Top 10 in NYC

This was my second time to the big apple and I must admit I enjoyed the trip a lot more this time. I definitely think the weather was a major factor in this. The first time I visited was in the peak of summer with extreme humidity. This time we were blessed with beautiful sunny spring days. I was also going with no expectations and an open mind, and it was all about America this time rather than an add on to a working holiday in London.

So I thought I'd share my top experiences from my 6 days in NYC.

1. Central Park Bike Tour
I found it much more valuable having a structured bike tour of Central Park rather than doing it on our own. We rode straight to all the relevant locations in the park and our guide provided interesting facts about the park.

2. Dinner at Buddakan
Sex & the City moment at Buddakan - such amazing food and dining room!

3. Top of the Rock
Definitely the best view of Manhattan with Empire State in sight, especially at night.

4. NBA Playoffs
We managed to catch a Brooklyn Nets playoff game while we were in town, although it was a shame they didn't win and it was a one sided game.

5. Lunch at Eataly
Italian heaven no matter where you look. This Italian market has everything from fresh pasta and wine to a butcher, seafood, bookshop, gelato and dolce, restaurants to dine in and more. We enjoyed a lunch at Manzo Ristorante of carpaccio and gnocchi. We also grabbed a gelato on the way out - a must!

6. Visiting my New York family
I met family for the first time on my last visit and was happy to find a suitable time to catch up with some of them this trip. We went out to Long Island for the day from Penn Station and enjoyed a bit of outlet shopping at Tanger Outlets and an early dinner at Joe's Crab Shack.

7. Shopping at Woodbury Common Outlets
This place is amazing! A $40 return trip from Manhattan and a little over an hour away, but the shopping is well worth it. My favourite purchase of the day was a Burberry trench!

8. Walking Brooklyn Bridge
This was a really nice walk and view. I wasn't able to walk it on my trip as it was way too hot!

9. Empire State
As one of the tallest buildings in the USA, this is some experience. Open 8am-2am daily.

10. Rooftop views and drinks
Our hotel in NYC - Citizen M NYC - offered an amazing rooftop bar, where we loved to hang out (when we had any spare time).

My only sadness was finding out the ice rink at Rockefeller Centre closed a few days before we arrived - I really thought I was going to arrive just in time to have a skate! All in all, I thought New York City was really amazing this time around.

Highway to Vegas

One of our two drives of the trip was from LA to Vegas. We picked up a white Mustang convertible from Alamo LAX and set off for the Las Vegas strip. It was fairly easy to navigate our way to the right freeways with our GPS and we had picked up most of the road rules when we were in LA with our friends the previous week. The drive was fairly straight forward too.

Our Mustang convertible

We stopped in Yermo for lunch at Peggy Sue's Diner which was approximately half way - 2 hours into the trip. The burgers were great and the serving size was massive! There was a bit of a novelty about the diner and it even had a gift shop. Another 2 and a bit hours drive and we were on the Las Vegas strip. We checked in at Caesars Palace Octavius Tower and then finally took the Mustang for a drive with the roof off (the freeways to Vegas were too windy) down the strip back to the car hire - so much fun!

Driving down the Las Vegas strip

Roof off, hair flying

The next morning we were up early for our Grand Canyon helicopter tour with Sundance Helicopters. We chose the Early Morning session as a friend had said the afternoons get windy and what better way to start the day! We were picked up by a limousine and escorted to the Sundance headquarters where we checked in, paid another $50 each for our tour and waited around half an hour to head off.

Our helicopter

Our flight was with two other Australian couples and unlucky for us, we didn't get a chance to ride up front. The flight either side of the Grand Canyon was 45 minutes and fairly smooth. It was my first time in a helicopter and it really lived up to expectation. We crossed over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the town of Boulder. We also went past the Strip on the way back to the landing. The actual time spent at the Grand Canyon was only 30 minutes, which now seems so surreal. You spend 10 minutes taking photos of this natural beauty and 20 minutes having a picnic breakfast. In hindsight we should have spent more time enjoying this natural wonder and our surroundings, which really were spectacular, as I didn't even feel like I had been there after - it was so quick.

All smiles at this early hour

Grand Canyon Helicopter landing

Lake Mead

Las Vegas Strip from above

Most of the days in Vegas were spent exploring all the other hotels. I was really happy we chose to stay at Caesars as it was themed really well and had an elegance to it. The Garden of the Gods is an oasis of 5-6 pools including a topless pool. It was all themed so well and felt like you were somewhere in Europe, not desert America. Some of my other favourites were The Venetian, Paris Hotel and Bellagio. All the themed hotels were such a novelty but a bit overrated. The rollercoaster at New York New York was fun.

