I've recently realised that I've seriously neglected my blog. It wasn't my intention but I've really been focussing on my YouTube channel and the content I'm creating over there as that was what I initially wanted to create. But I'm hopefully back, and today I'm here with the start of a mini travel series!
A couple months ago I was fortunate enough to head over to the east cost of the USA and travel through 9 different states, plus Canada as well! I have really caught the travelling bug since going to the west coast three years ago and thought I would share with you some of the places I've travelled to, along with my honest thoughts on them all. This time I'm talking about the some of the states I travelled to this year (located within the north east of the country), as well as Florida. The next travel post will be focussed on the four states I've been to on the west coast and everything I got up to there a couple years ago!
I've been fortunate to visit Florida multiple times, and there's no denying that it's one of my favourite places in the world, in particular Orlando! As a massive theme park junkie, whether I'm strolling through the magical Disney parks or racking up the rides at Universal, I'm completely in my element. And even if you're not particularly into rides there's always something to satisfy your needs, particularly in Disney World as it is catered towards every age group. My favourite rides in all the parks definitely have to be the Tower Of Terror and Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (expect to get soaking), but of course you can't forget about Harry Potter World and, well, every other Disney experience out there! I remember walking through the Disney parks saying to myself "this is so magical"; and it truly is!
Asides from Orlando, I've been lucky enough to travel down to the Keys. Essentially it's a string of islands connected by the Overseas Highway (or Route 1) at the southern tip of Florida - Key West holds the most southern point in the USA. As they're located close enough to the Caribbean, the islands give off a laid back but tropical feel; quintessentially like visiting the Caribbean without actually visiting the Caribbean. The Keys are also a great hotspot for seeing much of Florida's sea animals, such as manatees, turtles, tropical fish and dolphins.
New York City
I have very mixed feeling when it comes to NY. Although it's an absolutely amazing city with some absolutely incredible things to do/see, parts of NY overwhelmed a little too much. I'm certainly someone who doesn't fair well is chaotic situations; when there's too many people around I can get fairly anxious, and well, there's roughly 8.5 million people living in NYC alone, plus all the tourists that visit the city every year! Shopping was pretty much a no-go for me, and Macy's was far too large that it simply overwhelmed me! Times Square was also jam packed - at points we simply just couldn't move.
Saying that, I fell in love with Central Park. It's a massive green, open area, and when you venture further into the park itself there's actually very few people walking around, which made me feel a lot more free! Visiting the Statue of Liberty also had a similar effect and I also loved seeing the views from the top of the Rock and the Empire State Building. It was also really cool to explore the National History Museum and the 9/11 Memorial was really done so beautifully too. If you're ever planning on heading to New York to do many of these attractions, I would highly recommend purchasing a New York City Pass, as overall it gives you cheaper entry to all the attractions and saves you waiting in massive queues to purchase the tickets.
Oh, and the food was great!
Boston
I knew that at some point in my life I wanted to visit Boston, but I honestly had no idea what to expect. If I'm being brutally honest I'd say that I much preferred Boston to New York. The city itself is no where near as big and chaotic and the atmosphere just feels much more relaxed than that of NY. On the other hand, when it comes to the tourist-y side of things, Boston offers a more historical experience and the hop-on-hop-off trolleys are a must-do in my opinion for at least one day. It not only means that you can see what the whole of Boston has to offer, but you can learn so much about a city that you knew very little to begin with; at least that's what it was in my case. I also found that some of the nicest people were in Boston.
If the constant up-and-go atmosphere of New York doesn't particular float your boat, I would 100% recommend checking out Boston instead. And remember to head out on one of the boats to capture these gorgeous views of the city!
Watkins Glen, NY
Out of all the places that I'm mentioning, this is probably the one that you've least likely heard of; in fact I'd never even heard of it until the beginning of this year! But as someone who loves the outside and prefers a more open environment, the day we spent at Watkins Glen was one of my favourites!
Over many years the stream has cut through the rock to create waterfalls and rapids, whilst still maintaining a tranquil environment throughout most of the park. It's really something that a photo just doesn't do justice, and whilst I'll have a link down below to my vlogs where you can see just how truly beautiful it is, it really is something that you should experience for yourself. Just remember to wear suitable shoes, as chances are you will get wet...like I did!
Niagara Falls (Canada Side)
Now I know this is a post about USA travel but I simply couldn't skip this one out. During the last week of our trip we made our way over to Canada to see the Niagara Falls. As the Niagara Falls are located between Canada and New York state you can actually visit the park and see the falls from either country, however we knew that the views would be much better from the Canada side, and I honestly couldn't disagree with that at all! The US (on the left of the photo) have quite an obscured view of the majority of the falls, whereas on the Canada side (right on the photo), you can easily view the majority of it!
The falls themselves are absolutely gorgeous. As long as it's not too muggy and you can get a pretty good view of them, it's incredible! It's really difficult to actually comprehend the amount of water spilling over the edge every second!
Whilst there we decided to purchase a Niagara Falls Adventure Pass, which allowed us to take a boat ride, a white water rapids walk, go behind (technically under) and very close to the side of the falls, as well as using the free public transportation; but anyone can obviously view the falls for free. I would highly recommend this pass though as it allows you to experience the falls in many different ways. Make sure to also take a thick layer with you even if you ever visit in summer, as although I knew Canada was generally cold, I underestimated just how cold it would be in May...
I also have my vlogs from my recent trip to the USA and Canada up on my YouTube channel! Below is my first vlog around NYC, but make sure to check out all the other ones too (link in video descriptions), and let me know whether you'd like to see more vlogs!
Have you ever been to any of these places?
Lots of Love
Lizzie xx
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