My American Road Trip

The travel bug has bitten me again and spending 3 months in South Carolina last year was not enough, and I will be returning in September for one month!

My love for the USA will be never-ending and I could not bare to go the whole of 2016 without revisiting it.

This time, I will be going to one of my top destinations on my bucket list: LOS ANGELES!

A lot of people have told me that I will be disappointed with LA but I do not care. Finally I can see it for myself, the place I've dreamed about for as long as I can remember.

I'm going to the USA with Trek America, a company specialising in tours of the US. The actual trek I chose will depart from New York and travel cross country to LA and is called the Southern BLT. This includes budget lodging and not camping, as I'm not the most outdoorsy person!

On my way, I will visit places such as Washington, New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis and Las Vegas.

My Route!

http://www.trekamerica.co.uk/tours/snb.html

The tour lasts three weeks but I will be spending an extra week in California to explore the State more. I will be writing a bucket list soon of the things I want to tick off whilst out there. If anyone has any 'must do' places, please feel free to send them to me as this will be my first time on the West Coast.

For anyone interested in joining a Trek America tour, they can be pricey, which is why saving is a good idea. I will be spending every penny of my summer job on this.

Not only do you have to pay for the trek, which is £2399 in my case, you will have to fund your own flights and any pre or post accommodation. Then there's spending money for American bargains and excursions, such as a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon (how cool?!),  and anything you will have to buy for the trip. So overall, a lot of budgeting, but perfectly doable if you want to do it.

Tours vary in length, so you can just go for a week if you wanted to and obviously this will be cheaper, but equally if you are like me and love to immerse yourself for as long as possible, you can spend up to three months travelling.

The tours are done in small groups, giving you the opportunity to meet new people and get to know them well. It is run by a tour leader who will take care of you and offer their expertise.

I will be going on my own which does not bother me at all. These tours are designed for solo and group travellers so do not be put off by going on your own. I will also be spending my last week by myself which is cary but exciting at the same time.

Any questions, please do leave a comment and if you have been on a Trek America yourself then I would love to here your advice!

But for now, the countdown begins... eek!

190 days to go

A Taste of the big Apple

 

What can I say, New York was a whirlwind.

After arriving in New York after possibly the best flight ever, where I managed to bag two empty seats to myself and spread out for comfortable naps (this never happens to me), I was greeted with glorious city heat and bright sunshine. 

I arrived at my hostel which was the best hostel I've ever stayed at (American Dream Hostel) and wasted no time in exploring the city. We went straight to Times Square to see the lights in the evening and I tried my first five guys burger (loved it).

The first full day started early due to jet lag, but this left more time to explore the city in the day and take advantage of the breakfast. The hostel provided dunkin donuts for breakfast! Only in NYC! 

Dunkin Donuts for breakfast!

The first stop was Times Square again. The day was a Sunday, and Times Square on a Sunday morning is so pleasant, no crowds and plenty of space to take pictures in the sunshine. We looked around the shops for a bit, ones worth visiting are Sephora, Hershey's (free chocolate samples), forever 21 and the best Disney store I've ever visited. 

During this day we did so much that I felt like I never stopped to breathe! I saw a broadway show called Hedwig starring Darren Criss, ate lunch in supposedley the place to go for New York cheesecake (Juniors) and bought an I Love New York hoodie to cover myself from the massive thunderstorm that suddenly appeared! I also tried my first Pinkberry and went to this amazing diner which featured the waiters and waitresses singing on the tables. Seriously go visit this place, its quite expensive but you pay for a broadway performance basically! The waiters usually star on broadway whilst working there so their singing is amazing! I think it was called Ellen's Starlight Diner, definitely worth checking out even if it is expensive.

Broadway show: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Juniors cheesecake and yes it was that big!

Pinkberry with brownie bites and cookie dough

Ellen's Starlight Diner

The next day was another early start, and we headed downtown to Soho to visit the 9/11 memorial. The last time I went to New York this wasn't open, so being my first time I was absolutely blown away by the dedication of the memorial to all who died. It is moving and I think everyone needs to visit it. Costing only $24, it is well worth the money. The weather was a little rainy so we ventured to see the Statue of Liberty but it was very cloudy, so we took a walk around battery park before heading back to the hotel to freshen up for our last evening.

9/11 Memorial

We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, definitely go there! It's not as expensive as you think it will be and I tried the pulled chicken sandwich. It was soo good and all for under $20.Their cocktails are out of this world but because I was under 21, I couldn't try any!

Our last night in NY couldn't have been less perfect! Although the weather wasn't the best, squeezing the sights and sounds of the city into two days was the best and most tiring idea ever! 

The next day I boarded a plane to Savannah to begin my summer adventure working on Hilton Head Island!