. Fast food is everywhere and really convenient but is unhealthy and boring after a couple days. Food trucks have become more and more popular here on the West coast and are generally a good option but finding a place to sit can sometimes be a pain. At whatever restaurant you choose expect good service, your drink should be re filled and portions will be large. Your wait person is going to try and earn a nice tip from you so they should be going out of their way to serve you. Keep in mind you are not their only table and if its busy you may get worse service. When it’s time to pay expect the waiter to disappear with your credit card to run your bill. This is common here and can make you wonder what they are doing with your valuable asset. I have never had an issue with fraud just check the bill to see that it all adds up when they bring it back for you to sign. Some states have sales tax and meal tax. If you see that souvenir shirt for 15$ on the rack but when it rings up at say 17.35$ there is a sales tax that has been applied, question it to make sure. Many restaurants deliver food for takeout either through services like Uber eats or equivalent. Larger pizza places have their own drivers in most areas. Fine dining here can be very overpriced for what you get in my opinion but if that’s what you are into expect to pay high prices. If you are coming up the west coast on Hwy 101 the sea food can be outstanding in just about every town. Don’t turn your nose up at the dumpy looking fish shack they often have the best food anywhere. Ask around, the locals will be excited to talk to you and tell you where the best places to eat are located. If you see authentic barbeque and by authentic, I mean, there is probably a guy or gal standing outside tending a big smoker with meat all over it, get some!!! Americans are really good at BBQ it’s OUR thing!!! Real BBQ joints are not chain restaurants they are family owned with their own recipes and secret sauces etc. Be warned many Americans like spicy hot food, ask the person when ordering authentic chili if its spicy, some chili can be super spicy. Craft beer is also a big thing here, although its popularity is declining, and many local breweries have unfortunately closed but still most local restaurants will be serving several choices. 
  I want to talk more about your safety for a while. First never ever no matter what leave your car unlocked or window down unattended. Do not leave your backpack, laptop bag, luggage etc. sitting in the seat of your car unattended. Lock it in the trunk. Take everything in your room at night. Petty theft is a real threat here everywhere. Second don’t fall prey to the homeless guy asking for money, for food, gas, his dog whatever. Our nations homeless problem is bad, no its really bad!!! I saw a post on another blog from a visitor that said shame on America for not taking care of our homeless. Here I will get on my soap box for a second. We offer many many many services to the homeless. They have all the opportunity to help themselves in most cases. Not all but most homeless like being this way or are so far gone there is no going back. Our country has many problems, drugs being one of the largest. Many of these homeless are drug addicts who prefer to live this way. They live on the streets because they won’t work or can’t keep a job because drugs are that important. They have all sorts of options at some point to get help, and there are lots of real success stories of recovery. Unfortunately, there are lots of sad stories as well. There are legit people living on the streets in their car etc. that are just having hard times but many of them are on their way up to their feet they just have not saved enough to get a place to live which can be very hard and expensive to achieve as we have an affordable housing crisis. Most all homeless are harmless they won’t have a gun because they sell everything to eat and buy drugs. They might be mentally challenged and not make sense or be having a real conversation with themselves as they walk by. Go with your heart but giving these people money does not help them. If you offered to take them to a store and buy them food most would decline and ask for the money instead. Politely say you have no spare change or money and keep walking I would not stop to pet their dog or listen to their story. Don’t be fooled by the guy with a gas can and the hood up on his car. His car probably runs just fine. I know this sounds cruel but that is just my opinion. Lastly again avoid going into ghettos or areas that are dodgy. Gang activity is a real threat in large cities but can also be found in small towns as well. If you start seeing lots of graffiti run down houses, abandoned cars on the side of the street, you’re probably somewhere you should not be. If you do find yourself lost and you think you’re in a bad area, get your GPS going and find a major road and get there fast. Don’t stop don’t ask for directions don’t leave your car. Do not go to East La and pretend to be a Gangsta you might be mistaken by what you’re wearing as a real one in the wrong turf. Avoid being out late at night alone, especially on foot. If going out clubbing stay in a group, dress down don’t bring that Louis Vuitton. Stay safe!!!!

I want to go back to driving and a very hot topic in the US, the Police. I cannot say it louder, know the traffic laws!!!! Let us talk about what will happen if you get stopped while driving by the police. First if you see emergency vehicles with their lights and siren on you are required to yield to them. This can be difficult at times in heavy traffic. Learn the laws of yielding to emergency vehicles here in the US, you can be cited a ticket for not doing so. If you notice those lights behind you and it is not a firetruck or ambulance you are being pulled over by the police. First find a safe place and pull off the road. This is the most important part right here, stay in the car!!! Again, stay in the car and keep your hands in plain sight on the steering wheel. Roll down the window and again, keep your hands on the wheel. If you have passengers tell them to sit still and stay calm and quiet. Do not get out of the car unless the officer tells you to. Nothing will get you face down on the ground faster than getting out of the car!!!! The officer will take his/her time getting to your window he/she will probably sit in his/her patrol car for what seems like forever, he/she is running the plates on the car be patient. He/she will first ask you for license and registration (ask rental rep about what the registration is) and proof of insurance. He/she will notice you are a foreigner and may ask for your passport etc. He/she will probably go back to his/her cruiser and run this information. He/she will return, and this is probably when he/she will ask you a few questions like where you are headed, some general chit chat like if you are visiting family etc. He/she is doing this to see if you are driving impaired more than anything. The officer will also probably approach the car with their hand on their service pistol but not out. Finally, they will tell you why they pulled you over. Do not start pleading your case or arguing. Be polite ask questions but don’t get upset or angry. My guess is that you will get a warning and be on your way unless it’s a major violation. In the event you do get a ticket the officer will explain what you will need to do about it. Do not start pulling money out to try and rectify the issue on the spot. do not do that ever. The police in this country have been taking a black eye from the press for a while now. There have been some horrible incidents here in the US involving the police and emotions are high on this issue. The patrol officer pulling you over is not going to beat on you, they are here to protect and serve the public. Do not let the actions of a few cast a bad image on all the police here. They will put their life on the line to protect you. Trust in that. With that being said this is the reason they will seam blunt and almost unfriendly they are watching out for themselves and being safe, they risk their life every day with every call and every stop they make. If you ever feel threatened or have an emergency in this country immediately call 911 a dispatcher will answer and send help you can count on that. Again call 911 for help in an emergency, not for directions or non-emergency questions. There are a few more things on this topic, things that will get you in serious trouble. Driving intoxicated is one of them. The US takes this seriously and it’s not just drunk driving. Driving impaired on anything. Thirty-nine states now have legal marijuana and driving stoned is the same as drunk. If you are going to have drinks with, say dinner or you go to a club to party get an Uber or taxi. Do not drive impaired. If you are pulled over and appear to be impaired the officer will give you a sobriety test. If you fail your vacation is over, you will be arrested spend some time in jail and probably have to get an attorney. The fines and fees could be over ten thousand dollars. Also, if you and the spouse or significant other tend to fight it out when not getting along etc. refrain from doing it in the US and anywhere for that matter!!! If the police respond to a domestic dispute and they think there has been or possibly could be physical contact someone is going to the jail house to cool off or maybe spend the night or longer. I am serious about this. Domestic abuse is not just something that the police look the other way at here. Another thing that you should be aware of in the US, you can’t smoke here except in certain areas. smoking is taboo in the US now. Do not smoke in the rental car!!!!! You will get a huge penalty when you check it in. They will make you pay to get the smell out. The one exception are casinos you can smoke in all of them as far as I know. If you are a chain smoker head to Vegas and smoke all you want. Let’s talk about the state of Nevada for a minute. Nevada is a little, no it is a lot different State. It is like the wild west almost, and definitely worth a visit. Vegas never sleeps you can gamble all night drink all night see shows all night walk on the strip with a drink in your hand drunk as a skunk. Prostitution is even legal there, under some pretty strict rules but they have legal lady of the night establishments in Nevada. I am pointing out this because again study up on US law they change from state to state even county to county. 
Speaking of counties, the US is broken up into 50 states you probably know that but within those states we have counties think of it as sort of a mini state inside the state itself. A few states are different such as Alaska which use Boroughs and Louisiana, they are Parishes. Each county has its own mini government with some exceptions such as Alaska. Overall, there are 3144 counties in the 50 US states and a few states counties have no governments at all as I mentioned but as you can see this is why there are so many different laws to contend with in the US. Then you have state government which is separate from Federal government which both pass laws etc. You will find that most states police forces will be as follows. Citys typically have their own police force, then a county will have a Sherriff’s department which has an elected Sherriff and under them will be the deputies. The state will have their own force typically called a state trooper and the feral government has a multitude of law enforcement such as the FBI and many others. Some areas call some of their law enforcement a constable. I know right, it’s a lot to think about!!!! If you are in an area near a military base expect to see military personnel out and about and most areas have a national guard force which may be seen from time to time going somewhere on weekends to train or help out with emergency situations. There are really no checkpoints to go through except possibly in an emergency situation. When entering California along the interstates and some highways you will go through a checkpoint, and they will ask if you have any fruits or vegetables. Overall, there is a multitude of law enforcement agencies all here to protect and serve the public. Have confidence in them they are not a bunch of corrupt thugs, they have sworn a duty to uphold the law and they will be proud of doing that job. One last thing most patrol cars these days or even the officer themselves will have a camera recording their activities, so if an incident occurs it will have a record of it.
I am sure one of the reasons you are reading this is because you are concerned about what you have seen and heard about gun violence in the US. It is indeed very true how many guns are in the US. I just googled and it states there are roughly 393 million guns!! You can count on it that there are more than that. The population of the US sits at about 340 million so basically that’s 1 gun for every person. I am not going to sugar coat this one and say it is all ok here in regard to gun violence. People here shoot each other from time to time, with that many guns out there it’s inevitable. In the twelve years I have lived in my current house which is very rural we have had 2 shootings that I am aware of both related to drugs. The chances of you seeing someone packing a gun in plain site are very rare. In my rural area which is very much an area full of gun owners including myself on occasion I will see someone with a pistol on their side. It is legal in my state to open carry a firearm with some exceptions. I could leave my house right now drive 10 miles and buy a gun and probably bring it home with me in a few hours. With all that being said unless it is hunting season you won’t see a firearm in plain sight. We are not a bunch of gun toting cowboys in the US. There were over 14 million hunters in the US last year. Most firearms are for hunting and most gun owners have multiple firearms for different hunting season and game. The chances of seeing a gun let alone seeing someone firing a gun are extremely unlikely. The best way to avoid gun violence is to not put yourself in a situation that could possibly expose yourself to it. Avoid bad neighborhoods, if it feels sketchy it probably is, leave as fast as possible. Avoid domestic disturbances, if you see people arguing or fighting don’t stand around watching or try and catch it on your camera. Leave and call 911, let law enforcement handle it do not try and be a hero!!! If you see a protest happening do not join or be a bystander trying to get it all on your camera. I can’t emphasize this enough!!!! Do not go looking for those bad areas in big cities just to say you went through one, seriously do not do it!!! You might think you can just drive through and say “hey I went to Oakland, and it was nothing” that is a very good way to get in serios trouble fast. Gang violence is real they are not playing around one bit. Take this seriously it could save your life. The vast majority of gun owners keep them locked up at home and only take them out to hunt or go to the shooting range. If you are interested in shooting a gun some gun clubs and shooting ranges will allow you to pay to shoot with a rental gun under very close supervision of course. If you see someone brandishing a gun or threatening in any way, that they have a gun and might break it out call 911.

