We ended up sleeping in the Amtrak station (as if you have a valid ticket for onward travel you can stay the night)...other had the same problem as us as we met an english backpacker and 2 russian backapackers. Filenes basement is the best store for all those designer clothes bargains.
Next it was to New York, If you want to shop, but in a place with fewer people than the area around macy's head downtown towards Prince street on the yellow N&R line or to the Chelsea area on the 1&9.Most of the main stores are here and some better ones without the mad crowds of Macys.
washington DC - is great if you are on a budget as most of the cool stuff is free and everything is walkable if you position yourself in the proper area. We stayed a a cheap hotel on capitol Hill. It was excellent and only about $60 a night...we would have stayed at the local HI hostel but we didn't BOOK AHEAD!!
Next it was onto North Carolina, where we stayed with friends....I can recommend white water rafting in this state as it is so cheap here compared to other states.
New Orleans, LA. I spent a lot of time in.....if you don't like lots of college kids drinking too much and vomiting everywhere in the street, or lots' fo sex shops STAY AWAY FROM THE FRENCH QUARTER AT NIGHT....it's horrible...head uptown to the Garden District....magazine street direction is cool and this is where the best hosel is located called St Vincents. We stayed in all 3 hostels in New Orelans. The India house is filthy...i don't think I have ever stayed in a worse hostel. The HI one is clean but basic and there is nothing else really around it. St vincents is best located as it's near coffee shops and bars and stores. STAY AWAY FROM INDIA HOUSE.
next was Memphis, TN...home of the king...we stayed in abudget 8 motel near to gracelands. Prepare to spend the whole day there and bring a packed lunch as the only food outlet there sells only food that the king ate. so if you don't like burger and fries bring food with you.
My last stop was Chicago, IL. A very clean city,with very helpful and friendly people. i got quite bored here as by this stage I was all museumed out. we spent a good half a day at the palentarium...but didn't really find much else to do. As the HI hostel in town was all booked up we stayed at a hostel outside of the downtown area. near to the Frank lloyd wright house. I thought this was excellent as it really gave us a feel for the reall chicago. it was good to see outside the city centre.
And there it is....my trip of easy coast USA....all I can say is that Amtrak was an excellent way to travel. lots of room to move around and they didnt' mind us pulling out our sleeping bags and sleeping all night. very rarely did i ever have to sit beside anyone...we all got 2 seats to ourselves to stretch out and it was REALLY good value for money. There was usually a store to get snacks and on long journies movies to watch....much better than greyhound.
