America’s Story – Discover The Stories That Shaped A Nation

There are some journeys where the places you visit are connected by more than a route on a map.

New York. Boston. Washington, D.C. Philadelphia. Four of America’s great cities, each worth visiting in its own right. Put them together, though, and something else begins to emerge.

The story of revolution and independence. Immigration and opportunity. Civil war and civil rights. Presidents, protest, conflict, innovation and change. And the places where so much of it actually happened.

Walk the streets where revolution gathered momentum in Boston. Stand where the Declaration of Independence was debated in Philadelphia. Follow the stories of millions of immigrants through Ellis Island. See the documents that created a nation in Washington, D.C. Then travel beyond the cities to Lexington and Concord, Gettysburg and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Our new 18-day America’s Story suggested itinerary brings all of that together.

And while there is plenty of history along the way, this is still very much a holiday. There’s New York’s skyline and Broadway, Boston’s historic neighbourhoods, Washington’s extraordinary museums, Philadelphia’s food scene and plenty of time to simply enjoy four fascinating American cities.

That balance, for us, is what makes this journey work.

NEW YORK – WHERE MILLIONS OF AMERICAN STORIES BEGAN

New York feels like the natural place to begin. There are the landmarks everyone knows – Times Square, Central Park, Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue and the Brooklyn Bridge – and we make plenty of time for those.

But for America’s Story, head first towards New York Harbour. Visit the Statue of Liberty before continuing on the same ferry route to Ellis Island and the National Museum of Immigration. Between 1892 and 1954, millions of immigrants passed through Ellis Island, arriving from countries around the world hoping to begin new lives in America. Walking through the former immigration station makes those enormous numbers feel far more personal.

Then return to Lower Manhattan, where another part of America’s story unfolds. Walk from Battery Park towards Wall Street, see the New York Stock Exchange and stop at Federal Hall, where George Washington took the oath of office as the country’s first president.

Different periods. Different stories. All within a relatively small part of Manhattan.

NEW YORK – A CITY THAT CONTINUES TO MAKE HISTORY

America’s Story isn’t only about what happened hundreds of years ago.

A visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum brings the journey firmly into modern America. It is one of New York’s most moving experiences, preserving the personal stories, artefacts and memories of September 11, 2001. Then step back outside into the rebuilt World Trade Centre precinct. The Oculus, One World Trade Centre and surrounding neighbourhood tell another part of the story – how New York responded, rebuilt and moved forward.

And after the history, enjoy New York for what it is today. Head to the top of the Empire State Building. Step inside Grand Central Terminal. Explore the Intrepid Museum. Take a Circle Line sightseeing cruise. Watch the sun set from Top of the Rock.

And be sure make time for Central Park. Walk The Mall to Bethesda Terrace, cross Bow Bridge, visit Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic, or simply enjoy some time away from the pace of Manhattan’s streets. And, of course, go to a Broadway show.

Because an itinerary about America’s Story should also make room for some classic New York.

BOSTON – FOLLOW THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION

From New York, travel north by Amtrak to Boston.

If Philadelphia is where a new nation was formally created, Boston is where much of the trouble started. And we mean that in the best possible way!

The Freedom Trail is the obvious place to begin. This red-brick route winds through historic Boston, linking many of the places and events associated with the growing resistance to British rule. Boston Common. Massachusetts State House. Granary Burying Ground. Old State House. The site of the Boston Massacre. Faneuil Hall. Paul Revere House. Old North Church. Rather than simply walking it yourself, we recommend joining a guided walking tour. Having somebody bring the personalities, arguments and events to life makes a huge difference to what you get from the experience.

Then continue through the North End towards Charlestown and the USS Constitution, America’s oldest commissioned naval vessel, before adding the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.

By the end of the day, names and events you may vaguely remember from school start fitting together. But don’t stop in Boston.

LEXINGTON & CONCORD – GO BEYOND BOSTON

This is one of the experiences we think really adds something to the journey.

Travel outside Boston to Lexington and Concord, following the route associated with Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride and the events of April 19, 1775. Stand on Lexington Battle Green, where colonial militia and British troops confronted each other in the early morning. Then continue to Concord and Old North Bridge, scene of the battle remembered through the phrase “the shot heard round the world.”

Today these are peaceful, attractive New England landscapes. That contrast is part of what makes visiting them so interesting.

