March 10, 2016
Flight: Orange County, SNA –> New York, EWR –> Orange County, SNA
Duration: 14 days
Mileage: 0, used buses and public transportation
Starting point: Irvine, CA
States: NY, NJ, PA, MA, Washington DC
Budget for 2 people: $3000 ($1316 flight, $176 buses; $275 hotel, $1000 food, $230 other)
- Days 0-4, 7, 11-14: New York
- Days 5-6: Boston
- Days 8-9: Philadelphia
- Day 10: Washington DC
This trip was one of our best but at the time of our travel we didn't think that we'll have a blog, thus, unfortunately, some information was lost over the time. I thought that the best way to write about this trip is to list all the places we've been to and add lots of photos :)
New York:
New York is a huge city and even a few weeks is not enough to enjoy it in full. At the time of our trip we stayed at our friends' place in Manhattan close to the famous Wall Street. Location was perfect as we explored most of Manhattan on foot. I would split New York into the following areas to explore:
- Downtown:
- Brooklyn Heights (beautiful district and amazing views over Manhattan, and of course the famous Brooklyn Bridge)
- Manhattan Financial District (Wall Street, World Trade Center Memorial)
- Little Italy, Soho
- Midtown (Washington Square Park, Empire State Building, Union Square, Times Square, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, High Line)
- Uptown (Central Park and wealthy surrounding houses)
- Museums:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- American Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Modern Art
Also, you can take a ferry to the Staten Island to see the Statue of Liberty on your way. You get beautiful views for free!
View over Manhattan from Brooklyn:
Brooklyn Bridge:
Central Park:
View of Manhattan from the Staten Island ferry:
Manhattan Bridge:
Times Square:
Boston:
One of the best ways to explore Boston is to follow the freedom trail. Downtown Boston is not big and is walkable in one day. My favorite places to walk are the waterfront, Boston Common and of course the Beacon Hill.
Waterfront:
Boston Common:
Massachusetts State House:
Downtown:
Boston Harbor:
We dedicate all second day to explore the MIT and were not disappointed.
Philadelphia:
Philadelphia is another city worth a visit. It's a really nice city, but not as impressive as New York, and not as cozy as Boston. Downtown historical area is quite large and you'll do a lot of walking. But now when I'm trying to remember what I liked most of all in Philadelphia.. I can only think of a narrow street with old houses with red doors and the Liberty Bell.
Washington DC:
Gorgeous city! Spacious with beautiful architecture, very beautiful capital. The must sees are: Library of Congress, National Mall, United States Capitol, White House, Washington Monument, Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Library of Congress:
White House:
Downtown:
Georgetown:
