http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Mich84/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Mich84 en-us Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:58:50 +0000 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:58:50 +0000 So I've been back for a week now and have had some time to reflect on my trip. There was a few things about USA that bugged me1. Tipping i know the importance of it but still...2. Tax just include it in the price like we do here3. Alfredo Pasta Just put the bacon in and make it Carbonara4. How KFC didnt have fries... all their meals came with potatoe wedges what the thats the best thi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-432834.html OUr last day in the United States of America was spent sleeping in for the first time in like 8wks a proper sleepin The lovely guy at the desk downstairs had pushed our checkout back until 2pm so we packed up our stuff for a final time and made our way down to the lobby at about 130pm. We left out stuff in the storage room and paid 3 for a ticket to catch the trolly out to Manhattan Plaza http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/LAX/blog-432819.html We got up early this morning as we planned checking out and going early to the top of the Rockafeller Centre...failed. The reason it had been raining so much is because there is a hurricane not too far off the coast of New York...booooooo weatherWe made our way into Times Square had some brekkie and walked around for abit before heading into Madame Tussauds. We spent just under 2 hours in here http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-430382.html We slept in a lil then made our way out walking heaps of the city from 94th street down to West 71st Street to the Dakota Hotel the hotel where John Lennon was shot. We then decided we'd walked enough in the 33 degree heat and caught the subway the rest of the way down to 59th street.We got off and made our way up to the shopping area first stopping off at a lil cafe for brekkie pancakes..mmm. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-430381.html We slept in a little this morning.. finally got up and headed to say goodbye to Lauren.. sad times. We did our hugs and went on our way to Ground Zero the site of the September 11 attacks back in 2001 nearly 8 years agoNow it looks a lot just like a building site they are building a memorial there among other things its only when u make it round to the other side where you really even only http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-430380.html We got up early this morning as we were meeting down at Battery Park too get the Ferry out to the Statue of Liberty.It only cost 12 and we got some amazing views while heading out there. We didnt have tickets to get up to the top but it didnt matter we walked around the island for abit took some really cool photos then made our way back on another ferry to Battery park we skipped past Ellis Is http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-430299.html We had a little bit of a sleepin today but didnt wanna waste away our first day of sightseeing the New York City.We got up and made our way to Times Square to meet with Lauren. We made our way to the meeting point for our TV and Movie Sites Tour.The tour started at 11am and on it we saw alot including the Library from Ghostbusters The Flatiron Building The house from I am Legend a few sites fr http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-430289.html Bags to coach was at 745am on what was our last day of ContikiWe drove for abit then stopped off at the United States Naval Academy. We did an hour long tour around the campus getting explanations of this and that then jumped back on the bus for abit more of a drive before arriving at our lunch destination Philadelphia.Christina first took us to a surprise stop which was the steps from Rocky t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-430287.html We got up in time to catch the coach into DC at 900.we got dropped outside the Smithsonian Castle again and walked round to the Holocaust Museum. We had to line up to get a ticket to get in our time was for 1030.We went in its was veryyyyy sad but very well set up. We stayed here for just under 2hrs watching the videos and reading all boards and looking at all the photographs.After this we h http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/District-of-Columbia/Washington/blog-429360.html We got up early to get the shuttle at 800am to get out the the Arlington National Cemetery. It took about half an hour to get out there from our hotel and we got there well in time to see 900am session of changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier.In there cemetery there are over 126000 tomb stones with about 5 added each day.We also saw the President J.F Kennedy Gravesite.After t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/District-of-Columbia/Washington/blog-429357.html We started a lil later this morning bags to coach wasn't until 845am.. yay a sleep inWe drove for about 2 hours of which i slept the whole thing before stopping at a rest stop just for 20minutes. Then drove for about another hour before arriving at the state capital of Virginia which we now crossed over into from North Carolina Richmond. While we were driving in honour of our next stop http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/District-of-Columbia/Washington/blog-428283.html Early start bags to coach at 745am got to have OJ and Vegemite toast for brekkie though which really helped with the 3hrs sleep and hangover.Slept for 2 hrs on the bus. We had a quick stop somewhere then as we were heading to Charleston Christina put on our Surprise movie The Notebook as it was filmed in Charleston and we had been nagging her about watching it anywayIn Charleston we saw th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Carolina/Charleston/blog-427995.html We had another early start 730 bags to coach for our drive to the pretty town of Savannah. We only stopped off once along the way so not a super long drive. We arrived in Savannah at about 1230 so couldnt even check into our hotel yet. We went for a walk round the town to the main shopping strip where we found a few little shops and had Subway for lunch mmmm. We continued on our walk and came http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Georgia/Savannah/blog-427989.html Today started off a little later bags to coach was 8am but we got up a lil bit earlier to get our included breakfast... finally some toast Vegimite toast was throughly enjoyed by myself and marnee along with a big glass of OJ.We drove for only about 45minutes before we arrived at The Kennedy Space Center. It didnt open til 9am so we were first in the line. We got some pics with the big NASA sig http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/St-Augustine/blog-427982.html Temp 37 Degrees CBags to coach was 8. We got up a lil earlier to have brekkie as it was included and it was the buffett again. Couldnt stomach too much so stuck with the fruit and some bacon and eggs.We drove for about 2hrs then stopped at St Lucie again where we had stopped two days prior. Jumped on the bus again and finally made it to sunny Cocoa beach by about 1230. We couldnt check in until http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Cocoa-Beach/blog-427504.html Temp 35CAfter just a few hours sleep we dragged our butts outta bed as we had a free brekkie and we wanted to make the most of it. It was buffet of just about anything you could imagine. Personally i only had a plate of fruit with some vanilla yogurt and a lil bit of bacon which i still cant work out why its sweet here not salty a lil bit of scrambled eggs and a glass of OJ.We were getting d http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Miami-Beach/blog-427145.html Temp 37CWe had an early start this morning lucky we packed last night in the end as we slept in a little bit. Bags to coach was by 730am and we made it easily even though we only got up at 650.We drove for about 2 hours before stopping at a rest stop for half an hour at a place called St Lucia. Nothing much here just a Dunkin Doughnuts etc. We jumped back on the coach for another 2hours Chr http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Miami/blog-426778.html Temp 36CWe got up today and walked down to the Waffle House for brekkie as we had an included meal. It was ok a waffle scrambled eggs hashbrowns and an OJ. Headed back to the hotel by 900am as Jerry was dropping people at the themeparks. As id already done Disneyland California Adventure Park and Universal Studios in LA myself Lauren and Dani decided to use the money we saved on an entry http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Orlando/blog-426777.html Temp 34CAnother early start up at 630am for brekkie and bags to coach by 730.We had a whole day of driving ahead of us before we reached Orlando. We stopped a couple of times at a some rest stops the main one was at Tallahassee Florida for lunch. Tallahassee is the state capital of Florida.We were on our way an hour later Christina had put Apollo 13 on for us to keep us entertained as we a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Tallahassee/blog-426776.html Temp 38C very humidWe got abit of a sleep in today bags to coach wasnt until 900am. We jumped on the bus and headed for Pensacola Florida.It was planned we'd have a day at the beach.. unfortunately for us the storm that has been following us across the country continued to stalk us.We got off the bus and headed for the water only to be told about 10minutes later that we must get off the b http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Pensacola/blog-426774.html