Hilton Head

We left Charleston for Hilton head, a golfing mecca known for its beaches and golf but we’re not interested in golf one bit. After a 2hr drive we arrived and checked in, annoyingly the hotel we had booked the night before was exactly where it said on the map but the rooms were 5 minutes further back from the beach, a bit of rip really. We checked in and the room was decent, a standard double bed with air con, coffee, fridge etc, we head straight to the pool to cool off in the remaining afternoon heat. The pool was nice and clean, cool and set of a large man made pool but this proved interesting with the large gator signs, many turtles and occasion large herron which would stalk fish during the day.

The evening we headed to the beach in search of a bite to eat and a few drinks. We were drawn towards some live music and sat at a hotel bar casually strolling through its reception like we were staying there. The bar was nice and served some local IPA’s. We soon got talking to a very friendly chap from Trinidad named Darryl, he was over for a few days on work but was more than willing to trade travel stories and questions about each other’s countries and cultures. We also got some tasty food, Izzi got deep fried mac’n’cheese balls and I got shrimp 'n' grits, a traditional southern dish which was basically prawn and porridge style grits but it tasted really good. After several beers we made our way home saying goodbye to Darryl, I think he enjoyed our company just as much as we did his enthusiastic and knowledgeable chats about the USA and Trinidad.

The next day we woke to head to breakfast which happens to be the worst breakfast we had been served yet. It consisted of some form of non-edible microwaved eggs, possibly microwaved barely edible bacon and some forms of bread to toast. Izzi nearly set the room on fire but getting some bread stuck in the toaster, something most enjoyable to encounter.

After a most unenjoyable breakfast we headed to the beach. The beach was really long and stretch as far as you could see in both directions, the sand was nice and it wasn't too busy that time of day. We settled for making some deck chairs out of sand and settled down for a few hours. The sea was nice, quite warm but not very clear, maybe due to the weather, it was also calm, maybe a bit too calm so I swam up and down in search of some waves.

After a few hours and as the beach became to fill, in the early afternoon we took refuge from the heat back at the hotel pool. Both of us after just a few hours were a bit burnt, maybe not enough cream, or maybe it just came off in the sea. We finished off the afternoon playing in the pool and catching the last few rays before a busy few days ahead.

That evening we headed for some food at a local restaurant, it was good with taste local beer and wine, live music but only mediocre food really. The next day we travel on to the next destination Savannah which takes us closer to the florida, the final state we will travel through.

Charleston & Magnolia Plantation

So we had an easy flight from DC on a spacious and friendly plane.  Landing in Charleston we luckily asked the help desk about our hotel and a taxi when she highlighted our hotel do free airport pickup which she immediately rang, bonus! After being picked we checked-in and got ready for a few days in Charleston. The hotel had a pool which was the first one we had come across so far so it felt rude to not go down and have a quick dip. The pool itself is located at the rear of the hotel pretty much in the car park but this was fine as cars rarely went by. It feels a lot hotter in charleston than anywhere else, hitting highs of 32+ during the day and only going down to the low 20’s at night, this is only set to get hotter the further south we go. We looked on tripadvisor and a highly rated BBQ joint was about 20 mins walk so we headed out for a stroll and what proceeded to be a damn fine BBQ with ribs, sausage, pulled pork, brisket, chips, coleslaw served with cheese biscuits for starter which was more like a sweet cheese fairycakes. We had a great feast and a few drinks, izzi on the wine and me on the local IPA’s and Bourbons. We headed back and slept well ready for a full day out the next day.

The next day we awoke and headed down for a particularly average breakfast, luckily not needing much from the feast we ate the night before. We headed into Charleston old town attempting to catch a bus but whilst waiting got talking to some women from Texas who we eventually shared a taxi with. We walked around and soaked up Charleston which is a quiat and charming town feeling quite different than anywhere else we had visited. On the list of things to do was to head to Fort Sumter, the place where the first shots of the civil war were fired. We boarded a boat with lots of other tourists and headed off to the fort which is located in the middle of the estuary. En-route we watched for dolphins unfortunately spotting only a few fins in the far distance.

Once at the fort we walked around occasionally taking shelter in old lookout towers from a brief rainstorm. The fort was average tbh, rebuilt several times and now housing a large black WWII bunker in the middle, I didn’t think it felt or retaining anything which felt very historic or old. We jumped on the boat home and headed back to Charleston harbor.

After getting a drink we headed for a series of old churches and paths which were original, one of the churches was the oldest church in the USA. Unfortunately after walking to all 4 of them they were all closed but still the paths and gardens were nice and proved idyllic for some good photos. We decided against the bus home and got a Uber, the first one we had used since arriving, luckily using a voucher to get us home for FREE! That evening after another quick dip in the pool we went to ‘Big Billys Burger Joint’, not bad but by now we are both craving something which isn’t fried, battered or breaded so it wasn’t the best food to eat and didn’t really leave us feeling great.

The final day we checked out, used the hotel free shuttle and went back to the airport. Today we pick up the car, after checking in and getting the keys we arrived at the car finding it was a tiny little hybrid which we couldn’t even get our suitcases in. We went back and moaned a bit which luckily they swapped it for a larger car which was good. After a little lap of the car park we set off, our destination is a plantation in between Charleston and our next destination Hilton Head.

We arrived after about an hour at Magnolia Plantation, parked up pleased with ourselves after our first outing on American roads. The plantation itself is famous and well known for its gardens and history. Originally a rice plantation, the rice also known as “carolina gold”, supplied at one point a ⅓ of all rice production in the world. It was also famous for is slavery and the way the owners campaigned for slave & women rights, at one point teaching slaves the 3 R’s even though it was against the law. We had booked on a “From Slavery to Freedom” tour which lasted only an hour or so but still interesting and we visited several old slave dwellings which had been preserved. The gardens were the main attraction, housing huge ancient oak trees covered in s

Spanish Moss from head to toe, both providing good photo opportunities.

Along with the trees and landscaped gardens there was a maze and petting zoo housing orphaned animals, both were enjoyable. The final part was a swap walk we took hoping to see alligators however we only saw woodpeckers, turtles and many insects.

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We now set of out for our next destination, about a 2hr drive further south to Hilton Head, a large island known for its golfing and beaches.

Washington D.C & Gettysburg - Genteal & Historic

We arrive in DC straight from the comfy Amtrak train and headed straight for the connecting subway. We need to buy a metrocard, one similar to an Oyster card, annoyingly having to put $2 per card down so $10 only got us $8 worth of money. It’s rush hour and busy but nothing which can phase us, we have a plan and a map! We jump 2 trains and then land at Columbia Heights, a smart young suburb of DC where our apartment is. We exit the subway in Columbia Heights and make our way 5-10 mins to the apartment. We have only a code to let us in which felt weird just walking into what we thought and felt was someone's house. We arrive and annoying work out our flat is on the top floor by this time in the 28 degree heat both with a bit of a sweat on, we head up the stairs to the lighthouse room and find a large, spacious and comfy room with two double beds, small kitchen all very nice just a little dated. We start to poke around and plan our stay. One good point is that we have laundry machine for only $1 dollar, a small basic kitchen and a fridge, izzi immediately starts to plan some washing even though we have only been away for 5 days! We also decided to head to the supermarket to get some fruit, cereal and milk for breakfast which makes a healthy change from the usual fast food which is prolific in the USA, it seem very possible you could go through your entire life without the need for a knife and fork! After a delicious meal, knife and fork included, we settle down and plan the next few days before going to bed.

The first day arrives and after a decent sleep and a good breakfast of cereal & fruit we head out, today we plan on walking The Mall, the White House and seeing the National Monument (the iconic big obelisk). We catch the subway and start walking down the Mall. One thing to note is how modern the subway feels, its massive, spacious, air conditioned and efficient. Not having the historic restrictions and age of London or even New york this feels well designed and well thought out. We jump a few tubes then arrive, the first thing which hits us is how big everything is and how much land it covers. Later on after walking for several hours we have covered nearly 8 miles just walking around.

We walk down the Mall passing monuments and museums, the only one we venture in is the American History Museum both looking for a bit more context to our trip and hopefully to fill in some gaps in our knowledge of American culture and history. As with New York history it only spanned back to back to the late 1600’s which doesn't feel all that old but it does seems to have a fairly vivid and tremulous history especially during the early stages with mass expansion, slavery, colonial and civil wars which unfortunately seems to highlight the fact America and the west has been involved in war of some sort for many decades. One interesting section was on the Vietnam war, one which brought huge similarities and massive difference when compared to the vast amount of things we saw in Laos, Cambodia and obviously Vietnam. Asia portraying and giving and much different view on the war and its outcome, one thing for sure is thats it was horrific on both sides. Interestingly not much of a mention about the bombing of Laos which we saw first hand the damage that this still causes throughout various parts of the country due to mines and unexploded ordnance.

We carried on down the Mall stopping for a nice bite to eat before heading on to the White House. Once we arrived, we were soon ushered away from the building by secret service which due to some “security issue” when asked was pushing back its perimeter. Unfortunately this stopped us getting too close but not to worry we still walked around and got some good pictures. Due it not being high season luckily everything feels quiet and not busy, we haven't had too much trouble anywhere and it's been nice to not be swapped by other tourists.

We headed towards the monument which felt a lot bigger up close then down towards the reflection pool and the famous Abraham Lincoln memorial. On the steps of the memorial a large group gathered protesting against voting rights injustice, an ideal and icon place to be having such a protest. The last part was to head down the river and around a large lake which produced some wonderful photos of looking over the National Monument with its reflection in the lake. The clear weather and near 30 degree heat had finally taken it out of us, we headed back via a supermarket for a drink to chill out for an hour or two before going for food. We decided today would be BBQ day and headed to a local BBQ restaurant which had a “Rib Tuesday” special, a favourite of my own. We got some taste BBQ meats and luckily only one portion of fries to share which actually was more like a small bucket you would take to the beach. A few drinks later and full of homemade BBQ we headed back for a good sleep.

On the Wednesday we awoke and decided to do a few more jobs, booking hotels/hostels for both Charleston and Hilton Head, our next destinations, also picking a plantation to visit when driving between the two places. Today as we had covered the main attractions we wanted to see we planned to go on a DIY walking tour called “Gentle Georgetown”, a lonely planet walking tour through a affluent historic colonial suburb which today is peppered with old neo classical and colonial buildings from the 17-18th century. 

The walk covered parks, cemeteries (which we liked) as well as a visit to Tudor Place with a tour ($10 p/p) around the historic house built and designed by one of the original architects of Washington. Classed as one of America’s first National Historic Landmarks, it was built by a granddaughter of Martha Washington and a son of Robert Peter, a prominent Scottish-born tobacco merchant, landowner and Georgetown’s first mayor, original purchased with the inheritance of George Washington himself. The house was well kept and interesting, our guide was a nice and welcomely lady and luckily we only had one other German couple in the tour so it felt like we had the whole house to ourselves. The house was littered with hundreds of antiques most of which were English in origin, something which contrasts the history of the city, all of which were as exquisitely well kept as the 8 ½ acre gardens which the house sits one. 

We trekked back through the genteal and leafy streets passing high end brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hugo Boss & Ralph Lauren to venture to see the stairwell where the original Exorcist was filmed. We were nearing the end of the walk and headed back to the subway via a famous cupcake shop called “Baked & Wired” getting back about 6ish. For food we headed to a Mexican bar both ordering some small and different eats however both slightly surprised when another sandwich esq meal turned up, no cutlery required for a change, it tasted good though!

We awoke early on the penultimate morning heading for a organised day trip to Gettysburg, we arrived and immediately felt like it was a tour for an older crowd but this doesn't bother us and got talking to a Canadian couple in the queue for the bus. As we didn't know the full details and foresaw an expensive lunch stop somewhere we had brought a homemade pack up of sandwiches for our lunch. We arrived after an or hour or two on the bus and were swiftly taken around a old house where the tour guides dressed up and acted as if they were from the 1800's when the battle happened, the tour was average in my opinion which I didn't really gain much from. We then headed for lunch and enjoyed a slightly warm ham & tuna sandwich in the blazing near 30 degree heat in a small outlet style mall with a Christmas tree shop and a large number of plus size clothing shops, bizarre combo!

Once we actually arrived at the battle field we were shown a short film narrated by no other than Morgan Freeman which was very interesting and a good introduction for those which don't know much of the battle or the civil war. After the film were shown something which we had never heard of, the cyclorama of Gettysburg, a huge oil painting detailing the battle which took place, after this a trip around the museum geared us for an actual guided tour.

Next we were introduced to the tour guide and headed off around the battlefield. We were expecting to walk this but since the battle field stretched many miles we got back on the bus and set off, tour guide at the front, microphone in hand. He pointed out various monuments, 1200+ in total, and shrines etc as we passed them. In total we stopped 3 times and key points with time to get off and walk around whilst he told stories and explained the history of what we were looking at. All in all we learnt a lot today and even though we spent a bit too much time on the bus for our liking it was worth it.

Tomorrow we fly to Charleston, leaving the organised nature of the first part of the trip hitting the road on the trek down to the keys before flying back in 2 1/2 weeks....time is going too fast as per usual on these trips!

New York City - The Biggest, Cleanest, Safest and Youngest city in the world!

So the first big trip we have done in nearly 2 years is about to start, we leave early on Thursday morning to catch a 9:45am flight to New York City, a place we have always wanted to visit and a place which draws in countless numbers of people from all over the world to marvel in its size, shopping and tourists attractions.

We have a fairly seamless flight with Thomas Cook where we get good leg room, decent food and all delay free for only £400pp return to the UK. The only downside being that the entertainment was lacking and the free bar you normally expect on long haul is no longer the case, paying for movies and drinks not with the meal must be the new way to upsell on a budget flight.

We land and queue for nearly 2 hrs at JFK to get through first time ETSA control, then again queue to leave the airport through customs and again to get a taxi to the hotel. All in all it took us 14hrs door-to-door from leaving our flat in Manchester; the train to the airport, the flight, customs and then a tedious 3hrs 15min from landing at the airport to checking in at the hotel.

The hotel was really nice, our room was situated on the 24th floor with a city view looking Downtown. The room wasn’t the biggest but very clean and comfy with all the required amenities we expected. We settle down, unpack some bits and have a think about what the plan for the next few days should be.

Day 1, we head out early to do the #1 Tripadvisor attraction; a walking tour with a local guide called The Downtown Dozen. The dozen covering walking through Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy finishing at the World Trade Centre / City Hall. Our tour guide was extravagant and slightly camp but very welcoming and knowledgable chap called Gregory. The tour was both engaging and interesting as we travelled around various parts of the city. We both liked Greenwich village the best as it reminded us of a larger version of the Northern Quarter in Manchester with a hipster-esque vibe; shops serving good coffee and sandwiches and a general artistic/creative feel. As we walked around each area Gregory gave us good and interesting facts as we past houses and historical landmarks of people from the original immigrants who founded the city in the 1700’s to jazz bars and comedy stores where famous people such as Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon once played. One thing to mention is how new it all felt, with history in Europe and Asia going back many thousands of years, this relatively modern city was basically modern compared to other places we had visited. The day was long and after nearly 4hrs nonstop through the city it was time to part our ways and head on to something new.

The last thing for today was Rockafella where we headed via Wall Street, again think central London Canary Wharf. It being September 11th we headed via Wall Street and to the 9/11 site which was teeming with all types from preachers of all faiths from Jews, Amish and Christian to name a few as well as people protesting and claiming it was a conspiracy, all in all a very strange crowd had gathered many simply to show their respect and ponder the day with people writing on the floor in chalk and on the wall on large white canvases which had been put up to allow people to write on them, a most interesting read however far too busy for it to feel respective in my opinion.

We got to the Rockefeller and had booked to go up to the observation deck before we came and were both slightly annoyed as when we arrived booking was pointless as regardless of the time you booked for you just joined a queue, luckily only a 20-30min wait to travel the 67 floors in less than 30 seconds. Once on the top we were both blown away by the views, the weather was on our side and we could see right to the horizon in all directions. One of the best viewing decks we had been to even if it wasn't as high as some of the observations decks in China.

Day 2 was upon us and we had formulated a plan. Since the weather looked good we headed first thing over to Brooklyn Bridge grabbing a delicious breakfast of bacon, egg, potatoes slices and grits, Isobel having poach eggs on toast. Once we had filled our bellies we headed over the bridge on foot and back into Manhattan. The bridge was good but we both thought the one next to it, Manhattan Bridge, looked better from a far however it's not as iconic and maybe not a pedestrian friendly. However the Brooklyn Bridge was good and we got our first glimpse of Lady Liberty.

After taking the subway downtown to Manhattan harbour we jumped on the FREE Staten island commuter ferry to get a close up of the Statue of Liberty. Overhearing someone talking about how the back of the boat was the best to get the good view, we made a dash for it to get the best spot. Again it was pretty cool to see her up close and we got some good pics, the boat was easy and took about 25mins to cross each way. We joined the many other tourist who simply travel to Staten Island then jump straight back on the return ferry heading back to Manhattan.

Once back on dry land we headed north to the world famous Joe's’ Pizza to grab a few slices which were real good and headed for a walk along the High LIne, an old converted raised subway which takes you through Chelsea and the Meatpacking district. Once we had eaten we headed down to the World Trade Centre memorial park. This consisted of two huge cavernous pits surrounded by water falls symbolising where the old buildings stood, next to The Freedom Town, a huge 110 (I think) storey tower which now stands as a replacement and moment to the the two towers also grabbing the tallest building in NYC spot and one of the tallest in the western hemisphere. A magnificent building really, impressive for its engineering let allow the meaning it should hold. We decided against going in the museum due to crowds deciding to head back the next morning hoping it would be quieter. The jet lag and pace had caught up with us so we headed back, both having an unplanned nap in the room for a few hours.

Following the unplanned nap we needed some food so headed to Hell’s Kitchen where we ate some meatloaf, mash potatoes and sprouts (I know a random combo) and chicken and pasta, both average meals but the first time we had seen vegetables and eaten with a knife and fork in nearly 3 days! We had a few drinks so stayed out late as possible in order to try and combat the remaining jet lag hoping we would not wake at 4am the next day!

The final full day in NYC was here and we had a few last things we wanted to see and do before moving on. First we did as planned and headed to the 9/11 museum which was both interesting and slightly moving if not feeling quite american at the same time. We walked around and well laid out exhibitions and took in the slights and sounds of what happened on that tragic day in history. The only thing I felt which it was missing is more of an explanation as the the reasoning for its fall i.e. structurally, why it fell. After this we headed into NoLita on the hunt for some taste bites and stumbled upon a packed mexican cafe where we waited 10mins for two seats to free up. A delicious meal followed with fish and veggie tacos both packed full of flavour and fresh ingredients, now understanding the wait and pleased we followed our travelling instinct to follow the locals and go where it's busy.

After this we heading to Times Square which was pretty awful, absolutely packed and teaming with tourists and touts, not our scene but again a must see if only once in NYC. We headed to the famous Macy's and the M&M store and got a decent size bag from the massive M&M pick’n’mix station (Vic’s great recommendation!). I got some Levi’s for $49.99 which we thought was a steal at that price however Macys felt disorganised and hectic and not dissimilar to any large department or clothes store in the U.K (think Selfridges or Debenhams).

The afternoon was getting on and we had yet to see Central Park. We arrived and were swapped by touts with varying prices offering everything from bicycles to horse drawn carriages. We opted for a couple of  bikes and proceeded to bomb it round the park. About half way round the heavens opened and we took shelter under some trees for 20 minutes until the rain eased. We once again started but with the recently settled rain both of us were covered in water by the end of the 1hr 30min bike round round the perimeter of the park. We headed back as the weather again once looking good, a real shame as if we had more time the park looked great and really humongous and really a wonder that it's dumped in the middle of Manhattan!

That evening we had arranged to meet up with an very old friend called Myles who we lived with in 1st year university. We headed to central  Brooklyn and met him and his girlfriend Justine, drinking and talking over past stores and travels into the night. They had to leave about 11ish so we headed back over the water to Manhattan both feeling merry after several drinks stopping for a cheeky bite to eat before quickly falling asleep once back at the hotel.

We woke on the last day heading out to grab some last minute gifts and shopping before checking out at 12. As I write this now we are heading to Washington DC on a very comfortable and cheap Amtrak train. Izzi is currently asleep in front of me, we have 1hr 30min before we arrive in a new, different part of the country. It once again feels like we are travelling, moving from place to place even if we are in the same country. I eagerly await the D.C and hope it's different and equally as fun as New York, let's see what it has to offer!