What’s the first thing you think of when you’re planning on traveling the USA? Did someone say road trip? North, East, South, West: the possibilities are countless when it comes to travel destinations in the US. And public transport can be fairly cheap, which is nice when you’re on a budget! APiA blogger Lea’s family recently decided to come visit her in Washington, D.C. – but they sure didn’t just leave it at that!
Is it just me, or does NYC feel like a different city every time you’re there? 😍
I remember it like it was yesterday, because it was probably the most amazing day of my entire au pair year. The day my family from back home in Germany arrived in the USA to go on a road trip with me! I picked them up from the airport (naturally), which took a lot longer than expected since we just wouldn’t let go of each other (naturally)! Eventually, we made our way back home to my host parents’ house. We only took so much time to unpack few things things, to be able to head out and explore the city right away.
A DAY IN: WASHINGTON, D.C.
The next day was a proper sightseeing day through Washington, D.C.! We stopped by the White House, the Capitol, and the National Mall of course, including the National Monument and Union Station. I highly recommend to swing by Union Station if you get the chance to, simply because of its amazing architecture. It’s so easy to forget that you’re in a subway station when you walk along all the shops and the food court area!
When in Washington, D.C. 🌸
A DAY IN: BALTIMORE
On Monday we finally hit the road. First stop: Baltimore! It’s just an hour far away from where I live, so we had plenty of time to explore. Whenever you are in Maryland, take your time to go to the harbor and enjoy some ice cream. Baltimore is known for its International Harbor – and take it from someone who’s recently been there, it’s so worth to check it out!
Baltimore, and its harbour especially, are a beaut by night!
A DAY IN: PHILADELPHIA
After only one day, we found ourselves back on road again! This time we were heading to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philly is not a city for a whole weekend in my opinion, but it’s worth a day trip. If I were you, I’d make sure to stop at the Reading Market Hall. It’s basically a huge market where you find lots of delicious food and other fancy stuff. If you have some more time left (and didn’t eat too much food of course) you should visit Liberty Bell and the Independence Hall. For those of you who are always on the lookout for the best Instagram spot, you should try the One Liberty Observation Deck.
There’s more to Philadelphia than the Philly Cheese Steak 😉
A DAY IN: NEW YORK CITY
After Philly came New York City! For those of you who have never been to this magical city yet, let me tell you: You’ll get addicted to it! And if not, you just need to get to know the city a bit more. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to NYC. And every single time I’m there, I fall in love with it over and over again. As I’ve said before. when you’re there for the first time you should try Central Park, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, 5th Ave, Greenwich Village, Brooklyn and Bryton Park. I could go on and on about the thousands of thing that you can to in New York. But if you only have a couple of hours there, these are the things you should do first. If you’re staying a bit longer, take your time and explore the “real” Big Apple. Rent a bike or take on the city by foot, and you will explore spots that you won’t find on every other travel blog.
The streets of NYC
A DAY AT: THE NIAGARA FALLS
Our final stop before we made our way back home were the Niagara Falls. I had been there once before, but I was still fascinated by the stunning view! If you have the time for it, take this opportunity to visit the Canadian side as well. You might need a visa though, depending on where you’re from. You’ll get an awesome view of the Falls, especially by night. Sometimes they light them up, which is really cool! Be prepared for long waiting lines though, and make sure to take warm clothes with you. It’s always windy up there!
The Niagara Falls have something magical about them, don’t they?
