NYC / LA - Coast to Coast

New York City
Was only in town for a short while, and have a bunch of choices of where to fly into.  Not as many choices as LA, but it bears some consideration.  Newark ( across the bay in New Jersey ), JFK (a little larger than the others, but a little further out) or the choice we made - LaGuardia, the closest to Manhattan Island.  We hopped a cheap flight into LaGuardia on a Saturday morning and stayed over the holiday weekend.  This made traffic much more bearable. I have been during the week and it was night and day.
First off - we did the tourist stuff.  Hopped a boat and got to go out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which I found to be much more interesting than the former. I got Carrie up and out of bed early as to beat the crowds, which get BIG in the afternoon, it was much more pleasant, and noticeably cooler in the morning.  There are passes to go up in the statue of liberty, and they sell out WAY in advance, so make sure if this is on your must to list - make sure you get online and make this happen.
We also walked the Brooklyn Bridge ( there is a walkway down the middle for pedestrians and bikers, which at times can get a little hairy with the bikers speeding by, but is far less dangerous than the alternative automobile traffic.  Got some great pictures from the base of the bridge on the Brooklyn side, there is a park there and is a short walk from the end of the bridge.
Back to time square - a must see,,, everyone said skip the hotdog vendor cart, I couldn't resist - it sucked. Skip it, really, was way too expensive - and the dog was just plain bland.  If I told you 2 dogs and a pepsi and water cost me $22 - thats how bad. 
Got Pizza at John Pizzaria, just off of broadway. It is in an old church that they somehow converted to a pizza joint. If you look close you can still see some of the stained glass windows. Pizza was ok, overpriced, but then it was New York, where we found EVERYHING to be more expensive than other locales.
We wanted to hit the Carnegie Deli, but everything I read said stop at the 2nd ave deli. Now the fact that the 2nd ave deli is not on second ave made for a bit of strangeness in my mind - but we made the right decision (the original closed after the owner was killed in a robbery, the new version is run by his family). Do yourself a favor. Split a sandwich - everyone does, they are WAY to big to eat by yourself. I screwed up and got my own, corned beef, pastrami, and brisket. The pastrami part was my favorite, and I about finished all the brisket as well, the corned beef, although good, just couldn't stack up to the others. They give you the pickles and whole 9 yards, pretty cool place. Would definitely go back if ever in town again. Word to the wise -- Pay attention to the customer minimums, they do this as the savvy folks split sandwiches. They usually have a $10 or $15 minimum per person, which sounds hard to hit, but the sandwich I got turned out to be $24.00 so don't worry.
Made a trip up to The View Lounge at the Marriott Marquis ( just off broadway) on a tip from a friend.  Is akin to the signature room at Hancock in Chicago.  The bonus, this one revolves.  It offers a stunning aerial view of the city that - minus the overpriced drinks and apps, was totally worth it.  Again, we tried to get there around 430 to beat the dinner rush and was glad we did, as the place was getting rather full when we left around 545.
Central park is a lot bigger than you might have thought.  Check a map as most of the famous sights from the movies are located on the south side near 5th Ave ( the pond with the bridge, the mall with the entertainers, the horse carriage rides)  so head there to start.
Had to head over to the Ed Sullivan Theatre and the Hello Deli that had been shown so many times and was a big Letterman fan in years past.  It isnt right next door on Broadway as I had imagined, sort of off the side of the back door off 53rd.  Neither was open as it was a weekend and around 1130 at night.
We did one of the hop on / hop off tours of the city.  It included a downtown circuit, a brooklyn circuit, and a night circuit.  If memory serves we did the Grey Line.  (Bought on site as they heckle with each other as there are a bunch of people walking around with mobile ticket selling credit card machines.  Get two of these fools in close to one another and watch your price drop).  All three tours were cool and I'd recommend if in a pinch for time as driving, is a bit hairy to say the least, not to mention parking, or the lack thereof, as well as expense.  Two stops of parking could pay for the ticket.   
The morning before our departure we made a trip out to the Intrepid, as it was Fleet Week and there were a few other ships docked adjacent that we thought might be fun to catch. The Intrepid is a retired aircraft carrier- turned museum.  It has a bunch of planes on the deck to check out and take pictures with.   If I remember admission was $17 per person - and we went early before the crowds. Good stop if you have the time, I enjoyed it.  One of the retired space shuttles is now housed there at the museum, and I believe requires a separate admission ( just as the concord did while we were there).  Either way would be cool to get that close to the shuttle.
We also hit the Shake Shack on the way out back out to the airport. Was Supposed to be a great - hip burger place, it was okay - I would have rather hit the 2nd ave deli again, but maybe thats just me.  If nothing else I got to say " I went to the shake shack."
Tips and Advice:
Skip the street vendors, don't bother driving if don't have to around Manhattan during the week.  Traffic is unlike you've ever seen.  Cabs are plentiful.  To go up in the statue of liberty you need a special ticket.  Sign up early.
Hotels are expensive in Manhattan.  Plan on at least $200 a night.  The hop on hop off trolley tour is decent and can work as a "transport" to the cities many attractions ( though most all are in Manhattan) of you don't want to drive.   

