Stephen's Travels

2012 Whistler Ski Trip

2012-01-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

I joined 52 other people on a ski trip to Whistler in British Columbia, Canada (about 2 hours north of Vancouver). Though the majority of the people are in Austin, there were quite a few from San Antonio, one from San Angelo, TX, and one from Washington DC. Snow was great and plentiful which made for good skiing conditions. Temperatures were a bit colder than normal but that made hot chocolate and the outdoor hot tub at our condo complex even better. Whistler was the site of the 2010 winter Olympics and has trails along 2 mountains: Blackcomb and Whistler. Whistler Village, at the base of the mountains is a community hub with restaurants, shops, and a grocery store. Whistler Village is very well decorated - at night the place feels like Christmas with all the lights. Overall, the trip consisted of skiing during the day and enjoying community with the group through the hot tub, dinner, and the devotional/ice breaker session.

January 12
I arrived at Seattle around 9pm and spent the night at a Doubletree hotel a few minutes from the Seattle airport. One nice feature of Doubletree hotels: warm chocolate-chip cookies upon checking in.

January 13
Around 10:30am, we all met up at the Seattle airport and boarded a chartered tour bus for the drive to Whistler. Our driver, Zed, pointed out some key sites of downtown Seattle and also drove us through downtown Vancouver. Vancouver is also known as glass jungle given the number of buildings with mostly glass walls. After leaving Vancouver, we drove along the scenic highway 99 to the mountain and arrived at Aspens condos. These are nice condos with all the amenities to make you feel at home. Aspens has a hot tub and is right on the Blackcomb mountain for ski in/ski out convenience. After checking in and picking up our skis, I joined 9 other people for dinner at Black's Pub - they have some of the best hamburgers I've ever eaten.

January 14
1st ski day. I spent today doing the green trails on the Blackcomb mountain. At the end of each ski day I went into Aspens outdoor hot tub with other skiers to relax and unwind after a day of skiing. In the evening, we had dinner at China Bistro then a devotional/ice breaker session.

January 15
2nd ski day. It was sunny today and I started off by going up to 7th Heaven - I was actually above the clouds! Then I skied down some and took the peak-to-peak gondola to the Whistler mountain. After getting off the gondola at Roundhouse lodge, I skied down to the base and took the Whistler Village gondola back to the top. I then took the Peak-to-peak gondola back to Blackcomb mountain this time in one of the glass-bottom units. It was interesting to see the ground passing by, like riding in a helicopter. I ended the day skiing some trails on Blackcomb. In the evening, some of us did a sleigh ride through the mountain. It was like riding a horse carriage, only in the snowy trails. Halfway through the sleigh ride, we had hot chocolate at a furnace-heated hut.Dinner was at the Keg Steakhouse - great food although pricey even for resort standards.

January 16
3rd ski day. After 2 days of solid skiing, I took it easy today. I went with 2 of my roommates to the Whistler mountain and took the Whistler Village gondola to the top. We met up with 2 of our friends at Roundhouse and had lunch. Afterwords, we skied to the Olympic Chair trails and did a few runs there. I then skied down to Whistler base and took the Blackcomb Excalibur Gondola to Blackcomb and skied to Aspens. We had 2 dinner groups to Mongolian Grill - this Mongolian Grill differs from others in that you are charged by the pound instead of paying a flat rate.

January 17
4th ski day. I skied to the Whistler mountain base and took the Whistler Village Gondola up. I skied all the way down to the base. Took the Whistler Village Gondola up again and skied a different route down. Took the Whistler Village Gondola up a 3rd time and went to Roundhouse Lodge for lunch with other skiers. Then we went up the Peak Express lift to the very top of Whistler mountain and we saw Whistler statue. It was very windy up there! We skied a green trail to Roundhouse Lodge, then I skied down to Whistler base (that's 3 runs from Whistler peak to base!) and took the Blackcomb Excalibur Gondola to Blackcomb Mountain. I skied the blue trails to Aspens. Most of the group had a full course dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory - dinner was bread with Garlic butter, minestrone soup, seafood linguini, and spumoni ice cream.

January 18
We had an adventure getting home. It started with sub zero temperatures (Fahrenheit) which resulted in frozen locks to the bus's luggage compartment doors. It took some time to defrost the locks. Then, our flight out of Seattle to DFW was delayed nearly 2 hours due to snow, and that caused all of us to miss our connecting flights to Austin/San Antonio. It was my first time to be stranded at an airport overnight due to a delayed flight. But we were all rebooked on the first flights home the next day and we arrived safe and sound.

More pictures:
Mine
Peter's (the organizer)

New York - Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

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

2011-09-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-06-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Washington DC over Columbus Day Weekend

2010-10-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

I cashed in some frequent flier miles for my trip to Washington DC over Columbus Day weekend. I flew into DC's National airport - when your plane lands from the north, you get an awesome view of downtown DC. I stayed in 2 hotels for this trip - the Omni Shoreham for the first part, and the George Hotel for the second part.

October 9
Went to the National Zoo. It's like most other zoos I've been to, but the National Zoo is unique in that it includes pandas - considered the feature attraction in this zoo. I spent about 4 hours in the zoo. Later in the afternoon, I visited National Community Church in Ebenezers Coffeehouse. I also got some metro station pictures along the way - some metro stations have really looooong escalators.

October 10
Stopped by the US Navy Memorial, then headed over to the Natural History Museum. The museum has the Hope Diamond exhibit, as well as lots of glowing rocks. There is a small garden next to the museum with a metal tree and big fountain - worth a visit. In the evening, I joined a bicycle tour group to bike to the monuments. This is a great way to spend an evening in Washington DC - the monuments are lit up at night and look great. Biking is the way to see all the monuments as they are placed far apart. Check out the mistake in the Lincoln memorial.

October 11
Visited the National Building Museum, including the Lego exhibit. The Lego exhibit consists of models of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, built entirely of Legos. Very nice and well done. It also includes models of proposed but not built skyscrapers. I'm surprised there are no models of the Taipei 101, Seattle's Space Needle, or Toronto's CN Tower. The Museum also had an exhibit about Palladio and how his drawings of Roman temples inspired the design of many government buildings and monuments in the US, such as the Archives Museum, US Capitol, US Supreme Court, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial. I then visited the observation deck of the Post Office Pavilion. It is a way to get a panoramic view of DC and is an alternative to the Washington Monument. The Post Office Pavilion does not require advanced tickets and has no lines; however the Washington Monument has better views, especially of the White House. I spent the evening including dinner in DuPont, a lively neighborhood in DC.

October 12
Visited the Air and Space Museum. This museum has lots to see, and includes life size models of rockets and airplanes. I also saw Legends of Flight in 3D, a film documenting technologies and lessons learned in aircraft design, and how they apply to the newest aircraft - Airbus A380 and Boeing 787. This movie also makes you feel like you're flying in the pilot's seat. Afterwords, I had lunch at the American Indian Museum - food here is highly rated because it represents Native foods found throughout North and South America. I had the pulled buffalo sandwich.

