So we just came back from another trip, this time to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. I'm definitely not complaining. :-)
Day 1
Our first stop was Casa de Fruta in Hollister. The nice thing is that the store had lots of free samples. I felt guilty after eating so much and bought some chocolates before leaving. The rest of the drive was uneventful, although we made a quick stop for pictures at San Luis Reservoir. The lake was huge!
It was late when we got to our hotel. Dad and I watched Rambo III on TV before going to bed. That was a cool movie.
Day 2
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks awaited us in the morning. Some parts of Kings Canyon were still closed for the winter, but Sequoia was pretty nice. The fresh air made for a great hike. All of us enjoyed walking among the giant trees. That was an amazing experience and my favorite part of the trip.
I saw a store in Fresno called WinCo Foods on our way home. Seeing that everything was super cheap, the three of us bought dinner to eat in the car before going back for groceries. This was a great way to end our vacation. Looks like we have a new favorite place to shop!
March 28 update: I'm now back at Berkeley as spring break has ended. I didn't feel like making another post as the rest of the break was uneventful.
Currently watching: Rambo III
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Yosemite trip report
I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. This was our first spring break vacation in five years. All of us definitely had a great time.
Day 1
Our trip began with a 200-mile drive to Oakhurst. There was plenty of free time as it was barely past 2 p.m. when we arrived. The alpine air was fresh and made for a great hike. It was a wonderful experience.
After returning to the hotel for some rest, my parents and I had dinner at the on-site restaurant. Though the food wasn't cheap, everything was delicious, especially the pasta I ordered. On the whole, the dinner was the best part of the trip.
Day 2
The three of us headed back to the park after breakfast to see the famous waterfalls. The spray from Yosemite Falls was quite refreshing. Our last stop in the park was Yosemite Village in the afternoon. The Village Store is easily one of my favorite places.
Mom wanted to go to the Gilroy Premium Outlets for a shoe sale, so that was our next stop. We managed to get there with about an hour to spare. This was followed by dinner at the Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant in San Jose. As with our previous visits, the food didn't disappoint. It was a great end to a great vacation.
Currently listening to: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 by J. S. Bach
Day 1
Our trip began with a 200-mile drive to Oakhurst. There was plenty of free time as it was barely past 2 p.m. when we arrived. The alpine air was fresh and made for a great hike. It was a wonderful experience.
After returning to the hotel for some rest, my parents and I had dinner at the on-site restaurant. Though the food wasn't cheap, everything was delicious, especially the pasta I ordered. On the whole, the dinner was the best part of the trip.
Day 2
The three of us headed back to the park after breakfast to see the famous waterfalls. The spray from Yosemite Falls was quite refreshing. Our last stop in the park was Yosemite Village in the afternoon. The Village Store is easily one of my favorite places.
Mom wanted to go to the Gilroy Premium Outlets for a shoe sale, so that was our next stop. We managed to get there with about an hour to spare. This was followed by dinner at the Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant in San Jose. As with our previous visits, the food didn't disappoint. It was a great end to a great vacation.
Currently listening to: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 by J. S. Bach
Friday, January 7, 2005
back from Tahoe
"I feel like Luke Skywalker getting ready to attack the Death Star." -- me, on intermediate slopes
I just got back from Tahoe with my parents. The purpose of the trip was to go skiing at Northstar-at-Tahoe. It was pretty exciting as we hadn't skied in over three years!
Day 1
The drive to Tahoe was uneventful. Our hotel for the night was Boreal Inn, located next to Boreal Mountain Resort. Though we don't come here much anymore, my parents booked this place because of its proximity to other ski areas.
To our disappointment, Boreal Inn absolutely sucked. The beds were uncomfortable, the heater was loud and Internet access was only available at the front desk as it was intended for staff. While it's nice to be disconnected sometimes, this was an inconvenience for Dad as he is a CEO and frequently gets e-mails. He soon decided to cancel our second night and pick another hotel.
Day 2
The three of us headed to Northstar-at-Tahoe after checking out of the crappy motel. I took some lessons to refresh my skills as I hadn't skied in over three years. It wasn't long before I got back up to speed. As a matter of fact, I was racing down intermediate slopes after just two sessions. Woohoo!
I don't think I've ever had so much fun in Tahoe. This was definitely the best part of the trip.
Day 3
The plan was to go skiing again, but we changed our minds as the weather wasn't that great. On the other hand, I enjoyed our drive around Lake Tahoe. That was a relaxing way to spend the morning.
It was soon time to head home as my parents were getting tired. The fun didn't end there as we visited the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield. There were no more tours available, but the visitor center was still open. The art gallery was really cool. We then stopped at our family friend Mei's house and hung out with the Lees for a while before returning home. This was no doubt an awesome trip.
Currently listening to: "What Is Love" by Haddaway
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Alaska trip report
Summer has been great as my family just came back from Alaska. I know it seems crazy to go on another trip so soon, but Dad had some miles that were about to expire. Although we just went to the Pacific Northwest last month, this trip was pretty fun.
Day 1
It was a somber morning as we had to bury my grandmother Pi-Tan at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos. The service began at 10 a.m. and lasted around an hour. Following the service, the three of us had lunch with our family friends before heading home to pack up.
The first leg of the trip was an afternoon flight to Anchorage. There was a problem as we checked into the hotel: our room smelled like cigarettes despite being a non-smoking room. How unpleasant. Finding the right person took a while, but management got another room for us. It was almost midnight when we were ready for bed.
Day 2
Our first real stop was Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The route took us through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. Because it has only one lane, traffic is limited to one direction and alternates at regular intervals. That was a cool experience.
At over 13 million acres, Wrangell–St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States. This was a nice place, although there wasn't much to do besides enjoy the views. The other downside is that mosquitoes were everywhere. I was bitten several times after just a few minutes. Blah.
We arrived in Valdez a few hours later. One of the most important ports in Alaska, Valdez was our destination for the next two nights. There weren't many attractions, although we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant after checking into the hotel. The food was delicious!
Day 3
Valdez marks the southern end of the Alaska pipeline, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the state. Part of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the 800-mile pipeline carries oil from Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez Marine Terminal. This engineering marvel made for some neat pictures.
Dad took us to Worthington Glacier in the late afternoon. The glacier looked small from a distance, but we were surprised by its size as we approached. The nice thing is that it wasn't too cold here. On the way back to the car, I noticed one of the doors was open. Oh crap. To our relief, everything was accounted for. That was a close call.
Day 4
Our next destination was Fairbanks. Due to the distance, most of the day was spent on the road. On the other hand, the scenery along the route was amazing and made the drive very worthwhile.
About 15 miles south of Fairbanks was North Pole. The town isn't related to the real North Pole but has a strong Christmas theme. The whimsical street names like Santa Claus Lane and Kris Kringle Drive made for memorable photos. The funny thing is that we came across this place by chance. Sometimes the best things are unplanned.
Day 5
One thing I was looking forward to was crossing the Arctic Circle. Because most rental agencies don't allow their vehicles on unpaved roads - such as the Dalton Highway - we decided to book a tour. Our guide Tank was an outdoor enthusiast who knew everything about Alaska. Of note is that we were the only ones who signed up. That meant we got to take the extra food. Talk about VIP treatment. :-)
The four of us arrived at the Arctic Circle after a four-hour drive. The only feature was a large wooden sign, but stopping here was a unique experience. Tank took some pictures with us before driving us back to Fairbanks. On the whole, the tour was my favorite part of the trip.
We said goodbye to Tank and headed to downtown Fairbanks for groceries. I took the opportunity to buy a box of chocolates from Alaska Wild Berry Products at Fred Meyer. The unusual flavors like fireweed and gooseberry had caught my eye. I can't wait to try them as they sound really good.
The fun ended when Dad got pulled over for speeding - in Alaska of all places. It just happened that he was going very fast because of the downhill slope. This was rather unexpected, especially considering that we rarely saw police. The fine wasn't too steep but still put a damper on our mood. :-(
Our lodging for the night was a cabin in Cantwell. According to the sign, Cantwell has a population of only about 200 people. It was one of the most desolate places I've ever been. Despite the remoteness, the cabin wasn't too bad.
Day 6
I'm glad we bought our groceries the day before because room service was insanely expensive. For example, the full breakfast was around $16 according to the menu. Yikes!
After checking out of the cabin, my family headed to Denali National Park and Preserve for another tour. We saw all kinds of animals, such as bears, elk and moose. Denali was definitely another highlight of the trip. Like the Arctic Circle tour, this one also lasted about eight hours. All of us were completely exhausted when the tour ended.
Back in Anchorage, the three of us had dinner at a Japanese restaurant before returning to the hotel. It was nice to finally get some well-deserved rest.
Day 7
Our flight home was in the afternoon. We spent the morning exploring the downtown and browsing the shops. I wanted to visit the Alaska Wild Berry Products store, but there wasn't enough time. This was unfortunate because I wanted to check out the factory tour and free samples. Oh well. :-(
The flight to San Francisco was uneventful. Our family friend Karen picked us up and gave us a ride home. I was totally exhausted at this point and went to bed shortly afterwards.
Conclusions
This was easily one of our best vacations ever. I enjoyed every moment of the trip, but the Arctic Circle tour was my favorite part by far. Not many people can say they've crossed the Arctic Circle. Denali was also fun as we saw all kinds of wildlife. The memories from this trip will last years.
Alaska is one of the few unspoiled places in the world. Of course, the downside is that it gets extremely cold in the winter. It's certainly not a place I'd want to live. That said, I wouldn't mind a vacation there every so often. :-)
Currently playing: Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 4
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Day 1
It was a somber morning as we had to bury my grandmother Pi-Tan at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos. The service began at 10 a.m. and lasted around an hour. Following the service, the three of us had lunch with our family friends before heading home to pack up.
The first leg of the trip was an afternoon flight to Anchorage. There was a problem as we checked into the hotel: our room smelled like cigarettes despite being a non-smoking room. How unpleasant. Finding the right person took a while, but management got another room for us. It was almost midnight when we were ready for bed.
Day 2
Our first real stop was Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The route took us through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. Because it has only one lane, traffic is limited to one direction and alternates at regular intervals. That was a cool experience.
At over 13 million acres, Wrangell–St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States. This was a nice place, although there wasn't much to do besides enjoy the views. The other downside is that mosquitoes were everywhere. I was bitten several times after just a few minutes. Blah.
We arrived in Valdez a few hours later. One of the most important ports in Alaska, Valdez was our destination for the next two nights. There weren't many attractions, although we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant after checking into the hotel. The food was delicious!
Day 3
Valdez marks the southern end of the Alaska pipeline, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the state. Part of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the 800-mile pipeline carries oil from Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez Marine Terminal. This engineering marvel made for some neat pictures.
Dad took us to Worthington Glacier in the late afternoon. The glacier looked small from a distance, but we were surprised by its size as we approached. The nice thing is that it wasn't too cold here. On the way back to the car, I noticed one of the doors was open. Oh crap. To our relief, everything was accounted for. That was a close call.
Day 4
Our next destination was Fairbanks. Due to the distance, most of the day was spent on the road. On the other hand, the scenery along the route was amazing and made the drive very worthwhile.
About 15 miles south of Fairbanks was North Pole. The town isn't related to the real North Pole but has a strong Christmas theme. The whimsical street names like Santa Claus Lane and Kris Kringle Drive made for memorable photos. The funny thing is that we came across this place by chance. Sometimes the best things are unplanned.
Day 5
One thing I was looking forward to was crossing the Arctic Circle. Because most rental agencies don't allow their vehicles on unpaved roads - such as the Dalton Highway - we decided to book a tour. Our guide Tank was an outdoor enthusiast who knew everything about Alaska. Of note is that we were the only ones who signed up. That meant we got to take the extra food. Talk about VIP treatment. :-)
The four of us arrived at the Arctic Circle after a four-hour drive. The only feature was a large wooden sign, but stopping here was a unique experience. Tank took some pictures with us before driving us back to Fairbanks. On the whole, the tour was my favorite part of the trip.
We said goodbye to Tank and headed to downtown Fairbanks for groceries. I took the opportunity to buy a box of chocolates from Alaska Wild Berry Products at Fred Meyer. The unusual flavors like fireweed and gooseberry had caught my eye. I can't wait to try them as they sound really good.
The fun ended when Dad got pulled over for speeding - in Alaska of all places. It just happened that he was going very fast because of the downhill slope. This was rather unexpected, especially considering that we rarely saw police. The fine wasn't too steep but still put a damper on our mood. :-(
Our lodging for the night was a cabin in Cantwell. According to the sign, Cantwell has a population of only about 200 people. It was one of the most desolate places I've ever been. Despite the remoteness, the cabin wasn't too bad.
Day 6
I'm glad we bought our groceries the day before because room service was insanely expensive. For example, the full breakfast was around $16 according to the menu. Yikes!
After checking out of the cabin, my family headed to Denali National Park and Preserve for another tour. We saw all kinds of animals, such as bears, elk and moose. Denali was definitely another highlight of the trip. Like the Arctic Circle tour, this one also lasted about eight hours. All of us were completely exhausted when the tour ended.
Back in Anchorage, the three of us had dinner at a Japanese restaurant before returning to the hotel. It was nice to finally get some well-deserved rest.
Day 7
Our flight home was in the afternoon. We spent the morning exploring the downtown and browsing the shops. I wanted to visit the Alaska Wild Berry Products store, but there wasn't enough time. This was unfortunate because I wanted to check out the factory tour and free samples. Oh well. :-(
The flight to San Francisco was uneventful. Our family friend Karen picked us up and gave us a ride home. I was totally exhausted at this point and went to bed shortly afterwards.
Conclusions
This was easily one of our best vacations ever. I enjoyed every moment of the trip, but the Arctic Circle tour was my favorite part by far. Not many people can say they've crossed the Arctic Circle. Denali was also fun as we saw all kinds of wildlife. The memories from this trip will last years.
Alaska is one of the few unspoiled places in the world. Of course, the downside is that it gets extremely cold in the winter. It's certainly not a place I'd want to live. That said, I wouldn't mind a vacation there every so often. :-)
Currently playing: Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 4
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Pacific Northwest trip report
"Looks like you're about to declare war on Canada." -- me to a kid in Port Angeles, on his firework stash
I just got back from Oregon and Washington with my parents. This was our first visit to the Pacific Northwest in years. It was one of our best vacations ever!
Day 1
The trip began with an afternoon flight to Portland. The plane landed at Portland International Airport a little less than two hours later. Dad rented an SUV and took us to our hotel, located in a quiet place in the suburbs. Lots of people were sitting outside enjoying the fresh air. The nice weather made for a perfect stroll around the area. I then spent the evening playing Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 4 and Hell to Pay on my laptop.
Day 2
The first stop of the day was Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington. The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens was one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in modern times. Dad knew I loved geology and thought I'd like this place. The view from the Johnston Ridge Observatory was breathtaking - pictures don't do it justice at all. This was followed by lunch at Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center as it was almost noon.
We checked into our hotel in Enumclaw and headed to Mt. Rainier National Park afterwards. The mountain was beautiful, especially from a distance. One trail led to Ohanapecosh Hot Springs, the site of a former resort. The springs are quite small but still had water bubbling up.
Day 3
Happy 4th of July!
The three of us went back to Mt. Rainier National Park after checking out of our hotel. One place I really liked was the Sunrise Visitor Center. There was topographic jigsaw puzzle laid out on the table at the gift shop. Though it was quite a challenge, Mom and I managed to put some pieces together.
Dad took us to Olympic National Park in the late afternoon. The highlight of our visit was Olympic Hot Springs. The round trip was a little over 4.8 miles, but that wasn't a problem because the sun sets late at this time of the year. Mom suggested soaking our feet in the water, which we did. There was virtually nobody else the whole time. It was a surreal experience.
Our final destination of the day was Port Angeles. Lots of people started lighting fireworks after sunset. Some even shot them from their boats in the harbor. This was unlike anything in California. But because we didn't know fireworks were legal here, I didn't buy any and had to miss out. This was my biggest regret of the trip.
The city's own fireworks display was also nice. Someone blared "Take It to the Limit" during the finale, adding to the atmosphere. On the whole, Port Angeles was quite enjoyable. Looks like we'll have to come back here in the future.
Day 4
We took a walk along the harbor and made a short stop at Safeway before heading to Vancouver, Washington. The beauty of the Pacific Northwest made the drive worthwhile. Upon our arrival in Vancouver, Mom noticed there were traffic enforcement cameras at every intersection. Holy crap. Just how much money do they make from citations?
Day 5
Our journey brought us back to Oregon. A sign for a U-pick blueberry farm caught our eye as we passed Hood River. The berries weren't only dirt cheap, but also juicy and delicious. The downside is that we didn't have anything to clean them with. Speaking of which, Mom said her tongue felt numb after eating the berries. Yikes!
One of the best-known attractions in Oregon is Multnomah Falls. The three-tiered waterfall was an incredible sight and made for some great pictures. The nearby Multnomah Falls Trail was perfect for a hike. I also enjoyed browsing the gift shop at the center even though nothing was cheap.
The next stop was the Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Cascade Locks. Unlike most hatcheries, this one was beautiful and had a natural feel. It was a nice place to relax before heading to Portland.
Day 6
The flight back to San Francisco was in the early afternoon. Given the schedule, there wasn't much to do besides check out the airport shops. I wish the trip wasn't over so soon, but all good things must end.
Conclusions
All in all, this was one of our most memorable vacations in years. Hiking through the forest to Olympic Hot Springs was a rewarding experience. The same goes for our stay in Port Angeles and picking blueberries. It's hard to say which was my favorite part of the trip. The Pacific Northwest is easily one of the most scenic places in the world. I wouldn't mind moving there when I retire.
Currently listening to: "Take It to the Limit" by the Eagles
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Southern California and Las Vegas trip report
Because my aunts Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang are visiting from Taiwan and had never been to the U.S. before, Dad took us on a road trip down south. Our stops included Las Vegas, two theme parks and several national parks. This was the perfect way to end the year.
Day 1
The first thing we needed was an SUV as we can't fit all our belongings into a sedan. I was still asleep when my parents got back with the rental car. It was then time to pack up and head for Anaheim. Dad stopped at Casa de Fruta in Hollister as it's very popular. I enjoyed browsing the store and even bought some potato chips to share.
The other stop along the way was Bakersfield for dinner. Although we were a little worried because someone had died from the flu here not too long ago, luckily nothing happened to us. Our party arrived in Anaheim a few hours later. Everyone was tired and went to bed after checking into the hotel.
Day 2
They say no trip to Southern California is complete without visiting Disneyland. However, I had been there before with my parents and wanted to try out a new place. Dad agreed and decided to take us to Joshua Tree National Park after dropping his sisters off at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Joshua Tree National Park turned out to be quite far. The park is named for the strange-looking trees native to the area. They were everywhere as far as the eye could see. Of note is that it was extremely windy here. Because it was getting dark — and there was a long drive to Anaheim — we turned back shortly afterwards.
It started raining as we began to leave. The rain was so heavy that the road was wet within minutes. Despite the severe weather, everyone was speeding and going like 80 mph or more. Dad has more experience in these situations, but we didn't want to rouse him from his sleep. Imagine our relief when we arrived in Anaheim after a terrifying two hours. Joshua Tree National Park definitely wasn't as exciting as we hoped it would be. Perhaps we should have gone to Disneyland after all.
On that note, there was one thing left to do: we made our way to the Happiest Parking Lot on Earth to pick up Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang before returning to our hotel. They were drenched in the rain but otherwise had a great time.
Day 3
I woke up to some good news: Dad checked my e-mail and found out I was accepted into SJSU for the fall. This was like an early Christmas present as the decisions generally come much later. At least I have somewhere to go!
The day's focus was Universal Studios Hollywood. Though we had been here too, Mom didn't want to leave my aunts on their own again. I didn't mind as Universal Studios Hollywood was actually pretty fun when we went there eight years ago.
There was a mishap at the Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom attraction. The walk-through features mummies that emerge from dark corners. I wanted to be an action hero after playing too much Quake and pretended to fight the mummies. But what I didn't realize is that they were real actors. They obviously weren't too happy when I accidentally punched one guy in the face. I still don't know how we didn't get in trouble. *sheepish grin*
One major attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood is the Studio Tour. The tram took us to various film sets and sound stages. The 45-minute tour was interesting and informative. It was just as we remembered and hadn't changed much.
The ride ended just in time for lunch. Everything here was expensive, but we decided to save time and ordered a pizza from Louie's Pizza & Pasta rather than going off-site. I loved Back to the Future as a kid and also wanted to try the chicken tenders from Doc Brown's Chicken. They were a little dry but not too bad as far as theme park food goes.
There were several more attractions that we hadn't seen. T2 3-D: Battle Across Time and Back to the Future: The Ride were both enjoyable. I also liked Backdraft and the 4D films. Long lines aside, Universal Studios Hollywood was the best part of the trip.
Day 4
We headed for Las Vegas after stocking up on groceries. Getting there took a while due to traffic in the L.A. metropolitan area. There was enough time to explore the Strip after checking into Stratosphere Las Vegas. This was relaxing and made for great family time. I mostly played Quake after getting back to the hotel as there wasn't much else to do.
Day 5
It was time to leave for Barstow after a good night's sleep. One stop along the way was a town called Pahrump. I bought some more snacks at a gas station while my parents got prune juice at Walgreens to treat Wei-Jen's constipation. For those unaware, prune juice is a natural laxative and a great remedy when you can't poop. This was something we had been looking for since the trip began. It was a relief when we finally found some!
Pahrump is also a popular spot for fireworks. The selection at the Phantom Fireworks showroom was impressive. They even had a deal where you could buy one and get two free. The only reason we didn't buy any fireworks is that there wasn't anywhere nearby to legally use them.
Our journey brought us to Death Valley National Park — the hottest and lowest point in the United States. It's really a fascinating place. I had hoped to visit Ubehebe Crater as we didn't get to see it on our trip to the Southwest U.S. three years ago. However, this wasn't possible as it was still too far. Oh well.
Wei-Jen started feeling unwell as the night went on. Dad feared she had altitude sickness but soon realized she really needed to use the bathroom. Prune juice works, that's for sure. Only one problem: there were no rest areas as Death Valley is a pretty desolate place. Let's just say we had to make several emergency roadside stops. *whistles innocently*
All craziness aside, the drive to Barstow was largely uneventful. I played some games on my laptop before going to bed. Our room was nice but only had enough beds for four people. I agreed to sleep on the couch to accommodate my mother's back problems, but that wasn't an issue as the couch was fairly comfortable.
Day 6
We left Barstow and arrived in Sequoia National Park four hours later. The giant trees were impressive. The only reason we didn't stay long is that it was freezing outside. The other thing is that I slipped on the ice and hurt my butt near the Cedar Grove Visitor Center. Shit happens.
Dad wanted to take us to Kings Canyon National Park afterwards but found out Generals Highway was closed due to weather conditions. This wasn't a big deal because we had been there. The final stop was our hotel in Oakhurst — the same place we stayed at on our trip to Yosemite earlier this year.
Day 7
Yosemite National Park was just around the corner. Some areas were closed for winter, but we got to see the famous Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Village. Dad also found a perfect spot for a picnic lunch.
Mom saw wolves trudging through the snow at one point and stopped the car so we could get pictures. I started freaking out as soon as my aunts rolled down their windows for a better look because I was afraid the wolves would attack us. Yet they didn't even bat an eye as they passed our car. Being paranoid sucks. I definitely felt like an asshole for yelling at my aunts. :-(
One of our family traditions is to eat at the Kowloon Chinese Restaurant in San Mateo on the way home from a trip. But things weren't the same: the restaurant's name and menus have changed while everything was more expensive. The final straw was finding out the food wasn't as good as it used to be. Mom felt cheated and decided that she doesn't want to come back here anymore. It was sad to see this tradition end.
Conclusions
Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang's company made an already great trip even better. I also had no idea Universal Studios Hollywood could be so much fun. It was certainly my favorite stop. One thing for sure is that the memories from this trip will last a lifetime.
The plan was to go to Grand Canyon National Park after Las Vegas, but my aunts insisted it was too expensive. It was ultimately decided to skip Grand Canyon as we had been there before. This shortened our trip by about two days but also helped us save several hundred dollars. I truly appreciate the consideration.
Currently playing: The Incredible Machine 3
Day 1
The first thing we needed was an SUV as we can't fit all our belongings into a sedan. I was still asleep when my parents got back with the rental car. It was then time to pack up and head for Anaheim. Dad stopped at Casa de Fruta in Hollister as it's very popular. I enjoyed browsing the store and even bought some potato chips to share.
The other stop along the way was Bakersfield for dinner. Although we were a little worried because someone had died from the flu here not too long ago, luckily nothing happened to us. Our party arrived in Anaheim a few hours later. Everyone was tired and went to bed after checking into the hotel.
Day 2
They say no trip to Southern California is complete without visiting Disneyland. However, I had been there before with my parents and wanted to try out a new place. Dad agreed and decided to take us to Joshua Tree National Park after dropping his sisters off at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Joshua Tree National Park turned out to be quite far. The park is named for the strange-looking trees native to the area. They were everywhere as far as the eye could see. Of note is that it was extremely windy here. Because it was getting dark — and there was a long drive to Anaheim — we turned back shortly afterwards.
It started raining as we began to leave. The rain was so heavy that the road was wet within minutes. Despite the severe weather, everyone was speeding and going like 80 mph or more. Dad has more experience in these situations, but we didn't want to rouse him from his sleep. Imagine our relief when we arrived in Anaheim after a terrifying two hours. Joshua Tree National Park definitely wasn't as exciting as we hoped it would be. Perhaps we should have gone to Disneyland after all.
On that note, there was one thing left to do: we made our way to the Happiest Parking Lot on Earth to pick up Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang before returning to our hotel. They were drenched in the rain but otherwise had a great time.
Day 3
I woke up to some good news: Dad checked my e-mail and found out I was accepted into SJSU for the fall. This was like an early Christmas present as the decisions generally come much later. At least I have somewhere to go!
The day's focus was Universal Studios Hollywood. Though we had been here too, Mom didn't want to leave my aunts on their own again. I didn't mind as Universal Studios Hollywood was actually pretty fun when we went there eight years ago.
There was a mishap at the Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom attraction. The walk-through features mummies that emerge from dark corners. I wanted to be an action hero after playing too much Quake and pretended to fight the mummies. But what I didn't realize is that they were real actors. They obviously weren't too happy when I accidentally punched one guy in the face. I still don't know how we didn't get in trouble. *sheepish grin*
One major attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood is the Studio Tour. The tram took us to various film sets and sound stages. The 45-minute tour was interesting and informative. It was just as we remembered and hadn't changed much.
The ride ended just in time for lunch. Everything here was expensive, but we decided to save time and ordered a pizza from Louie's Pizza & Pasta rather than going off-site. I loved Back to the Future as a kid and also wanted to try the chicken tenders from Doc Brown's Chicken. They were a little dry but not too bad as far as theme park food goes.
There were several more attractions that we hadn't seen. T2 3-D: Battle Across Time and Back to the Future: The Ride were both enjoyable. I also liked Backdraft and the 4D films. Long lines aside, Universal Studios Hollywood was the best part of the trip.
Day 4
We headed for Las Vegas after stocking up on groceries. Getting there took a while due to traffic in the L.A. metropolitan area. There was enough time to explore the Strip after checking into Stratosphere Las Vegas. This was relaxing and made for great family time. I mostly played Quake after getting back to the hotel as there wasn't much else to do.
Day 5
It was time to leave for Barstow after a good night's sleep. One stop along the way was a town called Pahrump. I bought some more snacks at a gas station while my parents got prune juice at Walgreens to treat Wei-Jen's constipation. For those unaware, prune juice is a natural laxative and a great remedy when you can't poop. This was something we had been looking for since the trip began. It was a relief when we finally found some!
Pahrump is also a popular spot for fireworks. The selection at the Phantom Fireworks showroom was impressive. They even had a deal where you could buy one and get two free. The only reason we didn't buy any fireworks is that there wasn't anywhere nearby to legally use them.
Our journey brought us to Death Valley National Park — the hottest and lowest point in the United States. It's really a fascinating place. I had hoped to visit Ubehebe Crater as we didn't get to see it on our trip to the Southwest U.S. three years ago. However, this wasn't possible as it was still too far. Oh well.
Wei-Jen started feeling unwell as the night went on. Dad feared she had altitude sickness but soon realized she really needed to use the bathroom. Prune juice works, that's for sure. Only one problem: there were no rest areas as Death Valley is a pretty desolate place. Let's just say we had to make several emergency roadside stops. *whistles innocently*
All craziness aside, the drive to Barstow was largely uneventful. I played some games on my laptop before going to bed. Our room was nice but only had enough beds for four people. I agreed to sleep on the couch to accommodate my mother's back problems, but that wasn't an issue as the couch was fairly comfortable.
Day 6
We left Barstow and arrived in Sequoia National Park four hours later. The giant trees were impressive. The only reason we didn't stay long is that it was freezing outside. The other thing is that I slipped on the ice and hurt my butt near the Cedar Grove Visitor Center. Shit happens.
Dad wanted to take us to Kings Canyon National Park afterwards but found out Generals Highway was closed due to weather conditions. This wasn't a big deal because we had been there. The final stop was our hotel in Oakhurst — the same place we stayed at on our trip to Yosemite earlier this year.
Day 7
Yosemite National Park was just around the corner. Some areas were closed for winter, but we got to see the famous Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Village. Dad also found a perfect spot for a picnic lunch.
Mom saw wolves trudging through the snow at one point and stopped the car so we could get pictures. I started freaking out as soon as my aunts rolled down their windows for a better look because I was afraid the wolves would attack us. Yet they didn't even bat an eye as they passed our car. Being paranoid sucks. I definitely felt like an asshole for yelling at my aunts. :-(
One of our family traditions is to eat at the Kowloon Chinese Restaurant in San Mateo on the way home from a trip. But things weren't the same: the restaurant's name and menus have changed while everything was more expensive. The final straw was finding out the food wasn't as good as it used to be. Mom felt cheated and decided that she doesn't want to come back here anymore. It was sad to see this tradition end.
Conclusions
Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang's company made an already great trip even better. I also had no idea Universal Studios Hollywood could be so much fun. It was certainly my favorite stop. One thing for sure is that the memories from this trip will last a lifetime.
The plan was to go to Grand Canyon National Park after Las Vegas, but my aunts insisted it was too expensive. It was ultimately decided to skip Grand Canyon as we had been there before. This shortened our trip by about two days but also helped us save several hundred dollars. I truly appreciate the consideration.
Currently playing: The Incredible Machine 3
Saturday, August 16, 2003
East Asia trip report
I just got back from East Asia with my mother. Because Dad is there on a business trip and didn't want us to miss our annual summer vacation, he told us to meet in Japan so that we could travel with him while he worked. Mom and I spent about eight days each in Japan and China. The trip was exhausting but also loads of fun. Read on to find out what we did!
Days 1 and 2
There was little time for preparations as Dad had asked us to meet him in Japan just two days earlier. Despite the hectic schedule, the two of us managed to get everything in order. We took the shuttle to the airport and boarded our flight to Tokyo.
The movies kept me occupied during the long ride. X2 and Shanghai Knights were my favorites, although Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire weren't too bad either. I actually liked X2 and Shanghai Knights so much that I watched them more than once!
The plane landed in Tokyo about 12 hours later. I was a little nervous because my father didn't accompany us - especially with the language barrier - but we passed customs and met up with Dad without issues. He then took us to Akihabara after we unpacked our stuff at the hotel. Akihabara was a place that made our first trip to Japan so much fun.
Dad wanted to take us inside a pachinko parlor but was told that I was too young to enter. Though I was just two months shy of the age requirement and could have bluffed my way through, I didn't feel like lying about my age. However, that wasn't a big deal because I already knew how the game worked, the reason being that pachinko machines appear in Shadow Warrior in some levels. Who says video games aren't educational?
Because we were all a little tired after returning to our hotel, the rest of the evening was uneventful. On the other hand, my parents let me renew my RuneScape membership. Thanks, Mom and Dad!
Day 3
The morning began with a trip back to Narita International Airport for our flight to Fukuoka. The funny-sounding name was the first thing that caught my attention. I imagine it's the subject of many jokes. Let's just say my mother insisted it wasn't pronounced "fuck you, OK?"
The highlight of the day was a tour of Mt. Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. The bus took us to the crater of Mt. Naka. That was a cool sight, although visibility was limited in the dense smoke. The noxious gases were making us uncomfortable, so we didn't stay here too long except to take pictures.
I took the opportunity to check out the gift shop at the Mt. Aso Ropeway terminal before we got back on the bus. The decorated cookies quickly caught my eye. They looked tasty but weren't exactly cheap. After careful consideration, I decided to save the money for other things.
Day 4
About an hour south of Fukuoka was Kumamoto. One of the city's biggest attractions was Kumamoto Castle. Though historical sites aren't my cup of tea, the castle was pretty impressive. The people dressed as palace guards outside the entrance were a nice touch. The rest of Kumamoto was also beautiful.
This was followed by a stop at a mineral spa. The water seemed dark and uninviting but turned out to be fairly clean. Every so often, someone would check to make sure we hadn't passed out from the heat. They probably didn't want to get sued in case something happened to us.
Dad's colleague Naoki invited us and another business associate to a teppanyaki restaurant for dinner. The food was insanely expensive and cost around ¥12,000 per person. Mom felt it was wrong to let Naoki spend so much money on us as this was supposed to be a business affair. Therefore, she and I agreed to share a plate. One reason the meal cost so much is that it included the famous Kobe beef. It looked unappetizing because of the blood but turned out to be delicious.
Day 5
We took the train to Nagasaki after a good night's sleep. Our first stop here was the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. The exhibits had a strong focus on world peace. The nearby Nagasaki Peace Park contained memorials for those who perished. The most notable feature was the stone monument that marks the spot above which "Fat Man" detonated.
The café at the museum was the perfect spot for lunch. The sandwiches were so good that we ordered seconds. They also weren't expensive at all. This was unusual because food is generally pricey in tourist areas.
The three of us explored downtown Nagasaki afterwards. Dad started getting hungry again and bought some champon as an afternoon snack at one of the eateries. Mom said the noodles were the best thing she ate on the trip.
Day 6
Our journey brought us back to Fukuoka. Aside from an evening stroll, the rest of the day consisted of packing up because we had to catch an early flight to Shanghai. On the bright side, I had lots of time to play RuneScape after dinner.
One thing I noticed while in Fukuoka is that women would congregate on street corners. Some of them were actually rather attractive. They just stood there like they were waiting for someone. I couldn't help but wonder if they were hookers. From what I could tell, they most likely were. I guess it's a good thing I didn't try to chat them up. *shrugs*
Day 7
It was a crazy morning as the taxi driver took us to the wrong airport. The last thing we wanted was to miss our flight. The chauffeur was very nervous as well but eventually found the right place. That was a close call.
The airport was virtually empty when we got there. This was kind of creepy and reminiscent of horror movies. The Langoliers definitely came to mind. On a lighter note, at least our plane didn't get sucked into a pocket dimension full of deadly creatures. :P
The flight to Shanghai was uneventful. One reason people like to visit China is that everything is dirt cheap. I had a great time browsing the street markets, especially with the amazing deals. This was the best part of the trip.
Some vendors had software for sale. I got The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for just ¥5 at one of the stands. The copy turned out to be a bootleg with DRM removed - which explains the low price. Other than that, the disc worked fine. It wouldn't run on my laptop due to hardware limitations but worked on Dad's without issues.
The final stop of the day was my great-uncle Bao-Chuan's house. Our party had some rest before Bao-Chuan took us to a local restaurant for dinner. On the subject of which, Shanghai has an active nightlife. The streets were full of people and often crowded. But what really caught my attention was all those hot chicks making out with their boyfriends. Lucky dudes.
It was late when we returned to Bao-Chuan's place. I checked my e-mail and briefly logged into RuneScape before going to bed. Of note is that many websites are blocked in China, but a proxy easily solved the problem.
Day 8
Having enjoyed downtown Shanghai so much the day before, the three of us decided to go there again. This time, my parents bought a briefcase to carry all of our stuff. It was originally ¥120 - an already great deal - but Dad talked it down to ¥80 with his haggling skills. What a steal!
However, I soon noticed the combination locks were fake. Talk about "made in China" - no wonder the lady was willing to let it go for such a low price. The briefcase nevertheless did its job and held together for the rest of the trip.
Bao-Chuan and his wife made us a nice home-cooked dinner with lots of dishes. Their hospitality was second to none. Having lived in China for many years, my great-uncle had interesting stories, particularly his experiences with hydrogen bomb tests.
Day 9
It was a somber morning as we went to a cemetery to pay respects to my late great-grandparents on my paternal grandfather Bien-Chuan's side. Bao-Chuan then took us and my aunt Susan to an upscale plaza. Seeing that the weather was fairly warm, Dad treated us to sorbet at a pastry shop. Susan doesn't like cold foods and didn't eat hers - which meant more for me. :-)
Day 10
About 85 km west of Shanghai was Suzhou. The city is sometimes called the "Venice of the East" because of its many canals. Suzhou had a historical feel and was fairly quiet compared to Shanghai. Of the local attractions, the Classical Gardens of Suzhou were our favorite. It's too bad we didn't have time to see all nine of them. On the whole, our stay in Suzhou was quite memorable.
The reason we were short on time is that we had to catch a plane to Beijing in the afternoon. The two-hour flight was also uneventful. Given our late arrival, my family didn't do much other than check into the hotel.
Day 11
Dad was in meetings for almost the entire day. I couldn't play RuneScape or even browse the web because my father needed his computer - the only one with Internet access. It didn't help that there were no nearby Internet cafés. However, the good news is that I had other games that don't require an Internet connection. I actually completed Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II for the first time without cheats. W00t!
Day 12
The day was much like the previous one: I was again stuck with my old laptop because Dad had more meetings. Though Mom and I went shopping for clothes, the afternoon was pretty dull. But at least I managed to beat Doom II: Hell on Earth without cheat codes. I'm not going to lie - the final boss was annoying as hell.
The evening was more exciting as we went to some supermarkets. The nice thing is that we bought lots of local snacks. Yum!
Day 13
They say no trip to Asia is complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China. The three of us took the cable car to a spot where the wall was accessible. The structure was impressive, especially considering it was built over two millennia ago. However, the Great Wall wasn't without its costs: according to historians, many workers have died from exhaustion during its construction. I guess labor laws didn't exist back then.
Day 14
The Forbidden City was our next stop. One of China's most famous landmarks, the imperial palace once served as the emperor's home for almost five centuries. The whole complex has 980 buildings, but most of them are being renovated and only a handful are publicly accessible. While not as impressive as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City was a sight to behold. I definitely hope the rest of the palace will eventually be opened to the public.
Day 15
We spent the morning exploring parts of Beijing that we hadn't seen. The downtown was huge and full of stores. I could spend days here alone.
Dad took us to the scenic Beihai Park after lunch. The park has a lake and several Buddhist temples. There wasn't enough time to see all of them, although we enjoyed strolling along the lake. The light fog made the view even better. Beihai Park was truly an incredible place.
Days 16 and 17
It was finally time to head home after two long weeks. The Chinese government had ordered a quarantine due to the SARS outbreak in Southeast Asia. It just happened that I had a fever from a cold. The inspectors detected my fever with thermal imaging equipment and kept questioning us. That was a nerve-wracking experience, but they eventually let us pass.
The three of us then boarded our flight to Tokyo. I saw the first half of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on the plane. The reason we missed the second half is that the movie was longer than the flight itself. Oh well, I'm sure my local library has some copies.
Dad has to stay in Japan for a couple more days due to business reasons. Because his executive assistant had booked the wrong flights, Mom and I had to fly back to Fukuoka and then to San Francisco. There was no direct flight from Tokyo. Shit happens.
At any rate, the outbound flight wasn't too shabby either. I watched The Ninth Gate before trying the SNES games. Street Fighter II and Super Mario All-Stars were great time killers. The only downside is that the controller sucked compared to real SNES hardware. The 12-hour flight was finally over, after which we picked up our luggage and took the shuttle home.
Conclusions
Lasting over two weeks, this was one of our longest trips to date. I actually got a little homesick - which usually doesn't happen when we travel. Of note is that the limited availability of flights made it hard to return home on time. Mom says we had to pay $100 in ticket change fees to avoid being stuck overseas. But at least it's a relief to know I won't miss the first few days of class.
To say the trip was fun would be an understatement. Shopping in Shanghai was the best part because everything is so cheap. Getting used to the prices back home will be tough. Nagasaki, Suzhou and Beihai Park were also worthwhile. The memories from this vacation will certainly last a lifetime.
I hope I can recover from the jet lag before school starts on the 29th. Speaking of which, I'm completely exhausted right now and am off to take a nap. Peace.
Currently playing: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Days 1 and 2
There was little time for preparations as Dad had asked us to meet him in Japan just two days earlier. Despite the hectic schedule, the two of us managed to get everything in order. We took the shuttle to the airport and boarded our flight to Tokyo.
The movies kept me occupied during the long ride. X2 and Shanghai Knights were my favorites, although Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire weren't too bad either. I actually liked X2 and Shanghai Knights so much that I watched them more than once!
The plane landed in Tokyo about 12 hours later. I was a little nervous because my father didn't accompany us - especially with the language barrier - but we passed customs and met up with Dad without issues. He then took us to Akihabara after we unpacked our stuff at the hotel. Akihabara was a place that made our first trip to Japan so much fun.
Dad wanted to take us inside a pachinko parlor but was told that I was too young to enter. Though I was just two months shy of the age requirement and could have bluffed my way through, I didn't feel like lying about my age. However, that wasn't a big deal because I already knew how the game worked, the reason being that pachinko machines appear in Shadow Warrior in some levels. Who says video games aren't educational?
Because we were all a little tired after returning to our hotel, the rest of the evening was uneventful. On the other hand, my parents let me renew my RuneScape membership. Thanks, Mom and Dad!
Day 3
The morning began with a trip back to Narita International Airport for our flight to Fukuoka. The funny-sounding name was the first thing that caught my attention. I imagine it's the subject of many jokes. Let's just say my mother insisted it wasn't pronounced "fuck you, OK?"
The highlight of the day was a tour of Mt. Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. The bus took us to the crater of Mt. Naka. That was a cool sight, although visibility was limited in the dense smoke. The noxious gases were making us uncomfortable, so we didn't stay here too long except to take pictures.
I took the opportunity to check out the gift shop at the Mt. Aso Ropeway terminal before we got back on the bus. The decorated cookies quickly caught my eye. They looked tasty but weren't exactly cheap. After careful consideration, I decided to save the money for other things.
Day 4
About an hour south of Fukuoka was Kumamoto. One of the city's biggest attractions was Kumamoto Castle. Though historical sites aren't my cup of tea, the castle was pretty impressive. The people dressed as palace guards outside the entrance were a nice touch. The rest of Kumamoto was also beautiful.
This was followed by a stop at a mineral spa. The water seemed dark and uninviting but turned out to be fairly clean. Every so often, someone would check to make sure we hadn't passed out from the heat. They probably didn't want to get sued in case something happened to us.
Dad's colleague Naoki invited us and another business associate to a teppanyaki restaurant for dinner. The food was insanely expensive and cost around ¥12,000 per person. Mom felt it was wrong to let Naoki spend so much money on us as this was supposed to be a business affair. Therefore, she and I agreed to share a plate. One reason the meal cost so much is that it included the famous Kobe beef. It looked unappetizing because of the blood but turned out to be delicious.
Day 5
We took the train to Nagasaki after a good night's sleep. Our first stop here was the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. The exhibits had a strong focus on world peace. The nearby Nagasaki Peace Park contained memorials for those who perished. The most notable feature was the stone monument that marks the spot above which "Fat Man" detonated.
The café at the museum was the perfect spot for lunch. The sandwiches were so good that we ordered seconds. They also weren't expensive at all. This was unusual because food is generally pricey in tourist areas.
The three of us explored downtown Nagasaki afterwards. Dad started getting hungry again and bought some champon as an afternoon snack at one of the eateries. Mom said the noodles were the best thing she ate on the trip.
Day 6
Our journey brought us back to Fukuoka. Aside from an evening stroll, the rest of the day consisted of packing up because we had to catch an early flight to Shanghai. On the bright side, I had lots of time to play RuneScape after dinner.
One thing I noticed while in Fukuoka is that women would congregate on street corners. Some of them were actually rather attractive. They just stood there like they were waiting for someone. I couldn't help but wonder if they were hookers. From what I could tell, they most likely were. I guess it's a good thing I didn't try to chat them up. *shrugs*
Day 7
It was a crazy morning as the taxi driver took us to the wrong airport. The last thing we wanted was to miss our flight. The chauffeur was very nervous as well but eventually found the right place. That was a close call.
The airport was virtually empty when we got there. This was kind of creepy and reminiscent of horror movies. The Langoliers definitely came to mind. On a lighter note, at least our plane didn't get sucked into a pocket dimension full of deadly creatures. :P
The flight to Shanghai was uneventful. One reason people like to visit China is that everything is dirt cheap. I had a great time browsing the street markets, especially with the amazing deals. This was the best part of the trip.
Some vendors had software for sale. I got The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for just ¥5 at one of the stands. The copy turned out to be a bootleg with DRM removed - which explains the low price. Other than that, the disc worked fine. It wouldn't run on my laptop due to hardware limitations but worked on Dad's without issues.
The final stop of the day was my great-uncle Bao-Chuan's house. Our party had some rest before Bao-Chuan took us to a local restaurant for dinner. On the subject of which, Shanghai has an active nightlife. The streets were full of people and often crowded. But what really caught my attention was all those hot chicks making out with their boyfriends. Lucky dudes.
It was late when we returned to Bao-Chuan's place. I checked my e-mail and briefly logged into RuneScape before going to bed. Of note is that many websites are blocked in China, but a proxy easily solved the problem.
Day 8
Having enjoyed downtown Shanghai so much the day before, the three of us decided to go there again. This time, my parents bought a briefcase to carry all of our stuff. It was originally ¥120 - an already great deal - but Dad talked it down to ¥80 with his haggling skills. What a steal!
However, I soon noticed the combination locks were fake. Talk about "made in China" - no wonder the lady was willing to let it go for such a low price. The briefcase nevertheless did its job and held together for the rest of the trip.
Bao-Chuan and his wife made us a nice home-cooked dinner with lots of dishes. Their hospitality was second to none. Having lived in China for many years, my great-uncle had interesting stories, particularly his experiences with hydrogen bomb tests.
Day 9
It was a somber morning as we went to a cemetery to pay respects to my late great-grandparents on my paternal grandfather Bien-Chuan's side. Bao-Chuan then took us and my aunt Susan to an upscale plaza. Seeing that the weather was fairly warm, Dad treated us to sorbet at a pastry shop. Susan doesn't like cold foods and didn't eat hers - which meant more for me. :-)
Day 10
About 85 km west of Shanghai was Suzhou. The city is sometimes called the "Venice of the East" because of its many canals. Suzhou had a historical feel and was fairly quiet compared to Shanghai. Of the local attractions, the Classical Gardens of Suzhou were our favorite. It's too bad we didn't have time to see all nine of them. On the whole, our stay in Suzhou was quite memorable.
The reason we were short on time is that we had to catch a plane to Beijing in the afternoon. The two-hour flight was also uneventful. Given our late arrival, my family didn't do much other than check into the hotel.
Day 11
Dad was in meetings for almost the entire day. I couldn't play RuneScape or even browse the web because my father needed his computer - the only one with Internet access. It didn't help that there were no nearby Internet cafés. However, the good news is that I had other games that don't require an Internet connection. I actually completed Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II for the first time without cheats. W00t!
Day 12
The day was much like the previous one: I was again stuck with my old laptop because Dad had more meetings. Though Mom and I went shopping for clothes, the afternoon was pretty dull. But at least I managed to beat Doom II: Hell on Earth without cheat codes. I'm not going to lie - the final boss was annoying as hell.
The evening was more exciting as we went to some supermarkets. The nice thing is that we bought lots of local snacks. Yum!
Day 13
They say no trip to Asia is complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China. The three of us took the cable car to a spot where the wall was accessible. The structure was impressive, especially considering it was built over two millennia ago. However, the Great Wall wasn't without its costs: according to historians, many workers have died from exhaustion during its construction. I guess labor laws didn't exist back then.
Day 14
The Forbidden City was our next stop. One of China's most famous landmarks, the imperial palace once served as the emperor's home for almost five centuries. The whole complex has 980 buildings, but most of them are being renovated and only a handful are publicly accessible. While not as impressive as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City was a sight to behold. I definitely hope the rest of the palace will eventually be opened to the public.
Day 15
We spent the morning exploring parts of Beijing that we hadn't seen. The downtown was huge and full of stores. I could spend days here alone.
Dad took us to the scenic Beihai Park after lunch. The park has a lake and several Buddhist temples. There wasn't enough time to see all of them, although we enjoyed strolling along the lake. The light fog made the view even better. Beihai Park was truly an incredible place.
Days 16 and 17
It was finally time to head home after two long weeks. The Chinese government had ordered a quarantine due to the SARS outbreak in Southeast Asia. It just happened that I had a fever from a cold. The inspectors detected my fever with thermal imaging equipment and kept questioning us. That was a nerve-wracking experience, but they eventually let us pass.
The three of us then boarded our flight to Tokyo. I saw the first half of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on the plane. The reason we missed the second half is that the movie was longer than the flight itself. Oh well, I'm sure my local library has some copies.
Dad has to stay in Japan for a couple more days due to business reasons. Because his executive assistant had booked the wrong flights, Mom and I had to fly back to Fukuoka and then to San Francisco. There was no direct flight from Tokyo. Shit happens.
At any rate, the outbound flight wasn't too shabby either. I watched The Ninth Gate before trying the SNES games. Street Fighter II and Super Mario All-Stars were great time killers. The only downside is that the controller sucked compared to real SNES hardware. The 12-hour flight was finally over, after which we picked up our luggage and took the shuttle home.
Conclusions
Lasting over two weeks, this was one of our longest trips to date. I actually got a little homesick - which usually doesn't happen when we travel. Of note is that the limited availability of flights made it hard to return home on time. Mom says we had to pay $100 in ticket change fees to avoid being stuck overseas. But at least it's a relief to know I won't miss the first few days of class.
