Monday 3rd November
Woke up feeling surprisingly ok after the flight, because of the time difference I was still able to get almost a full nights sleep. I need to do some serious travel planning but I am staying just a couple of blocks away from Central Park so I spent the morning walking through just the North West corner enjoying the Autumn colours and beautiful weather! I found a little pub (still with their Halloween decorations up - another novelty, although I suspect next year at home will be just as big) and was quickly reminded of American serving sizes!
I spent the afternoon doing a bit of travel planning (trying to find tours in the States but not many run during Winter) and watching a little tv! A perk of being here is that the US tv catch up websites aren't blocked!
Tuesday 4th November
I only booked 2 nights accommodation in New York as I'll be spending time here over Christmas/New Years. So today I took a bus up to Boston, Massachusetts. The only hostel available is a fair way out of town but easy enough to find. Of course it was dark by the time I arrived though (it's pretty much dark at 5pm here now), so I just had dinner at a little local Mexican place (there isn't much around but there is a Mexican restaurant every few blocks if not more in the US).
Wednesday 5th November
Out to explore Boston city today. They have their 'Freedom Trail' clearly marked throughout the city that takes you to most of the historical buildings and sites here. Very helpful for tourists and most sites have enough written information there that you really can do it without a tour guide. So I spent the day following that and seeing everything from the site of 'the Boston massacre', the old burying grounds where some of the big players in American history are buried, and Faneuil Hall (there is more but the main building is a big food hall). I also visited Boston Common, America's oldest public garden, which is really beautiful (I'm glad I made it here for the Autumn colours). Along the trail is the 'North End' or "Little Italy", full of Italian restaurants, bakeries and deli's, and finally it takes you over the Charles River and up to Bunker Hill and the monument. Bunker Hill is actually a lovely little area with great views back over Boston (and I was even treated to a few more late Halloween decorations still out). With it dark by 5pm, dinner is getting earlier and earlier but after killing a little time I made my way back to the North End for some yummy Italian for dinner.
Thursday 6th November
Off to Harvard this morning! I took the train out to Cambridge in the rain and had a look around the town before taking a tour of the university. It really is a lovely place and so much history to inspire their students. All students there have to take a subject in all faculties before they pick their major (or constitution as they call it) which I think that's a great idea.
I wanted to do some sort of tour of Boston and haven't really seen it at night so found a night ghost walking tour. It was absolutely pouring rain but I'm glad I did it as it was a great tour. More historical than the normal tacky ghost tour, the ghost stories also told us about some history of Boston that you wouldn't otherwise hear.
Friday 7th November
Took a day trip out to Salem today, as it's only a quick train ride out of Boston. The city is a ghost town after Halloween but it is a really lovely little town and I'm liking spending time in the New England 'fall' (even if the temperature has dropped dramatically today... apparently a storm in Alaska is bringing arctic weather right through Canada and most of the US over the next week). The city of Salem is funny, obviously it is famous for the witch hunt/trials and they certainly embrace it (there are endless witch related shops, shops with names like 'Salem Screamery' the local ice cream shop, and psychics galore; however the local National Park Rangers (who run the visitor information and Maritime History area) really try to pull away from it and try to steer people more to their Maritime history. Understandable considering the witch trials lasted for 9 months but their Maritime history is some of the oldest in the country. Having said that, they still play a movie/documentary about the witch trials at the visitor centre which I watched to refresh my memory of it all. After lunch I visited the Maritime historical site and had a tour through the 'Friendship of Salem', a replica of one of the ships from their strong trading days when they were still a colony of Britain. We also went through Customs House from back then and saw some items like the list of taxes they charged on incoming produce and the old silver dollars that they literally cut in half and into pieces to get a lower value.
After a walk back through town and a visit to the Witch Trial Memorial, I took the train back to Boston to try some of the famous Boston cream pie before I leave tomorrow.
Saturday 8th November
Farewelling Boston today, a really nice city but my experience dampened slightly by some terrible hostel roommates and not really being in the right travel head space after being on tours and with friends for so long. Starting to get back into it though and used my bus trip to Albany (actually the New York state capital) to do some research for my time in the States.
That bit of travel excitement came to an ubrupt end though when I completely stacked it on my way from the bus stop to my Airbnb place. Absolutely bit the dust, smashing my tablet screen and my head on the sidewalk. Thankfully it wasn't worse as there was absolutely no one around. After checking out the enormous egg that developed instantly and a few tears (luckily it's not deep enough for a true head jury amount of blood), I picked myself up off the ground (not that easy strapped into backpacks! Haha) and made it to my place for the night. Not staying in the best area but the guys were very nice and concerned about me, offering what help they could. Ironically enough, my host owns a computer repair shop, unfortunately though he didn't have the part to fix mine.
That welcome put an end to my plans to check out the city of Albany so it was a quite night in.
Sunday 9th November
Woke up this morning to some lovely swelling and the start of a black eye (possibly 2). l left my place early so I could at least see a little of Albany but being Sunday the city is a ghost town. After wandering around feeling lost l found a bagel shop and Starbucks and treated myself to a yummy brunch. Then it was on the bus to Buffalo.
I met up with Andy, who I'm staying with, when I arrived and he took me to a local bar for some traditional buffalo wings! Then we went to see some of his friends play an amateur ice hockey game.
