What to Do in America – According to Qantas Frequent Flyers

These Qantas Frequent Flyers are no strangers to the United States. Here they reveal their favourite holiday moments – from meet-and-greets with celebrities to being transported in a self-driving car.

“We watched the Indiana Pacers play in Indianapolis, wearing Boomers basketball singlets to support Aussie Johnny Furphy and were beamed onto the jumbotron.” – Brenton Ward, Bronze Frequent Flyer

Our 40th birthdays were a great excuse to visit my best mate Edward in Southern California. He’s been living in Oceanside since 2011, a beautiful beach community about two hours south of LA. Oceanside has that relaxed So-Cal vibe but it’s also quite buzzy – you can even find great coffee! Americans defer to Australians as though we’re esteemed coffee critics but I love flat whites from Pannikin and High/Low at Mission Pacific Beach Resort, an uber-cool new property opposite the Oceanside Municipal Pier. I love the coffee cake at the surf-inspired Beach Break Cafe, which comes as a side to enormous dishes such as waffles with bacon. 

We planned some big-ticket events further afield, too. We watched the Indiana Pacers play in Indianapolis, wearing Boomers basketball singlets to support NBA draft pick and Aussie Johnny Furphy and were beamed onto the jumbotron. We also did a road trip to Vegas in a self-driving Tesla and saw a David Copperfield magic show for old time’s sake – we first saw him in a performance as 17-year-olds in Melbourne. 

My favourite memory was a spur-of-the-moment beach picnic with Edward and his family and hiking Annie’s Canyon in Solana Beach, which looks like something out of Central Australia. Afterwards, we rounded a few corners and there was Fletcher Cove Park and with its palms, ocean views and kids playing, it was a pinch-yourself California moment.

Brenton flew Melbourne to Los Angeles

“In San Francisco, I kept spotting sci-fi-looking Waymo driverless cars… the experience was surreal, like stepping into the future.” – Meg Thomas, Gold Frequent Flyer

My son is a student rower at the University of California, Berkeley. I love visiting him on campus to watch his races and exploring the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area. The college grounds are stunning – redwood groves, cherry blossoms in spring and diverse architecture. 

Our favourite food haunts are La Burrita for fresh Mexican, Fogo de Chão for next-level Brazilian barbecue and The Stinking Rose in San Francisco, which is known for being very generous with garlic. I’ve never tried their garlic ice-cream but I love the 40-clove garlic chicken. On my recent trip, we biked across the Golden Gate Bridge and the view seemed to change every minute – from misty to super-clear to foggy, all in less than two hours. 

In San Francisco, I kept spotting sci-fi-looking Waymo driverless cars. My son kept trying to convince me to ride in one but I worried they weren’t safe. Finally, I agreed and I’ve never felt more secure in a car! They’re also really luxurious with charging ports, screens and curated playlists. Fares are on par with other ride-share apps but the experience is surreal, like stepping into the future. It was an unexpected highlight.

Meg flew Melbourne to San Francisco via Sydney.

“We always base ourselves in West Hollywood as it has the best energy and great bars and restaurants such as Gracias Madre – we never miss Taco Tuesday for the vegan tacos and strong margaritas.” – Brooke Ogle, Silver Frequent Flyer

My partner and I are a little bit obsessed with Los Angeles. Even though it’s culturally close to Australia, there’s something fascinating about being in a city you’ve only ever seen on screen. After our honeymoon to LA in 2019, which included driving the famous Route 66 and finishing up in LA, we’ve since returned five times. For this trip, we used Qantas Points to bid for an upgrade to Premium Economy and it was totally worth it!

We always base ourselves in West Hollywood as it has the best energy and great bars and restaurants such as Gracias Madre – we never miss Taco Tuesday for the vegan tacos and strong margaritas. On our most recent visit, we joined two tours that were both highlights. On the Celebrity Homes Tour, we saw Kim Kardashian’s house, which looked from the outside like an empty white museum, while Margot Robbie’s home was charmingly covered in overgrown vegetation. During the Haunted Hollywood tour, we explored another side of the city and the final stop was at the tiny cocktail lounge Bar Next Door on Sunset Boulevard, located in what was once the offices of Marilyn Monroe’s talent agency.

