USA East Coast Adventure Holiday

In 1984 the singer Sade was living the Diamond Life and had a hit with a song called “Smooth Operator”. It is this song that provided the inspiration for this truly exhilarating trip offering a taste of history, adventure and intrigue (listen to the song).

The destinations you will visit have been used in some of the most iconic and thrilling films to be released - remember the film National Treasure or the Falling Skies series or even 2 Fast 2 Furious and if you like some of the James Bond destinations then you won’t be disappointed with this trip.

Imagine you’re on a flight travelling into Boston. You fall asleep and have a dream where you are locked in a room and the only light is interrupted by the intermittent shadows cast by the blades of a slowly turning fan set high into the wall – light, dark, light, dark, lazily flicking across your face.

Where are you? What’s outside? Why are you here? What must you do? The plane lands and you wake with a start. Suddenly you are free – your adventure begins here – GO!

This trip can be done as a fly-drive or we can arrange train transport (or a combination of both). Let us know in the online enquiry form what your preferences are and anywhere in particular you would like to visit and we will plan the rest.

BOSTON

Boston was founded in 1630 and is Massachusetts’ capital and largest city. It is also one of the oldest cities in the United States. Boston had a key role in the American Revolution and this is brought to life on the Freedom Trail which tells the story of the nation’s founding during a 2.5-mile walking route of historic sites.

We have suggested that you spend three nights in Boston which will allow you to spread your wings a little and visit Maine with its Victorian Mansions, fishing ports and the New England Colonial past (travelling north) or Plymouth (travelling south). The Plymouth Plantation is an open-air museum that is a complete re-creation of a 17th Century Pilgrim Village with costumed actors and plenty of activities.

Symphony Hall is located in Boston where the legendary Boston Pops orchestra performs. If you want to experience a baseball game then Fenway Park is where the Red Sox baseball team plays. Famous institutions include the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, housing a world-class collection in a space designed like a 15th-century Venetian palazzo. Take a stroll along the Waterfront which is dotted with seafood and chowder restaurants with an abundance of Italian bakeries and cafes at the north end.

NEW YORK

There is probably very little we can tell you about other than it has something for everyone. New York City sits where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean and at its core is Manhattan – a densely populated borough where all the action takes place. Its iconic sites include skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. There’s the sprawling Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Centre, Brooklyn Bridge, the High Line and Broadway theatre is staged in neon-lit Times Square.

PHILIADELPHIA

Pennsylvania’s largest city is notable for its rich history, on display at the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed), Betsy Ross’ House (the seamstress who sewed the first American flag in 1776), Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest continually inhabited road in America and other American Revolutionary sites abound. Another iconic site are the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, immortalized by Sylvester Stallone’s triumphant run in the film "Rocky".

WASHINGTON DC

The United States Capital needs little introduction. Washington, DC is defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings – including the iconic ones that house the federal government’s 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Monument and Thomas Jefferson Memorial are all within easy travelling distance. Washington DC is also home to iconic museums and performing-arts venues such as the Kennedy Centre.

The National Mall is the focal point of Washington DC and is a formal green space containing the Washington Monument and other memorials commemorating wars and prominent Americans from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr. The the Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum and other free Smithsonian Institution museums dedicated to art, history and culture can also be found on the Mall. Beyond the Mall, DC is an approachable, leafy city of Victorian row houses and varied appeals from Dupont Circle’s trendy shops and Georgetown’s posh restaurants to the vibrant nightlife along the U Street Corridor.

MIAMI

Miami is famous for its colourful art deco buildings, white sand, surfside hotels and trendsetting nightclubs. This international city at Florida's south-eastern tip has a Cuban influence and this is reflected in the cafes and cigar shops that line Calle Ocho in Little Havana. On barrier islands across the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay is Miami Beach, home to South Beach. On nearby Key Biscayne, spacious Crandon Park features a quiet beach with private cabanas. For alligator-seekers, less than an hour’s drive away you can find Everglades National Park.

Moving away from the beach area Wynwood Arts District is host to dozens of galleries and hundreds of graffiti murals. Pérez Art Museum draws contemporary-art connoisseurs.

The Design District attracts trendy folks with boutiques and restaurants. In Coconut Grove, there’s Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a circa-1916 Italian-style estate surrounded by lush landscaping and seemingly endless shopping opportunities in modern, sprawling malls as well as the quiet, personal attention offered by the family-owned shops.

FLORIDA KEYS

We then come to what is, in some respects, the pinnacle of our tour – the ultimate destination in the song that gave us inspiration for this journey. The Florida Keys are a series of tropical islands strung over a 120 mile stretch off the southern tip of Florida. They’re known as a perfect destination for a laid-back lifestyle where you can fish, go boating, snorkelling and scuba diving and the southernmost city of Key West is famous for Duval Street’s many bars, Mallory Square’s nightly Sunset Celebration and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.

Your time in the Florida Keys can be as action-packed or as relaxed as you desire. Adventure-seekers can test their skills on a fishing charter. Get up close and personal with tropical fish on a snorkel trip, or dive to explore a famous Florida Keys ship wreck.

Visit local art galleries and museums. Shop for only-in-the-Keys gifts. Feast on fresh seafood at fine Florida Keys restaurants. Hang with the locals or just hang on a hammock.

Simply unwind and let go with the outgoing tide. You will be, after all, on island time.

Other big towns are Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon, site of Sombrero Beach, one of the Keys’ few sandy stretches. Colourful marine life can be seen at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dry Tortugas National Park. On Grassy Key, the Dolphin Research Centre offers swimming with dolphins. Connecting it all to the mainland is the Overseas Highway. Running parallel to it is the Overseas Heritage Trail, a path for walking, biking and fishing. Food specialties include conch chowder, conch fritters and Key lime pie.