Hinckley, Minnesota

2010-09-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

I was in Minnesota for Angela's wedding in Sandstone, MN. I stayed in Hinckley, at the Eagle Bed and Breakfast Inn. Several of Angela's wedding guests stayed here as well. This place is actually a house with old world charm that is modernized and converted into a bed and breakfast lodge. I highly recommend the place - great interior designs, awesome breakfast, and all the comforts of home.

Took 2 hikes in Minnesota, one along a paved trail in Hinckley, and another in Banning State Park. Best hiking trail in Banning State Park is along the Kettle River, from the picnic areas to Wolf Creek Falls. It is very beautiful especially with the fall colors.

Seattle (Labor Day Weekend)

2010-09-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend trip to Seattle to enjoy a nice break from the Austin summer heat. I stayed at the Hotel Monaco, a boutique luxury hotel located in the heart of downtown Seattle. I booked the Monaco by taking advantage of a summer weekend sale offered on the hotel's website, which was actually cheaper than rates on Hotwire.

Activities:
Downtown Seattle, including a visit to Chinatown, Waterfall Garden Park, and the Gold Rush Museum. The Gold Rush Museum has this scale where you could see how much you're worth if your entire body is made of gold. I would be worth over $2 million :)

Tour of Underground Seattle. After much of downtown Seattle was destroyed in a massive fire in the 1889, city leaders decided to rebuild the streets to be 1 to 2 stories higher than the original, to protect against floods and to ensure proper sewage flow. That is why the hills exist in downtown Seattle. The new elevated streets resulted a network of underground passageways (below the new street level) that is now known as Underground Seattle. This area is mostly unusable, but parts have been restored for the tours. Although Underground Seattle is now below street level, it was what Seattle was like before the fire.

Day trip to Mount Ranier National Park. Great day of hiking, enjoying the outdoors, and seeing waterfalls. It was cloudy, so the mountain was invisible. But on the east side, which is drier, the clouds broke and we could see Mt Ranier.

Hike in Talcott Mountain Park

2010-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was in Hartford for Dan's and Melody's wedding. I stayed in the Farmington Inn and Suites, a country inn that combines New England elegance with luxury hotel amenities. This hotel is 15 minutes from West Hartford Center, a community hub with restaurants, shops, offices, and condos. I recommend Elbow Room for brunch, and The Counter for build-your-own burgers. The Counter also serves onion strings, sweet potato fries, and crispy regular fries.

I also went on a hike in Talcott Mountain park with 2 friends from Austin. The views are definitely worth the hike. Most of the hike is under trees, so there is lots of shade. Fall would be the best time with the fall colors in full swing.

St Louis

2010-08-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Short weekend trip to the Gateway city. St Louis was where the Louisiana Purchases was signed and the city often is a starting point for expeditions west, including the Louis and Clark expedition.

Missouri History Museum. Includes an exhibit about Charles Lindbergh, who became the first solo pilot to fly non-stop across the Atlantic.

Old Courthouse, site of the Dred Scott case.

Riverboat tour on the Missouri river

Museum of Westward Expansion

Gateway Arch - commemorates the westward expansion of the US

New York (July 30 - August 2, 2010)

2010-08-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

I was in New York for Solar's and Karen's wedding reception. Since I was already going to be in the Big Apple, I made a trip out of it. Weather for my trip was very good - mostly sunny and pleasant temperatures in the 70s and 80s. I walked a lot and hardly broke a sweat.

July 30
Arrived at New York's JFK airport on American Airline's non-stop flight from Austin. Took the JFK Airtrain to Jamaica station to connect to the E subway line to mid-town in Manhattan. An Austin friend of mine traveled with me and we shared a room at the Hilton hotel on 53rd St/6th Ave. This Hilton is in an awesome location - walking distance to subway stations, Times Square, Central Park, Whole Foods, Rockefeller Center, etc. Right in the middle of the action in New York. We had a comfortable room with lots of space and a view of 6th Ave.

After settling in walked around Times Square, then 5th Avenue and made my way to Rockefeller Center. I went to the Top of the Rock, an observation deck with great views of the city, including Central Park and the Empire State Building. There is also a room with colored lights that feels like Times Square.

July 31
In the morning, I went for a walk in southern Central Park then went to Whole Foods (inside the Time Warner building) to buy fruit and water - by the way, water fountains are scarce in New York. Early afternoon, I walked to Grand Central Station to meet my friends Dan and Melody who were coming in from Hartford, CT. We then went to Chinatown to have a dim-sum lunch. Then we walked the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoyed views of downtown Manhattan. We closed our afternoon together with bubble tea drinks.

I then went to the evening showing of the Lion King broadway show at Minskoff Theater. It incorporates the same themes and characters of the animated movie. I liked the acting, costumes, and music. The Lion King is one of the best shows out there - it is so popular that tickets rarely make it to the discount booth. If you want to see the Lion King, get your tickets in advance. The only drawback is during the parts where the lion roars, the actors simply shout "Roar", as if you are reading from a book - using simulated lion roars would give a much better feel for the action. But other than that, Lion King is a great show.

August 1
In the morning, I went on a tour of the Radio Music City Hall. It is one of the largest, if not the largest, theater in the world. The auditorium is designed with no pillars in order to maximize views, and the acoustics actually allow people sitting in the top row of the mezzanine section to hear conversations on the stage. The tour consisted of going back stage, to get a feel for what goes on behind the scenes. We visited lounges, a private studio, and even met one of the Rockettes. As an added bonus, we got to go on stage, a treat normally not available for tours because it is usually packed with props and stuff for shows. We were definitely one of the lucky tour groups.

We were at the reception at Swing 46 during the afternoon. Good food, live band, and a swing dance lesson where I learned a new dance sequence. I met some new people there and of course talked to Solar and Karen. A great way to send them off into marriage. Afterwords, I walked around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir in Central Park before grabbing a late dinner in Times Square.

August 2
I visited the Chrysler building in the morning. It consists of 77 stories, mainly offices and residences with a few stores on the bottom floors. There is no observation deck but the main draw is the indoor murals in the lobby. Then I went for a walk around the pond in the south east corner of Central Park.

Colorado (July 2010)

2010-07-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

A weekend trip to Colorado to enjoy the mountains. I spent the day in the mountains and evenings in 16th street mall in downtown Denver. This was my first summer trip to Colorado (my previous Colorado trips have been in the winter for skiing and Campus Crusade for Christ's Denver Winter Conference).

July 16
Arrived in Denver in the late afternoon and checked into the Sheraton Denver hotel in downtown Denver. This hotel is along the 16th street mall, a great place to find restaurants. It has a great gym with lots of weight machines.

