veni ... vidi ... vici

please touch museum

2010-02-10T14:18:00.001-05:00

please touch museum, philadelphia, pa.

(coming soon)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

I ♥ NY

2010-02-10T14:12:00.001-05:00

manhattan, new york.

(coming soon)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

a weekend in kentucky

2010-02-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

louisville, kentucky.

(coming soon)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

the sweetest place on earth

2010-02-10T13:21:00.006-05:00

hershey, pa. originally called Derry Church, Pennsylvania but was later on renamed Hershey in 1906 after the growing popularity of Hershey's Chocolate. it is the home of hershey park and the hershey chocolate world, to name a few. it has hershey's kisses as street lights and has very delicious street names. it is also called chocolatetown, USA and is of course known as the sweetest place on earth!

we went to hershey last winter 2009 to see the hershey's chocolate world. it is not exactly where chocolates are made but they have a ride that brings you to a simulated chocolate factory, it smells like chocolate inside!! and they show you how many are made in a day, etc .... and you get your picture taken at the end ... smile at the COW...click!! my son got to be a factory worker and got his ID. this was good because he actually participated and had fun. he's always been the shy kid (just like mommy, haha)

also , you get to see ALL, and i mean ALL the chocolates that was ever made, from how it looked before and it how it looks now. they also have a 3D show, just an entertaining cartoon show in 3D, a parade of all the chocolate (mascots), and of course a big store with hershey shirts, cups, mugs, pillows ... the works!!

it's a fun and quick visit good for half a day, or more. it is close to hershey park which is again another fun stop and hershey zoo is nearby. you can ride a trolley and see the main historic area.

hershey park is an amusement park with lots of fun and scary rides ... i had my first (and i would say, last) experience with "scary rides". we rode the STORM .... whew! it was so fast, it's done in 45 seconds ... you sit tight, wait for the countdown ... and ZOOOOOM, ZOOOM, ZOOOM, up and around you go!! i couldn't even shout coz i was so scared haha!! i felt myself slipping through the seats ... haha.

my little boy had the scare of his life, we went on this boat ride, i didn't know it had a steep drop (for him, that is). we were in an open boat, he was scared to begin with so i had my one arm wrapped around him, we were moving slowly and ZOOOOOM down it went ... i was shocked and so was he, i wonder how my picture looked then! haha no wonder i couldn't get him to ride that boat in Disney ... ayayay!!

overall we had fun, my fave was doing the surf-like ride, i don't know what it's called ... plus it was nice to spend an easy day with friends and family .... who knows i might get to ride the Fahrenheit next time :) yea right

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

where miracles happen

2010-02-06T13:51:00.003-05:00

... monastery of the holy eucharist. also called the simala shrine, located in simala, sibonga, cebu, philippines. it is the home of the miraculous image of Mary known for the amazing miracles granted to its devotees. it has evolved from a small "chapel" and became this grand church with an adoration chapel inside containing the image known to have shed real tears and have known to help many...including me :)

     expect a lot of people coming to this place so come very early, bring your packed lunch as they don't have any carinderias to provide food and beverage. you will be greeted with a very large image of Mary amidst very nice landscaping. The actual monastery is more than a few steps away, you can stop by a "dagkotanan" (atot unsa man sa english ba haha) and light different colored candles depending on what you are asking for (health, wealth, travel, etc)

     i went here with a group of my closest friends (year 2008), we left very early on a v-hire (o i miss riding a v-hire, it runs so fast, you'll get to where you want to be without even knowing it haha). everybody brought their lunch, they have cottages that you can eat in, you would have to bring your own water too though but the place is airy and comfortable enough to enjoy a good meal.

    they have different chapels, it is very solemn in there. you are not allowed to take pictures of the image inside the chapel nor are you allowed to make any noise. you fall in line to see the image, if possible drop a donation, and pray truthfully, deeply, with tears if necessary, and just say what you need. Mary is known to catholics as a very good intercessor of prayers since she is the mother of our Lord and is known to have asked Jesus to perform his very first miracle (the wedding in Cana) ... objections, reactions, violent reactions allowed :)

parking is not that easy so again, come early. the visit shouldn't last that long if you come at the right time where the lines are manageable, you can even attend their mass i think at 12:00nn it was. and after that, you can rest your worries and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, travelling back to wherever you're from and maybe posing for a picture to keep memories of good times documented :)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

a step back in time

2010-02-06T13:45:00.038-05:00

... pennsylvania rennaisance faire. PAREF, occurs 12 weekends and runs from August to October at Mount Hope Estate and Winery in Manheim, Pennsylvania.

