25:35
Ah, California. The state that always has perfect weather, will never bust your budget, and everybody calls it Cali. No, there fellow travelers. Mark here with Walter's World. Today we're here in San Diego in beautiful California. And today we're going to talk about is some of the common mistakes that tourists make when they come to this beautiful state of California. And the first mistake I think people make when they think about coming to California for vacation is thinking that California is all the same. It's just like one California. And I'll tell you it is not. You do have that NorCal SoCal divide.
You know, Northern California versus Southern California. But there's a lot more than that. The Central Valley, the mountains, all kinds of stuff. You have so many different parts of the state that it's not all one place. Even you just go to the big cities of LA, San Francisco, and San Diego. I mean, they have completely different vibes when you go there. And that's one of the things people don't think about cuz when they think of California, they think of, oh, it's all beaches and blond long-haired surfer dudes, you know, chill action in the sun. No. No, there is so many different parts of the state that you can really enjoy. And that's why it's really great if you go out and explore
more cuz you can get beaches. You can get big cities. You can see culture. You can go into deserts. I mean, there's so many fantastic things to see here. I mean, the nature in California is different wherever you go. If you go to Northern California, the very north, it's more like the Pacific Northwest. You know, you can see the redwoods. You know, and Sequoia is there. And you can go to Yosemite National Park. I mean, going down to Death Valley and seeing the desert there, Joshua Tree. I mean, there's so many national parks, state parks that are so different you can take in. But honestly, if you think California's just one coastline and that's it, there are so much more for
you to enjoy when you come here. I just wanted to tell you, it's probably a good idea to get the national park pass, you know, the America the Beautiful Pass when you go into some of these national parks cuz it will pay off when you come here to California. Now, I'm here on a beautiful sunny afternoon here in San Diego. And I think another mistake people make when they come to California is they think it's always sunny and nice. Look, you're going to hear these things, June gloom or May is gray or whatever. Like, it's not always sunny here. I mean, honestly, if you go to San Francisco, you're going to have fog.
It's going to be cold. Like, you're not hitting the beach after you've, you know, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge or you're going to Napa Valley. Like, no, no, no, no, no. That's That's Southern California do that. Northern California, those beaches, they can be a bit chilly. But, the state itself, it is kind of important even in San Diego, probably perfect weather city of a of the United States. In the evening time, you're probably going to throw on a jacket because it does get cool. So, I think that idea that it's always sunny, it's always warm, it's always perfect, man, the internet got you fooled. And another thing that might
have fooled you is back in the Baywatch days, you'd see everybody running in the water of the ocean. They be having a great time. I think that's a mistake people make. They think it's going to be a warm, relaxing jump in the ocean, and it is the farthest from the truth. The Pacific Ocean is cold. Like, cold. Like, chilly, chilly cold. And this is not Florida. The beaches there where the water is warm with the Gulf Stream coming through or if you're going to Texas or, you know, Cancun and stuff. Oh, no, no, no. The Pacific water, it's um it tightens the pores, let's say, when you get in there. So, do be aware of that if you're going to go swimming. I mean, you can get in and you'll have a
good time, but just know you might be hopping out a little quicker than you thought. Now, I've come to California a number of times. We've got videos on San Diego, LA, San Francisco, and other parts of California in general. And no matter where I've gone, I'll be honest with you, Californians are actually super nice. Like, they love their communities. I mean, they love their city, but they love their neighborhood, and they want you to get to know it. So, they're going to take you around. They're fantastic. But, I got to say, don't make the mistake of thinking about that flaky reputation that they kind of flake out on you. I.E., maybe make a plan and they have to cancel last minute. Do not take it personally. Okay?
Cuz here in California, plans change. Sometimes you get stuck in traffic for an hour trying to get home and things have to be modified. So, don't take it personally. I mean, I would say this, if you got friends here in California, you're going to go visit them, you're going to meet up, if they give you a time, take that time with a grain of salt and make sure you're checking your phone in case things get delayed or they have to postpone. But, don't think they're doing it to be rude. It's just That's just how it works here in California sometimes. But, I feel like I kind of hit this one the whole like thinking California is all one place. But, I would say this, don't make the mistake of only visiting LA or only
visiting San Francisco because there's so much more to see. Even you're going to LA, come down to San Diego, it's not that far. Go out to Joshua Tree National Park and go visit there. If you're in San Francisco, go to Napa Valley, go to Sonoma, go to see, you know, Redwood State Park. I mean, there's so many things you can do outside those cities that are nearby. But, if you go explore more and the thing is, to go and explore, you're going to need a car and I think that's a mistake a lot of tourists make, especially my international tourists from the US who are like, "Hey, we're going to go visit California and we've heard they have a train in there, there's public transportation there, we're going to use that." Yes, here in San Diego, there is
a trolley. Yes, in San Francisco, there's a streetcar. And you know what? When you're in LA, there's public transportation. But, the trains from like LA to San Diego and other places don't think they're the most efficient or fast. I mean, they'll get you there, they'll be very scenic. But, public transportation isn't really your best option when you're getting around California. Even as in the cities and going around, you're going to need to drive, okay? And so, I want to recommend is rent a car and go explore because if you have your own car, you can drive the Pacific Coast Highway. I mean, it's gorgeous. I mean, it's one of the highlight drives of the United States.
