American Adventure

June - August 2017
A 50-day adventure by Joey
  • 57footprints
  • 3countries
  • 50days
  • 388photos
  • 4videos
  • 24.1kkilometers
  • 17.1kkilometers
  • Day 1

    Ready to Fly

    June 29, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The day is finally here. Last night I felt a bit like a human canon ball ready to be launched into this fast paced adventure which doesn't end now until 16th August. Currently sat in Club World (thank you BA family) with bubbles and a great line up of films - Jackie, Moana and Passengers to start. Thank you to everyone that's encouraged me to take this journey. I hope you enjoy the updates. The adventure begins...Read more

  • Day 1

    Deja Vu

    June 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Just as we were taxiing out at Heathrow, I glimpsed out the corner of my eye a familiar white pointy nosed bird looking a little sad and rusty these days. She was none other than G-BOAB who I had the great honour of flying on in 1999 on my last trip to NYC with Mum and Dad. Sadly I wasn't quick enough to snap a picture. Nice of her to be there to wave me off!

    The cheeky upgrade was wondrous and BA treated me like royalty. Having had the good fortune to last experience this when I was 14, it was a real treat to re-experience it as an adult who could more thoroughly appreciate it!

    Things have moved on a little since '99. Rather than a list of miniature VHS tapes, I had over 132 films to choose from! Sorry, I've not flown long haul in a long while so this was a novelty to me! Despite my earlier choices I actually only made it through Jackie and A Monster Calls. Both phenomenal in their own ways. Mum - it's not nearly as squeamish as IMDB reported. I think you could handle it! With a full sleeper seat, I couldn't resist the nap time so Moana and Passengers will have to wait.

    An older couple next to me could have been Mum and Dad 15 years from now. She was happily enjoying the luxuries and sat watching a film. He was a fidget and kept interrupting her film to tell her interesting facts about the flight from the flight information screen. When I smirked at her final telling off for interrupting her screening of La La Land he said to me 'YOU find it interesting that we're exactly half way don't you?'. Of course I agreed. It was interesting and I logged into my own flight information screen to record it.
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  • Day 1

    We're here!

    June 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    After an amazingly smooth journey and reuniting with my wonderful travel companion Kate (different flights, different terminals, long story) we set off in search of our first Air BnB. We defied the sassy transport rep at the airport who was doubtful about our abilities to 'work the subway' and found our destination within about an hour of leaving the airport with NO getting lost! Result! Our pad for the next 3 nights is perfect and we could not have nicer hosts. Check it out at http://abnb.me/EVmg/tUyxMZt3nE.

    After a spot of unpacking, de-planeifying and catching up with the world back home, we set off in search of the Brooklyn Bridge (7 mins walk according to Google). Needless to say despite its enormity, we meandered a bit here and there (blame the fire station and ice cream van) but ultimately ended up down at the river bank admiring the Manhattan skyline and the beautiful bridge.

    Somehow despite the 4am start, we've managed to stay up until nearly 10pm NY time in an attempt to defeat jetlag which means we've been up almost a full 24 hours.

    Goodnight Y'all x
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  • Day 2

    Hitting the town

    June 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    To help combat the jetlag and recover from our journey we had a fairly leisurely start to the day. We began by embarking across the Brooklyn Bridge - a truly wonderful experience and one I'd highly recommend to anyone visiting NYC.

    From there we headed to Ground Zero. This was particularly odd for me as my last visit to Manhattan was pre-9/11. Somehow the footprint sized fountains seemed smaller than I imagined yet still incredibly haunting. Kate informed me that on every victim's birthday a white rose is placed on their name. Perversely the first two names we came across with this touching commemorative gesture were Jacqueline and Barbara - the names of our Mothers. If we weren't already feeling morose - we were now!

    On to Battery Park and to the oft-mentioned Staten Island Ferry - NYCs FREE ferry ride which gives a fabulous view of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Meanwhile, I am humming Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack tunes as I think about our planned visit to the Empire State Building at night.

    Once back in Battery Park, Kate happily let me indulge in a beautiful carousel ride - see pictures! Easily one of the magical highlights of the day. Needless to say we were not the only adults on it!

    Having already walked over 10,000 steps it was time to hit the subway down to Central Park (near Bow Bridge) for a bit of exploring and dinner at Shake Shack. I smirked at the incomprehensible subway announcements as referenced in various film and TV shows. The heat by this point was a little too much to bear and the cold delicious milkshakes were much appreciated. We meandered slowly towards Fifth Avenue and Times Square. En route we stopped in McGee's- the Irish bar that supposedly inspired McLarens in sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Needless to say as with most film set inspirations - I was not overly impressed.

    Times Square was typically busy. We explored the Hershey's store and Disney - what ever happened to Hershey 'Hugs'?! I'm not just imagining them am I? They did exist?

    After the severe attack on the senses that Times Square brought us and the attack of jetlag and heat exhaustion we opted to hunt down Serendipity - a charming little cafe around the corner from 'BLOOMIES'. This was a film location which exceeded expectations and I thoroughly recommend it. The frozen hot chocolate (their speciality) was delicious and the decor and service very charming.

    From there, it was time for home. Needless to say this took longer than hoped due to a couple of subway errors but thankfully friendly people along the way helped us to find our way back to our cosy Brooklyn pad.

    Tomorrow I am going on a bit of a Norah Ephron pilgrimage and I can't wait. #ohmydreamsitsneverquiteasitseems
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  • Day 3

    Searching for Nora Ephron

    July 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Those of you that know me well, will know that the Hollywood screenwriter and director Nora Ephron is a bit of a heroine of mine. My BA dissertation was entitled 'Hollywood Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations about Love' and this analysed films such as Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally in great detail. Ultimately I was asking how big a commodity was love to the film industry and how important was it to sell a fairytale happily ever after as a belief system. Anyway, before I rewrite my dissertation, today spontaneously became a rather moving Ephron pilgrimage to which I visited a fair share of Manhattan film locations where the 'magic' occurred. Thank you to the following blog and associated Google map - very little research was required - https://www.goodfoodstories.com/nora-ephron-new…

    I won't bore you with every little detail - those that know the films will recognise the spots from the pictures. I've provided the film stills to accompany them to aid you anyway. Needless to say, I was in my element. The 91st Street Garden really moved me. It was such a beautiful little place and as enchanting as it appeared in the film. If you weren't already disgusted at my level of fandom here - I did also have the respective soundtracks to listen to whilst I walked along the various avenues in search of Tom.

    Aside from my pilgrimage, I did find myself in some other very interesting places today. Tiffany's is always a wonder to behold. Beware anywhere that doesn't have a price tag. I thoroughly enjoyed carefully choosing my engagement ring. Nothing too fancy or large. I'll worry about choosing the right man later! I also happened across the Lego Store which after recently visiting the new London store was quite underwhelming but provided good photo ops for Lego Joey all the same. I also encountered a dinosaur made of over 400 handbags. Mum, I'm finally on to you and now understand why you're still collecting them! Whilst in the area, I took it upon myself to visit the 'Top of the Rock' and I was not in the least bit disappointed.

    In true Ephron style, Kate and I reunited at the Empire State Building and after watching the sunset and seeing the city in all its night-time glory, wearily we travelled home via the subway.
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  • Day 4

    Exploring Brooklyn

    July 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    After two jam-packed days of sightseeing in Manhattan we decided to have a more relaxed day exploring Brooklyn today - especially in light of our first Amtrak train journey that evening. Our Air BnB hosts were happy for us to leave our suitcases there until the afternoon which gave us extra flexibility (somehow our cases have gotten heavier - I swear I did NOT buy anything on fifth avenue!)

    Initially we headed to Brooklyn Heights Promenade- only 15 minutes walk from where we were staying for some spectacular photos of the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. From there we caught the subway to Coney Island. I have always been curious and it did not disappoint. It was like a hotter, happier and more colourful version of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach (which I LOVE by the way so don't mistake any disdain).

    We only had just over an hour to experience the seaside resort and so after a trip on the ferris wheel, a quick rollercoaster ride and a brief sit on the beach and A LOT of photo taking (yet again in my element) we hopped back onto the subway to pick up our cases and continue on our adventure.
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  • Day 4

    From Brooklyn to Boston

    July 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    1st train journey down, 4 more to go in our #jkrailing adventures across the USA. This first journey took us from New York Pennsylvania Station to Boston Back Bay on the North East Regional line. It took almost exactly 4 hours and was really beautiful especially as we were travelling in 'golden hour'. As I can only post one video and no pictures per 'footprint' I wanted to share our farewell to the NYC skyline.Read more

  • Day 4

    Travelling North

    July 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The train was very comfortable and came with free WIFI! I know, I know we should be looking out of the window and we did but even the trains in the UK don't have free WIFI!

    The journey took us through New Haven, New London and Providence and had a decent coastal stretch. We saw numerous beautiful coastal and riverside mansions straight out of a Nicholas Sparks movie as well as boats, seals and birdlife. I only wish we'd been going a little slower! Before reaching Massachusetts, we crossed two other state lines so travelled through Connecticut and Rhode Island. Back when we were planning our itinerary I wrote a list of the number of states we would hit on our journey. On one of our longer journeys, I'll list it out for you. It's long but mildly disappointing!

    We arrived on time and grabbed a cab to our Air BnB. I was mildly put out that we were expected to tip the when in fact I had acted as navigator with Google maps! Regardless, we arrived in East Boston safely and were greeted by our new Air BnB hosts. Our new pad is lovely and the hosts lovelier still. Nothing is too much trouble for them. When I left the room, I returned to find a cool bag hung on the door containing our breakfast - yoghurts, muffins, cherries and cashew nuts. Such a lovely touch. We're looking forward to meeting our fellow guest - Petunia the cat!

