Sunday, May 20, 2012
San Antonio Tour
After 9 months working in San Antonio, I got around to taking a tour of downtown San Antonio. Downtown is very different from the rest of San Antonio with many historical sights, the Riverwalk, Mexican-style villages, and of course the Alamo. I joined a segway tour group - like my previous segway tours they are a fun way to explore a city.
I also went up to the observation deck in Tower of America. The tower was built to be the primary structure during the 1968 World's fair. In addition to the panoramic views of the city, there is also a 4D movie with motion seats about the main themes of Texas, from wildlife to football to space exploration.
Friday, January 20, 2012
2012 Whistler Ski Trip
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)
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)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
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
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
Sunday, July 10, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
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.
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.
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