located an hour away from where we are, we headed to see knights, pirates, kings, queens and everything rennaisance. Restrooms were labeled milady and milord. people were in costumes and spoke with that "english" accent. we watched actual glass being blown into nice, various shapes. i had my fill of celtic rings. we watched a jousting tournament, we failed to play chess in their BIG chessboard (this is where you are the actual game pieces).

we experienced our very first elephant ride, had our first Turkey leg, watched a very entertaining acrobat show (although i won't say the acrobats in our regular "perya" aren't as good); we saw stuff from the movie Pirates of the Carribean, there was a big, red pirate ship with pirates of course ... ahoy matey!! and watched the Queen make her royal walk round the estate grounds.

the visit will take about a little over half a day. lots of food and beer, lots of shows to watch, with stores and items that are very interesting. if you are into these things, you would surely enjoy, it's like stepping back in time and being in a whole new world.

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

strawberries everywhere

2010-02-06T13:39:00.005-05:00

...strawberries. a bright red fruit enjoyed fresh or prepared (jams, pies, shakes, ice cream), very expensive back home if you buy it in groceries, very fresh if you buy it in Baguio (that is if you want to travel that far), we usually dip it in sugar. here, they actually have a strawberry festival ... see, i get curious easily and so off we go strawberry picking and going to the strawberry festival fair!!

June, I think it was, the strawberry festival ... we had to go and taste strawberry shortcake. i've only heard of this as that cartoon character strawberry shortcake (you know her! that girl with a big fluffy, chef-looking, pink, strawberry of a hat!) -- and now i have the chance to actually taste strawberry shortcake (homemade style) and not the commercial type. i like those original recipes, they always seem better tasting to me. And so we went ... and as you can see, i got my strawberry shortcake fix :)

The experience will not be complete though, until we get to strawberry farm and pick our own strawberries ... and so the day after off we went again. you go to the farm (where we got our pumpkins but not the apples) on a hayride. strawberries, strawberries everywhere, big and small ... the smaller ones are sweeter .... we got ourselves a ton of strawberries.... oh i tell ya, we've been eating strawberries for more than a week, and after that, i think i've had enough strawberries to last me until this year's festival!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

a long day with long walks in longwood gardens

2010-02-06T13:29:00.006-05:00

...longwood gardens, kenneth square, pa. 1,050 acres of gardens, one of the best in the US. Bought from William Penn by George Pierce then by Pierre S. du Pont who made it a private estate. today, it has 20 outdoor gardens and 20 indoor gardens within 4.5 acres of heated greenhouses or conservatories. it has 11,000 (or more) types of trees and plants .... the list goes on and on ...

one of my favorite things in longwood are the flowerbeds .. they seem to be arranged by color and they're all in full bloom. we went in the summer, i could only imagine how this garden was like in full spring bloom!! another favorite part are the topiaries ... it's like being alice in wonderland ... they also have lots of fountains, secret gardens, meadows, gazebos, lakes, lilies, treehouses ... wonderful, wonderful ... tired, tired haha!! but this was one of our first trips to see PA and as you can imagine, every bit of the place just leaves us in awe!! also, don't forget to enjoy the illuminated fountain show at 9:00pm i believe, where lighted fountains dance to classical music .... lovely!!

but you know what ... the walk was long enough, so, let's keep the talk short ... let's go see pictures :)

pictures or words are not enough to enjoy the beauty longwood gardens has to offer. and i've heard it's even prettier during winter ... i just didn't have the guts to go on a long walk on a cold winter day! well, maybe when i get myself a VERY good jacket, good boots and probably go on a not-so-freezing winter day ... we'll see .. till then!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

where dreams come true

2010-02-06T13:22:00.026-05:00

... the wonderful world of disney. located in orlando, florida, it is the largest and most revisited resort in the world. it has 4 themed parks and 2 water parks. it is owned and started by walt disney, the resort opened 1971 and just keeps getting bigger and better...

we went to florida sometime october 2009, when the weather was good (no snowstorms like today) and the budget was available (haha). the trip didn't start out good, we missed our plane (no questions entertained, my day was bad enough and i learned my lesson) and had to leave at 6:30 pm instead of 6:45 am. well, we spent a day in marriot hotel (lobby) wasting away the time hahaha ... let's move on!!