To say the trip was fun would be an understatement. Shopping in Shanghai was the best part because everything is so cheap. Getting used to the prices back home will be tough. Nagasaki, Suzhou and Beihai Park were also worthwhile. The memories from this vacation will certainly last a lifetime.
I hope I can recover from the jet lag before school starts on the 29th. Speaking of which, I'm completely exhausted right now and am off to take a nap. Peace.
Currently playing: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Monday, February 17, 2003
Yosemite trip report + rest of winter break
Happy Presidents Day!
Winter break has been great as I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. Because I was sick during Christmas break and couldn't go anywhere, Dad decided to take us on to Yosemite over the long weekend. This was nice as we hadn't been there in ages.
Day 1
The first stop was our family friend Tiffany's house in Fresno. Mom wanted to stop by because Tiffany often brings her daughter over to study Buddhism. I mostly played Duke Nukem II on my laptop while the adults talked as there wasn't much else to do.
The three of us arrived in Oakhurst about an hour later. Our hotel was nice and quite comfortable. But because it was late, the evening was uneventful aside from dinner at Burger King and a stop at Kragen Auto Parts for snow chains.
Day 2
The air in Yosemite was very fresh and made our stay very worthwhile. The fantastic views were the best part of the trip. I also enjoyed visiting Yosemite Village and checking out the Village Store. Our final stop of the day was Curry Village. This was our first time staying in the cabins!
Day 3
We had to leave fairly early because Dad has to catch a flight to Japan. Though we considered stopping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, there just wasn't enough time. However, I'm not going to complain because a short trip is better than no trip at all.
Speaking of which, there was a funny moment as we were getting ready to leave: my mother and I were taking things to the car when an awful stench hit us. It seems someone in another cabin just took a huge shit. The smell was so bad that we couldn't stay outside for more than a few seconds. The whole thing was gross but hilarious in hindsight. Mom and I had a good laugh about it on the way home.
February 24 update: I'm now back in school as winter break as ended. I didn't feel like making a separate post as the rest of the week was uneventful.
Currently playing: Duke Nukem II
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Winter break has been great as I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. Because I was sick during Christmas break and couldn't go anywhere, Dad decided to take us on to Yosemite over the long weekend. This was nice as we hadn't been there in ages.
Day 1
The first stop was our family friend Tiffany's house in Fresno. Mom wanted to stop by because Tiffany often brings her daughter over to study Buddhism. I mostly played Duke Nukem II on my laptop while the adults talked as there wasn't much else to do.
The three of us arrived in Oakhurst about an hour later. Our hotel was nice and quite comfortable. But because it was late, the evening was uneventful aside from dinner at Burger King and a stop at Kragen Auto Parts for snow chains.
Day 2
The air in Yosemite was very fresh and made our stay very worthwhile. The fantastic views were the best part of the trip. I also enjoyed visiting Yosemite Village and checking out the Village Store. Our final stop of the day was Curry Village. This was our first time staying in the cabins!
Day 3
We had to leave fairly early because Dad has to catch a flight to Japan. Though we considered stopping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, there just wasn't enough time. However, I'm not going to complain because a short trip is better than no trip at all.
Speaking of which, there was a funny moment as we were getting ready to leave: my mother and I were taking things to the car when an awful stench hit us. It seems someone in another cabin just took a huge shit. The smell was so bad that we couldn't stay outside for more than a few seconds. The whole thing was gross but hilarious in hindsight. Mom and I had a good laugh about it on the way home.
February 24 update: I'm now back in school as winter break as ended. I didn't feel like making a separate post as the rest of the week was uneventful.
Currently playing: Duke Nukem II
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Hawaii trip report
"Everyone behave on the bus. I use a machine gun to punish people." — our tour guide in Honolulu
Hope y'all are having a great summer. I just got back from Hawaii and really enjoyed the trip. One cool thing is that my cousins were also there. Our families went separate ways for the most part because we had different itineraries. However, that didn't matter too much as we still got to see each other.
Day 1
Uncle Harrison gave us a ride to SFO and wished us safe travels. Check-in was a little hectic due to the fact that this is peak season for tourists. We actually got lost and ended up in customs. So now's a good time to mention that Hawaii doesn't allow certain foods to be brought into the state. Mom happened to have a pear — which she kept in her bag — that she forgot to declare. Imagine her surprise when it showed up on the X-ray scanner. Oops.
She expected to get in trouble, but all they did was ask her to toss the fruit into the garbage. Dad decided to eat it so that it didn't go to waste. He must have gotten some strange looks. Only later did we realize we didn't have to go through customs for domestic flights. Go figure.
Honolulu is about five hours from San Francisco. Lunch was pretty good as far as airline food goes. I also saw Spider-Man and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron on the plane. Both are still in theaters. One great thing about flying is getting to see the latest movies for free. I personally liked Spider-Man more, but to each their own.
We arrived around 2 p.m. due to the time difference. Our hotel in WaikÄ«kÄ« seemed quite nice. Dad was hungry and wanted to go to Taco Bell for a quick bite. I got some quesadillas — they're a little salty but otherwise delicious. All of us then went for a stroll along the beach. You wouldn't believe how big the crowd was. One can see why OĘ»ahu is called the "Gathering Place." Of note is that there are hot girls everywhere. I wanted to talk to them but didn't have the courage to say hello. Oh well.
Our travel package included the Aliʻi Kai catamaran dinner cruise. Drinks were served as the host welcomed us aboard and talked about Hawaiian culture. Guests were treated to a buffet and a live performance. After dinner, the dance floor opened up for everyone. Some people gathered on the deck to watch the sunset and take in the ocean breeze. For me, the cruise was the best part of the trip.
Day 2
Also included in the package was the Polynesian Cultural Center. You can go to several "villages" that represent different countries. We got to see a guy climb a coconut tree with bare hands. He then took a coconut and cracked it open with a rock — just like a karate chop. It looked pretty badass.
Visitors can also experience a variety of cultural performances, such as traditional dances and music. However, the fire dance was the most impressive. I've never been so mesmerized in my life. Our stay at the Polynesian Cultural Center concluded with a buffet lunch.
Some time later, the Shiehs arrived at their hotel in Waikīkī and invited us to join them for happy hour. Everyone had a great time catching up even though the food wasn't as good as the price suggests. Soon the Shiehs had to leave as they had also booked the dinner cruise. I wouldn't have minded going on it again with my cousins. But once is more than enough.
Honolulu also has a vibrant nightlife. I was excited to go for a walk around downtown after dinner. Mom noticed a huge crowd on the beach and realized there was a movie. People were watching Ocean's Eleven on a large projector screen. Although we only stayed a short time, this was a neat experience.
Day 3
We boarded the bus for the Honolulu tour. Our guide was humorous and very knowledgeable. He first stopped at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. For those who fell asleep during history class, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II and caused the U.S. to enter the war. About half of the casualties occurred on the Arizona after a bomb hit the magazine. Visitors are able to take a shuttle boat to the memorial. Inside is a plaque dedicated to those who gave their lives. I'm glad they're not forgotten.
Another interesting stop was Aliʻiōlani Hale. Located in the building's courtyard is a Kamehameha statue that was built over a hundred years ago. I didn't know Hawaii had such a rich culture. On the whole, this was a worthwhile tour.
Dad took us to Hanauma Bay later in the afternoon. A cool thing is that the water has a deep blue color. It's quite beautiful and made for great pictures. Because we had so much fun in downtown Honolulu the day before, my family decided to go there again after dinner. Party on!
Day 4
We left Oʻahu to see what Kauaʻi has to offer. Our flight to Līhuʻe was only around 23 minutes due to the short distance. Kauaʻi is fairly quiet and doesn't have the crowds. On the upside, the views were far better. I'm not surprised to hear that it's a popular filming location. Also worth mentioning is that there are wild chickens everywhere. Some people probably eat them.
Having been to Kauaʻi before, the Shiehs were knowledgeable about the area and more than happy to be our guide. Our first stop was the Kauai Kookie factory outlet in Hanapepe. I enjoyed checking out the store and got to try some samples. All the flavors looked delicious. Too bad they aren't cheap :-(
Another place that stood out to me was the Red Dirt Shirt store in Ę»EleĘ»ele. It used to be a small print shop... until a major hurricane hit the island about 10 years ago. Dirt got in and ruined a lot of shirts. Rather than letting them go to waste, the company decided to sell them anyway — and they became popular. Talk about making lemonade when life gives you lemons.
Day 5
We spent the morning exploring Kauaʻi on our own before going to Waimea Canyon State Park with the Shiehs. Our group hiked to the Waimea Canyon Lookout to see the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. I couldn't believe how amazing the views were. Pictures simply don't do them justice.
One thing I noticed is that the trails were muddy due to the rain. I was afraid someone would slip and fall into the ravine. It didn't help that there are no guardrails. Or at least that's what I remember. I was so relieved when everyone made it back in one piece. Perhaps I was worrying too much because no one else seemed concerned. Being paranoid sucks.
In any case, the Shiehs had to get ready to leave as Cathy starts school in two days. You could tell she was sad even though they often come here. Our families spent time together as the Shiehs packed up. As you can imagine, this was an emotional moment for all of us.
I should mention the Shiehs have a timeshare at Embassy Suites that they graciously let us use. It had all the amenities and was quite luxurious. I've never stayed in a place like this. Of course, the downside is the price: the normal rate was around $400 a night plus taxes. We're blessed that the Shiehs are so generous.
Day 6
One place we hadn't seen was Spouting Horn. Pressure from the water causes it to shoot up like a geyser. You're supposed to keep a safe distance from the blowhole. However, that didn't prevent people from getting close. Some walked right up to it despite the warning signs. Stupid is as stupid does.
Given that the island is very quiet and doesn't have many attractions, there wasn't much else to do. But at least the views were incredible.
Day 7
I wasn't looking forward to leaving either. Hawaii is really a paradise. Our schedule was tight as we had to return to LIH to catch the plane to Honolulu for a stopover. Lihue Airport is pretty small and only had a few shops and restaurants. Soon we arrived at Honolulu International Airport for the flight home. I was tired and decided to get some rest on the plane. On the bright side — pardon the pun — we saw a beautiful sunset as we approached San Francisco. It's the perfect ending to a perfect trip.
Conclusions
Everything about this vacation was incredible. OĘ»ahu was quite memorable, especially the AliĘ»i Kai dinner cruise and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Same goes for the Honolulu tour. KauaĘ»i doesn't have much of a nightlife but does have some amazing scenery — no wonder it's called the "Garden Isle." Although we liked OĘ»ahu more, there's something about KauaĘ»i that makes it a fascinating place.
Hawaii is very special due to its unique culture. Considering that there are eight main islands — and all except two are open to the public — this trip has barely touched the surface. One thing for sure is that we'll have to visit Hawaii again. Everyone loves to talk about Maui's beaches and the Big Island's volcanoes...
So this reminds me — school starts in four days. I do expect to have the holiday blues for a while. But at least I'm looking forward to an exciting new school year. :-)
Currently listening to: Relaxation & Meditation with Music & Nature: Amazon Rainforest
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available on Flickr.
Sunday, February 24, 2002
winter break + Southwest U.S. trip
Hope everyone had an amazing break and got to recharge. For me, the best part is that Dad took us on a trip to the Four Corners. Although we were just there not long ago, that didn't matter too much because we got to see old friends and explore new areas.
Day 1
Our trip began on the 16th with an afternoon flight to Denver. Checking in took a while due to heightened security following the 9/11 attacks, but there were no real issues. After a few hours, the plane landed in Denver around dinner time. We grabbed a bite to eat at McDonald's but didn't do much else.
The connecting flight to Albuquerque was about 80 minutes. Dad rented an SUV and took us to his friend Chih-Yue's house in Los Alamos. Because the Kaos have lived in New Mexico for as long as I can remember, there are few opportunities to get together. Chih-Yue was excited to catch up and put out snacks. I'm pretty sure we didn't go to bed until at least 11:45 p.m.
Day 2
Dad asked the Kaos to take us to the Bradbury Science Museum because I've always loved science. Chih-Yue was more than happy to oblige. Despite its small size, the museum is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory and contains many exhibits. It happens that Chih-Yue works at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a climate researcher. Even though they're in different fields, the Wen Ho Lee case made for an interesting topic.
Later, the Kaos took us to Valles Caldera National Preserve. Geologists believe the caldera was formed by a massive volcanic eruption around 1.4 million years ago. Due to the cold weather, there was little to do besides take pictures. Our group then headed to Pizza Hut for lunch after stopping for groceries. Apologies to the vegetarians out there, but the meat lover's pizza is delicious.
Chih-Yue's kids Aaron and Samantha invited me to hang out afterwards. Aaron had a PS2 and introduced me to the Final Fantasy series. I got to play Final Fantasy VII for the first time and was quite impressed. One thing that stood out to me was the music. Final Fantasy X also had a great storyline and soundtrack — no wonder the franchise is so popular. I couldn't help but notice that Tifa and Yuna are really cute. Aaron says he doesn't disagree.
We played more games after dinner. TimeSplitters turned out to be decent too. I prefer the Final Fantasy series, but that's just me.
Day 3
Having spent two nights at Chih-Yue's house, the time has come to leave Los Alamos. Saying goodbye to the Kaos was the hardest thing to do. Hope we can see each other again in the near future.
So a little background — we used to go to a Buddhist temple in the Bay Area called the Fa Yun Monastery on weekends. However, the group relocated to New Mexico several years ago. It later split into two factions, one in Taos and one in Vadito. Mom wanted to visit them in Vadito as we weren't too far. I felt like we were embarking on a spiritual journey during this time. Snow began to fall as we drove up the mountains. It doesn't get any more Zen than this.
Everyone was very hospitable when we arrived. People showed us around and insisted we stay for lunch. I couldn't believe how good vegan food can be. Mom wanted to give back and decided to donate a large bag of oranges. One thing for sure is that the Fa Yun Monastery and its members will always have a special place in our hearts.
We arrived in Cortez and checked into our hotel after a long drive. Dad found a small town along the way called Durango and thought it looked fun. It's probably something to consider for a future trip.
Day 4
Our day began with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park to see the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. I didn't expect the crowd to be so large. Dad signed us up for the Cliff Palace tour as it's the most popular. It ran for about an hour and was quite informative. At some points during the tour, people were allowed to go inside the structures. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones.
Another great attraction was the Four Corners Monument near Teec Nos Pos. As the name suggests, this is the only location in the U.S. where four states come together. You can take fun pictures and check out the vendors. Dad got hungry and ordered some fry bread — which turned out to be delicious. Although we didn't stay long here, this was my favorite stop.
Our hotel was located in Page. I almost forgot to mention — we passed a small town called Mexican Hat along the route. Its name comes from a rock formation that looks like a sombrero. Too bad we couldn't get close enough for a photo.
Day 5
Dad took us to Zion National Park even though we've been here before. Driving through the canyon was an incredible experience. We also went back to Bryce Canyon National Park to see the hoodoos. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile.
Our journey brought us to Moab after another long drive. It's a nice little town with scenic views. I wouldn't mind retiring here.
Day 6
We explored downtown Moab for a bit before going to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. One thing I noticed is that there aren't many Asians around these parts. However, the hostess was friendly and made us feel at home. The food was a little greasy but not too bad otherwise.
Dad then took to Arches National Park to see what it has to offer. Located next to the Colorado River, the park has over 2,000 natural arches and many other geological features. We bought some fridge magnets at the gift shop while we were at the visitor center. I'm thinking about giving one to Charline as she sent me a chocolate for Valentine's Day a week ago. Hope she doesn't get the wrong message.
Our last stop in Arches was a viewpoint from which Delicate Arch is visible. I was a little tired and stayed in the car even though it's a short hike. Only later did I realize Delicate Arch is the most famous. It's one of my biggest regrets. :-(
Canyonlands National Park also has a unique landscape. I wanted to stay longer, but there wasn't enough time because we had to drive another 400 miles. An extra day or even just a few hours would have been nice. Looks like we need to plan another trip in the future.
I saw a place called Natural Bridges National Monument and suggested going there. You can follow a one-way loop to see all three bridges. Dad turned around at Sipapu Bridge because he was afraid we'd be stuck after hours. He didn't want to take chances and decided to hurry back to the entrance, going the wrong way the whole time. Good thing there were no other cars.
We reached Shiprock around 8:45 p.m. and stopped at McDonald's for a quick dinner. So there's a rock formation that gives the town its name. You could see it in the distance even when it's dark outside. It's even considered sacred by the Navajo.
From here, the plan was to take U.S. 666 to Gallup on the way back to Albuquerque. But the thing is that 666 is considered an "evil" number. Mom was a little nervous even though she's not a Christian. To reassure her, my father took a detour. Luckily for us, the distance was about the same.
At one point later, there were several signs warning drivers to slow down as we crossed a mountain pass. Dad thought it was strange... until the road took a sharp turn all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure the only reason we didn't drive off a cliff Ă la Thelma & Louise is that he was paying attention. It took a moment to realize we were so close to death. Someone must have been watching over us.
On the bright side, the drive to Albuquerque was uneventful otherwise. We checked into our hotel around midnight and went to bed shortly afterwards. As you can see, this was the busiest day by far.
Day 7
I was a little sad that the trip was almost over. Soon it was time to head to the airport for our flight to San Francisco. Our hope was to go back to Los Alamos to see the Kaos again before returning the rental car, but this turned out to be impossible. Oh well.
Due to the tight schedule, there wasn't much to do at the airport other than browse the shops. You wouldn't believe how expensive the food was. Greedy bastards. We then boarded the plane and took our seats. I got to listen to music during the flight and really liked the selection. Uncle Harrison picked us up at SFO and gave us a ride home.
Epilogue
On the whole, this was a very special trip. Experiencing the local culture and seeing the Kaos made it even more so. I enjoyed visiting the Four Corners Monument due to its novelty factor. Arches National Park didn't disappoint either. Too bad we couldn't fully explore all the places due to time constraints. Seems like we need to go back soon. :-)
I go back to school tomorrow and am excited and sad at the same time. It's going to be great to see everyone and talk about the trip. Holiday blues, on the other hand...
Currently listening to: "Turn the Tide" by Sylver
Day 1
Our trip began on the 16th with an afternoon flight to Denver. Checking in took a while due to heightened security following the 9/11 attacks, but there were no real issues. After a few hours, the plane landed in Denver around dinner time. We grabbed a bite to eat at McDonald's but didn't do much else.
The connecting flight to Albuquerque was about 80 minutes. Dad rented an SUV and took us to his friend Chih-Yue's house in Los Alamos. Because the Kaos have lived in New Mexico for as long as I can remember, there are few opportunities to get together. Chih-Yue was excited to catch up and put out snacks. I'm pretty sure we didn't go to bed until at least 11:45 p.m.
Day 2
Dad asked the Kaos to take us to the Bradbury Science Museum because I've always loved science. Chih-Yue was more than happy to oblige. Despite its small size, the museum is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory and contains many exhibits. It happens that Chih-Yue works at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a climate researcher. Even though they're in different fields, the Wen Ho Lee case made for an interesting topic.
Later, the Kaos took us to Valles Caldera National Preserve. Geologists believe the caldera was formed by a massive volcanic eruption around 1.4 million years ago. Due to the cold weather, there was little to do besides take pictures. Our group then headed to Pizza Hut for lunch after stopping for groceries. Apologies to the vegetarians out there, but the meat lover's pizza is delicious.
Chih-Yue's kids Aaron and Samantha invited me to hang out afterwards. Aaron had a PS2 and introduced me to the Final Fantasy series. I got to play Final Fantasy VII for the first time and was quite impressed. One thing that stood out to me was the music. Final Fantasy X also had a great storyline and soundtrack — no wonder the franchise is so popular. I couldn't help but notice that Tifa and Yuna are really cute. Aaron says he doesn't disagree.
We played more games after dinner. TimeSplitters turned out to be decent too. I prefer the Final Fantasy series, but that's just me.
Day 3
Having spent two nights at Chih-Yue's house, the time has come to leave Los Alamos. Saying goodbye to the Kaos was the hardest thing to do. Hope we can see each other again in the near future.
So a little background — we used to go to a Buddhist temple in the Bay Area called the Fa Yun Monastery on weekends. However, the group relocated to New Mexico several years ago. It later split into two factions, one in Taos and one in Vadito. Mom wanted to visit them in Vadito as we weren't too far. I felt like we were embarking on a spiritual journey during this time. Snow began to fall as we drove up the mountains. It doesn't get any more Zen than this.
Everyone was very hospitable when we arrived. People showed us around and insisted we stay for lunch. I couldn't believe how good vegan food can be. Mom wanted to give back and decided to donate a large bag of oranges. One thing for sure is that the Fa Yun Monastery and its members will always have a special place in our hearts.
We arrived in Cortez and checked into our hotel after a long drive. Dad found a small town along the way called Durango and thought it looked fun. It's probably something to consider for a future trip.
Day 4
Our day began with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park to see the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. I didn't expect the crowd to be so large. Dad signed us up for the Cliff Palace tour as it's the most popular. It ran for about an hour and was quite informative. At some points during the tour, people were allowed to go inside the structures. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones.
Another great attraction was the Four Corners Monument near Teec Nos Pos. As the name suggests, this is the only location in the U.S. where four states come together. You can take fun pictures and check out the vendors. Dad got hungry and ordered some fry bread — which turned out to be delicious. Although we didn't stay long here, this was my favorite stop.
Our hotel was located in Page. I almost forgot to mention — we passed a small town called Mexican Hat along the route. Its name comes from a rock formation that looks like a sombrero. Too bad we couldn't get close enough for a photo.
Day 5
Dad took us to Zion National Park even though we've been here before. Driving through the canyon was an incredible experience. We also went back to Bryce Canyon National Park to see the hoodoos. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile.
Our journey brought us to Moab after another long drive. It's a nice little town with scenic views. I wouldn't mind retiring here.
Day 6
We explored downtown Moab for a bit before going to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. One thing I noticed is that there aren't many Asians around these parts. However, the hostess was friendly and made us feel at home. The food was a little greasy but not too bad otherwise.
Dad then took to Arches National Park to see what it has to offer. Located next to the Colorado River, the park has over 2,000 natural arches and many other geological features. We bought some fridge magnets at the gift shop while we were at the visitor center. I'm thinking about giving one to Charline as she sent me a chocolate for Valentine's Day a week ago. Hope she doesn't get the wrong message.
Our last stop in Arches was a viewpoint from which Delicate Arch is visible. I was a little tired and stayed in the car even though it's a short hike. Only later did I realize Delicate Arch is the most famous. It's one of my biggest regrets. :-(
Canyonlands National Park also has a unique landscape. I wanted to stay longer, but there wasn't enough time because we had to drive another 400 miles. An extra day or even just a few hours would have been nice. Looks like we need to plan another trip in the future.
I saw a place called Natural Bridges National Monument and suggested going there. You can follow a one-way loop to see all three bridges. Dad turned around at Sipapu Bridge because he was afraid we'd be stuck after hours. He didn't want to take chances and decided to hurry back to the entrance, going the wrong way the whole time. Good thing there were no other cars.
We reached Shiprock around 8:45 p.m. and stopped at McDonald's for a quick dinner. So there's a rock formation that gives the town its name. You could see it in the distance even when it's dark outside. It's even considered sacred by the Navajo.
From here, the plan was to take U.S. 666 to Gallup on the way back to Albuquerque. But the thing is that 666 is considered an "evil" number. Mom was a little nervous even though she's not a Christian. To reassure her, my father took a detour. Luckily for us, the distance was about the same.
At one point later, there were several signs warning drivers to slow down as we crossed a mountain pass. Dad thought it was strange... until the road took a sharp turn all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure the only reason we didn't drive off a cliff Ă la Thelma & Louise is that he was paying attention. It took a moment to realize we were so close to death. Someone must have been watching over us.
On the bright side, the drive to Albuquerque was uneventful otherwise. We checked into our hotel around midnight and went to bed shortly afterwards. As you can see, this was the busiest day by far.
Day 7
I was a little sad that the trip was almost over. Soon it was time to head to the airport for our flight to San Francisco. Our hope was to go back to Los Alamos to see the Kaos again before returning the rental car, but this turned out to be impossible. Oh well.
Due to the tight schedule, there wasn't much to do at the airport other than browse the shops. You wouldn't believe how expensive the food was. Greedy bastards. We then boarded the plane and took our seats. I got to listen to music during the flight and really liked the selection. Uncle Harrison picked us up at SFO and gave us a ride home.
Epilogue
On the whole, this was a very special trip. Experiencing the local culture and seeing the Kaos made it even more so. I enjoyed visiting the Four Corners Monument due to its novelty factor. Arches National Park didn't disappoint either. Too bad we couldn't fully explore all the places due to time constraints. Seems like we need to go back soon. :-)
I go back to school tomorrow and am excited and sad at the same time. It's going to be great to see everyone and talk about the trip. Holiday blues, on the other hand...
Currently listening to: "Turn the Tide" by Sylver
Monday, January 21, 2002
Martin Luther King Jr. Day + Reno trip report
We just came back from a short trip to Reno. It sucked at first because there was barely anything to do. However, that's not a problem because we still had fun.
Day 1
Our trip to Reno with the Liangs in 1996 was awesome. I remember carpooling to Circus Circus Reno and checking out the attractions. But things were very different this time: the streets were empty and desolate. We had no idea what to do because I'm only 16 and too young to gamble. Reno is nothing like Las Vegas and didn't impress us.
I didn't take my laptop because Mom thought it made me look silly on our trip to Tahoe in December. To make matters worse, there was nothing good on TV — only some local channels. Leaving early and going home wasn't an option because the fees were non-refundable. However, the saving grace is we got a voucher for a complimentary hot dog and drink from the bar. So there's that.
Day 2
We didn't feel like skiing in this weather and decided to head directly home. Dad wanted to make the most out of our trip and took us on a drive around Lake Tahoe. Due to the cold temperatures, the ice on Donner Lake covered a larger area than before. It's quite satisfying to break the ice with a hammer.
I spotted a large snowball — likely the remains of a snowman — along the Truckee River some time later. Dad and I decided to push it into the river for shits and giggles. It rolled down the bank and made a gigantic splash as it smashed through the ice. Sometimes it's these little things that make the best memories. Our day ended with dinner at the Kowloon Chinese Restaurant in San Mateo.
Epilogue
Vacations can be fun even on bad days. I'm glad we decided to stay because we ended up having a great time. You generally have to be at least 21 to get the most out of a place like Reno. But that won't happen for another five years. Guess it's time to play the waiting game!
Currently playing: DragonHeart: Fire & Steel
Day 1
Our trip to Reno with the Liangs in 1996 was awesome. I remember carpooling to Circus Circus Reno and checking out the attractions. But things were very different this time: the streets were empty and desolate. We had no idea what to do because I'm only 16 and too young to gamble. Reno is nothing like Las Vegas and didn't impress us.
I didn't take my laptop because Mom thought it made me look silly on our trip to Tahoe in December. To make matters worse, there was nothing good on TV — only some local channels. Leaving early and going home wasn't an option because the fees were non-refundable. However, the saving grace is we got a voucher for a complimentary hot dog and drink from the bar. So there's that.
Day 2
We didn't feel like skiing in this weather and decided to head directly home. Dad wanted to make the most out of our trip and took us on a drive around Lake Tahoe. Due to the cold temperatures, the ice on Donner Lake covered a larger area than before. It's quite satisfying to break the ice with a hammer.
I spotted a large snowball — likely the remains of a snowman — along the Truckee River some time later. Dad and I decided to push it into the river for shits and giggles. It rolled down the bank and made a gigantic splash as it smashed through the ice. Sometimes it's these little things that make the best memories. Our day ended with dinner at the Kowloon Chinese Restaurant in San Mateo.
Epilogue
Vacations can be fun even on bad days. I'm glad we decided to stay because we ended up having a great time. You generally have to be at least 21 to get the most out of a place like Reno. But that won't happen for another five years. Guess it's time to play the waiting game!
Currently playing: DragonHeart: Fire & Steel
Tuesday, December 25, 2001
back from Tahoe: a return to the slopes
Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas. Or at least I did as Dad took us to Tahoe. Because we hadn't been there in three years, this was nice for a change.
Day 1
Tahoe is about 230 miles from our house, but the scenery alone made the trip worthwhile. One moment that stood out to me was having rice noodles for dinner at a rest area near Donner Pass. It smelled so good that people were turning their heads. On cold winter days, there's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup.
Our hotel was located in South Lake Tahoe. We checked in and watched the news for a bit before going to sleep.
Day 2
I spent the morning playing games on my laptop. Mom thought it was silly to bring a computer on such a short trip. To be fair, there wasn't much else to do when it's so cold outside.
Dad took us on a drive around Lake Tahoe in the afternoon as the weather cleared up. I enjoyed browsing the stores and seeing what's for sale. However, my favorite place was Donner Lake. During the winter months, ice forms on the surface near the shore. As weird as it sounds, there's something satisfying about breaking the ice with a hammer. It's like popping bubble wrap.
Mom wanted to go for a soak in the hot tub after dinner. Someone had the bright idea to put it outside, so we had to endure the cold to get there. I didn't mind at first as the hot tub was quite nice. But the walk back to our room was almost unbearable because we were wet and chilled to the bone. Let's not do that again.
Day 3
Although most stores were closed on Christmas, the ski resorts were open for business. Mom suggested going to Soda Springs as we had never been there before. I had to brush up on my skills but was able to get up to speed in no time. Compared to other ski areas, Soda Springs is our favorite so far.
We stopped for dinner at a Chinese restaurant on the way home. One thing I always get at a Chinese restaurant is fried rice. However, the waiter brought us beef chow fun due to a wrong order. In his defense, the two things sound similar in Chinese. I figured it's Christmas and decided to let it go.
Epilogue
On the whole, this was an amazing trip. Dad is making plans for another one in January as we have Martin Luther King Jr. Day coming up. Less than a month to go!
In other news...
I'm scheduled for a wisdom tooth extraction in two days and am a little nervous. Let's hope everything will be fine. *crosses fingers*
Currently listening to: "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira
Day 1
Tahoe is about 230 miles from our house, but the scenery alone made the trip worthwhile. One moment that stood out to me was having rice noodles for dinner at a rest area near Donner Pass. It smelled so good that people were turning their heads. On cold winter days, there's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup.
Our hotel was located in South Lake Tahoe. We checked in and watched the news for a bit before going to sleep.
Day 2
I spent the morning playing games on my laptop. Mom thought it was silly to bring a computer on such a short trip. To be fair, there wasn't much else to do when it's so cold outside.
Dad took us on a drive around Lake Tahoe in the afternoon as the weather cleared up. I enjoyed browsing the stores and seeing what's for sale. However, my favorite place was Donner Lake. During the winter months, ice forms on the surface near the shore. As weird as it sounds, there's something satisfying about breaking the ice with a hammer. It's like popping bubble wrap.
Mom wanted to go for a soak in the hot tub after dinner. Someone had the bright idea to put it outside, so we had to endure the cold to get there. I didn't mind at first as the hot tub was quite nice. But the walk back to our room was almost unbearable because we were wet and chilled to the bone. Let's not do that again.
Day 3
Although most stores were closed on Christmas, the ski resorts were open for business. Mom suggested going to Soda Springs as we had never been there before. I had to brush up on my skills but was able to get up to speed in no time. Compared to other ski areas, Soda Springs is our favorite so far.
We stopped for dinner at a Chinese restaurant on the way home. One thing I always get at a Chinese restaurant is fried rice. However, the waiter brought us beef chow fun due to a wrong order. In his defense, the two things sound similar in Chinese. I figured it's Christmas and decided to let it go.
Epilogue
On the whole, this was an amazing trip. Dad is making plans for another one in January as we have Martin Luther King Jr. Day coming up. Less than a month to go!
In other news...
I'm scheduled for a wisdom tooth extraction in two days and am a little nervous. Let's hope everything will be fine. *crosses fingers*
Currently listening to: "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira
Friday, June 22, 2001
Canada trip report
Summer has been good so far. I went to Canada with my family and had a great time. Having gotten out of school a week and a half ago, this was the perfect way to unwind after a busy semester. Read on to find out more!
Day 1
We had just left the house when I realized we didn't bring music. I figured it didn't matter, but my father insisted on going back to pick it up. Good thing he did because we left the garage door open. It's hard to believe we only found out by chance. Talk about divine intervention — someone must have been looking out for us.
Soon we arrived at SFO for the flight to Spokane. It lasted about two hours and was quite comfortable. Dad rented a Nissan Pathfinder and headed for Lethbridge. He chose a route that took us through Glacier National Park and Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park — together known as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and situated on the border. One popular stop along the road is St. Mary Lake. You won't believe how beautiful the views are.
An album by Orange Tree Productions called Going to the Sun caught my eye at a gift shop. Dad bought it for me because I really liked the music. Everyone loved it as we listened to it in the car. I wish this genre was more popular.
Back in 6th grade, my teacher Joan once told me she saw a hot spring in Glacier National Park during a trip to the Rockies. However, there was no such spring even though I was on the lookout the whole time. Joan may have been thinking about Yellowstone National Park because she visited it on the same trip years ago. I appreciate the information nonetheless.
We continued on and arrived at our hotel in Lethbridge a little over an hour later. All of us were eager to get some rest after a long drive.
Day 2
Vegetarians can skip this one: the day began with a visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. As the name suggests, this wasn't exactly a haven for buffalo. Plains Indians hunted bison by driving them over cliffs. Such a fall would be deadly — or at least break their legs. Unable to move, the animals were slaughtered and butchered. It's as brutal as it sounds. I don't think PETA would approve.
Green fields stretched as far as the eye could see as we crossed the Canadian Prairies. Of note is that there were prairie dogs everywhere. Mom ran over one when it darted in front of the car. She felt terrible even though this was almost unavoidable. Shit happens sometimes.
Our next stop was Calgary so we could visit the Chinese Cultural Centre. One exhibit is a replica of the Terracotta Army buried with emperor Qin Shi Huang in his tomb. I read somewhere that the army contains over 8,000 sculptures. Imagine the resources needed for such an endeavor. It's certainly quite impressive. We then took a stroll through Chinatown before heading to Canmore.
I was also hoping to visit Edmonton later. Home to over 800 stores, West Edmonton Mall is the world's largest shopping center. Spending a day here would be an interesting experience. However, this wasn't an option because Edmonton was too far. At least it's something to consider for the future.
Canmore turned out to be very scenic. The light rain and mist made it even more so. Our hotel was right next to the mountains. I also had fun checking out the local Safeway store. On the whole, Canmore was my favorite stop.
Day 3
Banff and Jasper are among the world's most famous national parks. Two well-known attractions in Banff are the iconic Lake Louise and its namesake village. Both are popular during the summer. Jasper also has great spots, such as the spectacular Athabasca Falls. Pictures simply don't do them justice.
We later stopped at a natural spring along the route. Perhaps this is the one Joan had seen. It's right off the highway and can be reached by a short hike. You could see it bubbling like a witch's cauldron. As weird as it sounds, these things have always fascinated me.
I found another album by Orange Tree Productions called The Sounds of the Canadian Rockies at a visitor center. Dad decided to get this one too. Although we felt Going to the Sun was better, there were still some good tracks.
Jasper National Park also has a town that shares its name. Our hotel for the night was Sunwapta Falls Resort Rocky Mountain Lodge and is located here. Mom says this was the best hotel we stayed at during the trip. I couldn't agree more.
Day 4
All of us woke up around 7 a.m. and had trouble falling back asleep. So we figured this was a good time for a walk around the lodge. Mom has always encouraged me to get up early because the air is fresh and crisp. It made for some wonderful memories even though we didn't go far. I could easily spend a week or two in the Canadian Rockies.
Yoho National Park also has beautiful views. An adjacent town called Field was no less scenic. Dad decided to take us to Lake Revelstoke to see the dam and the Columbia River. But soon he realized it was too far after looking at the map. We turned back after stopping at a roadside restaurant for dinner. Oh well... maybe next time.
On the bright side, the restaurant was a cozy little place. I really liked the atmosphere, and the waitress was friendly and attentive. From what I remember, the food wasn't bad either. :-)
Day 5
We went hiking in Kootenay National Park and visited the Paint Pots. Located near the Vermilion River, the Paint Pots are a group of springs that were once used as a source of ochre. It's so named because the water contains minerals that give it a variety of colors. Unlike the spring in Jasper, these were much quieter.
Our hotel was located in Invermere. Although not far, the journey took longer than expected due to traffic. To complicate matters, there were many slow cars. One guy had a bunch of trucks behind him and wouldn't let them pass. He finally exited the freeway — just as we rolled into town. Yeah... that didn't help much.
Titan A.E. was on one of the cable channels. It's a science fiction film that came out a year ago. I decided to watch it while my parents went for a walk after dinner. Despite the critical reviews, the movie actually lived up to my expectations.
Due to the high latitude, Invermere has long daylight hours in the summer. I'm pretty sure the sun didn't go down until 10 p.m. or so. Imagine my surprise when I checked the time!
Day 6
I woke up with an itch on my arm and thought it was allergies. But then I noticed they appeared to be bug bites. Dad reported it to management and asked them to send someone over. However, the guy didn't seem too concerned and only asked a few questions. He didn't seem to be doing his job. Dad wasn't satisfied with the response and plans to file a complaint soon.
Invermere is located very close to Lake Windermere. I enjoyed strolling along the shore in the morning — the atmosphere was peaceful as we were the only ones there. Sometimes it's these little things that make a trip memorable.
Mom found a place in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park called Lussier Hot Springs and figured I'd be interested. Getting there took a while as it's hard to go fast on the gravel without damaging the car. Several other families were also here. We put our feet in the water and found it to be just the right temperature.
Fort Steele Heritage Town was our next stop. It happened to be a warm day — the perfect excuse to get ice cream at the cafĂ©. Soon we arrived at the border between Canada and the United States. Of note is that there is a nearby duty-free shop. I got some maple leaf cookies because the price was too good to pass up. Although the cookies are delicious, they are also high in sugar.
We arrived in Spokane around dinner time and went to grab a bite. Our first stop was a Chinese restaurant in the suburbs. It seemed a nice place, but the menu only had a few choices. Mom had a bad feeling and wanted to go elsewhere. We still left a tip so as not to be rude.
Day 7
I was a little sad that the trip was almost over. However, there was still time to explore Spokane as we had a few hours to spare. Dad took us to downtown so we could check out the shops. One cool thing is that there are sky bridges that connect the buildings. Spokane doesn't seem like a bad place to live.
Soon it was time to head to the airport to return the SUV and catch the afternoon flight back to San Francisco. I got some rest on the plane as there wasn't much else to do. We picked up our car at the airport and got home around 6 p.m. after an uneventful drive. Dad suggested dinner at Mountain Mike's Pizza to save time. Going out to eat after a trip is always a nice bonus.
Conclusions
Canada is a beautiful place with much to see. All of us love nature and enjoyed the trip. I really liked Canmore and wish we got to spend more than one night there. Of course, the rest of the trip was great too. One downside is that Canada has a relatively small population — which means it can be lonely at times. But it's good to escape the busy city life once in a while.
Currently listening to: Going to the Sun by Orange Tree Productions
Day 1
We had just left the house when I realized we didn't bring music. I figured it didn't matter, but my father insisted on going back to pick it up. Good thing he did because we left the garage door open. It's hard to believe we only found out by chance. Talk about divine intervention — someone must have been looking out for us.
Soon we arrived at SFO for the flight to Spokane. It lasted about two hours and was quite comfortable. Dad rented a Nissan Pathfinder and headed for Lethbridge. He chose a route that took us through Glacier National Park and Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park — together known as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and situated on the border. One popular stop along the road is St. Mary Lake. You won't believe how beautiful the views are.
An album by Orange Tree Productions called Going to the Sun caught my eye at a gift shop. Dad bought it for me because I really liked the music. Everyone loved it as we listened to it in the car. I wish this genre was more popular.
Back in 6th grade, my teacher Joan once told me she saw a hot spring in Glacier National Park during a trip to the Rockies. However, there was no such spring even though I was on the lookout the whole time. Joan may have been thinking about Yellowstone National Park because she visited it on the same trip years ago. I appreciate the information nonetheless.
We continued on and arrived at our hotel in Lethbridge a little over an hour later. All of us were eager to get some rest after a long drive.
Day 2
Vegetarians can skip this one: the day began with a visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. As the name suggests, this wasn't exactly a haven for buffalo. Plains Indians hunted bison by driving them over cliffs. Such a fall would be deadly — or at least break their legs. Unable to move, the animals were slaughtered and butchered. It's as brutal as it sounds. I don't think PETA would approve.
Green fields stretched as far as the eye could see as we crossed the Canadian Prairies. Of note is that there were prairie dogs everywhere. Mom ran over one when it darted in front of the car. She felt terrible even though this was almost unavoidable. Shit happens sometimes.
Our next stop was Calgary so we could visit the Chinese Cultural Centre. One exhibit is a replica of the Terracotta Army buried with emperor Qin Shi Huang in his tomb. I read somewhere that the army contains over 8,000 sculptures. Imagine the resources needed for such an endeavor. It's certainly quite impressive. We then took a stroll through Chinatown before heading to Canmore.
I was also hoping to visit Edmonton later. Home to over 800 stores, West Edmonton Mall is the world's largest shopping center. Spending a day here would be an interesting experience. However, this wasn't an option because Edmonton was too far. At least it's something to consider for the future.
Canmore turned out to be very scenic. The light rain and mist made it even more so. Our hotel was right next to the mountains. I also had fun checking out the local Safeway store. On the whole, Canmore was my favorite stop.
Day 3
Banff and Jasper are among the world's most famous national parks. Two well-known attractions in Banff are the iconic Lake Louise and its namesake village. Both are popular during the summer. Jasper also has great spots, such as the spectacular Athabasca Falls. Pictures simply don't do them justice.
We later stopped at a natural spring along the route. Perhaps this is the one Joan had seen. It's right off the highway and can be reached by a short hike. You could see it bubbling like a witch's cauldron. As weird as it sounds, these things have always fascinated me.
I found another album by Orange Tree Productions called The Sounds of the Canadian Rockies at a visitor center. Dad decided to get this one too. Although we felt Going to the Sun was better, there were still some good tracks.
Jasper National Park also has a town that shares its name. Our hotel for the night was Sunwapta Falls Resort Rocky Mountain Lodge and is located here. Mom says this was the best hotel we stayed at during the trip. I couldn't agree more.
Day 4
All of us woke up around 7 a.m. and had trouble falling back asleep. So we figured this was a good time for a walk around the lodge. Mom has always encouraged me to get up early because the air is fresh and crisp. It made for some wonderful memories even though we didn't go far. I could easily spend a week or two in the Canadian Rockies.
Yoho National Park also has beautiful views. An adjacent town called Field was no less scenic. Dad decided to take us to Lake Revelstoke to see the dam and the Columbia River. But soon he realized it was too far after looking at the map. We turned back after stopping at a roadside restaurant for dinner. Oh well... maybe next time.
On the bright side, the restaurant was a cozy little place. I really liked the atmosphere, and the waitress was friendly and attentive. From what I remember, the food wasn't bad either. :-)
Day 5
We went hiking in Kootenay National Park and visited the Paint Pots. Located near the Vermilion River, the Paint Pots are a group of springs that were once used as a source of ochre. It's so named because the water contains minerals that give it a variety of colors. Unlike the spring in Jasper, these were much quieter.
Our hotel was located in Invermere. Although not far, the journey took longer than expected due to traffic. To complicate matters, there were many slow cars. One guy had a bunch of trucks behind him and wouldn't let them pass. He finally exited the freeway — just as we rolled into town. Yeah... that didn't help much.
Titan A.E. was on one of the cable channels. It's a science fiction film that came out a year ago. I decided to watch it while my parents went for a walk after dinner. Despite the critical reviews, the movie actually lived up to my expectations.
Due to the high latitude, Invermere has long daylight hours in the summer. I'm pretty sure the sun didn't go down until 10 p.m. or so. Imagine my surprise when I checked the time!
Day 6
I woke up with an itch on my arm and thought it was allergies. But then I noticed they appeared to be bug bites. Dad reported it to management and asked them to send someone over. However, the guy didn't seem too concerned and only asked a few questions. He didn't seem to be doing his job. Dad wasn't satisfied with the response and plans to file a complaint soon.
Invermere is located very close to Lake Windermere. I enjoyed strolling along the shore in the morning — the atmosphere was peaceful as we were the only ones there. Sometimes it's these little things that make a trip memorable.
Mom found a place in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park called Lussier Hot Springs and figured I'd be interested. Getting there took a while as it's hard to go fast on the gravel without damaging the car. Several other families were also here. We put our feet in the water and found it to be just the right temperature.
Fort Steele Heritage Town was our next stop. It happened to be a warm day — the perfect excuse to get ice cream at the cafĂ©. Soon we arrived at the border between Canada and the United States. Of note is that there is a nearby duty-free shop. I got some maple leaf cookies because the price was too good to pass up. Although the cookies are delicious, they are also high in sugar.
We arrived in Spokane around dinner time and went to grab a bite. Our first stop was a Chinese restaurant in the suburbs. It seemed a nice place, but the menu only had a few choices. Mom had a bad feeling and wanted to go elsewhere. We still left a tip so as not to be rude.
Day 7
I was a little sad that the trip was almost over. However, there was still time to explore Spokane as we had a few hours to spare. Dad took us to downtown so we could check out the shops. One cool thing is that there are sky bridges that connect the buildings. Spokane doesn't seem like a bad place to live.
Soon it was time to head to the airport to return the SUV and catch the afternoon flight back to San Francisco. I got some rest on the plane as there wasn't much else to do. We picked up our car at the airport and got home around 6 p.m. after an uneventful drive. Dad suggested dinner at Mountain Mike's Pizza to save time. Going out to eat after a trip is always a nice bonus.
Conclusions
Canada is a beautiful place with much to see. All of us love nature and enjoyed the trip. I really liked Canmore and wish we got to spend more than one night there. Of course, the rest of the trip was great too. One downside is that Canada has a relatively small population — which means it can be lonely at times. But it's good to escape the busy city life once in a while.
Currently listening to: Going to the Sun by Orange Tree Productions
Thursday, December 28, 2000
Southwest U.S. trip report
So my family just got back from our week-long road trip to the American Southwest. I hadn't been there in almost five years, so it was quite exciting. You'll probably want to know more about our adventure, so that's what this post is for. :-)
Day 1
Before starting out, we first had to rent an SUV as neither of our cars could carry that much luggage. Both of them are also over ten years old, and we didn't feel comfortable taking them on such a long drive anyway. So our first stop was the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at San Jose International Airport.
Enterprise was one of those agencies that allow people to pick their own vehicles. One that we decided to pass on was a red Dodge Durango because we had an unpleasant experience with a similar car during our last vacation to the Southwest in 1996. During that trip, the interior of the car had a poor design, and my parents ended up with a bad case of back pain as a result. As soon as we decided the Durango wasn't for us, two young men gladly took it off our hands. As the saying goes, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." In the end, my parents and I settled on a blue GMC Jimmy that we liked.
We then drove back to our house to load our stuff, and the trip had officially begun. The first leg of our journey was a 400-mile drive to Barstow. The sun sets early at this time of the year, and it was fairly late when we got there, so we called it a day after checking into our hotel.
Day 2
Not far from Barstow was a ghost town called Calico. I'm not a huge fan of ghost towns, but Calico was one of the most memorable places we visited on our trip. One unique landmark was the house that was built entirely with glass bottles. I imagine the greenhouse effect would make it very warm in the summer. The three of us also took a tour of the town on the Calico & Odessa Railroad. The train ride was somewhat short, but it was one of the things that made Calico so much fun.
It was then time to head to Las Vegas. Our hotel for the night was the Flamingo Las Vegas, one of the many resorts on the Strip. I'm not old enough to gamble - not that I'd want to - but we still had a great time checking out the various casinos there.
Day 3
Next on our itinerary was the picturesque Lake Powell, a large reservoir on the Colorado River. There wasn't much to do at the lake as it was primarily for boating, but we really enjoyed the peaceful scenery. I could easily contemplate here for hours - even though I'm not exactly a philosopher. :P
The final stop of the day was Page, located just south of the Utah-Arizona border. There wasn't much to do in this small town either, so we mostly rested in our hotel room. I spent much of the evening playing Final Doom on my laptop, and watching Battlestar Galactica and Futurama on the hotel's TV. I'd say both of them are awesome shows.
Day 4
Merry Christmas!
Our first destination in the morning was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. From what I've seen in travel guides, the namesake volcano was supposed to be a beautiful sight. But there wasn't much to see because the snow had completely obscured the mountain, so all we did was take a couple of pictures. Sunset Crater is definitely one of those places I'd love to revisit in the spring or fall.
The main stop of the day was the famous Meteor Crater in Arizona, also known as Barringer Crater. On the way there, my parents and I passed two small towns with unusual names: Two Guns and Twin Arrows. I couldn't help but wonder who came up with them. However, the names were the only interesting thing about the towns; there didn't seem to be any real attractions in the area, so we only took a few pictures before continuing on.
It was already noon when we arrived at Meteor Crater, so the three of us had lunch in the parking lot before heading in. The attraction was privately owned, so the admission fee wasn't covered by our national park pass. That didn't stop us from going in - after all, my family didn't drive all the way here for nothing. It's a good thing the place was open on Christmas!
The crater was much larger than I had imagined. It was formed by an impact event about 50,000 years ago, with the energy released equal to about 20 million tons of TNT. The resulting hole was almost three-quarters of a mile in diameter - undoubtedly an impressive sight.
There was a three-mile trail that went around the crater, but it was closed to the public except during guided tours. However, just standing on the rim was awe-inspiring. I can only imagine the force of the impact that wiped out the dinosaurs; from what I've heard, that one was around five million times more powerful. I'm glad I wasn't there when that happened!
The visitor center was also quite fascinating. One exhibit that caught my attention was the simulator that allowed users to visualize various impact events - up to blowing up the Earth with a Texas-sized asteroid. I had lots of fun with that for sure. *evil laughter*
On the whole, this was by far the best day of the trip.
