Some call it “the land of dreams”, and we are on a mission to find out why!
Whether it is thanks to something positive or negative, the USA never ceases to amaze us. We have done several trips in the country, from urban stays in New York City, Chicago, New Orleans or San Francisco, to nature oriented adventures in the National Parks, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. We even got married in Las Vegas!
These are some of our best travel stories, inspired by hours of driving around the USA, listening to local music, watching American movies and a few too many burgers:
In Hawaii, we experienced a different side of the USA. In fact, depending on the setting, you’d almost forget these islands are a part of the same country. We tried stand up paddle for the first time in Maui and stayed at the most incredible tree house inside a volcano in Big Island. We’d love to go back one day!
Our latest trip to the US took us to Puerto Rico. During our entire stay in this beautiful territory, we couldn’t help but think how Puerto Ricans get the raw end of the deal when it comes to being American. They are neither here nor there, as they are limited by rules crafted in the mainland, yet they do not get to enjoy all the same rights folks in the continent do. Politics aside, we had an incredible time exploring the stunning coast of Puerto Rico and getting serendipitously lost and found in random charming towns.
As we drove down Highway 101 in the US towards California, we passed the picturesque sea side town of Bandon, Oregon. The waterfront is pretty quaint with little shops and cafes. You can opt for a fresh seafood salad or settle down for some wicked clam chowder! We walked around … more »
As our tour of San Francisco’s best hostels continued with Hostelbookers.com, we went on to experience USA Hostels. We had stayed at USA Hostels Hollywood before, so we knew good things were coming our way. As we entered USA Hostels, a sticker reading “Hostelbookers loves it here. So will you!” … more »
During our days in the Bay Area’s king city, San Francisco, we were lucky enough to team up with Hostelbookers.com to explore the local hostels’ scene. Every since we started traveling, we’ve been using Hostelbookers.com as a reliable source of not only hostels, but other budget properties around the world. … more »
I’m going to paraphrase Thoreau here… rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth. Why do we travel? Why do we go to new places, immerse ourselves into adventures and talk to new people? Why do we feel the need to get out … more »
We stay in hotels most days of the year. Yet, it’s not that often that we check into a place where we feel immediately at home, making us not want to leave. Steinhart Hotel in San Francisco is an apart-hotel member of Personality Hotels, a chain that includes 6 … more »
Before we arrived in San Francisco, we were contacted by a couple with the same surname as Ashray: Baruah. Rukmini and her husband Pritam had come across Backpack ME while researching for one of their trips to Latin America. They noticed that Ashray has the same surname as them, which … more »
A lot of people wonder about how to get a prepaid SIM card while traveling in the US. Contrary to popular belief, it’s fairly simple! If you have an unlocked cellphone then you can buy a SIM card in the US and use it. You basically need to top it … more »
On 5th June, Zara’s birthday we spent the entire day at Disneyland. We had such an amazing day and ended our day with two awesome shows, the first was Fantasmic in Disneyland and the other was World of Color in Disney California Adventure. Both shows were tremendous and the whole … more »
It was a cold and cloudy day but we were determined to head to Grand Teton National Park anyway and boy, was I glad that we did! The Tetons are truly majestic as they rise over 7000ft above the valley floor. The park is wonderful, tons of hikes, lakes and … more »
During our road trip in the US, we always preferred to take the longer more scenic route. Basically, you always have a choice between taking the expressway or the older roads that go winding through picturesque towns, forgotten villages, and more. We always chose the latter. So when we drove … more »