we only stayed 3 days in disney, we spent some of the days in florida with my hubby's uncles and aunts. our first stop was to Epcot. EPCOT means experimental prototype community of tomorrow, spaceship earth as they call it. That golfball-like thing you see in the picture is actually a ride that shows you what our past was and what the future will be. it's a nice, dark, up/down ride, slow, good for little kids, my boy wasn't scared at all. after the ride you get to choose your future, make your own community and have your pictures in it, i think i chose a country life with futuristic cars!!! haha ... i liked this place a lot because it focused on different cultures, they "reproduce" places like Japan, China, Germany, Norway, Canada, America and a lot other different countries, they serve the nation's food, their drinks ... all in all you get to visit the world in 80 minutes ... or longer if you wish to. we always ate dinner here, we can never survive with fries and a burger so we always get our rice fix in Japan or China!! O and don't forget to see the illumination show at 8:00 or something ... it's a wonderful fireworks, light show .... simply amazing!!!

next day, we were up early to catch the shuttle to Magic Kingdom ... where dreams come true ... see the castle!!!! aaawwww all worth the travel, time and money .... you become a kid again. of course we had to get the mickey ears, can not NOT get that!! here, we got to go to mickey's house, minnie's house. i think it was here we had our pictures with the princesses ... but i'm not quite sure .... there are disney characters everywhere! there's a train you ride to get from one area to another much quicker, (see if you were given that chance, take it ... or else your feet will suffer) hahaha!! there's a ride here, it's a small world, where you see dolls placed in miniature settings, you get to ride a boat to see it, but my son was really good enough to cry and get wild while we were in line coz he was scared of riding a boat, he says he doesn't want to get wet....yea yea yea ... o well, maybe next time!!

this was on our second day, disney's Animal Kingdom. We were here half a day since we really plan to go Hollywood Studios after. The theme is jungle safari, of course we can't pass up the safari ride... we got to see the "upside down" tree, we saw a lot of animals in their own environment. but i guess, looking at the picture, my little boy looks tired! haha still a lot of walking going on, and just getting lost mostly. there are maps available but you get distracted looking at a lot of really nice things...plus you run around trying to catch up to Chip and Dale the chipmunks, aaaahhh the running sure will get to you!!

and we saved the best for last ... the Hollywood Studios. my boy loved this best! he got to see his Power Rangers team and got to join the disney parade (that's him with the green sleeveless shirt)!! we were at the right places at the right times ... we also got to see Toodles!! M-I-C-K-E-Y .. M-O-U-S-E ... and of course at around 8:30, you get to watch another amazing light, fireworks show and rest assured it will be the perfect finale to your day, and for us, the best finale to our first ever disney trip!! Oh truly, the wonderful world of Disney!!

**BTW, if you want good pictures of your family, get the Disney Photopass, you get your pictures taken at very good spots around the park, you will have to purchase your pics if you want copies of them... for a good souvenir, it'll be worth it :)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

on the boardwalk at atlantic city

2009-11-19T01:09:00.005-05:00

... atlantic city. is a city in new jersey famous for it's boardwalk (which is a good few miles), giving access to hotels, casinos, shops and more making a total seaside city resort. also famous for its casino gambling, view of Atlantic ocean, sandy beaches, shops, shows and also the site of Absecon Lighthouse ...

i only knew of the "boardwalk" from monopoly, it's that last lot before passing GO with a really high price tag (rent or purchase), good when you own it, bad when you "rent" it...o well, good it's only a game. we got to walk on a real boardwalk on atlantic city, columbus day of last year (oct 12, 08) was the first time and we've been back several times. the boardwalk basically is a long walkway made of boards with the beach and atlantic ocean on one side and hotels, casinos, malls, museums on the other side.

our first stop was to visit the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, it's about a 30-45minute visit for a minimal fee (less than $20 i think). they have everything unusual (a hand-painted butterfly, a big picture made of jelly beans, carved miniature rooms and buildings with amazing detail are some examples). the city also has more than a dozen casino hotels (looks like it), the korean veteran memorial, a mall, an amusement park (steel pier). you can rent a bike and enjoy the boardwalk that way or you can ride their version of a sikad-sikad for a $5 fee i think. if you like lighthouses, don't forget to visit absecon lighthouse by rhode island ave, it's non active but then again still a good photo op.

they also host a lot of filipino shows, they've had eat bulaga, the divine divas (zsa-zsa, regine, kuh and pops) but we never got to watch those. we did watch the most recent one with gary and martin. i've never seen too many filipinos all at once (of course i've seen more when you go to church at home on a christmas day, but i meant here in the US). the show was so worth it...oh i love you gary .... oh, and you too martin (martin's my husband's fave, mine's gary) ... all i can say, as much as i love gary all by himself, the show AS ONE wouldn't have been as great as it was without martin, he has an amazing, amazing voice...

atlantic city...good to have it close by for shows and concerts but i'm not sure if i'd be a frequent visitor otherwise. i've seen their lighthouse, ate boardwalk fries, enjoyed the sunset by the ocean and i'm good ... no gambling for me, i couldn't afford it. ask me again in 5-10 years and we'll see, i'll have enough pennies saved for slot machines by then, hehe....

