My wife and I have just returned from a safe and enjoyable couple of weeks of summer sun in the East Coast of the USA.
We began with 3 nights in Chicago, hitting all of the sights that any first timer to the city (us) should see including The Cloud Gate sculpture in Millenium Park, the Field Museum, Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile shopping strip. The highlight here however, was walking the stunning Riverwalk promenade during both the day and night.
Next, we headed to The Big Apple, bustling with millions of summer visitors. A number of food spots consumed our time here including in Little Italy, the Time Out Market in Brooklyn, Vanderbilt Markets in Midtown and the new Australian Pub, Old Mates, in Lower Manhattan. On the menu that day was a Parma & Chips with a Milo Sundae for Desert. For anyone visiting NYC and in need of a taste of home, I would strongly recommend a visit.
During our time in NYC, I was able to tick off a bucket list item, 15 years in the making. Every year on the 4th of July, Coney Island plays host to the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Competition with up to 30,000 people in attendance. This year there was a men's and women's' competition as well as Lemonade drinking and Meat Stick eating challenges. The winner of the men's hotdog event was able to down 70.5 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes. Truly a sight to be seen!
The highlight here however, was walking the stunning Riverwalk promenade during both the day and night.
Our final stop was a train ride north to Boston, taking in the many sights and history of the Freedom Trail. On our final night we headed to Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox defeat the Colorado Rockies, an exciting way to finish the trip!
Simon
