Mel's travel adventure

A song for you

2012-01-04T03:20:00.000-08:00

I've been so many places in my life and time
I've sung a lot of songs
I've made some bad rhyme
I've acted out my love in stages
With ten thousand people watching
But we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you

I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I've treated you unkindly but darlin' can't you see
There's no one more important to me
Darlin' can't you please see through me
Cause we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you

You taught me precious secrets of the truth witholding nothing
You came out in front and I was hiding
But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding

I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you

Goodbye USA

2010-10-02T09:29:00.003-07:00

..SOB SOB

Autumn is in the air

2010-10-02T09:29:00.001-07:00

...

New York City

2010-10-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

DC and Arlington the beautiful

2010-10-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

There is no place like home

Fire Island Labor Day

2010-09-22T06:15:00.001-07:00

.. coming soon

Cape Cod Summer

2010-08-27T21:39:00.001-07:00

coming soon ..

The Beautiful West

2010-08-01T07:15:00.001-07:00

.. coming soon

Sizzling July

2010-07-07T21:19:00.001-07:00

...

Happy Independance Day 2010

2010-07-04T14:02:00.001-07:00

Goodbye Blanche Devereaux

2010-06-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

RIP Rue McClanahan

Thank you for being a friend

Sierra Nevada and Vicinity

2010-06-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Arlington

2010-05-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

...

Mt Vernon

2010-05-22T18:20:00.001-07:00

The Vamp of Savannah GA

2010-05-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

Its only 2.15 hours flight from Newark but the air fare is usually very expensive. I was lucky to get a last minute continental airline deal. It costs only $160 to Savannah; round trip. The first day when I arrived, the weather was hot and humid. It was gross. It reminds me of the weather in Malaysia. Because it was so hot, I really didn’t have any mood to do anything. We just drove around the town (its pretty small) and took some pics. Though I was excited to be able to see the Forsyth Park Fountain, Chippewa Square (the square where Forrest Gump was sitting on the bench waiting for the bus to see Jenny), and the Spanish moss draped oak trees. Savannah is a lovely little southern town. People are nice and welcoming. To our surprise, there is Marc Jacobs store similar to the one at P-Town. At night time, we joined the Ghost Walking Tour. I thought I saw a black shadow when the tour guide told us that that Bed and Breakfast is haunted. It wasn’t scary at all. In fact, the body odor from the tour guide was scarier.

The next day, the weather was all cool and nice. What a difference a day makes. In the morning, we drove to a nearby church, recommended by my guide book to have southern fried chicken. The wait was long because they were short of staffs. The food was ok but different. I had fried chicken and collard greens. I must say the fried chicken from the house of prayer in DC is much better. After that, we headed to Tybee Island. Tybee is only 20 min away from Savannah. We saw the Tybee lighthouse (the oldest in Georgia). On the way back, we stopped by Fort Pulaski National Monument. Of course I was excited to get a stamp for my NPS Passport. Since we didn’t get to see Savannah yesterday because it was really hot, we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the charming town of Savannah. At 6, we had a reservation for tor the infamous Lady and Sons restaurant (owned by celebrity chef Paula Deen). The place was packed. Food was good but I wish they had more variety. After dinner we went back to the hotel left the next morning. I am glad I went to Savannah. Finally I have seen the charm side of the South.

Mystic Pizza

2010-05-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

Remember the movie " Mystic Pizza"? It was filmed in Mystic, Connecticut. It was a good 2.15 hr drive from NYC. The movie made Mystic looks like a cool little town. I was a bit disappointed. It is a cool little town but very small. Maybe I was expecting something more. Oh well, what can I say. Hollywood did a good job in editing!

Southern Decadance

2010-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ft Lauderdale and Miami

Allergy season is finally here again. All I want to do is to go somewhere south pollen free. On Friday morning, we flew to Ft Lauderdale. I was pretty excited because I’ve never been there and I have always wanted to go back to Miami. Ft Lauderdale is only 35 miles drive north of Miami. Chris’ friend, Eric, was kind enough to offer us accommodation and be our tour guide. We had tea at this beautiful Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. It was a relaxing day. At night we drove around in downtown Miami. The next day, we headed to Miami Beach. Little that we know, it is Miami’s pride week. We got to see the Pride Parade. On Sunday, we stayed at Ft Lauderdale. We took a boat ride to see famous mansions along the Ft Lauderdale River that leads to the ocean. After the ride, we had authentic Cuban food. It was D-licious.

New Orleans - The Big Easy

On Monday, I flew to New Orleans. I was really excited because I’ve heard so many good things about New Orleans. Sadly, my first impression was – I fucking hate the city. First of all the cab driver was rude and didn’t understand a word that I said. Upon arrival, I walked to Jackson Square and took the grayline bus to the Oak Valley Plantation. It is gorgeous. There are 14 oak trees on each side that leads to the mansion. It’s truly a southern charm. Movies like the Forrest Gump and the Interview with the Vampire were filmed here. After the tour, I went to walk around the French Quarter. The architecture of the townhouses is really unique and beautiful. It’s very New Orleans. I stopped by Café Dumont for donough and coffee. The waiter was so rude. At night, I had dinner at this local restaurant called “Mothers”. The people were rude but the food was really good. Had crawfish etoofee and gumbo. Was really disappointed to find out that they are out of turtle soup but I will try again tomorrow. After dinner, I walked along Bourbon St to see what’s so special about it. It’s noisy with lots of people drinking everywhere, people throwing beads at you, jazz playing everywhere, and I love it.

Tue will be the last day of my trip. In the morning, I went to join the St Louis cemetery walking tour. When I was buying the ticket, I asked this woman is she could break a 100. She gave me a lecture about carrying small change in New Orleans. What the fuck, shut up woman. I do not need a lecture. If you don’t have it, end of story. After that I meet up with the tour guide and walked to the St Louis Cemetery. It is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans and the voodoo queen, Marie Laveau was buried there. They said that if you put your hands on her tomb and make a wish, you wish will come true. I wished that I will be able to come back to the US someday again after I leave. And if I did, I will come back to pay respect to her again. Let’s see if my dream will come true. After that I walked to Jackson Sq again to join the Bayou tour at the Jean Latiffe Preserve. The tour was nice. Saw the usual alligators, turtles, bald cypress, and etc. I was actually pretty disappointed that they didn’t serve alligator meat for lunch. Once I got back to New Orleans, I headed to the airport. Had oyster Po Boy at the airport. So what do I think about New Orleans? People are rude. French Quarter is beautiful. Food is good. It definitely has its own character. Despite being treated rudely, I still want to come here again. I think it has its own southern charm that keeps people coming back. By the way, I didn’t have time to see Brad Pitt’s house but I definitely will the next time I come back!

There is no place like DC

2010-04-07T22:23:00.001-07:00

coming soon..

Spring in DC 2010

2010-04-07T22:22:00.002-07:00

Spring in Central Park

2010-04-07T22:22:00.001-07:00

coming soon

February Fury

2010-02-10T20:17:00.001-08:00

coming soon ..

San Francisco ...

2010-02-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

DC is expected to get 19 inches of snow again. My flight to SF is at 8am. When I arrived at the Ronald Reagan Airport, there was already a huge line. Since DC is expected to have a major snow storm, everybody is trying to fly out of DC. Due to the long security line, I arrived at the gate 10 min before the departure time but the gate had already closed. I was so pissed. They put me on the next flight (standby). I was on number 25. The next flight was full. After 4 standby flights, I was finally checked in. As soon as it begins to snow, my flight took off. It was the last flight flying out of DC. Close call. It took me 12 hours to get to SF. What a day. When I arrived, it was already dinner time.

The next morning, we had dim sum for breakfast. Shortly, we were heading south on Highway 1. We stopped by at this awesome place called the Mysterious Spot at Santa Cruz. It’s a place where the laws of physics don’t apply. Sometimes you look taller, sometimes you look shorter. You can lean your body 30 degrees forward or backwards without falling. It was an awesome experience. After playing around in awe like a bunch of kids, we headed to Monterey and Carmel 17 mile drive. I was actually pretty disappointed with this Scenic Byway. It’s pretty but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. After that we headed a bit further south to Big Sur. Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. I have always wanted to go there after I saw Mike Better on the Weather Channel talking about the weather on Big Sur. Shortly after we passed the Bixby Creek Bridge, we turned around and had dinner at Monterey. It was an awesome day.

The next morning, we drove north to Sausalito. It is located at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. It offers a gorgeous view of the city, making it a popular tourist destination. My flight back to DC is delayed until the next morning. This is my second visit to SF and I’m still loving it. I hope someday I will be able to call it – HOME.

