And finally … what did we learn?

In no particular order, here are some of the things we learnt on our journey to the US.

The US is expensive, especially when it comes to food. Admittedly the current state of the Australian dollar does not help, but even without that dining out is not for the faint-hearted.

Americans are lovely. We encountered some truly lovely people on this trip. Helpful, friendly and welcoming. We have seen very little animosity, rather folks wanting to help us out … whether it be in providing directions, patiently explaining the menu or how to tackle an automated machine (especially the coffee machines).

America is full of contrasts. This could be said of every country, but as we travelled across the US we saw different landscapes, different house styles, different foods, different opinions, different levels of well-being, …

America is not scary. So many people asked me if we were worried about violence or guns … the answer was no, but of course were cautious and alert. We encountered nothing to fear.

America is suffering a major homeless crisis … so many displaced people living rough on the streets. I know this is also true of Melbourne but it seemed to be in a much higher number in the large US cities.

Public transport is your travel buddy. We walked a lot, but we also used public transport to get around. We used trains and buses … with Google being very helpful with journey planning to tell you what train or bus, from what station/bus stop and when to get off. In the entire trip we did not catch a single taxi or uber.

Always try the food. Now in the US this didn’t mean we had to be too adventurous, but we certainly ticked off some iconic foods … hot dogs from a street vendor in NY, pretzels, bagels, cannoli, hamburgers and Chicago style deep dish pizza.

Having breakfast included in your hotel may seem like an extra expense but it is also very useful. It means you don’t have to go looking for breakfast, it doesn’t eat into your day (no pun intended), and you can often get take away snacks to eat during the day like yoghurts, fruit and muffins.

Local supermarkets can make an ‘on the go’ lunch easy. Grab some crackers, a few apples and you are good to go.

You don’t need to do the “touristy” things. We discovered a lot of things that filled our itinerary by scouring Google maps, Atlas Obscura or by googling the Top 25 things to do in “insert city name”. 

We know we bang on about Ad Labs but these are designed and created by locals who actively want you to know more about their town or city. They often take you to out of the way, less well known places. They provide you with an opportunity to learn more whilst having fun.

We don’t buy souvenirs. I take thousands of photos and I write the blog. From that we create our memories and I will use them to create a photo book that will give us pleasure in years to come. The knick knacks will eventually gather dust and the T shirt won’t be worn … but if you like a souvenir then by all means go for it. We actually bought three “momentos” on this trip … a jigsaw puzzle (what a surprise), a pin for. The Escape Room and a tiny glass blown pumpkin.

Plan your trip … do the research, but be willing to accept the unexpected and be willing to diverge from your plans if an opportunity arises. We had many times where we encountered a moment of opportunistic joy … such as the choir rehearsing in the Chicago Cultural Centre where the voices we heard from the 2nd floor drew us all the way to the 4th floor to be closer to them. Then there were the two young couples playing pickle ball, the bridges opening in Chicago, Columbus Day Mass in New York. Be open to moments of wonder.

If you are in a city with limited time or are a little uncertain … seriously consider the Big Bus/Hop On Hop Off buses. They have their route for a reason! They will get you to the key places, they provide a commentary as you travel, and there are helpful staff to point you in the right direction when you get off.

Take the cruises on the rivers and waterways … they give you different views of the city that you cannot see when you are in the middle of it. Similarly, go up to the observation decks … the view looking down is also very different.

Find the fun and the unusual … we went ten pin bowling, we did two escape rooms, we did a cycling tour in Central Park and we got drenched on the Maid of the Mist.

The final tally …

Photos - 10,542

Steps - 375,000

Kms walked - 285 km

Miles driven - 1,205 (1,940 kms)

Ad labs completed - 48