In Favourite Christmas ornaments and cherished memories, I shared how decorating the Christmas tree makes me nostalgic, thanks to one of my favourite family traditions. Years ago, on our first big family vacation, we bought a Christmas ornament. Since then, we’ve added to the collection on each of our family trips. In today’s post, I’ll continue with more Christmas ornaments and travel memories of San Francisco and New York City.

Last year, I wrote about our most memorable Canadian vacations and the Magic and Wonder of Disney vacations. Today, we’ll venture south of the world’s longest undefended international border for some of our best vacation memories from the United States.

The United States is the most popular travel destination for Canadians for a couple of reasons. First, it’s close and easy to get to with two-thirds of Canadians living within 100 kilometres of the U.S. border. Second, the warmer climates in the southern states offer a welcome break from our cold Canadian winters.

Like Canada, there are many magnificent places to visit in the United States. From the sun-kissed beaches of California, to the thrilling Florida theme parks, to its exciting cities. There’s lots to see and do. Today, I’ve got some highlights from two of our favourite American cities – San Francisco and New York.

San Francisco

We bought this ornament in San Francisco in 2012. San Francisco was the starting point of a memorable trip down the California coast that ended with a visit to Disneyland. You can read about our Disney vacations in The Magic and Wonder of Disney Vacations.

If you have an opportunity to visit San Francisco, here are some things you don’t want to miss.

Cable cars

Of course, a ride on one of those famous cable cars is a must-do when in San Francisco. Although I have to admit, as someone with a fear of heights, that it was a little unnerving to look backwards from the top of the hill. But, we survived and it was so much fun! The San Francisco Cable Car Museum is a great place to learn about these beloved symbols of San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge

Cable cars aside, the Golden Gate Bride is definitely the most iconic symbol of San Francisco. Opened in 1937, it was one of the engineering marvels of its time. On the first morning of our trip, we walked across the bridge but it was so foggy that you’d barely know there was a bridge there. I learned that dense fog is quite common in San Francisco and the bridge is actually equipped with fog horns.

Alcatraz

If you plan a trip to San Francisco, you’ll want to visit Alcatraz. A word of advice – book your tickets early. We visited in the summer and, when I tried to book tickets a month before our trip, they were all sold out. We had to settle for a cruise of the bay that sailed around the island. But the cruise was fun and it gave us a great view of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day.

Other things to see in San Francisco

When in San Francisco, set aside time to explore Fisherman’s Wharf area. You’ll find lots of shops and restaurants. At Pier 39, you can visit Aquarium of the Bay but you can also see dozens of sea lions lounging on the pier and splashing in the bay in their natural habitat. We had an awesome lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. I’m a huge fan of Forrest Gump so that was a real treat for me.

I’ve visited a lot of American cities, and San Francisco is at the top of my list of favourites. The city has a unique energy and there’s something really cool about its steep, narrow streets.

Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.

New York City

New York – The Big Apple – is one of those places that has to be experienced to be believed. It’s the scene of so many iconic movies and TV shows. And, is there anyone who hasn’t watched the ball drop in Times Square on TV at least once on New Year’s Eve?

Living in southern Ontario, New York is the closest American state. Although I had been to upstate New York area many times, I had never been to New York City until we visited for a long weekend in 2013.

We arrived in New York as the first Atlantic hurricane of the season was blowing through. We were a bit worried that our long weekend might be a washout. Luckily, we woke up the next morning to sunny skies.

Times Square

To make the most of our time, we booked the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour. The first place we headed was Times Square to find the bus. Times Square is even more awe-inspiring and overwhelming than it looks on TV.

Breathtaking views

Our first stop on the bus was the Empire State Building – a must-see for breathtaking views of the city. Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center is another place to get amazing views. We decided to do it at night time to see the city lights.  

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is one of the iconic symbols of New York City. When we were there, the island was closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. We went on a harbour cruise and sailed around the island. Are you getting a trend here? On our vacations, we seem to spend a lot of time sailing around famous landmarks without actually visiting.

The cruise was amazing though. They blasted the infamous Sinatra rendition of “New York, New York” as we got a fabulous view of Lady Liberty from the harbour. Definitely a fantastic experience.

9/11 Memorial

For me, one of the most moving things to see in New York city is the 9/11 Memorial. It’s humbling to look up and imagine the twin towers of the World Trade Center. It’s a fitting and emotional tribute to the thousands of people who lost their lives on that horrible day in 2001.

One of my favourite stories from the 9/11 Memorial is The Survivor Tree. This tree was severely damaged in the 9/11 attacks and was recovered and nurtured back to life by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Today, it’s thriving and growing. What a fitting testimonial to nature’s ability to heal itself!

Central Park

Another must-see in New York City is Central Park. It’s a great place to sit and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. I would have loved to have more time to explore.

Museums

Although we’re not big museum goers, we did enjoy the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and had a few good laughs at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.  

We didn’t have a lot of time but we crammed a LOT into the time we had. Between the Hop-On Hop-Off bus, the subway and the water taxi, we found the city easy to get around in. We walked close to 30,000 steps every day. I’d definitely love to go back and take the time to explore some more of the city.

Much to my daughter Laura’s dismay, the one thing we didn’t do in New York was see a Broadway show. I guess that means we’ll have to go back.

Have you been to San Francisco or New York City? What are you favourite sights? Tell us below.