NYC to Texas, A Road Trip from the Big Apple to the Lone Star State

Pack your car and hit the road! Make sure to stop at Wawa, a Jersey staple, for cheap gas that is full service (meaning you don’t have to pump it yourself) and the best snacks. Our first stop is Washington DC and the goal is to get there by 5pm. Check into The Eaton, your hotel for two nights and get refreshed for your dinner at Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant for some of the best food you’ll ever eat. Wander your way home to the hotel.

Museum Day! There are so many amazing museums in DC, so eat a big breakfast in bed get your walking shoes on and hit the town. Two of my favorites are the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. After all that walking, you’ll need to fill up and the perfect place for an early dinner is Georgetown Seafood. Pro tip: Get the lobster roll.

Wake up bright and early to check out of your hotel and hit the road. We’ll be dropping through Shenandoah National Park. Make sure to pull over to take pictures and drive with the windows down to get the vibes just right. Drive to Natural Bridge State Park to see the natural bridge. Nowadays, it's a limestone gorge, but it definitely looks like a bridge. Get back in the car to make it to Asheville by nightfall. Check into the Kimpton Arras and order your much needed room service.

Ahhhhh, Asheville. What a cute town! Pick up a coffee from one of the dozen cute cafes and wander the streets of Asheville and start to question if NYC is really where you belong because you are starting to believe in the magic of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shop in the cute boutiques and make sure to check out house prices on Zillow. Time to hit the road. Nashville here we come! By the time you get to Nashville you’ll be hungry so it's a must to drive directly to Hattie B’s Hot Chicken and don’t stop eating until you unbuckle your belt, thank me later. You’ll be checking into my favorite hotel group, the Virgin Hotel, for the night. But the night is young! Refresh yourself and hit the town. Time to see some good ol’ country music. Broadway is where you’ll head, stopping into one of the many bars to see local acts. Who knows, you might see the next Luke Combs.

Hot Springs Arkansas, here we come! Now, I know what you’re thinking, Arkansas???? Yes Arkansas. It happens to be one of my favorite states! It’s not called the Natural State for nothing. Hot Springs is a beautiful, strange, quirky little town that is known for its thermal spring water. It’s been called America’s first resort town and became a popular vacation spot for some of the most well known gangsters in American history. Your hotel for the night is The Waters Hotel. Down the street is a very interesting (and creepy) wax museum, but the real star of the show is Hot Springs National Park, which surrounds the entire town. Cross the street and feel the stream. It’s actually hot!

Wake up bright and early to make it to Austin before nightfall. You’ll spend the next five days in Austin. Austin has some of the best boutique hotels in America so you have quite a few to choose from. My favorites are hotel San Jose, Austin Motel and the Carpenter. The best breakfast tacos you’ll have in your life with be from Veracruz All Natural Taco truck but get there early to beat the crowds. While in Texas you must get yourself a pair of cowboy boots and the place to go is Allens Boots. One of the best meals I’ve ever had is at Loro. It’s a brilliant fusion restaurant from the chefs behind Franklin Barbecue and Uchi Sushi. Line dancing is a must and Broke Spoke is the place to be. You can even go early to get a lesson. You can’t go to Austin without some outdoor adventuring, so you must swim in the refreshingly cold Barton Springs, explore Zilker Park or paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake.