East Coast Road Trip
In
September 2007 I took a road trip on the East Coast of America. Driving
from the Sunshine state of Florida through Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey and back to Florida via Atlanta and Pensacola which lies between Panama City and New Orleans on the Gulf coast. The approximate mileage over the two weeks was 2900 miles.Flying into Sandford airport I collected our hire car. A Chrysler 300C which has a big 3 litre engine. The exchange rate at the time was $2.00 to £1.00 so the gas guzzling car was not going to be a financial burden. The first stop was on route to Atlanta Georgia to suprise a family member and coming all the way over from Scotland was obviously was a big suprise!
After resting for the night in a roadside motel in Florida we continued on to Atlanta. Then working our way north we covered several hundred miles a day and got to Washington. As our trip had been a result of a cancelled holiday to Mexico due to a hurricane we had saved a lot of money. (Our friends were currently on lockdown in Cancun) On arrival in Washington we struggled to find a hotel. Eventually we came across the Sofitel which was directly in front of the White House.
In Washington we explored all the monuments and historic buildings. There is a trolley that travels around and goes over to Arlington Cemetary which you can hop on and off as you please. Arlington Cemetary is the second most populated in America with 226,000 graves and 5400 are added yearly. Since May of 1864, Arlington National Cemetery has served as the nation's premier military cemetery and shrine honoring those men and women who served in the Armed Forces. There are only two U.S. presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery, William Howard Tait and JFK. The grave of JFK, his Wife, two children and brothers are a focal point in the cemetary which has an eternal flame burning in their memory.
The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery is also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and has never been officially named. The Tomb of the Unknowns stands on top of a hill overlooking
Washington, D.C. Since April 6, 1948 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
has been guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, regardless of
weather. Millions annually visit the Memorial Amphitheaterto watchthese
dedicated soldiers of a new generation, dutifully pace 21 steps across a
black mat on the west face of the Tomb. It is a time honoredritual,
executed with great precision and filled with American pride. The changing of the guard ceremony is conducted every hour in winter time, and every half hour during summer daylight hours to provide visitors ample opportunity to witness one of the Army's proudest traditions. As the active sentry nears the conclusion of his walk, a uniformed relief commander enters the plaza to announce the Changing of the Guard. When the sentinel assigned the next walk leaves the guards' quarters, he unlocks the bolt of his M-14 rifle to signify that he is ready to begin the ceremony. The relief commander approaches the tomb, slowly salutes, then faces the visitors and requests silence during the ceremony.
As
the new sentinel approaches the relief commander slowly and with great
precision, conducts a white-glove inspection of the sentinel's weapon.
The two then march to the centre of the mat where the duty sentinel
stops his walk, and all three men salute the Tomb. The National Mall or 'The Mall' is a long strip of green surrounded by museums and monuments. It stretches for over 2 miles from the Lincoln Memorial on the western border to the US Capitol on the east.
Along the Mall are a number of the nation's most popular museums, including the National Gallery of Art, the National Musuem of Natural History and the National Museum of Air and Space.
The
Washington monument is probably the most recognisable from the film
Forrest Gump. Tickets at the time were free to go up to the top of the
monument, You were allocated a time so you were then free to explore the city while you waited. The Lincoln Memorial has the huge statue of Abraham Lincoln with the famous speech engraved
which is as follows:Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
NEW YORK CITY
Washington was a bustling 9-5 community with people commuting from the suburbs 
daily. After dark it became a calm and serene city. New York really was the opposite and was the city that didn't sleep. The bright neon signs never dulled, the stores and bars never closed and there was always crowds
rushing to and fro. From the 5 star luxury of the Washington Sofitel to
the Jack Nicholas 1980 classic The Shining. Our hotel was not perched
on an isolated hillside cut off from civilisation for months but it was
the Hotel Carter! The fabulously located hotel, on times square was all glitz and glamour on the outside. On the inside it was Faulty Towers!
This place was something else, dating back to when carpet on the walls
was fashionable! The hotel was so cheap, for reason we would soon learn
and the location was great. The rooms on the were filthy and had not
been cleaned properly in a long time. The headboard was also a piece of
carpeted which had been stuck to the wall. The sheets were unclean and full of holes, all the tiles and bathroom fixtures were chipped and had years of filth ingrained on them. I slept in my clothes and felt dirtier after a shower but as the price for three nights and two people was cheaper than one in DC I was not complaining.