Caesars Palace Lobby

Garden of the Gods

Bellagio Fountains

Las Vegas Strip

We also visited the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets where we picked up some bargains in Guess, Armani Exchange and Nike. Unlucky for us, it started to rain mid afternoon and there was barely any cover - even the taxi line had no cover so check the weather before you go.

One of our best dining experiences was at Bacchanel Buffet at Caesars Palace. This buffet had everything! There were 9 stations of a variety of cuisines including American, Italian, Asian, Mexican, salads, dessert and more and over 500 different products to try. Needless to say, we could barely move once we had admitted defeat to the food on offer. We literally didn't eat the next day until 4pm! We also dined at Rao's Italian, Serendipity 3 and The Cheesecake Factory at Caesars Palace, which were all satisfying.

One side of the dessert buffet

Giant meatballs at Rao's

We went to two shows in Vegas - Absinthe and Le Reve. Absinthe was a mix of cabaret/comedy/circus with humourous racial and political jokes. Hilarious but you need a sense of humour for this one. Le Reve on the other hand was a Cirque Du Soleil inspired circus performance involving water. It included a mimed love story, diving and acrobatics. It was really quite spectacular how high some of the dives were from. Would highly recommend it as it's not a show that's likely to tour.

Absinthe

Le Reve

We didn't really explore the Las Vegas nightlife unfortunately. I think I would have definitely enjoyed my stay more if we did. We did experience the freak show that was Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas though! The area is more frequented by locals and is a lot cheaper than the Vegas strip. The mall area is still lined with casinos, music and entertainment, and a whole lot of crazies hustling for a dollar.

Freemont Street

We did see a couple of celebrities up close too! We saw Gordon Ramsey walk through our hotel casino (presumably headed to his restaurant inside) and on our last day Mariah Carey had the launch of her season at Caesars so my goal of seeing celebrities up close was done. All in all, Vegas was just Vegas - I didn't fall in love with it. And my favourite part of it would definitely have to be our tour to the Grand Canyon (even though I hardly remember it).

Caesars Palace from the strip

Just photo memories now :)

Hola Mexico!

After a successful three days in LA it was time to check out Cabo, a destination I had regularly seen on reality TV. We stayed on Medano Beach at a beautiful resort Casa Dorada, which was within walking distance to the main San Lucas town and marina. We got upgraded to a suite, which included a massive bedroom and ensuite, a kitchen, dining and lounge room, as well as an outdoor sitting area overlooking the pool. It was supposed to have an ocean view as well, but as we were on the ground floor, the ocean view was questionable. It was nice to have an apartment size room though!

Casa Dorada Resort

Casa Dorada pool

We spent the first night with dinner at the 12 Tribes restaurant at the hotel overlooking Medano Beach and Lands End. The food, like the view, was great. There was just a vibe lacking. We walked along the beach and checked out some of the beach restaurants before calling it an early night after a lack of sleep the last three nights.

View from 12 Tribes lounge area

Dinner at 12 Tribes

The next day we went on a Cabo San Lucas and Cabo San Jose tour. The tour began with a glass boat trip to El Arco de Cabo (Lands End) - a rock formation at the end of Baja California dividing the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. The ocean was smooth and clear so you could see the sand and fish through the glass. We saw Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach (interesting), sea lions (seals) and sting rays and some of the homes of celebrities from a distance. Lands End and the crystal clear water were beautiful.

Marina Cabo San Lucas

Lands End

Once back at the marina we drove through San Lucas town before stopping for a tequila tasting. We got to try three variations - standard, with almond and with vanilla. The vanilla one was delicious and more of a digestive so Andrew bought a bottle to bring home. We then had free time to explore San Lucas mariner, restaurants, bars and markets. Next up was a glass blowing demonstration where the demonstrator designed a glass ornament in the shape of a fish.

Tequila tasting

Glass blowing demonstration

We then made our way to San Jose, the old town of Cabo. We had a Mexican lunch of fajitas and quesadillas with margaritas. Following lunch we explored a San Jose art gallery full of more glass sculptures and jewellery, and then explored the old town, visiting the main church and town square. It was a very small and quiet town with a lot of history. By now the afternoon heat was at full peak so it was time to head back to the hotel for some much needed pool time.

Los Cabos church 

Old Town Los Cabos

Old Town Los Cabos

That night we went past Mango Bar for a drink and then had dinner next door at The Office on the Beach. We shared a steak and shrimp platter and enjoyed people watching the other tables and admiring the view. We then went for a walk through San Lucas and had a drink at Cabo Wabo and checked out some of the other bars. I must admit I thought Cabo was going to be much more busier and happening when it came to nightlife but it was a very quiet town.

Dinner at The Office on the Beach

Cabo Wabo

Early the next morning I woke up with food poisoning :( it wiped out my last day in Cabo, literally bed ridden til late afternoon. I think it was my lunch the day before. So it wasn't a very good end to our time in Cabo and affected my eating for at least a week after. Not good for a girl who loves her food!

