Sunday, May 16, 2021

15 Best Places to Visit in the United States

 



With so much to see in this vast country, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to planning a trip in the United States. World-class cities, some known for history and others known for fun or glamour, give visitors a broad spectrum of places to choose from. The best places to visit in the United States may simply depend on your personal interests.

Along the Eastern Seaboard, New York and Washington, D.C. offer two uniquely different city experiences. Along the West Coast, San Francisco and Los Angeles are both hot spots for tourists. In the Southwest, Las Vegas brings the desert to life, and the Grand Canyon shows off one of nature's greatest creations. Beyond the mainland are the beaches of Waikiki and the tropical Hawaiian Islands. These are just a few key locations, but wonderful destinations for any type of traveler can be found all over the country.

Discover more of America with our list of the best places to visit in the United States.

Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues.





1. New York




New York City is like no other city in the world, and one that must be experienced to be fully appreciated. For first-time visitors, walking the streets can be like walking through a movie set, with famous sites at every turn, from the Empire State Building, to Rockefeller Plaza, the Chrysler BuildingCentral ParkTimes Square5th AvenueBroadway, and of course, the Statue of Liberty.

Sightsee by day, take in a Broadway show in the evening, work in time for shopping, and relax and reminisce over a fantastic meal. This is New York. With too much to see and do in a day or a weekend, this is a city worth visiting time and time again.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in NewYork City

Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in New York City


2. San Francisco





This charming and picturesque West Coast city is the perfect getaway destination for couples, singles, or families. Famous sites, charming streets, beautiful views, and outdoor dining are all part of what makes San Francisco such a great place to visit.

Take a cruise on San Francisco Bay, tour Alcatraz, drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, wander around Fisherman's Wharf, or hop on a street car to explore the city sites.

Summer or fall is a wonderful time to visit, but the climate here is mild and any time of year is pleasant.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in San Francisco: Best Areas & Hotel

Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in San Francisco


3. The Grand Canyon







The Grand Canyon is one of those must-see, bucket-list destinations that have been attracting visitors for generations. Gazing out over the canyon walls to an endless horizon and an unfathomable depth below is one of the highlights of any trip in the United States.

Visiting the Grand Canyon can easily be done on a day trip from Las Vegas or Phoenix, and some smaller cities in the vicinity, or incorporated into a larger driving trip through Arizona and surrounding states. A train trip from Williams, AZ is another delightful way to experience the canyon.

You can visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon, which is the most popular and most visited section, at any time of year. The road to the north rim of the Grand Canyon is closed in winter due to snow.

Accommodation: Best Hotels at the Grand Canyon






Houston is the perfect city for a friends getaway, a couples' retreat, or a family vacation. With direct flights from cities across the United States and Canada, you can easily fly in to see a sports game, wander through Houston's Museum District, lounge by a pool at one of the many luxury hotels, and spend your evenings enjoying incredible meals. Houston has developed into a hot spot for dining in the United States and is now well known for extraordinary cuisine.

If you want a relaxed but outdoor urban experience, rent a bike and peddle your way through the miles of paved trails in the parks or on the downtown streets. Rent a kayak and paddle along Buffalo Bayou in Buffalo Bayou Park.

In less than an hour, you can be on the nearby beaches at Galveston, and along the way, you can make a stop at Space Center Houston.

Accommodation: Best Resorts in Houston









This glittering city of lights in the desert holds a unique appeal, and one that has been attracting visitors for decades. Huge resort complexes, with all kinds of things to see and do at any time of year, have made this a destination that draws everyone, from want-to-be newlyweds who come here to say their vows, to families who just want to hang out around a pool.

Entertainment options are extensive, with some of the music industry's top stars calling Las Vegas home and playing to packed audiences every night. Cirque du Soleil offers another unique experience, and of course, each resort has something to entertain guests, from dancing fountains to an erupting volcano.

When you've had your fill of the city, there is plenty to explore in the surrounding area, with the Grand CanyonHoover DamDeath Valley National Park, and Valley of Fire State Park all within easy day-tripping distance.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Las Vegas: Best Areas & Hotels







Waikiki is one of America's top beaching destinations, with all the comforts of North America on a beautiful tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. Located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Waikiki is a suburb of Honolulu known for the beautiful golden sand beach that stretches along the oceanfront, backed by hotels and retail establishments.

Rent a surfboard and test your skills in the waves, hit the shops when you're done with the beach, and enjoy great dining options in the evening. This is the perfect destination for everyone, from families to couples or singles.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Honolulu: Best Areas & Hotels






Washington, D.C. is the US capitol and home to some of the most famous sites and national treasures in America, from the White House and the Capitol Building to the Smithsonian museums. This city should be on everyone's itinerary of the East Coast.

In the spring, the Cherry Blossom Festival is a beautiful time to visit, when the trees are in full bloom. Fall is also a good time, when the hot summer temperatures have cooled off enough to make walking around outside very comfortable and the rush of the busy summer season has passed. In winter, the crowds are definitely smaller, and the city is stunning after a fresh snowfall.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Washington, D.C.: Best Areas & Hotels








The hot spot of southern Florida, Miami is more than just a great beaching destination. Wonderful beaches can be found all over Florida, but Miami offers an atmosphere like no other city in the state.

The Cuban vibe along Calle Ocho in Little Havana, the Art Deco District in Miami Beach that calls to mind the 1930s era, the endless parade of sports cars cruising along Ocean Drive in the evenings, and the summertime beach scene of South Beach are just some of the unique aspects that make Miami one of the best cities in the US.

For a unique experience take a day trip from Miami to Everglades National Park to see alligators, turtles, and an array of birds in this one-of-a-kind wetlands area.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Miami: Best Areas & Hotels








Southern California has a culture all of its own, and Los Angeles is the epicenter of this unique area. The city has always been associated with glamour, with the suburbs of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Bel Air dominating pop culture. Travelers will find all kinds of vacation possibilities in the Los Angeles area.

Hollywood is a must for movie lovers, families come to experience nearby Disneyland, and shoppers will definitely find what they're looking for in the Los Angeles area. If you are looking for a little sand and surf, head to one of the many beaches around LA. For an interesting natural history experience, be sure to visit La Brea Tar Pits to see fossil remains of prehistoric animals that roamed this area 40,000 years ago.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Los Angeles: Best Areas & Hotels







New Orleans is like no other southern city. The mix of cultures, with strong French and Spanish influences, is more reminiscent of the Caribbean than the United States. Cajun and Creole cuisine, jazz music, and the architecture of the French Quarter set this city apart and make it a perfect destination for a long weekend getaway.

The highlight of New Orleans' calendar year is Mardi Gras, when elaborate costumes and outrageous floats light up the streets, music can be heard everywhere, and the celebrations seem never-ending. However, if crowds are not your thing, you may want to avoid this time of year.

The best time to visit is from December to May. June to November is hotter and prone to storms and hurricanes.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in New Orleans: Best Areas & Hotels







Southern Utah is home to a landscape like no other, with canyons, arches, natural amphitheaters, and oddly beautiful rock formations. Fortunately, Utah's parks offer access to the state's most incredible scenery.

Zion National Park is one of the most outstanding, and particularly of interest for its hiking trails. Soaring cliff walls, waterfalls, and the river running through the valley, making this one of the most visited parks in the United States.

Arches National Park, near the town of Moab, is home to more than 2,000 sandstone arches, but is much more than the name suggests. Rock spires, petrified dunes, views to distant mountain peaks, and the numerous adventure opportunities in the area, make this a place you'll want to spend some time. It's also a top mountain biking destination in the United States.

Nearby, but completely different in character, is Canyonlands National Park. Some sections of this park are as enchanting as the Grand Canyon but not nearly as busy. Plan on at least a day to see two separate sections of the park, and more if you want to enjoy the hiking trails.

Bryce Canyon National Park offers a completely different scene, with a huge natural amphitheater providing the base for a forest of colorful rock pinnacles. The hiking trails in Bryce, which take you through this mystical landscape, are mostly easy to moderate and worth doing. And lastly, Capitol Reef National Park is a little out of the way but is worth a stop if you can work it into your itinerary.






Orlando, which for most tourists is synonymous with Kissimmee, is all about the theme parks; Walt Disney World ResortUniversal Studios, and SeaWorld are the big attractions. This is one of the best vacation spots in the US for families. Kids love it. But adults will also enjoy the parks, as well as the shopping, dining, golfing, and sunshine.