Day 5
I don't mean to sound racist, but what happened in the morning was kind of funny in hindsight: my parents and I were leaving the hotel after breakfast when I accidentally knocked over this black dude's coffee. I apologized profusely and immediately began cleaning it up, but the people in the room tensed up as if they were expecting the guy to do something to me. Much to everyone's collective relief, nothing of the sort happened; the guy and I merely had a good laugh about it before going our separate ways.
Continuing on, the main stop of the day was Grand Canyon National Park. This place wasn't new to my parents as came here for their 1984 honeymoon, but it was my first time seeing the majestic canyon in person. However, the weather was very cold, so all we did was take some pictures. I'd love to come back here when it's a bit warmer; from what I've heard, Grand Canyon is one of the best places for hiking.
It started getting late, so we began driving back to Las Vegas. The traffic suddenly ground to a halt as we neared Sin City. At first we thought it was due to the sheer number of tourists hoping to strike it rich, but it soon became apparent that the 15 mph speed limit at Hoover Dam was the culprit. How convenient.
The traffic began clearing up as soon as we got past Hoover Dam, and we didn't arrive in Las Vegas too late despite the congestion. It's nice to not be stuck in the desert in the middle of the night; that would have surely sucked. Our hotel for the night was again the Flamingo Las Vegas.
Day 6
Our original plan was to spend another night in Las Vegas and drive directly home from there. But that would have been very exhausting, not to mention we wouldn't have been able to go to too many other places. Therefore, Dad decided to cancel our second night in Las Vegas and book a hotel in Lee Vining instead.
The route took us through Death Valley National Park. There was a stretch of the freeway in the area that had many dips and inclines. That made the drive kind of fun - it was almost like a natural roller coaster!
Despite the name, Death Valley was actually a rather nice place - at least when the weather isn't unbearably hot. The scenery was very peaceful as there were few other people around. Funnily enough, we ran into our family friend Carol's brother at one of the vista points. It's indeed a small world after all.
One place I had wanted to see was Ubehebe Crater, located near the northern end of Death Valley. Unlike Meteor Crater, this one was formed by an ancient hydrothermal explosion. Regrettably, this excursion was not possible as we didn't have enough time. Lee Vining was a few hundred miles away even without the detour, so it was already around 11:00 p.m. when we got there.
Had we still gone to Ubehebe Crater, chances are we would not have been able to get to Lee Vining until early next morning. Dad was very thankful that I did not insist on going to the crater. I guess that's something we'll have to consider for a future trip.
Day 7
We made a brief stop at Mono Lake in the morning. While there, I noticed numerous underwater springs beneath the ice; they are apparently the source of the mineral deposits from which the tufa columns are formed. Mono Lake was no doubt a fascinating place.
This was the last day of our trip, but there was still so much to do. The scenery on Route 395 was very nice, and it was still early in the afternoon, so we decided to extend our trip by taking a detour through the Lake Tahoe area instead of Yosemite National Park.
Even though my family had been to Lake Tahoe many times before, I've never gotten tired of the mountains. While looking at a map of the area, I found a nearby attraction called Grover Hot Springs State Park that we decided to check out. While there was only one hot spring that was easily accessible, the main feature of the park was the mineral water-fed swimming pool.
Mom insisted that we go in for a soak, which we did. I had my reservations at first because the water was green from minerals in the spring, but it turned out to be a delightful surprise. I'd say Grover Hot Springs is one of those "hidden gems" in the mountains. There were also many hot girls at the pool, but I was too shy to talk to any of them. Oh well.
The three of us had a nice dinner at the Kowloon seafood restaurant in San Mateo on the way home. We frequently eat here at the end of a trip, so it has become a tradition of sorts. It wasn't long before we were back in our cozy little house. I helped my parents unload our belongings before we drove back to SJC to return the Jimmy, and only then did we consider our vacation to be truly over.
Conclusions
The Southwest U.S. has always been one of my favorite travel destinations. While many people are quick to dismiss the desert as boring, I think the American Southwest one of the most unique places in the world. Although we had been on many trips before, this was the first one I had truly come to appreciate. I thought the best part of our adventure was Meteor Crater; that alone made the trip very worthwhile.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and this vacation was no exception. On the other hand, New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and we'll be having a few other families over. It's always nice to have a party right after a vacation!
Currently listening to: Relaxation & Meditation with Music & Nature: Thunderstorm at Night
Day 1
Before starting out, we first had to rent an SUV as neither of our cars could carry that much luggage. Both of them are also over ten years old, and we didn't feel comfortable taking them on such a long drive anyway. So our first stop was the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at San Jose International Airport.
Enterprise was one of those agencies that allow people to pick their own vehicles. One that we decided to pass on was a red Dodge Durango because we had an unpleasant experience with a similar car during our last vacation to the Southwest in 1996. During that trip, the interior of the car had a poor design, and my parents ended up with a bad case of back pain as a result. As soon as we decided the Durango wasn't for us, two young men gladly took it off our hands. As the saying goes, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." In the end, my parents and I settled on a blue GMC Jimmy that we liked.
We then drove back to our house to load our stuff, and the trip had officially begun. The first leg of our journey was a 400-mile drive to Barstow. The sun sets early at this time of the year, and it was fairly late when we got there, so we called it a day after checking into our hotel.
Day 2
Not far from Barstow was a ghost town called Calico. I'm not a huge fan of ghost towns, but Calico was one of the most memorable places we visited on our trip. One unique landmark was the house that was built entirely with glass bottles. I imagine the greenhouse effect would make it very warm in the summer. The three of us also took a tour of the town on the Calico & Odessa Railroad. The train ride was somewhat short, but it was one of the things that made Calico so much fun.
It was then time to head to Las Vegas. Our hotel for the night was the Flamingo Las Vegas, one of the many resorts on the Strip. I'm not old enough to gamble - not that I'd want to - but we still had a great time checking out the various casinos there.
Day 3
Next on our itinerary was the picturesque Lake Powell, a large reservoir on the Colorado River. There wasn't much to do at the lake as it was primarily for boating, but we really enjoyed the peaceful scenery. I could easily contemplate here for hours - even though I'm not exactly a philosopher. :P
The final stop of the day was Page, located just south of the Utah-Arizona border. There wasn't much to do in this small town either, so we mostly rested in our hotel room. I spent much of the evening playing Final Doom on my laptop, and watching Battlestar Galactica and Futurama on the hotel's TV. I'd say both of them are awesome shows.
Day 4
Merry Christmas!
Our first destination in the morning was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. From what I've seen in travel guides, the namesake volcano was supposed to be a beautiful sight. But there wasn't much to see because the snow had completely obscured the mountain, so all we did was take a couple of pictures. Sunset Crater is definitely one of those places I'd love to revisit in the spring or fall.
The main stop of the day was the famous Meteor Crater in Arizona, also known as Barringer Crater. On the way there, my parents and I passed two small towns with unusual names: Two Guns and Twin Arrows. I couldn't help but wonder who came up with them. However, the names were the only interesting thing about the towns; there didn't seem to be any real attractions in the area, so we only took a few pictures before continuing on.
It was already noon when we arrived at Meteor Crater, so the three of us had lunch in the parking lot before heading in. The attraction was privately owned, so the admission fee wasn't covered by our national park pass. That didn't stop us from going in - after all, my family didn't drive all the way here for nothing. It's a good thing the place was open on Christmas!
The crater was much larger than I had imagined. It was formed by an impact event about 50,000 years ago, with the energy released equal to about 20 million tons of TNT. The resulting hole was almost three-quarters of a mile in diameter - undoubtedly an impressive sight.
There was a three-mile trail that went around the crater, but it was closed to the public except during guided tours. However, just standing on the rim was awe-inspiring. I can only imagine the force of the impact that wiped out the dinosaurs; from what I've heard, that one was around five million times more powerful. I'm glad I wasn't there when that happened!
The visitor center was also quite fascinating. One exhibit that caught my attention was the simulator that allowed users to visualize various impact events - up to blowing up the Earth with a Texas-sized asteroid. I had lots of fun with that for sure. *evil laughter*
On the whole, this was by far the best day of the trip.
Day 5
I don't mean to sound racist, but what happened in the morning was kind of funny in hindsight: my parents and I were leaving the hotel after breakfast when I accidentally knocked over this black dude's coffee. I apologized profusely and immediately began cleaning it up, but the people in the room tensed up as if they were expecting the guy to do something to me. Much to everyone's collective relief, nothing of the sort happened; the guy and I merely had a good laugh about it before going our separate ways.
Continuing on, the main stop of the day was Grand Canyon National Park. This place wasn't new to my parents as came here for their 1984 honeymoon, but it was my first time seeing the majestic canyon in person. However, the weather was very cold, so all we did was take some pictures. I'd love to come back here when it's a bit warmer; from what I've heard, Grand Canyon is one of the best places for hiking.
It started getting late, so we began driving back to Las Vegas. The traffic suddenly ground to a halt as we neared Sin City. At first we thought it was due to the sheer number of tourists hoping to strike it rich, but it soon became apparent that the 15 mph speed limit at Hoover Dam was the culprit. How convenient.
The traffic began clearing up as soon as we got past Hoover Dam, and we didn't arrive in Las Vegas too late despite the congestion. It's nice to not be stuck in the desert in the middle of the night; that would have surely sucked. Our hotel for the night was again the Flamingo Las Vegas.
Day 6
Our original plan was to spend another night in Las Vegas and drive directly home from there. But that would have been very exhausting, not to mention we wouldn't have been able to go to too many other places. Therefore, Dad decided to cancel our second night in Las Vegas and book a hotel in Lee Vining instead.
The route took us through Death Valley National Park. There was a stretch of the freeway in the area that had many dips and inclines. That made the drive kind of fun - it was almost like a natural roller coaster!
Despite the name, Death Valley was actually a rather nice place - at least when the weather isn't unbearably hot. The scenery was very peaceful as there were few other people around. Funnily enough, we ran into our family friend Carol's brother at one of the vista points. It's indeed a small world after all.
One place I had wanted to see was Ubehebe Crater, located near the northern end of Death Valley. Unlike Meteor Crater, this one was formed by an ancient hydrothermal explosion. Regrettably, this excursion was not possible as we didn't have enough time. Lee Vining was a few hundred miles away even without the detour, so it was already around 11:00 p.m. when we got there.
Had we still gone to Ubehebe Crater, chances are we would not have been able to get to Lee Vining until early next morning. Dad was very thankful that I did not insist on going to the crater. I guess that's something we'll have to consider for a future trip.
Day 7
We made a brief stop at Mono Lake in the morning. While there, I noticed numerous underwater springs beneath the ice; they are apparently the source of the mineral deposits from which the tufa columns are formed. Mono Lake was no doubt a fascinating place.
This was the last day of our trip, but there was still so much to do. The scenery on Route 395 was very nice, and it was still early in the afternoon, so we decided to extend our trip by taking a detour through the Lake Tahoe area instead of Yosemite National Park.
Even though my family had been to Lake Tahoe many times before, I've never gotten tired of the mountains. While looking at a map of the area, I found a nearby attraction called Grover Hot Springs State Park that we decided to check out. While there was only one hot spring that was easily accessible, the main feature of the park was the mineral water-fed swimming pool.
Mom insisted that we go in for a soak, which we did. I had my reservations at first because the water was green from minerals in the spring, but it turned out to be a delightful surprise. I'd say Grover Hot Springs is one of those "hidden gems" in the mountains. There were also many hot girls at the pool, but I was too shy to talk to any of them. Oh well.
The three of us had a nice dinner at the Kowloon seafood restaurant in San Mateo on the way home. We frequently eat here at the end of a trip, so it has become a tradition of sorts. It wasn't long before we were back in our cozy little house. I helped my parents unload our belongings before we drove back to SJC to return the Jimmy, and only then did we consider our vacation to be truly over.
Conclusions
The Southwest U.S. has always been one of my favorite travel destinations. While many people are quick to dismiss the desert as boring, I think the American Southwest one of the most unique places in the world. Although we had been on many trips before, this was the first one I had truly come to appreciate. I thought the best part of our adventure was Meteor Crater; that alone made the trip very worthwhile.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and this vacation was no exception. On the other hand, New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and we'll be having a few other families over. It's always nice to have a party right after a vacation!
Currently listening to: Relaxation & Meditation with Music & Nature: Thunderstorm at Night
Sunday, August 6, 2000
back from Willits, CA
The weekend was pretty exciting as my parents and I went on a three-day trip to Willits. It was relatively short compared to our other summer getaways, but we nonetheless had a great time.
Day 1
Willits was relatively close at 180 miles from our house, so our itinerary also included a side trip to Mendocino and Fort Bragg. However, I'm not sure if the detour was worth it. While Mendocino was quite fun when we went there several years ago, the town didn't seem to have as many attractions as we remembered. To be honest, Fort Bragg wasn't that interesting either aside from the view of the ocean.
It was then time to continue on to Willits. The route took us through the scenic Jackson State Forest, making the drive very worthwhile. All of us were somewhat tired from the traveling, so we didn't do much in the evening besides going to a local grocery store for frozen dinners.
Day 2
As my family loves the great outdoors, the three of us went hiking in a nearby nature reserve after breakfast. There weren't many trails in the area, but the redwood groves were absolutely beautiful.
We took the Skunk Train to Northspur and back later in the afternoon. The round trip was just under 40 miles, but the leisurely pace at which the train traveled made the excursion seem like several hours. There was a guy on board that played bluegrass on the banjo, which was a nice touch. On top of that, I chatted with two cute girls on the train. Haha, I'm such a flirt.
Back at the hotel, Dad and I watched Deep Blue Sea before going to bed. It was an awesome movie, even though I had seen it before. This was undoubtedly the best day of the trip.
Day 3
Having had so much fun the day before, it was a little sad to realize that our trip was coming to an end. But there was still plenty of free time, so we spent much of the day checking out the local shops and restaurants, as well as some of the nearby scenic drives. It was well past dinner time when we finally arrived home!
Conclusions
The trip was pretty nice despite being so short. Although many of the places we visited were fairly mediocre, the awesome train ride totally made up for it. That was by far the best part of our vacation. I'm not sure if we'll go on another trip this summer, but at least I still have over two weeks before school starts. :-)
Currently watching: Deep Blue Sea
Day 1
Willits was relatively close at 180 miles from our house, so our itinerary also included a side trip to Mendocino and Fort Bragg. However, I'm not sure if the detour was worth it. While Mendocino was quite fun when we went there several years ago, the town didn't seem to have as many attractions as we remembered. To be honest, Fort Bragg wasn't that interesting either aside from the view of the ocean.
It was then time to continue on to Willits. The route took us through the scenic Jackson State Forest, making the drive very worthwhile. All of us were somewhat tired from the traveling, so we didn't do much in the evening besides going to a local grocery store for frozen dinners.
Day 2
As my family loves the great outdoors, the three of us went hiking in a nearby nature reserve after breakfast. There weren't many trails in the area, but the redwood groves were absolutely beautiful.
We took the Skunk Train to Northspur and back later in the afternoon. The round trip was just under 40 miles, but the leisurely pace at which the train traveled made the excursion seem like several hours. There was a guy on board that played bluegrass on the banjo, which was a nice touch. On top of that, I chatted with two cute girls on the train. Haha, I'm such a flirt.
Back at the hotel, Dad and I watched Deep Blue Sea before going to bed. It was an awesome movie, even though I had seen it before. This was undoubtedly the best day of the trip.
Day 3
Having had so much fun the day before, it was a little sad to realize that our trip was coming to an end. But there was still plenty of free time, so we spent much of the day checking out the local shops and restaurants, as well as some of the nearby scenic drives. It was well past dinner time when we finally arrived home!
Conclusions
The trip was pretty nice despite being so short. Although many of the places we visited were fairly mediocre, the awesome train ride totally made up for it. That was by far the best part of our vacation. I'm not sure if we'll go on another trip this summer, but at least I still have over two weeks before school starts. :-)
Currently watching: Deep Blue Sea
Sunday, April 23, 2000
spring break + Taiwan trip report
The break was good as my family went to Taiwan. Mom and I came back yesterday without Dad as he is staying for business. The main reason for the trip was to see our relatives, but that doesn't mean we didn't have fun!
Days 1 and 2
Our journey began with a long flight across the Pacific. I was expecting the worst because we had an unpleasant experience with China Airlines when we went to Taiwan five years ago. For one, the dry air made the outbound flight uncomfortable. There are few things more annoying than not being able to sneeze. I also couldn't sleep due to the noise. Blah.
However, this flight was much better. The best part was getting to see End of Days on the plane. I liked the movie despite the critical reviews. It was also nice to get some sleep this time.
The plane landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport about 13 hours later. Grandpa picked us up and took us to his home in Tainan after we got our luggage. Bien-Chuan has lived with his companion Ms. Chen since my grandmother Shiao-Mei passed away from diabetes. I never met Shiao-Mei but have always considered Ms. Chen family and called her Grandma.
