America – Part 1 – New York, Washington, Tennessee, Nashville
America – Part 2 – Memphis, New Orleans, Lake Charles, Texas
America – Part 3 – Carlsbad, Roswell, Santa Fe, Monument Valley
America – Part 4 – Grand Canyon, Route 66, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles

(Photos are off my flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/nadineballantyne/4894304743/)
I remember talking with some old school friends years ago how we’d love to just pimp out a VW Van and drive across America. Luckily for me and another friend there was Trek America. We chose the Southern BLT tour, which to be honest probably hits up most of the best places in America. I believe we drove through fourteen states in total!

NEW YORK

We stopped off in New York for a few days first. Since I remembered my way around too well I dragged my friend Rachel around it all quite fast. From Central Park to the edge where you can just about see The Statue Of Liberty. That’s quite some walking I can tell you. Times Square always amazes me – the lights, the atmosphere, the people (although questionable bus drivers), but probably that you can just wonder out at night and still go shopping. There’s just something of New York I love.

The amount of street performers, well, people in costumes you’ll see there is an amazement on its own. To the point a man was walking around with a giant snake on his shoulders and letting people hold it.

What can I say… Places a must to wonder around: FAO Schwaz (an awesome toy shop), Dylans Candy Bar (an awesome sweet shop), Top of the Rock – Rockerfella, Central Park (the zoo is questionable, it’s very very small) & China Town are highlights.

WASHINGTON

It’s quite weird meeting people you’re about to spend the next three weeks with at 7.30am – Mornings aren’t my greatest area (hah!). Eight girls and four boys total. Luckily everyone was lovely and mostly from Britain. Through out the trip it was quite funny trying to work out what the Northerners were saying, and vice versa to us Welshuns’. We practically met and hopped on the bus to Washington (with a realisation that nearly everyday we would be travelling at least 3/4 hours).

First night the eight girls pretty much got thrown into a hostel, clever, as it helped us bond but also made us realise what we were in for ‘getting ready’ wise. But hey, it beats camping.

Not much to say about Washington. It was basically made up of museums and monuments. If you wanted to see more rural parts you’d have to go far out. But it’s easy to see most of the money is poured into the main ‘tourist area’, and of course around the White House, which is a hell of a lot smaller than I thought.

Let’s see…
The Post Office (you can view the city from the top tower for free). Where ever you go you’ll see that bloody Washington Memorial (that big spike). The Jefferson Walk, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial (the guy in the chair), Reflecting Pool (could do with a clean), WWII Fountain… they’re all around each other and so are the museums. We only visited two though – Natural History Museum and the Holocaust Museum, which was something I’d never quite seen like it before. We went around the propaganda exhibition, and well… those Germans were crafty buggers coming from a Graphic Design approach. I was quite taken by how clever (yes, I know evil), but how they did feel ahead of us in design terms then, and no wonder Hitler got as far as he did back then.

The Natural History Museum was fun. We found $120 on the floor and kindly handed it in (yes I know, we’re mad). What did make me laugh though, there were Christians inside saying “No matter how ugly it looks just remember God created it…” – I guess they didn’t venture into the room where it shows the evolution from apes.

The only bar we ventured into was ‘Madam’s Organ’ blues bar. Pretty much three floors: the first blues, the second karaoke, and the third was just a quiet rooftop to chill on – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madam%27s_Organ_Blues_Bar

TENNESSEE

Ahh Tennessee, a place where it feels like you’ve gone back in time – chunky mobiles attached to your belt, mullets, and handle bar moustaches which are cool once again. We only spent an evening here though and that was pretty much at some local place called ‘The Shack’ for some BBQ food, which happened to have a live country band playing outside called Wolfcreek, which then had a large amount of locals sitting in their chairs outside watching. We stood out like a sore thumb and they seemed quite bewildered why we had come to this place.

We got to stay in these lodges, and when I say lodge I mean a wooden hut with a bunk bed and a table in it. Pretty out in the sticks so it was a case of looking out for snakes!

NASHVILLE

This is the sort of place you’re allowed to be obnoxious and wear a cowboy hat for real. I mean they take it seriously here. Hats from $50, cowboy boots from $200 plus. We just got cheap nasty hats for $5 and looked cool for the rest of the day.

We ended up in a pub called ‘Crossroads’ where there was a country act playing (of course) with a cowboy singer who was way too boisterous and cocky for his own good. He picked on us as tourists but we lied and told him one of the group was getting married and it was her hen night. It was funny until they pulled us up on stage. I say funny because really, it was just awkward and the locals didn’t look that amused.

And then our tour guide thought he’d take us to Hooters to eat. Apparently there’s a bit of a hoo haa going on with one opening up in Cardiff. I’ll give you the low down. It’s your typical blonde girly girls, that voice where you instantly stereotype and clock they’re not that smart. They wear hot pants and tank tops and sell inappropriate clothes for children. The service was alright, food and prices both average. The tour leader thought it’d be funny to tell them it was one of our birthdays on our table – wasn’t cool. But we got out of it.

And then later on… The Wildhorse Saloon, is exactly what it sounds like. There was a live band playing and a dedicated dance floor to do line dancing on. First and only time I will ever do that. It’s actually harder than it looks, these locals seem to all know and remember what dance for certain songs, and all so perfectly in time with each other as well. It was quite odd to watch, especially the people at the back who were doing serious ball room dancing. If they did that in this country we’d probably go ‘look at that twat’.

(this dance didn’t look too hard though)

Can’t really say much about where we stayed… It was a ‘music’ hostel and 14 girls to one bathroom.