From axe-throwing and helicopter rides at sunset to lobster breakfasts and tackling American motorways in a Cadillac, RTÉ 2FM DJ Emma Power enjoyed quite the trip in the latest episode of High Road, Low Road.
The travel show pairs up two well-known faces and sends them off to popular holiday destinations, city break favourites and far-flung places for an unforgettable adventure of discovery, culture and fun. The catch, however, is that while one holidaymaker will be enjoying the high life in five star stays, the other will be taking the budget route.
The duo will meet up several times on the trip to compare notes (and gloat), but by the end each will have experienced something truly special.
This week, Radio DJ Emma Power was paired up with All Fired Up chef Nico Reynolds for an unforgettable trip to Boston. We caught up with Emma to hear her highlights of the trip, and the top activities she would recommend to tourists.
"I had actually watched High Road, Low Road, the first season of the it," says Emma, "so, even though I had no idea where I was going or who I was going with, I just jumped at the opportunity."
Making her way to the airport at 6am, Power said she was buzzing with anticipation, waiting to find out if she would be jetting off on a five-star holiday or taking on a cheap and cheerful experience.
"The night before, even the few days leading up to it, I was a bag of nerves. I didn't sleep a wink the night before," she admits. "I had no expectations which is unusual because usually when you go on holidays, you know where you're going and you have everything planned out and you know what you're going to do."
"I was fully convinced I was going to get the low road, so I nearly passed out with excitement when I saw I was getting the luxury holiday. I've never flown business class or anything like that before, so it was a brand new experience."
Taking on the budget experience was Nico Reynolds, and although the two had never met before, she said she had a brilliant time filming with him.
"We didn't know each other at all so we were strangers meeting at the airport! He's so easy to get along with and so friendly and outgoing. We were friends straight away. There was no awkwardness, thank God."
"Boston is somewhere I've always wanted to go", she adds, "but the experience of High Road, Low Road is such a different experience to a normal holiday because most days I was waking up and I didn't know what I was doing - the team had to keep it all a secret."
"I stayed in the most stunning hotel on Newbury Street in Boston which is a really fancy street - there was a Tiffany's in my hotel - and it's looking over Boston Common which is a gorgeous park in the city," she explains.
Following a decadent breakfast of Lobster Benedict in her hotel suite, the DJ ventured out of the city to drive a classic Cadillac around North Boston before tackling the busy American motorways.
"It was fine when I was driving through lovely suburbs," she laughs, "but when I had to drive on the motorways I was like 'oh my God, what is my life?'. You're driving someone else's huge, really heavy car, So that was an experience, I'm really proud of myself!"
Enjoying a jam-packed trip filled with museums, curling, axe-throwing, and shopping with stylists, Power said the biggest highlight of the trip was a helicopter ride at sunset.
"It was terrifying, but it was gorgeous," she says. "We were running late so when we go there the sun was starting to set, it was beautiful. We flew all over the coast, then we flew into the city, I got to see all the sights of the city and we saw the island where they filmed Shutter Island with Leonardo Dicaprio.
"That was probably one of the highlights of the trip for me. I thought I was going to pass out when I first found out, but when we went up it was just gorgeous. It was really beautiful."
If anyone were to go to Boston, Power has two interesting recommendations depending on how much time and money you have at your disposal. For a slightly bigger budget, she recommends renting a car as it will give tourists a chance to take in more of the sights and enjoy the city while experiencing the thrill of driving a Cadillac.
For something more budget-friendly, she suggests throwing some axes.
"If anyone is looking for something affordable to do, I would definitely recommend the axe-throwing," she says. "I was shocking - like, so, so bad - but I loved every second of it. It's cheap, it's cheerful, it's a good day out."
Although Power's 'high road' trip was out of the ordinary, she insists that Nico's more relatable venture included some activities she hopes to add to her next trip to Beantown.
"He was out doing the walking tours, he was in Little Italy, he went to the library - which was gorgeous - so he definitely got to take in a lot more of the sights around the city. I think, if I were to go back, I would do the walking tour and explore Boston more - it's such a gorgeous city."
Watch last night's High Road, Low Road on RTÉ Player now.
