Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are territories, NOT States. Some version of European school books missed the translation and counted them as states. I’m not sure if that was ever corrected. 52 territories, 50 States.
I'm not sure, but I think that territories & states are different. A territory is supposed to be one of the steps to statehood, once it become a state, it ceases to be a territory. *edited for grammer
Another peculiarity of the US is don't be surprised if you ask a question about DISTANCE and get an answer involving TIME. This may sound odd but is completely normal. For example: Question - How far is it to Disney World? Answer - About two hours. (Also, this answer will change based on what TIME OF THE DAY you are asking the question!) As what to see when you come to America, my advice is to not only visit the major tourist attractions or destinations - visit some local sights as well. For example, in Central Florida where I live Disney, Universal, Kennedy Space Center, etc. are common popular major tourist attractions, but you might be surprised to know that we also have many crystal clear natural freshwater springs that are wonderful for swimming, tubing, canoeing and other water activities as well that nobody ever pays attention to - and they end up missing out on seeing the "real" sights and experiences of our area. Cheers!
Wow, this is so true! I'm so used to doing it I wouldn't even have thought to bring it up. And yes, the answer does change around 9am and 5pm on work days and which direction one is traveling.
I do agree with picking a region and sticking with that for a trip. The US is just too big to try to squeeze in as much as possible. My parents always took us on a trip to see America every summer and we loosely decided to stay in a couple states for a week or two.
If you have limited time, pick what you want to see and rhem see where they are located. Then see what is close by that you would be interested in and plan a trip around the one that has the most you would enjoy seeing, doing.
People are amazed that it can take 13 hours to drive from Key West to Pensacola in Florida for example (assuming there is no traffic), or an entire day to drive across Texas. Distances in America are continental sized. But we do have a good Interstate Highway System. BTW do NOT speed excessively --- you will get a fine.
As Americans, we get looked down on because we don't travel to foreign countries like Europeans do...but a large part of this is because our country is so very huge that we could go our whole lives traveling within it and still miss a lot. Also, because we have so many immigrants from so many different places, we get quite a lot of culture right here at home in little enclaves (such as Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy, etc.). It's also much more expensive for us to travel abroad because first...we have to actually get out of our very large country, which entails either a very long drive (if going to Canada or Mexico) or fly a very long distance to get to Asia, Africa or Europe.
Even Texas alone is so big, the TV show Texas Country Reporter has spent five decades (!) only traveling around Texas and featuring various towns in the state. In recent years they have expanded beyond Texas, but still!
I feel like he covered it pretty well! He did miss one or two things though. If you find yourself in shady looking neighborhood and someone approaches your car (yes this is a thing in some places) keep the window up and politely wave and say "no thank you". Also, check the crime statistics for the area of your hotel. The lower costing places are often in high crime areas. (generalization). I hope you get to realize your dream!
I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for 3 years, and we drove back to Indiana when we moved. Took us 8 days, we did not drive in the dark on the Alcan, and we did some sightseeing, as in Yellowstone, Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, which only was a day maybe two. Unbelieveable scenery on that approx 5000 mile trip. USA and Canada are huge.
Coast Guard Aviation in Kodiak. We were in Clearwater, FL. when we got our orders and spent nearly a month driving and camping the entire way with our 4 and 10 yr old girls. While in the US we visited family along the way in Alabama, Fort Wayne IN and Sacramento CA., then traveled up the west coast until Dawson Creek BC where we took the ALCAN to Tok, AK, then traveled south to Homer where we caught the ferry to Kodiak. It was and will always be the most beautiful and incredible road trip of my life.
@@misslora3896 I'm sure that was. Homer is my favorite place that I got to visit while living there. I bet Kodiak is gorgeous. Agree, my trip was the highlight of my life adventures lol. Hope you took lots of photos on that drive. I did, all the way lol.
@@misslora3896 I grew up in Kodiak. Still miss it. Moved to Fairbanks and never left this area. I've driven with 2 different daughters from here to North Carolina or reversed. It is. One LONG drive. Truthfully, I never want to do it again. When my family moved to Kodiak, the Alcan wasn't paved in many places. I remember sis and I had to get short haircuts, as we couldn't wash our hair every day. Their was hardly any dust and we sure resented Mom and Dad for that for a long time. 😂
I think Mark is referring to European custom greeting of kissing on both sides of the cheek when talking about "Don't touch the Americans". Americans will sometimes pat each other on the back or hug each other when greeting each other but not kiss even if on the cheeks. With tipping, if you are using a credit card to pay at a sit down restaurant, you will see on the bill a line to add tip as well as will have suggested tips listed like how much would be 10 percent, 15 percent, or 20 percent which is helpful to remember to tip servers.
The 52 confusion thing is a head-scratcher. The US has 50 states (48 in the contiguous US plus Alaska & Hawaiʻi), a separate capital district (DC), several island territories (5 of which are permanently inhabited), several hundred “domestic dependent nations” (Indian reservations and tribes with complex and varying degrees of practical sovereignty), and 3 “freely associated states” (fully sovereign pacific island countries under a Compact of Free Association)
Maybe it's because they see 50 stars on the flag and like yeah those are the 50 states, but there are 2 off the mainland, Hawaii and Alaska so it's 52? That would be my guess.
@@jasonhuynh2673 Hawai'i and Alaska are part of the 50. There are 48 states in the "Contiguous United States" (also referred to as the "Continental United States", though that is an inaccurate phrasing). Two are often referred to as "OCONUS" or "outside the contiguous/continental United States" - Alaska and Hawai'i. Very often the misconception carries some form or another of lumping all the US states and territories together to make 50, and then adding some combination of Alaska, Hawai'i, Puerto Rico, or Guam on there. I have even heard "The Philippines", but they have long been an independent nation. But no math I am aware of can include all the states (50) and all the territories (16) to make 52. But my math comes from American public school, so I may be wrong. _Edit: a more honest telling would divide the areas by economics and infrastructure. Puerto Rico would then find itself in a vin diagram at some point, then then places like the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa would be incorporated as actually being part of America and its grand wealth. But you can also go the other way, scaling back and removing islands of people from what America is by their separation from the massive logistics and political system._
Yeah I know that. That's why I said the misconception might be around people who aren't from the United States sometimes forget that Hawaii and Alaska are apart of them and are actual states not territories like Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
I was a waitress for 16 years and a single mom of 3. Without those tips I wouldn't have been able to pay the bills, diapers, child care, food ect. I loved it I loved making people smile and giving them a great experience.
An off the wall little tip if you come to America that you may think is quite strange. If you come to America and let's say you meet some new friends, and they invite you over to their house. Let's also say that you go and you really like their house and you find it quite cozy. If that is the case, under NO circumstances tell them their house is quite "homely"! In the US, "homely" means unattractive in appearance. (I don't know why) In the US we say something like that is "homey". Most Americans do not know that the in other places in the world it's called homely, so you may offend someone.
Most restaurants only pay servers $3.05 an hour. But when I waited tables 20 yrs ago it was just $2.10 hr. But we made over $200 a day. That’s more than if we got $15 hr and no tips. Also, when we get tips on a credit card, the taxes come out of our checks. We would often get checks for 1.16 for 40hrs of work. We rely on tips to pay our bills
@@nullakjg767 I waitressed after school in the evening at 16 in a restaurant and made 350 minimum in a week . This was back in 81. We got paid $2.01 an hour. Checks would be like $25 after taxes.
That information is totally outdated. Minimum wages are controlled by states and many states have significantly increased their minimum wages for food service workers.
Depending on the U.S. states you will visit, you may need an International Driving Permit (IDP) as well as a driving permit from your country. So do your research on what state driving laws require if you plan on driving in the US.
I would say the main "don't" when it comes to the United States, is don't talk or joke about people's weight unless you know them as well as your own family! I know it seems contradictory since we're so famous for having obesity problems, but, for that reason, a lot of Americans have body image issues and so, even among two guys, making fun of someone for their weight, even if it's meant as harmless banter, could really upset someone. I had a friend from Scotland who made that mistake when she first moved here.
Bruh the UK is nearly just as fat as the US lol. And in both countries fat is considered both a slur and a respectable accepted life style (it shouldnt be considered either)
@@AZHITW Well if the shoe fits. To them, its probably like visiting a third world country. A lot of natives, mexicans, and Midwestern's in general neglect their health, appearance and disregard the value of education. Despite being one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, much of our nation is poor in both wealth and health. Its not the fault of the swiss that the american people keep electing politicians that serve corporations first, using taxes for everything but helping the people who need it. Its not something to be proud of. You cant blame them for noticing it and talking down on it. You should be upset your fellow man is so casually kept in dire straits, not upset that someone else noticed it.
@@AZHITW no lol. I live in the south. but I lived in NY at one point as well and the wealth/education disparity is shocking. "normal" in america means a science denying, religious, overweight, bullheaded pro war moron. I assume youre one of them since you think as long as horrible things are "normal" then they are ok. Honey boo boo life style isnt good man.
If you're on an escalator in NYC, especially in the subway, step to the right and stand single file. The left is for others to pass. Same for the sidewalks. You're visiting, others are rushing to work or home.
I recommend trying a region to visit also, however don’t forget about the Midwest. It’s a great region with very friendly people. Most people go to the big cities but I believe that doesn’t give you a true representation of what America is like, and the size of the country. Small town/city living is the best!
Weird and maybe niche (and not mandatory) but DONT forget to hold the door for strangers ( if they’re not awkwardly far away and you’re entering a public space at the same time). I don’t think it’s exclusively a Midwest thing bc manners and respect are big everywhere (especially the South), but it’s super common for the person entering a building ahead of you to stop and hold the door for you and if you don’t reciprocate it’s not a huge deal but that individual may think of you as rude if they’re a pace or two behind you and the door swings back at them.
This is definitely regional. There are unironically parts of the US where people will get offended if you hold the door for them, especially women. I still do it anyway because I'm a courteous person but I've been scolded for holding the door for a woman that 'didn't need my help' before. Either way, it's generally not expected on the west coast.
@@Ichthyodactyl Thats because some people are massive creeps and will grope at you when you go through the door they opened, or take it as you now "owe them" a conversation or affection. If its a double door, just use the one they arent holding open.
Woah, yeah personal safety first always and constantly assess your surroundings in public, but it’s not a gendered thing at all whatsoever. I hold the door for factory and construction workers, moms with their hands full, old people, literally anyone nearby walking behind me. But I also admit to small town perspective and the “manners” and customs like awkward smiles if you make eye contact and forced friendly conversations with your mom’s cousin’s neighbor about how their dog is doing.
@@nullakjg767 That must be regional as well. I've lived in NC all of my life (40 years) and never worried about creeps or someone seeing it as a means of "owing" someone or it being used to start conversations. It's just always been a means of being courteous here.
9:25 that was actually a culture shock for me going to England. In America its very rare now for people to smoke. Smoking indoors is no longer a thing and in England it seemed every young male my age smoked.
That’s not true at all. It may LOOK that way while visiting here but it’s not really the case. Most cigarette smokers are the older millennials and old generations, the younger gens are vaping.
@@mrmatticus9693 Yes and no. the US has also had massive anti-smoking campaigns funded since the 1960s. So there are just fewer smokers on average than there are elsewhere in the world.
Tip: if you love Mexican food, you HAVE to visit a taco truck in the US. I've heard food trucks in other countries can be a dicey affair, but food trucks in the US have become so popular, that they're a gourmet experience in some cases. But everyone knows the best Mexican food comes from taco trucks. Just drive around and you'll usually find one parked in a gas station parking lot or near a popular bar.
That applies only to some major cities like New York or Los Angeles. I lived in Boston and Chicago and currently reside near Philadelphia and don't ever recall seeing a taco truck in those places.
I love Mark's little slip on public transport -- planes AREN'T part of what people think of as "public transport." I guess they technically can qualify, but in that case, America would be loaded with public transport.
I don't think of planes as public transportation because they aren't public! Airlines are privately owned companies. It's like how I don't think of a taxi or an Uber as a public transportation either, because they're privately owned. They're not a public good.
@@sandpiperr They may be public entities but they get significant ancillary funding and tax consideration from our government. They wouldnt be able to operate at the scale they do without public tax money.
On the smoking thing, people do smoke in the US. But it's been decreasing in popularity and has had a massive social ban thanks to the constant PSA commercials and school programs. It's not allowed in most restraunts now and it is often frowned upon and seen as a dirty habit by most Americans. We're also made heavily aware of the dangers of second-hand smoking as well which is why he was saying "oh you're trying to kill my baby."
I'm glad you're reacting to a Wolter's World video! His videos are so good. I've learned lots of stuff from him. Definitely a must-watch for potential travelers!
one of the reason people think its 52 instead of 50 is because we (the US) have several "territories", such as Puerto Rico, Guam and others that we basically claimed as our own, but they were never actually given statehood. the only DON'T i have is a simple one: DON'T fall for tourist traps. there are several regions in each state that are tourist-friendly, such as the French Corridor of New Orleans (Louisiana), the Vegas Strip in Las Vegas (Nevada), Manhattan/Times Square of New York City (New York), that give tourists a false sense of Americana feel and people walk away thinking they had the "real" experience of that city or state. Its the tourist equivalent of fast food. If you want to see the city, check out the local and national parks, go to museums or, better yet, ask advice from locals on where to get the best food, where to hear the best music and so on.
As a Brit living in San Francisco, we have quite a comprehensive transportation system as the City doesn't want cars on the streets, but encourages us to use public transportation. Savannah is beautiful, as is Charleston. Only try visit one region due to the vastness, if you're driving.
It’s not just that public transportation isn’t great. Most people who drive a car wouldn’t even be able to tell you how to take the bus, cost of bus fare, how often the bus stops…nothing.🤷🏾♂️. Also, It never really occurs to me travel distance here vs. Europe. My parents live about 10 hours away, my grandmother 6 hours, my two childhood best friends 8 and 9 hour away in two different directions…and I’ve driven each so many times. A lot of times it is way cheaper to drive then the short distance to fly.
Consider visiting Michigan, where you can drive from Hell to Paradise if you're okay driving for 5 hours. (Yes, I'm serious. We have cities by those names.)
DON’T: come to the southern states during the summer unprepared!! Living in Texas, the temperature has been in the triple digits for the past week. Its currently 108 but feels like 110 degrees Fahrenheit 😅
I'm just going to be real, as an american who suffers in even mild summers here, I wouldn't be caught dead going to Texas in the summer. Prepared or otherwise.
And not to mention, the different types of heat. Out west tends to have a more dryer heat from what I've seen and where I live in NC has a more humid heat. My bf moved here about 10 years ago from Utah and it took him a bit to adjust to our humidity. Same with my step-daughter when she came out here from Nevada. She's been out here about 3 years now and she's still adjusting to our humid summers. It took us about 2 weeks to drive out west to pick up my step-daughter in 2020 and I have to say the dry heat out west was definitely preferable to my home state's humidity.
ADVICE FOR ANYONE MOVING TO THE SOUTH: 1. Save all bacon grease. You will be instructed later how to use it. 2. If you do run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in the cab of a four wheel drive with a 12-pack of beer and a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way. This is what they live for. dont even try to pay them unless your paying in beer. 3. Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive. 4. Get used to the phrase "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". And the collateral phrase "You call this hot? Wait'll August." 5. Don't tell us how you did it elsewhere. Nobody cares. 6. If you think it's too hot, don't worry. It'll cool down-in December. 7. A Mercedes-Benz is not a status symbol, a Chevy, Dodge, or Ford is. 8. If someone says they're "fixin" to do something, that doesn't mean anything's broken. 9. The value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but the availability of shade. 10. If you are driving a slower moving vehicle, on a two lane road pull onto the shoulder that is called "courtesy". 11. BBQ is a food group. It does NOT mean grilling burgers and hot dogs outdoors. 12. Yes, weddings, funerals, and divorces must take into account for UT Football games. Never schedule events on saturday in the fall. 13. Everything is better with Ranch dressing. 14. DO NOT honk your horn at us to be obnoxious, we will sit there until we die. 15. We pull over and stop for emergency vehicles to pass. 16. We pull over for funeral processions, turn our music off and men remove hats or caps. Some people put their hand over their heart. 17. "Bless your Heart" is a nice way of saying you're an idiot or i feel sorry for you. 18. No matter what kind : sprite, coke, pepsi, mtn dew, it isn't called soda or pop. It is all called coke. 19. There will always be a tractor on the two lane when you are running late, so allow time for that. 20. If you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes, it will change. 21. if you think it gets hot where you're from, try 90 degrees heat with 90 percent humidity. you literally breathe water. 22. "Just down the road a piece" may mean a 100 miles or so. 23. A good percentage of the people are nice, polite, and heavily armed. 24. Chili is also a food group. 25. The most common vehicle is a pickup. Some of those pickups cost close to $100,000. 26. We can and do fry almost everything but water. We are working on water. 27. You also have to realize "The South" is a huge area and there is a lot of variation in that area. 28. Don't forget to have an RC Cola and a Moon Pie. 29. our farm equipment costs more than most houses 30. Don't try to talk to us in a fake Southern accent. We will look at you like you have lobsters crawling out your ears. 31. in a small town the form of entertainment is driving around town with your bass as high it will go 32. if someone tells you "ill be there in a minute", be prepared to wait a minute or an hour 33. We won't judge you based on your kids actions, we'll judge you based on how you react. 34. Always remember: there's the South, and then there's Florida. Two different things. 35. if someone asks you "hows your mom n them" theyre being polite 36. if you can't taste the diabetes in your sweet tea, then it ain't sweet tea 37. "Where y'all from?" is not only asking about where you live, but is a verbal handshake. It's saying, "Tell me something about yourself 38. Just because you were invited to “ stop by anytime” don’t- it wasn’t a real invitation that was meant for you to drop by. You must call! 39. if you hear a Southern woman say "Aw, hell no!", run! 40. weekends are lubricated with copious amounts of beer and mud 41. if you hear someone say "watch this ya'll" RUN 42. DO NOT insult a southern football team unless youre trying to start a fight 43. Don't be surprised or offended if a server calls you "sugar, "honey" or "darlin'", terms of endearment among strangers are much more common down there, especially in the smaller cities and towns. It doesn't mean the waitstaff is hitting on you. 44. manners and showing respect are ingrained into us from birth. use manners and show respect to others or there could be consequences. 45. dont be surprised at the amout of camo, guns/hunting, and churches you will see. 46. also dont be surprised if you see someone driving around with a deer strapped to their truck hood or hanging out of the truck bed 47. Absolutely DON’T let children call adults by their first name. DON’T: Hi Mark! DO: Hi Mr. Mark! 48. don’t just stay in the big cities, some of the most charming places, people, and food are not going to be found in the big cities. Stop by some rural gas station/restaurants and visit a few small town downtowns. 49. if your child (anyone under 18) disrespects an elderly person, a southerner nearby may smack them. (the older the harder) 50. The Southern accent isn’t just one accent. It’s hundreds of different accents that are different from place to place. 51. if people are nice we might tell them our secrets of where to go to the beach and the best restaurants, kindness and manners go a LONG way in the south! Please use your manners when your driving too! 52. driving directions never include road signs. they WILL however include 'the red barn, the big oak etc." 53. Charlie Daniels does NOT play a violin 54. Hank Williams Jr. is royalty in the south 55. to californians: we have bugs you have never even heard of, so dont freak out too much if you come here. we're not being invaded by aliens (my gf is from cali. and confirms this one) 56. dont even think of leaving a party until the bonfire has burned down 57. most of us have constitutional carry and arent afraid to use it. 58. being hugged by a perfect stranger you just met in the grocery line, who will remember you and talk to you every time they see you from this moment forward, until the end of time. 59. evasive compliments: "well, that's certainly an outfit!" or "I could never wear that! my goodness!" are polite ways of saying your outfit looks like crap but they're too polite to say it looks god awful. 60. saying things like "God awful", "lord willing and the creek don't rise" (which means you'll do your best to do something you said you would do,) "I'll pray for y'all" whenever misfortunes are relayed, and my personal favorite "stop showing your ass" when you're being an ass. 61. we are not anything-phobic except asshole-phobic and we will give you "the stare" when you are one. 62. TAKE THE DAMN GLASS OF TEA. you don't have to drink it, but you do have to accept it. this is a highly symbolic ceremonial exchange of hospitality in our culture, same as it is in many parts of Asia. 63. if you don't know all the words to "Jambalaya", don't worry, we'll teach you.
As a Georgia resident every word of this is true 😅 if an adult doesn’t get to your misbehaving kid an older child will. It’s passed down through the generations
I recently heard a woman visiting from the UK saying she would not live in A,erica because we don't have enough "green spaces." We have MANY uninhabited space in the US that are larger than England! I recently visited Sicily. The first leg of the flight from San Antonio to Chicago alone took three hours. We flew across England in less than 5 minutes.
If you go to a bar, make sure you tip well on the first drink. Trust me, you'll get much better service, and significantly stronger drinks going forward. 🍻
Also with tipping a lot of card reader machines automatically give you the option to add a tip. Don't feel like you always have to tip just because that's on the receipt. Really only sit down restaurants and places where someone is giving you personal service... One time my sisters ID was expired and they would not sell her alcohol and I could not buy it because they already rejected her ID. We had to go to a diff store and she waited in the car incase they wanted to check her ID lol.
Visit the north in summer and the south in winter. About the only places you can visit without inclement weather is the West Coast, California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii year round. As for Texas cities specifically, visit San Antonio in December, Houston or Galveston during Spring Break, and Dallas or Fort Worth in late September and early October for the best tourism dates.
Eh, California has a wildfire season in September. It's usually not super dangerous unless you're in the wilderness but the air quality can be terrible. Lately Oregon has been having similar problems. Just figure there is a potential for fires on the west coast from August-October.
With tipping, if you tipped a server or a delivery driver $5 or $10, depending on how big the bill is, they'd either be pretty happy or pretty disappointed. I've gotten a $10 tip on a $20 delivery order before, which was a very generous tip! But I've also had deliveries where the total would be almost $200 and they would only tip $5. My rule of thumb is if it's fairly good service, $5 tip for a bill that's $25 or less, $7 tip for a $30-45, and anything over $45, use a tip calculator. I've never been a server, but I know that a lot of them don't even get paid half of minimum wage. Minimum wage federally is $7.25/hour (which is absolutely no where near the amount it takes to actually survive on your own) and I believe most servers make around $2.30/hour, plus tips. That's why I always tip, even if the service is shitty. I mean, I'd be in a bad mood too if I was working my ass off for pennies.
Tobacco is now a 21+ product by the way, it changed a few years ago. For the hotels, the usual rule is location. The more popular the location, the more expensive the hotel but with the same service and services as a cheaper hotel in a less popular place. I stayed in a California hotel for $140 a night. It had no fridge, no microwave, no places to hang clothing, no TV and no AC. It did have wifi though. I stay in North Carolina in an $80 hotel and I have all of that.
Stay at a mid-range motel/hotel for free wifi, breakfast and parking. No spa amenities, but there will be a pool. My family is up and down the west coast, and we all stay at Holiday Inn Expresses when traveling to see each other.
The only reason I can think someone would think there are 52 states in America is because of Alaska and Hawaii. They probably think there are 50 contiguous states (grouped together) and then Alaska and Hawaii make 52. However, there are only 48 contiguous states. Beyond that, I got no clue beyond they were taught wrong
My parents are in Canada and I am just outside of Washington DC. It is a 450 miles (7.5 hour drive) each way and I have driven up to drop my daughter off and returned home on the same day. It's not that big a deal. My inlaw's place in Fort Lauderdale (1,100 miles) is a day drive from our place in Maryland with a single driver.
I do not find the cost of health insurance in the USA to be more than the TAXES paid in other countries for socialized medicine. You will not have a waiting list in the US for an appt. you CAN get a lowered price for medical services if you TELL THEM YOU ARE Paying CASH
Yup picking a region is the only way to have an enjoyable trip. Where I live in southern Maine which is not the biggest or the smallest state to the other side of my state ( northern Maine ) is about 6-7 hours driving time and a good part of the roads are highway speeds which is 65-70 mph about 365 miles without stopping ( about 587 kilometers ) all in the same state and we’re only one of the 50 states. So wherever you end up going to see having a good regional road trip plan ahead of time can help you have a better and less stressful time.
About tipping -- the US sets a minimum wage for hourly employees in certain jobs that all employers in the country must pay. Right now it's $7.25 / hour. There is a different federal minimum wage for hourly employees who receive tips -- $2.13 / hour. So if you have a job waiting on tables and work a 40-hour week, your employer only has to pay you $85.20 / week. That's less than $4,500 / year. The idea is that your tips will be enough to get you to a wage you can actually live on. States and localities can choose to require a higher minimum wage, and many do. And employers can choose to pay employees more.
