New York - Christmas 2011

I have been to New York City before but this was my first time to visit New York during Christmas. The city is very festive during Christmas, with the lights, Christmas trees, and decorations. I enjoyed getting into New York's Christmas spirit with friends and family.

On my flight to Newark, I enjoyed a rare upgrade to first class, which is actually in Continental's (or United) international business-first seats (the plane used for my flight normally flies overseas flights and I noticed the plane would continue to Munich, Germany after flying to Newark). These international seats are nicer with much more space than coach and even domestic first class seats. In addition to the much better service. I normally do not spring for first class but in this case my flight was on an international plane plus the upgrade was cheap.

We stayed at the W Hotel on Lexington Avenue and 49th street. Check out the hotel's uniquely shaped Christmas tree. It is a good location in midtown and there is Ess-a-Bagel one block away which has amazing bagels.

Activities

Rockefeller Center
Went up to the top of Rockefeller Center and of course saw the Christmas Tree. We then saw a Christmas show at the Saks 5th Avenue.

Downtown/Financial district
Took the subway to downtown, where we:
* Walked across Brooklyn Bridge
* Visited the ground zero area (though we couldn't see the memorial because we didn't have tickets - advanced tickets are required for the memorial)
* Visited Trinity church which had a nativity set
* Walked down Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
* Got a glimpse of Occupy Wall Street

Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall
It's as good as advertised and dives into Christmas with a musical filled with dancing, Christmas scenes, and an orchestra. The rockettes' and musicians' hard work paid off in a big way.

Mall decorations
Admired the window decorations at Saks 5th Avenue, Lord and Taylor (lots of Christmas dioramas), Macys (lots of action as well as scenes from Miracle on 34th Street), Bloomingdales (shopping bags that open up to show Christmas scenes), and Bergdorf Goodman (animals acting as models). As well as the smaller stores. My favorite displays were at Lord and Taylor and Bergdorf Goodman.

Guggenheim Museum
We went here mainly to see Maurizio Cattelan's works. Instead of being placed along the walls, they are hung from the top of the rotunda.

Serendipity
We went to Serendipity for desserts and frozen hot chocolate. It is basically hot chocolate that is cooled and filled with chopped ice. Very tasty and the whipped cream is amazing - good texture and not too sweet. Wait times at Serendipity can be 2-3 hours, so I highly suggest making reservations if you want to eat here.

Washington DC - September 2011

As the plane was landing in Washington DC, I got a nice view of downtown DC especially of the Washington Monument and the US Capital.

I stayed at the Mayflower Renaissance hotel, a luxury hotel with historical elegance.

Activities:

1) Capital Hill to visit the Library of Congress and take a tour of the US Capital.

2) Visited National Community Church in Ebenezers Coffeehouse. I have visited this church in past trips to DC and it has become my "vacation church".

3) Visited the Smithsonian Castle - it serves as an introduction to the Smithsonian museums and includes a Treasure Chest with artifacts that represent all of the Smithsonian museums.

4) Although I have been there before, I decided to make a return visit to the Holocaust Museum since it's been more than 6 years since I was last there. Always a humbling experience, especially the exhibit about the concentration camps. Interestingly, 2 weeks later, my church brought in a survivor of the Holocaust to share about how God knocked down walls in her life.

5) Walked through the Sackler Gallery Museum. My favorites are the Peacock room and the Monkeys Grasping for the Moon, which is a long chain (spanning 3 stories) that consist of the word monkey in many different languages.

6) Join a Bike and Roll nighttime tour of the monuments. I have done this tour in a previous DC trip, but this time the tour included the brand new Martin Luther King, Jr memorial. There is something special about seeing the monuments lit up among a cool night in DC.

7) Had dinner at Kellari Taverna, an upscale Greek restaurant in downtown DC. Their specialty is the freshly caught fish - these fish are on display in the eating area and you can even pick the fish you want. I had the lavraki.

8) Joined a DC Segway tour where you travel from the US Capital to the Lincoln Memorial and learn about key sites along the way. It is an excellent way to see DC and we felt like celebrities - when we were at the White House, one student even took our picture for his project. It was a clear day, which made the already fun tour even more enjoyable.

Labor Day Weekend 2011

Labor Day weekend trip to Chicago to retreat from the 100+ days of Texas.

I stayed at the Marriott on North Michigan Avenue, right in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Highlights of my trip are:
* Walking around the Magnificent Mile
* Biking along Lake Michigan north of Chicago River
* Visiting the lobby of the Palmer House Hilton hotel - very beautiful
* Segway tour along Lake Michigan south of the river
* Seeing rain - Austin has been dry for so long that I considered the Chicago rain a "tourist" attraction :)

Pictures

San Francisco and Monterey

I traveled to San Francisco over Independence Day weekend to enjoy the beautiful city and take in much cooler weather. Temperatures were in the 60s and 70s which is a nice break from the 100+ temperatures in Texas.

I stayed at Le Meridien hotel for the first part of my trip, and then the Omni hotel for the second part. Both are very nice hotels in the financial district, though the Omni goes a step further in the room decor, and more personal service.

Monterey
I joined a tour group for a day trip to Monterey. Took the scenic route to Monterey, with many ocean views. Upon arrival in Monterey, I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Very nice, I now understand why it's one of the most popular attractions in Monterey. I got to see the feeding of an albatross and penguins. I also loved the octopus though the room was too dark to take pictures. Other highlights of Monterey include the Pacific Grove, 17 mile drive, Carmel, and seeing one of the oldest Spanish Mission in the country.

San Francisco
I did my favorite San Francisco activities: walk the Golden Gate bridge, took several rides on the cable cars and street cars, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf. I also visited the Wells Fargo Museum which has a history about the Wells Fargo bank and includes gold nuggets and a stagecoach.

Fireworks
I love spending Independence Day in San Francisco - it's one of few places I can watch the fireworks without breaking a sweat. I joined a fireworks cruise. The boat sailed around the San Francisco Bay, with views of the city skyline, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island. The boat docked near the fireworks site for a close-up view of the show. It was a clear night (which is rare on July 4 in San Francisco) which made for a spectacular fireworks show.

Fireworks videos:
Part 1
Part 2 - Smiley Faces

Previous San Francisco fireworks:
2009
2010

Portland (Memorial Day weekend)

My Memorial Day weekend trip to Portland, to enjoy cooler weather. I stayed at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Portland. Like any Kimpton hotel, the Monaco is best known for its decor, service, and wine hour. The Monaco also offers free Popsicles and a tea/lemonade mix in the afternoon.

1) Aerial Tram Ride, which goes from OHSU Center for Health & Healing to the Kohler Pavilion on OHSU's main campus. It is used by students and staff, but also by tourists. The tram offers excellent views of Portland. There is also a deck on the Pavilion for people to enjoy the views. On a clear day, you can see Mount Hood and Mount St Helens.

2)Took a nice walk in Tom McCrall Waterfront park, along the Willamette River.

3) Explored the Pearl district, a neighborhood for good dining and shopping.

4) Visited Pioneer Square, which consists of a visitor's center and courthouse.

5) Walked through the Saturday Market, where vendors set up booths on weekends, selling food, clothing, paintings, sculptures, and body products.

6) Visited the Chinese Gardens, which provide an insight into the Chinese architecture and culture. Very nicely done with beautiful landscape. There is also a small teahouse with numerous teas as well as snacks.

7) Ate at the Old Town Pizza, a historical pizza parlor. Entering the restaurant is like stepping back in time. The pizza is good, and after 9pm they have their happy hour where they sell pizzas by the slice.