July 17
I joined a tour group for a day trip to Colorado Springs. The tour started with a visit to the Air Force Academy. Admission is highly competitive and prospective students are strongly encouraged to commit to applying when they are freshmen in high school. The Air Force Academy emphasizes building leadership as well as training to serve. Next was a visit to the Garden of Gods. My favorite sites were the Kissing Camels and the balanced rock. Afterwords, I had lunch at the Trading Post, where there was a reserved table for my tour group with our own wait staff - very nice touch. Next was the highlight of my tour - climbing Pike's Peak via the cog railway. The train ride was very scenic and we had a knowledgeable, friendly tour guide who gave many details on what we're seeing. At the summit, the weather was sunny so I got to enjoy very nice views. There was a small house on the summit, which consists of a gift shop and food court. I got the donuts (recommended by the train tour guide) fresh out of the oven and they were delicious. Important note: in 1893, Katharine Lee Bates, a college professor, took a trip to the top of Pike's Peak. There, she wrote a poem which became America the Beautiful. Two warnings about going to the top of Pike's Peak: dress in layers (the summit is 30 degrees cooler than the bottom) and drink water to minimize altitude sickness.

July 18
I joined another tour group for a trip through the Rocky Mountains. I sat in the first seat on the tour bus, to get the best views. The young lady sitting next to me is from Russia and we helped each other out with taking pictures of ourselves in front of the beautiful mountains and scenery. First stop was at a river in Idaho Springs. At a Conoco gas station near Dumont, I bought a Blueberry Xing Tea. This drink is very rare but my friend Chad loves this drink - he is always drinking one when I see him. The Xing tea is good, and uses no high fructose corn syrup. Now I can understand why Chad loves blueberry Xing Tea. Next, we climbed the mountain to Berthoud Pass. We then visited Lake Granby and had lunch at Grand Lake. The remainder of the tour was a scenic drive through Rocky Mountain National Park. For all pictures in Rocky Mountain National Park, start with this picture (number 33) - pictures 33 to 71 in this album are of Rocky Mountain National Park.

July 19
I spent the day in downtown Denver before taking an evening flight home. I took a tour of the Colorado capital and climbed 99 steps to the observation level of the golden dome. Yes, the dome is made of real gold. I then concluded my Colorado weekend trip with visits to Cathedral of Immaculate Conception and the Firefighter museum. The firefighter museum has some information about fire stations and what firefighters do, as well as historical fire fighting vehicles including a historic fire truck, from the 1950s, that still works - a museum staff person drove the truck into the garage.

San Francisco (Independence Day weekend 2010)

2010-07-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

A trip to San Francisco during Independence Day holiday weekend, to enjoy the beautiful cool weather of San Francisco, take in the holiday celebrations, and retreat from the Austin summer heat. I flew to and from San Francisco on JetBlue, a small but fun airline with free TV at your seat and lots of free snacks to choose from. There is more legroom than your average coach seat. And the first checked bag is free. Even though JetBlue is all coach class, I consider it a hybrid between coach and business class. American is my primary airline but for this trip, JetBlue had a non-stop Austin-San Francisco flight and it was significantly cheaper than American.

July 2
Arrived in San Francisco, took BART to the city. Checked into the Hyatt hotel in the Embarcadero. I got a room with a view of the bay. After having lunch in Chinatown, I walked around Union Square area to get an overview of the many shops and malls there. I noticed lots of multistory malls, and they are much larger than the malls in Austin. Now I know why shopping is a big thing in San Francisco. I'm not a fan of shopping so I limited my time there. I then took the cable car to Fisherman's wharf to have a crab sandwich and watch the sea lions on Pier 39.

July 3
Went to the farmer's market outside the Ferry Building to buy some fruit. Then headed to the California Academy of Science museum and spent most of the day there. This museum has a natural history museum, aquarium, planetarium, and an indoor rain forest under one roof. My favorites were the rain forest (which has butterflies flying around), the planetarium (where I watched a giant 3D movie that made me feel like I'm in outer space), and the climate change exhibit. Tip for visitors: if you take public transportation to the museum, show your ticket stub, receipt, or pass and you get a $3 discount off the admission price.

July 4
Rented a bike, then rode the bike from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate bridge, then across the bridge and into Sausalito. The bike path from Fisherman's Wharf to Golden Gate Bridge lies close to the water so I could easily take in the beauty of the San Francisco coast line. Sausalito is a small town filled with homes, shops, and restaurants. There were some hills along the path, but I had a mountain bike so that made climbing hills more manageable. Although it was still a challenge. Later in the day, I had dinner at In and Out Burger, then grabbed ice cream at Normans - it's not Ghirardelli but they do sell Mitchell's ice cream which is locally made in San Francisco. Afterwords, I boarded a cruise ship to see the fireworks. I actually saw 2 fireworks displays - 1 at Fisherman's Wharf and another near bay bridge. Cruise ship is the way to go for seeing fireworks - closer to the action and less crowded.

July 5
I went to the Japanese Tea Garden. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays before 10am, admission is free. The garden features Japanese plants, ponds, a shrine, and a tea house. I had green tea at the tea house while taking in the beauty of the garden. There is also a small well where people can throw pennies. The story is make a wish, then throw a penny, and if you hit the well your wish will come true. I threw a penny and hit the well and I can say my wish definitely came true :)

Chicago (May 2010)

2010-06-06T22:03:00.001-07:00

A Memorial Day weekend trip to the Windy City. I enjoyed some cooler weather - at least compared to Texas.

I stayed near the John Hancock Center at the Millenium Knickerbocker hotel which is one block from Michigan Avenue. Like the Intercontinental, the Knickerbocker is an old hotel in Chicago that combines historical charm with modern hotel luxuries. My room was small but had been recently renovated. There is free wi-fi in the lobby area and the piano performer is a very nice touch.

Activities:

Walked through the Water Tower - it is a large upscale mall but I was mainly there to eat at Wow Bao - a restaurant serving Asian buns and is a Chicago local. I like how the water fountains along the escalators periodically shoot out balls of water and people would try to catch them. I caught a few of those water balls.

Architecture boat cruise at night. I had taken the daytime version of this boat tour in a previous trip to Chicago but this was an opportunity to cruise along the Chicago River at night and see how the city buildings light up at night. As a bonus, we got a close view of the Navy Pier fireworks before docking.

Lincoln Park Zoo - exhibits are laid out very well and the zoo is free.

Bike tour of Chicago neighborhoods and along the Lakefront. A great way to get off the beaten path and understand the layout of Chicago. Biking along the lakefront was my favorite part of this tour.

Sears Tower - I had been up to the observation deck before, but I returned so I could check out the ledge. It can be scary at first but after walking on it you will get over it. I felt like I was walking in the air.

Chicago History Museum - a display of Chicago's past as well as its many industries. Check out the differences between a cell phone today and 25 years ago. I love the diorama section on the first floor. Visit this museum on Mondays when admission is free.

Bridgehouse Museum - located in one of the towers along the Michigan Avenue bridge, this museum is about the history of the Chicago River and its role in shaping Chicago's growth. There is also a view of the gears that operate the bridge.