Monday 10th November
My face has swollen up impressively, l have 2 very swollen, black eyes (even the bridge of my nose has come up!) l still haven't really had a headache though which is really weird. A big day today though so it was on with a bandaid and sunglasses and off to see Niagara Falls! The river is extremely impressive and the first view you get is the 'American Falls', which is actually the small part of the falls! On the viewing platform you can see the 'horseshoe falls', the main part as well and can see why these falls are so impressive... just so much water! And the famous mist rising from the base. We crossed over to Canada, my last country on my trip! The views are even better from the Canadian side, you can basically walk right up to the very edge of the falls. We got treated to great weather and a nice double rainbow and then walked up into Clifton Hill which they've built up into kind of a mix between a carnival and Vegas!
After heading back over to the USA we hiked down to a cool spot down the river after the falls where the water is so powerful has created a natural whirlpool in a curve of the river!
Tonight a local bar was having their 6th birthday celebrations which meant an open bar and free food! We had a good night with a friend of Andy's and saw the nightlife of Buffalo.
Tuesday 11th November
Today is Memorial Day here is the US (so quite similar to our Remembrance Day appropriately) so Andy showed me the enormous Buffalo cemetery where they were having a ceremony, and they have a large area dedicated to military personnel (each gave marked with an American flag). The cemetery is the biggest I've ever seen and is a beautiful area. Next we went to the water front (of Lake Erie) and to the war memorial area, along with a ship from WWII and airforce planes.
We had lunch from a local Taco truck (the first in Buffalo and the one to really start the food truck popularity), which was so yummy! Then we went up to the City Hall observation deck for a great view over Buffalo. In the afternoon we went out to the outlets for a bit of shipping and a trip to Walmart!
Hockey is very big here so after dinner we went out to a new local bar to watch the game. Then it was onto my bus for an overnight trip to Chicago.
Wednesday 12th November
Eventually got to my hostel and had to wait to check in. Spent the afternoon doing some research and chilling out. Not feeling at the top of my game with my head injury, the swelling has finally gone down today but with that has come the headache.
I found a Lou Malnati's (famous for their traditional deep dish pizza) for dinner. Chicago is great for food, there are so many things/places I want to try while I'm here.
Thursday 13th November
Woke up to the first flurries of snow this morning! As if Chicago isn't cold enough, they are having a cold snap this week so I've hit the negative temperatures quickly.
Decided it was time to get my head checked out so I found a doctor and a couple of hours later I had an appointment at the hospital for a CT scan. I had some time first to get in some sightseeing so I had a good look around Millennium Park, saw the famous 'bean', some very bizarre statues and the 'all seasons' garden in which I failed to see the fall/winter component! I tried Chipotles for lunch (pretty good for a chain), and then walked up Michigan Ave. The city is really beautiful, they have even done the skyscrapers well! I can see why people say it's like a calm New York city, it has the same vibe to it but not quite the same. The water front along the river is really nice, with the impressive Wrigley and Tribune buildings. The Tribune building has stones/bricks/tiles etc from many other buildings, monuments and historical areas from all around the world, embedded into the external front of the building. Very cool! I continued up the 'Magnificent Mile' (shopping area) and found the hospital. I spent longer filling in forms than I was actually getting anything done, and $1500 later I had the all clear (just soft tissue swelling and very bad bruising).
It is absolutely freezing today so I started to walk around the area further but gave up and headed back to the hostel.
I find out that Kate Voegele (from One Tree Hill fame) was performing in Chicago tonight so made it out to that. A small little venue but a great set, she is really great live!
Friday 14th November
l made my way down to Museum of Science and Industry this morning. I had read they have a big Christmas exhibition and I wasn't disappointed. They have about 50 trees set up around their main floor, each decorated traditionally from different countries around the world. After paying the entrance fee I had a look around the rest of the museum before l walked back towards the city along the coast of Lake Michigan.
As dusk fell it really started snowing, it is so pretty! I made my way out to Navy Pier which I was surprised to see basically deserted on a Friday night, even in the cold. There is a lot of construction going on in Chicago, the downside of travelling in 'off season'. I found some life inside though and had a traditional Chicago style hot dog for dinner. l chilled out at the hostel this evening and met some American guys who were quite interested in Australia (always entertaining).
Saturday 15th November
l visited the Lincoln Park Zoo today - even a free, inner-city zoo was almost deserted, it must be cold! Unfortunately a few animals were inside due to the weather and the Winter displays/animals aren't open yet but l still saw lots: giraffes, gorillas, a lion, tiger, alpacas, and even a beaver. A little frozen, I found a patisserie for a coffee and then did some shopping around the district/suburb.
Sunday 16th November
My last day in Chicago today, I wanted to spend some more time in the actual city and still need to get some boots (Converse don't quite cut it in the snow!). After I finished shopping I headed back to the hostel via Lucky's Sandwiches for a late lunch and the biggest sandwhich I think I've ever had.
I got a last minute ticket to see A Christmas Carol for tonight, they run an annual season. When I arrived they had a local choir singing Carols in the foyer, nice touch! The show was good, not my favourite but quite well done.
Monday 17th November
My first domestic flight of my trip, unfortunately with American security l still had to be at the airport 2hrs early though. Arrived in Atlanta and it is still freezing (apparently they don't usually have these kind of temperatures until February!). l had a little look around the downtown area near my hotel this evening and can't say I'm impressed. The only street l found with a few restaurants was basically closed down for a TV show filming (show is called Hindsight) so I kept walking around and only found a lot of 'undesirable' characters so ended up grabbing McDonalds just so I could get back to my hotel.
I am meeting my next (and last) tour early tomorrow morning to explore the south!
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