Travelling around America

By Hannah-Safiyya Awan, York University, Toronto, Canada

Spending a year on exchange in Canada had been an unforgettable experience, and what better way to wrap it up than by exploring some of America – including Banff, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and back to Toronto!

Growing up, I had only ever heard of all these places or seen them on TV. Now, with my exchange coming to an end, I had the chance to see it all for myself! Each place had something completely different to offer, ranging from magical landscapes and immersion into American culture to … slightly disappointing (LA was not for me sorry); this trip was a mix of awe-inspiring sights and a few culturally surprising moments, and overall an incredible and once in a lifetime experience.

Banff

Banff was truly amazing!! If you have ever seen a picture of Banff, the reality is even more captivating.

Getting from one place in Canada to another took much longer than I expected. We flew from Toronto Pearson Airport to Calgary , which was about four hours, and then took an hour and a half coach to Banff, which we pre-booked (this was through Bus Bud for $59). This trip was definitely worth it though. I was half asleep when I woke up to the most stunning views of mountains, trees and miles of preserved nature as we approached Banff. It was like nothing I had seen before.

The mountains were still covered in snow, even though it was late April—it felt like winter was being preserved here, adding an even more magical aspect.

Banff itself felt like something straight out of a movie set with all the wooden buildings, tiny shops, and the cozy, small-town vibe. Even the air felt so much fresher than in the city, making for a nice change.

We stayed in a hotel (Brewster Mountain Lodge, which I 100% recommend) located right in the town, with a wood cabin atmosphere, complete with a fireplace and mountain views. The staff were so friendly, and the whole place felt warm and comfortable (plus, they gave us free cookies ). They provided a map of Banff and highlighted some places to check out too. From our arrival, everything about Banff was perfect, even watching the snow from the window!

We booked a tour through Viator to see some of the must-visit spots, including Lake Louise, Surprise corner, Lake Moraine, Johnston Canyon, and Bow Falls. It actually ended up being more of a private tour, which we weren’t expecting, but it worked out really well. Our guide was super friendly and informative, giving us all the background on each place while keeping things fun. Each place was incredible and I never knew this even existed until I was there.

Someone mentioned Lake Louise to me a few months before I left for Canada, and it was exactly like how they described. It was like a postcard, as the mountains seemed unreal and all types of people and families were walking across it, creating a lovely wholesome atmosphere. It was also next to the Fairmont hotel, which is massive by the way, it also looks a bit like the one from The Shining. But the hotel overlooks the whole lake and is maintains the old luxury style. This is is the place if you love nature as Johnston Canyon has a hike for all different levels (we only did the first) and a bright blue waterfall.

Every time I had seen pictures of Banff, I thought there was a filter on it due to the bright colours, but that’s actually how it looks. Bow falls was amazing too, it was so peaceful and I could’ve sat there for hours as theres a view of both the mountains and a waterfall. Surprise corner is a stop off point which lets you see a view of both Bow Falls and the Fairmont Banff Springs. There were a few more places to see, but the weather restricted those, but it gives me a reason to go back another time.

The tour lasted several hours, but we managed to see pretty much everything, and spent the whole day exploring some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever experienced, though some places were a bit slippery.

A highlight was walking across Lake Louise as it was frozen over and covered in snow! Also, seeing the separate crossings made for animals on the roads

I would 100% recommend taking the gondola up Sulphur Mountain, which was super scenic (also better than having to climb the mountain) of the vast forest and snowy mountains. The weather was warm and sunny despite it still snowing a little, and the views from the top felt unreal, like something out of a green screen.

Though we couldn’t find the way back to town and whilst trying to figure it out, our tour guide from the previous day actually saw us and stopped to drive us back, which was a complete coincidence!

Back in town, the vibe was lively, with loads of cute shops to check out. We also visited both Fairmonts (Banff and Lake Louise) for a hot chocolate and to look around.

To top off the trip, we went to a nearby river where the trees were completely covered in snow, it literally felt like being inside a snow globe. Banff gave us all four seasons in one trip, and while it was amazing, I’d love to go back in summer to see the lakes unfrozen!

LA

LA was a complete contrast to Banff, not just in terms of weather, but also the atmosphere. The friendly, safe vibe we had in Banff pretty much vanished, unfortunately. Also, since we only took one cabin bag each, packing for polar opposite climates was a bit of a struggle!

We used both Uber and public transport to get around. Our Uber drivers were warning us of unsafe areas and kept telling us to stay safe, which was an immediate red flag, and the public transport can be quite dangerous and has a lot of characters … let’s say. I wouldn’t recommend taking public transport there unless you have to.