Atlanta (April 2010)

2010-04-20T13:30:00.001-07:00

I visited Atlanta from April 16-19. I stayed in midtown at the Hotel Palomar. The Palomar has free wine in the late afternoon and is a 5 minute walk from the MARTA station. The Palomar staff are very nice and helpful - they will go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. Midtown has easy access to lots of casual restaurants and is a great location to base an Atlanta trip. The MARTA is an excellent way to get around Atlanta, as well as to/from the airport.

Activities:

Piedmont Park - a popular park in midtown. I walked around the lake. It is similar to Austin's hike and bike trail.

Dinner at The Varsity, which is the world's largest drive-in fast food chain. They have a parking garage for their customers. It is an Atlanta icon. Hamburgers are mediocre, but the onion rings and varsity orange drink are good. Servers greet you with "What'll ya have?" and is the restaurant's slogan.

Martin Luther King site - great information in the museums about MLK and the Civil Rights Movement. There is a tour of MLK's birth home where you learn about MLK's childhood. Space in the MLK birth home tour are limited, so try to get to the site early in order to get tickets.

Segway Tour - a tour of downtown Atlanta where you get around using segways. The tour starts with a training session to get comfortable with the segways. I got the hang of the segway after 5 minutes of practice. The segway is intuitive and has amazing turn radius. The segways allow us to cover more ground than walking, and is a lot of fun. We felt like celebrities with people watching us and one photo scavenger hunt group even took pictures with the tour guide riding her segway.

Olympic Park - great place to hang out. The park has a large memorial dedicated to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. I love the Fountain of Rings water show, where the sprinklers operate in sync with songs (just like the water shows in Chicago's Buckingham fountain and Las Vegas's Bellagio)

Georgia Aquarium - my first visit to an aquarium and it was spectacular. My favorite exhibits were the beluga whales, Ocean Voyager where you feel like you're underneath the ocean, and Tropical Diver which feels like scuba diving in the tropical coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean. Purchase your tickets online before arriving so you can skip the ticket line. Try to arrive when the aquarium opens, as it gets more crowded later in the day.

World of Coke - a museum about the history and development of Coca-cola. My favorite parts are the Bottle Works display showing a bottling line where machines fill bottles with Coke (and these bottles are available for visitors to take) tasting room where you can sample Coca-Cola drinks sold all over the world. Many drinks are not sold in the United States. The tasting room is the best part of the World of Coke, in my opinion.

Westin Peachtree Plaza Sundial - near the top of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel with panoramic views of the city and its suberbs. The weather was clear so I was able to see Stone Mountain. I went up there right before sunset so I can see both the daytime and nighttime views of the city.

Federal Reserve Bank - nice presentations about the history of money, the role of the Federal Reserve banks in the nation's monetary system, spotting counterfeit bills, and how money is currently used. I loved the cash processing center where you can see employees sorting, counting, and bundling money. You also get to see robotic forklifts haul carts of money between the vault and cash processing center. As an added bonus, you get to take home a bag of cash - as dollar bills become worn they are shredded and placed in bags for visitors to take. And the entire museum is free.

CNN Studio tour - a way to get a feel for what goes on behind the scenes during news gathering and broadcasting as well as an insight into the various CNN networks. As an added bonus, I got to see 2 live broadcasts - one in the main CNN studio and another in the HLN (Headline News) studio. Try to go during the weekdays, as you will see more workers and have a better chance at seeing a live broadcast.

Texas Trips

2010-03-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of intra-Texas trips.

Dallas - March 6-7
I was in Dallas the first weekend in March for friends' wedding. The reception was on the 17th floor of Park City Club. There were nice views of downtown Dallas here, but at night there was little light in the downtown buildings. I spent the night in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole. I also stayed at this hotel, when it was under the Wyndham chain, during Campus Crusade for Christ's Dallas Winter Conference when I was a student. The is one of the most luxurious hotels I have stayed. The lobby is like an art museum with sculptures and paintings throughout. There is also a park with pieces of the Berlin Wall.

The next day, I visited the JFK Museum near downtown Dallas (also known as the Sixth Floor Museum). The museum is on the 6th floor of Dallas County Administration Building and has exhibits about the presidency and assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The exhibits do a good job in covering the details, and the audio tour (included with admission) is a nice touch and directs you to each exhibit in chronological order. There is also an area containing boxes where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the shots that struck JFK. This section is closed off with windows and is part of the exhibits. The museum does not give its opinion how the assassination happened, but presents facts surrounding the developments and identify areas of controversy. I recommend the museum for those wanting to know more details about JFK's presidency and assassination. There is also the JFK Memorial a few blocks from the museum.

More Pictures

Fredericksburg - March 13
Some people in my community group made a day trip to Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is about 90 minutes west of Austin. We ate lunch at Auslanders, a German restaurant. I liked my meal although reviews have been mixed as to the German authenticity of the food. We also walked along the shops on Main Street and visited the Fredericksburg Winery. I sampled several sweet wines - my favorite was the Main Street Christmas wine which is served warm and spicy. I also had Main Street Christmas wine when I went to Chicago during Christmas.

Miami (January 22-24, 2010)

2010-01-31T21:25:00.001-08:00

Miami is a popular destination during the winter months mainly because of its warmer weather. Miami has hosted many Super Bowls, and one sports analyst said Miami is the place to be during winter.

This was my first trip to Miami, and I focused on understanding the layout of the city and visiting the Everglades. What stood out to me is Miami Beach is actually a separate city from Miami. Miami Beach is located on an island off the mainland, and is connected to Miami by several bridges. Of course, Miami Beach is included in the Miami metropolitan area. Miami Beach is frequented by tourists and has the beaches. I will definitely visit Miami Beach in my next trip to South Florida.

I stayed in the Hilton in downtown Miami. As usual I booked the hotel via priceline and saved more than 50% of the published rate. My room had a partial view of Biscayne Bay.

My activities:
1) Rode the free MetroMover train around the city, and enjoying views of downtown and Biscayne Bay from the train.

2) Visited Bayside Marketplace, where the harbor cruise departed

3) Took a tour of the Miami harbor area on a cruise ship. This cruise tour allowed me to see the Miami skyline, a private island where only the extremely rich could live, and the Star Island where several celebrities live including Shaquille Oneal, Vanilla Ice, and Will Smith.

4) Visited Everglades Safari. The first part of the safari was traveling through the Everglades on an airboat, where we spotted numerous alligators. These alligators are in their natural habitat and not a zoo setting. Next was an alligator demonstration where a ranger communicated with 6 alligators. He knows the alligators and they know him. That ranger had done demonstrations for years. He even allowed me, and other visitors, to hold a baby alligator. It felt like leather. Finally, there was the jungle trail where I spotted an alligator out in the open. By the way, if you ever see an alligator, keep your distance as alligators are strong and will attack if provoked.

