Things Sold Only in America...?

[tomato]

When I go out of the country, I usually take with me small stuff people can identify with as being representative of here, even if they're not manufactured in the US.

San Francisco souvenirs are always a big hit (there is a good shop on Grant for good quality souvenir T-shirts at a good price), little cable cars, stuff like that. There are many actually, but this one has good quality stuff at a fair price.

You're gonna want light stuff because they weigh everything nowadays, so when you stuff your suitcase, keep that in mind.

Ghirardelli chocolate should make it through custom just fine and should please just about anybody. Some people like stuff with the US flag on it (I once bought pens with the us flag on it, and they were fighting over them, if you can believe that).

Others prefer goofy stuff (you should find funny stuff in the Haight District, San Francisco) but make sure whatever you get is legal in your destination country and OK to transport w. the airline (You'd be surprised how the rules can be tight when you travel and bring stuff abroad, for example, it's illegal to import vegetables, plants or certain food stuff into California and there are weights limits on alcohol and tobacco per person).

California wine is great, but it's heavy and you can only take so much with you (I think it's either 1 or 2 litters). But it's a great idea.