Los Angeles
We spent some time in Hollywood, did the walk of fame, it is way longer than I had thought.  Must be a couple miles up one side and down the other.  The Chinese theater is the center, and there are some character folks dressed up for pictures ( we saw a few Elvis' and a tin man).  Adjacent to the theater is the Hollywood at Highland shopping center.  Was worth a stop and had a few places to get a drink and get out of the sun.  At the end of the row, near the Capitol Records Building,, the famous Roscoe's Chicken And Waffles. World Famous I was told more than once, we had to stop in.  I guess I  just don't get it. It was OK, but I just cant figure out why famous.. I got the #13 - the famous chicken and waffle platter, just kinda meh.  Had great company though which made it all that much better.
Also just an aside - there is a pretty decent contingency of Spartans in Hollywood, there is even a website, and when a football game is on, they wake up early and head over to Big Wangs wing joint.  Although 2500 miles away, we felt right at home, drinking beer and eating wings at 9 am.
Drove up the mountain to see the Hollywood sign, that is a drive now folks. Narrow Streets - crazy inclines and angles, driveways shooting out everywhere you look. Was a lot of fun to drive. At the top though we were greeted by a barbed wire fence and no trespassing signs. In my heyday that would have been no match, but alas it was in the middle of the day and there were quite a few neighbors looking on as I was formulating my plan. Luckily, Carrie spotted them and warned me, and we figured it ought to suffice to get a few pictures, as close as we could get.
Drove through Beverly hills, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Wilshire, down past the city hall, which was portrayed as the police dept in beverly hills cop.
We didn't do the famous homes bus tour, but drive around long enough and you'll be sure to find some on your own, or just get a map and follow the buses.  We found ourselves in a shoot while driving down the street.  
Apple Pan in West LA is a great burger place - served on butcher paper and all, and of course, has pretty decent apple pie. They recommended a slice with ice cream, and they were right on.
Philipe's the Original - near china town just north of downtown, has been around since 1908. They claim to have invented the french dip on premise, and who am I to argue. Whether they did or didn't, it was a pretty good iteration of the classic, and the peach pie is probably the best around. They usually run out of it early, so have to get there early to get a slice ( I only ordered as 3 or 4 people in front of me did as well and said it was the best thing there). The floors are sawdust, and coffee, if you drink it , is only 10 cents. The only down side was the limited parking around meal times. Would be my first stop when back.
If you want to experience a movie studio, I highly recommend skipping universal, and heading instead to Warner Bros. They lead their tours in small 8-12 person groups, and as such require reservations. The little extra planning is well worth it in the end. This is a real working movie lot, not a theme park made to look it.
We also signed up to attend a taping of the tonight show. Again, advanced reservations required, and is free so get there early as the tickets are over sold for each show to make sure they get a packed house.  We scored tickets to the "Tonight Show" which was awesome, this was done online, and was free, but months in advance.  So here is the deal with the tickets.  They give out say 250.  There is only room for 200 in the soundstage.  Then on top of that, they give a certain number to friends and family of guests.  So get there early.  We were among the last folks in and missed a lot of the "pre show" where Jay does Q&A and the like.  We showed about 2 hours early, and that was BARELY enough.  So do the right thing and get there EARLY.  We hit an in and out burger while in town, its a so-cal chain that has pretty decent food.  Rather famous place mentioned in a lot of movies and shows,,,,I am holding out for a nationwide expansion, but then again I was sure they would go national when I was there at age 12.  
Unfortunately we didnt get to catch a Dodgers game, as they were out of town....But that left the door open for a Dodger Stadium Tour.  Pretty decent, they let you go down on the field and sit in the owners seats right behind the plate.  Tour if the visiting clubhouse and umpire room, press box and skyboxes, etc.  
Neat tour, and was only $8 a ticket, so if cant catch a game, at least a viable alternative.

