1. Dollar Tree
As the name suggests, Dollar Tree or Dollar store in gerenal is a place where every item is priced at $1. When you visit USA the first time you will love to shop at Dollar stores. You will find items like household, party supplies, school/office supplies, food/ drinks and many more. Lots of people buy gift items for their loved ones at these stores as well.
2. Outlet Malls and Stores
If you love shopping, then this place should be on your list. At outlet malls you can find all your favorite brands at reasonable prices. These malls are usually outside the city limits and it takes a 35 to 45 minutes drive to get there, depending on where you live in the city. You can spend hours and hours at these outlet malls and yet always find great deals!
3. Drive-thru McDonalds
Convinience is everything no matter where you go and the idea of drive-thru fast food restaurants and coffee shops is highly popular all over USA. You drive to the facility & you place an order from your car, you pick up your meal & you go. It is simple, fast and convinient. And majority of these drive-thru restaurants are open 24 hours.
4. Desi grocery stores and restaurants
In USA if you are from India, Pakistan or any other south Asian country you are considered a Desi and you need same grocery items that you use in your country. It is a great feeling when you find an Indo-Pak grocery store where you can get Halal meat as well.
5. All-you-can-eat buffet
The idea was introduced in 1956 novel ‘The Muses of Ruin’, it is one of the most popular way for restaurants to attract customers. Food is placed at one corner and people self-serve. They can eat as much as they want. Usually more than 10 items are served in All you can eat buffet. So if you are visiting USA first time, you don’t want to miss this.
6. Return policy on items
This is one of the best thing in America, you buy an item and if you don’t like it you can return and get a full refund. Almost all the items you buy can be returned for a full refund with an exception of few items like Food. People often miss use this benefit to consumer, especially on electronic items like digital cameras which are returned after using for occasions.
7. Friendliness
Americans are very friendly and relatively nice people. If you are walking down the street be prepared that you will be seeing unknown people waving hands and saying ‘Hello, how are you doing?’ and after some time you will learn to do the same. It is a nice gesture which one should carry back home.
8. Downtown
America is famous for downtown skyline in all the major cities;it is considered the most populated areas where corporate headquarters are housed along with sky rise residential buildings and night clubs. Life in downtown is completely different compare to suburbs. If you visit USA the first time you must visit downtown and grab some great pictures.
9. Free concerts
In summer you often find free concerts in public parks and if you are lucky enough you might find artists from your country performing in such cultural events which are in open air and free for everyone. Every year New York City hosts Sufi cultural festival where artists from sub-continent perform.
10. Public restrooms
While driving on highways you will see the sign of ‘Rest Area’, these places havebathroom facility, phone booths, wending machines & benches for commuters.You can always make a stop at these places if you want to give yourself a break from a long driving trip.