Airplane seating

2009-10-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Where is the best place to sit on an airplane? That's up to you to decide. When I was little, I coveted the window seat because I was so excited about the views. But as I grew up, my window seat preference has given way to the aisle seat. An aisle seat allows more room to move my legs and the freedom to get up without disturbing anyone. This is especially important on long flights. And, I can still see out the window from the aisle seat. Of course, an aisle seat person will have to get up to let the middle or window seat person out. But there is a way to avoid that: book an aisle seat in exit row. This is my first choice. Exit rows have more room, so the window seat person in an exit row can go to the bathroom without disturbing anyone. If an exit row seat is not available, I'll go for an aisle seat in the back half of the plane away from the wings. Why near the back? Airlines (at least my preferred carriers American and Continental) board from back to front, meaning those seated in the back will board earlier. Boarding earlier means better chance at getting overhead bin space to store rollerboard luggage. This is important because overhead bins fill up quickly now that airlines are charging to check luggage, forcing more people to carry on.

Hotel booking strategies

2009-10-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

I usually stay at hotels during my travels. What's the most important criteria when booking a hotel? Depends on who you ask. For me, I look for a hotel that is in a convenient location with comfortable beds, and of course at a low price.

What's the best way to book a hotel? Depends on your criteria. I don't care which hotel I stay in, so my favorite hotel booking site is priceline. In priceline, you enter your trip dates and city. Then, you pick an area of the city you want to stay in, enter a star level, and enter a price you want to pay. You enter your payment info and submit. If priceline finds a hotel that meets your criteria at your price, you got it and your card is charged. If not, you can try again but you need to change something about your criteria (dates, star level, add area). Check out this tutorial on how priceline hotel booking works. The catch about priceline: once booked, reservations cannot be changed or refunded so make sure your plans are final before bidding. And you don't get to pick your hotel - priceline assigns you a hotel based on your inputs. But the nice thing is being able to get a luxury hotel at a budget hotel price. By using priceline, I have stayed at some very nice hotels for a steal. I like to think of it this way: I pay a dirt cheap price and by booking on priceline, I'll get upgraded to a much nicer hotel at no additional cost. When I told my friend I stayed at the Westin hotel in Pasadena for $78 a night, he said "you can't even get a crappy hotel at that price". The regular rates for that Westin can easily be over $200.

Some priceline bidding tips:
1) I find downtown to be the best spot for hotels - I get a feel for how the city is laid out and it's a great starting point for exploring. This is especially true for relatively compact cities like Boston, New York, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. Plus, downtown has easy access to public transportation so I can avoid renting a car.
2) Check out betterbidding.com, a forum where users share their priceline bookings. It also includes bidding tips, including the all important rebidding strategy.
3) Check hotel prices on hotwire, then make your first bid 80% of the lowest rate found on hotwire for the zone you want to stay in. Priceline usually beats hotwire in price.
4) Stick to 3 star level and higher. Priceline discounts at these levels are the greatest (percentage wise) and you're assured of a good quality hotel. You get the most bang for the buck. Bidding below 3 stars is risky because quality at those levels vary greatly and you could get stuck in a dump.
5) Perhaps it's because of the recession, but I've noticed that 4 star hotels are being won on priceline for almost the same price as 3 star hotels.
6) Deals are relative to the regular rates. For my recent Boston trip (see post below) I had to bid up to $130 to get a hotel in downtown Boston (I stayed with downtown because I didn't want to risk being far from a subway station). Although that is much more than I usually pay on priceline, it's a 68% discount - the lowest published rate is $404.

New England

2009-10-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

I made a trip to New England to visit some sites in Boston, visit my friend Dan who lives in Hartford, CT, and enjoy fall foliage in Connecticut and Massachusetts. New England produces some very pretty colors on the trees during October. There is something very special about seeing a combination of green, red, orange, yellow, and even purple colored leaves on trees. It's like looking at a rainbow. I was in New England Oct 22-26 (5 days). Activities for each day:

Day 1: Arrived Boston in the early evening and checked into the Intercontinental Boston Hotel. This hotel is located on the site where the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. The hotel was built a few years ago so it is very modern and luxurious with attention to details in the rooms. The bathrooms even have a shower stall, separate from the tub. The Intercontinental Boston is definitely one of the most luxurious hotels I've ever stayed in. And thanks to priceline, I was able to get a room at this hotel for 32% of the regular rate.

Day 2: I spent the entire day in Boston. Started out checking out the fall foliage colors in downtown Boston, including the Boston Common and the Public Gardens. I then toured the Church of Christ and visited the Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy library. The Mapparium is a three-story globe. In the middle of the globe is a glass-bottom bridge that visitors walk on. The globe is made of painted windows that light up. Interesting way to view the world and where we live. They don't allow pictures in the Mapparium so you have to go there to see it. The library also includes information on Mary Baker Eddy and her focus on Christian Science as a way to heal from illness. Next I went up to the skywalk observatory in the Prudential Center to enjoy nice views of Boston.

Day 3: Dan came up to Boston and we had lunch at Shangri-La in Cambridge (just west of Boston). Great food - people line up 15 minutes before the place opens. We drove to Hartford and because it rained on and off all day, we spent the rest of the day watching college football with some of Dan's friends. I'm happy to report both our schools - Penn State and Texas - won their games.

Day 4: Today was mostly sunny - perfect day for a hike. We made 2 hikes. The first was at a repository in Hartford - its endless line of trees surrounding a huge lake trumps the hike-and-bike trail along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, especially in the fall. Our second hike was at Race Brook Falls area in western Massachusetts. Our hike took us to the bottom of a waterfall and our mission was: reach the top of falls and enjoy the view. First step was cross the roaring streams - we did it by strategic planning and good jumps, knowing that if we miss we could get carried away by the rapids. OK, maybe not (people have walked in the streams in hot weather) but it sure looked like it could happen. And it gets tougher - we now had to climb a steep hill filled with wet rocks. It took a good amount of effort, but we made it to the top, and got our prize. Thank goodness we didn't slip while climbing or we could end up handicapped. I couldn't have asked for more - standing on top of a roaring waterfall looking down at fall colors in the sun. Amazing view. We ended the day with dinner at The Counter, which is a burger place. Like Fuddruckers, you build your own burger. And they serve sweet potato fries. More pictures from our 2 hikes.

Day 5: We drove to Boston. The highway was lined up with trees showing their fall colors. Like day 4, it was sunny and that made the colors even brighter. I took a tour of Harvard University. The tour was led by 2 students and they were very enthusiastic and took a lot of pride in their university. Many students pronounce the name Hahvahd (something about New England accents). One of the tour guides told a story about a student taking a final exam in religious studies. One question is "What is the meaning of life?" He answered only God knows. The professor wrote on his exam "So God passes. You fail"

Washington DC - October 2009

2009-10-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

The US capital city offers many free stuff to do. I was treated to a nice view of DC's main attractions during the landing at Reagan National airport. If you happen to fly into Reagan airport, book a window seat on the left side of the plane to get the view (of course, this assumes the plane lands from the north side of the city).