On a more positive note, I got to escape the Canadian winter and we went to Universal Studios, which was booked beforehand, and it was exactly as I expected. It was a great day trip, and it featured all the characters and themes from Harry Potter to Back to the Future and Jaws. There’s loads of merchandise for everything and themed food like the donut from The Simpsons , so perfect chance to get some souvenirs and try something new. We also went on the studio tour, which was pretty cool, as we saw where and how everything was filmed including Jaws, Desperate Housewives and Jurassic Park and it is still used today. Nintendo world was quite impressive too because it felt like you were in the game itself. Though there aren’t really proper rides, it more like simulations, the whole place immerses you into the world of all of these movies and you might get a chance to meet some of the characters too.

Griffith Observatory is another iconic sight. We took the bus up to it, and once we arrived, we saw that it had a great view of the Hollywood sign and the classic Hollywood hills. The view from here is so good, as you can see the whole city and how the streets are laid out in rows. We also went to the planetarium show about Life, it was so relaxing as the room moves around and you lay down to watch and listen to the display, that I’m pretty sure most people, including me, fell asleep. There are other space related exhibits to check out and you can see the telescope which has contributed to a few discoveries being made. The surrounding area is really nice too, with palm trees and greenery, making it a great spot to just take in the views.

Considering the image and ideas I had of LA, this definitely fell short as it became evident that there is a big contrast between the glamorous hills and the reality of the people and living conditions here. Do NOT go to downtown LA or even other surrounding areas. This area was filled with shady people and is really uncomfortable to walk through, we spend about five minutes here before leaving. Even Hollywood boulevard (where all the stars on the street are) is far from what you’d expect, it was multiple tour guides handing out leaflets and super crowded. They were preparing for a movie premier though, so this was interesting to see as well as the TCL Chinese theatre.

Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills lived up to their reputation, with all the luxury brands, designers and sports cars lining the streets. The whole area felt very aesthetic and luxurious. On the way, we passed Sunset Boulevard and even spotted the Oppenheim Group( for anyone who watches Selling Sunset).

We also stopped by Erewhon, the famous grocery store that everyone in LA seems to be obsessed with. I couldn’t bring myself to spend $20 on a smoothie, but it was still fun to look around. The place definitely had a high-end, aesthetic feel. While exploring, we also saw the hotel from the film Pretty Woman. I believe this was a classic LA moment.

Finally, we went to Santa Monica Pier and Venice beach, which are both connected if you walk down. They seemed kind of like normal beaches but the vibe was nice as people were playing volleyball, there was live music, and both beaches were surrounded by palm trees and sun. This area was a lot nicer too and more like what I expected it to be. However, by the end of it, I was glad to be leaving honestly.

Chicago

Chicago really surprised me (in a good way). From what I’d heard, it had a bad reputation, but this isn’t in the downtown/ main area. It had the perfect spring weather when we were there and almost felt like a smaller and less busy version of New York due to the style of buildings.

The Architectural river cruise was a great way to see river firstly which was green and all of the different architecture styles of each building whilst learning their history, for example one building called the The Carbide and Carbon Building was built in the art deco style and has real gold embellishments to resemble a champagne bottle in resistance to the prohibition era. There were many more to see as we opted for the 90 minute tour, which is the longest and takes you past many different locations including the opera, the Centennial wheel and Goose Island. Again following Julia Roberts’ footsteps as My Bests Friend’s Wedding was filmed on one of these cruises. It seems that a lot of people go for a weekend city break because it had a lively vibe and there were lots of families around. The area is surrounded by these amazing buildings, even if you walk around, you can see most of them including the iconic Chicago theatre, or just sitting by the river and watching life go by contributed to a lovely spring day.

We went to a few shops such as the Ghirradeli chocolate shop which also has a cafe, this was so good and there are some cute stationary shops too where I got some souvenirs and these smaller shops are nice to walk around in. Its easy to walk between places and find something new each time, we found a Nutella cafe and obviously had to go, can’t really go wrong with Nutella, and we had the Chicago deep dish pizza! this was from another place called Giordano’s, again it didn’t disappoint and I just had to get it.

Millennium Park and the Art Institute are situated next to each other so we saw both. The park was stunning as you can still see the city skyline and whilst being surrounded by flowers and greenery and of course The Bean sculpture! The Art Institute requires a bit of time to go through as there’s so much to see, from Van Gogh to Picasso, you’ll definitely recognise a few pieces that you’ve seen somewhere.

