Sights-Attractions-highlights:

• American Museum of Natural History
• Central Park (It’s huge, you won’t get to see it all but walk at least a piece of it)-inside the Central Park has the Belvedere Castle which is very cute and has a nice view! It was the largest park made by man until the park of San Frascisco was created and took the lead! But it remains number one in everyone’s hearts!
• Empire State Building (if there isnt a huge tail go ahead,  otherwise it’s not much of a extravaganza) Alternatively you can climb the top of the rock or the Tower One that is now the highest point.
• Grand Central Station (it is the largest metro station, very impressive, you will pass it several times while exploring the city)-Personally I love the spot because it has another era’s aroma, it appeals both nostalgia and romance that I trully love!
• Greenwich Village (area with many bars – cafes, very beautiful)
• Chelsea – Meatpacking (here there are a lot of bars and restaurants – go in the evening)
• Broadway (enter and check out what performances are on that day  – it’s very nice, a little expensive but it’s worth it because it’s unique)
• Madame Tussauds New York (if you have gone to the one in London, do not go to that one as well)
• Madison Square Garden
• MOMA (Museumofmodernart –Do go! It is impressive and there is a great Winebar nearby the entrance)
• Rockefeller Center (It is very close to MOMA, you will definitely see it)
• Soho – Little italy – Chinatown (there has a lot of restaurants and bars, Soho has the best places for Brunch, it’s all fine)
• Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island (very touristy but, it is worth to see it if you are visiting New York for the first time)
• Times Square (very touristy too but you will definitely go there, don’t pay attention to all those who are dressed strangely because they ll ask you for money). All the shops around are fun to take a look at and buy something. For souvenirs the cheapest you’ll find are at Chinatown – you ll find 12 keyrings for 10 dollars while at the  Times Square the same can be found for 5-10 dollar per keychain, and it’s the same keyrings exactly.
• Fifth Avenue – Madison Avenue (here’s all the Haute Couture  shops like Chanel, Gucci, Prada, etc. – it’s nice for Window Shopping and for those who can afford it!)
• Ground Zero, Wall Street
• Definitely take the Metro to cross across and walk the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan. It’s a perfect ride.

new york big apple

Shopping

• Woodbury (it’s the huge discount center in New Jersey, visit it firstly before you shop anywhere else, here you are going to need almost a whole day and it’s about 1.5 hour outside New York)
• Century 21 (It is a discount center in the NYC  you can go just for a walk)
• Victoria’s Secret for some Underwear shopping, its kind of typical shopping for tourists when in US.
• Macy’s & Bloomingdale’s (only when there are sales – its the expensive one)

Restaurants

• Odeon (nice food, prices OK)
• Balthazar (nice for brunch – lunch, expensive)
• Les Halles (French restaurant, there are 2-3 of them, go to whichever suits you best, nice food, prices OK, try some  onionsoup)
• Cipriani’s (the most famous Italian food in town, expensive – portions are quite small)
• ABC (of the best and most famous in the city, high prices)
• Sarabeth’s (Perfect for breakfast – brunch, prices OK)
• Some cheaper food choices (luckily for us): Burger King (Burger), Prêt a Manger (breakfast, Sandwhich), Le Pain quotidien (Breakfast, Sandwhich), Chipotle (MEX) Generally the salad bars are ok as well etc.

new york

Bars

• La Esquina (Speak easy bar very cool awesome cocktails do not get surprised if you look from outside it is deli shop and you have to pass through the kitchen to enter the bar)
• Apotheke (speak Easy bar, very nice also and has various music nights)
• Please don’t Tell (Speak easy bar, it is very cool and to enter you enter a burger place through a phone booth.)
• Employees Only (very nice bar, rumour has it that you have to ask for Jose, to let you in… didnt try this one!)
• Boomboo Mat Standard Hotel (it is at the rooftop of Standard hotel and has fantastic views across the city, it is classy but it is worth to go once) and there may be a party at Le Bain which is the club just below the rooftop
• Jimmy at the James Hotel rooftop (very nice view – Soho)
• Dead Rabbit (the lower floor looks like Irish pub and the upper floor is a sit down cocktail bar)
• BOX (It is the most famous live show in the city, has very strict door)
• Macao (It’s more clubs, picks up nice people, it’s on Friday – Saturday)
• Electric Room (It’s a nightclub and you get in through a garage)
• Aldo Sohm Wine Bar (famous wine bar)
• The Shaksepeare (Cocktail bar)
• Suite 36 (American type bar)
• Upstate (bar restaurant)
• Tommy Bahama Restaurant and Bar (perfect for afternoon cocktails and Barfood, it is close to Fifth Avenue, perfect for after shopping)

new york brooklyn bridge

Generally its recommended that you use the Yelp application to check out some ratings, comments etc, it is considered to be quite reliable!