I stayed at the Renaissance DC hotel, located a few blocks from a metro station. This hotel is also centrally located between Chinatown, the Smithsonian, and Capital Hill. It has a great fitness center with extensive work out equipment - by far the best hotel gym I've ever used.

My activities in DC:
1) Capital Hill area, to visit the US Supreme Court

2) Joined a tour group to see the monuments at night, when they are lit up. We went around on bikes, which is much quicker and easier on the legs than walking.

3) Visited the Washington Monument, including a trip to the observation deck 500 feet above the ground to enjoy a bird's eye view of DC.

4) Visited Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot and Peterson House, where Lincoln died 9 hours after being shot.

5) Visited National Community Church - this church doesn't have a dedicated building but meets in various places throughout DC, including a theater in the Union Station and in Ebenezer's coffee house. I attended their Saturday night service in the coffee house. The sermon was about the Sabbath, which emphasized that the Sabbath is a time to celebrate God's creation, provision, freedom, and salvation. And celebrating the Sabbath should be fun. For me, celebrating the Sabbath includes traveling to experience God's creation in other places.

6) Museums I visited:
a) National Postal
b) Portrait Gallery which has a section with portraits of every US president from George Washington to George W Bush
c) National Archives, which has the original copy of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These documents are enclosed in heavy glass and stored in a dark, cool room to preserve them. This museum also has immigration records and letters written to presidents. Some of these letters are on display. In one letter, this middle school boy's room was so messy his mom called it a disaster area, so he wrote a letter to Ronald Reagan (president at the time) asking for federal funds to hire a crew to clean his room.

More DC Pictures

Niagara Falls

2009-09-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Being in Toronto, of course we had to visit Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls actually consists of two parts: American Falls and Horseshoe Falls. At night, a series of search lights provide the both the American and Horseshoe falls with colored lights.

Niagara Falls has a lot to do, besides looking at the falls. Our activities:
1) Maid of Mist, a boat ride around the horseshoe falls. The falls creates a lot of moisture, it feels like it's raining. The boat gets close to the horseshoe falls. Depending on how close, it will feel like anything ranging from a drizzle to a heavy downpour.
2) White water walk, a walk along the rapids of the Niagara River. These are some of the most intense rapids in the world.
3) Niagara Fury, a movie and a simulated ride. In the ride you stand on a moving platform and literally feel the creation of Niagara falls.
4) Journey Behind the Falls. We took an elevator to the bottom of the gorge and walk through tunnels behind the horseshoe falls. We could hear the water rushing in the tunnel. There was also an observation deck where we got to stand at the bottom of the falls.

Check out more Niagara Falls Pictures.

Toronto

2009-09-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

My dad had some frequent flier miles to burn so we made a family trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls (see above post).

Our Toronto activities:
1) Several meals in Chinatown
2) Visited the University of Toronto
3) Walked around downtown, passing by City Hall, and visiting Eaton Centre
4) Toronto Island, located in Lake Ontario a few miles from downtown Toronto. The island is one big park with tons of trails for walking and biking. There are also beaches. There is also a small airport on the island which is used mostly by private planes and regional jets. We got great views of the Toronto city skyline both from the boat ride to the island and from the island itself.
5) CN Tower, built to broadcast radio and TV signals throughout Southern Ontario. It was the tallest building in the world until the Taipei 101 opened. We were on the observation deck which included a glass floor, where you can see the ground below you. It was unsettling to walk on the glass floor at first, but you get over it. Quite an experience. I like how the tower lights up in various, continuously changing colors at night.

Seattle

2009-08-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Seattle is a great place to visit during the summer with cooler temperatures than Texas. Seattle is known for its many coffee shops, including Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and other local joints. There is a coffee shop on almost every corner in downtown Seattle. Seattle residents really do need their caffeine.

I stayed in downtown Seattle at the Sheraton hotel, located 2 blocks from a light rail station and about 10 minute walk to Pike Place Market and the harbor.

For my Seattle visit, I focused on the main tourist sites, including:

1) Waterfront, where I went on a cruise around the Seattle harbor. This 1-hour tour provides views of the Seattle skyline, Mt. Rainier, the Space Needle, Olympic Mountains, Starbuck's headquarters, and Seattle's many ports.
More Seattle harbor pictures.

2) Pike Place Market, consisting of many gift shops, food stands, restaurants, and cafes including the first ever Starbucks. There is also the Pike Place Fish Market where workers throw fish around. Many visitors stop by just to see the fish throwing.

3) Flying into Seattle on a Boeing airplane, it was fitting for me to visit their Future of Flight center in Everett, which consists of an aviation museum with information about Boeing's planes, and a tour of Boeing's factory. Interestingly, the museum also includes information about some Airbus planes as well. Boeing's factory, where they build their 747, 767, 777, and 787 airplanes is the world's largest building by volume. The factory is like an indoor city with a fire department, security, clinic, power station, water treatment plant, and numerous restaurants. Factory workers use bikes and golf carts to get around. The factory even created its own weather. Heat from the ground would rise and combine with the cooler air near the top, creating clouds and even drizzle. The weather cleared when air-circulation systems were installed. For the factory tour, we saw the 747, 777, and 787 manufacturing lines and learned about the process in building those planes, including assembly of parts, painting, and test flying (there is a small airport for this). Photography of the factory is not allowed, so I have no factory pictures.

4) Space Needle observation deck. I went up there just before sunset, and enjoyed daytime and nighttime views of Seattle from above. The Space Needle was built in 1962 to give Seattle a stand-out structure for the Seattle World's Fair. The Space Needle was build to withstand winds up to 200 mph, and earthquakes up to 9.0 in magnitude. So during a powerful storm or a major earthquake, the Space Needle is probably the safest building to be in.

Independence Day in San Francisco

2009-07-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

This was a continuation of my last trip to San Francisco in Labor Day of last year. It also allowed me to escape the Texas summer heat for a few days, and enjoy the great San Francisco summer weather of sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s and 60s. In fact, San Francisco summers are almost on par with typical Austin winter weather. Mark Twain once said, "the coldest winter I have experienced is a summer in San Francisco". The great weather, combined with Chinatown and other distinct features of San Francisco, make it one of my favorite summer destinations.

I stayed in the Financial District, near the Embarcadero, in the Le Meridien hotel. Since this area caters to business travelers, you can get good deals at luxury hotels here. Check out this note left by a housekeeper. It's just a simple thank you note, but it was a nice gesture and it shows the housekeepers really appreciate tips :)

1) Checked out the demonstration window of Boudin Bakery in Fishermans Wharf, where you can see bakers making sourdough bread, some shaped like animals like this turtle. I highly recommend their clam chowder in a bread bowl.

2) Visited Ghirardelli Square

3) Ate in Chinatown

4) Walked the Golden Gate bridge

5) Rode the glass elevator in the Westin St. Francis hotel where I got nice views of Union Square.

6) Went to Coit Tower, build in honor of firefighters which explains the fire hose shape of the building. Rode the elevator to the top (about 27 stories) to take in birds-eye views of the city.

