We set out to explore Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York on our first road trip outside of California with Ripley. This region was uncharted territory for both Grant and me, and I was eager to hit the road. Grant had been wanting to visit Atlantic City (the Las Vegas of the East) for a while, so after some persuasion, he agreed to a sightseeing road trip as long as we included Atlantic City in our itinerary. We planned the trip over Labor Day to take advantage of the extra day off work. My mom was in town and joined us, providing extra help with our unruly 5-month-old.
Organizing an out-of-state road trip involves coordinating flights and rental cars. One-way rental vehicles can be pricey, and not all companies offer them. Fortunately, we managed to find a non-stop flight on Spirit Airlines from San Diego to Baltimore and a non-stop return flight from Newark back to San Diego. Through Costco Travel, we secured a comfortable SUV rental from Avis for the duration of our trip. The last challenge was finding suitable hotel accommodations. It's always a balancing act to find affordable and pleasant lodging, but we were able to find a good middle ground.
With the essentials in place, we moved on to planning our routes and activities. I mapped out our destinations, created a detailed list of things to do and see, and researched local restaurants to try. As with all trips, we planned meticulously and eagerly awaited the adventure. This trip sneaked up on us because we were in Nashville partying it up for Holly’s Big 40 the prior weekend. It was here, even if we were still recovering!
As we embarked on our journey mid-day Friday, the whole crew was on board and ready to kick off our travels. We took our seats on the Spirit flight, and to our delight, we had opted for the Big Comfy Seats, which essentially equate to first class on Spirit. What surprised us even more was the recent update to Spirit's policy. As Big Comfy Seats passengers, we were entitled to complimentary WIFI, free drinks (yes, including alcohol), and complimentary snacks throughout the duration of the flight. Given Spirit's reputation, I was admittedly skeptical at first. I couldn't help but wonder - what's the catch? As it turned out, there wasn't one! I found myself sipping champagne and indulging in snacks, making this flight an incredibly leisurely and enjoyable experience.
Upon arrival, we needed to arrange for a rental car, so Grant took the lead in sorting that out. I had hoped that by the time we were done with the rental process, our gate-checked items would be ready for us. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The Avis rental car area at Baltimore was quite chaotic. There was only one staff member assisting customers on a holiday weekend. Oddly, it seemed like everyone waiting in line did not have a reservation and was frustrated by the quoted prices. After what felt like an eternity, we finally managed to secure a rental car, albeit much later than we had anticipated. It was a painful process.
After dealing with the rental car issues, we ended up leaving the airport later than expected. We quickly grabbed a bite to eat at a place called Little Havana, which, to be honest, wasn't anything exceptional, before taking a drive around Baltimore's Inner Harbor to take in the sights.
The next day, my mom, Ripley, and I woke up early to explore the city. Baltimore isn’t known to be a major tourist destination, and besides looking at the stadiums from afar, we mainly visited the Inner Harbor. This historic seaport features a lively waterfront area with various attractions, entertainment venues, shops, restaurants, and museums. We walked along the promenade, took a boat tour, visited the National Aquarium, and explored the historic ships docked at the harbor. We also visited Edgar Allen Poe’s Gravesite, which was a less popular tourist spot. It was dead…literally.
Later, we met up with Grant and continued our journey to Delaware. While researching Delaware, we found that there wasn’t much excitement or must-see attractions in the state. However, New Castle caught our attention as a place with historic charm. On the way there, we listened to a YouTube video in the car that highlighted New Castle’s alleys as a unique sight to see. It turned out to be an unexpectedly quaint and charming experience. When Grant got hungry, we looked for a place to eat and decided on the Charcoal Pit.
I discovered online that the Charcoal Pit is a place frequented by the current President Joe Biden. When we arrived, the place was packed. After a long wait, we finally got a table, placed our order, and waited some more for the food to arrive. We all agreed that the milkshakes were good, but the burgers were just like those from Burger King. Feeling impatient and ready for a more exciting destination, we decided to leave for Philadelphia to kick-start our road trip.
When I think of Philadelphia, two things come to mind: the Liberty Bell and Philadelphia cheesesteaks. I had divided our visit to Philly into points of interest. First, we visited Independence National Historical Park. After parking, we wandered around and easily identified Independence Hall. This is the building where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. Next, we visited the Liberty Bell. Surprisingly, the cracked bell was much smaller than expected, and it sat in an air-conditioned room with tourists flocking all around it. Despite its illustrious history, I am left wondering why it is such a well-known broken momento of history. Our last stop in this area was the US Mint. Established in 1792, it is the first and largest mint in the United States. I was expecting something grander, considering that it produces money (mostly coins), but it was extremely industrial, with heavy machinery everywhere. Not the most exhilarating site to visit.
Feeling bored, we left the historical sites and drove to see Point 2, Philadelphia City Hall, the Love Signs, then Point 3, which included the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Rocky Balboa Statue.
After walking around for a bit and having an unsatisfactory lunch, we stopped for an early dinner to answer the question: which cheesesteak is better, Pat's or Geno's? The rivalry between Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia is legendary. Both claim to have invented the Philly cheesesteak, and their close proximity on South 9th Street has fueled friendly competition for decades. We first stopped at Geno's, where my mom got us the cheesesteak with cheese fries. The fries were fine, but the cheesesteak was bland. Disappointed, we debated if we should even indulge in this debate or go find something else. We decided to try Pat's and got a sandwich. It was much better. Pat's clearly won over Geno's, but as Grant commented, “Charley’s cheesesteak in the mall is better than both of them.”