So, people talk about Route 66 and then you have the Pacific Coast Highway. I mean, it's just so beautiful and remember, they don't say Interstate, they don't They just say the five, the 405. They don't say the I5, the I10. No, they're just five, 405. Remember that when like you're getting directions. Uh that's one of the things the locals will say and I guess if I'm talking about driving, I should talk about parking. and the mistake of parking is thinking you're going to find it cuz you might find a beautiful beach, but you're like, "Oh, where am I going to park?" Oops. You know? Or when you're driving around, it's like, "Where am I going to park?" And when you finally find a parking spot, you better
be ready to pay because the parking prices here, you got to factor that into your budget, how much the parking can be. And believe me, if you don't pay for your parking, if it's a place you have to pay, they will find you. I mean, even Balboa Park here in San Diego, they're charging for parking now, too. And it's like, "Ugh." So, just be knowing that the driving can be a bit frustrating cuz oh yeah, the traffic. Because it's the most populous state, there's not really any low times. There's just less full of traffic time sometimes. And yes, getting around LA will take you a long time, but just know driving around California is something you're going to need to do. And once you get out of the cities, it's actually not
that bad. So, don't be thinking it's bumper-to-bumper traffic everywhere you go, but it will be something you have to do, unfortunately. But you get a lot of benefit from it with all the places you can go and see. Cuz you can go up to up to Carlsbad and go see stuff up there. You can go out to You know, you can go out to Joshua Tree like I was talking about from LA. You can go and drive on your own, explore so much more, but yeah. Don't don't think public transportation going to help you cuz it's not going to help you. All right, I'm just telling you that as a friendly tourist. If you're thinking you're going to Uber around the cities all the time, believe me, that will add up more than the take the car rental fee and
the parking fees. Yeah, so just be aware of that. And I think You know what? I probably should talk about this one because as I'm a travel influencer, I like to call myself a travel educator. If you see some of our thousands of videos, but I think I have to tell you this. Don't believe all of the online things you've heard about California or all the things you've seen in pop culture about California cuz some things will give you away as a tourist if you call it Cali. Yeah, some people from California call it that, but not really, okay? Or oh yeah, we're going to see a game up with Southern Cal. Yeah, no. No, it's USC or SC. That's how they call it here. So, be aware of it. Some of these things will kind of give it
away that you're not from around here, but also when you see those Instagram pictures of them with like their fancy stuff behind them and all kinds of stuff, just know there's probably 50 people on the other side of their camera waiting to get that picture. So, don't think all the fancy stuff you see online about California is really real. And don't think it's just the influencer social media crowd, either. Hollywood isn't quite as glamorous as you think it is. So, just know when you see those things online about, you know, the cheese pulls and the fancy food and the candies and all those kind of things that people like to show off.
Again, that grain of salt you're taking another one and take it with that advice they give you. Now, with California being the most popular state in the union and one of the largest states in the union, I have to tell you this, you know, with being a huge state, um you got to remember, don't make the mistake of not giving yourself enough time for anything. What do I mean by that? Look, if you're going to go driving places, you're going to go to an event, you're going to do uh go to the store, go to a restaurant, go to a fast food place, you're going to go to In-N-Out Burger, whatever, just know it's going to take a little bit longer or a lot longer than you might be used to because with such a
big state, the distances are so much farther. I mean, in Illinois, yeah, I can drive to see my mom across the state, only takes me, you know, 3 hours. California, if my mom is on the other side of the state, the north side, I'm looking at what, a 10-hour drive? I mean, this is the way you kind of have to think about it and that adds time. And then with the traffic in the cities, that adds time. When you go to the amusement parks, when you go to some of the more popular tourist destinations, the lines there, takes a little bit more of time, takes a little bit more time, and that eats into your vacation time. So, I
would give yourself about 30% more time than you think you're going to need when you're looking at doing things around California, just because of the distance and the number of people and just the driving kind of stuff that goes with that. Now, in the news, you may have heard that some people are leaving California and it's mostly because of the prices. And yeah, don't make the mistake of thinking you're going to be doing a budget trip to California. Now, there's things you can do to lower the cost. I mean, the best part of coming to California for me is the nature. Going on the hikes, going to the coast, going to the mountains, going to the national parks, state parks. Those aren't free.
