Travel Lightbulb

New York can be an expensive place to visit, but there are plenty of things to do on a budget, and here is one you may not have heard of before. The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway that connects Roosevelt Island to the Upper East side of Manhattan and if you look closely at the photo below, you can see the tram approaching!    This is a great thing for adults and kids alike. You get great views of the river and a totally different perspective of the streets from height. You can either have a wander round Roosevelt Island, or just right the tram over and straight back again. If you do that, you have to change trams at the other side.  This is not an official attraction, but for visitors it is a fun thing to do. It is transportation for the locals, so you're best to avoid taking the tram in the morning and evening rush hour.  If you keep your eyes peeled when crossing, you can spot the Empire State Building, and my own favourite i...

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, when around 100,000 young people flocked to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco in 1967. An underground alternative youth culture had been brewing in America and Europe for several year but for that summer, the focus was San Francisco. Many events have been planned to mark the occasion, but it's such a fantastic city you'll have plenty to discover even if you don't make it to those events. While anyone can find the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz, there are plenty of hidden gems to discover. Sutro Baths is one of those hidden gems. Designed by self-made millionaire Adolph Sutro in 1894, this used to be the world's largest indoor swimming pool. During high tide, the ocean could fill the pools in just an hour! The pools closed during the Great Depression, but the structure still exists as ruins in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The ornate Victorian homes in San Fran will blow you away. ...

I think New Yorkers would forgive me for saying they don't mess with their words - I mean that in the nicest possible way, and it's sometimes a refreshing attitude that they say what they mean rather than skirting around things as many British people do! This attitude even extends to their street signs.  In the UK, it would probably say "No Parking"....but in New York, it's "Don't even think of parking here"! I love it!

This post comes courtesy of Gemma Thompson who provided me with these spectacular photos taken on a recent trip to America, when she was overwhelmed by a visit to the beautiful Yosemite National Park. As you may already be aware, Yosemite is best known for its waterfalls and Gemma captured these brilliantly. It's not all about the waterfalls though - as the park covers almost one thousand two hundred square miles; there are also deep valleys, and huge meadows. Gemma said she believes the park should go down as one of the wonders of the world, and I agree! The photo below reminds me of a scene out of Jurassic Park with that huge waterfall - it's absolutely stunning. Before Gemma kindly donated her photographs, I recently wrote a post on America's parks - if you want to read more, click  here.

When you're in New York City, it's all about looking up, or looking down. Looking up at the skyscrapers from street level, or looking down on the city from one of its tallest buildings. There's no doubt the views are what make it a special place to visit. I found an incredible place in which to enjoy the city's skyline, where you can look at the Empire State building one way, and the Chrysler Building on the other. Simply stunning, and that's where we're flashing back to this week - my original post,  Stunning views and cocktails in New York  is where you'll find where I'm talking about! Not to be missed if you're in NYC.