Xentum xperience- James’ holiday to America

Over the summer, me, my wife and the two kids travelled to the States for an epic road trip. We spent three weeks traveling across the ‘Eastern Seaboard’ as they call it, visiting a whole range of destinations.

Philadelphia, which it’s fair to say is quite an unknown destination for most British travelers, was a definite highlight. The city is plastered in graffiti – and not the scrawly ‘tags’ you see on kids play parks in the UK. In Philadelphia they take ‘street art’ to a whole new level and it’s clear to see that the city has a thriving scene.

Street art isn’t all Philadelphia’s got to offer. The city is also famous for the Liberty Bell, a large cracked bell, inscribed with the poignant message: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof”.

Another memorable site was the Philadelphia Museum. Cars and portions aren’t the only things they do ‘big’ across the pond – the museum has a full sized train and a real jet fighter you can sit in.

My favourite thing throughout our whole trip was the food. The variety and quality of the dishes in the States is astounding. The best meal I had was in Honey’s Sit’N’Eat, a restaurant specialising in food from America’s South-West.

Not much could be improved from the whole trip. The only thing I would have wanted would be a bigger caravan at Normandy Farms, a camping resort between Boston and Cape Cod. I am a light sleeper and when the kids moved around in the night, I woke up. My wife tells me I am a snob, but she can sleep anywhere.

Our caravan was slightly on the small side

For anyone thinking of doing a similar road trip, my main advice would be to go with a plan. If everything is booked in advance, all you need to think about is moving from place to place and the rest is all taken care of.

Some people might be put off taking kids on a road trip like this, but my two girls loved it. You just have to not take anything too seriously and be ready to explore. Driving is easier (and less stressful) than in the UK. What’s more, the large distances are relatively easy to manage if you break them down into small segments.

The trip was a 10 out of 10. I’d definitely do more family road trips in years to come. America is a great family destination – you just need to have a plan and let go of the rest. If you’d like to know more about our trip, feel free to ask. I’d be happy to help.