Louisville Off Track: Adventuring in Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New York on the Chinese Bus

I spent my Jul 4th weekend hanging out with a parakeet on a Chinese bus headed for New York City. I didn't have it planned out that way but it became a part of a week long budget traveling adventure that started in Cincinnati and ended with a 12 hour bus ride home by a very mistrusting bus driver. Here's how it started.

I was heading to D.C. for a week long work trip so asked my husband to tag along. I scored him round trip direct tickets from Cincinnati to Baltimore/Washington D.C. for $90 on Allegiant Air, (my coworkers paid $286 to fly from Louisville). We had to drive to Cincinnati and then Uber to the airport, it costed only $4 when I used my discount. Despite being a budget airline, the plane was new, clean and spacious.

Inside Allegiant Airline

We flew into the Baltimore airport, a quick 40 minute Amtrak ride away from D.C that costed $15/person. Here's my husband's first Amtrak experience. I love taking the train so I think there's going to be a cross America train adventure in my near future.

The wanderlust that I am, I have to fit as many destinations in one trip as possible. So before going to D.C., we headed to Baltimore's Inner Harbour, a short light rail ride away for less than $2/person. Often praised as a model for post industrial redevelopment, this historic harbor is hodgepodge of attractions, restaurants, and museums that's ideal for exploring on foot.

We walked for 30 minutes around the area and ended up in Fell's Point, a lovely historic town established in 1730 with narrow side walks and red brick homes where locals and tourist alike hung out at restaurants and pubs. Edgar Allan Poe's last stop was here at The Horse You Came In On, America's oldest continuously operated saloon. Poe was found dead outside. We came here specifically for Thames Street Oyster House for the lobster roll and crab cakes. My husband took the photo below, bit into the lobster roll and then felt compel to take his phone out again to take another photo because it was so good.

$24 for the lobster roll, but definite worth it.

$15 crab cake sandwich, a must have when in Maryland.

Two happy tummies later, we rushed back to the Amtrak station to catch the train to D.C. to spend our week.

After work each day, we did all the touristy things, visited all the monuments and historically significant sites. D.C. is easily accessible via the Metro, by foot, or bike. We walked 10 miles some days and biked everywhere using the bike share system, $8 for a day pass + additional fee for each hour used. Washington D.C. architectural style pays homage to the Rome, it's like walking in a Roman city if it were still intact today. For museum lovers, it's the place to be, since most major museums and attractions are free.

Martin Luther King Memorial

The Supreme Court

Sample of the architecture.

The popular Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument.

Got caught in the rain walking back. I LOVE rain.

I've been to D.C. a few times but appreciated it more this time because my coworker lived in the area and gave us a more intimate tour of the area. The Wharf specifically rocked my world. Here you will find fresh seafood for cheap. My favorite meal is to head over to Jessie Taylor to get a few dozen fresh blue crabs, they then carry it across to the other side and steamed it with some Old Bay seasoning on the spot for FREE. We paid only $25 for 2.5 dozens of fresh crab. Pro tip: flirt with the guys and you'l get at least 3 dozens for the same price.

We also made a quick trip to the historic port of Annapolis, Maryland right on the Chesapeake Bay. I felt in love with its European-like charm, laid back atmosphere, and the sail boats gliding in the wind.

As the week neared the end and the long weekend loomed ahead, I convinced my husband (he used the word "tricked") to take a trip to New York, promising to keep it as cheap as possible. It was a big victory for me since his fear of robbery, alien invasions and super hero show-downs kept him from wanting to visit New York.

To keep it as cheap as possible, I booked us tickets on Ilikebus.com for $20/each. The website is a travel agent of sort for Chinese-owned bus companies, offering cheap travel along the East and West coast of the U.S. Pick up and drop off locations are usually located in a Chinatown or in smaller cities, an Asian grocery store. This is our bus and this is the shady looking office where we checked in:

Bus stop

Our Chinese Bus

We sent several messages to friends notifying them to look for us if we don’t come back.

It wasn't luxurious travel, but it's wasn't bad either. The seats were uncomfortable but the bus is clean and spacious. It's the way to go if you're looking for cheap transportation (Bolt Bus, Megabus, Greyhound and Peter Pan are other options). The highlight of our ride was our traveling companion, the parakeet. She perched on the shoulder of her owner the entire time, squawking away periodically and her owner shushed her every time she did. This went on for the entire 5 hour ride to NYC. I regret not taking a photo.

We made it to New York in one piece. We scored this awesome hotel for $105/night a few blocks from Times Square and the Rockefeller Center, making everything easily accessible by foot so we saved on transportation.

Photo source: The Roosevelt Hotel

New York in short for me was: big, loud, delicious, exciting, electrifying. My husband’s description: SCARY, a cab driver almost ran him over within the first hour in NY. To make up for his near death experience, I found some amazing places for him to eat: