January 13 2015, 21:57

Before traveling to the States, I imagined myself in the national parks somewhat like this (see the Snow White picture).

Reality turned out to be harsher. The fauna here is indeed rich, but cautious. We didn’t encounter any foxes, wolves, deer, or bears.

Over five national parks, the West Coast, forests, mountains, and walks along not always touristic trails, we didn’t meet many wild animals:

1. A little squirrel in Sequoia National Park (photo). Another squirrel we saw at the San Diego zoo doesn’t count.

2. Ground squirrels on the 17-mile drive near Monterey (photo).

3. A cougar that crossed our path in Grand Canyon National Park. Unfortunately, the cougar was fast, and we got no photo.

4. Elephant seals on the coast (photo). I do not count the seals in San Francisco; they are there 24/7 and are very accessible.

5. Pelicans on the pier in Santa Barbara (photo)

In the sky, hawks and other unidentified birds were periodically flying.

January 13 2015, 15:02

I just couldn’t refuel at ARCO because they don’t accept international bank cards, and the ATM installed at the station doesn’t recognize them either. Quite delightful, especially after driving the last forty minutes with the “gas running out” light on.

Overall, here are some observations about bank cards in the States (differences from Russia, purely based on my experience with Raiffeisen, Avangard, Promsvyazbank, Alfa-bank cards):

1. If you need to enter a PIN at a sales point, the transaction most likely won’t go through. That’s the case for all the listed cards. The right approach – claim that the card is a credit card, not a debit card, even if it’s not. Then they don’t ask for a PIN, and everything works (and the money is deducted instantly).

2. Some ATMs don’t “swallow” the card during the transaction. You pass your card, thereby giving the ATM your card details, and only then, without the card, you enter your PIN, what commands to perform, etc.

3. In restaurants, they take your card, swipe it at their register WITHOUT THE AMOUNT, and then you write down the total with tips on the receipt, sign, and go home. Technically, the restaurant could later charge as much as they want from your card after you leave, for instance, for any broken dishes they find. But naturally, no one commits fraud just like that.

4. Some automatic gas stations might initially charge much more than the amount of gas you pumped to then refund it later. I don’t understand why this is done – it seems not to cover any risks. For example, we fueled in Yosemite National Park for $20, but they charged $110. In the next transaction, the hundred was back in place, but the SMS alerts can be quite alarming. Note that this happens after you’ve already fueled for $20. That is, the system already sends the amount to the bank, but for some reason, the bank charges more.

5. All our cards are chip-based, but we encountered no point of sale that made a distinction between a chip and a magnetic stripe. The only question was whether it’s a debit or a credit card.

6. At gas stations, for amounts under fifty dollars, they sometimes don’t even ask for a signature on the receipt. They just say, the amount is small, no signature needed.

Konstantin Abramov, Artem Laskov – maybe you could shed some light on point 4 and the strange restriction on international cards at gas stations?

January 12 2015, 12:07

In the States, hotels and motels have some sort of standard for what should be in the room and how it should be arranged. Since we stay in a new place every day, trying not to repeat brands, we have already gathered about ten different ones. Travelodge, Days Inn, Luxor, The Grand Hotel, Motel 6, Motel 8, Rest Haven Motel, Hilton Garden Inn.

So, there are no chandeliers or overhead lights anywhere. All the light comes from floor lamps and table lamps. Sometimes it’s a brain teaser to figure out how they turn on (it can easily be in the opposite corner).

The table lamp always has built-in sockets. It’s convenient for charging devices. Unlike Europe, there are plenty of outlets. Right now, in my room, I have eleven free outlets and four are occupied.

There is an ice bucket. The water seems drinkable from the tap (but I don’t like the taste, so I don’t drink it). An ice machine for free ice is always nearby.

The heater/air conditioner is built into the wall under the window, delivering hot/cold/fresh air. Once, I encountered an additional gas heater. There was actually a flame.

The mattresses and beds are usually of good quality. They are comfortable to sleep on, and you don’t want to get up (except for the first few days when I had severe jet lag).

The plumbing: the shower nearly always features a single handle, is always fixed, and the bathtub is always below the knee.

The room always includes a microwave, often a coffee machine, often a pod-coffee machine. There is never a kettle and never any tea. Sugar is hard to come by, usually just one or two packets, the rest are substitutes.

Hotels with a single door are common.

Hotels (not motels) often block funds in case of “something happening”. They return it if everything is okay. About 30 bucks or so.

Currently, at the hotel in the Grand Canyon, there’s also a balcony and fresh newspapers in the room in the morning. But this is the first time for that.

So far, from what I’ve observed, the cheapest way to book a room is off-season, a couple of hours before check-in.