Snow Storm of 2009 - DC

2009-12-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

Snow storm is rare in DC. The last time we had a major snow storm was in 2003. On 19 Dec 2009, we had a record breaking snow (16.4 in) for the month of Dec. For 2 days, the city was literally covered with snow putting the city to a halt. Buses were cancelled and only the underground metro lines were operating. I was lucky enough to witness the snow and I must say I was actually had fun, of course I was at work. I had to stay because no one came (except for Ian). I guess the Man up there was kind enough to let me experience a major snow storm one more time. Lord knows when I will have another chance.

Southwest - More Pic

2009-11-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

Southwest - It's Yesterday Once More

2009-10-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Since the first time I went to the Southwest almost 3 yrs ago, I instantly fall in love with it. I know that I will not be in the US for long, I want to go back to the Southwest one more time. So I join this southwest tour by http://www.cosmos.com/, which I found online randomly. It 's a 12-day tour. I do not know what to expect. A am a bit excited and nervous at the same time. Do not know why i am nervous. I guess it's because i have to share room with a stranger for 12 days. I hope that this trip is going to be a memorable one just like before.

Day 1 (Washington DC to Phoenix/Scottsdale)

The flight was at 8:20 departing from Ronald Reagon (layover at Chicago). I arrived at Phoenix at 12.30pm. I didnt know why wasnt very excited. I have always wanted to go to Phoenix especially Scottsdale. Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. Scottsdale is regarded as an upscale tourist and shopping destination and as a representation of western American style. It was only 10 min shuttle bus ride from the airport. I checked in to my hotel (Hospitality Suites). I was told that I will not be sharing room with someone tonight, That's good news. Then I took a bus to Old Town Scottsdale. I wasnt very impressed. Scottsdale for me is like Palm Springs. Later I had lunch and then went back to the hotel. I meet up with the group leader. And then i went swimming at the hotel pool. The water was warm. It was nice. It was actually at that moment I began to feel like I am on a vacation.

Day 2 (Phoenix to Tucson) stupid memory card died

At 8am, we bagan our journey south to Tucson. I have been to Tucson before a year ago. It's good to go back there since I didnt get to take some nice pic (I had he wrong mode on my camera last time). I am also a excited about seeing Saguaro again of course. For those of you wki know me, I have a thing for saguaro cactus. On the way, we saw cotton farms. Never seen them before. Our first stop was the Saguaro National Park. Spent about 1 hour there. Just enought for me to take some nice pic since I am using Chris' SLR camera this time. After that, we headed to the Sonoran Desert Museum. Also a place that I went with Bill last time. The museum looks similar. I even remember where to find the ice cream store. And the ice cream tasted as good as before. After the museum, we headed further south to Tubac. Tubac was the original Spanish colonial garrison in Arizona. It was depopulated during the O'odham Uprising in the eighteenth century. During the nineteenth century, the area was repopulated by miners, farmers and ranchers, but the town of Tubac is best known today as an artists' colony. Tubac is only probably 20 miles away from the Mexican Border. Even the road signs are in KM instead on MILES. I thught that was cool. Then we headed to Tucson. The hotel was nice. And I get to stay by myself again. Eveything went well until I loaded my pics. The memory card was dead. I had to format the memory card which means all the pics that I took are gone!!! what the fuck!!! So pissed. Maybe I am destined not to have good pics of the Saguaro. This is the 3 time that I happened to me. First time in Death Valley, second time in Tucson where i had the wrong mode. And this time the whole thing died. What the fuck is this? Sarcasm???

Day 3 (Tucson)

The breakfast at the hotel was good. At around 830 we headed to San Xavier Mission. I was there before so I wasnt really excited about it. I was going go back to the gift shop to buy the cactus cell phone band (I bought one before but it was broken) but they didnt have it anymore. That was disappointing cause I always thought of coming back to buy it. Now that I am here again, they didnt have it anymore. The is a small hill right beside the mountain. On the left of the mission, there is a small hill, Grotto Hill. This time I went up there and walked around. After that we headed to Tombstone. Again I was there before. This time we spent 3 hours there!!! omg. Since there's really nothing to do there, I joined this silver mining tour. The tour guide took up deep into the mine 100 ft down. It was fun. After that had buffalo burger for lunch. Then went back to the hotelk around 430. Right before sunset, I went to the back of out hotel. There is a a cactus forest just laying there. Took some nice pics since all the pic that i took yesterday were gone !!

Day 4 (Tucson to Las Cruces)

The journey began at 8 am this morning. The distance to Las Cruces is about 240 miles. Our first stop was at a gas station in Dragoon, Arizona. On the way there, there were many billboards exhorting you in bold shades of red, yellow, and blue to see, "The Mystery of the Desert." "The Thing," they announce. "What is It?". And our tour guide wouldnt really tell us what is it. It costs $1 to get in. I was like, what the hell. So I paid and walked in. Turned out that they were some unusual exhibits of road signs, carvings, old cars, etc etc. These people will do anything to get people to get in. It's one of those roadside atttractions, Later I found out that this place was here since 1950s. Stupid but timeless. It's one of those tourist things that you need to do. Later on we headed for lunch at a small town, I had KFC. After that we drove into Mexico and we passed the continental divide. Later we headed to Deming, our tour guide;s hometown. He was kind enough to show us his house where he bred his horses. We also met his wife and his dogs. I thought that was pretty neat. Now we really got to experience the real SW lifestyle. After that we headed to a winery for wine tsating (Colin Winery). The best part is, it's free. !! I didnt know they have wine in New Mexico. Finally, we headed for Las Cruces. I was here before (passed by) the last time on the way back to El Paso from Tucson with Bill. And I still remember seeing the mountains sitting right behind the town. I went running for 2 miles. Felt like out of breath and light headed. I think it must be the high elevation. At night I had dinner at Dickies (barbecue). After being convinced by one of our tour people (Anne from Brooklyn). Anne was an cheerful old lady traveling with her son. She told me that I have to try that restaurant. She was like it was an experience eating with the rednecks (she really said that), food was cheap, you got to choose your own pickle (a whole pickle) from the jar, free ice cream, etc etc. So I went there and the food was good. On the way back, I stopped by at the hotel restaurant. There's this band playing hispanic music (it's called the SAL TRIO). Love it. So romantic and so spanish. Just like in the movies. I am finaly sharing tonight with a gentleman name Colin from the UK. He just turned 65 and this is his 5th time visiting the US. He is friendly. In fact everyone in the bus is.

Day 5 (Las Cruces to Alburquerque) - Got pulled over by border patrol and cops. WTF

We began the journey at 8am this morning. I was a bit disappointed to find out that we are not goin to Truth and Consequences. The excuse was the town is on the other side of the road. Oh well. So the morning was fine untik we got stopped by this border patrol. The guy walked into the bus and start cheking ID and passports. I told him that I wasnt a citizen but i am a residence. All I have was an ID. So he asked me for my passport. I didnt bring my passport. Then he told me that he had to go vefify my ID and it if's invalid he's goin to arrest me. I told him fine. Then he came back minutes later and told me everything is fine and asked to bring my passort with me in the future when i go traveling. What the fuck? First of all, I was really stressed out when he told me that I might get arrested. Second of all, 10 years living in the US including 7 yrs on the nation's capitol , i was never questioned before. Now I am in some redneck towns and i got questioned. What the fuck? I never bring passport when go out. Who does? An ID is sufficient. Anyway, I was stressed out for the entire fucking day ....#@%$^. Anyway, after that, we continued out journey to White Sands National Monument. I was there before. Took some nice pics and then we headed north to Alburquerque (passed by Alamorgordo). On the way , we passed by the Valley of the Fire (apparently there was a volcano eruption 15000 yrs ago and its lava flowed 60 miles and created this awesome lava bed). We also passed by the Trinity point where the first atomic bomb was tested. Then we headed north driving along the mighty Rio Grande to Alburquerque. I am sharing room with Colin again tonight. Later at night, we took a tram to go up to Sandia Peak. The train is the longest in the world, strectching some 2.3 miles. The view from the top was awesome. We got to see the sunset. Had steak up there. After that we got back to the hotel at around 930. Oh,, I forgot something, We also got pulled over because Steve our driver was charged with speeding. I know he wasnt. He was driving 65 mph when its was only allowed 55mph. Who knew. It was a bobby trap and the cops knew it. I love the Southwest but I hate all this cops and border patrol here. Fucking annoying. Last time when I went to the Monument Valley with Dave, we got pulled over too because he was speeding. So many fucking cops in this region here hiding to get you!!! What a fucking horrible day