It would be easy to spend three nights in Boston, walk the Freedom Trail and move on. We wouldn’t. Lexington and Concord take you beyond the city and put you in the places where protest and political argument became armed revolution.

For an itinerary called America’s Story, they deserve to be included.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A CAPITAL FILLED WITH STORIES

Then fly south from Boston and the journey changes again.

Washington, D.C. is unlike New York or Boston. Broad avenues, monumental buildings, museums and memorials dominate the centre of the city, and there is an extraordinary amount to see.

Start with the United States Capitol and National Archives, where you can see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. Then follow the National Mall. The Lincoln Memorial. Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Korean War Veterans Memorial. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Jefferson Memorial. Then cross the Potomac to Arlington National Cemetery, visiting President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite and Eternal Flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

These aren’t simply impressive monuments. Together they tell stories of presidents and protest, war and sacrifice, freedom and equality, and the ideals America has spent generations trying to define and live up to.

And one Travel USA tip: go back to the National Mall after dark. The Lincoln Memorial illuminated at night is one of those Washington experiences that photographs don’t quite capture.

THE SMITHSONIAN – DON’T TRY TO SEE EVERYTHING

Washington is also home to one of the greatest collections of museums anywhere in the world. The Smithsonian Institution includes more than 20 museums covering American history, culture, art, aviation, science, natural history and much more.

You could spend days exploring them. Most travellers don’t have days, so our advice is simple: don’t try to see everything.

For this part of the journey, we’d recommend you start with the National Museum of American History, then make time for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, whose galleries trace stories from slavery and emancipation through segregation, civil rights and contemporary America. If aviation and space interest you, then add the National Air and Space Museum.

But these are suggestions, not rules! One of the advantages of planning your trip with Travel USA is that we can help you navigate the Smithsonian options and work out which museums best suit your interests. Give the ones you choose enough time as you’ll get far more from two or three museums properly explored than trying to race through six!

BEYOND WASHINGTON, D.C. – GETTYSBURG & MOUNT VERNON

Washington, D.C. also makes a great base for exploring some important chapters of America’s Story beyond the capital.

Travel north to Gettysburg, site of the three-day battle in 1863 that became one of the defining moments of the American Civil War. Explore the battlefield and visit Gettysburg National Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address and reframed the war around the nation’s founding promise of equality.

On another day, cross the Potomac into Virginia to visit Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate overlooking the river. Tour the mansion and grounds, visit Washington’s tomb and discover more about America’s first president, while also learning about the enslaved men, women and children whose labour sustained the plantation. Combine Mount Vernon with Old Town Alexandria, whose colonial streets and connections to Washington add another glimpse into early America.

Two very different day trips. Two more chapters in a much bigger American story.

PHILADELPHIA – WHERE A NEW COUNTRY TOOK SHAPE

From Washington, take Amtrak north to Philadelphia – definitely a city that deserves more than simply changing trains! This is where many of the ideas and arguments encountered throughout the journey became something tangible.

Visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted in 1776 and where delegates later framed the United States Constitution. See the Liberty Bell and nearby President’s House Site, then spend time at the Museum of the American Revolution.

About now in the journey, something interesting might happen. The people, places and events you’ve encountered in Boston, Lexington and Concord start connecting with what you’re seeing in Philadelphia. The story has context. And that’s exactly why we like experiencing these cities together.

PHILADELPHIA – LOOK BEYOND INDEPENDENCE HALL

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are essential. But don’t leave it there.

Spend time wandering through Old City, where eighteenth-century streets and buildings make Philadelphia’s history feel unusually accessible. Seek out Franklin Court and discover more about Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia. Visit Christ Church. Walk along Elfreth’s Alley, often described as America’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street. And make time for the Museum of the American Revolution if you haven’t already.

Then change gears completely.

Head to Reading Terminal Market for lunch. Walk through Rittenhouse Square. Follow Benjamin Franklin Parkway towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art and climb the Rocky Steps. Yes, Rocky belongs in America’s Story too! Not every American icon needs to date from the eighteenth century. And after days of presidents, battles, declarations and constitutions, running – or perhaps walking – up those steps is a pretty good reminder that this is still a holiday.

BACK TO GATEWAY NEW YORK – FINISH WHERE YOU STARTED

From Philadelphia, board Amtrak for the short journey back to New York City, bringing America’s Story full circle. We’ve allowed two final nights in New York, giving you time to slow things down after more than two weeks exploring some of America’s most historic cities and places.