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

let it snow ... let it snow ... let it snow ...

2009-11-18T23:10:00.002-05:00

... snow. a type of preciptitation in the form of white ice crystals ... to make it easy, it's frozen water falling from the sky, snowflakes have six sides and it is said that no two are ever alike. Snow comes during winter season, more so in northern areas (thankfully not so much in our place), it brings lots of fun things to do and more to experience...

the picture you see on top was our first ever FULL snow experience. We woke up early morning to get ready for work, heard the news that it snowed, looked through the window and this was what we saw ... BEAUTIFUL!! Of course we had to go outside and touch it, duh?!?! Lesson learned: they're really COLD haha, and they burn your hands, so use gloves when you touch them hahaha!! FULL snow I say, because just like rain, sometimes it just drizzles. With snow, it's called "flurries" and you wouldn't have enough to really paint as pretty a picture. We've had snow flurries the past days but this was when it really accumulated a few inches high.

There were things we needed to check off our list of things to do during winter time, and making our snow man was one of them. My boys had fun doing this right outside our apartment one snowy afternoon. We didn't have much snow, so our snowman was just as big as my little boy. He had a rudolph bell nose, reese's chocolate for his eyes, a cracker for his mouth, our cooking utensils for his arms with gloves, more chocolates for buttons, topped off with an elf hat and a scarf to keep him "warm" hahaha! it's hard work making a snowman, but i'll gladly do it again, it's fun! With whatever snow left, we just had to make our snow angels.

In the middle of winter, our friend brought us to a ski resort and we tried snow tubing, no skiing for me though. This is where you slide down a fairly high mountain slope using a tire tube. WOOOHOOOO, it happens fast and it's very fun. Be careful when you get to the bottom though, when you get up, be sure you're not standing on packed frozen ice or else you'll slip...like i did, haha!

Having snow is fun, but of course to have snow you would need super cold weather and that part is not so fun. I'm glad we live in an apartment because I'm sure snow plowing is not fun either. Snow gets to be very slippery when it gets frozen and icy so be extra careful when driving. They put salt to melt the snow on the roads. We haven't tried snow sledding yet, that we plan to this year since it's close to snowtime again. It's snowed in other parts of the US but none at our place yet. We're still at mid50s weather-wise, still wearing a sweater. But I've taken out my warm jackets out of the storage room ... it's getting colder and I'm just about ready, I think.

Kid snow sled $20-$40. warm jacket and snow pants $40-$80. Snow boots $60-$100. Playing outside with my boys and some friends on a nice snow day and rich, hot cocoa inside PRICELESS!!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

halloween 101 - things i learned

2009-11-03T21:24:00.005-05:00

... halloween. it is celebrated anually on october 31, it includes activities as trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, carving jack-o-lanterns, haunted attractions, ghost stories, bonfires, watching horror films...

coming from pinas, i've always celebrated this time of year without any costumes, no trick-or-treating and no pumpkins. all souls' day and all saints' day (nov 1-2) is mostly lighting candles for the dead, saying our prayers, offering and hearing mass, reuniting with distant relatives, painting mausoleums and of course spending a day or two in the cemetery. halloween is something i needed to learn, and here are the basics:

TRICK OR TREAT. this is where you dress up kids (and daddies) in costumes, they go knock from one door to another to get CANDY. I have to remind my son ... that though candy is good, chocolate is better ... and mommy likes BUTTERFINGER, so grab those, hehe! It's cold this time of year so choose costumes that still look good with long johns on and don't forget to bring glow sticks and a big bag for the goodies! be ready, some home owners dress up in costumes too ...

JACK-O-LANTERNS. first go visit a pumpkin patch, they would have different kinds of pumpkins for you, small ones, medium-sized ones and really big ones. get only what you can handle, they get to be really heavy. pick out and print an easy pattern, pin it to the front of your pumpkin, cut the top part out, take the seeds out and then start carving. when you're ready, get a candle, put it inside your pumpkin and voila, you've got a jack-o-lantern! btw, pumpkin patches can give you hayrides, ghost stories and other halloween activities your kids would love.