You got to pay for the national parks and that kind of stuff, but you get my idea. There's affordable things you can do in this state. The thing is if you go to the tourist things, you're going to Disneyland, you're going to Knott's Berry Farm, you're going to other things, the prices add up. When you go to eat where the tourist side, just like anywhere in the world, the prices are much higher. So, go eat where the locals eat. That will lower your price. Go to the grocery store. I know it's a little pricey there, too, but it's going to be better than if you're going out to eat like downtown and the more popular areas like the Gaslamp District here in San Diego, you know, so kind of think about
that because it is expensive when you are here and I will say when you're driving around, you'll notice that expense in the gas prices. Yeah, gas prices are high when you're getting your hotels, the taxes on there. Hotels in the like main parts of the city, the tourist parts of the city, will be significantly more than if you're staying a little bit out, but maybe you want to stay where the tourists are. So, it's something really got to consider when you're planning out your budget for coming to California because you'll notice a lot of like hidden costs pop up when you're here and you're like, "What happened?" And I think like tipping is one of those things and this is for my international
travelers coming here to California. Everyone whenever I make a video about tipping in the US, they get all up in arms, but look, California's expensive for you as a tourist. Imagine how expensive it is for the people that live here. They've got to buy these houses. They have to rent these houses and the tips, that's how a lot of people make a living and you are not going to be showing the owner that they can't do this by not tipping. No, you're just being cheap and you're hurting that waiter, that waitress, that server, that bartender, that guide that lives off those tips. So, don't make the mistake of not tipping because you will see tipping is a thing here, just like
everywhere in the US. Uh but let's talk about some fun stuff about California, the food. And I want to tell you, don't make the mistake of missing out on the local food because just like there's different regions here within California, different vibes everywhere you go, the food is different as well. Here in San Diego, have your carne asada fries. Yes, french fries with sour cream and guacamole and cheese and carne asada meat on top. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, it's so good. Oh, California burrito here in San Diego. Make that burrito and put fries in it. Yes, I'm definitely team California burrito. But here's the thing, you go up to San Francisco, you might have a mission burrito if you want.
I'm sorry, I'm a California burrito guy. But you get a mission burrito there, the sourdough bread, the cioppino, which is basically like a fish stew they have up there. There's fantastic food there. There's the street tacos in LA. I mean, go into the wine Yeah, Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, but there's more wines in California than that. I mean, there's so many great things you can do. The farmers markets throughout the state are a fun place to go to grab some fresh stuff cuz a lot of the fruits and veg we actually eat in the US comes from here in California. So you're going to have so many fresh fantastic things when you're here. Asian food's fantastic.
From Chinese Korean Oh my gosh, Korean tacos. Thank you Lee for introducing me to those back in LA many years ago. Can't wait to see you. Hope you all are doing good there in LA. But honestly, there's so many great food things here. Yes, there's In-N-Out Burger. Yeah, the California staple of fast food. But I would say yeah, don't make the mistake of thinking they actually have a menu because it's a secret menu. They just have like a double animal No, no. I go animal style, which is the best way. I like my fries a little bit crispier, but you know what? Just give me my burger animal style and everything will be just fine. But yeah, you have all kinds of great stuff when you're here. And you
notice the locals and the tourists eat a bit different because the locals know how expensive it is in the tourist locations. So they're eating in their local neighborhoods. They're eating out there, having their carne asada fries in Humberto's and other places. Whereas tourists are more eating in the more expensive places, more touristy thing. And I'm not saying the tourist places have bad food. They got good food there, too. But price-wise and variety-wise, sometimes it's better to go eating where the people eat and then the people live. I mean anywhere you go in California you have great food. I mean you go to the north you get you know the salmon up there is fantastic.
