Semi solo in the USA pre-pre trippie!

[Guest]

Pre Pre Trip Report!

Cast - Me!

Okay, so this is my first time writing one of these, so please be gentle! *lol* Anyway, the trip isn't taking place until end of Aug, and i'm still in the very early planning stages, but have finally worked out where i want to go, and i am booking my flights at the end of the week, so i thought i'd get something down in writing so i can finally say i've started!

Well, this trip started taking seed when a friend of mine, Sandra, said she wanted to go to Vegas to celebrate her 40th birthday and invited myself and some other friends along to help her celebrate. I orginally toyed with the idea of then also travelling on to Australia to see a couple of friends over there, but after experiencing this cold spell the past month or so, i decide to postpone that until end of 2010, early 2011 so i can get some winter sun. Then a friend who was coming along to Vegas, suggested going to LA afterwards to visit her dad, which i was very happy to do, so we decided on San Fran/Vegas/LA/San Diego, but unfortunately she is experiencing some problems with her current living accomodations and needs to find her own place by June, so she has had to pull out due to financial reasons Which left me wondering what to do, i didn't really want to fly all that way just for Vegas, so after much research over the past week or so, i finally decided on the following:

Aug 26th - Fly London to NYC

Aug 29th - Fly NYC - Las Vegas

Sept 3rd - Fly Vegas - Seattle

Sept 6th - Take Amtrak to Vancouver

Sept 8th - Back to Seattle

Sept 9th - Seattle - LA - London

I've made cancelable hotel reservations in all of the cities, but i will be looking on hotwire closer to the time to see if i can nab myself any bargains! In Las Vegas we are all staying at the Luxor as that is where the birthday girl wanted to stay.

All of the trip i'll be doing solo, apart from Vegas, where i'll be with the following girlies to celebrate Sandra's 40th.

Me



Birthday girl Sandra in the light blue dress, and Leeanne



Dee



I haven't really started on an itinerary yet, but i do have some ideas in my head of stuff i want to see and do, so i will post that once i start organising it onto paper! This will be my 3rd solo trip, after i'd been once, there was no looking back! I find it weird to travel with people now to be honest! *lol* If anyone wants any tips/advice on solo travelling, please feel free to ask!

[voddygirl]

How exciting Tracie... have lots of fun planning your itinerary

[Sarah84]

Sounds like a great trip you are planning, look forward to hearing more details of what you plan on doing in each place

[Guest]

Thanks ladies

Hopefully i'll be booking my flights tomorrow. I have decided to go with Virgin as i want to sample their premium economy service. I've changed my itinerary yet again and taken Seattle out of the trip as it seems so expensive, and i really can't justify paying for it, if i want to go to Australia at the end of the year. So now i am planning:

LA - 3 nights - staying Fairfield Inn Anaheim

Vegas - 5 nights - staying Luxor

NYC - 4 nights - not sure where i am staying yet, i've made a reservation at the Wyndham Gardens Times Sq South, but i might treat myself to something a bit more high end if i have the spare cash nearer the time!

LA - I want to go to both Disney parks, plus do a trip of Hollywood, maybe a HOHO tour? Could i fit in a HOHO tour and a visit to Universal in the same day?

Vegas - Me and my friends are thinking of taking the birthday girl to see the male strip show Thunder from Down Under I also want to visit Freemont St and see the white tigers at the Mirage, and sample some of the Vegas nightlife!

NYC - i've visited a few times before, so i am trying to do something different each trip, so this time i want to visit the Tenement Museum, do a movie sites walking tour in Central park and tour of Radio City Music Hall and go to see a few shows, definately Jersey Boys and In the Heights if it's still on in Sept.

I am in proper planning mode now!

[Guest]

Just found this! Have you booked yet? Sounds like a great trip!

[margyloveswdw]

Ooohhh, sound slike it'll be a fun trip! Looking forward to hearing more updates!

[Guest]

Quick update

Booked my flights last week with Virgin, flying into LAX and out of JFK, got it for £379, so i'm pleased with that, i might upgrade the outbound to premium economy at a later stage.

I've got a couple of cancelable reservations in Anaheim and NYC, as i might see if i can get myself a bargain via Hotwire nearer the time. I'm also currently debating whether to fly from Vegas to Washington DC for 2 nights before catching the train to NYC for my last 3 nights, or whether to just take a day trip to Washington DC from NYC. I am enjoying the planning and the dilemma! *lol*

[Guest]

Finalised itinerary! YAY!

Holiday Itinerary

Thurs 26th Aug

Arrive hotel around 6pm. (Holiday Inn & Suites - booked via Hotwire for the sum of £90 total for 2 nights ) Freshen up, get ART to downtown Disney, get dinner somewhere, browse shops, back to hotel for sleep!

Fri 27th Aug

Full day at Disneyland. Get to Disneyland park for opening, do as many big thrill rides as possible before DCA opening. Over to DCA for opening of that park, do the thrill rides there. Spend the rest of the AM there. Lunch at Downtown Disney, maybe pop back to hotel for a few hours to chill. Back to Disneyland park for rides didn’t go on before and watch Fantasmic.

