united-states

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.

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms: - travel — General trip planning and itinerary structure - car-rental — Better rental strategy and handoff logistics - booking — Reservation workflows and confirmation hygiene - food — Deeper culinary planning for each destination - english — Language support for calls, bookings, and service interactions

Feedback

If useful: clawhub star united-states
Stay updated: clawhub sync