My tips and advice: the area around the airport is not that nice, by the airport I mean LAX.  Inglewood is right next door and is the same one from the 90's raps you may remember. The hotels close to the airport are all locked up in fences and not a lot in the area to walk to.  So if you have to stay in the area, its fine, there are all the chains, my personal favorite, if not a person who always does chains, is the Hacienda. hotel.  Reasonable rates, shuttle from the airport, same day laundry and dry cleaning service. 
The Spruce Goose is no longer in the hanger out in Long Beach near the Queen Mary, they do have the scorpion sub, and the Queen Mary is still there, but be wary of the trek through long beach, it may be home to snoop dogg and dr. dre, but there are some bad spots.  So if you are worried at all - swing through during the day.  Huntington beach and Seal Beach are close by ( to long beach), and worth stops if into volleyball / surfing etc.
There are a bevy of airports around town, LAX (close to downtown and Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and is just south of Venice Beach), Bob Hope ( up north by Tonight show, NBC Studios, and WB studios in Burbank.  Also Universal Studios and Magic Mountain are close by.  Long Beach down south near Huntington Beach. Disney Land and Knots Berry Farm are close as well ( so is downtown)  Out East is Ontario airport, near Rancho Cucamonga. John Wayne airport is a little southeast, and is also nice if heading to Disney or the southern beaches, as is a little larger than Long Beach, and in a little nicer part of town.
Traffic is as bad as you've heard.  Most all the time, for no reason.  So leave extra time for transit time, you will probably need it.
The Drive down Pacific Coast Highway is awesome.  I love the drive from Santa Monica up Past Zuma Beach to Malibu.  If you get a chance give it a shot, cliffs to your right, beach and ocean to your left.  Especially nice around sunset.  The surfers at Zuma are fun to watch.
Cabs aren't nearly as plentiful as in Chicago or New York.  Further, things are spread out, way out.  Disney to Universal isn't like in Orlando ( a $40 cab ride and 20 minutes) is closer to 40 miles and probably around 90-100 minutes.  Most folks in California drive, as the layout is just not conducive to public transportation or even cabs.  
  

Best of Cities - Minneapolis, Cincinnatti

I haven't been too many places - but the ones I have been to I have been fortunate enough to get to try some of the local bests - here are a few of the places I've dropped in on, and spots we hit, some awesome, others, well, left something to be desired.

Headed into town

Minneapolis - Home of the Juicy Lucy - there is a long standing debate as to who invented, and who has the best,,, heck - it even made it on to man vs. food.  Back up a step - what is a Juicy Lucy you ask??? - its a cheeseburger, with the cheese in the middle of the meat.  Awesome idea, but do yourself a favor, wait a minute or two to bite in, that cheese comes out like raging lava!
Matts Bar and The 5-8 club have them, both claim to be the best, and both say they invented it.  As for me,

Riverfront at old mill park

I stopped in at The 5-8 club while I was in town - and it was pretty decent.  Nothing to write home about, but glad I tried it.  There is a really awesome downtown scene in Minneapolis.  Most of the buildings are interconnected by a series of elevated, enclosed  walkways, ala gerbil cage.  This makes walking from spot to spot in the dead of winter more reasonable, but pretty confusing if you don't know where you are going. Some of the connectors drop you into the middle of stores etc.
The riverfront downtown has a great park at the old mill and locks.  I only saw in January, and couldn't stand to stay out too long, but hope to return one day in the summer to check out.
Accidentally happened across the site where the I-35 bridge collapsed a few years back.  If you dont know the story - google it, pretty horrible.  It wasnt until a guy at work mentioned it that I was aware of or remembered the tradgedy.  This new beautiful bridge now spans the (not so mighty in these parts) Mississippi River.
The Twins have a new open air stadium, right down town.  The t-wolves, vikings, and twins are all within a couple miles of one another, and all in the downtown area.  An amazing job of urban planning.  On top of that Minneapolis is one of the cleanest urban environments I have ever seen.  You see Minneapolis tops on lot of top places to live, most highly educated, up and coming lists, even as cold as the winters are, and for good reason!  Great mid size city that is on the way up, with a good size airport to get in / out of town with relative ease.

Cincinnati - Harry Caray used to always talk about Skyline Chili.  So of course had to stop and get some.  Its not bad chili, but they serve it all sorts of strange ways.  You can get 3 way - chili, cheese, and onions, four way adds beans, and five way adds spaghetti.  I stuck with the three way and added beans - no onions.  Then had a couple of chili dogs.  A couple sounds like a lot, but they are the white castle of hot dogs,, tiny little things, almost cute. 
Graeters Ice cream is some of the best I have come across.  The black cherry chip and black raspberry chip is what they are known for, and it is amazing.  I got in a shake, as was driving to airport.  Probably the best shake I have ever had. 
Cincy has a new downtown ball park as well, again I was there in the dead of winter so will have to head back to catch a game one of these days.  I have heard great things about the Pete Rose Garden and the overall beauty of the park.  Again - right on the river, nestled into the down town business district.  Fountain square - right in the middle of downtown - is a great area to catch if you have a few moments.  Would be a great place to just sit and have lunch.  Ice Skating in the winter, concerts in the summer.  Reminded me of a much smaller version of Chicago's Millennium Park.

Just adjacent to the ballpark is John A Roebling Bridge - first opened in 1866, and remarkably, still in operation.

It traverses the Ohio River, connecting Ohio and Kentucky. It appears to be a little brother of the Brooklyn Bridge, and if you thought that too, you just got extra credit, as John Roebling also designed the Bridge connecting two of New York City's more prominent boroughs, Manhattan and Brooklyn.  The Cincinnati version is much smaller, and handles far less traffic, but is just as beautiful, especially at night.  I made it a point to go out of my way to drive over it a couple of times.



So there you have it, not a whole lot of time in either place, but if you find yourself there for an afternoon, at least you have a couple of recommendations.