New York City is the world’s leading metropolis that finds its way to every traveler’s bucket list. You finally booked a trip, and now it’s time to develop a vacation plan while you eagerly await for your holiday to begin.
However, there are so many things to see and do in NYC that it might seem almost impossible to incorporate everything. So, let’s explore the best spots for different traveler types to help you optimize your itinerary.
For Couples
NYC is as versatile as it gets, offering something for every couple. You could put together a long list of date ideas, and it would tick all the boxes. Here are some top localities for romance in the Big Apple.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden
This serene oasis reaches the fairytale peak during the spring period when it sees over 70 cherry trees blossoming. It’s gorgeous any time of the year, though. The Rose Garden is a couple’s must-visit.
Ditmas Park
The Victorian-era houses in this peaceful neighborhood are downright breath-taking. Ditmas Park is the ideal place for a comfortable stroll after a noisy city life tour.
The Empire State Building
It might seem like a cliche, but this monument is so famous for a good reason. You’ll see once you’re standing there hand-in-hand, enjoying a view that’s oh-so-Sleepless-in-Seattle.
The Bow Bridge
Central Park’s Bow Bridge is an ideal backdrop for the sweetest romantic moments.
The Lincoln Center
After a world-class play, ballet, or opera, sit beside the Revson Fountain and enjoy the water shows while discussing your impressions.
For Friends
If you’re visiting with friends, you’re likely to spend the day coming up with new ideas for selfie poses on Times Square and touring the quintessential museums during the day. The nighttime offers a bustling atmosphere that paints NYC in a whole new light.
The Speakeasy Walking Tour
The Prohibition gave birth to numerous concealed bars and breweries. While drinking alcohol is legal for adults today, there’s a certain thrill to sneaking through a hidden entrance to access the speakeasies scattered across the city.
A Nightclub Tour
If you find it hard to decide which bar to hit first, why would you force yourself to make the call anyway?
The five-hour tours take you bar hopping, VIP-style, with complimentary drinks and tables reserved in advance.
The Brooklyn Bowl
Alcohol, bowling, and music are the name of the game at the Brooklyn Bowl. The professional DJs who work there on weekends are brilliant, creating an authentic NYC experience.
For Families
Despite its reputation as ‘the city that never sleeps,’ New York has a lot to offer to families, too. So, if you’re traveling with kids, don’t miss these entertaining, educational locations.
Bus Tours
First-time visitors often find organized bus tours a great way to see multiple attractions in one sitting. The bus stops by every landmark, giving you the flexibility to hop off and explore when something seems appealing.
Ellis Island
Take a ferry ride to the Liberty Isle and climb up the crown if you’re feeling fancy. Afterward, pay a visit to the Ellis Immigration Museum for an engaging history lesson.
The Natural History Museum
Your kids will love the dinosaur fossils, animal dioramas, and gemstones while learning a bit about all the wonders of the natural world.
Madame Tussauds
The iconic wax sculptures are another must-see. The stunning replicas from pop culture and history are fantastic year-round, but it gets even better if you happen to come around the time of a special exhibit.
The Central Park
You can’t visit New York without spending some time exploring the lush greenery located in the center.
The Bottom Line
Finally, remember that you won’t get to see everything during your vacation. Unless you have an unlimited budget and several free weeks, you’ll miss out on some locations due to the sheer size of New York City.
That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself to the maximum, though. Think about all the things you’d like to do and plan your trip around those locations and activities. Use these ideas as inspiration and make each day count. Check out these vacation rental properties in New York.
This article was provided by Rebecca Alston.
Morro Bay – Surrounded with natural beauty, 
Shell Beach – Unlike the others on the list, Shell Beach doesn’t have a central downtown or main street, per se, and really is more of a neighborhood. If you turn down Silver Shoals Road off of Shell Beach Road, you will dead end into a grassy area on the bluffs of what the locals have dubbed “Silver Shoals Beach.” This park is a great place for picnics and people watching. There is a dirt trail that leads down to the beach where, even on a windy day, is perfect for sunbathing as the sand is protected from the elements by the sea wall behind you. Feel free to bring your furry friend – the crowd is usually mellow and on the younger side so nobody minds that you are voilating the “no dogs on the beach” policy that most California beaches seem to have. 
