Coast to Coast
You can’t describe the USA in a few words. It has a lot of things, it has it all. Many diverse and wonderful cultures, many beautiful places to explore, lots of unusual attractions, and mainly many things that you just have to see.
You can fly out to a different location; one at a time, or alternatively, you can cross the country in three weeks, from coast to coast, and get a taste of everything.
Cross-country trips have become extremely popular over the last years. Renting a car with your family or friends enables traveling all over the country, from coast to coast.
We have prepared for you a journey starting off the east coast of the US ending at its west coast. From New York to L.A., through all of the things that must be seen.
Of course the trip can be designed according to what interests you, adding sites or skipping others, as long as you enjoy the way.
New York
New York New York. This is a story worth an entire article in itself, many books have been written and more will be written about this amazing city. One of the most loved cities in the world. Here we begin our trip. The number of attractions in the city is endless; however a day or two will allow you to get a taste of the main attractions. Go for a stroll in Central Park, take some munchies and just sit on the grass and enjoy the serenity. Go up the Empire State Building, which allows a stunning view of all Manhattan, or alternatively go up the Rockefeller Center observatory, which too looks over all of Manhattan. For dessert, take a ferry cruise to Ellis Island where you can see first hand the famous Statue of Liberty.
We know you will find it difficult to leave, but we have to get to our next destination - Boston.
Boston
One of the recommended attractions and maybe even the most famous in the world is the city of universities, Cambridge, where Harvard University and MIT are located.
When in Cambridge, it’s recommended you visit Harvard Square which includes, among other things, shops and cafes. It’s advisable to take a guided tour around the university, walk along Massachusetts Avenue and visit the famous MIT University, home of many inventions we know today. For dessert, you can enjoy a view of the Charles River. This is a beautiful river separating Boston and Cambridge and the ride there takes only a few minutes.
One Thousand Islands
From Cambridge we will continue driving to One Thousand Islands. The ride there takes about 7 hours. It is recommended you stop along the way to enjoy the scenery, and of course to freshen up. One Thousand Islands are just that, a thousand small islands located on the St. Lawrence River at the border separating the US and North America. From the town of Alexandria Bay, located on the US side of the riverside, a cruise goes out sailing between the One Thousand Islands. A spectacular view, breathtaking scenery and a visit (although remote) to the estates of the world's wealthiest. The tour is accompanied by explanations and the stories behind the estates.
Niagara Falls
From One Thousand Islands to the most famous falls in the world, Niagara Falls. The journey takes approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes on Route 81 that connects to Highway 90 and 290 directly to the American side of the falls. As a beginning it’s recommended to go up the best vantage point this side, called the “Prospect Point”.
From there you can go out for a half an hour’s cruise on the “Maid of the Mist’ ferry. Only once on the boat you will be able to understand the power of these falls’ water and truly experience them. This experience will be a little wet, but totally worth it...
After you dry up and rest a little we will continue to our next experience - Chicago!
Chicago
To Chicago we will drive through Ohio, where you can make a stop in Cleveland to visit the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame or go to a basketball game played by the NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In Chicago we recommend taking at least two or three days to get a sense of the city and visit its unique sites. Of course it all depends on the time you have and your interests. Among the main attractions, it is recommended you visit several sites. First, the Museum of Industry and Science, which includes new scientific displays along with old ones and spectacular space simulations.
The Shedd Aquarium - located downtown, is one of the largest aquariums in the world, offering a great variety of marine life you don't see every day...
Millennium Park - a gorgeous large park, also located downtown. The structure most associated with the park is the Cloud Gate, rising 11 meters, which has become one of the city’s symbols.
The Sears Tower - up until the end of the ‘20 the Sears Tower had been considered to be the world's tallest tower, with 108 stories, overlooking the entire city and beyond.
The Six Flags Great America Amusement Park - a giant amusement park based purely on the most frightening and fun rollercoasters in the world. The Park is divided into five areas according to themes and has facilities catering all ages.
Oklahoma
From Chicago we will get on Route 55 which goes through the legendary path of Route 66 and through rural areas and huge corn fields. On the way it is worthwhile to stop at the beautiful towns, enjoy the scenery and maybe even a meal at a nice American diner along the way. So what should you know about Oklahoma? Former president Bill Clinton had imprinted on it the term the “Oklahoma Standard” as a symbol of human behavior. The people in Oklahoma are known to be friendly and extremely nice to the environment and tourists.