Alburquerque at night

Day 6 (Alburquerque to Santa Fe)

The first native american Saint

Georgia O'Keffee Museum

We began the journey at 830 this morning. Santa Fe's only about 70 miles away from Alburquerque. On the way there, we passed thru the old town which is onky a fews blocks away from the hotel but we didnt stop. We shouls have. I was a but pissed. Instead we stopped at downtown which is newer but boring to me. Then we drove up north toward Colorado plateau to Santa Fe along Rio Grande. You can actually see how water bring life to the desert along the highway. There's always a green patch near the river. Its amazing how water creates life in this region. Later we got to Santa Fe. It was chilly around 45F. We had a walking guide giving us a tour of downtown. I found that boring and decided to explore by myself. Santa Fe is the highest (7000 ft) and the oldest (around 1610 by the Spanish) in the US. Of course the highlight of the city is its unique architecture. A unique blend of the native indians and the Spanish. There is a catheredal in the middle of downtown where it has the oldest statue of Virgin Mary in the US. I bought lunch at this street stand. Bought fajita and tomale, when i asked for a fork, she told me that they didnt have forks! what the fuck is this shit, what i am supposed to eat the food with? my dirty hands? I tell you, if i were in DC, I will definately report that to the dept of health. So pissed. So I ate my my hands got food all over my hands and my face and made a mess. Fucker. Almost all the galleries require admission fees. I began to miss DC at that point. I bought a silver ring at the Native American Arts and Craft center ($20). We were allowed to do out own walking for 5 hours. I spent the last 2 hours at the Georgie O'Keffie (a very famous american painter) museum which ia also our pickup place for our bus. While waiting for the bus, it snowed. Crazy .. Our hotel like 2 miles away from downtown. I was absolutely delighted to find out that there's a Whole Foods right behind the hotel. I went there for dinner. That Whole Foods is fancier that the ones in DC and NYC. Who knew? Before that I walked to Santa Fe Southern rail depot which is only 5 min walk from our hotel. Accross the street from there there's a REI shop. I bought a pair of Noth Face gloves.

The oldest Virgin Mary in the USA

Day 7 (Santa Fe - Bandelier National Monument)

So last night was horrible. My roomate's snoring was louder than a freight train. I could barely sleep. When I woke up, I was suprised to see snow on the ground. Apparently it snowed almost 1 inch last night. What a difference a day makes. Because of the foggy condition, our bus was delayed to depart at 10 instead of 9. Our first was Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier National Monument is a 32,737 acres (13,248 ha) National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Absoluteky stunning. I got to climb up to one of those wall dwellings using what the call the kiva ladder. After that we headed to Los Alamos. Los Alamos (Spanish: Los Álamos, meaning "The cottonwoods") is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was founded to undertake the Manhattan Project. Its also called the Atomic City. Had lucnh there and went to the Science Museum. After that we headed back to Santa Fe. I walked around downtown again. This time I saw the Stata Capitol Building. It doesnt have a dome. funny.. Then I saw the oldest church structury of the USA and also the oldest house the USA. I though that was pretty cool. Weather was cold, around 40F.

Phallic Art?

Oldest house in the USA

Oldest church structure in the USA

Day 8 (Sante Fe to Taos to Durango)

Camel Rock

Wake up and had breakfast. Then I went to Whole Foods to get something for lunch later. We headed to Toas. Taos is about 70 miles away from Santa Fe. Instaed of going to downtown area, I wanted to go to the Taos Pueblo. Jack, our group leader said he can dropped some of us of at the pueblo. Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old. Taos Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. The Taos community is known for being one of the most secretive and conservative pueblos.Taos Pueblo's most prominent architectural feature is a multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe divided into two parts by the Rio Pueblo. According to the Pueblo's Web site, it was probably built between 1000 and 1450 A.D. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960 and in 1992 became a World Heritage Site. As of 2006, about 150 people live in it full-time. It was absolutely stunning. I came to this trip to see things like this. After Taos, we headed for lunch at Chama. The restauranty is called High Country. The fried chicken was gpod and different. Reminds me of the korean friend chicken. The restarrant is a typical western style restaurant/bar. You can literally eat peanuts and throw the shell on the floor. That was cool. And there was jukebox playing country music. It was really cool. After lunch, we drove up the mountains to Colorado heading to Durango. We arrived at around 530. I get to have the room by myself tonight. Durango is better than what i expected. It 's a lovely small town (very accessible). It has has a local bookstore, coffee shops, record store .. etc. It good to see a town where there's no Starbucks, Barnes and Nobles. and etc ...

Chimney Rock

Day 9 (Durango to Mesa Verde to Kayenta)

Woke up this morning and it was snowing, a lot. Approximately 2 inches. But the show must go on. Later we headed to Mesa Verde National Park. It was snowing the whole way and it was pretty bad. To go to Mesa Verde we need to drive another 1500 ft above in the snow. Pretty scary. I guess we have a good driver – Steve. He’s from Salt Lake City so he’s used to the snow. When we got up there, it was still snowing. Our first stop was the Spruce Tree House. We have to hike 10 min down the hill. When we got there, it was amazing. I’ve never seen any archeological sites to this extend before. Absolutely amazing, Then had lunch at the cafeteria. Had fried bread and salsa. It was delicious. Then the snow finally let up. Before we left we went to see the Cliff Palace. It was a tiring day. We left mesa verde at around 1pm. Then headed to Kayenta. Took almost 4 hours to get there. We passed thru highway 491 which is formally 666. Since the last time I went there, I always wanted to see the 666 sign., but too bad they recently changed the highway to 491 after people steal the signs. Passed through the Four Corners. Was told by Jack (tour guide) that the actual four corners is actually 1 mile away. Then we headed to Kayenta. Driving on that highway towards definitely brings back a lot of memories. It was snowing the whole way. Staying at Kayenta Holiday Inn. I remember Kayenta just like before, Had dinner at the hotel . Had fried chicken, So good!!!!

Cliff Palace

Highway 491 = The old Highway 666

Day 10 (Monument Valley to Grand Canyon NP)

Woke up and surprised to see 3 inches of snow on the ground. I knew it was going to be an interesting day. Then I went to the front desk to ask for some lotions. The front desk person wasn’t so friendly. On the way there, I saw 2 dogs sleeping outside in the cold. Poor thing. I wonder why they didn’t let the dogs in when it’s that cold (30s). Then we headed to the Monument Valley. Since the last time, I have always dreamt of coming back. It was a bit emotional when I first saw the rocks and Goulding lodge. Once we got there, we were put on a 4 wheel drive just like I did before. This time the weather is a bit different, it’s colder and there’s snow on the ground. Quite an unusual sight. So we went there. This time I make sure that I take some nice pics. Last time I had the wrong mode on my camera. We also went back to the John Ford point. And the horseman was there too. Was told that the horseman is pretty old, 80 something yrs old but he still likes what he’s doing. After the tour we went back to Goulding for lunch. I was at the same seat too (at least I think I was). Had fried bread with Beef Stew and prickly pear tea just like before. Then service was bad and the staff wasn’t that friendly. Then I went to the gift shop and bought a pin. Also walked around room 320 (right beside the restaurant), the one that I stayed before. At around 12pm, we headed to Cameroon. On the way there, we passed thru the Painted Desert and also the dinosaur tracks. We stopped at Cameroon Trading Post. We didn’t stop there the last time. I bought a cowboy hat ($50), I have always wanted one. Then we headed to the Grand Canyon, this time we went on the other side. So I got to see some new views. Out first stop was the desert viewing. I bought a vase and the national park book. Then we headed to the village. I was surprised to find out that we are staying at Maswik Lodge again. This time the room number was 6662. At night went out to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Had tuna fish and wine. Was sitting with Anne, Bob, Sue, Dan and the British ladies. Then we started to walk about food. It was fun. They all thought that I was 23 yrs old and I told them I am 30. After dinner I went back to the hotel. It’s going to be a cold cold night. (15F). I had a really great time today.