We were running out of time and had one more city to visit - Atlantic City. This was the city that convinced Grant to join us for this extended weekend trip. We went straight to the hotel, which was a bit outside of Atlantic City. Since we needed two rooms, staying in the city for $400 a night didn't seem sensible. I chose the Days Inn by Wyndham, thinking it would be a safe choice. I was wrong. Very wrong. The check-in was a bit strange, and when we got to our rooms, Grant was not happy. Fortunately, my mom and I had a show called Hook by SpiegelWorld that we had to attend, so we left for the show, leaving Grant in his displeasing hotel room with Ripley. The show was entertaining! I would definitely recommend watching it. It started off slow but really picked up in the second half. My favorite part was when two jugglers stripped down to their underwear while juggling bowling pins and then redressed in the other juggler’s outfit. Impressive, and something I had never seen before.
After the show, my mom and I strolled along the Atlantic City Boardwalk. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Atlantic City has connections to the classic board game Monopoly. The street names like Boardwalk and Park Place were inspired by real locations in Atlantic City. The game's creator, Charles Darrow, reportedly drew inspiration from the city's streets and properties when developing the game. There were two showings of Hook, and Grant had a ticket for the second showing. We met up with a frustrated Grant and did a "child swap." My mom and I took the baby and went back to the boardwalk, eventually returning to the hotel.
When Grant's show ended, I left to pick him up and he stopped at White House Subs in the Hard Rock Casino to get a submarine sandwich for me. Established in 1946, White House Subs in Atlantic City is known for its delicious subs with fresh ingredients and generous portions. The sandwich was good, but if you pile enough meat on anything, it's bound to be tasty! Grant complained more about the unsanitary conditions of the room, and eventually, he tired himself out and joined the baby in slumber. Fun fact about Atlantic City—it is one of the poorest cities in New Jersey. It is considered a “food desert” as there is not a grocery store in the area. It probably would have been nice to know this before we made a trip around this place, but you learn from your mistakes! Although Atlantic City may not have a grocery store, they have lots of saltwater taffy, which makes sense as it was created here.
On Day 3, we had already visited four states, and the only state left was New York. Before leaving New Jersey, we wanted to visit Seaside Heights. Seaside Heights gained national attention as the setting for the MTV reality show "Jersey Shore," which aired from 2009 to 2012. We found out that the show didn't continue there because the town didn't want it. The area is also known for its amusement park, Casino Pier, and family-friendly atmosphere, which, unfortunately, was overshadowed by the show. After a quick bite to eat, we completed the last long leg of our journey to NYC.
I would recommend going to NYC for Labor Day cause no one else does besides us. That is clearly a hyperbole, but there were fewer people than expected. Weaving in between cars, bikes, and pedestrians, we made it to Time Square in record time. As we drove around the city, we took in the diverse scents and sights before making the deliberate decision to venture out to Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, New York, is renowned for being the backdrop of Washington Irving's famous short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which features the legendary Headless Horseman. The association of the town with this eerie tale has turned it into a must-see destination for tourists and enthusiasts of Halloween and folklore. The drive to Sleepy Hollow was absolutely stunning, and exploring the town was incredibly enjoyable. Of course, we couldn't resist visiting all the sites related to the headless horseman, including the iconic cemetery.
After wandering around, we checked into our hotel just outside the city. It was a Hilton, and Grant was in a much better mood when we arrived. The hotel was located right next to American Dream, the second-largest mall in the US, second only to the Mall of America in Minneapolis. After everyone was settled, Grant and I went to see an immersive theater show called "Life and Trust." It's a unique theatrical experience that explores the complexities of human relationships and the concept of trust through compelling storytelling and immersive performances. Audience members are free to roam the elaborately designed set, following the characters and witnessing scenes at their own pace. The performance unfolds in multiple rooms and floors, inviting the audience to explore and interact with the environment as the story unfolds around them. The entire "stage" is a building of over 100,000 square feet, often requiring you to run up and down stairs with the actors. We left the show feeling exhausted. If you've ever seen or heard of "Sleep No More," this new play is a revamped version. Exhausted, we returned to the hotel and crashed for the evening.
We woke up and grabbed a quick bagel in the city on Monday morning, which was Labor Day. We found free parking near the bagel shop, so we parked there and wandered through Hell’s Kitchen and Times Square. We wanted to make sure we got a photo with the baby in Times Square, and we managed to get a few! With our time limited, we had a quick lunch at Nizza and then explored the American Dream Mall. The Mall is a large shopping and entertainment complex with various attractions, including an indoor amusement park, an indoor ski slope, a water park, an ice-skating rink, mini-golf, and a variety of shops and restaurants. There was a lot to see and do, to say the least!
As time was running short, we went back to the hotel room to pack up and get ready to go to the airport. We tried to go to a restaurant in New Jersey near Newark Airport, but the service was extremely slow. They were friendly and gave us bread and olives, but we were still waiting for someone to take our order. We left some cash on the table and went to the airport. The airport was chaotic. Newark had a “radar software issue” that delayed all flights coming in and going out. Our flight was an hour delayed because flight attendants were stuck in the air, unable to land. Once on the plane, the pilot told us there was a backlog of planes taking off due to the abovementioned problem. We were on the tarmac for 2 hours before we took off, and we still had a five-and-a-half-hour flight ahead of us. Ripley did exceptionally well on the long flight, and it gave me hope that he may be ready for his first international flight to Europe soon!
I enjoy road trips, and think everyone enjoyed it besides Grant and Atlantic City. Overall, I think we all saw some new parts of the US that we hadn’t seen and wouldn't have seen unless doing a road trip like this. Here's to the next one!