Named after the Joe Cocker song “Space Captain,” (the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler thought he sang “lonely planet” – it’s really “lovely planet) 
Photo credit: Unsplash
Anyone who has done it will tell you that traveling, when done right, is sort of like a religious experience…or like a drug. Once you get the itch it can be impossible to fully scratch – sure, it may ebb now and again, but it is sure to creep back in and leave you compulsively planning how you can embark on your next adventure. Even bad trips eventually turn into a fond memory – a new story that you can brag about to other travelers.
In fact, some of the best experiences come from those times you are forced to get in the trenches, so to speak, and really experience and immerse yourself in the region of the world you are in. Fancy hotels, swanky train trips, and pricey tours allow you to barley scratch the surface of a town. Sure, you may not be used to sleeping in a hammock rather than a bed, but to some, that is their everyday life. And if you approach your travels with no expectations, you may gain a new perspective by which to measure your own life and your own happiness. Simply put – travel changes you.
“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton
Deep sea red snapper, lobster, stone crab claws. It was a feast that we only ate half of.
Tamarindo has gradually evolved from a sleepy surfer’s paradise into one of Central America’s most popular tourist towns. It’s a place where the local’s slogan of “Pura Vida” or “Pure Life” definitely rings true. For some though, the fact that Tamarindo is now “on the map” is reason enough to avoid the destination. I suppose many liked the undiscovered charm that the beach town once had.
Because Tamarindo was still flying under the radar, besides us, there was only a handful of other tourists; an Australian couple in their mid 30′s who were on an eco-adventure (before they were trendy), an Italian group who was visiting their friends who had moved to Tamarindo a couple years prior and opened a small hotel, and a pack of 7 professional surfers, along with their photographer and videographer, who were filming for an upcoming Quicksilver surf video.
We took a side trip to the Arenal volcano and sat in the Tabacon Hotel’s natural hot spring pool while sipping a cocktail and watching the volcano, smoldering, and hoping to catch a glimpse of the lava oozing over the rim, fiery red and traffic cone-orange against the inky dusk sky.
I need to travel. I would rather sacrifice in other areas so that I can travel. I am constantly looking for somewhere or someway that I can travel, that doesn’t require me getting a third credit card. If I hear of someone who just went on a great vacation, I pick their brain and then research the area, the beaches, whatever I can find. If there is a shred of doubt in my mind weather or not I can afford the trip, I usually start researching flights immediately. I have friends who just got back from their honeymoon in Croatia, so of course I researched Europe and now I want to go!
The 2004 hit movie Sideways did wonders for California’s wine industry, showing that the long fêted Napa Valley is not the only California wine region worthy of acclaim. With almost 200 wineries between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles there is a tasting atmosphere and tasty vintage to appease every palate. 
The Cuesta Grade, separates San Luis Obispo into “north county” and “south county”, making it a little less daunting to tasters wanting to make a dent in the vast array of tasting rooms in the county, allowing them to conquer one area at a time. North of the grade, in Paso Robles, are several wineries and tasting rooms, all located in “West Paso” as the local’s refer to it – meaning west of HWY 101. Some of the most popular include Tablas Creek Vineyard, Justin Winery, Eberle Winery, and Opolo Vineyards. West Paso is known for its rolling hills, meandering roads and sun-filtering oak trees. A whole other crop of wineries can be found in East Paso. East of the 101 tends to have more level parcels with the majority of the wineries dotted along or just off of HWY 46. This includes Vina Robles, Martin & Weyrich Winery, and the notorious Tobin James Cellars.
San Luis Obispo proper is located at the base of the Cuesta Grade. Cooler temperatures (sometimes by as much as 10 degrees on a summer day) alter the chemistry of the product and make for a different tasting experience. Many of the wineries and vineyards of San Luis Obispo boarder Edna Valley, which runs east to west and is paralleled by the Santa Lucia Mountains. The location of Lake Lopez to the south and Islay Hill to the north helps to keep the valley cool with breezes also rolling in off of the Pacific Ocean. Edna Valley Vineyards, with its picturesque panoramic views of rolling vineyards from its tasting room, along with Meredian Vineyards, Baileyana Winery, Claiborne & Churchill Vintners, and a host of others, can be found nestled among the vibrant fields of San Luis Obispo’s grapevines.
The second largest island in the Galapagos archipelago is the island of Santa Cruz, which might be called the focal point of Galapagos’ Tourism. 
There is no shortage of entertainment in Santa Cruz – visitors can go mountain biking, kayaking, scuba diving, horseback riding, surfing, or take a jeep tour on land or a glass bottom boat tour on the ocean. If you need a break, have a drink at an outdoor bar in Puerto Ayora.