U.S.A. Travels

This Summer my cousin Hayley and I took a spontaneous road trip across America. Hayley was participating in the college Disney program at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. She had shipped her car to Florida and needed to get it home. She asked if I wanted to drive back to California with her. How could I say no to free days at Disney World and an opportunity to explore America?! This trip ultimately sparked my interest in creating this blog. I hope our trip inspires you to want to see what this beautiful world has to offer. 

• Epcot
• Animal Kingdom
• Hollywood Studios 
• Galaxy's Edge
• Magic Kingdom

What better place to share for my first post than the happiest place on Earth? This Summer my cousin, Hayley, and I drove from Florida back to California. Hayley was doing the college Disney program at Walt Disney World in Orlando and she needed to get her car back to California after the program ended. I couldn't let an opportunity like this, to not only drive across America, but to go to Disney World for free, pass by. On our first day, Hayley took me to Epcot, which ended up being my favorite of all the parks. Epcot has a giant lake in the center of it and is encircled by monuments representing twelve different countries. Seeing as I had previously traveled to some of these countries, I was amazed by the authentic atmospheres presented in each pavilion. Each pavilion contains stores and restaurants selling trinkets and food inspired by the represented countries. To add to the authenticity, the people working in each pavilion are international students from the respected countries. While in Epcot, I recommend not only visiting all twelve pavilions, but trying some of the fantastic food and taking a picture in front of the very instagrammable bubble gum wall as pictured in the slideshow. The next day, Hayley and I started at Animal Kingdom. We arrived at the park at 8 am, even though the park doesn't open until 9 am, because Hayley didn't want me to miss out on arguably one of the most popular rides, Avatar's Flight of Passage. Getting to the park early allowed us to get in line before the park even opened, which shortened our wait time drastically, and was definitely worth it. Animal Kingdom was more impressive than I could have imagined. Who knew one could find live gorillas and giraffes in Orlando, Florida? Next, we went to Hollywood Studios and of course rode Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. We had also hoped to ride Tower of Terror seeing as Guardian's of the Galaxy took over in California, but unfortunately the three hour wait was a no go. From there we headed on over to Magic Kingdom. Although much like the Disneyland we know in California, I was most excited for this park. Nothing beats a classic Disney day with a walk down Main Street and character sightings everywhere. Having grown up with the original theme park so close to home, I was skeptical of a "bigger" and "better" Disney, but Magic Kingdom did not disappoint. Even in the rain, the Happily Ever After firework show was breath taking and a moment I will never forget. Much like the moment I walked into Galaxy's Edge. I have never really liked Star Wars, but my parents watch the new movies every Christmas and I cannot deny the magnificence of the cinematography for its time. Therefore, when my cousin told me she got tickets for us to go to the cast member opening day of Galaxy's Edge, I didn't know what to expect. It was incredible. Smuggler's run, the main attraction of Galaxy's Edge, is a fantastic experience that will no doubt blow the Flight of Passage wait times out of the water. Needless to say, Walt Disney World truly is the happiest place on Earth, and was an incredible start to our epic cross country journey.  

• Fox and Fig
• Savannah's Candy Kitchen
• River St.

Our first stop on the big road trip was Savannah, Georgia and it did not disappoint! A friend of Hayley's recommended Fox and Fig for dinner, a little vegan restaurant in one of the cutest neighborhoods (head to the "Eats Around the World" page for my review on this scrumptious place). After a nice meal outside in the Georgia heat, we headed to Savannah's Candy Kitchen on River St. Right on the water and filled with taffy among other yummy treats, it was enough for Georgia to already steal my heart. If you are ever in Georgia, I definitely recommend this fantastic city. Who knows what other cute things we could've done here if we had stayed the night?!

• The Battery
• Rainbow Row
• The pineapple fountain
• The Rise
• Millers All Day
• Charleston City Market

