Canadian planning to grind in US

I live just 30 mins away from Washington and I'm planning to train to become a chef while playing poker in Seattle, I was wondering how do I keep the money I won in cash safe? I live at a house with some relatives that I'm not that close with and I don't feel safe leaving 5k in my pants at home when I'm at work or playing poker.

I'm a Canadian, can I open a bank account ?

Also , chances are I'm gonna drive to California to travel and play , maybe also to vegas at the end of the trip. How do I keep my cash safe along the way?

If anyone has done anything like this as a Canadian, I would love some insight.

http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/products-services/banking/cross-border-banking/

Traveling wise I would say, leave it in a bank, and withdraw when @ Vegas. If you plan on wsop events, you could have it wired.