Finally, we will be glad to have you in our travel team! You can subscribe to our newsletter here:

*all tips are given by a friend of ours who is a great traveller & we thank her

The post NEW YORK… NEW YORK… appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

1.Los Angeles – Santa Monica

• 06.00 Wake up at Hollywood
• 06.30 Uber to Downtown LA – Breakfast accross the Bradburry Building – Bradburry Building – Open Market – Walt Disney Concert Hall – Skypace – The last bookstore – Grab some coffee
• 10.00 Uber to Hollywood – Walk of fame – Highland Mall – Dolby Theater – Hollywood sign – Chinese Theater
• 12.00 Ride Proper Sightseeing (Hop on – off bus) see the whole itinerary here
• 14.00 Beverly Hills – Rodeo Drive – LACMA
• 15.30 Uber to Santa Monica
• 16.00 Bike Center Santa Monica for more info click here – Santa Monica beach – Santa Monica Pier – Little Venice – Muscle beach – Boardwalk
• 20.30 Uber to Hollywood

2.Los Angeles – Malibu – San Barbara –  San Simeon- Bixby bridge – Big Sur – Karmel

• 06.00 Wake up at Hollywood
• 06.30 To Griffith Observatory  – Donuts for breakfast & black coffee
• 08.30 Universal Studios – grab a light lunch at Universal park
• 13.00 Maibu – Lululemon – Farm deck – Pier – Lighhouse – Pacific Ocean view
• 14.00 Santa Barbara – San Simeon – Elephants seals view – Piedras blancas light station – – Bixby bridge – Big Sur – Rocky point
• 22.00 Carmel by the sea

california roadtrip

3.Karmel- Silicon Valley – San Francisco

• 06.00 Wake up at Karmel – Donuts for breakfast & black coffee
• 06.30 Carmel by the sea –  Lone Cypress (or just other trees… free of charge) – Mission
• 10.00 To Silicon Valley
• 14.00 To Premium Outlets San Francisco – Lunch
• 20.30 San Francisco

california roadtrip

4.San Francisco

• 06.00 Wake up in San Francisco (Guerrero street)
• 06.30 Uber to Painted Ladies – Uber to SF Downtown – Civic Center city hall – Powel Station – Cable car turnaround –  Financial District – Ferry Building
• 12.00 Uber  to Fisherman’s Wharf – Pier 39 – Sea lions – Lunch at Bubba Gump
• 14.00 Jump Bikes to Ghirardeli chocolate factory – Golden Gate Bridge – Lombard Street
• 18.00 Cable car towards Powel Station – Try both 3 lines – Dinner

5. San Francisco – Wine country – Mendocino Country – Redwood Valley – Fair Oaks

• 07.00 Wake up – Cereal Bars for breakfast & black coffee
• 08.00 Uber to Dylan’s tours
• 09.00 Dylan’s tours – Original 6 hours City Loop Electric Bikes – For the whole itinerary check here (Golden gate park, Height – Ashburry, Golden Gate Bridge etc.)
• 15.00 Lunch – San Francisco to Wine country – Stop at Sausalito – Battery Spencer – Bonita Light house – Muir Woods
• 16.00 Wineries

california roadtrip

6.Wine country – Mendocino Country – Redwood Valley – Fair Oaks

• 09.00 Wake up – Breakfast
• 12.00 Wineries

7.Fair Oaks – Sacramento – Amador city – Sutter creek – Columbia State Park – Sonora – Jamestown

• 07.00 Wake up – Brunch by the Lake
• 12.00 Placerville – Shutter Creek
• 17.00 Columbia State Historic Park
• 18.30 James Town – Dinner

8.Yosemite National Park – Tunnel view – Bridalveil fall viewing point – El capitan meadow – Lower Yosemite Fall -Vista Point – Mirror lake – Tuolumne Grove Trailhead – Olmsted point – Whoa Nellie Deli – Mono Lake – South Tufa Area 

• 06.00 Wake up – Donuts again for breakfast
• 07.00 Yosemite Entrance
• 08.5 Yosemite Valley – Tunnel view – Bridal veil fall – El Capitan Weadow – Vernal falls – Mirror lakes – Lower Yosemite Fall – Tuolumne grove trailhead – Tenaya lake – Whoa Nellie Deli – Mono lake South Tufa Area
• 19.30 Mammoth lake – Dinner

california roadtrip

9 Mammoth lakes – Devil’s Postpile National Monument – Bishop – Lone Pine – Death Valley National Park (Devils Golf Course, Badwater Basin, Artist’s Palette, Zabriskie Point) – Las Vegas

• 06.00 Wake up at Mammoth lake
• 06.50 Devil’s Postpile
• 9.10 Bishop for gas and breakfast at Schats Bakery
• 10.25 Lone Pine – Badwater – Artist’s pallete – Devils golf course
• 14.15 Zabriskie Point
• 17.00 Las Vegas – Dinner

california roadtrip

10.Las Vegas – Route 66 California Highway – Hooover Dam – Grand Canyon – Grand Canyon Village and Navajo Point – Page