We also rented a car and drove through the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills, where the mansions just get bigger the further you ascend to the top. Griffith Park and Observatory offered the best hike for views of the famous Hollywood sign but for a more laid-back outlook, we also loved picnicking among locals at Lake Hollywood Park as the sun set. 

One unexpected gem was the La Brea Tar Pits museum for an immersive experience discovering real fossils of sabre-toothed cats and mammoths. But the highlight of our trip came at the DragCon drag queen convention, where I met my idol, RuPaul. He was kind, humble and happy to chat. I also visited his Walk of Fame star and even spotted his home on the celebrity home tour.

Brooke flew Sydney to Los Angeles.

 

“At a Williamsburg skate park party, I danced in a half-pipe. It was such a good vibe.” – Audrey Michelin, Gold Frequent Flyer

“A free weekend during a two-week work trip gave me the chance to live like a New Yorker, and I took it. I began at Colonia Verde in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where I ate the spectacular Aguachile Negro – shrimp, habanero and lime wrapped in a tortilla – it was delicious. A Besos de Fuego tequila and cachaça cocktail got me in the mood for the next stop.

At a party in a Williamsburg skate park, I danced in a half-pipe. It was such a good vibe. Then I stayed at citizenM New York Bowery, which has the comfiest beds and is a great hotel for anyone travelling solo. There’s a living area where guests can mingle as well as a spectacular rooftop bar; look left and you can see the East river and Brooklyn Bridge, look right and there’s the Financial District and the Empire State Building. 

After breakfast, I took the subway to the Chelsea Market food hall for coffee. Then I walked to the beautiful Chelsea Waterside Park, where there was still snow on the ground. After a stroll across The High Line, I warmed up with a tea-based cocktail at Hotel Chelsea’s famous Lobby Bar – it was exactly what I needed. At my final destination, MoMA, I couldn’t decide which was better: the art or the pasta at Cafe 2.”

Audrey flew Sydney to New York via Auckland.

“A free bus took us to Presidio, a national park which has San Francisco’s best views over the Golden Gate strait.” – Paul Hansen, Silver Frequent Flyer

“San Francisco was the jumping-off point for a once-in-a-lifetime road trip on a Harley-Davidson to the 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. With only four days to explore the city, we stayed at the centrally located Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf. 

A free bus took us to Presidio, a former military outpost for the Spanish Empire, the Mexican Republic and the United States Army dating back to 1776. It’s now a national park site and National Historic Landmark District and it offers the city’s best views over the Golden Gate strait. Locals gather daily on the Main Parade Lawn for the Presidio Pop Up, where rotating food trucks sell everything from coffee and doughnuts to Hawaiian shave ice and Ukrainian borscht. 

On the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge, we explored the ancient redwoods of the Muir Woods National Monument, stopping at the cute waterfront promenade in Sausalito for ice-cream before heading back. We had such an amazing time and did so much in the short time we were in the city.”

Paul flew from Canberra to San Francisco via Sydney.

“In LA, you’ve got canyons, mountains, beaches – there’s even snow an hour’s drive away during the cooler months.” – Annita Katee, Bronze Frequent Flyer

“As a regular visitor to LA, I’ve discovered the natural beauty of the city is every bit as amazing as its urban sprawl. There are so many opportunities to spend time outside in LA: you’ve got canyons, mountains, beaches and there’s even snow at Mount Baldy, about an hour’s drive away.

I hiked every day when I visited in late spring. Runyon Canyon was within walking distance of my West Hollywood base and the views of Downtown and the Hollywood Sign never get old. Further afield, I love the Temescal Canyon Trail near Pacific Palisades for its waterfall and ocean views. 

There are plenty of places to watch the vivid LA sunsets – Santa Monica Pier gives you a front-row seat as the sun sinks over the Pacific and there’s also Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park on Mount Hollywood. It’s free to enter the park and the panoramic vistas are amazing. If hunger strikes, Cara hotel in nearby Los Feliz has the most beautiful patio surrounding a huge water feature. It’s the ideal place for a glass of local biodynamic wine and the restaurant’s black truffle pappardelle is out of this world.”

Annita flew Sydney to LA.

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