HALLOWEEN PARTIES. this time of year is not just for kids, they can also be fun for adults. you can wear costumes and have a party (just because!)... i'm not too sure of the idea of santa being in town on halloween though. what do you think?

no doubt about it, halloween is fun but i also make it a point to celebrate it the old-fashioned pinoy way. i do my best to have a mass scheduled in the mausoleum of my parents, paint it once in a good while, keep it clean, and have it ready for visitors/relatives who would light their candles and say their prayers. It's good to have that pinoy part of me as a reminder that october 31-nov 2 is not just candies, pumpkins and costume parties...they can also be about prayers, families and getting together ... and both ways can be equally fun ....

** THIS IS IN MEMORY OF MY MOM AND DAD, I LOVE YOU BOTH! ... THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, GOD BLESS YOUR SOULS! i'll always be daddy's little girl, and i never fail to go by mommy's life lessons to get me through every day ... I WILL BE MISSING YOU BOTH ALWAYS!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

2009 New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge

2009-10-28T21:38:00.004-04:00

... new jersey lighthouse challenge. an event sponsored by the new jersey lighthouse society to educate people and to increase their awareness about jersey lighthouses. the challenge is to visit 11 land-based lighthouses along the coast of jersey and visit 2 1st order Fresnel lenses in TWO days --- october 17-18, 2009...

and needless to say, we did the challenge and we completed it! all 4 meadowlakers woke up at 5:30am, left the house at 6:30am, had our breakfast in the car (mcdonalds pancakes), it was raining and it was dark.

we reached lighthouse #1: the sandy hook lighthouse at 8:30am; #2: twin lights (navesink highlands), one of the best, you get a good top view of the New York Bay, we reached this at about 10:00am; #3: sea girt lighthouse at about 11:00am, it was raining hard, we were hungry. so, we ate lunch in the car by the harbor (we have our rice (with the rice cooker haha), a bucket of KFC and gravy of course, YUM!); then off to #4: 1st Order Fresnel Lens at Barnegat Museum, this was at 12:00 noon, time running fast, challenge is only up to 6PM today...DALI!

continue to #5: Barnegat lighthouse, best harbor ever, very nice, very cold, brrrrrr!, we were here at ~12:30pm #6: tucker's island lighthouse at around 1:30pm (it's actually just a museum now coz the original lighthouse toppled into the water in 1927; #7: absecon lighthouse in atlantic city at 2:30pm?; #8: 1st Fresnel Lens at Cape May Historical Museum, it's getting dark, i'm not sure of the time anymore, maybe 3:30pm?

we're moving slow now, we were hoping to finish everything in a day but the lighthouses were not easy to find, so we got lost more than a few times. #9: herefore inlet lighthouse at 4:30pm? #10: cape may lighthouse at 5:30pm, we were here before so we took pictures just for documentation and then we zoomed out to go to #11: tinicum lighthouse at about 7:00pm, we did out night climb and we were done for the day...oct 18, we heard mass at 7:30am then off we went to #12: finn's point lighthouse at about 9:30am;

we reserved #13: east point lighthouse for last, not because it was special but because the GPS couldn't find it ... at finn's point there were a lot of challengers and so we followed their lead....and we reached the last lighthouse at about 10:30AM and it turned out to be pretty special anyway. it looked beautiful, the sky was clearing up and it was so close to Maurice River, the view was awesome!

and so, with the challenge done and our lighthouse passports complete, we head home, me with my cough and cold, my hubby all tired, the little boy exhausted but altogether excited and happy ... shall do we the maryland and the long island lighthouse challenge people??? READY, SET, GOOOOOO!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

A is for apple

2009-10-28T20:27:00.006-04:00

...apples. fruit of the apple tree, species in the rose family. the tree is small, they may reach a height from 10-39 ft, fruits fall to the ground when they mature. blossoms during springtime and fruits mature mostly in autumn. known to some as the "forbidden fruit" from the "garden of eden" or you've probably seen this fruit occupying that famous spot on fiesta food tables...the lechon's mouth!...