School holidays are the busiest time to visit. Christmas and summer holidays are particularly hectic. Fortunately, Orlando is primed for tourists, with all kinds of hotels and home rentals available in the area. The city is located inland but within easy day-tripping distance of both coasts and the popular Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Coast.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Orlando: Best Areas & Hotels








Set on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is a great summer destination, with parks and a beautiful waterfront. But its arts and cultural attractions, as well as fantastic shopping, make it a popular year-round destination.

The Magnificent Mile, along Michigan Avenue, is the city's most famous area, with high-end luxury stores and galleries, along with famous buildings and outstanding architecture. Some of the tourist highlights include Millennium Park, the Art Institute of ChicagoNavy Pier, and the views from the Willis Tower SkyDeck.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Chicago: Best Areas & Hotels







In the heart of the Southwestern US, Phoenix is a huge, sprawling city that attracts large numbers of northerners during the winter months, who come here to escape the cold weather. The city and surroundings, which include Scottsdale, Mesa, and several other townships, are known in particular for their golf resorts and spa retreats.

Phoenix is a great destination for golfing, shopping, relaxing, and hanging out by a pool. Natural areas that showcase the desert landscape can be found within the city and nearby, providing easy access for hiking or mountain biking. Summer temperatures can be extremely high, but October to April is very pleasant, especially if you want to spend time outdoors.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Phoenix: Best Areas & Hotels







Savannah is the quintessential small southern city, with huge moss-covered trees in the beautiful parks, old southern mansions, and a lovely waterfront area with candy stores and other unique shops in historic buildings. The pace is slow, and the people are friendly.

It's easy to see that Savannah is a city where people live and enjoy life, rather than an area simply developed for tourism. The city center is small enough that you can walk everywhere. This is a city you can see in a day, but the kind of place where you will want to linger.

Nearby are some beautiful beaches at Tybee Island and Hilton Head Island, both of which can be reached by car in well under an hour.

Accommodation: Where to Stay in Savannah: Best Areas & Hotels






Saturday, May 15, 2021

The 5 Most Important Things To Do When You Travel!

 



1.) PLAN! PLAN!! PLAN!!!: 

Decide on where you want to go in advance, things you’d like do, sights you’d like to see – pretty much everything possible! It takes the pressure of the actual holiday and you can actually spend the time enjoying the holiday rather than trying to put together a plan of what to do – which of course becomes exponentially more complicated when you’re in a larger group and everyone has different ideas about what they want to do and in what order. Effectively, get all the non-fun stuff out of the way so you can truly focus on having an amazing time. Before you leave for holiday, you should effectively be able to answer an impromptu pop quiz abut your holiday plans. ðŸ™‚






2.) DOWNLOAD OFFLINE MAPS:

 Not just any maps – make sure they’re offline ones! Mobile networks in the INDIA  like Three are starting to make it easier to use your data allowance in other countries but even that has it’s limitations and so if you would still like the flexibility of being able to navigate through your holiday while on the move – without a mobile phone bill that would leave you in despair/outrage when you get back home, download offline maps of the destination you plan on visiting. Thankfully there are so many free apps availableso you have no excuses for not having a map on your journey. You could of course resort to taking paper maps from the hotel/hostel/villa you’re staying in but more than likely that map always ends up in tatters/lost/wet and useless in a few hours of use which leaves you back at square 1!





3.) BE FLEXIBLE AND SPONTANEOUS: 

Even with the best laid holiday plans, you still need to have some flexibility if you are to make the most of your holiday. Some of this flexibility involves having to swap the plans you’ve made for an alternative or could involve adding on a few extra items to you plan/itinerary – in either case, my advise is always to go for it. You’re on holiday to try something new (if not you would just stay at home, right?) so you might as well full immerse yourself in the experience






5.) INDULGE YOURSELF: 

You’re on holiday!!! Treat yourself!!! ðŸ™‚ This is not the time to be prudent. Again, a word of caution, I’m not saying go to Vegas and spend three month’s salary at the casinos but you should at least be able to treat yourself to a very nice meal or even just an expensive (and über tasty) tipple that you may otherwise perhaps not typically indulge in back at home. Holiday are there for enjoying and rewarding yourself for the hardwork that has led to you taking the holiday so don’t stop halfway – celebrate yourself and have an amazing time that you make everyone jealous about when you get back home! ðŸ™‚






4.) STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE: 

This goes hand in hand with the point above. Try do something you perhaps wouldn’t normally do. I’m not saying go crazy and start jumping out of planes and streaking but there’s so much else that perhaps wouldn’t experience at home that you should try on holiday. This could be something like trying out new foods, going mountain climbing (if you live somewhere as flat as INDIA) or yes, even sky diving. Remember to always put your safety first of course but try to experience something new on holiday because those are the typically the bits you remember and ultimately cherish the most.