Painted Desert

Day 11 (Grand Canyon to Sedona to Phoenix)

Last night was really cold (about 15F). I was going to go see sunrise but it was cold in the morning. Anyway before leaving I walked to the canyon to see it one more time. I saw a trail that leads to the bottom of the canyon. If I ever come back here again, I want to do that. Then we headed to Sedona. This time coming from the north passing thru Oak Creek Canyon. That canyon is even more beautiful than the Grand Canyon, I think. We only have 2 hours in Sedona. I went back to the same restaurant that I went to have cactus fries (at the Cowboy Club Restaurant). Since the last time, I have been looking everywhere for cactus fries and failed to. I guess Sedona is the only place to serve cactus fries after all. I wanted to take the Vortex tour but didnt have time of course. After Sedona, we headed back to Phoenix. The first sight of the Saguaro cactus marks the entrance into the Sonoran desert. After being on the plateau for so many days, finally I feel grouded again. At night, we went out to the Rustler' Rooste (cowboy steakhouse) to have the farewell dinner. They had live country music, unlimited drinks, steak, and etc. It was fun. Some of them were doing line dancing as well. When we got back to the hotel, we said goodbye to everyone especially Donald from the Scotland, Ann and Bob from Brooklyn. They were really nice and friendly to me the whole time. The next morning, I took the 630am flight to Newark just in time for Halloween. This whole experience had been a great one. Although I must say it was a bit slow in the beginning but I really do enjoy it. It was fun to have Colin as my roomate and everyone was just so friendly and nice. I hope I will come back to this region again sometimes in the future.

I'm going home

2009-09-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

From the day I went away, goodbye all
Was all had to say, now I know
I want to come again and stay, oh my life
Smile and that will mean I'm there
Because I've seen oh blue skies
Through the tears in my eyes
And I realize, I'm going home

Everywhere has been the same, real lame
Like I am outside in the rain, real lame
Free to try and find the game
Cards for sorrow, cards for pain

Because I've seen oh blue skies
Throught the tears in my eyes
And I realize, I'm goin home
I'm going home
I'm going HOME

Rehoboth Beach - Delaware

2009-09-15T20:58:00.001-07:00

What a difference a day makes. I went back to DC on Saturday and on Sunday I went to Rehoboth Beach in Deleware with my friend Sergey. This was probably the 4th time I went to Rehoboth. Rehoboth is probably the closet beach from Washington DC., When there's no traffic, it takes only abour 2 hours to get there. Since it was after Labor Day, hotels were cheaper and less crowded. We got a hotel for only $60 ($200 in the summer time). We stayed at the SandCastle Motel. We stayed there before a couple of years ago. Conveniently located, has a pool, free parking, what else to ask for? The weather was good, around 84F. The water was suprisingly warm. I say the best time go to the the beach is a few days after Labor Day. As usual, every time I go to Rehoboth, I see dolphins and this time was no exception. It was only a 3 day trip. We stayed for 2 nights. The sky was clear at night. You can see the whole galaxy of stars. What a view.

The Last Frontier - ALASKA

2009-09-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Alaska was of the places that I wanted to go since 5 yrs ago. It always seems so inaccessible and so far away. One day, I went to the library and rented the Alaska travel book. Before I knew it, I started to book the train tickets and hotels. Many people choose to go to Alaska in July or August. I decided to go in Sept where it’s a bit cheaper but colder. It took me about 2 months to put my plans together. And I am so proud to be the first person in my circle of friends to step on the land of the last frontier - ALASKA

Day 1 (DC to Anchorage)

Total flight time is about 11 hours from DC to Denver to Anchorage. It was funny how t

he DIRECTV on the plane (Frontier Airline) got cut off when it was flying in Canada. When

the plane was approaching Anchorage, I saw glaciers for the first time on the plane. I’ve never seen glaciers before so I was really excited. It was around 930 and it the sun was still up. When the plane landed, the pilot told us to take a look on the left where Mt McKinley majestically stands. It was gorgeous. When I got off the plane, I was a big bright moon right in front of me. What a welcoming sign. Chris’ flight landed 15 min after mine. Then we took a cab to our hotel (Ramada Inn). The cab driver was really friendly. He told us about the city and the northern lights,

bla bla bla. So far my impression of Alaska has been a good one. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

Day 2 (Anchorage to Seward)

The train ride was at 6am. We had to wake up like at 5. The hotel offered free shuttle service to the train station. It was only like 1 mile away anyway. So we got on the train and then we headed south. It was one the prettiest rides I have ever seen. The first half of the ride was right beside the river (sea?). We saw beluga whales, bald eagles, mooses, and etc etc. The train actually passed thru 2 glaciers. After about 4.5 hours, we finally arrived at Seward. It was a beautiful day. We were extremely lucky because sunshine day in Seward is rare. Had lunch at this restaurant by the harbor. The homemade soup was good. And I had caribou burger. After walking around downtown Seward, we headed to our hotel, Seward Windsong Lodge. The lodge is beautiful with a rustic feel to it. Without wasting time, we went to Exit Glacier which is located about 5 miles from the hotel. On the way there. We saw this river full of salmon swimming upstream to spawn. That was cool. At night we took the shuttle to downtown for dinner. Went to this restaurant called CHINOOK. Had my first kingcrab and it wasn’t cheap. (about $40). The restaurant is sitting right by the harbor so we got a harbor view. We saw an otter swimming while we were eating. That was cool. After dinner, we took the shuttle back to the lodge and rest.

Day 3 (Seward – Kenai Fjord National Park)

The next morning, we took the shuttle to the harbor to take the marine tour into Kenai Fjord National Park. Kenai Fjord NP is a marine NP. It’s only accessible by boat as there is no road in the park. There was a park ranger on the boat. We were sharing a table with a couple from Wyoming. They were friendly. The guy was actually a cop. We talked and joked. Chris was suffering from sea motion sickness for the first 2 hours. After taking Dramamine and ginger candy, he felt better. We saw orca (I wasn’t expecting to see it), puffin birds, and seals. At around 1pm, lunch was served. The food was surprisingly good. (prime ribs, rice pilaf, salmon.. all u can eat!!) Of course the highlight of the tour was seeing the glacier. It was so beautiful. The boat stopped for about 20min for photo opportunity. While everyone was busy taking pics, suddenly we heard a loud noise (like thunder lightning). Then a huge chunk of the glacier collapsed into the sea. It was cool !!! I mean I have always seen this on tv but to see it live, it was just breathtaking. The employees took a glacier ice (the ones floating on the sea) and use it to make margarita. The was cool!!. It was so good that we had 2. On the way back, the back door that leads to the bathroom was broken. People who went to the bathroom or went outside were trapped. It was funny. It took 2 employees and some volunteers 20 min to finally take the lock off. We went back to Seward around 7pm. It was almost an 8 hour journey. Had dinner at FISH & CHIPS restaurant. Then headed back to the lodge.

Day 4 (Seward to Anchorage)

The day begun with light rain. I was gonna go back to the river to see salmon but it was raining. We had breakfast at the hotel. Food was good but expensive. $18 for king crab Benedict. At around 10am, we took the motor coach back to anchorage. The ride was pretty and surprisingly intellectual (the bus driver). We got in to anchorage at around 1pm. The bus stopped at the museum. We walked in the museum for a while. Had lunch there. Mine was good but Chris’ was to salty. Out hotel is like 8 blks away so we decided to walk. On the way, we stopped by at Nordstrom. (Apparently Nordstrom is the biggest dept store in anchorage after JCPenny). We got to the hotel and checked in. (Captain Cook). Out first room had a hotel with the river view but there’s only 1 bedso we had to change room with the city view. After that we went outside to walk around. While I was shopping for souvenirs, Chris got us a table for dinner. Food was really good. On the way back, I walked go the waterfront while Chris is back to the hotel watching tennis. I spent almost 1.5 hrs at the waterfront. It was so quiet yet so beautiful seeing sunset with glaciers at the background. Later I went back to the hotel. Was going to go to pool but realize that we had to pay for it. At night time, we just stayed at the hotel, resting.

Day 5 (Anchorage to Denali)

In the morning, we walked to the train station that’s located 10 min away from the hotel. Out host on the train was Chad. He did a good job at making us not falling asleep as the journey to Denali is about 6 hrs!! the landscape changes dramatically as we approach Denali. On the way, we passed thru WASILA. The hometown of Sarah Palin also known as the town u can see Russia from. I thought that was pretty cool. As we go further, the three color changes to bright yellow and orange. We also passed thru tundra (permafrost) forest. We finally arrived at around 3pm. Upon arrival, we were transferred to our hotel (Denali Princess Lodge). It must be the biggest lodge around that area, it’s huge. We walked around the area, checking out the stores on the main street. Was gonna go water rafting but for some reason we did not (I still regret that I didn’t do it). At the night time, had dinner at the lovely restaurant called king salmon. Food was good!!

