DC/NYC | Day 7

New York is a city full of things to do and places to see so we had decided to cram as much into our last day as possible and not waste any of our time. We knew the 24hrs we had wasn’t enough to see the sights in New York that we would have liked to, so we packed up our cases, checked out of our hotel, and headed straight for breakfast. We were still tired from our long travel and sightseeing day but determined to make the best of our final day.

DC/NYC | Day 6

When we planned this trip, we had always planned to spend a decent amount of time in Washington DC and then travel up to New York and cram as much into a 24hr period as we could. So, after a last great day in Washington, we were ready to hop on the train and hot foot it up to New York City. I didn’t love NYC last time I went. I mean it is impressive, it’s good, but it’s not completely my cup of tea, so Emma and I were going to experience things more up her street and see if that changed my mind.

DC/NYC | Day 5

Anyone who knows me knows I like my detective crime novels, knows I like a good secret, spy story, and knows I like to visit places that are a bit hush hush, and I feel nowhere comes under that bracket quite like the Pentagon. I had excitedly applied and waited to hear if we had been cleared to visit for a tour for months, and thankfully it came in with a few days to spare. So, on a particularly rainy and miserable Washington DC day, we set out for some iconic buildings and to tour one of the most secure buildings in the world.

DC/NYC | Day 4

There are so many great buildings to visit and places to see in Washington DC that last time I was there I missed quite a few of the ones I wanted to do most. I almost forgot that the Library of Congress existed, and the Senate Building was undergoing construction work in preparation for the 2016 Presidential election so we never really went to that end of the mall to see anything. This time I was ready to change that, and both places were pretty high on Emma’s list too so it was a no brainer! After walking a long way on Day 3 of our trip, we had the brilliant idea to try and keep our day to a walking minimum. It didn’t happen, but it was a great day.

DC/NYC | Day 3

Public holidays are a big deal in America. There are less vacation days, so when everyone has the day off for something like Labour day, it’s a big occasion. Last time I was in Washington DC, I was there for July 4^th – Independence Day – so I was quite excited to the city in a state of celebration once again. The weather was glorious again, and to celebrate, we decided we were going to try and take in some of the monuments and the White House over the course of the day. We walked a lot between the Zoo and Georgetown on Day 2 and expected the same, so we went armed with books and snacks, ready to take in some great views and chill out at some great reading spots, as well as taking in some history, politics and culture along the way.

DC/NYC | Day 2

I absolutely love the first day of a holiday, when you wake up in a new place and you’re ready to explore. Labor day weekend in the USA is a major deal, so we knew Washington DC would be busy, so had sedate Sunday plans to get in some snacks and groceries, to visit the zoo, and have an evening out in Georgetown. Nothing quite like a Sunday out and about, getting acquanted with a new city, and recovering from a long Day 1/Travel day.

DC/NYC | Day 1

There is no feeling quite liking waking up on the morning of your holiday. The buzz hits, the excitement grows, and more often than not you know that when you go to sleep that night you will be in a new place and you’ll be on your holiday. We all have our holiday routines, pack the last few things, check all your important documents (repeatedly – no-one wants a nasty surprise at the airport), get a coffee and land the cases in the car. D’you know what’s even better? When you won the flights and know you’ll be experiencing Business Class. When you’re introducing your friend to a new country.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue | Review

Title: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Author: Mackenzi Lee

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 16 Apr 18 – 21 Apr 18

Publication date: 10 August 2017

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, YA

Description:

A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee—Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.

Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.

Theatre on Thursday | The Phantom of the Opera

Perfomance: The Phantom of the Opera

Performance Type: Musical

Location: Majestic Theatre, New York

Date: 8th September 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

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Day 5c: A night of pizza, pints, and Phantom. And a little bit of Times Square thrown in too… #phantomoftheopera #majestictheatre #broadway #newyork #nyc #usa #johnspizza #pizza #foodstagram #beer #travel #timessquare #usa #wanderlust #dcnyctrip2017

A post shared by Liz Whitehouse (@lizwhitehouse25) on Sep 7, 2017 at 8:36pm PDT

Over the past few months I have been enjoying and immersing myself in the world of live theatre and performance. I’ve been to see plays, concerts, and musicals, and really enjoyed the variety of shows I have watched. So, after reviewing just one of these (The Killers Wonderful Wonderful Tour Date which can be viewed here), I have decided to review each theatre trip individually. And because we all like an alliterative title, I’m going to call it ‘Theatre on Thursday’.

I was going to try and do this post every week, but life got in the way, so I have decided to do it as and when I remember. Last time round, I reviewed Two Gentleman of Verona, and it’s safe to say that this week’s instalment is pretty different.

Chicago: The Windy City

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you may have seen a previous entry for the Windy city way back when I was traveling the world for a year (found here). I loved Chicago on my first visit, it’s safe to say that I feel in love with the place back then, so when I found out that everyone would join up to celebrate for a big finale together in Chicago, I was extremely excited.

It smashed any expectations and any hopes that I had, and was spectacular!!