Not going to lie... Hayley and I had a rough start in Charleston. We chose to stay in air bnbs while on our epic journey across the country because that's basically what we could afford. Unfortunately, our first air bnb experience happened to be in Charleston, where our housemates were not only other people, but also a rat that decided to join our first slumber party. Attempting to overlook it, even though the rat kept me up all night in sheer terror, we tiredly wandered through Charleston. There were lots of cute things for us to see in Charleston. We first drove to The Battery so I could see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. The Battery is a long strip of gigantic mansions that look out onto the Atlantic. A walking distance down the road is Rainbow Row. That is where you can find all the adorable colored houses pictured above. While Hayley and I admired the different colors and historic iron gates, a friendly neighbor gave us a little history lesson about the pineapples that were sculptured or pictured everywhere in Charleston. Apparently, back in the day pineapples were a sign of welcoming. People would place pineapples outside their houses to symbolize that visitors were welcome. Definitely not modern day ideals, when the men left on business, the women would bring the pineapple in. However, our storyteller mentioned that this may have been to the women's benefits if they happened to have other men in the picture because it would inform them of whether or not the men of the house were home. Yikes! The friendly neighbor told us that he still knows people in Charleston that have their pineapples out when they host dinner parties. Obviously after these stories Hayley and I had to see the giant pineapple fountain just down the road. Shortly after it started to rain so we ventured out for some coffee. Right near the Charleston City Market we found The Rise (visit my coffee page for their review). Next, we walked to Millers all Day (visit my eat page for a tasty view) where we had some real good southern food. To stay out of the rain we walked to the Charleston City Market. An indoor market with stalls of homemade and southern gifts, we definitely dropped some money here. I couldn't help but buy a bar of handmade soap and a small painting to go with my collection from around the world. Hayley bought some grits so she could enjoy them at home as well. Overall, Charleston may have gotten off to a rocky start and it may not have been the highlight of our trip, but it was a stop well worth it. 

• Ponce City Market 
• Piedmont Park
• The Original Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House

Of all the places Hayley and I visited on our cross country trip, Atlanta, Georgia was the most surprising. All I had really known about Atlanta before this trip was that it has a large and well known airport. It only took minutes before I was in love with the city. It may have had something to do with the sweet family we stayed with and their southern hospitality, but there was something about Atlanta I just couldn't stop obsessing over. After we spent time with Hayley's family friends we were staying with, we decided to go out and see the city. Dawn and Andrew, the sweet couple that housed and fed us, were so excited to show us Ponce City Market. Although it was nighttime so lots of the shops were closed, there was no shortage of fun. We walked through the bottom floor looking at all the different little food shops that were still open and busy. I was particularly intrigued by the dessert bar called Batter. What looked like bins of gelato were actually tubs of various flavored cookie doughs. I am sure this is a thing in other places, but I had never heard of it, which only boosted my love for Atlanta. We tried 4 of their best flavors (chocolate chip, lemon, s'mores, and reeces). What a sweet start to Atlanta. After, we wanted to go to the rooftop so we could see the city, but unfortunately it was an adult night and since I wasn't 21 yet we had to skip out on that one. Hayley and I were so sad we only stayed for one night. I am sure there are a bunch of other incredible things to do in the cute city. The next morning Hayley and I left our incredible hosts and stopped at the original Chick-Fil-A dwarf house for breakfast. Truthfully, I had only been to a Chick-Fil-A once before this in my life, but I definitely think that this should be on the list of must dos in Atlanta. The original  restaurant first opened in 1946 and is still open 24 hours, six days a week, serving  specialty items such as the in-house made key lime pies. Next, we drove to Piedmont park. We were fortunate enough to be there while a street market was going on, so we got to buy fresh Georgia peaches and wander through the park before we sadly left for our next destination. 

• The Parthenon
• The Capitol Building
• Greenbrier Distillery
• The Country Music Hall of Fame 
• Nashville City Market 
• The "I Believe in Nashville sign"
• Broadway Street
• Tootsies 
• Jeni's Splendid Ice-cream 
• Fido Cafe
• The Ryman 
• The Grand Ole Opry
• Bluebird Cafe 
• 12th Street
• Draper James 
• Franklin Juice Co. 
• Frothy Monkey 

Nashville is one of my favorite cities! I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should visit Nashville at some point in their lives, whether a country music fan or not. The city has so much to offer for everyone of all ages. My first time visiting Nashville was for my 17th birthday. I was a big fan of the hit show "Nashville" and the actors were performing a concert in the city on the weekend of my birthday. It was then that I fell in love with the electrifying city. I toured the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry where I learned all about where many famous country artists got their careers started. For my birthday dinner, I stood in line for 2 hours in the snow outside of The Bluebird Cafe where Trick Pony performed and got the entire restaurant to sing me "Happy Birthday." This little cafe is where artists like Taylor Swift performed before anyone knew their name. It was a magical night. I toured the Country Music Hall of Fame, which is home to the Taylor Swift Education Center, hundreds of concert outfits to artists like Johnny Cash, Keith Urban, Rascal Flats, Kacey Musgraves, Elvis, and so many more. On this last trip, Hayley and I toured the museum again. We saw the replica of the Greek Parthenon, although we didn't want to pay to go inside. Hayley likes to go to as many capitol buildings as she can, and although it was closed, it was interesting to see Nashville's. We toured the Greenbrier distillery to see how Tennessee whiskey is made and then we went to Broadway Street to see how people drink it. Broadway Street is busy on a Saturday night! The street is lined with bars and honkey tonks that are packed with bachelorette parties, tourists, and Nashville locals alike. Although Hayley and I couldn't get in anywhere because I wasn't 21 yet, we did get to practice our line dancing skills at a family friendly joint. On Sunday, Hayley and I went to the Nashville City Market. We figured Sundays would be the busy day for a farmer's market, but we were unfortunately mistaken. I guess in Nashville Saturdays are the time to go to the market. At least the market is open 24 hours so we were able to wander around the few shops that were open. Then, we headed over to 12th street where we stayed with a family friend. I think 12th street became my favorite thing about Nashville! It is a cute and modern street with various restaurants and shops, including Dolly Parton's recording studio, Frothy Monkey (see my coffee page), Reece Witherspoon's store (Draper James), the "I believe in Nashville" sign, Franklin Juice Co. (see my eats page), and Jeni's Splendid Ice-cream. Clearly there is so much to do in Nashville. I definitely recommend planning at least 3 or 4 days over a weekend to really see all that this fantastic city has to offer. 