In 2019 the smoking age was raised to 21. So now for both alcohol and tobacco/vape products the minimum age is 21. In states where recreational cannabis is legal the age is also 21. Medical cannabis (for residents) is 21, but medical patients can get regulatory approval at 18 if they qualify.
Pathogens in water are different everywhere. What your system is used to may not be the same pathogens in our water (and vice versa.) So when traveling it is always recommended to drink bottled water. It isn't that the water is bad, just different than what your immune system typically deals with.
Nowhere in the US will have pathogens in the tap water - except during an emergency - and they will warn you about it. It might happen at someone's house if they have well water, but not municipal tap water, whether it tastes good will vary greatly, however.
#1 tip: Do your research and make a plan. * If u wanna do a lot of taste testing, make a list of restaurants that are in the region ur visiting and map them out. * Same with attractions. If u want to attend a game, make sure the team is home and not away while u are there. Find out when and where fairs and rodeos are, etc.
In many restaurants, if you pay by card, often the charge slip that you sign gives you the option of several tip rates and you just mark which option you want to add to the charge. Buy travel health insurance. There are 50 States one federal district and 3 territories.
Rule of thumb for the 52 vs 50 States issue is count the number of Stars on the American Flag. I think it's Federal Law when another state is added another star is added to the Flag on the following Fourth of July.
if you do get a hotel: Do try to get a midrange hotel that has an empty frig and a microwave those are key elements towards the next do in America which is. if you do go out to eat at a restaurant always take your leftovers home or back to where you're staying like at a hotel or whatever because oftentimes American restaurants not only give out free stuff like "chips and dip bread stick rolls bread and butter free refills on fires and most drinks a free side salad and maybe a free side soup the options for free stuff is endless and you can even sometimes ask for a free refill or the free side thing like chips or bread sticks to be bagged or boxed up so you can take some more to go home with you even after you already ate a bunch of it if it's the refills and the next best thing is that USA food portions in restaurants can sometimes be a lot I mean like portions that you'd think would be for two or three people even at some of these Mexican restaurants and some Asian ones and red ribbon which is a burger place they do the free fries that come with the burger and you get endless refills on the fries too and you can also take another last refill of fries to go home with you in a take away box just say hey can i please get a refill on fries to go home and they will say of course and when your done with your meal and you paid they will bring you a box that has some hot fresh fires in it so that you can take the fries home with you and they will include a small tiny plastic container with sause for your fired and their burgers are huge! so please do ask for what we call a to-go box I know you guys may call it a takeaway box but non the less ask for one and take that food home with you they will bring you boxes and even cups with lids for your soups and even to go cups for lots of drinks sodas and coffee and milk shakes and they even bring you the extra milk shake that wouldn't fit in there glass so that you can refill you're milkshake glass with more milkshake when its empty but most of the time you have halk of the glass left with your extra portion of milkshake left too so you can ask for a "to-go" cup for your milkshake and they will have one then you can your time sipping it slowly in the car or at your next destination and if you take all the food left with you when you go you could end up coming home with 2 to 3 meals as leftovers you'll at least have 1 meal as a leftover anywhere that doesn't have a drive-through for sure! but even if it's something like pizza take it all home to the hotel you got that has an empty mini frig and microwave and enjoy it longer on your trip especially if it was a delicious meal... why not have more of it then right? see it's a win-win and if your hotel has a pool you can heat your food up and bring it to the pool it's like that in a lot of these mid hotels and even lower star places and get this if you're of the age of 21 or 18 depending the state so check each state of their age laws but you can weed legally recreationally at a dispensary like a weed grocery store! so step one go out to eat and collect some leftovers step two heat up the leftovers and bring them to the pool step three smoke a joint right outside the pool area of the hotel where it's open air step four go inside and then eat the hot leftovers and swim and have one hell of a great time! PS: have friends with you! and a phone with speakers for some music!
when i was a kid and teen my dad used to drive home to visit family, it would be an 8 hour drive. we get one stop to get gas and have lunch and use the bathroom. we would do this once a month. leave friday at 6 pm get to my grandma at 2 or 3 am. sleep in the car. visit our cousins on sat. drive home on sunday a t 12. go to bed around 10 pm and up at 6 am to get ready for school
Sales tax is added to the shelf price. Florida has a 6% sales tax. My county has an additional 1% on top of that. Fortunately groceries, medicine (Rx and ITC), and some other items are tax free. We also have limited time tax holidays for school supplies and hurricane preparedness at times.
I think the main reason people think there are 52 states is because their first thought is the mainland US and think there's 50 states there and then add Alaska and Hawaii to make 52.
About touching people -- I'm from Texas, but I have cousins in Brazil. When I visited there back in the 80's and 90's and the family got together, every time someone came into the room everybody got up and greeted them with an embrace and three kisses on their cheeks -- left, right, left.
I think people see a map of the United States and mentally think the contiguous States (the ones touching each other) on the mainland are the 50 States (when those are actually only 48 stares), because they've heard that the country has 50 States, then they see Alaska and Hawaii in their own little boxes off to the side and add 2 to 50 and erroneously conclude there are 52 states. 🤷🏾♂️
We Americans LOVE our cars, and some of us really love driving! Plus so many of us are used to long commutes daily for work, day trips that include 4 to 6 hours of being on the road is no big deal.
