Ground Zero, at the foot of Manhattan, is quite an eerie place. Like the Rockefeller Center and Times Square in central Manhattan Ground Zero is swarming with people, lots of them tourists. But it's a different atmosphere to the joyous, selfie taking, hyperactive, go go go type climate these well-lit attractions provide nearly twenty four hours a day. It's not exactly quiet down at Liberty and Greenwich but there is a calm hush that sweeps through the place. It's almost as if the respect, sympathy and perhaps grieving takes over. Where the two World Trade Center buildings once stood now lays two giant water falls skirted by engraved stone memorials with every victim from the 9/11 attacks honored. When you see names of average, day to day citizens listed in the stone it puts back the human element in the tradegy that at times I think we forget. Hordes of people with their cameras stopped and if not marvelling at the spectacular and deep water falls they seemed almost as if they were at a funeral. For some die hard patriots around the area, like the guy we saw tirelessly polishing a bronze memorial on the way to ground zero, I think it still is. For some it's as if the attacks occurred yesterday and not over thirteen years ago. A new sky scraper stands proudly and almost symbolically by the falls, casting a long shadow. Walking in and looking up at it says almost instantly "You can strike us, but we will not surrender." But whatever your beliefs are there is no doubting this place has a certain spine tingling presence about it.

We visited Ground Zero on the same day we saw and went on to the Statue of Liberty Island, me for the second time. As cold and as cloudy as it was the multitudes of view and photo opportunities made it worth it.

Saying goodbye to New York was not the hardest experience of the trip so far simply due to how tiring the place is. I left still wanting more yet also wanting to move on.

Philadelphia was the next stop for Maddi and I with college basketball, cheesesteak sandwiches and the Rocky reenactment on the to do list. On the walk to the Museum of art you're provided with a really nice scenic trail of museums and once finally there and at the top of the steps made famous by Sly Stallone and the Rocky series you get one of the best looks at a major city you're likely to see anywhere. Not being the biggest Rocky fan going around it didn't faze me too much however Maddi was sure to have me filming him doing the famous run up the stairs. It seems we weren't the only tourists with that idea either, we saw kids and fully grown adults doing the same thing, throwing fists of victory at the top.

Phillie is known as the home of the cheesesteak sandwich and after seeing many editions of 'Man vs Food' on TV I had earmarked a site to visit from the show while there. Tommy DiNic's in the heart of the busy farmer's market had a line that circled the long counter, and this was mid-morning mid-week. Their specialty is pulled pork and steak rolls with cheese and green capsicum (or sweet pepper as its known here). My steak roll certainly past the test and it was no wonder Adam Richmond endorsed the place on his show. It was mouthwatering, juicy, carnivore delight. Genuine Phillie cheesesteak ticked off the bucket list deliciously.

On the flip side for the home of brotherly love downtown Phillie has its share of areas you'd be best to avoid at certain times and spots you'd think twice about going down alone. Walking past the courthouse at midday is best done with a narrow focus at the block up ahead and with quick steps given how full the paths get with what I could only presume was the town's less law abiding.

Rounding out the North East leg of the trip was Washington D.C. with visiting monuments the main reason even though we've seen them all a million times on TV. The Capitol building, the Lincoln memorial, the White House and the Washington monument all provided us with plenty of picture and selfie taking opportunities despite the fact the Capitol building's aesthetics were severely compromised with maintenance underway on the dome roof. I was told the building is actually starting to lean. The walk down the park, through the World War 2 memorial and past the reflecting pool was peaceful and relaxing. It's all complimented by the stunning historical architecture in the downtown area. The shopping center is housed in old stone buildings like an old courthouse or museum and like a heap of other cities in America it is very easy to navigate on foot. The streets are mainly clean and the police presence is fairly strong too but on the flip side I haven't seen a spot so far with as many homeless and as many loiterers. One particular street near where our hotel was I actually made sure we did not go down even though it was the quickest way back. There would have been at least a dozen people standing, staring and looking as suspicious and unwelcoming as can be. One even had a couple of shirts hanging from a tree branch on the walk, as if that small space was his home. Perhaps it tragically was. A curious peak back at the street later in the night from afar after the basketball game confirmed it was not a coincidental gathering of people waiting for an appointment in the neighbouring building. It's amazing to think that less than three blocks west was the alive and buzzing market and restaurant district where you could walk the streets among so many others without a care in the world. That old saying 'The other side of the tracks' certainly rings true for Washington D.C.

For the past three weeks it's been thermals and North Face nearly every day without question. Winter up the top end of the U.S. certainly has a bite to it around this time of year but then again we knew what we were signing up for when we embarked on this trip. Headed south to Miami, where the expected temperature is above twenty five celcius degrees, will certainly be appreciated and getting off for a quick bite to eat in Richmond, Virginia on a balmy night wearing just a t-shirt and shorts in complete comfort certainly wasn't lost on me. Hopefully the thermals and jackets won't see daylight again until they are unpacked in my bedroom back home but if they are so be it. It's the holidays and hopefully we can all sit back, all over the world, and appreciate what it means to be relaxed.