Off to a great start in LA

It's hard to believe we've almost been back from our USA trip for a week now. Where does the time go? It was bad enough our trip went so quick. We were away for a month from mid April to mid May and I've decided to dedicate a blog post to each city we visited - first stop being LA.

Prior to arriving in Los Angeles, I hadn't had many positive reviews on the city from friends or family who had visited so I was arriving with no expectations and an open mind.

Hollywood Boulevard

When we arrived at LAX we took the complimentary car rental shuttle to Alamo where we met our lovely friends from Toronto, Malado and Paul. We picked up an SUV and drove to our hotel - Hollywood Roosevelt. We arrived at the hotel around midday and were luckily able to check into our rooms to freshen up. Then it was a quick wander along the Hollywood Walk of Fame outside on Hollywood Boulevard before hunger took over and we were back in the car to tick our first west coast experience off the list - In N Out burger on Sunset Boulevard.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

In N Out Burger

I must admit I was going in with high expectations (it's generally what happens when people talk things up so much) but at the end of the day it was just a burger. I must admit the sauce they use is quite nice. Then we drove along Sunset Boulevard and stopped at Primo Caffe for some people watching - one of the best things to do in LA cause there are so many different characters.

We then retreated to the hotel for some drinks by the pool - the Roosevelt is known for its pool parties. Malado and I ducked out to check out a movie premiere happening at the Chinese Theatre but you couldn't see too much from across the street. We did spot Russell Crowe though. Dinner tonight was at The Ivy, which was quite nice but I think we should have opted for a breakfast or lunch booking here instead. It just didn't have a dinner vibe. We finished the night with a drink at a Cuban bar, La Seguarda.

Poolside at Hollywood Roosevelt

Cheers from The Ivy

Day 2 started with driving up the Hollywood Hills to Griffith Observatory where we took in the view of downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign. I must admit, I did think the Hollywood sign was a lot larger than it was in real life. The view at the observatory is definitely worth the visit and you don't actually have to visit the observatory to enjoy the view.

View from Griffith Observatory

Then it was time to refuel at Toast Bakery Cafe on Beverly Drive. This was such a cute cafe with it's cake and candy bar decor. We all enjoyed a breakfast of eggs of some kind. Then it was off to the coast - Venice Beach first. And what another world that was, definitely an eye opener. It had an arty-grungey-alternate-hippy vibe with a lot of busking and loitering. After about half an hour we headed for Santa Monica, which was only a five minute drive away but felt like worlds apart. Santa Monica was quite beautiful and felt a lot safer. We explored the pier and Third Street Promenade where the shopping is.

Breakfast at Toast

Venice Beach

Santa Monica Pier

That night we went for dinner at Sur (Sexy Unique Restaurant) from reality TV show Vanderpump Rules. The restaurant and bar had a great vibe and it was a very glamorous establishment with plush chairs, chandeliers and large flower arrangements. We only saw Jax from the show, who was behind the bar when we arrived. After dining in the restaurant we had a couple of drinks and a bit of a dance at the bar, which was a little cougar town.

Sur Bar

We spent our last day exploring Beverly Hills. We started at the Beverly Centre, which was fairly quiet. Then we explored the LA Farmer's Market with cute patisserie, candy, fudge, meat, chili and more stalls. We had lunch at Cafe Marmalade at The Grove where I had my first of many cobb salads. At The Grove we were also introduced to American Girl, a doll chain whereby girls practically treat their dolls as their own child.

LA Farmer's Market

Hollywood Cobb Salad

The Grove

After The Grove we went for a drive up Beverly Drive and Mulholland Drive to explore the world of Beverly Hills homes. Even though we saw a lot of fences, gates and shrubs, it was still pretty impressive. It was then time for coffee at Urth Caffe before exploring the world of Rodeo Drive. I'm not sure if it was because it was a Saturday or people in LA just have so much money, but the number of luxury cars we saw within an hour was insane. It was never ending. You could literally people (or car) watch for hours. We did the tourist thing down the pedestrian friendly section of Rodeo Drive and saw Jason Biggs drive past in his convertible!

Rodeo Drive

We spent our last night enjoying Japanese cuisine at happening restaurant Katana. It was very flash and full of beautiful people catching up with friends. We enjoyed a number of share plates and after had good intensions of checking out a bar or club but three full on days had us back at the hotel and checking out the end of a Roosevelt pool party.

Until next time...

I must admit I really enjoyed LA - it actually ended up being my favourite place of the trip. I think having our friends with us definitely influenced that as Malado and I were able to get away and do the 'celebrity hunt' things we wanted to do without the boys and it got us out and about a bit more at night. It's also a very flashy and glamorous place and I love that world, especially people watching it.