On our way to the U.S.A

On By Mike StrachanIn Travel

Three days!

Only three days until we board a flight from Sydney, Australia and land amid the bright lights of New York City. Three more sleeps and we’ll be on our way to the U. S of A. For 7 and half weeks, we’ll be soaking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of New York, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, San Antonio, San Fran, Las Vegas, & Los Angeles. Plus a quick sojourn to Cancun… a holiday within a holiday if you like.

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For the next two months I’ll be posting blog articles inspired by our travels, the people we meet, and the adventures we’re sure to have. They may be purely photographic or simply about smaller, interesting things we encounter along the way.

Are you from any of those places I mentioned above? I’d love it if you could steer us in the direction of your local favorites. Fabulous restaurants, interesting sights, & fun things to do that maybe only the locals know about? I promise we won’t tell other travelers 😉

I hope you come along for the journey and enjoy it as much as we surely will.

39 thoughts on “On our way to the U.S.A”

  1. I was married in San Antonio, it is my all time favorite place. Stay downtown, the construction will never end in San Antonio so commuting is not your friend.(do not allow your car parked where there is no security, particularly if you are there over spring break). I personally have found the safest and most convenient spot is the river walk La Quinta (or Marriott for those with expensive taste). That’s the tall one next to the mall, not the small one near the Market Square.
    1. The riverwalk is amazing! If you are there around St. Patties they turn the riverwalk green (or atleast used to). Definitely go on the gondola ride.
    2. Check out the Alamo (but don’t go in expecting to be amazed, go in for the history to understand the foundation of the town).
    3. Take a ghost tour at 9pm in front of the Alamo, there should be a brochure in your hotel lobby.
    4. Definitely grab lunch (or dinner) at the Mexican restaurant with the colorful umbrellas.
    5. Check out the Ripley’s Haunted House for a fun thrill, the believe it or not is fun as well.
    6. Do visit the Market Square, a huge Mexican Market that is super fun to explore, and a great place to find great affordable souvenirs. While there the MiTierra restaurant is also fantastic Mexican Food and it is open 24 hours!

    South of town there is a fantastic state park with 5 deserted missions if that is your thing. http://www.stateparks.com/san_antonio_missions.html

    There is a town named Gruene just off of New Braunfels,
    1. the best Texas steak in the world (in my humble opinion as a Texas native) is at the Gristmill restaurant there.
    2. While you are there spend the day in San Marcos & New Braunfels, float the river in a rented tube(take some of your favorite beverages in a cooler),
    3. take in the outlet malls.

    If you want to visit an amusement park they have Fiesta Texas (roller coasters), Sea World, and Schiltterbahn(water park).
    Sorry so long but I actually kept it down to the musts. 😉

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    1. Wow! What a fantastic reply 😉 All of those things sound great although now all I’m thinking about is 24-hour Mexican food and steak! Thanks again, I’ll definitely let you know what we get up to in San Antonio – we only have 3 days there but we’ll make it worthwhile!

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  2. You are going to have a great time! It sounds like a wonderful itinerary. I was in Las Vegas last August and In-n-Out Burger is a local favorite. We also tried Tacos El Gordo which I thought was AMAZING! If you like authentic Mexican tacos then I would definitely suggest checking out Tacos El Gordo! Have a great time! I can’t wait to read about it 🙂

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    1. Thanks Kate 🙂 Sel’s mentioned this In-n-Out Burger a few times so it’s on the list… and we’re always up for good Mexican food. I can tell we’re both going to be really fat by the time we come home!

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  3. Josh Wrenn

    Not from Vegas, but from Nevada and have been to Vegas very many times. If you want to party and see the sights, the strip is the place. The Fremont Street experience away from the strip is also fun. However, if you want to gamble, and have even the slightest shot at winning, particularly if you want to play machines, play at the airport. Much looser slots there, because they try to lure people in to the gambling fram of mind when they land. Also, if you want breakfast in San Fran, the Seal Rock Inn has the best sourdough french toast I have ever had. Happy travels.

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    1. Cheers Josh! As with the last few comments, I keep getting drawn into the food recommendations so we’ll give the sourdough a try in SF! Interesting point about the machines at the airport – what an interesting strategy. We won’t gamble much but maybe we’ll throw a few $ in at the airport if we have time to spare 😉

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  4. Have fun!! I’m born and raised in LA – I think seeing a show taping is a lot of fun, even for those who live/are from there. When Jay Leno was still on air, I saw The Tonight Show filming. You could try to get tickets to Jimmy Kimmel or Ellen. That could be a lot of fun! I lived in New York for a bit last year – if you want to go dancing, the Bowery Electric is awesome. Walk along the High Line by the Standard Hotel, that’s a great area (Chelsea/Meatpacking District).

    By the end of this week, my boyfriend and I will finally be on our way to Korea for a year! See you in the skies. 🙂

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    1. Thank you Ashley! We’ve got the High Line & Chelsea market on our list of things to do in NY and our hotel is nice and close so maybe we’ll hit the Chelsea market a few times (here I go with the food again)! I hadn’t thought about any show tapings. How easy is it to get tickets??

