Orbis Managing Director in the US, Alex Stone, is in fact a Brit who relocated from our London base to set up our first US office in New York a few years back. He must have fallen in love because he’s still there now!
But Alex’s affinity for America doesn’t stop at the Hudson; he’s recently been on a working tour across the States.
Read on for the interview to gain Alex’s insights into the best spots across the US for everything from food to surfing, and whether New York winter is really as harsh as it’s cracked up to be.
Rumour has it you're travelling to escape the winter in New York.
What’s that like? Worse than London?
Oh absolutely. The term Snowbird would be accurate. This is my fifth winter in New York, and it is very taxing. The average temperature during the winters is like 14 down to 5°F. It can be minus 4°F and there's no going outside in that!
After five seasons, it helps go down to the warmer climates to break up the winter. However, it's beautiful if you've not experienced it before; everything is snow-crusted and frozen.
So what's been your favourite location in the south so far as you’re roaming around until it warms up in the northern states?
I'm a coastal guy. Anywhere on Long Island or the Jersey shores or further north into New England, the whole coastline is so beautiful. That's where you'll find me, Montauk.
I haven't got a thick enough wetsuit to surf in the winter or early spring though. It’s crazy cold, you’d be swimming in icebergs. It’s actually the best time to go surfing, but no sunbathing going on at the moment!
There are so many factors to choosing the spots you want to hit on an epic road trip! So let’s break it down. To start with, where have you seen the absolute best scenery?
The famous Pacific Highway on the West Coast is hard to tiptoe around. It's obviously the beaten track but that's for a reason, it’s incredible. It's a constant movie scene and it's like an eight or ten-hour drive.
America's covered in national parks and you can drive through a lot of them.
The Carolinas are absolutely stunning.
You've got the swamps obviously in Florida, where you're driving through this wetland for hours on end, so it just depends on what’s your bag. There's a variety of scenery.
Where would you say has the best cuisine?
Well, that's a tough one. It's hard to find healthy food when you're on the road. But there's lots of good bad food on the road, mostly fried or in hot sauce.
New Orleans is incredible for food. Texas is great for barbecue food.
I mean this is the south. Anywhere in the south is perfect for your gumbos and your fish etc.
On that point about the health and fitness aspect of being on the road:
Without access to your normal routine like the gym and home cooking, how have you been able to avoid falling into unhealthy habits?
You've got to be strict with your routine and with your planning.
Make sure you've got your gym stuff in your bag all the time. I'm pretty strict with it anyway, myself.
I try to do something at lunchtime most days; it helps me reset for the afternoon. But there's a lot of temptation on your lunch break to skip the gym and go and eat po'boys!
Next one: Local culture and music?
Well, a little bit biased because we've got an office there but Nashville is the one for me.
I thought you might say that!
How about playing tourist for the day? Sights you’ve always wanted to see, historical places, or anything unique?
New Orleans is definitely up there. We went on a company trip there a few years ago and it's a special place. It really is unique.
Everyone's got their own spin on things. Again, the national parks are special in the States, from Yellowstone to Yosemite. They're incredible places.
I'm an outdoor person myself, so it's hard to top those national parks.
Finally, beaches and the coast. You mentioned Montauk. Are there any secret spots you can tell us about?
Montauk is definitely not a secret, but it's up there. I think it's my favourite place on the East Coast, for sure. Just a quiet, sleepy, surfing and fishing village. It's just very cool.
Carolina's got some beautiful beaches.
Miami Beach. I was actually shocked that it is so close to the Caribbean; the Miami waters are incredibly bright blue. I was always surprised by that.
America is full of beautiful beaches.
The West Coast is where you want to be if you're looking to get in the water and go surfing, but the east coast has its spots too.
Special thanks to Alex for sharing his first-hand intel.
If you’re interested to hear more about some of the cities Orbis calls home, be sure to check out our Movers and Shakers series, where we lift the lid on various aspects of global cities, from average rent prices to the best eateries in town.
Let us know your take in the comments; what's your favourite spot across the US?