7) Visited the Levi Plaza, which included a visitor's center with displays about the Levi jeans history and development, as well as information about other Levi products.

8) Took a cruise in the San Francisco Bay, sailing to the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatrez Island, and docked near Pier 33 in Fishermans Wharf to watch the fireworks. Being on the cruise ship offered the best views of the fireworks, and is less crowded than standing in Fishermans Wharf. With temperatures in the high 50s, it was by far the coldest Independence Day I have ever experienced.

9) Checked out the Farmer's Market in the Ferry Building. They have many samples of bread, fruit, sauces, and juices.

10) Rode the cable cars - they are a fun way to get around (though not the fastest) and you get to experience how people got around in SF in the late 1800s.

Chicago - part 3

2009-06-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

My third trip to Chicago. Summers in Chicago are always fun. I made this trip to enjoy cooler weather and do some things I didn't get to in my previous Chicago trips. Weather was cooler than I expected though - 50's and 60's which are more typical for fall in Chicago. But compared to the 95+ weather in Austin, I can't complain.

So, for my short weekend trip:
1) Checked out a free art festival with artists setting up booths throughout a block along Michigan Avenue.
2) Grabbed dinner at a cafe in Greektown
3) Visited Buckingham fountain at night. There is an evening show at the fountain featuring colored lights and patriotic music.
4) Architectural cruise, which is a boat ride along the Chicago River. This has become one of my favorite Chicago activities.
5) Visited the Hershey's store, with a wide array of chocolate products and featured a demonstration on making the store's specialty cupcakes

Pictures:
Chicago River
Buckingham Fountain

With the new transparent Ledge now open in the Sears Tower, that will definitely be something I plan to do for my next trip to Chicago.

Washington DC - May 2009

2009-05-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

A weekend visit to the US capital city.

1) Library of Congress, and take a tour of the US Capital.

2) Went to the White House visitor's center, located a few blocks from the White House itself. This is the best way to get information about the White House. To actually get in the White House, you need to either have an appointment or write to your local Senator to get tickets, which can take several months. Otherwise, the closest any visitor will get to the White House is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

3) Museums I visited:
a) U.S. Botanic Garden
b) American History
c) Air and Space

4) Walked by some of the memorials.

Baltimore

2009-05-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Baltimore has historical significance as it is the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner, the U.S. national anthem.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a great to place to be near the ocean and enjoy great crabs. Baltimore residents really love their crabs. The harbor has street performers, seafood restaurants, many boat tours and cruises, and shops. There is also the World Trade Center of Baltimore, which is the world's tallest pentagonal building. There is an observation deck which offers great views of the city.

To understand Baltimore's place in US history, visit Fort McHenry. The fort can be reached from Inner Harbor by a water taxi, which is a boat making stops along the Baltimore coast. It operates like a shuttle bus in the water. Waits for the boat can be long (about 20 minutes) especially if you have to transfer so the water taxi is not the fastest way to get around but it is the most fun way. I recommend the water taxi if you're not pressed for time.

Fort McHenry was built to protect the city of Baltimore from attack. Soldiers would live there and plan ways to defend Baltimore from the fort. The fort also has places (called magazines) to store supplies such as gun powder, canons, and canon balls. During the War of 1812, the British attempted to capture Baltimore and sent several ships to Chesapeake Bay to attack Fort McHenry. This became known as the Battle of Baltimore. The British soldiers shot bomb shells and rockets from the ships and the American soldiers in the fort fired canons. Most of the British shots missed the fort. The attacks went on for 25 hours. In the early morning of a September day in 1814, the British gave up and turned away. On the Chesapeake Bay about 2 miles from Ft McHenry, Francis Scott Key saw the whole thing from the attack to the British surrender. He also saw a giant flag (which Mary Pickersgill had sewn) being flown, still intact after the attacks - it was this moment when he wrote a poem titled "Defence of Fort McHenry". This poem was then renamed to "The Star-Spangled Banner" and became the U.S. National Anthem.

More Pictures

LA visit and Tarrytown LA visit and Tarrytown reunion

2009-04-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

I spent the past weekend in Los Angeles, seeing some LA sights and hanging out with former Tarrytown-ers Danny and Katie Luong, and Megan McKenty:

Stuff I did:
* Went to Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena
* Visited the Griffith Observatory - admission is free and you also get great views of the city and Hollywood sign
* Toured the entertainment district on a trolley
* Rode an open-air bus around Hollywood and Beverley Hills, seeing movie star homes and some key sights
* Attended Christian Assembly church and had lunch with Danny, Katie, and Megan
* Saw Venice beach - only drove around because we couldn't find parking as the place was packed

Pictures

Chicago Christmas Trip

2008-12-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

After hearing from friends about how festive Chicago is during Christmas, I decided to make a return trip there to check it out (I previously visited Chicago this past Independence Day).

I stayed at the InterContinental Hotel on Michigan Ave, which is a very historic hotel that has been modernized and renovated over the years. It has the best swimming pool I've ever used - the pool area is elegantly decorated and Olympic medalist Johnny Weissmuller trained in this pool . Also, you can either play in the pool or swim laps. Most hotel pools are only for playing. The pool is located on the 14th floor and was one of the first pools built so high up.

My activities
* Watching A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theater
* Garrett Popcorn
* Experiencing a white Christmas - something I don't get in Austin
* Sitting in front of a fire (in the fireplace) in Starbucks sipping hot chocolate, an escape from sub-zero temperatures and wind chill

* Christkindlmarket, which is a Christmas tradition in Germany. They set up outdoor shops filled with food and small gifts. I had hot and spicy wine, brownie made of German chocolate, potato cakes, and bratwurst sandwich.

* Zoo Lights - display of Christmas lights and decorations at Lincoln Park Zoo. This is similar to
Austin's trail of lights, only with a zoo theme.

* Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of John Hancock Center

* Ice skating at Daley Bicentennial Plaza - this rink hides in the shadow of the rink at Millennium Park but is less crowded.

* Christmas Around the World at the Museum of Science and Industry, an exhibit featuring Christmas trees decorated by the ethnic communities of Chicago. Each tree has decorations that represent a country.

As an added bonus, on my last day in Chicago, I got a taste of how cold it could get there - a bank sign indicated -4 for the actual temperature, and wind chills as cold as -30. The wind really makes a difference in Chicago winters. Below zero temperatures sure makes 30's look balmy.

More Pictures
Video from Zoo Lights

Hurricane Ike relief trip in Galveston

2008-11-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

I went on the Hurricane Ike relief trip in Galveston in a team of 4 people, and we tore down flood damaged walls in 2 houses. One house was owned by a woman named Tina, and she had accumulated lots of stuff since her childhood. Much of her things are memories of her life. We had to move her stuff around in order to get to the walls, and some of her boxes still had water from the floods. Also, some parts of her house still had not dried up. Needless to say, there was a strong mold smell within those areas. We also helped clean up Tina's yard.

