New York City & Niagara Falls

New York is the most popular city in the United States and the center of one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world—the New York metropolitan area. The city is referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. A global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world.

Tourism in New York City serves nearly 47 million foreign and American tourists each year including day-trippers. Major destinations include the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Broadway theater productions, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other tourist attractions including Central Park, Washington Square Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, the Bronx Zoo, Barclays Center, Coney Island, South Street Seaport, New York Botanical Garden, luxury shopping along Fifth and Madison Avenues, and events such as the Tribeca Film Festival, and free performances in Central Park at Summerstage and Delacorte Theater. The Statue of Liberty is a major tourist attraction and one of the most recognizable icons of the United States.

This is a 4 day trip itinerary I have made for people visiting with family and friends. This includes few of the major must-see attractions the area offers for its countless visitors every year. The itinerary is intended to cover the major attractions at a relaxed pace.

Day 1: Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls Illuminations at night.

Cave of the Winds Tour

• Have heavy Breakfast and leave for Niagara Falls.
• There are a lot activities to do here to spend a whole day at Niagara Falls.
• Start by taking Cave of the winds tour, It’s a thrilling walk on Niagara Falls wild side, the spectacular which takes you into a stormy mist zone, where you get completely wet and “soaking up the experience” takes on new meaning. You get a Souvenir rain poncho at the Tickets counter.
• Next, get on the Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist tour. It takes you on an excursion into the basin of Niagara Falls State Park’s Horseshoe Falls. Generations of Niagara Falls visitors have named the Maid of the Mist tour as one of the highlights of their trip.
• Watch the Legends of Adventure, the feature presentation at Niagara Adventure Theater. It’s a captivating story of Niagara Falls explorers and daredevils via historic footage and contemporary, cutting-edge photography
• Every evening beginning at dusk, the Falls are lit in the colors of the rainbow. Don't miss the unmatched beauty of the Falls at night!
• Have Dinner and Relax.

Day 2: New York City

Empire State Building

• Have heavy breakfast and leave early morning for New York City. It takes around 7 hours. Check in at your hotel and relax for some time.
• In the evening leave for Empire State Building. Take the Combo NY SKYRIDE/Observatory ticket. You will get to see a Virtual tour simulator taking you across the skyline on a unique journey around nearly three dozen famous landmarks and you’ll save up to 75% of the Observatory waiting time.
• Walk to the Madame Tussauds wax Museum, take lot of pictures next to your favorite celebrities.
• At night visit the Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Have dinner – try roadside meals on wheels, they have amazing kababs, grills and hot dogs, take countless pictures, relax and enjoy.



Times Square at Night

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Head back to the hotel at night if you can ever leave the fun at Times Square.

Day 3: Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

• Have heavy breakfast and head towards the Grand Central train station.
• This is an amazing train station representing a brilliant piece of architecture. A lot of movie shoots have been done here and you can instantly remember all those movies as you step in.
• Take a train from here to Bowling Green station, the one closest to the Statue of Liberty. You can take Trains 4 or 5 and reach the Bowling Green station in around 15 mins from Grand Central. I believe that’s the best way to reach Statue of Liberty. From there it's a short walk to Battery Park where you can get the Liberty Island Ferry.
• There often is a huge waiting line and so it might take a while before you board the ferry. Local street performers keep you entertained as you wait in the lines. You need to go through a detailed security check up before boarding the ferry and you are not allowed to carry big luggage bags, only small backpacks are allowed, so be aware of that.
• Take a lot of pictures of New York skyline while on the ferry, it looks beautiful. There’s a small island where we have the statue of liberty, visit the island, spend some time and same ferry gets you back.



Broadway Shows, NYC

 

• In the evening try to catch a Broadway show. It’s a nice theater and the shows are really   worth the money. If you have never been to a theater this is a must, it will be an amazing   experience.
• Have dinner, relax at your hotel.

Day 4: Central Park

Central Park in Fall

• Have heavy breakfast and head towards the Central Park.
• Once inside the park, follow the map and enjoy walking the different paths and areas to enjoy the scenery (Loeb Boathouse, Great Lawn, Strawberry Fields) and statues (i.e. Alice in Wonderland & Balto). 
• I would highly suggest biking around the park (if you can) to get an idea of the various areas of this park. You can take a horse carriage ride while in the park. Make sure to bring some apple slices with you and feed the carriage horses in the Central Park.You can hire a rowing boat and relax on the lake in the sun. Take a guided tour and see the entire park, visit the carousel if you have kids, great for people watching, laying on grass, walking, resting - whatever takes your fancy.



Central Park in the heart of NYC

• In the evening you have different options with a lot of museums nearby. You can visit the Ground Zero Memorial building, the Smithsonian museum, top of the rock observatory deck, walk in front of the Wall Street, take pictures in front of the famous Bull, relax and have dinner.

The Famous Wall Street Bull

Accommodation:

• Try to find a hotel close to the Theater District, near the Times Square so you can walk to most of the attractions.

Good time to Visit New York:

• Near September Long weekend for excellent weather
• Christmas week for the unbelievable decorations

Hope you have a Wonderful Trip. If you have any suggestions regarding this trip, please add those in the comments below.

New Orleans (NOLA)

Jackson Square - French Quarter, NOLA

New Orleans is one of the world's most fascinating cities. Steeped in a history of influences from Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and beyond, it's home to a truly unique melting pot of culture, food and music.

You'll find bowls filled to the rim with gumbo, late nights in dark jazz clubs, strolls through historic neighborhoods, and tantalizing festivals throughout the year. It is certainly one of America's most culturally and historically-rich destinations. The partying never stops on Bourbon Street, the French Quarter's liveliest and wildest thoroughfare, where the rhythmic sounds of jazz, country western, Dixieland and sultry blues permeate the air. Brimming with life, you'll find everything from shopping to music to Cajun food to nightclubs. Its famous for the crazy Mardi Gras parades and The Hand Grenade, a special drink available only in NOLA.

The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré - or the “Quarter” to locals, sits on a crescent in the Mississippi River on some of the highest ground in New Orleans. Not only, this is city’s cultural hub, but is a community where residents take time to reminisce with neighbors about times gone by and to welcome visitors in the streets.

This is a 2 day trip itinerary I have made for people visiting with family and friends. This includes few of the major must-see attractions the area offers for its countless visitors every year. The itinerary is intended to cover the major attractions at a relaxed pace.

Day 1: The French Quarter

• Have heavy breakfast and leave for the Jackson Square. 
• This is a very famous landmark facing the Mississippi River. Its surrounded by some historic buildings including St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Cabildo (Louisiana State Museums), not to mention the Lower and Upper Pontalba Apartments, the oldest apartment buildings in the United State.
• Local artists paint, draw, create portraits and caricatures, and display their work on the square's iron fence.
• Attend morning service at the cathedral, explore local arts and décor shops, get a caricature made from a local artist, have lunch in a nearby restaurant – try Gumbo, and then take a relaxing horse buggy ride to various locations starting from here, we took the one to the Garden District, it was beautiful.
• In the afternoon, visit Harrah’s Casino and try your luck with some rounds of craps, roulette and slot machines. Enjoy drinks on the house while you play.
• For the sunset, take a ride on the Mississippi River with Algiers Ferry. See the city skyline from the Mississippi River for free. Nothing fancy, but kids are sure to love the pelicans and photographers will love the sights on the way to historic Algiers. Visit the Woldenberg Park and relax along the river side.
• For night life, visit The Bourbon Street. This is a crazy place to be at night. Finding a parking spot can be very tough so look for public parking signs on the way. You will find every kind of people in here, drunk, extremely drunk, lunatic, scary, overjoyed, disheartened, solo, in groups, throwing beads at each other, doing crazy stuffs to win beads from others and yeah few good ones as well. Though it’s a rowdy place to be, you will be fine as its very well monitored by local police. Its famous for various drinks, one of them being the “Hand Grenade”. This is a special drink which is available only on this street so do try it, it’s amazing. There are pubs, local bars, artistic galleries, live music and millions of people hanging out. One advice here, if possible avoid eating here, have heard a lot of food poisoning cases in the past.



Bourbon Street - Mardi Gras Parade

• Go home, if you can leave Bourbon street drama. Take rest.

Day 2: Outdoor Activities (Choose per your liking's from various options mentioned below)

Air Boat Swamp Tour

• Have heavy breakfast and leave for swamp tours in the morning. Advance booking recommended.
• The Air boat Swamp Tours are approximately 2 hours long in which you can see alligators, snakes, turtles, egrets, herons and ibis. You can also see white tailed deer and other mammals during the ride. Its fast and its fun.
• Visit Audubon Zoo, kids will really love this place. They have a huge variety of animals and a lot of live shows to offer. For hot days, they have a Cool Zoo, a wild and wet splash park, is one of the top water parks New Orleans has to offer. It is the hot spot for kids to cool down at Audubon Zoo.
• Visit Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, nice place for a rainy day. Kids love it. Good place to spend a hot day. A lot of interactive programs and an IMAX Theater showing amazing animals related 3-D movies
• You can take a Cemetery Tour while in New Orleans. Only in New Orleans could cemeteries be major tourist attractions. With a spooky history, unique, ornate tombs, and some of them dating back to the late 1700s, it’s no wonder that travelers are usually eager to explore New Orleans’ famous resting places. There are dozens of cemeteries throughout the city, but most organized tours will take you through St. Louis Cemetery #1, home to Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau's grave, and Lafayette Cemetery - a popular location for movies shot in New Orleans, and situated directly across from Commander's Place in the Garden District.



Mercedes Dome, NOLA

• In the evening, catch New Orleans Pelicans NBA game/NFL game, if visiting in the season, at the Mercedes Dome. It is an amazing stadium and watching a NBA game is always like a dream. Lot for food options for the dinner.

Accommodation:

• Stay in French Quarter, preferably close to Bourbon Street as all the major attractions are there. Ideal location would be 10 mins walk from Bourbon street as it would be at a walking distance at the same time a little bit away from the noise(all night).

Hope you have a Wonderful Trip. If you have any suggestions regarding this trip, please add those in the comments below.