Like Bakersfield with their Basque food like the it's just so many good foods when you are here. I mean you don't want to miss out on that. So don't eat the same thing every day. Go and explore the cuisine cuz honestly Now more of a serious note, I do want to say another mistake I see tourists make is they kind of turn the homeless situation the unhoused situation and the addict you know people with addiction issues they kind of turn it into a tourist attraction. Like oh hey let's go down to the Tenderloin and see how bad it is, you know. These kind of things they're just not something you do. It's it's degrading to humanity. So please don't do that. That is a mistake for people to do that cuz there are people living rough. You will see
people tenting and sleeping out. You will see people sleeping on the streets cuz you know what? It's tough times for a lot of people and turning them into a tourist attraction really isn't it's not cool for a tourist to do and it's just something it cannot be I mean it might not be safe as well because there are issues there and I think the safety thing that's another thing. I think sometimes tourists make the mistake of not taking the warnings seriously for a lot of things, okay? One thing, wildfires. When there's wildfires happening people die. This is not a joke. It's not social media content to go film the wildfires. You get out of there. If there's any warnings you're gone. I mean you want to be careful with
that. When you're at the beach and you the flags are showing don't go in. You don't go in. And when there's water shortage you know the drought warnings and stuff, you're not taking a 20-minute shower at your hotel. I mean these are things you have to consider when you're here and a lot of tourists just go oh I'm a tourist who cares. No. We do as tourists we do make impacts in the communities we live in and the environments we live in. So it's really important that we kind of take that in cuz those warnings can be for the nature but also for our own safety, all right? So I don't want you to get pulled away in the rip tides, okay? I want you to watch more Walter's World videos, all right? Now another mistake tourists make
when they come to California is they look at the map and they see all that coastline and they're going to think oh all that coastline means it's going to be easy for me to get on the coast anytime I want. Yes, it's easy to see see sunset on the coast but I will tell you um don't make the mistake of thinking it's easy to get down to the water sometimes cuz sometimes like oh wow, that water is beautiful down there. How do I get down there to get to the water? Or oh wow, that's a beautiful coastline, but how do we get through all these houses are lined up next to each other? How do I get down there? I mean, these are like silly issues, but they
are issues and you're trying to figure out how I'm going to get to the beach. And you might find a beach that has a parking lot, but then you'll drive through the parking lot and realize there's no parking spots left. I mean, sometimes you're like I am right there. I want to enjoy the beautiful beach and the sunset and the fun with my friends. But sometimes it gets a little frustrating. So just at your hotel ask them, "Hey, where's the best place to go to get to the beach?" Cuz some places there are literally you can walk onto it, some places you can park on it. I mean, there's like park by it and all kinds of stuff, but yeah, it can be a bit frustrating sometimes. Oh, and I
think another mistake sometimes tourists make when it comes to the beach um make sure you check the rules about alcohol on the beach cuz some beaches yeah, you can have a beer with your buddies. Other ones you can get fined and get in trouble. So check out those rules before you go there. Now, another thing with the beach and pretty much anywhere in California is don't make the mistake of thinking you're going to have some alone time on the beach, at a site, at a restaurant, at a music park, anywhere in the state. Remember, most popular state in the union, one of the most popular place for people to visit in the entire United States. So sadly, you're probably not going to be alone very often. So
that's one thing tourists sometimes get upset cuz there's so many tourists all the time and it can be a bit overwhelming especially if you're like if you're going to Yosemite, you know, on the weekends in the summertime and people are all you going out and doing things. I mean, you're just kind of like always around people. So just be aware of that. So if you're somebody that doesn't like that, make sure you're not coming during the peak seasons cuz otherwise it can be a bit it can be a bit much for some people. I won't lie to you. Oh, and another little mistake I think people make is thinking they're going to shop late. Oddly enough, California, I feel like a of things close early. Like the place I'm
sitting here in San Diego, they close the water slide at 5:00. The pool is open till 8:00, but the kids can't walk go down the water slide after 5:00. It's It's really weird. But you notice that with stores and shops and stuff, so just be aware. Check the schedule of the place you're going to go to make sure they're open and when, and maybe make reservations at those restaurants, especially on the weekends. And then I want to give a shout out to my buddy Chris from Yellow Productions, cuz this is one thing he's mentioned about San Diego many times, and that is don't always trust that your definition of where a city stops and where the locals say where a city stops are the same
thing. Like for a tourist, we think San Diego, oh, San Diego, that's that's the Gaslamp District in downtown and Little Italy, that's San Diego. If I'm going up to La Jolla, that's La Jolla's La Jolla, it's a totally different city. It even says it's La Jolla. But the locals will say, no, no, that's still San Diego. San Diego is all the way to Carlsbad, you know, Carlsbad up there. You know, they're like, yeah, no, it's San Diego County is all San Diego. And you might have some differences there, so just make sure you check, and especially if you're looking like on your Google Maps and stuff like that, you might be like,
wait, I thought it was La Jolla was in San Diego? No, La Jolla Cove is in La Jolla, California, so just be aware of that. Anyway, if you want some more California stuff, I do recommend Chris Yellow Productions, he's a great guy, friend of mine, love his stuff. He's got great stuff He's from here in San Diego, he's got plenty of videos to help you out, too. I'll link some down below. But also, if you want just want to learn more about California in general, we've got videos on that, too. The Don'ts of California, Don'ts of San Francisco, Don'ts of LA, all kinds of the fun stuff on Walter's World.com. I'll say a special thank you to our members on YouTube and our patrons on Patreon who help make travel videos like this
possible. Without your support, we couldn't be doing this, so I want to say thank you very much, and wish you a fantastic time here in California, cuz honestly, you can have a great time when you're here, even if it is a bit pricier than you expect. Bye from here in San Diego.