Day 6 (Denali - Denali National Park)

Today is going to be a marathon. A 13 hour bus tour in Denali NP. Since cars are not allowed in the park, we had to take a bus tour. The tour starts at 8.15. it was cold but the weather was good. We were told by our bus driver that the weather is probably one of the best summer days this year. We could see Mt McKinley throughout the whole journey. The bus stopped after 2 hours for cookies and hot drinks break. We saw grizzly bears (my first time seeing them in the wild), mooses, dall sheeps, and caribous. When we go to the visitor center, we had a good view of Mt McKinley. it was so gigantic that it seemed unreal. So beautiful and I felt so lucky to be able to see it. The bus went all the way to the end old the road (unpaved) to Kantishna Roadhouse. We had lunch there and then we were taught how to gold panning. I found a small gold nugget on my pan. It was so exciting!!! Of course I got to keep it J. After the gold panning, there was a brief dog sledding demonstration, very Alaskan. We got back to our hotel at around 7.45pm. We found out that there’s an outdoor hot tub that’s still open. Then we chilled in the hot tub. So comfy.

Day 7 (Denali to Anchorage to DC)

Today is the last day of the Alaska journey. We went to King Salmon restaurant again for breakfast. And then we headed to the rail depot. I left my phone in the pocket of my jeans in the luggage. So I didn’t have my cell in the train. The journey back was long and tiring. When we arrive in anchorage, we took cab to the airport. Then took the plane back to DC. I am so glad I went to Alaska. It was everything that I thought it would be, the only thing I regret is that I didn’t go to Fairbanks and do the Dalton highway to Prudhoe Bay (top of the world). I guess I’ll save that for next time. Well, I am not sure when I'll be back but I know for sure that I'll come back to ALASKA AGAIN.

July 4th in New England (Boston - MA, Provincetown - MA, Newport - RI)

2009-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

This year's independence day falls on a Sat and therefore Friday is a federal holiday. I went to New England states on this 3-day weekend. The first stop is Boston. Actually we started driving from New York at around 1.30 pm on Fri. We didnt get in to Boston until around 6pm. Once arrived, we checked in to our hotel, Sheraton. The last time I was in Boston was almost 3 years ago on the way to Maine. After check in, we walked to this seafood restaurant for dinner. Eveybory had the lobster meal since we were in Boston. It was good. I was actually sick and couldnt really taste the food that well because I had stuffy nose. After dinner, we went up to the Hancock building for drinks. You can see the night view of the city at the rooftop bar and it didnt cost anything to go in. The next day, we drove to Provincetown, MA. The drive was about 2.5 hr. This is my second time in P Town. Once we arrived, we walked around the town and did some shopping at Marc Jacobs.

It is said that because Marc Jacobs has a house in P-Town, his store in this town sells merchandise at a discounted price. After shopping, we walked to the beach. The water is too cold for swimming. After the beach, we went to the same restaurant that I went last year, Victors. Had oysters and shrimps for appetiser. They are as good as they get. Had dinner there as well. The portion of the food is small but it's delicious. After dinnner, we went to thr pier to see fireworks at around 9pm. Later, we went to a bar and stayed there until 12am. Then we drove 2 hours to Warwick, RI for out hotel since all the hotels in P-Town were sold out. Talk about recession.

On the third day, we went to Newport, RI. It was my first time there. Newport is famous for its mansions. We did a tour of that. The BREAKERS mansion is the grandest of all. It was built by Anderson Cooper's grandfather. We didnt go in for the tour as it costs $18. After that we headed home for NYC. The traffic was of course horrible. We didnt get back to the city around 10pm. We had Taiwanese food for dinner. It was good. It was such a rush trip but we got to see a lot of things. It was fun.

Michael Jackson Rest in Peace (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

2009-06-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am not a big fan of Michael Jackson but did like him a lot when I was like 6 yrs old. I remember listening to Billie Jean and danced my ass off. His bizarre behavior didn't really bother me. All I know is he was a GREAT performer. Rest in peace MJ

Journey to the West

2009-06-13T17:56:00.001-07:00

(Colorado - CO, Wyoming - WY, South Dakota - SD, Montana - MT, Idaho - ID, Utah - UT)

Day 1 - Denver (CO)

Ok, I am going to do something I have never done before – joining a Chinese organized tour. I am going to spend seven days with a tour bus full of Chinese people while go to the western national parks. The idea sounds scary but hey it’s cheap. The first day of the journey begins in Denver. My flight flew in Denver at 11am. When I got the baggage claim area, I saw this tour guide name Larry folding a typical yellow Chinese tour flag with the company logo on it. After reporting to him, I looked around. I saw surrounded with all Chinese people. Most of them are old people with families, all speaking Chinese. Being in the US for almost 10 years, I have to admit that I am more comfortable being around with English speakers. My first thought was “what I brought myself into!!” At about 11.30 the tour guide began to introduce himself. I was actually pretty impressed with the way he talks. Everything that he said, he said it in English and Mandarin. So there’s no confusion. Our first stop was the Red Rock Amphitheater. I was there like 3 weeks ago but this time the weather was nicer. Then we went to the state capital and the 16 St mall. We were supposed to go to the Coors Beer brewery but it got cancelled because the brewery cancelled the tour about a month ago. I was pretty disappointed because that was the only thing I didn’t go see on my last trip to Denver 3 weeks ago. Later we went to this Chinese buffet restaurant for dinner. On the way back to the hotel it rain raining hail. We were actually caught in the middle to a hail storm. As Denver is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the weather here can be pretty dramatic and can change every hour. We got back at the hotel at 6pm (hotel VQ). It’s a shithole of course. My room smells pee. I opened the window to let the air out for about an hour for now and it still smells. I guess you paid for what you get for. Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I am starting to get a bit excited!!!

Day 2 – Cheyenne (WY), Crazy Horse (SD), Mt Rushmore (SD), Deadwood (SD)

It 6 am and the sun is already out. Our trip begins at 7.15 am. The first stop is Cheyenne. Cheyenne is the state capitol of Wyoming. Some capital that is. It’s pretty small and the entire town is so quite and dead (maybe because it was a Sunday) I was told by Larry that Wyoming’s nickname is call the Equality state. It’s because Wyoming is the first state the allowed women to vote. After a brief stop at Cheyenne, we headed to Crazy Horse. On the way, we stopped by a small town called Lusk. I had hotdogs there. It was a nice day. The weather’s perfect. We later arrived at Crazy Horse at around 3.30. The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction in the Black Hills of South Dakota, in the form of Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance.The memorial consists of the mountain carving (monument), the Indian Museum of North America, and the Native American Cultural Center. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacr ed by some Native Americans, between Custer and Hill City, roughly 8 miles (13 km) away from Mount Rushmore.The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet (27 m) high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet (18 m) high.The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is still far from completion If finished, it will be the world's largest statue. I didn’t know the existence of this place until actually today. I must say I learn something already in this trip. After the crazy horse, we headed to the highlight of the day – Mt Rushmore. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, near Keystone, South Dakota, is a monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), located within the United States Presidential Memorial that represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (left to right): George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevel t (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km2) and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level. My friend had once told me that the drive to Mt Rushmore is boring because there’s nothing but prairie land. But I think it’s pretty. It’s vast and spiritual for me. After spending 1 hr at the park, we went to Deadwood. Deadwood is a cute little town. It reminds me of Bisbee, AZ. I was surprised to find that casinos are everywhere, including our hotel. We stayed at the Franklin Hotel. I love that hotel. It’s over 100 yrs old. It really gives a local flavor. The room is old. The on/off switch is something that I have never seen before. The sink is hugh. I feel like I am back on time. I had dinner at this restaurant/saloon that is fabous for steak. I didn’t have steak. I had rocky mountain oysters and buffalo burger. Soooo good.

Day 3 – Devils Tower (WY), Billings (MT)

Woke up at 6. check out and had breakfast at the hotel (the hotel offers free continental breakfast at the casino area). Then we are on the way to Devil’s Tower. When we are approaching the tower, you can see the monument sticking out – out of nowhere. Devils Tower (Lakota: Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Tower”) is a monolithic igneous intrusion or volcanic neck located in the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook Count y, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,112 feet (1,558 m) above sea level. According to the Indian folkstory, once there were 3 girls picking wild berries when suddenly a bear started to attack them. Frightened, they ran to a tree and climbed up. As the bear was climbing the tree, the girls were crying for help. The gods heard the girl’s cry for help and immediately raised the tree higher and higher so that the bear couldn’t reach the girls. As the tree grew higher, the bear climbed higher. When the bear climbed, it left its claw marks which give the claw mark like on the tower today. There is a trail that goes around tower. It’s a pretty easy hike. I walked around it. It was a nice day. Also, I was told that June is the holy month for the Indians. The tower is a holy site for the Indians and there is a voluntary no climbing for a month to respect the Indians. After that we headed to the western museum. Its located on MT. it’s an open museum that shows how the people lived there 100 yrs ago. After a long day, we finally arrived at Billings; MT. there’s a restaurant nearby the hotel and is famous for its foil wrapped beef. It is so good. The hotel has a pool but i forgot to bring my swimming pants. I went running at the treadmill but only managed to run 2 miles. Must have been the high elevation that makes running uncomfortable. I was literally out of breath.

Day 4 – Yellowstone National Park (MT, WY, ID)

Woke up at 6.15. Got ready and headed to the lobby to check out. Everyone got a free bag of continental breakfast. I was told by the tour guide that they bag the breakfast because a lot of Asian tourists were out of control. They would stock the breakfast in the bags. That’s so embarrassing. Anyway, we left Billings and headed to the Yellowstone. The guy sitting beside me is so annoying. His breath smells like dead fish and completely rude. Since I am sitting by the window, whenever he wants to take pics he would lean over and literally point the camera in front of my face, fuckhead.We arrived at Yellow Stone around 11 via the north entrance. Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress as a national park on March 1, 1872, is located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, though it also extends into Montana and Idaho.

The park was the first of its kind, and is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park. The park is also a super volcano. The last eruption was probably 600,000 yrs ago. At the entrance there’s an Arch that send an important message “FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE” The Yellowstone is the first National Park in the world. First stop Mammoth Cave. My first geological site experience. Then we headed to the Grand Falls. My gosh it is so pretty. Later headed to Old faithful geyser. Old faithful geyser is not the probably the most famous geyser because it erupts approximately every 40 minute thus the name old faithful. On the way to out motel, we saw a huge herd of buffalo resting on the ground. We spend the night in the west entrance, MT. There were so many funny. mosquitoes and they are big!!! Had dinner at this steak restaurant. Had buffalo steak. It was good. The motel looks like a dumpsite but I kinda like. It reminds of a motel that I stayed in Flagstaff 3 yrs ago; the layout of the room looks similar. And even the shower is the same (I remember it felt so good with the high water pressure after a long). How funny.

Day 5 – Yellowstone National Park (WY, MT, ID), Grand Teton National Park (WY), Jackson Hole (WY), Bear World (ID), Salt Lake City (UT)

Morning call at 6.15.Leave the motel at 7.15. Then we headed back to Yellowstone. Went to West Thumb Geyser Basin. The West Thumb Geyser Basin is the largest geyser basin on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. The heat source of the thermal features in this location is thought to be relatively close to the surface, only 10,000 feet (3,000 m) down. The lake is the highest in the US. The next stop is Grand Teton NP. It’s located just right outside of the Yellowstone. The bus stopped at the Grand Teton Lodge for lunch. I had buffalo burger again. It was cloudy but we were still able to see the mountains. Larry told us that the mountains used for “PARAMOUNT” logo is actually the Grand Teton mountains. Btw TETON means BREAST in French. Whoever named these mountains TETONS must be some horny frenchies. We di

dn’t really go in to the park. We literally just drove by along it. The mountains look huge and beautiful as we approached it. And unfortunately, my camera battery died. I was so pissed!!! Later on, we stopped at Jackson, Jackson is a small cowboy town. It’s frequent visitor include Harrison Ford who apparently owns a ranch at that area. After Jackson, we drove cross the mountains on the way to IDAHO. Halfway, we stopped at this Yellowstone

bear refuge camp. For anyone who didn’t see bears in yellowst one, this place could be a good chance for you. There are more than 10 bears roaming freely around the park. It’s soft of like a safari tour thing. After the park we are heading to Utah. When we approached, we stopped by a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I was told by Larry that I have to try the soup there. Out of curiosity, I ask him what kind of it is. He told me its bear meat soup. It tastes good. We finally got to S alt Lake City at around 8.30. What a long day …

Day 6 – Salt Lake City (UT), Mormon Temple Square (UT), Great Salt Lake (UT), Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Canyon Mine (UT), Arches National Park (UT), Grand Junction (CO)

Today is going to be a long day. Our first stop is the State Capitol Building. It’s pretty. Since it’s located on top of the hill overlooking the city, it’s as beautiful at the DC capitol building. The dome is covered in copper because copper is Utah’s major mineral. Later on we went to the Mormon Temple Square. Temple Square is the Headquarter for Mormons. I feel really privileged to be able to visit this holy site. Once we arrived we were welcomed by the Mormon sisters that later gave us a tour of the temple. I finally got to visit the Dome that I once watch on the travel channel. It is said that if you drop a needle at the front of the dome, u can actually hear it all the way at the back of the dome. After the temple, we went to the Great Salt Lake. It’s huge. The salinity of the water is 13 times more than sea water. If you swim in the lake, you will float. After the lake, we went to the Copper Mine. The mine is one of the largest on the world. It is so huge that you can see it from space. After that we drove almost 4 hours south to the highlight of the day –Arched National Park. It’s really beautiful there. Kinda of reminds me of the monument valley. On the way out, we saw 2 rainbows at the same time. I have never seen 2 rainbows at the same time before. It was really pretty. Of course the crowd was goin crazy snapping pic in the bus. After a long day, we finally arrived at out hotel in Grand Junction, CO at 9.30pm!!

Day 7 – Glenwood Spring (CO), Denver (CO), HOME ..

It’s an easy day. Our first stop is the Glenwood Hot Spring. I have never been to a hot spring before so that was my first experience. After 6 days of travelling, it feels pretty good dipping in a hot spring. it was relaxing. After that we drove into the rocky mountain. The landscape changes dramatically. The highway is so pretty that it looks like a wonderland. We stopped by at Vail for lunch. Vail is ski resort town that my boss, Mark Schneider used to work there. He had told me stories about how Vail looks like a winter wonderland during winter times. At around 3am, we finally arrived at Denver airport. At the time, Larry told us that one of the passengers is actually a NOBEL PRIZE WINNER (the only Caucasian in the tour) for some chemistry work. Wow. What a surprise. That announcement made the crowd went wild and suddenly everybody wants to take pic with him. He was like a rock for 10 minutes. So after 7 days, I really enjoy this trip, in fact I miss the company of the other passengers. Even though I do not know them, I guess because we were on the same bus for seven days, there’s some connection there. I would definitely do this again. Because I was traveling by myself, this trip is pretty spiritual for me for some reason. All I know it, I will do this again pretty soon.

Denver The Mile High City (also Colorado Springs and Rocky Mountain National Park)

2009-05-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

Since when I was in Arkansas about 8 years ago, I have always wanted to go to Denver. I wanted to the train during spring break to see the wildflowers along the mountain. For some reasons, I didnt do it. Well, it took me almost 8 years to finally go to Denver (labor day weekend). The airpoirt is hugh. It is the biggest in the US. My first impression of Denver was not a pleasant one. Denver is actually located on the west side of the Rocky mountain foothills. It looks more like a desert praire. Its plain (a contrast to the picture perfect scene that I always see at magazines of what Colorado is like). My first day, I walked around downtown. I was staying at the Grand Hyatt which is centrally located at downtown. I went walking around 16th St Mall (an open shopping area on 16th St). Then I went to the State Capital. The west entrance stairway is exactly 5280 feet high (1 mile) thus giving Denver its nickname Mile High City. I found the city dead. Even on Friday there werent a lot of people. Also there wree a lot of homeless people at the capital building area. Coming from DC, I am very comfortable surrounded by homeless people. But I didnt feel comfortable in Denver. So I just went back to the hotel and rest.

On the next day we drove to Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs is only like 1 hour drive south of Denver. The first attraction was the Garden of the Gods. This remarkable 1,360-acre park is so full of weird and surreal red sandstone rock formations that it looks like Mother Nature teamed with Salvador Dali in forming it. Numerous well-maintained nature trails, some of which are paved, fan through the park and offer great photo opportunities. Educational markers are numerous and enhance your understanding of the who, what, where and why of these one-of-a-kind formations. Garden of the Gods Visitor Center, located across the street from the north entrance, offers hands-on exhibits, tours, a cafe and more. Admission is free. Next we took the Pike's Peak Cog Railway up Pikes Peak. The journey up the mountain took almost 1.5 hr. The landscape changes from pine trees to aspen trees to ponderosa pines to no trees. By the time we got the peak, It was 26 F. The temperature at foothill was in the 60s. It was snowing and we couldnt see anything but fog. Also, at 14110 ft (4300m), I was suffering for high altitude sickness. I felt dizzy. lightheaded and just want to get the hell out of there fast. After eating the infamous donuts at 14110 ft, we were on the way down. At night time, we drove back to Denver for dinner. We went to BUCKHORN EXCHANGE STEAKHOUSE. This steakhouse is the oldest in Denver and is famous for its exotic meat (elk, ostrich, buffalo, yak, etc). I had my first rocky mountain oysters (bull's testicle). omg, they are sooo goodddd. I ordered the elk and yak meat combo. yummy. The restaurant looks more like a museum. On the second floor, there are local performers playing music for the locals. they were playing "u are my sunshine" It was a good moment.

The next day, we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. It is about 1.5 north of Denver. On the way there, we stopped by at Boulder for lunch at Panera Bread. Then we headed to the infamous Stanley hotel which is located juat right outside of the east entrance to the park. The Stanley Hotel is a 138-room Georgian hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Located within sight of the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley offers panoramic views of the Rockies. It was built by Freelan O. Stanley of Stanley Steamer fame and opened on July 4, 1909, catering to the rich and famous. The hotel and its surrounding lands are listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The Stanley Hotel also hosted Stephen King, inspiring him to write The Shining. (Apparently he stayed there and had a haunting experience which later inspired him to write the book). Since we couldnt go into the hotel, we just drove around it. Then we went into Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses approximately 265,770 acres (1,076 km2) of land in Colorado's northern Front Range. The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. The east side of the park tends to be drier, with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques. The west side of the park is wetter and more lush, with deep forests dominating. We we lucky as the the Trail Ridge Road (the highest paved road in the world) opened 2 days ago. We were literally driving for 30 min ab0ve 13000 ft. Above tres line, at approximately 1100 ft, trees disappear and the vast alpine tundra takes over. I have never been on tundra habitat before. that's pretty cool. Later we drove to the Apline Visitor Center which is located at the very end of the Trail Ridge Road. It the highest visitor center in the world. By the time we got there, it started to rain and hail. On the way back to Denver, the weather changes dramatically. At times it was raining, snowing, hail and the we saw rainbow. And by the time we get back to Denver its all sunny.

On the last day, we took it easy. We drove to the Red Rocks Ampitheater. Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure in Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado (west of Denver), where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large boulders angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,450 people in between. The amphitheatre is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, Colorado. Famous performers include the Beatles, Bjork, Ella Fitzgerald, and etc have performed there. We went to this small restaurant rigth outside of the Ampitheaters for lunch. But the service was so slow. We had to cancel out orders and go to the airport. Overall, it was a nice trip. I didnt like Denver but I do like everything west of Denver. 15 min drive to the west and everything looks exactly like what you see in magazines - a picture perfect colorado rocky mountain scenery.

Welcome to Miami

2009-04-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Miami
Miami was never a place that i wanted to go. I heard bad stories about that city. I remember when I first came to the States, one of my Malaysian friends told me that his car was broken into when he was visiting Miami. Since then I have always pictured Miami being a dangerous place to go. Well, it took me over 9 years to overlook that. So I saw that some hotels in Maimi was on sale and I decided to give it a try. My place got in at around 10am. My first impression was, this is a cool place. The hotel offers free shuttle bus from the airport. (Whitelaw Hotel). It a boutique hotel located only 2 blocks from the because and its only 65 per night, What a deal!!! I am going to Miami on Mon because the airfare is cheaper on a weekday. Besided weekday means less crowd. The only thing I hate about the hotek is that the sheets got stains. That's pretty gross. So the first that I did when I got to Miami was goin to the beach. before hitting the beach, i went o take pic at the Versace Mansion (the place where VERSACE got killed in front of his mansion). the mansion offers daily tours but it costs $65. i think i will skip it for this time).then i went to the beach (just right in front of the mansion on 12 st). My gosh, the water's so calm, clean, clear and WARM!! The weather was perfect. (81). After the beach i went to this restaurant (right by Versace Mansion) to have lunch. it said half price on lunch menu. So i ordered a mojito which i normally wouldnt do because i dont really drink. turn out that the drink alone costs $26. what the fuck!!! anyway, at night time i went shopping around my hotel. sisley and benetton are like a blocks from when i am staying. i went to have dinner at this authentic CUBAN restaurant recommended by FROMMER travel guide. man it was cheap and good. i had the cuban beef stew. Dddddddelicous

The next day, i woke up early because i signed up for the keywest day tour. at around 7am, i deceded to go to the beach to see the sunrise. it was beautiful. then i went back to the hotel waiting for my bus to come pick me up. 40 min has passed and i dont see my bus. I called them and they told me that the bus came when i was out seeing the sunrise and had gone!! i was so pissed!!! i had the whole day planned for keywest and now i do not know what to do!! luckily, this girl at grayline found a private van tour for me to join. the tour guide name was FABIO. the van has 4 people. 4 rich italians and french. it was a weird fit for me to be on the van but hey who cares. turned out that they are cool peple, trhey even offer to take pic for me when i was in Keywest. the drive to key west was pretty the water was so clear your could see the bottom ocean floor. i wish i was staying the for the night so that i coild do snorkeling. f i am not wronf, i belive there are more than 30 bridges goin to the keywest. and keywest is the end point for HIGHWAY 1. i saw the SOUTHERN MOST POINT of the US. (80 miles to Cuba). that was awesome. we spent like 2 hours at keywest, i wasnt really impressed with keywest. i think i have to stay ther overnight to be able to enjoy it. 2 hours is just not enought. was gonna go to this jamaican restaurant but i got lost looking for it. ended up goin to a cuban restaurant. and i wasnt disappointed. has the fish soup and cuban sandwich. yummy. on the way back, i walked passed by the cemetary (supposedly haunted). at around 4, we left keywest and headed back to miami. at night i went to that cuban restauant again. it 's just too good. after dinner, i went to the beach. it was around 11pm. it was completely empty and dark. but i can see the the clouds and waves hitting the shore. it was scary and yet peaceful. i spent almost 1.5 hour there. never had that feeling before. i felt lost and yet hopeful that something impprtant is coming up that is goin to change my life. And i knew that i will be a tough ride but at that moment i felt peace and calm. somehow i knew that things will work itself thru and it's goin to be ok. i will never forget that moment at the beach.

the next day (Wed) i checked out early and put my luggage to storage. then i went to the everglades tour. everyglades is only located like 35 min away from miami beach. i was pretty disappointed because the bus did not go to the visitor center (i need to get my stamp!!). we went on the fan boat. that was pretty cool. i almost dropped my shades into the swamp. after the boatride, we watched a brief show about alligators. and after that i had alligator for lunch .. haha. it was good. the trip was a short one, less than 4 hours. the bus drove me back to the hotel. i went to the beach one more time. then left miami at 7. on the plane, i was the beautiful sunset. This trip is probably one of the best trips i ever had. it was cheap, fun, relaxing, and full of suprises. i know i will be back in no time!!!

In memory of Bea Arthur aka Dorothy Zbornak, 1922-2009

2009-04-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

You'll be missed, Dorothy. Say hi to Ma for me, pussycat.

I have to say what I feel
Miami has so much appeal
A great place to get a seafood meal ... Miami

Miami, Miami you’ve got style
Blue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile
When you live in this town, each day is sublime
The coldest of winters, are warm and divine

Miami, Miami, you’ve got style
Blue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile
There’s ball clubs and night clubs all within reach
Dance the Samba till morning then lie on the beach
Each view is a postcard, each day a great time
It's the cream of the crop, it’s the top of the line

Miami, Miami you’ve got styleBlue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile.
Miami, you’ve got style

SouthLAnd

2009-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

It was a short trip to LA. Didnt see a lot but will definately come back again. Was lucky enough to see desert wildflowers right outside of LA. Weather was good. So everyone's talking about Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Malibu .... . I finally got to see them.