10 Road Trip Hindi Songs to Your Travel Playlist

                              BEST BOLLYWOOD SONG 







What's a journey without a soundtrack? No soft melody transporting you down the whirlpool of memories as you gaze through the windshield of a car, train or flight even? How would the vibe in that car full of friends be, if there were no loud songs playing to sing along with till everyone ends up with sore throats?

Music while travelling is as necessary as your travel kit of essentials. There is the constantly updated playlist for every day, and then there is the list of all-time Bollywood favourites. But, when it comes to travel some songs have to be on your playlist. We've compiled a list which is a motley mix of old and new that we think should be in every traveller's playlist. We would love to know yours! Let us know your favourite travel songs in the comments!

1. Yunhi Chala Chal (Swades)

If you're treading along the lesser travelled roads of India, make sure you have this song on your playlist to keep your spirits up when you are squashed in a bus full of locals. Bonus fun if you can find a 'baba' to sing along on the trip.

   Click on-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEeX2QMlSlo




2. Dil Chahta Hai (Title Track)

It's hard to leave this one of the list. Farhan Akhtar's 2001 debut film is when travel took a front seat in a Bollywood film than just as a backdrop to a scene. Dil Chahta Hai in our opinion will always remain the ultimate hindi travel song for road trips, especially if during from Mumbai to Goa through the Konkan coast, where this song was shot.

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9coA7bcpJII



3. Khwabon Ke Parindey (ZNMD)

Exactly ten years later, Farhan Akhtar's sister Zoya comes out with an extension of the road trip vibe movie, only this time on a much larger scale. As a result, we have a film that not only has travel as the central theme but inspires you to travel. Haven't you all tried waving your hand against the wind, as Hrithik did?

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0XjwtP_iTY



4. Tanha Dil (Shaan)

song for the solo travellers, to get lost in nostalgia; Shaan's voice has swooned us for years and this song is just one of his best. What's more, the music video features Shaan himself!

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qkzfWhi6g



5. Suhana Safar Aur Ye (Madhumati)

There is a reason why 'old is gold', it's because of classics like this song. From the 1958 movie Madhumati, picturized on Dilip Kumar and Vyjantimala, the tune is so melodious you can't help but hum along with it - A must add on your list of road trip songs.

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU74fpWsfQ



6. Hum Jo Chalne Lage (Jab We Met)

While solo travels are bliss but having someone along with you to share the journey makes it so much more worthwhile. This beautiful song speaks of just that, even a mundane journey becomes exciting when you share it with someone special.

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5tQDcs__g



7. Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana (Andaaz)

A classic again, this time from 1971's Andaaz, sang by the legendary Kishore Kumar? remember the? yodelling?? You can't not have this song on your playlist, hum away! Or 'yodel' if you may!

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBspOUwBHRg



8. Ilahi (YJHD)

Admit it, you wished for Bunny aka Kabir aka Ranbir's life in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. You repeated this dialogue, "Main udna chahta hoon, daudna chahta hoon, girna bhi chahta hoon bus rukhna nahi chahta", to anyone who asked you why you want to travel!

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdubeMFwuGs



9. Musafir Hoon Yaaron

Na ghar hai, na thikaana.. Sounds like your soul on a trip? Well, it is the reason why it appears on this list. While new numbers are all funky and peppy, nothing beats the charm of Kishore Kumar's voice on the road!

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjvLyBgv6Hg



15. Kabira (Ye Jawani Hai Deewani)

Bunny was pretty nomadic, and boy wasn't his life awesome! Kabira is perfect for when you're leaving a tiny part of your heart in a new place and are dealing with all the blues of separation.

Click onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHNNMj5bNQw