Traveling on a Budget

Traveling on a Budget

Traveling on a Budget


The Mission: See the Sights in New York City, Philadelphia, & Washington DC eat their food and have a good time for less than $1,000 excluding plane tickets.


The Plan for Accomplishing this Mission

  1. Staying with a family friend who lives outside of Philadelphia for free.

  2. Day Trips to New York City via the New Jersey Transit System.

  3. Bus to Washington DC and a late night Bus Back to Philadelphia. Possible overnight hotel room if I catch a good deal for less than $100 in a good location. 

  4. Don’t spend extra money on buying things like Souvenirs/

  5. Consume as many Cheesesteaks, Pizza, Hoagies, Hot Dogs, and Pastrami Sandwiches as Possible. 

  6. Walk a lot to burn off those extra calories and avoid the short metro rides that spend $3 to save 10 minutes. 


Photography Bucket List of Shots to Take

  1. NYC Skyline from New Jersey/Brooklyn/Queens

  2. Downtown Philadelphia at Sunset & Sunrise

  3. Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill, and the Monuments.

  4. Cherry Trees (If blossoming) 

  5. Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Washington’s Crossing in Trenton

  6. Wall Street Sign, and Street Signs in Philadelphia, NYC, & Washington DC like Constitution Avenue.

  7. Brooklyn Bridge at Dumbo

  8. Statue of Liberty from New Jersey and New York and on a Ferry. 

  9. Independence Hall (Philly) & Federal Hall (NYC) & DC.

  10. Extra shots from being a passenger in a car while it is driving 

  11. Bonus (if I have time and Money) is Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore. 


Travel Hacks

Getting to the East Coast has been a dream of mine for a long time.  As a somewhat experienced traveler here are the things I have messed up on in the past and would like not to repeat and get better at. 

  1. Know more history about the place you are going to before you travel.  When I went to Paris I learned more about the history of Paris upon returning from Paris than before I went there.  There is no right or wrong way to enjoy the City of Light. However, I think I would have enjoyed it a little more if I knew a little more history beforehand.  That being said, the best way to learn the history of a place is to go there instead of reading about it in a book.

  2. Get to know public transportation first and get a hang of where things are at first before just wandering around.  Most cities tend to be anchored to public transportation so getting a hang of that first is a smart idea and makes traveling easier. The more you look like a local and not a dumb tourist the less of a target you become to criminals.  Being confident in navigating the public transit system is a good way to avoid trouble and blend in with the locals. 

  3. It’s okay to be a dumb tourist while traveling but don’t be the dumbest tourist.  You also don’t want to be the guy who knows more about a place then the locals because nobody likes that guy. 


History to Get To


Out here in California I learned the history of my state similar to those on the East Coast.  I also suffer mental health challenges in my perceptions of the History that happened on the East Coast.  My guess is that it’s much like the history here on the West Coast and people learn it in a similar way.  But I think the history that occurred 3,000 miles away is more important and more civilized than the wacky history of Brothels, Russians, French Traders, Spanish Missionaries, Beaver trappers, Native Americans, Religious zeolites, and other capitalists and degenerates who conquered the American West. 


I’ve just begun the scratch the surface of the outlandish stories of the West.  But what I’ve learned is that learning them from a book is more enjoyable than going to the cities in which they occurred in.  


Nevada City is a small gold rush hallmark(y) mountain town in California that doesn’t have much going for it then being a tourist trap that is a real town but looks a little like Main Street Disneyland.  


But learning the story of Emma “Nevada” Wixom the Comstock Nightingale who was born in Nevada City and later left the town to become an internationally renowned opera singer who performed all across Europe and sang for Queen Victoria at her Golden Jubilee.  The queen gifted Emma Nevada a $100,000 necklace. In 1939 she was the Empress of Treasure Island at the World’s Fair in San Francisco and the following year while at home in Liverpool she was killed by a German bomb. Source: (Roses of the West Anne Seagraves.  A book I purchased from the gift shop at the California Capitol years ago)


That’s a story that is difficult to find in the little old town of Nevada City.  But a great story nonetheless. It also is a story that makes walking around downtown Nevada City a little more enjoyable. 


My hope is that I can find a book and track down some stories like these from the East Coast and share them in future blog posts. 

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