Southern Californiacation (San Diego, Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park)

2009-02-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

As always, I am not excited about my trip until I actually got there. This trip was plan in such a rush; I literally bought the ticket 3 weeks ago. And I changed my itenary at the last minute. Anyway, I flew from dc to Philly to San Diego. The morning flight in DC was frustrating because the one of the flight attendant did not show up and therefore the flight was delayed. Because of that, I missed my almost missed my connection flight in Philly. I got into the plane but not my luggage. When I landed in San Diego, I wasted almost 1 hr dealing with my lost baggage. Anyway, I took a taxi to the hostel. The taxi driver was an asshole and weird. When I told him where I wanted to go, he turned up his radio so loud a couple of times. I had to scream at him. Anyway, I checked in at the hostel but couldn’t take a shower cause I didn’t have my bag with me. My room was freaking awesome. It had its own bathroom and the mattress is tempur pedic !!! later I had lunch with Mark. Mark (my boss) had checked in to the hostel (he’s doin an eastern seaboard hostel tour and ironically we are staying the same hostel at the same time). We went to this authentic Mexican restaurant just a couple of blocked away. I had salmon with beans with corona beer. It was good.. and relaxing. Later we walked around downtown. At night, I went to this Japanese restaurant a couple of blocks away from the hostel. Wasn’t that good but I was glad after dinner because my bag arrived!!! Took a shower and went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up at 4.15am. Took the Amtrak to LA to meet with Connie. Connie is an ex college friend of mine whom I haven’t seen for almost 5 years!! The ride was scenic. The first half of the ride was by the Californian coast (orange county). It was pretty. Also, I saw orange trees for the first time on the train. That was cool. I got to LA downtown around 9. then we headed to get some breakfast. Went to this dim sum take out place. So cheap!!! 99 cents dim sum. Cant beat that. Also, went to Mcdonalds café (they don’t have it in dc) to get some mocha blended. Then we headed to Joshua tree national park. The first sign of approaching Palm Springs is seeing power windmill. That was an awesome sight. The weather was perfect. A bit chilly but sunny. The park loks exactly like what I though would look like. It was beautiful. I bet it would be more beautiful during spring time. We spent like 2 hrs driving around the park. On the way out the park, we passed by this cholla cactus garden. They look weird and beautiful. Anyway, I got stung by a cactus when I was posing to get my pic taken from Connie. That was funny. On the way out, we went to see the fan palm tree. It’s one of the only native palm trees in the US. It was cool to see them face to face. On the way back, we tried to go see the date tree plantation but it was getting dark. So we drove back to LA and had Chinese food. We had lobster and goeduck. It was good but not cheap tho. The meal was 100 but it was worth it, at least I think. Then connie drove me to santa monica. The hostel was awesome as they gave me a private room with a balcony!!! I was tired and I just wanted to crash.

Next morning, woke up walk around the santa monica beach. weather was perfect. It felt so laidback. I could just sat there looking at the ocean pacific enjoying the view, later connie came and we had lunch at this Cambodian restaurant. After that she drove me to Huntington beach, san clemente beach. on the way we stopped by the orange county fair to see vegetable farms. That was the first time I was celery and asparagus. Neat. Then she drove me back to San Diego . thanks connie,. I didn’t go out that evening, just stay in the room and rest. The next morning, I checked out and out my luggage at the hostel. It was raining cats and dogs. And my flight was not until 11pm. I didn’t know what to do. So I went to BORDERS bookstore that’s located a block away from the hostel. At around 1pm, the rained stopped!! I catch a bus to go to the zoo. I knew I wont have a lot of time so I literally ran around the zoo. I didn’t get to see the Galapagos tortoise which was kind of disappointing. But I did get to see the polar bear. Also I didn’t get to see the Mongolian wild horse. It costs 32 dollars to get in but I think it was worth it. at around 4, I walk in to the Bolboa park area. Man, I was glad I went, it was a pretty as shown in my travel guide books. I feel like I am in mexico/spain. It gets dark quick, at around 5.30, it started to get dark, I took the bus back to the city. Went to the Mexican restaurant one more time. Bought some san diego t shirts and then went tto the airport. This trip was a rush one. Saw so many things in 4 days and I love every second of it!!!

Historical Presidential Inaguration - DC

2009-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

What a day. When I woke up this morning, it was 19F with 14F windchill. Since there'll be about 1 million ppl jamming the metro today, I decided to brave the cold and bike to DC. The potomac river was frozen. It's not something you see everyday. The usually congested GW parkway was completely empty today. That's because all the major bridges going into DC are being closed. When I was biking, I could hear a faint cheering coming from the National Mall area. At hat point, I knew that this inaguration is REALLY something. When I got in to the Mall, I was amazed with the hugh crowd that was already there. That must have been close to 1 million ppl,. Some people came as early as 4 am to camp at the Mall to get a nice seat trying to catch a glimpse of the new president. I got there at around 1030am. I was already packed with people. I have never seen that many people in DC before. Everyone was so friendly and the mood was definately positive. I was really glad to see people from all walks of life putting away their differences to celeberate the newly elected president. Hopefully President Obama will live up to his campaign -OBAMA FOR CHANGE. I am just glad that I was able to experience this historical moment.

Trip to San Francisco, San Jose, Muir Woods, Yosemite National Park (California)

2008-11-05T00:52:00.000-08:00

I was pretty excited. I am going to spend my Halloween ion San Francisco. So everyone’s talking about how great San Francisco is and the weather is perfect. I know that I have to go see. Seeing is believing. It would be my first official trip to California (although I was in Death Valley NP last yr but I guess that didn’t count). The flight was a smooth one. No delays. When landing, I was the whole bay area was covered in fog. I will always remember that that beautiful sight. I arrive and then 1 hr later Chris arrived. He flew from NY. Then wasting any time, we drove to San Jose. It was only like 40 min drive from SF. Maybe it was just me but I thought the highway was dirty and old. It was full of trash by the rd. anyway …. We had lunch at this Vietnamese restaurant (pho). Then we went to the Sarah Winchester Mystery House. I have always wanted to go there after I have seen it on Travel Channel a couple of yrs back (Most Haunted). The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known California mansion that was under construction continuously for 38 years, and is reported to be haunted. It once was the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, but is now a tourist attraction. Under Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its "from-the-ground-up" construction proceeded around-the-clock, without interruption, from 1884 until her death on September 5, 1922, at which time work immediately ceased.The cost for such constant building has been estimated at about US $5.5 million (if paid in 1922, this would be equivalent to almost $70 million in 2008 dollars).The mansion is renowned for its size and utter lack of any master building plan. According to popular belief, Winchester thought the house was haunted by the ghosts of individuals killed by Winchester rifles, and that only continuous construction would appease them. It is located at 525 South Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, California. It’s like a mad house with crazy stairway, door that leads you to nowhere, stairway that leads you to the roof, and etc. It built that way supposedly to confuse the spirits. Anyway, it was a fun experience. After that, we drove back to SF. Went to Doug’s house. His 2 cats (tanq and champagne) were adorable. Later we went out for dinner. Doug took us to this fancy seafood restaurant that was sitting right beside the Bay Bridge. The view was awesome.

The next day, we went to the Golden gate. It's also Hallowean day. Finally … after all these yrs seeing it on tv. Then we drove to Muir woods national monument. The park has some of the world’s tallest trees. It was drizzling when we got there but that didn’t ruin my mood. After that we drove to Sonoma Valley. It was beautiful. We stopped by a couple of vineyards and wine tasting some. Then we drove back. Went out for Halloween party. There was a hugh crowd on the street. Everyone dressed up in costume walking around trick or treating. It was fun but tiring. We wanted to go home early so we took a cab.

The next day, we took the grayline tour to Yosemite. It was pouring. And it was really early too. 7 am!! Well, the bus ride was at least pretty comfortable. When we got to the park it was raining,. I was kinda pissed. But then an hour later it stopped. And everything changed. The park looked so surreal after the rain, it was so beautiful. We got to see the waterfall which we didn’t expect to see because the park was suffering from a drought. Because of the rain, the waterfall was running on full stream. It was pretty!!!it was a long trip. 14 hrs. wasn’t cheap. 100 something dollars. But I guess it was worth it.

On the fourth, we decided to take it easy. In the morning we had dim sum, then we drove around downtown SF for the first time taking pic and relaxing. Late afternoon, we walked around fisherman’s wharf area to see the seals. I think SF is a very liveable city. The pace was kinda slow but I somehow liked it. There is a hugh asian community there but unlike NY, these asian ppl are the 2-3 generation. They are not only concentrated in their little own community but are everywhere as if they have been there for a while. A different kinda vibe from other cities that I had been to in the US. Well, I know I will back to SF very soon in the future.

Trip to upstate New York

2008-10-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

On Oct 17 2008, I went to upstate New York to see the fall foliage. Specifically, Mohonk preserve. The Mohonk Preserve is located in the Shawangunk Ridge, a section of the Appalachian Mountains, 90 miles (140 km) north of New York City in Ulster County, New York. The weather was perfect and the foliage is close to peak. I did a short hike up the preserve. It was pretty from up there. You can literally see the different patches of color on the trees (yellow, orange, red). Two years ago I was at Acadia National Park, Maine. At that time it was already off peak. This time, I got to see the whole thing.