    Now it's ZZZ time. The jet lag has been pretty mild but I'm looking at my dual clock and it says it's 04:45 back home! Goodnight x
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  • Day 5

    Where Everybody Knows Your Name

    July 3, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    We had a fabulous first day in Boston. We met the infamous Petunia who was as purrfect as her reviews!

    Our Air BnB host Pedro then kindly offered to take us to Harvard University as his guest (he is a researcher and assistant professor there) and give us a private tour. This was a real honour as we were able to access areas not open to the public such as the library (see photos) and the underground tunnels. The site is ginormous and as one would expect full of great architecture, history and a strong sense of importance. I feel smarter just for having spent a few hours there!

    Pedro was full of great stories about the college and its history. My favourite was the one about the infamous John Harvard statue - known to the educated as 'the statue of 3 lies'. The 1st lie is that the year on the statue is wrong, the 2nd lie is that he wasn't actually the founder and the 3rd is that there are no records of what John Harvard actually looked like so the statue could be anybody! Despite all of this, tourists still flock to stand next to him and rub his left shoe for luck (see below).

    After a little mooch around Cambridge we got on the subway and I headed for Fenway Park. I confess, I'm no true baseball fan but I did love Field of Dreams and I am a BIG Cheers fan so it just felt like the right thing to do. I managed to get on the last tour of the day and I'm really pleased I did. It had a great air about the place and I only wish I could have seen a game there.

    Following my trip to the home of the Red Sox, I reunited with Kate at Boston Common. From there we headed for 'Cheers' itself. I have to admit, having watched the entire boxset with a certain someone from start to finish over the last 3 years, it was a bit emotional but I'm so glad we went. We opted to stay and eat there too. I even treated myself to a Mayday Malone cocktail.

    We took the subway back to the house on a line headed for 'Wonderland'. Sadly our stop was before that so maybe that's somewhere for tomorrow. En route back to the house from Maverick station we went to check out the skyline from the nearby Piers Park (2 mins from our Air BnB). Needless to say it was spectacular. On our final meander home, we encountered a surfeit (yes I looked that up!) of skunks. Sadly it was too dark for me to take a picture. Naturally I did try but the first shutter release made its tail stand on end and so we scarpered quickly!

    Tomorrow is the 4th July so much patriotism and fireworks awaits.
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  • Day 6

    Happy 4th July!

    July 4, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today has been far less hectic than originally envisaged. I think the last few days have finally caught up with us so we had a very lazy start. In case our trip so far hadn't already seemed insanely busy my footstep counter readings have gone as follows:

    Thursday 29th June - 16,083
    Friday 30th June - 28,127
    Saturday 1st July - 20,529
    Sunday 2nd July - 12,260
    Monday 3rd July - 22,900

    Bearing in mind I tend to struggle to scrape 6,000 on a daily basis it's no wonder we're both a bit tired! We agreed it was time to slow down a little and not beat ourselves up about trying to see EVERYTHING!

    To that end, we enjoyed spending some time with our wonderful hosts Pedro, Madeleine and Petunia. They have been such welcoming hosts and really made us feel at home. We then headed down to the waterfront to soak up the skyline in the beautiful weather. From there we headed into town and to be honest were a little disappointed to find so little 4th July activity. Kate humoured my hunt for Ally Mcbeal's office and then we headed down to see the Boston Tea Party ships. I rewarded her with our first trip to Dunkin Donuts. I've developed a need for frozen hot chocolate. This is not simply a milkshake. Oh no. You need to try it to know what I'm talking about.

    We'd intended to chill out in Boston Public Park for the rest of the afternoon but the bums had shut it! So much for independence day! We caught glimpses of the infamous swan boats and waddling ducks from a distance through the railings and started to venture towards the Boston Pops for the evenings concert and fireworks. It was never our intention to be super close so we opted to take the subway over the river to Kendal and set up camp along the river bank in front of MIT. We arrived around 20:00 as the skyline was illuminated by the setting sun and the river was filled with flag flying boats. This was what we'd been waiting for. The crowd was a sea of red, white and blue and we suddenly felt very under patriotically dressed!

    We found a spot by the river and waited for it to get dark whilst listening to the concert music through loud speakers. We strongly considered going to purchase deep fried oreos but the queues were so long and the prices so astronomical we settled for grape flavoured ice cones instead.

    The fireworks began at 22:30 and were easily the most spectacular I've seen with the exception of Disney's. Now for the painful queue for the subway and home to pack our cases for our first road trip which begins at 8am tomorrow. Eeeeek!

    Final step count for today - 17,708 (albeit a further 800 were recorded as tomorrow!)
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