We have started looking at possible holiday destinations. The first question was Australia or overseas.
I wanted to go to Central Australia (Uluru and Alice Springs), Darwin and Kakadu National Park. Due to the wet season, timing is crucial and accommodation is outrageously expensive and limited availability.
Due to the strength of the Australian dollar an overseas trip looked feasible. Apart from New Zealand, our only other overseas trip was to British Columbia in 2007. The East Coast of USA has always appealed so we are now looking at possibly going to Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston in September/October.
I have downloaded a couple of different Lonely Planet guides to my Kindle and am quickly learning some US geography. We have friends who know this area quite well as tourists so caught up with them today and have come away with loads of ideas. Now I need to distill the information and find what we want to see and do.
How do you decide where to take a holiday? How much do you plan and book in advance or do you leave it to chance?
Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received.
organised castle 
That is a lovely time to go to that area. I just got an e-reader for my birthday so am learning how to use it. that sounds like a great idea to download guidebooks.
Everyone has commented on the perfect timing for our visit which is good.
When I got my e-reader I was thinking about novels but there is a great selection of non-fiction, too. The Lonely Planet guides are great value – much cheaper than the paper editions and of course it takes up so little space in your luggage – perfect for travelling.
Well, if you need any advice about NYC, I’m happy to help 🙂
I am sure you will be able to help with some tips. 5 months from today until we go!
If you need any help planning for DC or Philly we’re happy to help. Josh and I grew up in Philadelphia and we’re 20 minutes outside of DC now. Don’t miss Pat’s and Geno’s cheesesteaks in Philly if you aren’t vegetarian. In DC, the tidal basin/Jefferson Memorial are great places for a sunset stroll. I hope you have an exciting time planning your trip!
Thanks for the offer. I will definitely ask when we get to the more detailed planning. I had read about the cheesesteaks in the Lonely Planet guide!