New York

Manhattan Bridge - NYC

New York is one of the most iconic cities I've ever been to. We were there in 2007 to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and I can easily say it was love at first sight. What a place to end this amazing trip.

View of Manhattan

New York has the most recognisable skyline in the world. Striking buildings, the best venues and the most amazing park in the middle of the city.

View from Empire State Building 

Radio City

Central Park

It's a city I could easily live in. After London only New York could make me happy!

Downtown - NYC

I can't wait to walk the street of New York again and take in all it has to offer.

Brooklyn Bridge

Little Italy

Visit the places we liked the most and the ones we didn't have time to go when we were there.

Statue of Liberty

UN

Empire State Building

We planned this road trip to take 3 months and visit 17 states. I wish we could go to 3 more as initially we thought we would - Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine. But we might have to visit these states another time. I don't want to rush it and would love to be able to stay longer at places we really like. To learn as much as possible about the places, culture, people, food, music and everything that makes the USA such an incredible and diverse country.

NYC

View of Manhattan from Ellis Island

I would love to say "we are ready!", but there's so much to do still that now that we are about 5 months to go we need to start to do some serious planning. New Year's resolutions for sure!

*All photos © Lilian Sugarhood

Note to self:

Music: Bitter End www.bitterend.com, Cafe Wha? www.cafewha.com 

Road Trip essentials: www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/sep/21/top-10-road-trip-essentials-truckers-guide

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia 

Home to the nation’s original capital, Philadelphia, as well as towns and landscapes varied enough to make this massive state feel like its own country, Pennsylvania is the perfect place to get a big taste of what America’s all about.

Independence Hall - Philadelphia

Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Independence Hall, the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1752.The bell was used as a symbol of freedom during the Cold War and was a popular site for protests in the 1960s. It was moved from its longtime home in Independence Hall to a nearby glass pavilion on Independence Mall in 1976, and then to the larger Liberty Bell Centre adjacent to the pavilion in 2003.

City Hall

Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to Colonial times and includes a wide range of styles.The 167 m City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 when One Liberty Place was constructed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built from the late 1980s onwards.

One Liberty Place

Philadelphia at night

Philadelphia is known for its arts and culture. The cheesesteak and soft pretzel are emblematic of Philadelphia cuisine, which is shaped by the city's ethnic mix. The city has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city, and Philadelphia's Fairmount Park is the largest landscaped urban park in the world.

Rocky Balboa Statue on the famous steps of The Museum of Art

Rittenhouse Square

Benjamin Franklin

Philadelphia is one of 12 U.S. cities to have all four major sports: the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League of Major League Baseball, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association. Hopefully we will get tickets to watch at least one game!

Citizen Bank 

Note to self:

Food: Reading Terminal Market www.readingterminalmarket.org/ ; Miller's Twist for Pretzle www.millerstwist.com ; John's Roast Pork for Cheesestakes www.johnsroastpork.com ; Joe's Steakes + Sodas http://chinksteaks.com/ ; Santucci's Pizza www.santuccispizza.com ; Fork www.forkrestaurant.com ; Marra's www.marrasone.com ; Mercer Cafe www.mercercafephilly.com ; Los Gallos http://losgallosphilly.com/

Drink: Memphis Taproom www.memphistaproom.com 

Washington D.C.

Washington Monument

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. 

Lincoln Memorial

Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or
around the National Mall, the front yard and public podium of the American people. Immortalised in The Great March on Washington which took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr., standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech advocating racial harmony during the march.

The White House

Six of the top 10 buildings in the American Institute of Architects' 2007 ranking of "America's Favourite Architecture" are in the District of Columbia: the White House; the Washington National Cathedral; the Thomas Jefferson Memorial; the United States Capitol; the Lincoln Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The US Capitol 

The National Capitol Columns

The National Mall is a large, open park in downtown Washington between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol.

The Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution operates 19 museums and the National Zoo, all free to the public.   

Union Station

Union Station is a transportation hub for passengers on Amtrak, commuter rail lines, and the Washington Metro. Due to such good transport connections we might leave our car here and head to our final destinations by train.

Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains

Virginia is the next stop after the Carolinas and the beginning of the last leg of our trip. The invisible line between the North and South is drawn here and every acre is packed with some saga of national significance, be it the USA’s colonization, Revolution or Civil War.

Jefferson Davis Monument - Richmond

According to the Lonely Planet "Richmond is welcoming, warm and offers the chance to witness an almost unique phenomenon: the gradual absorption of a traditional Southern city into the international milieu of the Northeast Corridor".

 

Richmond

Richmond is home to many significant structures, including some designed by notable architects. The city contains diverse styles, including significant examples of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, among others.

Virginia State Capitol

The Landmark Theater

Lutheran Church - Richmond

Main Street Station - Richmond

Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia from 1699 to 1780. The city's tourism-based economy is driven by Colonial Williamsburg, an open-air, living history museum in the restored Historic Area of the city.

Governors Palace - Williamsburg

Historic District - Williamsburg

The Carolinas

At this stage of our trip we might be running out of time and gas. Every time I start researching another state there is so much to see and do that I want to squeeze in as much as possible.

On one hand it's good as we might not have the opportunity to do a trip like this again but on the other hand I don't want to rush things and get exhausted before completing the 2 months. If only we had more time!

With this in mind we are considering driving through Virginia all the way to the Carolinas. A good friend of mine called Bryan Calloway, who is from Charlotte, always said that Charlotte is one of the prettiest town in the world and I must go and visit it one day.

Charlotte skyline

North Carolina is famous for the business-oriented urban centres of the central Piedmont as well as for the scenic routes along the coast and those through the Appalachian Mountains, especially along the unforgettable Blue Ridge Parkway.

Cullasaja falls - Nantahala National Forest

Appalachian Mountains

Reading about the Carolinas I came across this description from the Lonely Planet: "Cross the border of South Carolina and plunge back in time. For a traveler heading down the eastern seaboard, venturing into South Carolina marks the beginning of the Deep South, where the air is hotter, the accents are thicker and traditions are clung to with even more fervor"

Charleston

The cradle of the Civil War, Charleston is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in the southeast. Charleston is also a city for strolling, for admiring the architecture, for stopping to smell the blooming jasmine, the gardenia and honeysuckle.

Residential garden in Charleston

Time permitting we can start to make our way up to Washington DC through Virginia and perhaps stop in Williamsburg to recharge our batteries.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Online help

Last month The Guardian started a six-part series exploring the USA. I was very excited about it and will be looking out for it every month. I will be able to get fantastic travel tips and will certainly add it to my entries from now on. They will be "Note to self" entries so I won't forget it when I'm there.

There is an online contribution page for people who have been to where Jacob Steinberg is going. I will be dipping in and out for tips on where to stay, eat, visit etc. The website is https://witness.guardian.co.uk 

The Guardian website

West Virginia

Charleston

If you were born in the sixties like me you will probably remember the American series Daniel Boone. Charleston was featured in the series as it was home to the frontier hero who gave his name to the series. Charleston has changed a lot since then and is today the modern and sophisticated capital of West Virginia.

Daniel Boone TV series

The State Capitol, with its gleaming 23-karat gold dome and classic 20th-century architecture, is very impressive. Most of the city's major landmarks are located right around the Capitol, making it easy to see everything.

Charleston State Capitol

I was told that If you are into history and culture you will want to spend some time at the Cultural Centre, which includes a state museum, reference and archive libraries, a theatre and plays host to special events throughout the year.

The Cultural Centre

For those who prefer outdoor endeavours, more than a hundred miles of spectacular scenery await you on the Midland Trail scenic highway, also known as U.S. Route 60.

Midland Trail

Time permitting, I would like to check out the Kanawha Forest with more than 9,000 acres of exploration and recreation just south of town.

Kanawha Falls

Initially we would only go to Charleston on our way to the Carolinas but while I was doing some research I came across Harpers Ferry. The place looked so beautiful that I wanted to include it in our trip while in West Virginia.

Harpers Ferry

From their official website I found this description of Harpers Ferry: "A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields. Spend a day or a weekend. We have something for everyone, so come and discover Harpers Ferry!"

National Historic Park

Shenandoah Street

St Peter's Church

Dry Goods Store

However, it might be easier and quicker to go there once we reach Washington. We might even be able to drive along the Potomac river all the way there.

Potomac River