/ Georgina Does

USA East Coast roadtrip 2024

Friday, 4 April 2025

Last years (July 2024) American road trip was an amazing adventure. Over the course of two weeks, we drove from Washington to Key West and back again, and it was filled with unique experiences, incredible scenery, and memorable moments.

Arriving in Washington at 8 pm with no hotel booked, the plan was to pick up our (very cool) car and drive towards where we needed to be for the next morning - which was the Blue Ridge Parkway. We went for as long as we could manage, with the roof down and American pop rock blaring from the speakers and arrived in Culpeper - where we checked into a cheap motel for the night.

Day 1: Blue Ridge Parkway

Our journey began on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, winding through the Appalachian Mountains, again with the roof down and a blanket we’d stolen from the flight to keep my legs warm.

We stayed in a yurt we’d found on Air bnb in the forest that evening. After a day of intense sunshine, it had gotten a bit stormy by the time we arrived so we set up the fire pit and cooked dinner on it while rain poured down around us before heading inside our fairy lit tent for the night. It was one of our most memorable accommodations and the perfect start - magical, peaceful, and a full sense of adventure.

Day 2: The Mile high Swinging Bridge

Our second day on the road took us to see the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain.

After eavesdropping on some very loud Americans on the way back down, we discovered there was a winery nearby, so we found it on the map and headed straight there. The afternoon sun was warm, and the air was filled with the sounds of a local folk band playing as we arrived. Every table was taken so we grabbed a glass of wine and sat on the edge of the creek.

It was here we discovered banana pudding which I picked up from one of the food trucks. I have a few memories of particularly special mouthfuls of food, and this was one of them. I searched for it in every town we visited for the rest of the trip, it was so good.

This serene moment by the creek remains one of my favourite memories from trip. We sat there for a while, lost in the moment, enjoying the spontaneity and serendipity of it all.

From there, we left for Atlanta.

Day 3: From Georgia to Florida

Today we tried our first American diner. We were after an old-school spot with sticky red stools and found just the place. It was cramped, bustling, almost 100 years old. Perfect. We ordered an array of different dishes but the standout item was my first cup of sweet tea. An American friend had told me about it once and his excitement was justified. I drank it every day for the rest of the trip.

After breakfast - and more sweet tea to take away - we left Atlanta heading towards and what was our favourite night of the trip, leaving the mountains, via the big city, for the beach!

Arriving in Pensacola, we checked into a boutique hotel called Oyster Bay with views over the bay (and a fully stocked snack kitchen). Dinner, at a beach shack called Shaggy’s, was all the more fun with $4 cocktails and a beautiful sunset, followed by a spectacular drive back to the hotel with lightning lighting up the night sky.

Day 4: Prepare for lift off!

Today was mostly about covering ground as we had a particularly big day ahead tomorrow. We had acai bowls on the beach and then drove 7 hours to Titusville which was not somewhere I’d heard of before.

The driving was such a highlight of the trip that actually, all that time in the car was super enjoyable and quite special. We got caught in storms, stopped for snacks, listened to music and talked for hours on end.

Arriving late in this sleepy little roadside town, we skipped dinner in favour of ice cream and scrap booking - just in time see 3 police cars and an arrest at the parlour.

Day 5: A very busy day

We talk about this day all the time, it’s hard to comprehend just how much we got done, not to mention just how exciting one of those things was.

We were up and in the car with the roof down, on the way to beach by 5 am. Apparently the car park there was the best place to watch the rocket launches at Cape Canaveral. We pulled into a little lay by, and found the perfect spot the watch the launch, framed by the trees.

Dan found the space channel online and we were able to listen to the iconic countdown before the rocket shot off into the sunrise, leaving a trail of smoke in the sky behind it. Unforgettable.

We planned to visit the Kennedy space centre afterwards but it was still very early so stopped off for breakfast first. Sweet tea and scrap booking, as per our routine, in a cute little small town booth by our motel.

We got caught in a torrential downpour as we were finishing up in the space centre which provided the perfect excuse to visit the gift shop – for NASA branded ponchos of course – and stickers for the scrapbook.

That cleared up and we were soon back on the road with the roof down, heading for Miami.

We stopped off at a roller skating rink along the way. We had brought our skate all the way from London after all and it was a great way to get some movement in whilst escaping the afternoon heat for a couple of hours.

Arriving in Miami that evening, we checked into our room at Soho beach house, which had been upgraded to a huge, almost apartment for a three day mini break. First stop, the roof for cocktails!

I loved the vibe of Miami. I knew I would enjoy soaking in the vibrant energy of the city from the moment we arrived.

Day 6 & 7: and relax

Our first day with no plans, and the perfect place for it. We had a lazy morning and found ourselves a cabana by the pool to spend the day at. Breakfast turned into cocktails, which turned into snacks and more cocktails. Before we knew it, it was 5 pm.

