If a trip up America’s East Coast is on your bucket list, then this year may be the time to get your plans in motion. With a mixture of large cities and historical landmarks along the route, you won’t be short of places to explore.

When planning your road trip, make sure your itinerary includes these three must-see natural landmarks to get a good flavour of what the East Coast has to offer.

• Hanging Rock State Park

Located in North Carolina, Hanging Rock State Park is perfect for those who want to add a scenic hike to their holiday. With over 18 miles of trails, you can explore the numerous peaks and waterfalls that are located around the park and stay in the overnight accommodation, with a campground and cabins available.

Set over the highest peaks of the Sauratown Mountains, you can enjoy the stunning view of the surrounding landscape, or enjoy some of the activities on offer, such as boating, fishing, swimming and mountain biking.

• Niagara Falls

A visit to Niagara Falls is a must when travelling up the East Coast. Comprised of three waterfalls – the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls – it is famed for its beauty.

A memorable way to see the falls is on a Maid of the Mist boat, which takes visitors right to the base of the falls – it passes so close that passengers are provided with ponchos and rain gear to protect them from the spray. For a tour by a local guide, take a look at the range of group adventures to the falls on offer, which are available with travel companies such as Trek America.

• Acadia National Park

Experience the 47,000 acres of landscape in Acadia National Park, located on the coast of Maine. One of its best-known sites is Cadillac Mountain, which stands at 1,530 feet and is the tallest mountain along the East Coast of the US – perfect for taking in the spectacular beauty of Mount Desert Island.

Attracting over two million tourists a year, Acadia is popular with families, hikers, photographers and anyone with a love of nature. Explore the park by enjoying activities such as rock climbing, kayaking or biking.

Don’t miss out on the stunning natural landscapes that a trip to the East Coast has to offer. Add our three top landmarks to your itinerary when planning your trip to America for a holiday you’ll be talking about for years to come.

For a lot of people, cruises aren’t exactly their go-to holiday. That’s why for most of us, everything we know is second-hand and hearsay. I’m here to set the record straight on a few things I hear folks say that are keeping them from trying what could be the best holiday of their lives.

They’re Expensive

It’s true that cruises can be costly—this is what keeps a lot of people from trying them—but they don’t always have to be. You can get great deals on trips with all kinds of destinations if you’re willing to be flexible, because cruise companies offer deals on late bookings. Any profit they can make is better than an empty cabin, after all. You can easily find lots of deals like this on Bolsover Cruise Club.

You’ll Get Seasick

If you get motion sick at sea, it’s all down to the way the waves jostle the boat, and this scales down the larger a ship is. It’s easy for the ocean to toss a little dinghy this way and that, but in larger boats you’ll notice it less and less. Well, you’re average cruise ship is bleeding enormous! We’re talking mind-bogglingly big, so even if you can’t stomach being in a car or on a place, you’ll usually be fine on a cruise liner.

They’re Overcrowded and Claustrophobic

Like I said, these boats are big, and they don’t use all that space for golf courses and climbing walls. In my experience, cabins on cruise ships are spacious and comfortable. There’s not much to the rumours of crowding either—though there are a few popular spots, of course—but if that’s a concern there are always more intimate experiences available on smaller river cruise ships. These can also be a little cheaper, so they make for a worthwhile option for any traveller.

They’re ‘Do Nothing’ Holidays

If you just want to kick back and relax in the sun, cruises have you covered, but that’s not all they offer. Cruise ships come loaded with all sorts of amenities from sports equipment to cinemas, and a lot of it is available to use for free, so if you like to keep mind and body active you’ll find it almost impossible to be bored while you’re aboard.