We met up with some family friends too which was really nice and they took us to one of the best restaurants I’d been to called Meet Moot, this was a bit far out from the city but the slow cooked meat and sides were delicious and it was great to catch up. Overall Chicago was an extra positive experience and I can see why people go on weekend breaks there.

New York

I wrote more about my New York trips in a previous blog if you’d like to read, but going to NYC for my birthday just felt like the right thing to do.

This time, we stayed a bit further from Times Square, in the Bronx, because it was far too expensive this time. It was close to the subway, so it was easier to get to Manhattan as well, and the staff were really friendly and helpful. I was with my mum, so she set up some decorations before I woke up on my birthday, which was so cute, and that night we ordered food on Uber Eats from nearby, which was 10/10!.

I wrote a list of all the things I wanted to see this time; even walking around and being in New York was amazing. We went to Levain Bakery way too many times, but these cookies are just that good, and there are a few locations around so I think we went to most of them. We also went on the tramcars to Roosevelt Islands but there wasn’t that much to see except the views on Manhattan , we then went back and walked around and went to the AMC cinema in Times Square and got some free birthday treats. When we got back to the hotel, the staff had rearranged the balloons in a heart which was so really thoughtful and we again ordered food from nearby.

We happened to be there at the opening of the portal from New York to Dublin, too, which was pretty cool to see as it was surreal watching people on the other side of the world in real time. We then headed to Summit One Vanderbilt, which is an observation deck with some panoramic views of New York. The whole experience felt futuristic, with mirrored floors and walls that made the skyline look even more unreal, the art instillations added a fun interactive element and the deck overlooked the Empire State building, once the world’s tallest building, and yet there we were, standing higher than it. This also provides a full view of Central Park which was incredible to see such a huge green space in the middle of the city.

I loved going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art because it was massive, with so much to see. You need a whole day for this because there are plenty of exhibitions from art, to history and culture, every room had something fascinating and unexpected, and I felt like I had only scratched the surface. There was an exhibit for the Met Gala outfits as the gala had happened a few nights before we went, but sadly the queue was too long, though being in the place where an iconic event happened was still something. There are thousands of works from sculptures to Renaissance and American history and of course many famous paintings too. The shop is great for gifts and I wish i could’ve got more souvenirs and merchandise.

We also went to the MoMA the next day which was more for modern and contemporary art, this had a completely different vibe but the installations and art were cool, creative and unique. The MoMA’s location near Fifth Avenue and Midtown Manhattan made it a great spot to explore. While we were there, we saw a Chinese festival happening right outside. It was so interesting to see the traditional outfits and watch the dances, the whole atmosphere was vibrant and lively. They even gave us free keyrings, which was a nice little souvenir to remember the experience!

Watching Back to the Future on Broadway was an amazing experience with the set design, music, special effects and actors; they really brought it to life from start to finish and added in some features which set it apart from the film. My mum and I both love this film, so it was quite nostalgic, and I would definitely recommend any Broadway shows! We then got the classic $99 slice afterwards in true NYC tourist fashion.

Some other things we had to see were the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and of course, Brooklyn itself. But the places that really stood out were Hudson Yards, Greenwich Village, the Upper East Side, and SoHo.

Each area had its own vibe: Hudson Yards felt modern with the Vessel and new shopping centre, while Greenwich Village was super chill and lively, it also has a history of art and culture, perfect for wandering around. The Upper East Side was like stepping into an episode of Gossip Girl, and SoHo was great for admiring at all the cast iron buildings, apartments and shops. Definitely worth exploring all of them!

Toronto

Ending back in Toronto after ticking almost everything off in the other places felt quite poetic, as it was like coming full circle back to where it all began! This was pretty emotional as I’d had such an incredible time on my exchange that I felt like I was leaving my second home.

I said bye to my dorm room and Schulich’s campus and then went to the downtown area for the last time. I ended up walking through a few places that I hadn’t actually explored but wanted to, so it was really like I’d now seen everything that I was looking for, including Toronto Music garden by the waterfront which was so peaceful and had another, final view of the CN tower.

This was truly such a wonderful and memorable trip to encapsulate the ending of my exchange, and I’m so grateful to have experienced it all!

Note: This was quite a long post, so congrats if you read to the end, and since this is one of my last blog posts, I hope I was able to provide some advice or inspiration and if you’d like to contact me then my email is hannah-safiyya.awan@student.manchester.ac.uk, thank you for reading and sharing in my adventure!