So it must be said, I'm feeling rather sorry for myself at the moment. I've been working long hours; nearly everyday since I've been home. I haven't really seen as many people as I would have liked to and I'm worried I won't before I head off again. However, I have to remind myself that these long hours will be worth it in the long run.
Over the last couple of months I have been planning and booking the travelling that I intend to do once I complete my university year in America. The majority is booked; I have a few flights and hostels that need to be sorted, but overall I am ready. I thought I would write out the itinerary for the trip.
May 14th
Day 1 - Arrive in Los Angeles
In the early hours of the morning I will fly to Los Angeles and meet Colleen at the airport a few hours later. We'll then travel together to our hotel and do a bit of touristy stuff - see Hollywood, the homes of the stars etc.
May 15th
Day 2 - Journey from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
We have a pretty early start that day, meeting the other passengers of the Contiki tour at a Hilton hotel in L.A at 5am. We will then drive to Las Vegas, through the Mojave Desert, see the iconic Joshua Trees and end up in Sin City. The evening consists of heading down to the 'Strip' and then a limo trip down Freemont Street and who knows what next...
May 16th
Day 3 - Journey from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon
I imagine we'll probably have the hangover of a lifetime on this morning, so I imagine a lot of the time on the coach will consist of sleeping. We will follow a section of Route 66 and stop at the small of Seligman. We will then continue onto one of the world's greatest natural wonders.
May 17th
Day 4 - Grand Canyon National Park
There is the opportunity to have a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon in the morning and in the afternoon, we will hike along the South Rim of the Canyon.
May 18th
Day 5 - Grand Canyon to Durango via Monument Valley
Again there will be a lot of travelling involved in this day and we will experience views, famous in John Wayne films. We will visit the Navajo Tribal Park along the way and learn about the American Indian way of life. After this, we will leave the colourful rock formations of Arizona and Utah and head into the rugged state of Colorado.
May 19th
Day 6 - Durango to Albuquerque
The day will consist of horseback riding across the back country and a visit to an old mine on a four wheel drive excursion. Heading to New Mexico, it will be time to hang out in the pueblo of Albuquerque.
May 20th
Day 7 - Albuquerque to Amarillo
On the way to Amarillo (haha), we will stop in Santa Fe, a city that mixes Mexican, Spanish, Anglo and American Indian cultures. During this trip we will visit the art galleries and architecture of the city. Heading Eastbound, we will go to Amarillo, a small town known for its ranches and cattle auctions. We will also visit a 'Cadillac ranch' and learn a bit about the classic American car.
There is also an opportunity to take on the 'Big Steak Challenge' - a 4.4lb portion of beef.
May 21st
Day 8 - Amarillo to Dallas
The next two days will not be very new for me. It will consist of visiting some of the downtown core spots!
May 22nd
Day 9 - Dallas
Again, this day will consist of visiting the Sixth Floor Museum (although I did this a couple of months ago) and a tour to the Cowboys Stadium (again, been there, done that). Later we will head to Fort Worth, famous for its historic stockyards. It's a pretty sweet city - might pick up some cowboy boots on my way!
May 23rd
Day 10 - Dallas to Memphis
Leaving Texas and entering Arkansas, you can grab a photo of yourself in two places at once. We will stop at Little Rock, an important spot during the Civil Rights Movement and former home of Bill Clinton. We we cross the Mississippi River and pull into Memphis and stop at the Rock'n'Soul Museum in the city.
May 24th
Day 11 - Memphis
We will start by visiting Graceland, the home of the King of Rock'n'Roll. We will visit the Civil Rights Museum, which is housed in the Lorraine Motel, the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. We will head to Sun Studios, famous for recording Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. We will head to Beale Street in the evening, the stomping ground for famous singers such as B.B King and Tina Turner.
May 25th
Day 12 - Memphis to New Orleans
On our way, we will visit Jackson and cross Lake Pontchartrain on the longest bridge in the world. We will head to New Orleans' French Quarter, the French Market and Jackson Square. We will head out on a Mississippi riverboat and head onto the river to listen to a live Dixie Jazz band. We will then head to the famous Bourbon street in the evening and probably never know what happened that night...
May 26th
Day 13 - New Orleans to Orlando
That morning will consist of probably dying and maybe seeing a bit more of New Orleans. We will then head to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport and head to Orlando, Florida. We will then meet Colleen's family and will stay with them for a few days.
May 27th
Day 14 - Disney World, Orlando
Pretty self-explanatory really. Lots of fun, riding roller-coasters and making the most of the great theme park.
May 28th & May 29th
Day 15 and 16 - Orlando and Miami
We will spend most of this time with Colleen's family. Hopefully we will be able to visit the beaches that Florida is famous for, travel down to Miami and enjoy the inevitable hot weather that Florida is famous for.
May 30th
Day 17 - Orlando to New York
There will be an early start and we will head to the Big Apple for a few days. We will head to our hostel for the evening and explore the city alone before we start our second tour on the 31st. Sights will hopefully include the Met!!!!
May 31st
Day 18 - New York
Hopefully we will be able to have breakfast at Tiffany's in the morning and explore more of the city alone before we transfer to our new hotel with our new tour company. In the evening we will go on a night tour of NYC and head to the South Street Seaport to see the views of the NYC bridges at night. We will head to the Rockefeller Centre and see the statue of Prometheus outside.
June 1st
Day 19 - New York
We will visit Chinatown, Wall Street and Ground Zero. We will head back down to the South Street Seaport and see views of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge. We will then have a boat ride around the Manhattan harbour, where we will see the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan landscape. We will head up the Empire State Building and tour the United Nations, where all 192 countries meet to discuss ideas. We will head to Fifth Avenue, one of the most expensive streets in the world, Times Square and the Sea, Air and Space Museum.
June 2nd
Day 20 - Philadelphia to Washington D.C.
In the morning we will head from New York to Philadelphia, where we will visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and where the U.S. Constitution was drafted. We will see the Liberty Bell and snack on a Philly sandwich. We will head on to the nations capital and visit the Lincoln Memorial. We will also visit the Jefferson Memorial and the National Museum of Natural History. We will see the White House and tour the Vietnam Veterans Memorial who fought during service.
June 3rd
Day 21 - Washington D.C. to Niagara Falls via Hershey
We will first travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania and visit Hersheys Chocolate World. Later that day, we will head on to Niagara Falls and view the falls during the evening.
June 4th
Day 22 - Niagara Falls to Boston via Buffalo
In the morning we will take a ride on the Maid of the Mist and see the falls properly. We will then head to Buffalo airport, where we will fly to Boston to continue our journey and head to our next youth hostel.
June 5th
Day 23 - Boston
During our time in Boston, we will try to see as much as we can including Fenway Park, the Freedom Trail (which includes 16 key historical spots of the American Revolution), Boston harbour (to throw away our dignity/tea) and the US constitution museum. Hopefully we will be able to get to Havard and see the world famous university.
June 6th
Day 24 - Boston to England, U.K.
Our last day will be more relaxed, focusing on the final journey home. My first time home in 5 months! I imagine I will be exhausted and broke at this point...