Sat 28th Aug

Early morning train from Anaheim to LA, approx arrival 9-9:30am. Take metro to Hollywood & Highland, leave luggage @ hotel, the Hollywood Roosevelt (also booked on Hotwire for £112 for 1 night) Walk to Chinese theatre to catch HOHO tour, take HOHO red line to Beverley Hills Old Post Office, transfer onto the yellow line, take yellow line to Santa Monica pier, get off for lunch and people watching. Jump back on yellow line back to starting point, then transfer back onto the red line to finish loop, possible stop at the Farmers Market if have enough time. Back to Roosevelt for freshen up, prop up bar for a few wines and see if I can spot any celebs!

Sun 29th Aug

AM - Take shuttle from hotel to Burbank airport for flight to Vegas. Arrive Las Vegas 2:05pm, wait in arrivals for friends arriving from the UK and then take limo with them to hotel, the Luxor. Estimate arrival time 3:30-4pm. Chill at hotel for a few hours while we wait for our final friend to arrive on a later flight. Dinner at Luxor, maybe visit Bills for $1 margaritas.




Mon 30th Aug

Mostly a chill-out day but do want to visit the Excaliber hotel for their free poker lessons in the AM, and one friend wants to check out Carey Hart’s tattoo parlour near the Hard Rock hotel. Also want to visit Serendipty for a frozen hot chocolate. Possible drinks at Coyote Ugly in the evening.

Tues 31st Aug

The reason for being in Vegas, my friend Sandra’s 40th birthday! Somewhere nice for brekkie (any suggestions?). Back to Luxor to chill by the pool and have some cocktails. Get ready for the evening, then dinner at the revolving restaurant at the Stratosphere, then hit up a few bars – Mix, Ghostbar, etc.

Weds 1st September

Rest day to recover from yesterday. A friend has recommended Peppermills for hair of the dog! Have a mooch around the shops, visit the white tigers at the Mirage and lion cubs at the MGM. Maybe buy the buffet of buffets pass and eat off our hangovers!

Thurs 2nd September

Chillin’ during the day, have a look around some of the hotels, go on the rollercoaster at NYNY. Visit Freemont St in the evening. Still need to suss out some eating venues & bars here so suggestions welcome!

Fri 3rd September

Say bye to one friend who is leaving early for Minneapolis. I am hoping to transfer to Caesers Palace hotel today and go to see Matt Goss’ show at Cleopatras Barge but still waiting for tickets to go on sale for Sept. So if so, will chill at the Luxor with my friends till around 3pm then go Caesars, check-in, have a few hours relaxing then go out with my friends for their last night then back to Caesars for 10pm for the show.

Sat 4th September

Check-out of hotel and take taxi to airport for flight to Washington DC. Arrive DC at 3:45pm, shuttle to hotel, arriving around 5:30pm. Probably gonna book this hotel via Hotwire too, i have pretty much narrowed the hotel choice down to either the Dupont or the Donovan House, and will be happy with either! Quick freshen up then take metro to Union station for dinner and a 7:30pm tour of the monuments by moonlight. Back to hotel around 10:30pm.

Sun 5th September

AM – breakfast either at hotel or somewhere close by. Take metro to Union station to take the HOHO tour. Get off at the Natural History museum, look around there, then check out the American Art museum, then back on HOHO tour, may also visit Georgetown for an early dinner. (I am looking into how easy it would be to get from attraction to attraction in DC, from the few trip reports I’ve read on Trip Advisor, it seems pretty walkable, so I may scrap the HOHO tour and just DIY it.)

Mon 6th September

Check-out of hotel fairly early, go to Union station to leave luggage, grab breakfast. I am hoping to apply for a tour ticket for the Capitol Building, so if I get it, I will do this first thing in the AM, then go straight to the Air & Space museum for a browse. Back to Union station for 2:20pm train to NYC.

Arrive NYC around 5pm, take subway to hotel, i have made a cancelable reservation at On The Ave, but again, i might look at Hotwire closer to the time! Quick freshen up then out to see the Broadway show In the Heights, this one of a few that have shows on a Monday in NYC.

Tues 7th September

AM – Take subway to Radio City Music Hall, grab breakfast somewhere close by, then do a tour of the venue. Subway up to Trump Towers, grab a snack in there, then walk through Central Park to the Guggenheim. Spend a few hours there then back to hotel, freshen up then out to another Broadway show, not decided which yet.

Weds 8th September

Flying back to the UK tonight at 7:30pm so will check-out of hotel around 10am, leaving luggage there. Straight to ESB grabbing a quick breakfast en route. Up ESB, say a goodbye to my flying visit to NYC, I will be back anyway! Then jump on the subway to visit Shake Shack at Madison Sq park. Eat lunch here then walk to Union Sq to visit the big bookstore there, can’t remember if it’s Borders or Waterstones! Get a book for plane journey home then subway back to hotel. Get luggage then taxi for 4pm to JFK.

[SugarRush]

Sounds fab

[DisneyGill]

Wow, sounds like a great holiday!