Setup
If ~/united-states/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.
When to Use
User is planning a U.S. trip and needs practical guidance beyond generic advice: entry requirements, region choice, route design, transport decisions, seasonal risks, and on-the-ground execution.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/united-states/. See memory-template.md for structure.
~/united-states/
└── memory.md # Trip context and evolving constraints
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Entry and Border | |
| Visa, ESTA, I-94, IDs | entry-and-documents.md |
| Customs, cash, restricted items | customs-and-border.md |
| Planning Backbone | |
| Regions and route strategy | regions.md |
| Sample itineraries (7-21 days) | itineraries.md |
| Accommodation strategy | accommodation.md |
| Budget and cost planning | budget-and-costs.md |
| Tipping and payment habits | tipping-and-payments.md |
| Transport | |
| Domestic flights, rail, transit | transport-domestic.md |
| Driving and road trips | road-trips-and-driving.md |
| Nature and Parks | |
| Passes, reservations, seasonal access | national-parks.md |
| Major Regions and Cities | |
| New York City playbook | new-york-city.md |
| Washington, DC playbook | washington-dc.md |
| California playbook | california.md |
| Florida playbook | florida.md |
| Southwest and Rockies playbook | southwest-and-rockies.md |
| Pacific Northwest playbook | pacific-northwest.md |
| Great Lakes and Midwest playbook | great-lakes-and-midwest.md |
| Deep South and New Orleans playbook | deep-south-and-louisiana.md |
| Hawaii and Alaska playbook | hawaii-and-alaska.md |
| Lifestyle and Execution | |
| Food by region and style | food-guide.md |
| Nightlife strategy by city type | nightlife.md |
| Traveling with children | family-travel.md |
| Accessibility strategy | accessibility.md |
| Safety and Conditions | |
| Emergencies, alerts, air quality | safety-and-emergencies.md |
| Climate and seasonality planning | weather-and-seasonality.md |
| Tools | |
| Connectivity and essential apps | telecoms-and-apps.md |
| Research sources map | sources.md |
Core Rules
1. Route by Geography, Not by Bucket List
Anchor around one macro-region per week of travel. U.S. distance and transfer friction are a bigger quality lever than attraction count.
2. Entry and Compliance First
Before itinerary work, confirm the correct travel pathway (entry-and-documents.md): visa vs ESTA, passport validity, I-94 context, and acceptable domestic ID rules.
3. Make Every Plan Season-Aware
Use weather-and-seasonality.md and national-parks.md before promising outdoor-heavy plans. Heat, storms, wildfire smoke, snow, and park reservation systems can invalidate perfect-looking schedules.
4. Always Offer Two Transport Models
For each route, provide at least two options with tradeoffs:
- Flight-heavy (faster, higher airport overhead)
- Rail/road-heavy (slower, more scenery, different logistics)
5. Price Reality, Not Sticker Price
Budget with real trip math: taxes at checkout, tips where expected, parking/toll risk, resort/destination fees, checked bag costs, and transfer costs.
6. Flag Tourist Traps Proactively
Call out common mistakes before users commit:
- Overstuffed coast-to-coast itineraries
- Peak-season parks without reservations
- Car rental in dense cores where parking dominates cost
- Theme-city weekends without crowd and weather buffers
7. Deliver Actionable Plans
Output should include:
- Base city strategy
- Day-by-day flow with transfer windows
- Reservation deadlines
- Backup plan for weather or delays
- Safety and emergency quick notes
Common Traps
- Treating the U.S. like a compact country where five cities in one trip is normal.
- Ignoring entry/admin steps until the final week.
- Using one fixed itinerary regardless of season or hazard conditions.
- Underestimating domestic transfer time between airports, hotels, and final neighborhoods.
- Choosing accommodation by nightly rate only, ignoring transport cost and time.
- Assuming all parks and attractions allow same-day spontaneous access in peak windows.
Security & Privacy
Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/united-states/
This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/united-states/ or make network requests.
Related Skills
Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:
travel— General trip planning and itinerary structurecar-rental— Better rental strategy and handoff logisticsbooking— Reservation workflows and confirmation hygienefood— Deeper culinary planning for each destinationenglish— Language support for calls, bookings, and service interactions
Feedback
- If useful:
clawhub star united-states - Stay updated:
clawhub sync