Hey all!
I made it to New York in one piece.
Unfortunately check in wasn't until 3pm and I arrived at 6am so I've been hanging around for ages.
I went for a walk through the city when I first arrived. It was a nice way to experience Manhattan Island for the first time. The streets were empty and the sun was rising. It was really peaceful like I was being slowly introduced to the hustle and bustle of the city.
I’m too tired to do anymore exploring so
I thought I would share some tips from my trip so far.
LA
LA is known for having one of the worst transport systems in America. To get anywhere without a car allow 2 hours. An alternative way of getting around is using the free shuttles to the airport. Most hotels/hostels offer a free shuttle service to and from the airport and they don't ask for any accommodation confirmation so you can do a sneaky. Say you want to go to Santa Monica, just google a hotel in Santa Monica and catch your hotels free shuttle bus to the airport, then get on a free shuttle from the airport to a hotel at your destination.
If you're travelling by yourself do your research and make sure you're staying in a good area. I would recommend anywhere along the coast particularly, Santa Monica or Hermosa Beach. Don't stay near the airport unless you're just having a stop over. You might see some murders like I did.
In terms of nightlife, ladies need to get onto a promoter. Ask a local if they have any contacts and see what they can offer. Basically the more people they get in on their list the more money they make so you can usually get free entry and a bottle of spirits for free. They are sleazy though.
Grand Canyon
When choosing a hike to complete, take note of what grading they have been given. We chose a 'difficult' trail, thinking that it was probably not that hard but we were very very wrong. Go early before it gets hot and you're really gonna want some hiking boots. Trainers will get ruined.
San Fran
If you want to go to Alcatraz you have to book months in advance. They do release a limited amount of same day tickets but it's first come, first serve so you have to get there early. The girls I travelled with got there at 4am, and there were people who'd been waiting since 2am.
Another sneaky is ye olde back door tram trick. To be honest I saw a lot of people not paying for the tram and hopping on the back door. It's only $2 but if you're only going a couple stops i reckon you could do it guilt free.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if you get a fine and/or jail time.
I'll add some about New York when I get the energy to leave my hotel room lol.
B xxx