RE: tipping keep in mind that the servers aren't paid a minimum wage, around $2.45 per hour. The cheap food is subsidized by under paying the employees
If you see someone with a gun you definitely will not offend them to compliment that gun. It’s like complimenting someone’s car. Every gun owner I know loves to talk about their guns, and most of them are extremely responsible about gun safety. When my grandpa died, my dad wanted one thing: the rifle he taught him to shoot with. Guns can hold great sentimental value to their owners.
I just drove from Sacramento California to Bakersfield California in the morning had a three hour business meeting then drove back to Sacramento arriving at 6pm. 8 1/2 hours of driving and 3 hours of meetings. No big deal, a normal day.
The 52 thing just comes from the way the u.s is shown on a map, most ppl think the 50 states ppl refer to are the contiguous ones, plus Hawaii and Alaska, but Hawaii and Alaska are counted within the 50 states
Oh yes, if you are marked as a non-tipper, do not hazard going back. This is considered "stiffing" the server -- basically, denying payment for service. If you do go back, do not expect good service. In fact, you can be pretty confident that something not included in the original cooking process may be an ingredient in your food when it arrives. And you may or may not ever know it. BTW/in some cities or counties, we are seeing bills introduced to require servers to be paid the non-restaurant minimum wage. Presumably, this would negate the need to pay high tips, as the servers would already be getting better wages. We'll see what happens. So far, the bills in my area seem not to have passed.
Tipping is a courtesy, it isn't written in stone that you absolutely have to. Some pay 2%, 5% or 10%, some pay the 15-20% and some even go above that and pay 30% or more up to 48%.. depending on what they are doing and purchasing (and how much money they're worth!). Here to, we tip depending on the service, atmosphere, how clean the bathrooms are, how friendly the staff is, did we have a long wait time before being seated? (sometimes the place is packed and you wait for a table, that wait can be up to 30 minutes at times). If our dining experience is not so good because of the waiter or waitress, we still tip - just not as much. There are times our food is so good, we even tip the cook too. Smoking; Inside most public buildings you cannot smoke in them, big no, no. Outside in public, there is no law saying you cannot smoke unless it's got a sign posted not to; like at a bus stop or in a doctor's office parking lot (car park), most manufacturing factories have no smoking on their property at all anymore - places like that. But some places that say no smoking will have a labeled special room or designated area that smoker's can go to and smoke - but it's usually outside, separate from the main building (for insurance purposes they say), and some have no roof so the smoker has to brave the weather no matter what it is.
I grew up in Maine and currently live in Virginia and go back home to visit couple times a year and its a 12 hour drive just to the boarder of Maine and then its another 4 hours to where I grew up in Maine. I can drive this straight through in 17 hours, only stopping twice to gas up and use the rest room....I have done this over the last 20 years. Also as someone who worked in the foodservice industry for 20+ years, wait staff only make about $2.35 an hour....that is why they essentially live off tips, because their pay checks are ridiculously low.
In regards to the 52 "states", our capital city, Washington DC, is not a state, but a lot of folks think it could be. I'm also guessing the other one might be Puerto Rico which is a US territory. There's been a lot of talk the last couple of decades in that territory applying for statehood. (The US actually has 5 territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.) Other than that I have no idea why Europeans are being taught that the US has 52 states.
I think the reason a lot of people think there are 52 states is because most of our states are together, which we call "main land states" and then we have the other 2 that aren't attached and for some reason they confuse that by thinking the main land is comprised of 50 states plus the 2 off shore... it's a pretty common mistake even for us as children when we first learn about the states ourselves in America...
California girl, here. If you come to California don't forget to give yourself time to see the state. Just the one state of California is bigger than the United Kingdom. When people think of California they often think of So Cal (southern California) with sunshine and the beach scene. The state also has mountains (I am a ski instructor), Mt Whitney which, at 14,505 above sea level, is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, the Nor Cal (northern California) wine country, San Francisco, etc etc etc.
This video hits most things pretty well. One thing I wpuld advise on the tipping though. This has historically been for service employees who employers are legally permitted to pay well below minimum wage. Primarily bartenders and servers at full service restaurants. In the last 40 years or so, add delivery drivers as almost everywhere their employer does not reimburse them for fuel expenses or assistance on car insurance. That all being said, freaking EVERY place is shoving a tip calculator in customers faces, even when there is no real "service" other than ringing up a till. Do NOT feel obligated to tip under those circumstances.
If you don't tip, they'll just hate you, but they won't come after you or anything. And they'd never dream of asking you for more, even if you stiff them, and they can tell you're going to stiff them. Teens typically will tip $5, because they're poor.
You said you were going to rent a car well so if the police stop you DO NOT get out of the car and do not reach for anything until they ask you too. Keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times unless they tell you otherwise. Good luck and come visit soon!!!
I can rapidly calculate into the metric system, I'll often use the metric system especially when target shooting or ranging for greater weapon systems etc, out to kilometers etc...
