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Trip Report

My Summer Traveling the East Coast

A summer in amazing cities, great views and great entertainment

  • Washington+ 15
  • Boston
  • Boston
  • My Summer Traveling the East Coast
josorio
About Me:Since I was a young girl, I loved learning about other countries and their cultures, and when I grew up travelling became that escape from reality and a chance to have more one on one family time. I’ve connected with my father through pict... read more

North AmericaUnited States41 days / June - July - August 2016

Highs & Lows

Riding a bike through Cambridge, MA, and all the great entertainment events we got to see.

Riding a bike through Cambridge, MA, and all the great entertainment events we got to see.

Itinerary Overview

I had the lucky chance to spend some of my summer vacation with an aunt as she studied in MIT; which gave way to us visiting amazing cities around as vacations drew to an end.

The trip started in Boston, where I stayed for the first part of the journey. I actually stayed in Cambridge, in some of the MIT residencies, which gave me the incredible opportunity to walk around campus every day as well as being walking distance from Harvard and just a bridge or metro ride away from actual Boston. Boston is a gorgeous, historical city, filled with students, amazing activities to do, and great places to eat.

While in Boston I tried to walk as much as I could, from Boston Common to the New England Aquarium, or following the Freedom Trail; since most of the time I was around my little cousin, I had the chance to really appreciate all the beautiful parks there are around the city, between buildings where you wouldn’t expect them or along the river. As for places to eat or shop, you can find most everything in the city, one of the places I liked the most was Harvard Square, where you can visit the university, or walk around the neighborhood where there are a great variety of restaurants and shops, as well as great book shops where you can find really cool events with authors if you’re into that.

After staying in Boston, on July 27th we took an airplane to Buffalo, where we would take a bus all the way to the Niagara Falls. We stayed there for two nights at the Hampton Inn. This hotel wasn’t really anything grand, it was basic for what you needed and sadly did not have a view to the falls; but there are some very pretty hotels nearby which do have a view. While staying there, our main purpose was to get to see the falls, and ride a boat in Maid of the Mist, which we did, and it was absolutely worth the trip. Besides visiting the falls, there are some nice places to eat, mostly you can find big restaurants in hotels, like Hard Rock, Rainforest Cafe, and such. If you’re into casinos, you can visit the Seneca Niagara Resort.

On the 29th, we took a flight to New York City, where we stayed for four nights. Here, we stayed at the Millennium Hilton New York, a gorgeous hotel with an incredible view of the One World Trade Center. As always, New York City is a dream, filled with life, entertainment and everything you can think of. There is something for everyone in the city that never sleeps, from museums, walks, historical sites, music and theater; everything. Some of my favorite things to do are walking by Times Square taking photographs of every Broadway theater, stopping by Birdland and eating pizza, one of the great New York icons.

After a great time in New York, we took a bus to Washington D.C, where we would stay until the 7th, the end of our trip. While we were there, we stayed with family, just a drive away from the city, near Stafford. When in Washington, a must do is a walk around the Smithsonian museum, my favorite is the air and space, which is paired with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center just outside the city; during the trip I also had the chance to go watch a late night movie at the IMAX inside the air and space museum, which was incredible. Washington is a historic city with beautiful buildings that leaves you wide eyed at every turn, and there are gorgeous places to visit right outside as well, like Monticello and Monticello and Mount Vernon.

  • 30 Nights: Boston
    A month in campus
  • 2 Nights: Niagara Falls
    Enjoying Nature
  • 4 Nights: New York
    Nothing like the City that Never Sleeps
  • 5 Nights: Washington
    Family Time in the Capital
Boston - A month in campus
1

Boston A month in campus

Boston - A month in campus - null
Boston - A month in campus - null
Boston - A month in campus - null1+

I had the lucky chance to spend some of my summer vacation with an aunt as she studied in MIT; which gave way to us visiting amazing cities around as vacations drew to an end.

The trip started in Boston, where I stayed for the first part of the journey. I actually stayed in Cambridge, in some of the MIT residencies, which gave me the incredible opportunity to walk around campus every day as well as being walking distance from Harvard and just a bridge or metro ride away from actual Boston. Boston is a gorgeous, historical city, filled with students, amazing activities to do, and great places to eat.

While in Boston I tried to walk as much as I could, from Boston Common to the New England Aquarium, or following the Freedom Trail; since most of the time I was around my little cousin, I had the chance to really appreciate all the beautiful parks there are around the city, between buildings where you wouldn’t expect them or along the river. As for places to eat or shop, you can find most everything in the city, one of the places I liked the most was Harvard Square, where you can visit the university, or walk around the neighborhood where there are a great variety of restaurants and shops, as well as great book shops where you can find really cool events with authors if you’re into that.

After staying in Boston, on July 27th we took an airplane to Buffalo, where we would take a bus all the way to the Niagara Falls. We stayed there for two nights at the Hampton Inn. This hotel wasn’t really anything grand, it was basic for what you needed and sadly did not have a view to the falls; but there are some very pretty hotels nearby which do have a view. While staying there, our main purpose was to get to see the falls, and ride a boat in Maid of the Mist, which we did, and it was absolutely worth the trip. Besides visiting the falls, there are some nice places to eat, mostly you can find big restaurants in hotels, like Hard Rock, Rainforest Cafe, and such. If you’re into casinos, you can visit the Seneca Niagara Resort.