New York has so many attractions and we tried to fit in as many of the
iconic ones as possible in the short time we had. We took the hop on/hop off bus around town to the destinations we required. Our First port of call was ground zero. On the morning of September 11, 2001, two hijacked planes bound forLosAngeles were intentionally crashed into the two towers of the World Trade Centre. The towers collapsed within two hours of the collisions. Islamic Terrorists affiliated with Al-Qaedaorganised and executed the attacks. Nearly 3,000 people died. At the time of my visit, construction work was being carried out so we merely stood silent and paid our respects.
daily. After dark it became a calm and serene city. New York really was the opposite and was the city that didn't sleep. The bright neon signs never dulled, the stores and bars never closed and there was always crowds
rushing to and fro. From the 5 star luxury of the Washington Sofitel to
the Jack Nicholas 1980 classic The Shining. Our hotel was not perched
on an isolated hillside cut off from civilisation for months but it was
the Hotel Carter! The fabulously located hotel, on times square was all glitz and glamour on the outside. On the inside it was Faulty Towers!
This place was something else, dating back to when carpet on the walls
was fashionable! The hotel was so cheap, for reason we would soon learn
and the location was great. The rooms on the were filthy and had not
been cleaned properly in a long time. The headboard was also a piece of
carpeted which had been stuck to the wall. The sheets were unclean and full of holes, all the tiles and bathroom fixtures were chipped and had years of filth ingrained on them. I slept in my clothes and felt dirtier after a shower but as the price for three nights and two people was cheaper than one in DC I was not complaining.New York has so many attractions and we tried to fit in as many of the
iconic ones as possible in the short time we had. We took the hop on/hop off bus around town to the destinations we required. Our First port of call was ground zero. On the morning of September 11, 2001, two hijacked planes bound forLosAngeles were intentionally crashed into the two towers of the World Trade Centre. The towers collapsed within two hours of the collisions. Islamic Terrorists affiliated with Al-Qaedaorganised and executed the attacks. Nearly 3,000 people died. At the time of my visit, construction work was being carried out so we merely stood silent and paid our respects.
http://www.911memorial.org/
http://www.groundzeromuseum.com/
http://www.rebuildgroundzero.org/
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The
Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a
National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4,
1986. Added to the Statue of Liberty National Monument by Presidential
Proclamation in 1965, Ellis Island is located less than a mile away from Liberty Island. Over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island from 1892-1954. Access to both is by ferry only which leave from the harbour.
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American culture icon at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 meters), and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft (443.2 m) high. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the worlds tallest building for 40 years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Centre's North Tower was completed in 1972.
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridge in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m), it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.
Rockefeller Centre is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th and 51st Street. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the centre of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National historic landmark in
1987.
I-95
The I-95 is the main highway from New York to Florida, It goes through Philadelphia, Richmond, Fayettaville and Jacksonville to name a few. It is an easy to navigate road which makes a trip more enjoyable as you do not have to worry about what exits to take.
Driving for hundreds of miles a day and wanting to make the most our trip saw us pulling of the highway into one of the many fast food chains. The most common along the route were Ihop(International house of pancakes) and Waffle House.
Pensacola
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle where you'll find beaches, fishing, several gorgeous state parks and the National Naval Aviation Museum. Resting on the banks of Pensacola Bay, this Southern town will take you back in time. Pensacola offers travellers a rich heritage,
fresh coastal cuisine, art and culture, unique shopping and many festivals throughout the year celebrating everything from music and food to the arts and Mardi Gras.
Orlando
Orlando attracts over 51 million tourists a year (3.6 million of them are international tourists) With over 15 theme parks, waterparks and other attractions there is something for everyone. Universal
Studios and Islands of Adventure - Universal Orlando Resort is more than a theme park. It's an
entire universe of action and thrills featuring two spectacular theme parks unlike anything else in Orlando. At both Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure every member of the family can share unforgettable experiences together. You can have the ultimate adventure, enjoy fun with your kids, rejuvenate yourself, have a romantic dinner and challenge yourself on incredible theme park rides.
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