Known for its skate culture, we decided to take the evening to skate along the Miami boardwalk, where we found a fairy lit, beach facing restaurant. They were a little dubious about giving us a table but once I switched my skate for heels, we were sat at the front of this very romantic restaurant, eating fresh fish with a view of the ocean.

The next day was similar, although headed out to explore the neon-lit streets of South Beach that evening. Our uber driver insisted we watch the backstreet boys on his ipad as he drove us there. We ate Mexican food and stopped on the street for slush puppies spiked with alcohol.

Day 8: The Florida Keys

Our route out of Miami followed a trail of dessert shops, hot chocolate stops and Jewish deli's before joining the incredible road that took us through each of the keys, all the way to Key West at the end. I really liked Key West. We grabbed tickets for the last trolley tour of the day and saw the town which felt like a real-life Disney Main Street full of charming clapperboard houses, cute local bars, shops and food shacks. I would have liked the stay longer but our hotel for the night was half way back up the Keys and we were very excited to get there.

It was right on the beach and we arrived back there in time to grab a couple of frozen cocktails and drink them on the jetty as the sun set over the ocean – just before a dramatic electric storm rolled in.

Day 9: Storm Debby hits

The rain had started again by the time we checked out but we didn’t care because we were at the nearest diner, drowning our storm sorrows with sweet tea by the time it got bad.

Having decided it wasn’t going to ruin our fun, we set off in the light rain with the roof down hoping it’d soon stop. Unsurprisingly, the opposite happened and we ended up getting totally drenched when they heavens opened whilst we were on the motorway. There was no place to stop, so we turned the music up, put our foot down and enjoyed the ride.

Arriving at a roadside hotel, just in time for the most incredibly coloured sunset, we dropped off our stuff, dried off and headed straight out to the drive in cinema across the road. We bought our tickets, parked up and ordered every classic cinema snack under the sun. The car was a mess by the end of the night - chaos that comes from an evening well spent, it was a classic American experience ticked off our list.

Day 10: Stormy St. Augustine

In the morning, we headed to St. Augustine, which was another one of my favourite places. We stayed in an eerie house which I'm sure was haunted and had the most surreal conversation with the guy who checked us in, he was adamant about the time, which didn't line up with our phones so after questioning him for ten minutes, we accepted we must have driven over a time line - only to go back into the real world and realise we were right in the first place.

During our short visit, we hopped on another trolley tour bus - they were our most used company from the trip - we looked for one in most locations and they were really great way to see everything quickly & comfortably.

Looking back at it now, the weather can't have been that bad because I remember stopping off for ice cream (and then going back for two more because they were so good) and at dinner, we requested a table on the balcony, only to be told "Sir, we are in the middle of a hurricane, you cannot sit outside"

After a full & rainy day, we had a wonderfully romantic moment once we got back to the haunted house having put on our dressing gowns and sat on the creaky swing on the balcony watching the storm around us.

Day 11: Savannah

After a quick stop at a diner, we were back on the road and heading across state lines in the midst of the storm. I remember worrying for my life on this day, we were getting emergency storm alerts on our phones which were quite frankly, terrifying & I'm not sure how Dan managed to get us there, the rain was so bad that I couldn't really see through the windscreen.

But he did! and after a couple of hours, we arrived at the Inn on West Liberty, a safe haven from the storm. We were the only guests, greeted by the owner and her super cute little dog Sydney, they sat us down in the living room with a glass of wine and everything was calm again.

It rained all day and all night so we didn't get to do much sightseeing in Savannah which was a shame, although we did venture out for a Chinese that evening and then, with some more wine, took a long, hot bath in our lovely room.

Day 12-14: The Outer Banks

Our next stop was Wilmington, which again, as a destination, was ruined by the rain. That's not to say we didn't have a good time. Our room was above a coffee shop come cocktail bar so on our way back from dinner by the water, we stopped in and it was perfect. A cosy, candle lit room with dark leather sofas and a specialist espresso martini menu. We stayed there all night and when it was time to leave, we walked up the stairs outside to our room and watch the lightning across the night sky.

Over the next few days, we managed to drive, ferry and eat (and nap) our way across The Outer banks without too much bother from the storm. I was a bit worried about this part of our trip but all the timings lined up perfectly and we managed to see three of the four lighthouses on our list.

Day 15: Washington D.C. Finale

Finally we were back to civilisation, heading to Washington D.C for one lat night. It happened to coincide with our one month anniversary so as soon as we arrived, we headed out for dinner to celebrate. Our evening took us to a dingy speakeasy where we had the best time reliving out favourite moment from the trip.

and then there was one day left to explore. We decided to do that on a lime scooter. A brilliant idea. I really liked Washington and think I could happily live there.

