Showing posts with label Monuments/Museums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monuments/Museums. Show all posts
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
st.louis, MO: name it, they have it
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...
atop the empire state
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!!
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...
a glimpse of DC on memorial day
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 ...
...appreciating God's wondrous paradise...
the gateway arch, westward and beyond
...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...
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About Me
- pearl
- i am filipino, proud of my origin ... i have been blessed to be working in the US; i have my hubby and my little boy with me and every weekend (almost!) we try to do something interesting...whether it be in our town, a few miles away, more than a few miles, nearby states or (once or twice) even a plane ride away ....
my travel magnet collection
when the travel bug hits me...i go
my favorite travel buddies
home is where the heart is, miss u all
four parks, one world