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  6. I have been to five of those places, but I am from none. And I once got scolded for offering my input as a visitor, so I’ll just say, “Have a great time!” It sounds amazing and I will be reading as soon as you post!

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    1. I’d still love to hear your input, especially as a visitor, as it offers another perspective! 🙂 But thank you for the comment and I’m looking forward to sharing our adventure with everyone here.

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  7. I guess you already know that, but I just wanted to tell you to get the car in L.A. You’re not going anywhere without a car. That city is crazy. So big. Plus, if you have the chance, go to Vegas by the car, and from Vegas I’ll suggest you to make it at least to the Grand Canyon. By the car you’ll get to see the incredible roads and marvellous landscapes of Arizona…

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    1. Cheers Gianluca! We’ll have a car for some of our time in Los Angeles and we’ll be driving out of Vegas and toward Palm Springs so I’m really looking forward to the landscapes we’ll see 🙂 Thank you for the tips!

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  8. New Orleans: Spend most of your time in the French Quarter, the rest of New Orleans really hasn’t come back and is not safe. (I had two stores out there when I was a district manager so was out there often for work).
    1. If you want to go for the classic you can wait the line around the corner to have breakfast at Café Du Monde for your beignets or head over to Royal St and enjoy the quiet courtyard at Café Beignet, you may even catch some live Jazz if you head out at the right time.
    2. Check out the original local art at the square, buy something small and original, you will regret if you don’t.
    3. Have your cards read at the Bottom of the Cup Tea Room on Chartres St.
    4. Definitely indulge in the Red Fish Grill, it was so good it converted my husband from a fish hater to a fish lover. He always got the red fish, and I ordered the Cajun chicken Alfredo.
    5. Definitely do a dinner on the river boat.
    6. If you don’t mind the party noise the best place to stay is off of Bourbon St. That way everything is walkable.
    7. At night do not go beyond the crowd, it is incredibly dangerous once you leave the populated areas.
    8. Fantastic Aquarium, Although I haven’t been to it since I was a teenager.
    9. For not only the food but for the historic significance check out the Commanders Place (this can be EXTREMELY pricey) It is where many famous chefs got their start.

    Okay I will stop now, I’m a southern girl so that is where my expertise does stop. 😉

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    1. Wow, thank you again! We’ll definitely grab some local art, it’s become a tradition for us wherever we go to pick up something that we can later decorate our house with 🙂 Cajun chicken Alfredo….. I’m in! We might check out the aquarium, we’ve got a few days and nothing planned!

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  9. that traveling nurse

    Florida girl here! I dont know how long you will be in my sunshine state but the weather should be comfortable enough for you. Just be prepared for the occasional rains. Are you going the theme park route? Disney has raised their prices to a little over a hundred dollars, gah! But you should check out the harry potter world at universal, if you’re a fan. Also the kennedy space center is pretty cool, a different kind of theme park where you can see space shuttles and NASA stuff. When in florida, i recommend airboat rides if you want something not so touristy. There should be operators in orlando or miami. Better do it in miami where the everglades national park is at. Lots of gators and other wildlife! If your stomach is game, try eating gator tail. It tastes just like chicken! 🙂 if you wanna check out beach life, go to cocoa beach (the pier is under renovation but the beach should be open) you can see lots of surfers and the “world renowned” ron jon surf shop. Orlando also has lots of outlets if you wanna go shopping. Ocean drive in miami is the place to be and check out the hip and happening crowd if thats your kinda thing. Let me know if you want something more specific in mind. I’ll be glad to help! 🙂

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    1. Our list of ‘things to eat’ is growing by the hour! haha.. we’ve got 3 days in Miami, 5 (or 6?) in Orlando and the a stopover in Tallahassee as we drive off toward New Orleans. We’ve got tix to the theme parks and harry potter world which should be fun 🙂 I like the sound of those airboat rides, I’ll check them out. Thanks for the tips! I’ll let you know how we go 😉

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      1. that traveling nurse

        Vacation is always an excuse to eat, ha! And to add to your foodie list, if you want to try Cuban food, Miami is the place to be, the nearest to Cuba you can get! 🙂

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  10. Lived in the Bay Area for several years! My suggestions will depend on how much time you have and whether you intend to explore only the city or take day trips outside. San Francisco has a lot to offer on its own, but there are wonders just a day’s drive outside as well. 🙂 Of course, the Golden Gate can’t be missed, as well as Golden Gate Park.

    As for Cancun, I had a wonderful weekend on Isla Mujeres, an island just off Cancun itself. I highly recommend it. I’m trying to plan a trip back there too, because I failed to see the underwater sculpture garden. Here’s a record of my experience: https://worldandtimeenough.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/24-hours-in-isla-mujeres/

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    1. Thank you Razel! We’ve only got a few days in SF so we’ll stick to the city itself. We’ll definitely see the bridge and we’ve got tix for an alcatraz tour as well. Other than that, we’re open to ideas in and around the city 🙂 I hadn’t thought too much about Cancun but I’ll definitely read your post! Thanks again for the comment

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        1. Thanks for that Elle. It looks like we miss the Louisiana Crawfish Festival by a day or two 😦 That’s ok, I’m guessing we’ll still be able to find some good stuff around there anyway 😉

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