APOL or EPOL hehe? we've always seen apples in fruit stands back home (Pinas) and when we draw trees, we always draw red "apples" on them. but i've never seen an actual apple tree, and when I knew that we could actually do "apple picking" in the orchards here, i had to do it, i just had to....and to make the long story short, we did.

autumn of last year 2008, we went apple-picking in highland orchards, just a few miles from where we live. their place greets you with a play area for kids and a petting zoo. they have llamas, cows, ponies, goats (and mind you, goats are pets and not for kalderetas, so be nice to them, got it!) you have to go on a hayride (it's a truck ride with hay) to go to the orchards.

i was surprised to see shrubs. i was prepared to see something as big as a mango tree. but no, they were kinda small that my little boy can just literally reach for the fruits. it's amazing how many different kinds there are: green apples, golden apples, small red apples, big red apples. most have fallen to the ground coz you see the tree is not very sturdy, and when you pick fresh fruits, the tree shakes a lot and that makes the more mature apples fall, such a waste! you get to pay for a bag worth $8 or so, then you fill it up with any apple you want. we got three bags, ate 3 pieces and gave the rest to friends who baked apple pies, etc. i'm not a big eater of apples...we just wanted the experience, yah? and of course, now i know better when i draw "apple" trees :)

**My little boy had his own trip to the orchard this year (2009) as a school activity. They got to do the hayride, made a scarecrow, tasted apple cider, squeezed? the apples (or something like that) ... see i found a good school, they're training my son early to be the explorer that his mother wants him to be .... GO, GO, KULIT!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

st.louis, MO: name it, they have it

2009-10-26T21:27:00.005-04:00

... st. louis. this city in missouri is also known as the gateway to the west because of the important role it played in the westward expansion of the US. it is the home of the cardinals (baseball team), Anheuser-Busch (budweiser), free zoo!!, the grandest hall in a train station ever (grander than the grand central station, i swear!), the whispering arch and a lot more...
the gateway arch, i've blogged about in a previous post...i forgot to mention that the arch had a museum at its base that showcases america's history, it allows you to relive the old west ... indians, their tools, houses and all.
next, you have Anheuser-Busch Brewery (Budweiser Beer). you get to see how beer is made, how it's canned and here you'll see the biggest asses ever! hehe! the budweiser clydesdales, they're horses that average 68-72 inches in height and may weigh 2,000 lbs. They are known to be Budweiser's most recognizable mascots.

next stop is st. louis union station, it used to be one of the busiest train stations in the US, and in 1980 it was converted to a luxury hotel and a shopping center. here you'll find the "whispering arch", it's an architectural accident(?) that lets you whisper on one end of the arch and the person on the other end will hear it...the arch has been witness to many marriage proposals or other secret declarations ... (whisper: daddy, daddy, huwata ko! haha)

last for now is the st. louis zoo where we watched a sea lion show. this zoo is good because it's free but the show is for a fee. This was one of those times when i felt i was really in the US...coz now, i'm watching these shows and not just seeing them on "barney"! it was a fun experience, i'm not sure if my little travel buddy liked it as much. this is the first US zoo experience for me and the first ever zoo experience for my son and my hubby!

i say, st. louis has it all ... these may seem a lot but they're not, i tell ya! they have a casino, they have big foot, a nice garden of some sort where you can take an evening walk and relax, butterfly garden, botanical garden and a whole lot more. we didn't get to see everything but that's ok ... it gives us a reason to come back you see .... til next time!! :)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

a cheery cherry blossom day in DC

2009-10-26T19:21:00.003-04:00

...cherry blossoms. it is the name of the flower of cherry trees (more like Japanese flowering cherry different from the cherry fruit). In 1912 the Japanese gave 3,000 or so cherry trees to the US as a sign of their then-growing friendship. They were planted in the Tidal Basin of Washington, DC (and other places). Cherry Blossom Festival and the Japanese Street Festival are celebrated when the flowers are in full bloom in early spring and has become a popular tourist attraction...

i patiently waited for april 4, 2009 and blocked my weekend because we will be going to Washington, DC, rain or shine! it was my dream to see the cherry blossoms in all it's splendor and that we did, oh, what a beauty! we had my hubby's sister with us, so i'm happy that her trip to visit us was worth it. i felt bad though coz she had to walk, walk, walk (and did i say walk, already?) the whole day through. museum after museum, from the capitol to the white house we walked, from 10:00am to 8:00pm!

but i'd do it again if you ask me to ... the whole city was a sight to see. there are flowers everywhere! the museums were free, you can go in wherever you want, depending on what your interests are. there's the smithsonian air and space museum, american indian museum, botanical garden, war memorials, art museums, libraries ... ooolala for the knowledge seeker, this is the place to be!

but ME? i am never much of that, i am someone who likes eye candy, that's why i'm bestfriends with my camera! and today in DC i got to SEE my favorite flower of all time--ORANGE TULIPS! and if i have to stop in front of the "who-knows-what-museum" just to bend down (really low) and take a good picture of it, i will...again and again and again!!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

atop the empire state

2009-10-25T21:47:00.000-04:00

... the empire state building. located at the intersection of 5th ave and west 34th street in manhattan, with 102 floors, this building stood as the world's tallest from 1930 until 1972. it houses many private offices and is famous as a meeting place for lovers in such movies as "an affair to remember" and "sleepless in seattle" ....

