United States

Budget Travel in America: Tips for traveling around the USA on a budget

May 25, 2018 by Karen Turner Leave a Comment

I’m a huge fan of traveling on a budget. My home country of the United States isn’t necessarily a cheap place to travel. As someone who spent her formative years in the United States as a broke student, I have some solid tips on how to do budget travel in America.

Your experience traveling around the USA on a budget without a car might be very different than the dreamy American road trips you read elsewhere, but I hope that you’ll be able to have a great cheap trip to the United States. I cover how to travel in the United with a car and without a car here as well as tips for finding cheap food and accommodation in the United States.

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50 unusual things to do in New York City by a native New Yorker

August 23, 2019 by Karen Turner 3 Comments

New York is full of hidden gems. This insider guide to New York City written by a native New Yorker will show you best unusual things to do in New York City that are alternative, kooky, fascinating, and just weird. Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride as New York has so much to offer that you might not expect. I’ve grouped these activities by borough and location.

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The Ultimate Guide to Niagara Falls: An honest guide to Niagara Falls by a resident

June 10, 2018 by Karen Turner 32 Comments

As a former Buffalo resident who has been to Niagara Falls more times than I can count, it was time to write a complete guide to Niagara Falls with tips for travelers visiting these epic waterfalls.

Visiting Niagara Falls is a magical experience, especially for families, and it ranks high on many people’s bucket lists. Here you’ll find tips to help you decide which side of Niagara Falls to visit, where to eat in Niagara Falls, when is the best time to visit Niagara Falls, and logistics on how to get to Niagara Falls.

This guide includes a FREE Niagara Falls map that you can download offline with Google Maps at the end!

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20 Tips for taking a road trip in the USA for the first time by an American

July 31, 2019 by Dawn Allcott 1 Comment

The car is packed and you’re headed on a long-awaited road trip. Whether you’re taking your own vehicle coast-to-coast, or you’re renting a car to make a U.S. road trip part of your international adventure, a little planning goes a long way.

With 20 years of traveling up and down the Eastern seaboard, plus car trips to Chicago, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, I’ve picked up a few handy tips to share for taking a road trip in the United States. I hope that these helpful tips help you plan your US road trip!

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Your guide to Buffalo by a former resident with the best things to do in Buffalo NY

July 4, 2018 by Karen Turner 1 Comment

Although many people underestimate Buffalo, New York, but the Queen City has a lot to offer. I spent a couple of years in Buffalo and I must say that there are a lot of interesting things to do in Buffalo, NY. Buffalo is one of the most architecturally rich cities in the United States.

If you’re visiting Buffalo from Niagara Falls, Be sure to take at least a few days to enjoy the stunning architecture, delicious food, and cool neighborhoods of Buffalo.

I’m not really sure why people often skip Buffalo in their itinerary when visiting Niagara Falls, but I hope that this post focusing on unique things to do in Buffalo helps inspire you to visit this culture rich city. Many people don’t realize that the street design well as the park designs were inspired by Paris.

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14 insider tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty by a New Yorker

June 14, 2019 by Karen Turner 1 Comment

One of the most majestic places to visit in New York is the Statue of Liberty. This iconic American sight is the symbol of New York and even as a New Yorker, I had to revisit Lady Liberty on my recent trip. I’ve included some insider tips for avoiding lines when visiting the Statue of Liberty, tips for getting reasonable tickets for the Statue of Liberty (including climbing the crown), and general travel tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty for the first time.

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Insider’s Guide to Penn State with the best things to do in State College PA

July 11, 2018 by Karen Turner 16 Comments

My husband and I are Penn State grads who met while we were students at Penn State. (WE ARE!). This is an insider’s guide with tips for things to do in State College, best things to do at Penn State (Main Campus), where to party in State College, where to get an adult drink in State College away from the undergrads, where to stay in State College, where to eat in State College, awesome day trips from State College (things to do in Centre County).

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Sleeping in JFK Airport: Survival tips for your overnight JFK layover

October 15, 2019 by Karen Turner 11 Comments

Travel is not always glamorous. On my recent trip back to the US, we had an overnight layover at JFK between disconnected flights. The gap was long enough that I wondered if it was worthwhile, but we decided to try out sleeping at JFK airport. Keep reading for tips for surviving this lovely JFK layover.

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Rainbow Springs State Park, the most beautiful day trip from Orlando Florida

February 21, 2018 by Karen Turner 1 Comment

My grandparents live in Orlando, Florida, so I’ve gone countless times to the theme parks in Orlando. Sometimes, you’re looking for something a little different. On my last trip, I took a day trip from Orlando to Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, Florida.

As much as I love my family, there’s something about being out in nature away from the parking lots, strip malls, and real estate developments that define so much of Florida. As soon as I reached the crystal-clear water of Rainbow Springs, I felt a sigh of relief amidst all the greenery. Keep reading for the best budget day trip from Orlando.

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Junior’s Cheesecake: The authentic cheesecake that you must try in NYC

June 11, 2019 by Karen Turner Leave a Comment

Is there anything as iconic as New York cheesecake? If you’re visiting New York City, I highly recommend visiting Junior’s Cheesecake in Downtown Brooklyn. This Brooklyn diner serving up cheesecake, hearty sandwiches, coffee, and egg creams is famous the world over. I include some tips for visiting Junior’s for the first time–and a bit of history of the New York cheesecake.

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