USA Wrap-Up
After $150 worth of excess baggage charges, two very turbulent flights and a two and a half hour drive, I finally made it back to Newcastle. I’ve only been home for a week but have already beat jet lag, done all of my washing, wrapped all of my Christmas presents and of course had a Vegemite sandwich.
Just like my trip to Japan last year, I’ve decided to do a little wrap-up post to let you guys know what my highlights were in each city as well as some fun activities and handy hints for travelling throughout the USA.
Los Angeles, CA (Check out the post for LA and Disneyland)
Where to Stay
Picking a location to stay can be tricky but if you do your research and go with your instincts you will be fine. We wanted to be near the action so we stayed at Loews Hollywood Hotel. It was close to the main attractions like the Walk of Fame, Madame Tussauds and all that classic stuff. The rooms were spacious and comfortable with a nice view so it was a nice way to start our holiday.
Getting Around
If you’re not staying in the middle of all the action, getting around LA can be kinda tough. We rented a car for a day which made things so much easier and making the transition to driving on the right side of the road wasn’t that hard.
Best Eats
I didn’t spend a lot of time in LA so I didn’t get to eat as much vegan stuff as I would have liked. Veggie Grill was definitely my favourite and they have multiple locations so finding one near you shouldn’t be too tricky. I really did enjoy the burgers at Johnny Rockets too, so a good option if you’re travelling with omnis.
What to Do
Doing the tour of celebrity homes may sound tacky but it’s actually a really great way to check out LA and get acquainted with the city. Try and do it early on in your trip so you can take mental notes of areas to come back and visit on your own later. Disneyland was my obvious highlight and it’s only an hour away from LA so you can even just do a day trip if you don’t want to stay in Anaheim overnight (keep in mind that there aren’t any shuttle services from hotels so a train, bus or cab will be your only options).
San Francisco, CA (Check out the post for San Francisco)
Where to Stay
Hotel Union Square is in a sensational location; right on Powell street near the famous cable car, right next to Westfield, Macy’s and a bunch of other stores and nearby to many restaurants and bars. The rooms are slightly more modest and less modern (there’s no bar fridge) but it’s well worth the compromise for such an awesome location.
Getting Around
Uber is a really awesome private car service that has just been launched in Australia but has been operating in the US for a while now. Using an app, the driver is sent your location and you can track how far they are from you, rate your driver after your trip and is completely cashless (you input your credit card details when you set up the app). Cabs can be hard to get in SF so this option was much more reliable and relatively inexpensive, especially when the cost is shared between more than one person.
Best Eats
If you’re feeling fancy, you really need to hit up Millenium Restaurant. A set menu can cost you around $100USD but you can also order individual items from the menu if you just want to try some great food with a slightly less expensive price tag. For cheaper eats, pop into Loving Hut and if you’re in the mood for Japanese, you must get yourself to Cha-Ya.
What to Do
There’s so much to do in San Fran but some of my highlights were the Golden Gate Bridge, Alamo Square, visiting the Full House house, Alcatraz and checking out the sea lions at Pier 39.
Portland, OR
Where to Stay
If your budget permits, you simply must stay at Hotel Monaco. For the quality, comfort and personality of this hotel you are really not paying very much at all and it was the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in.
Getting Around
Transport in Portland is kinda hard. They don’t have Uber and things are pretty spaced out so if you can rent a car I would recommend doing that (I will next time). If a car isn’t an option, keep the number of a cab company on you because there aren’t a lot of them driving around.
Best Eats
For cheap eats, Sizzle Pie is where it’s at while if you’re looking for something fancy, you should check out Departure. If you’re after sweets, Voodoo Doughnut and Back to Eden are both must eats!
What to Do
The rain really does present a problem in Portland so you have to play your cards right in order to see the awesome woods and parks in the area. Shopping on NW 23rd is a great way to spend a day with plenty of small businesses as well as chain stores like Urban Outfitters, West Elm etc. If you’re after handmade goods, check out Portland Saturday Market which run on Saturdays and Sundays.
New York, NY
Where to Stay
The Milburn Hotel was perfectly located in Manhattan and I will definitely try to stay there next time I visit. If you’re staying in Brooklyn, Hotel Le Jolie is well located and quite comfortable however I did have an issue with sorting out payment with them.
Getting Around
You really cannot beat the subway; it’s cheap, clean, fast, efficient and you’re not trapped in traffic for ages! Use the trip planner on the MTA site for easy instructions on getting from A to B. For late nights, grabbing a cab is easy and not too pricey if you’re splitting between a few people.
Best Eats
Where do I start!? I didn’t eat anywhere particularly fancy so I can’t report on that although Candle 79 and Blossom Restaurant are apparently awesome. I loved Cafe Blossom in Manhattan and Maoz Vegetarian is great for cheap eats as well as Soy and Sake for the best Asian in Manhattan. Wild Ginger, Foodswings and Champs are all essential eateries in Brooklyn as well as Dun-Well Doughnuts for sweet treats.
What to Do
There’s so much to do in New York that even the people who live there will never get to do it all. If art and museums are your thing, check out the MoMA, The Met, and the American Museum of Natural History. Try and get to a basketball game at either Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center. Shopping on Bedford Avenue and Grand Street in Brooklyn is a blast as well as the Brooklyn Flea Markets. Coney Island is even cool to check out in winter when everything is closed and Green-Wood Cemetery is beautiful to walk around. Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge is also a must!
Well there it is, a pretty substantial and hopefully useful snapshot of my 5 weeks in the USA. Where am I headed next? You’ll just have to wait and see…
Any questions about my trip? Go ahead and comment below, I’ll do my best to answer!