i climbed the empire state building once before, when i was single and younger (haha) with my brother and her wife but i also want my travel buddies to experience being up there and so we went february 2009. of course we also heard that jollibee new york is now open, that makes the trip all the more worth it!!

you would have to know what street and what avenue the building is or you'll get lost in the midst of manhattan (like we did)...be sure you're there early coz there is a long line to the top (we waited 2 hours!), then up there you'll see the city from a bird's eye view (or so they say!!)

being up so many floors it is expected to be chilly so don't forget to bring your coat--it's windy out there too! they have the top fenced so little boys like mine could look out and not worry about falling (good idea, who would have thought about that!?!)...

other than the 2-hour wait, your stay on the top will be short. but if you want to keep cool and identify all the buildings that you can see on every street of manhattan, you may take a while. they have stores to buy souvenirs from and of course the city has a hundred more stores...you can spend the rest of the day shopping on 5th avenue or go take the long walk to central park. but if you're pinoy, you may want to try dropping by Queens for a Chickenjoy!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

bohol adventure

2009-10-24T18:52:00.008-04:00

... bohol. an island province in central visayas famous for the chocolate hills, the tarsier which is the second smallest primate in the world, panglao island; it is also the seat of the treaty of peace between the Filipinos and the Spanish...good for a day trip, a weekend trip, or a week-long vacation...

we went to bohol, december 2007. i got to travel with both my brothers and their families, (which i hope to do again); we hired a travel agent to give us a tour of tagbilaran where all the sights are. they have the sandugo monument which commemorates the peace pact ("blood compact") between Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna (shall we go back to Gr. 5 Social Studies, cmon?); Baclayon church--one of the oldest churches in the Philippines; we cruised loboc river and had lunch aboard a floating restaurant; played ukelele with a group of kids, saw the manmade forest of mahogany trees, we saw some lemurs, a giant snake, we skipped the hanging bridge but we made sure we took a picture (without flash of course) of the ever tiny tarsier.

the rest of the week was spent in panglao island, we went on a boat ride to see dolphins in their natural habitat...it was amazing, they swam in groups and it felt scary to be so close to them, i had a hard time taking pictures coz we had too much fun chasing them with the pump boat haha. also, don't go without tasting their famous "kalamay", the sweet taste will 'stick' with you (promise!)...

the highlight of the trip was of course the famous chocolate hills of bohol, i thought we had a picture of us jumping with a broomstick but i guess not ... o well, maybe next time :)

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

enchanting camiguin

2009-10-24T18:10:00.003-04:00

... camiguin. a small island province in northern mindanao; it has hot springs and cold springs, Katibawasan falls which drops 250ft; it is where you'll find the best tasting lanzones -- they celebrate Lanzones Festival every October; and of course who can forget the yummiest PASTEL ...

camiguin really is quite small, they say you can tour the island in a few hours (we've been there september 2004, i forgot how many hours exactly ... uhm, maybe 24? joke) ... we flew there from cebu on a small plane that sits 19 people, it was the scariest hour of my life but once you get to camiguin it's all worth the scare. this was a very funny and memorable vacation for us in so many ways. thank God for his providence on this trip, He is amazing all the time!!!

my friend tied us up with the right people who brought us to the right places and provided us with good food, yum! you can enjoy hot springs and cold springs; they have "white island" which is like a sand bar--enchanting how the sand is black by the shore but just 15mins away is purely white sand which changes shape depending on how the winds blow. they have the 250ft Katibawasan falls which drops to a pool where you can swim and enjoy the cool (oops, cold) water, they have an interesting tree house, the church ruins of san roque, the sunken cemetery submerged after a volcanic eruption marked today by a huge cross (would you dare go under?) ...

before you go, don't ever forget to grab a box (or more) of the yummy PASTEL, from what i remember they have different flavors but YEMA is the best, for me! If you want a good 7-day vacation, this is a good place to spend it in. you have nature at its best and historic sights to see as well. the view of mt. hibok-hibok is picture-perfect, just remember not to take any "souvenir" from the White Island and you'll be fine hehe ...