Our time in DC was great although bittersweet as it was the last stop on the most amazing holiday. We ticked off all the sightseeing destinations, went shopping and got our last sweet tea & banana pudding fix before heading to the airport.

Our flight home that evening was delayed; which initially sounded like a problem, but since they had overbooked, we got upgraded to first class. A perfect end to a perfect trip.

I'd never had any interest in America, or road trips before this, but it was an adventure I’ll never forget and something I hope I get to do again and again.

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

New York in the winter is something special. I’m sure that’s the best way to see it; scarves blowing in the wind, steam rising from sewer grates and bright sunshine breaking through the gaps between skyscrapers. It’s a classic NYC image.

I was there for a few days earlier this month and it was bitterly cold. But that’s all part of the experience. Having packed three coats, there was no way I was going to let a little -9 degree temperature ruin my fun.

Here’s how we spent our time:

Walking the High Line

One of my favourite things we did was The High Line, an elevated urban walkway built on a former railway line. What an amazing idea! I thought it was super unique and a great way to see the city. I feel like there was a lot of life to be seen up there.

Skyline Views at The Edge

We stumbled upon The Edge after wandering off in search of banana pudding & were able to find discounted tickets online. Up on the 100th floor, we took in the iconic New York skyline from an outdoor viewing platform. It was freezing on the ground level but in the streaming sunlight, it was very warm and peaceful at the top.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t realise just how beautiful the New York skyline was until I was up there but from this point on, I was in awe of every tall building we walked past.

P.S If you don't like the idea of paying just to see the view, we also had a great skyline view from the bar at the top of The Ritz which cost us much less.

Endless Wandering

More than anything, we walked, and that was really all I wanted to do. We spent hours exploring the streets, marvelling at the towering buildings around us and poking our heads into every cafe, bagel shop and dessert parlour we walked past.

Central Park

Just as pretty and instantly recognisable as it is in the films.

Times Square

Dazzling.

The Guggenheim

Not really my thing, but Dan wanted to go, so of course, we did. Culture. Tick.

Citi Bikes

We took the Hudson river cycle path, along the river, down to the to the financial district and Battery Park. Highly recommend, it was a really lovely and easy to cycle route.

9/11 Memorial

Seeing where the Twin Towers once stood was a powerful moment. Sobering, but I’m really glad we went.

Lumon Industries

We are both big fans of Severance and after a little research, discovered that the building they used as Lumon Industries HQ was a couple hours drive outside of NYC. So of course we made the journey to NJ to go and have a look. Turns out its actually a big shopping centre in real life.

Food

Oh, we ate, but that is my #1 favourite thing to talk about so a little section here wont do it justice - there’s a whole other post to come for that!

I didn’t have many expectations for New York, but I’m leaving in awe of its towering skyscrapers, impressed by its high energy buzz, and feeling incredibly grateful to have finally experienced it for myself.

Thursday, 23 January 2025

Less that a year old, Cunard’s Queen Anne has just set off on its maiden world voyage. This was big news in cruise world and only a few days earlier, I was aboard, with my family, for its previous journey to Hamburg and back.

The Queen Anne is one of 10+ ships I’ve been on and even as Cunard’s second largest, it still felt very intimate - carrying only to 2,996 passengers. So, whilst there isn’t a huge amount to do, it was surprisingly easy to keep myself busy.

Here’s what a typical day on board looked like.

We are a family of early risers, so breakfast at 8:30 would typically be the plan. I was sharing a room with my brothers and they often stayed in bed until the last minute which meant I had undisturbed access to the bathroom; a surprisingly spacious one for a cruise cabin. The shower was huge.

We chose to eat breakfast at the restaurant rather than the buffet which meant heading down to to Deck 3 for a more formal dining experience with white tablecloths and waiter service.

Breakfast, like every other meal on board was a multiple course occasion. We all started with the smoked salmon, it’s a die hard Goodman favourite, and it was delicious - served with cream cheese, a slice of lemon & some zingy capers.

I liked to keep breakfast light as I knew how much eating the rest of the day involved. My brothers and dad, however, went all in and ordered second and third courses.

After breakfast, it was time to disembark - we’d arrived in Hamburg today. Getting on and off the ship was as simple as scanning the room card at the exit and stepping off the boat. A shuttle bus then picked us up from the terminal and dropped us in the middle of the city. It was a minimal hard work situation.

Germany in January was cold so we didn’t get a lot done. We wandered around the shops for a while, but after failing to find a cute café to enjoy some German treats, we decided it was just too cold and headed back to the ship for lunch.

I’d planned on having a light lunch, as I was determined not to miss afternoon tea again. However, that plan quickly went out the window when I joined my family at the buffet on Deck 9. I ate a plate of roast pork with mash and vegetables and then a bowl of ice cream. Despite my love for food, I found the constant availability overwhelming, and by this point, I was eating more out of habit than hunger - an aspect of cruising I didn’t enjoy this time.