There’s no long sightseeing list this time! We suggest spending a full day properly exploring Central Park. Walk The Mall to Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, cross Bow Bridge and visit Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon, who lived across the road at the Dakota. See the Imagine mosaic, continue towards Belvedere Castle and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, or add the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then finish your final evening with dinner at Tavern on the Green, a classic New York diner or somewhere amongst the lights of Times Square.

After following America’s Story for more than two weeks, enjoy New York simply for being New York before flying home to New Zealand the following day.

SO WHY PUT THESE FOUR CITIES TOGETHER?

Because each adds something the others can’t.

• New York brings immigration, opportunity, modern history and one of the world’s great cities.
• Boston takes you back to revolution and the growing resistance that eventually became a fight for independence.
• Washington, D.C. brings together the institutions, documents, monuments, museums and memorials of the nation, while providing access to Gettysburg and Mount Vernon.
• Philadelphia takes you into the rooms and streets where independence was declared, and the framework of a new country was created.

Individually, they’re four fascinating American destinations. Put them together and the connections become much clearer.

Revolution. Independence. Immigration. Civil War. Civil Rights.

Five enormous chapters in America’s history, experienced through some of the places where they actually happened. That’s what makes this adventure more than just a four-city holiday.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU ALLOW?

Our suggested America’s Story itinerary is an 18-day / 17-night journey:

• 5 nights – New York City
• 3 nights – Boston
• 5 nights – Washington, D.C.
• 2 nights – Philadelphia
• 2 nights – New York City

For us as USA travel specialists, we think that gets the balance about right.

Five nights at the beginning gives you enough time to properly experience New York rather than simply tick off its icons. Three nights in Boston provides two full sightseeing days – one for the Freedom Trail and one for Lexington and Concord. Washington gets five nights because there is a lot to see. Allow time for the monuments and Arlington, a full Smithsonian day and day trips to Gettysburg and Mount Vernon. Two nights in Philadelphia gives you a full day focused on its historic heart. Then those final two nights in New York slow everything down before the flight home.

There is history throughout this journey. But there is also room to enjoy it.

YOU DON’T NEED A CAR

For Kiwi travellers, this is also a relatively easy journey to navigate. There is no rental car required.

Travel between New York and Boston by Amtrak, fly from Boston to Washington, then use Amtrak again from Washington to Philadelphia and Philadelphia back to New York.

Within the cities, walk, use public transport and make use of sightseeing options such as New York’s Hop On Hop Off Bus and Washington’s Hop On Hop Off Trolley. For Lexington and Concord, Gettysburg and Mount Vernon, join organised sightseeing tours. It means somebody else does the driving while you concentrate on what you’ve come to see.

And for a multi-city USA journey, that’s a pretty relaxing way to travel.

BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE OUR JOURNEY

This is important. All of our itineraries are designed to give you a great starting point, not tell you exactly how you have to travel.

Perhaps you’ve already been to New York and only need a couple of nights there. Maybe American history is a particular interest, and you’d like another day in Boston or Philadelphia. You could spend longer exploring the Smithsonian museums, add more time in Virginia or extend the journey further along the East Coast. Or perhaps you want to combine America’s Story with something completely different. That’s where we come in.

As New Zealand’s only 100% dedicated USA travel specialist, we spend all of our time putting together USA holidays for Kiwi travellers. We can help with flights, accommodation, rail travel, sightseeing and experiences, but just as importantly, we can help make sure the journey works – how long to spend in each place, what is worth including and what you can comfortably leave out.

Our America’s Story itinerary can be booked as we’ve designed it or customised around the places, stories and experiences that interest you most.

READY TO DISCOVER AMERICA’S STORY?

You definitely don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this journey.

Yes, there are battlefields, historic documents, museums and monuments. But there is also Broadway and Central Park. Boston neighbourhoods and New York skyscrapers. Philadelphia food and Washington after dark.

And along the way, familiar names and events begin to connect with real places.

Stand on Lexington Battle Green. Walk through Ellis Island. Look across the Gettysburg battlefield. Step inside Independence Hall. Stand beneath Lincoln at night. Suddenly, history isn’t something sitting in a book – it’s all around you.

Our 18-day America’s Story journey brings New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia together with some remarkable experiences in between. And for us, that’s what makes it such a fascinating way to discover the places that shaped a nation.

Explore our America’s Story itinerary or contact us to talk to our USA travel experts about creating your own journey through America.