• Beale St. 
• Mississippi River 
• Peabody Hotel 
• Cafe Eclectic 

To be honest, Memphis was one of my least favorite cities on our road trip across America. Maybe if Hayley and I were major Elvis fans we would have felt differently. However, we did try to make the most of it. We started off at the Mississippi river. There is free parking near the visitor's center and it is only a short walk to Beale street. Beale street looked like it might be fun on a weekend night. Unfortunately, we were there on a Monday and during the day, so there weren't many people out. We did walk the whole street and there were interesting Memphis inspired trinket shops as well as a few bars and restaurants and some cool street art to look at. Just off the main street is the Peabody Hotel. If you are unfamiliar with the Peabody Hotel, it is famous for its flock of ducks that live on the rooftop and take a ritualistic walk down to the lobby fountain every single morning around 11. I had heard about this tradition because of the show "This is Us," so it was exciting to get to see the hotel in person. A good insider tip about Memphis, the city is supposedly up and coming and the residents decided to go off the beaten path and choose a different day of rest than the typical Sunday. Coincidently they chose Mondays, which happened to be the day Hayley and I were there so there wasn't much else to do. Fortunately, Hayley has a friend from Memphis who recommended we eat dinner at Cafe Eclectic. This eccentric cafe served breakfast all day so I got the veggie scramble and Hayley got the pineapple pita sandwich. It was a yummy ending to a mediocre day in Memphis. If you are planning to ever be in Memphis, there is a Civil Rights museum seeing as Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis and the city is home to Graceland, Elvis's house. However, both of these museums were too expensive for Hayley and I during the trip. 

• The Capitol Building: Little Rock, Arkansas
• Nexus 
• Hot Springs Visitor Center

Little Rock, Arkansas was the perfect rest stop for Hayley and I as we drove from Memphis to Dallas. Seeing as Little Rock is the capitol, we had to stop and tour the beautiful capitol building, but not before we had the world's best coffee and cheapest breakfast at Nexus (see my coffee page). We were on a time crunch to get to Dallas so we didn't stay in Little Rock for long, but we did decide to spend some extra time driving to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Hayley and I parked by the visitor's center where we got to do a free tour of one of the old hot spring bath houses. The visitor's center also has a free hot spring spout in the back so we could feel the 130 degree natural water. Overall, Arkansas was a pleasant break from our hours of driving. 

• The Porch 
• The Book Depository
• Ronald Kirk Bridge 
• Klyde Warren Park 
• Dallas Museum of Art
• Bishop Arts District 
• Buccee's

I had no idea what to expect from Dallas, but it definitely knocked any expectations out of the park. Hayley and I got to stay with a family friend so Dallas was already off to a good start. After we were fed and smothered with that great Southern hospitality, Hayley and I booked it to the Porch, a young adults group that meets on Tuesday nights at Watermark Church. The place was packed! When we were leaving we noticed a coffee shop in the church so we made that our first stop the next morning. The baristas were super nice and when we told them we were just visiting they gave us a long list of things we should do while in Dallas. After we were caffeinated, we went to the Ronald Kirk Bridge to get a good view of the city. Then, we took a tour of the Book Depository, the building that Kennedy's assassin supposedly posted up at. From here, we walked and took Bird scooters to Klyde Warren park. It was extremely hot and humid outside, but luckily there were food trucks posted up outside of the park, so Hayley and I got Vietnamese iced coffee and cold thai tea. Once we were well refreshed again, we walked across the street to the Dallas Museum of Art. The museum is free and was a nice place to walk around in the air conditioning, although Hayley and I weren't all that impressed by it. Before dinner, we headed to Bishop Arts District, which we were told was the new up and coming neighborhood in Dallas. Although we didn't see a ton of art like we were expecting, the shops on these streets were very cute. The shops ranged from adorable clothing stores to plant shops to funky hippie dippy shops to a very cute vintage shop at which I didn't spend any money in and am still kicking myself for. Overall, we had a great time in Dallas, but we couldn't officially leave without stopping in at a Buccee's, even at 4 a.m..If you don't know what Buccee's is, it is a very large store that sells anything and everything from breakfast sandwiches and coffee to toffees and beef jerky to alcoholic beverages to clothes. Definitely an experience to say the least. 

