A is for America
If you are considering doing a travel blog and you decide a good starting point to direct your posts is the alphabet then don't start with A for America! Yeah there's a lot to be said but that's the problem, there's too much to say! But as I start to plan my 4th trip to America I’m wondering what is there left for me to do, what can make this trip exciting for me. And so I am reminiscing on past trips, to try to figure out what the next one will involve…
Trip 1:
Date - December 2001
Purpose - Friends wedding in middle of nowhere Indiana
Approx duration - 3 weeks, but the first week was to save me massively on the flights due to change of seasons (always keep this in mind when booking trips, a week can make a big difference to cost). $1000 was better spent with me in the US than spending another week at work.
Budget - cheap, cheap
Travel style - staying with friends mostly, 15 hours on a greyhound bus... That sort of thing.
Best Memory – staying in Santa Monica, it was summer, so staying a block from the beach was fantastic, and there were lots of bars and restaurants around. I really enjoyed walking from Santa Monica to Venice Beach and watching the world go by.
Further thoughts - The worst thing about this trip was it was 3 months after September 11. It was a bit too soon; airports and airlines were very wary (and therefore security queues really long), the dollar was at .48 - I've not seen it that low since, New York wasn't ready for tourists, I'm not sure the US was anywhere...
Thoughts for the next trip – there’s a lot of don’ts i.e. don’t catch a greyhound bus for 15 hours, don’t forget it will snow in some places at this time of year, don’t leave cash in your backpack at backpackers… But after 14 years I will head back to Minnesota (where I caught the greyhound bus) to spend time with friends and enjoy a real American Thanksgiving.
Trip 2:
Date - August 2008
Purpose - 10 year high school reunion in LA (I went to an international high school and the best chance of getting people there was to have it in the US)
Approx duration - 4 weeks
Budget - it wasn't as cheap as previous but looking back I realise most of my money was spent on having fun out with friends not travel related things...
Travel style - stayed with friends, 3* hotels, road trip from LA to New York - sleeping in the car to save time.
Best Memory – It’s hard to find one, but I do remember New Orleans well. The sites where Katrina hit affected me, 3 years after the event there was still so much devastation. But then the heart of the town, and the French Quarter still had this buzz to them.
Further thoughts - this was a dream come true and i'd do it again. There's definitely things that I'd change but then that's probably what made the trip...
Thoughts for the next trip – I’m going back to New York, this trip only included 3 days, and as much as they were jam packed, there’s still so much more to do. First and foremost I won’t stay at Times Square, as much as it was great for a short visit to the big apple, I want to be a bit more authentic, I’m thinking SOHO for the next trip.
Trip 3:
Date - February 2010
Purpose - Work trip. The conglomerate my agency used to be a part of took an annual award winners trip.
Approx duration - 2 and a bit weeks
Budget - no budget, but then I didn't have to pay for much, that being said I was in my 20's so it wasn't over the top.
Travel style - cruised to Mexico, 2 short stays LA, side trip Miami and Barbados
Best Memory – Ok, not allowed to mention Barbados as this is not about Barbados. I’d have to then say Miami, it is really multi-cultural, and so many different feels in one place, from the ever-glades to the beach, to the rich houses on the water, and the salsa dancing outdoor clubs…
Further thoughts - By the time this trip came around I was much more experienced at travelling and for half the trip I was travelling with a group of travel agents...
Thoughts for the next trip – Oh I wish I could do the Caribbean on the next trip! I would love to go back there. But sticking to the US, my thoughts go to LA, first hotel was the Andaz in West Hollywood, a great location for being near enough to get places and not spend a fortune on cabs (although the traffic is notorious). Second hotel was smack back in Hollywood, the W a block from the Kodak theatre. Fantastic place to stay for a short stop to see the big sights, not a great place to stay on Oscar week (as a lot of places are fenced off) and it didn’t feel like true LA.
The problem with America, like many places, is there is so much to do. So I’m thinking Vancouver, Toronto, Minnesota (for Thanksgiving), New York, LA (staying in Santa Monica)… Will let you know what actually happens!