Andy's American Odyssey - We're Here!
Myself, my wife and our two boys (will be 13 and 15) are planning a 3 week trip to the USA next August. We'll be staying with relatives in Lexington Park (Maryland) for a week, but would like to travel around a bit to (probably) 2 other areas to get a 'feel' for the country. We're more into the natural wonders than the Disney / Celebrity thing and would like a mix of city and country. Budget will be adequate but sensible and I'm quite happy with hiring cars and driving, although we don't want a road-trip type holiday.
In short, where should we visit to get a 'Flavorsic of the U S of A'?
Patches for my favourite suggestions.
In short, where should we visit to get a 'Flavorsic of the U S of A'?
Patches for my favourite suggestions.
Maker Faire 2013 Slide Show!
Fried Contest Launches 5/13, HQ Celebrates with Fried Day Friday
MEH! :D A Build Night at Montana Ethical Hackerspace!
Got contest ideas? Want to help HQ staff?
Large Instructables Robot head made out of driftwood, check it out!
Call for pre-made parts!
The Instructables Green Design Contest is starting on Earth Day!
My instructable made it into Popular Science!
Orbotix wants to see your hacks - you could win a Sphero!
Transformational experience for Instructables Artist-in-Residence
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
We arrived in NYC lunchtime yesterday and are now ensconced on the 14th floor of a hotel in the Chelsea 28th St flower district and we're watching the storekeepers putting out their displays on the sidewalk for the day. (See, I'm picking up the lingo;¬)
Bear in mind here that back in Blighty we live in a village of around 100 houses, surrounded by gently rolling hills and fields - NYC is a bit of a culture shock, but in a really good way. We're stunned by the verticallity of the place. We're looking UP all the time as we get a glimpse of a landmark building through other buildings.
Cold drinks were the order of the day when we arrived hot and sweaty after lugging out baggage around the Airtrain, LIRR and to the hotel from Penn station, then a walk around the neighborhood and chill out in Madison Square park before excellent pizzas in a Broadway diner.
We had a good night's sleep after our 22 hour day yesterday (not too many sirens in the night) and off to the Empire State building and Macy's today and maybe a museum, then Times Square this evening after dark.
NYC - Incredible place.
(I'm not going to post an ongoing blog on our travels, but may post back from time to time, if anyone's interested.)
We've walked miles, been riding the subways, been to parks, museums, up Extremely Tall Buildings; stood in the longest line I've ever been in yesterday for the Ellis and Liberty Island ferry and just stopped back at the hotel for a breather before we go out tonight to Little Italy for a meal.
Watching NY1 on TV is great. More than once we've been places where they've had a newsteam and seen the report they were filming later in the evening. Doesn't come much more local than that!
I thought New Yorkers had a reputation of rudeness, but we've found everyone here very polite and welcoming. We've seen a few 'characters' and it was amusing watching a couple of people going through the trash bags of the local flower shops and walking off with armfuls of foliage.
Last full day here in NYC as we're catching the Amtrak from Penn and going down to Washington DC for the next phase of the holiday tomorrow.
We're flying to JFK in NYC, staying in Midtown for 5 days then Amtrak down to Washington DC. Picking up a hire car and driving to relatives on the coast near Lusby, MD.
Few days there to chill out and then driving across to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenendoah Valley for 5 or 6 days. Then back to the relatives and a few local day-trips before going back to DC and Amtrak up to NYC for the plane.
A question; We want to take in a local baseball match and looking at the schedule HERE, they are shown as being over 3 or 4 days. What's going on here? Do they play a match each day? (If it was cricket I could understand - that goes on until it rains ;¬)
If you keep using all those weird words and phrases, Andy, people are going to know yer a furriner :-)
As Yoko said, teams play one game per day (double-headers are almost non-existent nowadays :-( ), but they usually have 3-4 game stands before changing opponents or travelling.
If you go to a Major League game, the tickets will be much more expensive ($25 each, or more), but you will see a much more "professional" (consistent) level of play. I highly encourage you to follow your first instinct and take in the Baltimore Minor League team. The venue will be smaller and more intimate, the tickets (and concessions!) will be cheaper, and everyone there will be invested in the game, not making a fashion statement :-/
I looked at the price of tickets at the Yankees stadium - Ouch! The minor league team appeals more and we'll make a night out of it with our relatives. After all, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are the winningest team in the league!
Kelsey, I see you've spelled 'travelling' with a double 'l'. I've always seen it from that side of the pond spelled with one. Do you use both ways over there?
<--- If you need tourist info on New York City, just consult the Robolocity Traveling Robot Gnome.
Purchase a "day pass"metrocard to ride the buses and subways. It is the best way to get about the city. You will have to purchase the pass only at a subway station with a live clerk, not with the vendor machine. Ask for the free cool subway map. As a tourist, the cabbies will take advantage of you.
Find the NYC info kiosks/centers for discount coupons to some of the attractions.
"Downtown" starting at the southern tip of Manhattan, you can get on the free Staten Island Ferry. Ride it back and forth. It does go past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Islands. The tour there is way too crowded.
You can wander down to Wall Street, see the outside of the New York Stock Exchange or take a picture of the iconic Bull statue on Broadway.
You can then walk uptown to South Street Seaport, tourist mall shops/boat tours. New York City hall area has J&R electronics superstore or Century 21 for shopping. World Trade Center grounds are nearby. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge.
Chinatown and Little Italy are next. Weekends are mega crowded. You will be approached by those selling counterfeit goods.
SOHO(south of Houston Street) is the trendy boutique area, Apple Store and maybe spot some TV or movie celebrities.
You then have the Village - funky mishmash - New York University.
34th Street - Macy's and shopping. Look for Jacks Discount City, mega dollar store. Empire State Building, go to the observatory
42nd Street - Times Square - the crossroads of the world. Get discount tickets for a matinee Broadway play at the TKTS booth.
45th Street -5th Ave work your way up to Rockerfeller Center -upscale window shopping- Observatory, St Patrick's Cathedral
59th Street Central Park, FAO Schwartz toy store
Work your way up to museum mile - Metropolitan Museum of Art or on the opposite side of Central Park, the famous Museum of Natural History and the Rose planetarium.
Well, so much more to do to add to the list.
Expect it to be hot and muggy in the city in August. Have fun!
Try http://www.bhphotovideo.com/, drop the gang off to see the Intrepid sea/air museum while you go to the toy store.
Or if in the downtown World Trade Center Ground Zero area, try http://www.jr.com/. drop the gang off to go walk the Brooklyn Bridge or see Ground Zero, shop at Century 21(discount-type of Harrods?) while you go to the toy store. The NYC visitor center might have a $10US discount coupon.
These are two megastores that are reputable and where pros and pro-sumers(semi pro professional consumers) go. Do not get suckered into those other phot/video/audio places with that cater to tourists in selling grey-market goods that are not warrantied because the are not sold in their designated country of import. Fun to browse in those kind of shops if you like haggling and walk out.
We've just about got it worked out. We'll be taking a train up to New York and staying there for a couple of days to see what we can of the sights, and then the same for Washington DC. We'll also be driving across to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah National Park, then down into Tennessee.
Should be an interesting mix and we're really looking forward to it.
(I hear you drive on the wrong side of the road over there, and your cars don't have gear-sticks #;¬)
Be careful...
We went to America (well, Florida) before most 'iblers were born, and used a rental car for a couple of weeks,
When we came back, I spent several days stalling my car at every junction, when I kept trying to pull away in fourth...
(Oh, and I am told that, unlike the UK, US traffic cops take credit cards, so you can't rely on leaving the country at the end of your holiday to avoid a ticket.)
Sounds like you've constructed a nice itinterary; have a great trip!
Restaurants:
Places:
Let me know if you want to know anything else!
Other than that, I'm afraid all I can offer are clichés, although Roger-X did enjoy the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum when his uncle took him to New York last Easter.
I remember that Caitlinsdad is NY-way, Lira is somewhere with tornadoes...
There is also an out of date map of Iblers' locations, which might be useful as a resource.
Lexington park to San Francisco. I've driven from Cheltenham to Oban. How much further could it be ??? ;¬) (2880 miles according to the Google Earth route planner.)
Nothing decided yet but there's plenty of food for thought.
I'll update here when we know where we'll be going, and probably have more questions too.
Having said that, the DC area is great for the kind of "official America" stuff. The Northeast and Southwest have unbelievable, and completely different, natural scenery. New York and L.A. are kind of the canonical urban metropoli.
Also Yellowstone is one of those places you have to go before you die. Its a little far though, but you won't be sorry. when i went a few years ago i remember getting to a point each day when i couldn't look at one more beautiful thing.