• Meow Wolf 
• Iconik Coffee
• Loretto Chapel 
• The Shed 
• Santa Fe Plaza

Santa Fe was another happy surprise on our trip across America. We started our time in Santa Fe at the exotic and incredible Meow Wolf interactive art museum. It was unlike any art gallery in the world. Located in an old bowling alley, the museum is an overwhelming and confusing yet exciting and interesting mystery. There is a suspected storyline, but the there are no hints as to where to find the clues that tie the story together. Much like the hit TV show Stranger Things, there is a regular Earthly world as well as an "upside down" so to speak. I can't say much more except that if you ever find yourself in New Mexico you must visit Meow Wolf! After a long drive from Texas and a few hours spent wandering through Meow Wolf, Hayley and I were in desperate need of coffee! Luckily, we found the incredible Iconik coffee shop (see my coffee page). It was so "iconic" that it was the only coffee shop on the entire trip that Hayley and I visited twice. After contently caffeinated we were ready to walk to the Santa Fe Plaza. It was humbling to see the Native Americans selling their jewelry, blankets, and trinkets on the hot streets. The adobe buildings were breath taking under the beating sun and the live music and dancing people put a smile on every spectators' face. Once we had walked through the shops for awhile, we visited the Loretto Chapel, a gorgeous Catholic church on one of the corners of the Plaza. Our last memorable stop in Santa Fe was a restaurant in the Plaza called The Shed (see my Eats page). The incredible Mexican food is something I will never forget when I think of Santa Fe. It was the perfect ending to our stay in the beautiful city. 

• Red Rock park 
• Chapel of the Holy Cross
• Slide Rock Park 
• Cornish Pasty Co. 
• Dutch Bros.
• The Tiny Barn

If you are like me and you picture barren, cactus infested deserts and a very large hole in the ground when you think of Arizona, let me attempt to reshape your imagination. Hayley and I already had our sights set on a few places to visit in our short time we had in Flagstaff and Sedona. We decided to go to Sedona first since our air bnb was in Flagstaff. We first put our hiking shoes on and burned some calories in Red Rock park while avoiding the rattlesnakes. Sedona does have the high red peaks you might imagine, but I did't expect to see so many green pine trees sprinkled throughout the city. Although Red Rock park was gorgeous, I think we both agreed it wasn't really worth the parking fee. Next, we drove down the road a bit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross where we got not only a breath taking view of the red rocks, but an incredible look at the stunning church. Tired of the heat, Hayley and I decided to get a little wet at Slide Rock Park. These natural waterslides can be found in on the side of the winding forest road on our way back from Sedona to Flagstaff. The park also includes a large apple farm, although the ranger had to break the bad news to us that once every decade the crops are bad and unfortunately we happened to be there on a dead season. In order to make up for our disappointment, the ranger clued us in on free parking to the waterslides just a half mile down the road. Slide Rock Park was amazing! I was so excited that Arizona is so close to California because I will definitely have to visit again soon. Exhausted from our adventurous day in Sedona, we headed back to Flagstaff. My best friend clued us in on the best dinner place in the city, The Cornish Pasty Co.(see my Eats page)! Being half British, I might be a little bias, but I think it was the best meal on the trip. Full and tired, Hayley and I drove to our cute air bnb, the Tiny Barn! We couldn't believe how cheap this place was for how incredible it was. The Tiny Barn featured a hot tub under the stars, which we definitely took advantage of. Although, we didn't get to sleep much in our Tiny Barn because we wanted to hit the road early and finally get home. Not a big morning person, I couldn't have completed the drive home without Dutch Bros. coffee! It was the only coffee shop chain we visited the entire trip, but it was totally worth it. The lady that took our order was so sweet. She comped my coffee because it was my first time at a Dutch Bros. and took her time to recommend me her favorite drinks. I highly recommend a visit to Dutch Bros. if there is one near you. Overall, Flagstaff and Sedona were the best stops to our extraordinary journey across America!