Let’s take a look at the first thing you should expect when you land at the airport assuming that is how you are traveling, Immigration. Expect them to be well…let’s just say impersonable. They are busy and only want to get you through and on to their next client. International airports are a busy place and airport employees are not paid to be overly nice they are paid to keep things moving so don’t expect the airport to be a warm happy place. Now that you have shown your travel documents collected your luggage take a second and go to the bathroom. It seems all airports in the US have plenty of them and they are marked usually with blue and white signs though that is not a set rule. Also, if you brought a water and need to fill it up you can do that in the airport. In the US you can comfortably feel safe drinking the water from the tap. Municipal Public water is regulated and is safe to drink. Tap water is treated and some places may taste better or worse but is safe to drink. You are not going to get sick from tap water here. I am talking about tap water, do not drink from a stream, lake etc. if you are going to remote areas, it may make you sick no matter how clean it looks!!!!
Hopefully you have arranged for transportation from the airport. There will be many car rental options at large airports, if you are driving in the US please head this advice. Know the traffic laws in the states you will be driving in. You can go to the state’s department of motor vehicle (DMV) and download a copy of the states driving manual. Study it before you come, don’t wait for the car rental rep to try and give you a crash course in five minutes!! Speed limit signs are in miles per hour here not kilometers and change constantly this is important to understand!!! MPH Miles per hour remember that MPH!!! Search what documents you need to legally drive here. Proof of insurance is required to drive here as well as a valid driver’s license, research if you need any other requirements being from another country to legally drive. Get a car with navigation don’t trust you cell phone!!!! Cell service can be spotty in many parts of the US some rural areas will have 0 cell service for miles and miles. Get a backup paper map and plan your route, mark it with a highlighter, study it. I can’t emphasize enough how big the US is and how far apart places can be, we American’s love to drive our interstate freeways and highways are big and long prepare yourself when driving we have roads everywhere and they are not always clearly marked, it will help to have an idea where you are going.
I am going to go forward with you are driving and renting a car. I would not get a full electric car unless you are strictly staying in a large metro area. Charging stations can be far and few between especially in rural areas. Don’t waste a minute of precious vacation time here trying to find a charging station. Gas is cheap for the most part here. Important: gas is in dollars per gallon not liters!!!! Yes, gallons, dollars per gallon. we do not use the metric system here (I know why!!!) we use gallons quarts cups etc. Inches yards feet miles etc. Gas stations are usually plentiful till you need one. Again, plan your driving trip in advance. If say you are going to be traveling say 400 miles to a destination make sure you have enough gas to make it. rural areas can have fewer or no gas stations, research where they may be on your route. You will be pumping your own gas here except in the state of New Jersey where it is pumped for you. There will be someone at most service stations (gas station) that can help you but getting them to help may be another story and don’t worry it’s not just you its everyone they don’t want to help!! You will find three grades of gas and usually but not always diesel. Diesel will be marked in green as far as I know. Unless you are driving a high-performance sports car the regular unleaded will be fine and the higher grade will run in anything as well but go with what the car rental rep tells you first and foremost. 
Let’s talk about paying for things for a bit. I suggest when you get your US dollars and yes get some cash just in case, do not get any big bills. It can be very difficult to use 100$ dollar bills especially in small stores. The one exception to this is in Las Vegas, they will love your 100$ bills and if you are going to Vegas by all means take some and have fun!!! Seriously though I would at a minimum have a couple hundred dollars in twenty-dollar bills on hand and ATM machines are literally everywhere here. I would not carry much more than that. I am not even sure if travelers’ checks are still a thing but i would not recommend them, the only place you could use them is probably a bank or hotel. Same for personal checks no one will take a check anymore except a bank or for bill paying. Have some small bills on hand for tipping. some five dollar bills a few ten-dollar bills, and some one-dollar bills will be fine. Tipping is a big deal in the US. Google search tipping in the US for a breakdown of how much and where to tip but know that service people get paid less and they count on tips as part of their income, and they will go out of their way to earn your tip.