• 06.00 Wake up – Breakfast at Motel (oh yeah)
• 06.30 Welcome to fabulous las Vegas sign
• 07.50 Hoover Dam
• 08.20 Route 66 entrance
• 12.40 Grand canyon village – Bright Angel Lodge parking – Shuttle bus to Mojave – Maricopa – Powell – Hop – By car to Yavapai point – Mother point- Pipe creek vista – Yaki point – Grandview, Moran, Lipan, Navajo, Desert view watch
• 19.30 Page – Dinner

11.Horseshoe Bend – Antelope Canyon – Gooseneck’s state park – Glen Canyon Dam Overlook – Mexican Hat – Monument Valley

• 06.00 Wake up – breakfast
• 06.45 Horse shoe bend – Sunrise
• 07.45 Antelope Canyon Upper
• 12.45 Goosenecks state park – Mexican hat
• 15.00 Forrest Gump poin – Monument Valley
• Camping Night at Monument Valley – booked through airbnb platform

california roadtrip

12. Monument Valley – Monument Valley Safari – Las Vegas

• 07.00 Wake up
• 08.00 Monument Valley Safari
• 12.00 Glen Canyon Dam overlook – If theres is time see Toadstool Hoodoos – Kanab – Valley of state park
• 19.20 Las Vegas Airport

We hope you enjoyed our detailed itinerary and we would be very happy to know that you tried it yourself! The final total cost of airtickets, accommodation, transportation, Internet, water, food etc… was approximately  €3,700, not bad ha??? If some of you would like to send you an even more detailed itinerary with miles, the exact times etc. Send us an email via our contact form and we will be happy to share it with you!

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The post USA – 12 DAYS ROADTRIP ITINERARY appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

We chose The Bike Center in Santa Monica, the perfect place for the lovers of cycling, for their years of experience and values in promoting a culture of sustainable environmentally friendly means of transportation such as bikes!

At the entrance of the Bike Center, two wonderful bicycles with the necessary equipment (helmets and locks) were waiting for us! That’s where we met four amazing people, the Bike Center team! Meet sweet Sandie, the most adventurous Sandra, eager-to-help Iggy and of course Ron the owner of the Bike Center in Santa Monica, who was rather helpful, friendly and willing to show us around The Bike Center, and share his ideas and values of using the bike as a part of our daily life! After having explored the Bike Center, they explained to us that their moto “Why not take the bike, instead of the car?” is more than just a moto, it’s a way of thinking and living!

They are actively participating in the transformation of Santa Monica into a community of bicycle travelling both for the tourists and the locals. They positively see the prevalence of cycling in the future offering, not only unforgettable cycling rides, but tours as well! The main aim of The Bike Center is to establish the use of bikes in everyone’s mind, whether it is for a tourist who wants to enjoy the wonderful beach through an interesting cycling experience, or for the locals who commute to and from their workplace! For this reason they have prepared special facilities with safety lockers, showers and storage lockers where the personal objects of cyclists can be safely stored!

In addition to bicycle and equipment rentals, The Bike Center in Santa Monica offers various tours and cycling experiences that feature Santa Monica and Los Angeles’ main attractions, which include tours that combine food tasting experiences, segway tours and walking food tours! The Bike Center covers all the needs associated with cycling! In addition to renting and selling bicycles and equipment, they offer a number of other services. Experienced specialists are there for you to help or advice you and let you know about their bike travel programs. And of course, while you are cycling or exploring the city on foot, your luggage and personal stuff is safe in the special lockers we mentioned above!

We did not join any tours, we chose to take a bike ride instead, but we got all the necessary instructions and tips from the tour expert Sandra, a real bike enthusiast who shared with us her favorite spots to live the experience in the best possible way! The California Incline bicycle path is a wonderful place where you leave the city and its roads through a unique circular descent by bike, and you find yourself suddenly in front of an extraordinary beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean! Wonderful and indescribable view… The feeling was awesome!

The Bike Center in Santa Monica is located in a fairly accessible area, near the Pier of Santa Monica and very close to the Metro station! The team is willing and ready to help you choose and customize the right bike for you or show you around the shower facilities, so dont you worry about anything!

The thing that also characterizes this team is the moto “locals too, not just tourists” and we hope this great team can inspire both locals and travellers to use bikes because it truly stands out by building a community of unique cyclists both in Santa Monica and Los Angeles!

A wonderful experience that we highly recommend to anyone of you who is lucky enough to travel to Santa Monica! For those of you who live or work there already, no further recommendations are needed. The Bike Center in Santa Monica and its wonderful team are waiting for you in their modern and friendly Bike Center to initiate you in the world of bikes! The team is more than eager to share its secrets and tips for a more sustainable way of travel! We fully support such efforts and it is a pleasure and an honour to be able to promote such professionals to the wide travelling audience!

Many, many sincere thanks to the Bike Center of Santa Monica for their kind offer to us! The bike ride was complimentary by The Bike Center of Santa Monica but all the opinions expressed above is our personal view which was based on our personal experience of the excellent service and quality bicycles that we got from The Bike Center!

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