After lunch, it will come as no surprise that we headed straight down to the tea room - a couple of hours early - to secure a good spot before the next round of eating began.

Afternoon tea was delicious, and this was one meal I truly enjoyed - not just for the food but for the theatre of it all. White gloved waiters served finger sandwiches and miniature desserts from silver platters, followed by freshly baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

As you can imagine, I was completely delirious afterwards, so I headed straight to the gym for refuge and to try and restore some normality.

The gym on board is small but perfectly functional - and honestly, how often do you get to work out with a view of the ocean right in front of you? Since it was a port day, the gym was pretty empty with most people off exploring, which meant I could get through my workout without any interruptions and was able to hang around afterwards. I find the gym really peaceful and often end up lazing on a yoga mat for half an hour after I’m done, simply enjoying the tranquillity.

I then headed back to the room to have a shower and get ready for dinner. Tonight was a formal night which meant getting dressed up. I wore a black dress and my new heels while my brothers both put on a suit jacket and tie. During the formal nights, there are photographers set up all around the ship taking photos so on our way to meet my parents for dinner, we stopped for a photo.

This evening’s dinner was the best one we had on our four day voyage. The veal that my dad and I both ordered was nice, but nothing special so as we watched everyone else go on about their beef wellington, we decided to order ourselves a second main course to share; and they were right, it was a standout dish.

For dessert, I was stuck again between the brownie and the pineapple so I just ordered them both, it seems such a normal thing to do on a cruise ship. The brownie again, was unremarkable but the rum roasted pineapple, was I think, my favourite dish of the whole cruise.

After dinner, we wandered into one of the big lounges and found a table with some nice chairs around it. Not that I needed to eat any more, my mum ordered the hot chocolate she had been telling me about for the last three days, which arrived in a teapot enough for two so I shared that with her. It came with three accompanying plates of chocolate shards, whipped cream and marshmallows.

As we were enjoying our drinks, my brother pulled out two packs of cards and told us about one of his favourite games by which everyone had to guess the rules as you go. A very confusing concept at first but we enjoyed it so much that we were up playing it, in that lounge until 2 am; before heading back to the cabin and swiftly falling asleep. I always sleep very well on a cruise ship!

Tuesday, 21 January 2025

I went to Plaza Khao Gaeng last night, and I'm still thinking about the food this morning.

Actually, it wasn’t just the food - it was the whole experience. It was so good, in fact, that I have very few photos to share from the evening. Sorry about that.

Plaza Khao Gaeng is the lesser known little sister of Soho's currently very popular Speedboat Bar. Walking through Centre Point’s bustling Arcade food hall after work, I was surprised at just how busy it was for a Monday evening. Even with the cold, people still love to go out, I love London.

I found an unassuming staircase tucked away at the back - you wouldn’t really know it was there unless you were specifically looking for it - leading to a small mezzanine brimming with energy. Packed tight with tables covered in plastic tablecloths, trays of cheap pressed metal cutlery, and a roaring wok at the back that would burst into flames every few minutes. Chaos.

If I hadn’t spent a lot of time in Thailand, I might have thought it was a bit of a hot mess for a central London restaurant. But this wasn’t a cheap gimmick - it was very Thai - all that was missing were the tiny plastic stools, although I’m sure the public were much happier with Londoner-sized chairs. Regardless, it was the most authentic dining experience I’ve had since leaving Thailand, and the menu reflected that same authenticity.

This was not a restaurant for unadventurous taste buds. I was a little bit confused about what to try, and I’ve spent years eating who-knows-what from street stalls in Thailand. The Massaman curry was an obvious favourite, although it didn’t look like the Massaman I knew. Two huge chunks of beef and two potatoes sat in a broth-like sauce. It was all over Instagram, and lots of plates of it were whizzing past.

Both of my friends ordered it, but I had a yearning for a plate of morning glory, which is hard to find in England. Unconventionally, I built my meal around that and decided on sticky rice and fried chicken to accompany. It took me straight back to a particular meal I ate on a street in Bangkok, sitting opposite the party hostel I was staying in, eating a meal like this for breakfast - except that one cost 20p. Not that I’m complaining. The fact that I was able to get it in London made it worth it, and actually, the price wasn’t that bad. We had three mains, three sides and two drinks (yay Thai iced milk tea) for £81.

By 6:30 PM, the restaurant was packed and stayed that way for hours, though atmosphere was super casual and inviting. We sat there chatting for a while after dinner, and by the time we left at 9:00 PM, things had calmed down, but the magic lingered.

If you’re looking for an authentic taste of Thailand in London, I’d highly recommend Plaza Khao Gaeng.