Don't litter and be mindful of swearing. Ask questions don't assume or use generalizations. Picking a region is very smart. I have lived in every region in the US. All are vastly different. Also check the weather patterns of said regions. Summers in the South can be unbearable. Especially, if you plan on sighting and going on day trips. We're more than our cities. We have great skiing, amazing hiking and great parks. So many things to do outside bigger urban areas.
Americans can and do drive 3+ hrs no stop, but no, the average American does *not* consider a 3hr drive "fine" that's a long drive, and if it's 3 hrs to have a 1hr lunch with mom/mum & dad, that's a no, the vast majority of Americans wouldn't agree to 3 hrs driving, 1hr lunch, 3hrs back. Not unless I drive there, have lunch, work at my job there for 6+ hrs, then 3 hrs back
My aunt explained Americans to me like this. (We're both born and raised USA citizens) Think about the kind of people that started the 13 colonies then the new country. First: adventurous adrenal junkies that braved moving across the ocean to a strang new land. Second: greedy/money motivated people were offered land. And in england land owners were the wealthy, so dreamers that wanted a better life with more land went to the colonies. Thrid: criminals, yes, England offered prisioners a chance to go help settle the new land and get out a prision. Forth: independent thinkers Like pilgrims looking for a place to worship as they please. This freedom of religion became part of the bill of rights making a religious sanctuary for many religions. This explains the "In God we Trust". And Morale values held by many. Fifth: refugees from many counties. People fleeing either dictators, war or starvation. Six: gold rush and free land (pioneers/cowboys) broght people from all around the world. As you can see The USA was built by very determined, independent and brave people. So of course we are extremely patriotic, independ, protectors of freedom, work a holics, strong willed, optnionated, with some criminal tendencies. Lol the refugees that all came here to flee communism and othe dictator never want to see it here. They are the most informed as to what the slow creep of socialism/communism looks like.
My guess is that people are combining, maybe, the fact that there are territories they might think 2 of them are states, and others might be thinking the US is 50 states plus Alaska and Hawaii, since they aren't attached to the rest.
RE-50 versus 52: My guess is people are aware of Alaska and Hawaii, but think that the number 50 doesn't include them. They assume that the mainland has all 50 states. When in doubt count the stars on the most current flag, because there's one star for each state on the US flag. So, if we ever get our 51st state (Puerto Rico), the star field will be redesigned. Bonus: The number of stripes is 13 for the original founding states.
Honestly I just think people assume that the lower 48 is really the lower 50 and that people are forgetting about Alaska and Hawaii and so they add them to make it 52
You can start at one end of Texas and head for the other end...10 hrs. later and you haven't made it yet. If you forget to tip you will have the server chasing you down the street. Please come to my home state of Colorado. 5 generations of my family and I are born and from there. It is the most beautiful state with so much to see. You can river raft, hike in the mtns., see any kind of animals and weather. I would google it. Also, I have retired to Texas and large cities are ok. I am in Austin but I love going to the Gulf of Mexico as Padre Islands and Galveston on the coast are amazing. There is no smoking inside any building here. Ask people when you find an area to stay what are the don't miss spots that you might miss. They should be happy to tell you especially if you are in a store or restaurant. We have 2 territories we have acquired but not made states such as Puerto Rico and Guam.
Racial profiling. I've worked at a prominent university that attracts a large international enrollment. The first thing I recommend is to watch out that you don't engage in racial profiling, i.e. interacting with people's of color -- Native Americans and Black Americans. It's shocking when we learn what is taught about our cultures and our environments, our food choices (I, black woman, am definitely not one to ask about Soul Food...I wasn't raised on it!) our activities, etc nor do we all talk in the stereotypical slangs. We are just as varied as the next person. So, approach everyone as an individual first.
The U.S. has 50 states, but foreigners frequently include a couple or more of the U.S. Territories in their counts. The most often counted are Puerto Rico and Guam. but there also are the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and The Northern Mariana Islands. I can't speak to why the other three are so often overlooked, but Guam is a major asset for the U.S. military and Puerto Rico is just such a powerful presence that I don't think it's possible to forget it! There are other uninhabited territories the U.S. holds, but I'm not familiar with them.
Besides the Alaska/Hawaii thing, I wonder if people are thinking of 52 cards in a deck, and that's how 52 gets stuck in their head for the number of states?
Remember this. There are good people here and they will act nice toward you and give you a great first impression...... BUT never lower your guard because somewhere nearby is a NOT good person waiting for the opportunity to hurt you. There is a lot of mental illnes in this country and you never know when they will appear. A nice conversation can go wrong in the blink of an eye.
Just so you know for when you visit, Oregon has no sales tax, but it's 21 for tobacco products. You can legally smoke weed at 21 as well, we have more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks lol.
Keep in mind that this impacts what people think of American crime statistics. "OMG, there was a big crime in Los Angeles, the whole US is dangerous!" That's like me saying, "They bombed Kyiv, and I have a friend in Lisbon -- are they okay?" New York is further from Los Angeles (4500km) than Lisbon is from Kyiv (4100 km). If you visit the US, just like every other area in the world, if you avoid the dangerous areas of a big city, you'll be FINE for pete's sake. You'll be FINE.