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

lady liberty ... a dream come true

2009-10-24T16:48:00.002-04:00

... the statue of liberty, enlightening the world, commemorates the US declaration of independence; it shows a woman wearing a stola, a radiant crown and sandals stepping on a broken chain carrying a torch on the right hand and on the left hand carries a tablet with the date of the US Declaration of Independence inscribed; found in the NY harbor, it stands to welcome people coming to America; a US icon indeed ...

i always wanted to see lady liberty, and on my 31st birthday i decided to finally go see her. and wow, was this experience surreal, a dream come true for me.

you have to be up early, line up to ride a boat to liberty island; boat ride is about 15-20mins i guess. it's for a minimal fee ($12-$15 i think). you can climb the monument and see the exhibit of liberty's history, replicas of her face, feet, etc. you also get to see the original light that was used for her torch. they have a restaurant that'll keep your tummy full since you have to wait in line to climb up.

the visit to see her is a short one (the reason you get up early is because you have to wait in line for the boat ride and the monument visit). you can drop by ellis island on your way there too, it is where the immigrants enter the US and a symbol of American immigration. and if you still have time, go to nearby manhattan and see what's happening at the times square ...

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

the wonder that is niagara

2009-10-24T16:17:00.002-04:00

...waterfalls on the niagara river, straddling the border between Canada and the US; it has Horshoe Falls which lies more on the Canada side, and the smaller Bridal Veil falls on the American side; a wonder of nature indeed, simple breathtaking...

right after work on a friday (would you believe!), we were off for a 7-hour drive to buffalo, NY to see niagara falls. this is to celebrate our travel buddy's birthday and what a birthday indeed it turned out to be. the falls will literally take your breath away EVERY time you see it...it will keep you awed! there are benches you can sit on nearby to just enjoy the sound of crashing waters or you can lay a blanket and read a book (or sleep if you may)...just being there is magic!!

if you're more adventurous (which we'd like to think we are), you can experience the "Cave of the Winds" tour where you go down into the gorge and get yourself wet or ride the "Maid of the Mist" where you'll see the base of the falls aboard a boat.

this, by far, is the best travel experience ever for me. it's worth every minute of our 7-hour drive and it will be worth the fare too, if you're travelling by plane. rent a hotel nearby and if you're not too tired, try to visit the park at night time and you will see the falls being illuminated. inside the park, they have restaurants, they have a theater where you watch niagara's legendary stories, lots of different stores for souvenirs ... and if you keep your eyes open and your cameras ready, you'll find a rainbow (or two, or three) here and there!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

a glimpse of DC on memorial day

2009-10-24T15:03:00.005-04:00

...washington DC, formally called District of Columbia, is the capital of the US; it is the location of the most famous WHITE HOUSE, the washington memorial, lincoln memorial, thomas jefferson memorial, among others ... and what's good is it's free to get into most of these museums...

the weekend after we arrived in the states (May 20, 2008), we explored DC which is about an hour train ride from where we stayed (Elicott City, MD). We, of course, were excited but scared as well. First, we had limited funds, then we didn't know where we're going exactly. All we had were our English speaking skills and the faith that we'll somehow get there...we rode a taxi to the metrobus station which brought us to a beautiful cathedral ...

then what came after was a full day of walking in the streets of DC ... camera in tow, posing almost anywhere and just enjoying the view, we walked and walked and walked. there were hundreds, if not thousands of people, we saw bikers zooming for a parade. i would suggest not to go at this time, it will be close to impossible to enjoy all the museums, get a good photo of the reflection pool and get up close and personal with lincoln ... go during april during the cherry blossom festival .... we did!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...

the gateway arch, westward and beyond

2009-10-24T14:07:00.013-04:00

...the gateway arch. also known as the gateway to the west, located in st. louis, missouri, hovering 630 ft from the ground, it is considered the tallest monument in the US...

this is the first national monument i got to see together with my family (my first ever were the ones in DC which i saw with friends), we just arrived in the US (less than a month to be exact) and my husband's sister and brother-in-law were very kind to give us a tour around st. louis ... and this started my refrigerator magnet collection.

you get to ride a tram all the way up, it'll be just like an elevator ride, it's a quick one but unlike elevators, you don't feel like it "bumps" you to the next floor, it's a smooth ride. they have videos telling the story of how the structure was created, whose idea was it and who created it. actually, this is a good way to get you busy while waiting for your turn hehe...when you're up there you can see the stadium where their baseball team (the cardinals) plays and you'll see the millenium (their rotating restaurant). on one side you'll also see the jefferson national expansion museum...

and if you decide to look down 630ft from the top, somehow this is how it looks like------>; i couldn't describe how it felt being up there but this monument is a must-see and truly a great architectural wonder!!

...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...