On the 29th, we took a flight to New York City, where we stayed for four nights. Here, we stayed at the Millennium Hilton New York, a gorgeous hotel with an incredible view of the One World Trade Center. As always, New York City is a dream, filled with life, entertainment and everything you can think of. There is something for everyone in the city that never sleeps, from museums, walks, historical sites, music and theater; everything. Some of my favorite things to do are walking by Times Square taking photographs of every Broadway theater, stopping by Birdland and eating pizza, one of the great New York icons.

After a great time in New York, we took a bus to Washington D.C, where we would stay until the 7th, the end of our trip. While we were there, we stayed with family, just a drive away from the city, near Stafford. When in Washington, a must do is a walk around the Smithsonian museum, my favorite is the air and space, which is paired with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center just outside the city; during the trip I also had the chance to go watch a late night movie at the IMAX inside the air and space museum, which was incredible. Washington is a historic city with beautiful buildings that leaves you wide eyed at every turn, and there are gorgeous places to visit right outside as well, like Monticello and Monticello and Mount Vernon.

Niagara Falls - Enjoying Nature
2

Niagara Falls Enjoying Nature

Niagara Falls - Enjoying Nature - null
Niagara Falls - Enjoying Nature - null
Niagara Falls - Enjoying Nature - null1+

After staying in Boston, on July 27th we took an airplane to Buffalo, where we would take a bus all the way to the Niagara Falls. We stayed there for two nights at the Hampton Inn Niagara Falls. This hotel wasn’t really anything grand, it was basic for what you needed and sadly did not have a view to the falls; but there are some very pretty hotels nearby which do have a view. While staying there, our main purpose was to get to see the falls, and ride a boat in Maid of the Mist, which we did, and it was absolutely worth the trip. Besides visiting the falls, there are some nice places to eat, mostly you can find big restaurants in hotels, like Hard Rock, Rainforest Cafe, and such. If you’re into casinos, you can visit the Seneca Niagara Resort. It was a wonderful trip, the only thing I’d change would be to plan to be able to cross over to Canada, which has a beautiful town by the falls.

New York - Nothing like the City that Never Sleeps
3

New York Nothing like the City that Never Sleeps

New York - Nothing like the City that Never Sleeps - null
New York - Nothing like the City that Never Sleeps - null
New York - Nothing like the City that Never Sleeps - null2+

After staying in Boston, on July 27th we took an airplane to Buffalo, where we would take a bus all the way to the Niagara Falls. We stayed there for two nights at the Hampton Inn Niagara Falls. This hotel wasn’t really anything grand, it was basic for what you needed and sadly did not have a view to the falls; but there are some very pretty hotels nearby which do have a view. While staying there, our main purpose was to get to see the falls, and ride a boat in Maid of the Mist, which we did, and it was absolutely worth the trip. Besides visiting the falls, there are some nice places to eat, mostly you can find big restaurants in hotels, like Hard Rock, Rainforest Cafe, and such. If you’re into casinos, you can visit the Seneca Niagara Resort. It was a wonderful trip, the only thing I’d change would be to plan to be able to cross over to Canada, which has a beautiful town by the falls.

Washington - Family Time in the Capital
4

Washington Family Time in the Capital

Washington - Family Time in the Capital - null
Washington - Family Time in the Capital - null
Washington - Family Time in the Capital - null2+

After a great time in New York, we took a bus to Washington D.C, where we would stay until the 7th, the end of our trip. While we were there, we stayed with family, just a drive away from the city, near Stafford. When in Washington, a must do is a walk around the Smithsonian museums, you have around 19 museums to choose from, from art, history, a zoo, and many others. My favorite is the Air and Space museum, which is paired with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center just outside the city; I find them astounding. While visiting the museums be sure to check what extra activities they may hold, this trip I had the chance to go watch a late night movie at the IMAX inside the Air and Space museum, which was incredible; specially since some of the models used to film the movie were right outside the theater.

Washington is a historic city with beautiful buildings that leaves you wide eyed at every turn, besides the museums there are a bunch of monuments and government building to visit, each of them with beautiful architecture and a lot to learn. You can also find gorgeous places to visit right outside the city as well, like Monticello and Mount Vernon, the original houses and grounds which are super cool, fun to walk around and not that far away from the city.

Since we were staying with family, we had the chance to eat mostly homemade meals, but I will never pass on the opportunity to eat a Pot Belly’s sandwich in the city. As in most of the big cities, there’s all kinds of food around for any taste, all you have to do is walk around and pick.

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have arranged my visa to cross over to Canada, and always more time in New York.
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Great, there was a bit of everything in the trip, you can find any type of food in all cities, more than enough options.
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Don’t pack too much stuff and try to use a small bag to make transport around the cities easier.
  • Packing tips?

    If you’re traveling in summer make sure you pack light clothes and just something, you’re comfortable and cool in; pack a light jacket, especially for Boston. Aside from that, just make sure you have comfortable shoes.
  • Transportation Tips?

    I am a fan of walking, so mainly that. A bike is great for Boston, maybe a car for longer trips in Washington; aside from that the subway in all cities that have it.
  • Booking details?

    I make most of my reservations on Expedia or directly on the hotel websites.

Lodging