Check out the damage left by Ike: http://picasaweb.google.com/slin46/GalvestonHurricaneIkeReliefTrip

Japan and Taiwan

2008-10-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

I took a 10 day trip with visits to Japan and Taiwan. I was going to Taiwan for my cousin's wedding, and made a stop in Japan on the way to Taiwan. It was my first visit to Japan and we joined a tour group with 9 other tourists.

We traveled in a tour bus with a guide. Our tour group concentrated within the Kanto region and saw temples, shrines, a castle, Imperial Palace, shopping districts, a national park, hot springs, Toyota show room, and parts of Tokyo. We enjoyed great Japanese food - sushi, udon, tempura, and green tea ice cream.

Japan is a clean country, with a focus on hygiene, and safety. It is also hospitable towards visitors, and many Japan service workers are used to dealing with foreign visitors - if you visit Japan you will know what I mean.

My favorite hotel was the New Akao Hotel which has a Japanese theme (rooms look like Japan houses) and is located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This hotel has hot springs for people to dip in. The procedure is: shower then dip in the hot springs naked - that's right, everyone enters the springs with absolutely no clothes on.

Pictures
Japan - batch 1
Japan - batch 2
Japan - batch 3

Taiwan (the Taiwan album includes pictures from my last 2 trips to Taiwan - first week of November 2008 and during the 2007 Christmas season)

Boston

2008-10-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

My first trip to Boston.

Highlights:
* First time sitting in an exit row on a flight - the extra space sure was nice
* I stayed at the Hyatt Harborside hotel near the airport, which had great views of the Boston skyline
* I grabbed dinner and dessert in Chinatown with Dan Lin who was in Boston for work
* I visited the MIT Museum, which had projects of students work
* Enjoyed an early taste of Boston's fall foliage (it usually peaks in mid October)
* When I finished walking the Freedom Trail, I was at a dock waiting to catch a ferry from the USS Constitution sight to downtown Boston, and started talking to these 2 married couples (random people from my perspective). They were also visiting Boston (1 couple was from Chicago and the other from Salem, MA) and they invited me to join them for dinner.
* When I returned home, I ran into Aaron and Nelly at the airport - they had just returned from a trip to Washington DC.

Pictures:
Boston Harbor

Freedom Trail with lots of historical sites

Fall Foliage

San Francisco

2008-08-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

I visited San Francisco over Labor Day weekend. San Francisco has an international feel, with people of different nationalities, Victorian style buildings, and the world's largest Chinatown outside of China. With summers consisting of mostly sunny skies and 70's during the day, San Francisco is an excellent way to escape the Texas summer heat. What stuck out to me is how unique San Francisco is from other U.S. cities - cable cars, steep hills, and an island that used to serve as a prison.

Pictures:
Random places in San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

Alcatrez Island

Lombard Street

San Diego

2008-08-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

I was in San Diego to enjoy the beautiful views of the city. San Diego shares some similarities to Austin - the live music, the water views, laid back people, and of course the beauty. Impact's mission trips to Ensenada, Mexico inspired me to make this trip. All in all, a great way to enjoy God's creation.

Places I visited

Coronado Island which included a stop at the Hotel del Coronado (which is more than a hotel - it is a tourist destination with the beach, shops, and cafes)

Gaslamp district

Little Italy

Old Town - a section of San Diego featuring Mexican restaurants, gift shops, and historic sites

Harbor Drive

And, I also grabbed lunch with Justin, a former Tarrytowner, at the Island Prime. The Island Prime is a seafood and steak restaraunt near the airport and has views of the ocean, downtown San Diego, and Coronado Island - a great way to enjoy beautiful scenery, live music, and good food. Eating at Island Prime is definitely eating in paradise. It is similar to the Oasis in Austin.

More Pictures

The flight to San Diego was an adventure, in a good way. When I checked my flight status online, I noticed my outbound flight would be delayed at least 40 minutes so I went to the airport early to catch an earlier flight (I had a connection in Houston and I didn't want to risk missing it). I got to Houston just in time to catch an earlier Houston-San Diego flight (I later found out my original Houston-San Diego flight would also be delayed). I ended up arriving in San Diego 2 hours earlier than scheduled - all because my original flight was delayed by 40 minutes. Imagine that - the first time a flight delay worked in my favor :) Wow, God really does work in ways we don't know about.

Chicago summer trip

2008-07-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

I visited Chicago during Independence Day weekend. It was my first time in Chicago, and I enjoyed seeing the major sites in Chicago, as well as the Taste of Chicago. Four things are associated with Chicago: revolving doors, fireworks, pizza, and skyscrapers.

I stayed in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago, and had a room with a nice view of the Chicago River.

Pictures for each place I visited:
Sears Tower, currently the tallest building in the United States. It had been the world's tallest building until the openings of the Taipei 101 and a tower in Dubai.

Museum of Science and Industry, including a Green House tour which is a house designed to be environmentally friendly.

John Hancock Center, the third tallest building in Chicago and close to Lake Michigan.

Fireworks at Navy Pier, which I saw from the John Hancock Center observatory.

United Center

Boat tour around Lake Michigan with views of the Chicago skyline.

Grant and Millenium Parks

Boat tour along the Chicago River

Other Chicago sites

Philadelphia Trip

2008-05-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, I took a trip to Philadelphia to visit Independence Hall historic national park, the origin of our country's freedom as it is today.

I stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill hotel, located a few blocks from the Independence Hall park. This hotel mimics the colonial theme of the historic district.

I visited most of the major sites in the historic district and learned about how each related to American history. My favorite sites were:

Liberty Bell center

Independence Hall

Congress Hall

City Tavern - a restaurant where members of Congress usually ate. I had crab cakes made with crabs from the Chesapeake Bay, and chocolate mouse cake (its recipe was written by Martha Washington)

Declaration House - where Thomas Jefferson lived and wrote the Declaration of Independence

Carpenter's Hall - hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774, which was set up as a result of Britian passing unpopular taxes (Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Townshend Acts) and the Boston Massacre

Betsy Ross House - where Betsy Ross lived and worked. It is now a museum.

The National Constitution Center - a museum dedicated to the construction of the US Constitution, and also includes key moments of US history and information on the Constitution Amendments.

The sites have been modernized for visitors and preserved in their original condition; and the roads are cobble-stoned just like in the 1700's. The historic district is a great way to learn about American history in a different perspective than reading a textbook.

More pictures

Hartford Trip

2008-05-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Hartford, CT to visit my friend Dan. Hartford is a small city consisting of mostly insurance companies.

Activities:
* Dinner at a fancy sushi restaurant
* Playing pool at Dan's apartment (which by the way is set up like a hotel, and also provides valet parking)
* Watching Iron Man with Dan's friends
* Taking a day trip to New York City where we had an adventure trying to find Chinatown
* Attending Dan's church, which has a small congregation (around 30 people). In fact, the pastor would take prayer requests from the congregation and then pray for them before starting the sermon.
* Meeting some of Dan's friends

More pictures