Virginia, Washington DC and Baltimore weekend trip (2 days)

Sites -

Luray Caves (Priced)
Skyline Drive (Priced)
Washington DC (Free)
Baltlimore Observatory (Priced)
Baltimore Aquarium (Priced)



Saturday:
Luray Caves & Car Museum
http://luraycaverns.com/101 Cave Hill Rd Luray, VA 22835

Lunch:
Gathering Grounds Patisserie & Cafehttp://www.ggrounds.com/55 E Main St Luray, VA 22835

Shop:
Shenandoah Moon
58 W. Main Street, Luray, VA 22835 540-743-5810
Skyline Drive
http://www.virginia.org/Listings/OutdoorsAndSports/SkylineDriveinShenandoahNationalPark/Shenandoah National Park Headquarters
 3655 US Highway 211 East Luray, VA 22835
Dinner:
Artisans Grill 2 East Main Street Luray, Virginia 22835 540-743-7030http://www.artisansgrill.com/menu/

Sunday:
DC
Parking:
http://washingtondc.centralparking.com/Washington-DC-Waterfront-Parking.html
The Portals
1250-80 Maryland Ave SW Washington, DC 20024 Tel: (877) 717-0004OR
The Portals III
1201 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20024 Tel: (877) 717-0004
1: Tidal Basin cherry blossom
2: Lincoln Memorial
3: White House
4: Washington Monument
5: Jefferson memorial
Lunch:
7894 Washington Blvd. Elkridge, MD 21075
http://www.rrtaqueria.com/

http://www.viewbaltimore.org/index.cfm
Top of the World Observation Level
401 E. Pratt Street 27th floor Baltimore, MD 21202 410-837-VIEW
http://www.aqua.org/

Baltimore:

Niagara Falls by Chinese Tours

Pros->
-Inexpensive for smaller group
-Got to see many places
-Very accommodating tour guide and driver
-Good breaks during the trip
-Great hotel (Radisson in Rochester)

Cons 
-Very hectic (both days had to be up before 6am)
-No charging points or wifi on the bus
-Some of the attractions were not much worth the price
-Recommended only if you have enough energy to sit on the bus for long hours and sleep less.
-Total cost ($108 for the tour + $110 for guide/attractions)


Details->
Day 1:
We were picked up by a shuttle bus from Edison at 6.30 am on a Saturday of long weekend. Because of the long weekend, there were many people and they had 2 shuttle buses. Once in Chinatown, we easily found our guide since she had called us the previous day to tell us her name and also asked us to carry lunch since they wouldn't stop for lunch (to avoid heavy traffic and lines of long weekend- very efficient).
Once on the bus, we were told about all the attractions we were going to visit - Corning Glass Museum, Watkins Glen State park, Some Indian Dance Show in Niagara, Niagara Night VIew, IMAX movie at Niagara, Maid of the Mist and some French castle. 
We were told to pay $110 per/person (in cash) to cover all these attractions and it also included the driver/guide fees($8 per day per person). I had read some of the previous reviews and only chose to go for the Watkins Glen Park and the Maid oF the Mist which came up to $50 per person with the guide fees.

-Corning Museum
Entry is free, there is a charge only to watch the glass show. We had less than 30 min for the show so I'm glad we skipped it
-Watkins Glen Park
Very beautiful and worth the walk though I'm not sure what we paid for since the park entry seemed free
-Smokin Joe's Indian Dance 
We heard that the show was average. We had food there for $10 per person as buffet. It was terrible terrible (stale and had undertaste). We couldn't eat more than a spoonful. You can consider going to the Denny's (open 24 hrs) right next to this place.
-Niagara Night view (Free)
This was very beautiful and weather was great

We reached Radisson, Rochester by midnight (1.5 hrs from Niagara)
Day 2-
-Left hotel by 7.30 am
On our way to Niagara, the bus had flat tire. The driver was efficient in managing the bus though there was a 2 hours delay since we had to wait for a mechanic to show up.
-Niagara IMAX movie
we didn't pay for this
-Niagara Maid Of Mist
Worth every penny.

We couldn't make it to the French Castle due to the delay so the guide returned the money for that.

ONE BIG INCONVENIENCE: We were supposed to be dropped at Edison by shuttle from Chinatown but we were told that since we would reach Chinatown by 1am and the shuttles ran only from 7-9pm, we would have to go by ourselves from CHinatown. Even without the tire burst incident, the bus couldnt have reached CHinatown before 9pm, the tour management needs to consider this.

Michigan on a long weekend

Day 1

-Landed at Detroit by evening. Car rental is huge at the airport and not cheap. Probably a better idea to rent from an agency in town rather than at airport.
-Drive to Machinaw city is around 4 hours with a straight road, no tolls or traffic.
_ This being very North, the days are very long during summer with light till almost 10:30 PM.

Riviera Motel
520 North Huron Ave, Mackinaw City, MI 49701
This is the only motel int he area with a fascinating view of the Machinaw Bridge during daytime as well as night.

Day 2

Arnold Mackinac Island Ferry
801 South Huron Ave, Mackinaw City, MI 49701

Mackinaw Island
-First thing to do on the island is rent a bike since they tandems run out quickly on a long weekend.
-No cars are allowed on the island hence only means of commute are bike or horse carriage (or walking!)
-If you are a local, it is better to bring a bike on the ferry than rent one since the rentals are expensive.

Ryba's Bicycle Rentals
7245 Main Street, Mackinac Island, MI 49757

-The ride around the entire island is around 8 miles which is very relaxing with breathtaking views of the island!
-A few recommended stops are
Arch Rock, Sugar Loaf Rock, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island Beach, Ryba Fudge
-While biking, I saw an area where people were diving into the water (no lifeguards). This could be very exciting for the adventurous types!
-Mackinac Fort felt expensive for the visit but there is a nice park at the bottom of the fort by the ferry docks which is pleasant.

-Take the return ferry

-Since my next stop was Pictured Rocks, I chose to cross the Mackinaw Bridge (toll road) and drive more north.

Drive to hotel
Adoba Hotel Naubinway
W 11655, US-2, Naubinway, MI 49762
This is a family owned business. Though the rooms were not too impressive, they have a hot tub and gym along with one of the best free breakfasts. Everything is made fresh in the adjoining kitchen and the hospitality is great.


Day 3

-Pictured Rocks Cruise
http://www.picturedrocks.com/
 This 2 hour cruise is the only boat ride offered in the area with some of the most amazing views.  Absolutely worth the time and money.

-We picked up Subway on the way and went to the Miner's Rock Overlook which has a great view of the Lake.
-If you walk further down on the trail, you can see the same view but a little closer.
-In the same area (driving distance) is the beach where water seemed very cold for early July (since this place is more north).
-The beach was great with people Kayaking but had too many bugs (our bug spray didn't help much).

I drove back to Detroit for the night and flew the morning flight next day.

North Carolina and South Carolina Trip

North Carolina and South Carolina


Day 1: Asheville, North Carolina

-Landed at Charlotte Airport and rented a car.
-On the way to Asheville, NC from Charlotte, Gaffeney, NC is on a small detour.
The Peachoid (Peach shaped water tank) featured in House Of Cards is in Gaffeney.

The Peachoid
Peachoid Rd, Gaffney, SC 29341

-I came across several Peach Products stores on the freeway and tried one of the Abbott Farm stores. They have great Peach jellies, cakes, ice teas etc.
-Asheville Downtown is the most charming city, full of bars, restaurants and entertainment options. Some of the places I tried and loved ->

Wicked Weed Brewing
91 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
http://wickedweedbrewing.com/

This is a very lively bar with plenty of outdoor seating.They also have a small shop that sells beers and other things.


White Duck Taco Shop
1 Roberts St #101, Asheville, NC 28801
http://whiteducktacoshop.com/

Awesome tacos and margaritas! Plenty of seating area.


French Broad Chocolates
21 Buxton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
https://frenchbroadchocolates.com/

Don't worry about the long line since they move quick! It is an absolute heaven for Chocolate lovers!


Day 2: Asheville, NC

Biltmore Estate
1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803
http://www.biltmore.com/

Once can spend an entire day at this estate. It is not cheap to visit but the tickets are little lesser if purchased in advance. The house tour is great but the outdoors are a lot more fun! Do consider walking all the way to the top of the garden in front of the house. The view is great from there. The garden by the house is very charming. I chose to walk all the way till the Waterfall from the garden and returned to the house from the Meadows trail which is a lot of fun. There is also a winery on a few minutes drive from the main house with free wine tasting and food sampling.


I chose to drive to Charleston, SC towards the end of the day.

Day 3: Charleston, South Carolina

Folley Beach
101 E Arctic Ave, Folly Beach, SC 29439
http://www.follybeach.com/

This is a commercial beach with plenty of restaurants and shops. There is street parking available if you reach early. The fishing pier on the beach is awesome walk. The beach is great for swimming or just relaxing.

Waterfront Park, SC
  1 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC 29401
The park is small but pleasant with few fountains. There is a lovely view of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from the park.

Charleston City Market
  188 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
The market is full of small vendors selling everything from clothes to food.

The shops/restaurants around the market are quite interesting. Savannah candy shop is great with generous samples and flavored pralines.