Oklahoma City - Oklahoma's capital city constitutes over recent years a hot destination for trips in the US. The city hosts some of the world’s most beautiful botanical gardens and the renowned attraction in them being the Crystal Bridge - this is actually a botanical greenhouse growing plants typical of the Amazon region.
In addition, you can visit Oklahoma City’s zoological garden, one of the oldest zoos in the United States.
For desert, it’s recommended to eat at a good restaurant, spend some time in a bar or trendy night club and get to know Bricktown, the hottest Entertainment District in the city.
So, after you have had a good drink, good food and slept well, we will continue to Texas.
Texas
The way from Oklahoma to Texas is about 200 miles of dry land. Just like in the movies, along the way you will encounter real Texan towns and even visit one of them.
If you wish to experience the real Texas, drive about an hour and a half from Austin to a town called Cuero.
There you will meet the Texan culture at its best. The streets look just as they did in the 19th century, great barbecue restaurants, fine meats you can only find in Texas, local music, pubs and art galleries. A unique experience, you will find in each some Texan roots...and maybe, if you look very closely, you will find some true cowboy riding a horse.
New Mexico - The next point on our trip is New Mexico. If you happen to get there during the first week of October, drive straight to Albuquerque for the Hot Air Balloons Festival also called the “Balloon Fiesta”. Approximately 20 hot air balloon operators arrive at the Festival from about 20 different states, and every year they surprise with hot air balloons in various shapes, sizes and colors. In the surrounding area, a large Carnival is held with festivity events for the entire family, including stalls and fun, colorful attractions. Totally worth it!
If you haven't been lucky enough to arrive in October, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have anything to do in this amazing place. Right next to Albuquerque, Sandia Peak is located, one of the world’s longest cable-car routes. It climbs to a height of 3200 meters and goes along 4300 meters. On the way you’ll be able to enjoy a breathtaking view overlooking the entire area. When you reach the top you can choose between spending some pleasant quiet time at a restaurant, a bike ride or a short walking trail. If you are there in the winter you can even go skiing or snowboarding.
Our trip is really advancing towards the finish line, however this will not happen before we go through Arizona and taste some of the attractions the area has to offer.
Arizona
One of the sites most identified with Arizona is of course the Grand Canyon. This is a huge Canyon in the middle of which passes the Colorado River, stunning scenery and great towering cliffs.
There are number of ways to enjoy this wonderful place. One of them is to go down to the Canyon’s gorge and enjoy an interesting trail inside the Canyon.When you get to the trail called the South Kaibab descending to the Cedar Ridge, look at the amazing view the place offers and smell the fragrance of the pine blossom. The length of the trail is 2.5 kilometers.
Another option is riding mules along a path called the “Bright Angel”.
Aside from deserts and mesmerizing natural sites, Arizona has a small tourist site not everyone is familiar with called the Mysterious Castle - a castle built over 30 years by a mysterious person, comprised of unconventional components such as broken bottles, homemade bricks and more. The place offers guided tours that tell the story of the castle, the person who built it and the family drama that led to its construction.
Los Angeles Our trip ends in Los Angeles, after going through Santa Monica’s golden beaches, and after visiting the Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, featuring one of the world’s most famous ferris wheels.
The attractions in LA are endless and extremely varied. From a tour of Universal Studios, an organized bus tour between the houses of the celebrities in Hollywood, and up to a visit to Disneyland. Bike riding, skateboarding or rollerblading through the Venice Beach Boulevard, spending time at one of the indulgent beaches, restaurants, bars and renowned night clubs.
You can spend a couple of days or a couple of years in LA...it only depends on you...
We made it; we crossed the US from coast to coast. Of course you may begin the route in LA ad advance towards New York.
Try to plan your time in advance to make the most of the trip.
Know what your budget is, so you will know what attractions to choose and which can be dispensed with.
Study the driving laws in the states though which you are traveling, at times they vary greatly from one state to its neighbor.
Be sure to check whether the attractions you plan to visit are suitable for the age range of the trip’s participants.
Hit the road in the morning of each day with a full tank of gas and be sure to know where fuel stations are located down the road.
Be sure to stop for refreshments, and alternate driving between yourselves.
And most importantly, drive safely and enjoy!