We arrived in Tainan after a four-hour drive. The evening was uneventful except for a stop at a night market after dinner. In addition to food stands, there were also carnival games. I enjoyed throwing darts at balloons even though I didn't pop enough to win a prize.
Day 3
The day's focus was Anping Fort — also known as Fort Zeelandia — which was built by the Dutch in the 17th century and later surrendered to the Chinese following a major battle. It was well-preserved despite its age. I'm not big on historic sites but had fun pretending to fire the cannons. Sometimes you just want to bring out your inner child.
Mom wanted to visit her sister Jill at her new house. I went to watch TV while they caught up... and the first thing that came up was a hentai anime. It seems the media regulatory agencies in Taiwan aren't as strict as their U.S. counterparts. I saw a guy put something in a girl's butt before I could change channels. Gross.
Day 4
Bien-Chuan and Ms. Chen had brought their friends Mrs. Mao and Mrs. Chou when they visited us two years ago. I really liked Mrs. Mao — not only did she help around the house, she was a great cook too. You could say Mom has competition.
Mrs. Mao must have remembered that I loved her food because she invited us all to her house for lunch. Everything she made was delicious. I was very honored that Mrs. Mao would do this for me. She even gave me a kiss on the cheek as we parted ways. Yeah, that wasn't awkward at all. *blush*
Later in the evening — after dinner and some rest — my parents took me to see a spiritual healer that Jill had referred us to. She figured he could treat my autism and had recommended his services. The guy said something had "scared my soul away" when I was three years old. He then had us perform a ritual to "return my soul." The whole thing was pretty strange. I was tired afterwards and quickly fell asleep in the car.
Day 5
It was already morning when I woke up again. I was so sound asleep that my father had to literally pick me up and carry me back into the house. That guy must have magically drained my life force. Or have I been watching too many horror movies?
The adults got seafood noodles for breakfast while I was asleep. Although I got up pretty late, they made sure to save some for me. I'm glad they did because the noodles were delicious.
We visited Jill again at her condo in the afternoon. Mom was trying to figure out how to use the shower when the spigot broke loose and caused the bathroom to flood. This created a dangerous situation because an electrical outlet was just next to the shower. To make matters worse, Jill had left to teach a class. Imagine our relief when we finally reached her on her cell phone and got her to send someone over.
Our party checked into Caesar Park Hotel before going on a boat cruise. The vessel had windows that allowed people to see underwater. That was a cool experience. I should mention that our hotel was really nice. This was actually the only time we stayed at a hotel during the trip.
Day 6
Grandpa took us to Kenting National Park as it's very popular. The views here were incredible. The park is also home to the famous Eluanbi Lighthouse. I had heard the panorama from the top was even better, but the lighthouse was closed for repairs. This was a major disappointment even though the staff were kind enough to let us take pictures at the entrance. I certainly hope to come back in the future.
One thing I really enjoyed on our last visit was lighting fireworks with my grandfather. That was so much fun that we decided to do it again. The recent presidential election was the perfect excuse to buy fireworks. They were expensive but worth the price. There's nothing more thrilling than blowing shit up!
I must confess that we accidentally started a fire with fireworks on our last trip. Story time: my grandfather found a nice spot along a river and suggested going there. I decided to shoot the fireworks from the bridge as it would be hard to set the river on fire. Yet we didn't notice the vegetation near the water. As luck would have it — and thanks to Murphy's law — a bottle rocket landed on some dry grass and caused it to ignite. Oh dear!
The good news is that my father and uncle managed to put out the fire before it could spread. That was a close call as we could have gotten in huge trouble. Dad and I played it safe this time and used an empty lot located conveniently close to Bien-Chuan's house. I'm glad we didn't get any complaints from neighbors.
Day 7
Time was tight as we had to leave for Taipei soon. However, the fireworks were so much fun that Dad took me back to the store to buy more. I got some firecrackers as it would be silly to light anything else in the daytime. They were noisy despite lasting only a few seconds.
Grandpa took us back to Taipei after lunch. I got to see my aunts Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang while my cousin Hui-Lin showed me his game collection. Wei-Fang also invited us to stay the night at her place. The bedroom was small but fairly comfortable.
Day 8
Dad dropped us off at the airport as he has to remain in Taiwan for a few more days. Mom and I checked in before boarding the flight back to San Francisco. This one was slightly shorter because the plane was going against the Earth's rotation. It was nice to get some rest after a long trip.
Conclusions
I had a great time even though the main purpose of our trip was to visit relatives. The best part was definitely the fireworks. This is a rare opportunity as consumer fireworks are illegal in Los Altos. The night markets were also exciting — I wish we had those in the Bay Area.
One thing to mention is that there are many stray dogs in Taiwan. They're not a common sight in the U.S. because we routinely euthanize feral animals. However, the dogs in Taiwan were generally docile and never bothered us.
The jet lag has kicked in now that the trip is over. Considering that school starts tomorrow for me, I better go get some rest so that I don't fall asleep in class. Peace.
Currently watching: End of Days
Days 1 and 2
Our journey began with a long flight across the Pacific. I was expecting the worst because we had an unpleasant experience with China Airlines when we went to Taiwan five years ago. For one, the dry air made the outbound flight uncomfortable. There are few things more annoying than not being able to sneeze. I also couldn't sleep due to the noise. Blah.
However, this flight was much better. The best part was getting to see End of Days on the plane. I liked the movie despite the critical reviews. It was also nice to get some sleep this time.
The plane landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport about 13 hours later. Grandpa picked us up and took us to his home in Tainan after we got our luggage. Bien-Chuan has lived with his companion Ms. Chen since my grandmother Shiao-Mei passed away from diabetes. I never met Shiao-Mei but have always considered Ms. Chen family and called her Grandma.
We arrived in Tainan after a four-hour drive. The evening was uneventful except for a stop at a night market after dinner. In addition to food stands, there were also carnival games. I enjoyed throwing darts at balloons even though I didn't pop enough to win a prize.
Day 3
The day's focus was Anping Fort — also known as Fort Zeelandia — which was built by the Dutch in the 17th century and later surrendered to the Chinese following a major battle. It was well-preserved despite its age. I'm not big on historic sites but had fun pretending to fire the cannons. Sometimes you just want to bring out your inner child.
Mom wanted to visit her sister Jill at her new house. I went to watch TV while they caught up... and the first thing that came up was a hentai anime. It seems the media regulatory agencies in Taiwan aren't as strict as their U.S. counterparts. I saw a guy put something in a girl's butt before I could change channels. Gross.
Day 4
Bien-Chuan and Ms. Chen had brought their friends Mrs. Mao and Mrs. Chou when they visited us two years ago. I really liked Mrs. Mao — not only did she help around the house, she was a great cook too. You could say Mom has competition.
Mrs. Mao must have remembered that I loved her food because she invited us all to her house for lunch. Everything she made was delicious. I was very honored that Mrs. Mao would do this for me. She even gave me a kiss on the cheek as we parted ways. Yeah, that wasn't awkward at all. *blush*
Later in the evening — after dinner and some rest — my parents took me to see a spiritual healer that Jill had referred us to. She figured he could treat my autism and had recommended his services. The guy said something had "scared my soul away" when I was three years old. He then had us perform a ritual to "return my soul." The whole thing was pretty strange. I was tired afterwards and quickly fell asleep in the car.
Day 5
It was already morning when I woke up again. I was so sound asleep that my father had to literally pick me up and carry me back into the house. That guy must have magically drained my life force. Or have I been watching too many horror movies?
The adults got seafood noodles for breakfast while I was asleep. Although I got up pretty late, they made sure to save some for me. I'm glad they did because the noodles were delicious.
We visited Jill again at her condo in the afternoon. Mom was trying to figure out how to use the shower when the spigot broke loose and caused the bathroom to flood. This created a dangerous situation because an electrical outlet was just next to the shower. To make matters worse, Jill had left to teach a class. Imagine our relief when we finally reached her on her cell phone and got her to send someone over.
Our party checked into Caesar Park Hotel before going on a boat cruise. The vessel had windows that allowed people to see underwater. That was a cool experience. I should mention that our hotel was really nice. This was actually the only time we stayed at a hotel during the trip.
Day 6
Grandpa took us to Kenting National Park as it's very popular. The views here were incredible. The park is also home to the famous Eluanbi Lighthouse. I had heard the panorama from the top was even better, but the lighthouse was closed for repairs. This was a major disappointment even though the staff were kind enough to let us take pictures at the entrance. I certainly hope to come back in the future.
One thing I really enjoyed on our last visit was lighting fireworks with my grandfather. That was so much fun that we decided to do it again. The recent presidential election was the perfect excuse to buy fireworks. They were expensive but worth the price. There's nothing more thrilling than blowing shit up!
I must confess that we accidentally started a fire with fireworks on our last trip. Story time: my grandfather found a nice spot along a river and suggested going there. I decided to shoot the fireworks from the bridge as it would be hard to set the river on fire. Yet we didn't notice the vegetation near the water. As luck would have it — and thanks to Murphy's law — a bottle rocket landed on some dry grass and caused it to ignite. Oh dear!
The good news is that my father and uncle managed to put out the fire before it could spread. That was a close call as we could have gotten in huge trouble. Dad and I played it safe this time and used an empty lot located conveniently close to Bien-Chuan's house. I'm glad we didn't get any complaints from neighbors.
Day 7
Time was tight as we had to leave for Taipei soon. However, the fireworks were so much fun that Dad took me back to the store to buy more. I got some firecrackers as it would be silly to light anything else in the daytime. They were noisy despite lasting only a few seconds.
Grandpa took us back to Taipei after lunch. I got to see my aunts Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang while my cousin Hui-Lin showed me his game collection. Wei-Fang also invited us to stay the night at her place. The bedroom was small but fairly comfortable.
Day 8
Dad dropped us off at the airport as he has to remain in Taiwan for a few more days. Mom and I checked in before boarding the flight back to San Francisco. This one was slightly shorter because the plane was going against the Earth's rotation. It was nice to get some rest after a long trip.
Conclusions
I had a great time even though the main purpose of our trip was to visit relatives. The best part was definitely the fireworks. This is a rare opportunity as consumer fireworks are illegal in Los Altos. The night markets were also exciting — I wish we had those in the Bay Area.
One thing to mention is that there are many stray dogs in Taiwan. They're not a common sight in the U.S. because we routinely euthanize feral animals. However, the dogs in Taiwan were generally docile and never bothered us.
The jet lag has kicked in now that the trip is over. Considering that school starts tomorrow for me, I better go get some rest so that I don't fall asleep in class. Peace.
Currently watching: End of Days
Tuesday, September 7, 1999
Labor Day weekend report
The long weekend was pretty fun as Mom's friend Ann invited my family to her place again, this time for an overnight stay. Ann lives kind of far away in Walnut Creek, so we are lucky to see her twice in just seven months. Although there weren't that many other things to do in the area, my parents and I greatly enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage.
We don't usually go on long trips on Labor Day weekends too often, so this was rather nice for a change. :-)
Currently listening to: Duke Nukem 3D soundtrack - "Aliens, Say Your Prayers" by Bobby Prince
We don't usually go on long trips on Labor Day weekends too often, so this was rather nice for a change. :-)
Currently listening to: Duke Nukem 3D soundtrack - "Aliens, Say Your Prayers" by Bobby Prince
Thursday, August 19, 1999
back from our Alaska cruise
"I'm sorry I didn't laugh at your joke." -- Connie, after I retold some jokes from a talk show
My family just got back from an amazing eight-day Alaskan cruise. This was our first real trip to Alaska - not counting the brief layover in Anchorage during our trip to Taiwan in 1995 - so it was pretty exciting.
Like our previous cruise, this wasn't a vacation for just the three of us as we traveled with the families of my friend Moonway and cousins Connie and Cathy. Strictly speaking, my parents did not plan this vacation; the Shiehs and some of their neighbors had organized a group vacation with Celebrity Cruises, and Aunt Cynthia invited us to join them. The Lins also expressed interest in coming along, so we happily obliged. :-)
Day 1
The trip began with a flight to Vancouver, the port of call. Upon arriving at YVR, my parents and I rendezvoused with the two other families and introduced them to each other. The meeting between the kids was a little awkward at first, but Moonway's sister Sarah and Cathy quickly became good friends. This was not unexpected, considering that the girls are about the same age.
Once everyone had gotten acquainted, it was time to board MV Mercury and get the party started. But before the ship set sail, all of the passengers and crew first had to participate in the mandatory muster drill. This is actually one of the lessons from the Titanic disaster. The drill was followed by the captain's welcome reception in the evening, and we got to meet the big man!
Day 2
The day began with a bus tour of the area around Juneau. The tour took us to quite a few places, but the most notable stop was the small zoo in the countryside. While zoos aren't exactly my cup of tea, I loved seeing the grizzly bear cubs. They were just so darn cute!
I should mention that I bought a key chain for Dad while at the zoo. The souvenir didn't cost more than a dollar, but it looked really nice. I certainly hope Dad will find it useful.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful except for the comedy show that my parents and I went to see in the evening. It was hilarious at first, although it started getting boring during the second half. The three of us then met up with the Shieh family for dinner. I shared some of the jokes from the show at the table, but nobody else seemed to get them. Oh well.
Day 3
The entire day consisted of sailing as the next destination was was several hundred miles from Juneau. This didn't allow for any excursions, so we took the opportunity to see what the ship had to offer. It was hard to believe how big MV Mercury was.
Our families spent some time on the main deck to enjoy the cool breeze and the great ocean view. There was also a swimming pool and spa, the latter of which was nice. Moonway and I later found a game room on one of the floors, and the two of us would often go there during the next few days. The room only had four computers, but they were seldom occupied.
The cruise offered some ballroom dancing lessons, and our parents decided to go dancing after dinner. Moonway thought the idea of dancing with girls was gross - and the event was restricted to people over 15 anyway - so the two of us stayed in his cabin to play with my Game Boy instead.
Some time later, I found out there was a teen dance party scheduled for midnight. The staff apparently hadn't forgotten about us kids. I really liked the LAYC dances when I was in 7th grade, so I decided to stay up to see what this one was like. However, the only people that showed up were a couple of girls. That didn't seem too fun, so I went to bed. I think the dance would have had a much better turnout if it didn't start so late.
Day 4
The highlight of the day was the Hubbard Glacier tour. The glacier was in a rather inaccessible location, so the sightseers got there via helicopter. One thing to note is that the rotors were loud as hell; I have no idea how Sarah managed to fall asleep during the ride. It seems kids can sleep through anything.
The tour itself was literally a cool experience as we got to hike on the glacier. Yet I couldn't help but notice all the deep holes filled with water. It was a little scary as falling into one would almost mean certain death - and a rather unpleasant one at that. Several brave tour guides were there to try to prevent that from happening, but I was still kind of nervous as the ice was quite slippery.
There was a movie night after dinner, and the staff put on Practical Magic in one of the auditoriums. I wasn't too interested in the movie - not to mention that I had seen it before - so I left early to hang out with Moonway.
Day 5
The ship stopped at a small town called Skagway. One excursion that we went on was a scenic train tour through the surrounding mountains. The views were absolutely beautiful, and my parents and I really enjoyed the ride.
The excursion wasn't that long, so there was time to explore the town itself afterwards. Skagway had many gift stores, and we spent much of the afternoon window shopping. To our regret, Moonway and I got into a bit of trouble: the two of us had absolutely nothing better to do, so we wrote some not-so-nice comments in the visitor log of one of the stores as a prank. The manager was obviously not a happy camper when he found out, and blamed my father for not supervising me and my friend closely enough. As you could imagine, Dad wasn't too pleased either. Yeah, that was pretty stupid of us. :-(
Day 6
Next on the itinerary was Sitka. The highlight of the day was a boat tour of the Indian River. There were countless salmon leaping out of the water, and it was an incredible sight. The excursion was fairly expensive but worth every cent. But what made the tour so special was that the captain of the boat allowed me to be the unofficial sonar operator. This was an incredibly special experience - I imagine it's not every day that they'd let some random kid play with such expensive equipment.
The day ended with a "farewell" dinner. This was a little odd, considering that there were still two days left of the cruise. I'm not sure why they put on the finale event at this time, but it made me feel like the trip was almost over. Other than that, the food was delicious, so I ain't complaining. I'd say this was overall the best day of our vacation.
Day 7
The ship arrived in Ketchikan, another one of those Alaskan towns. Ketchikan was very similar to Skagway in that it also had a lot of gift shops, although the former was much larger. Like two days ago, my family spent much of the day browsing the stores. Ketchikan was my second favorite stop; even though it's hard to describe, there was definitely something very special about this town.
Day 8
All good things must come to an end, and this cruise was by no means an exception. MV Mercury arrived in Vancouver at around noon, and all of us disembarked and headed to the airport. Our families then flew back to San Francisco before going separate ways.
I had started feeling homesick a few days ago, so it's great to be home after a week on the sea. But at the same time, I'm also kind of sad that our amazing adventure has concluded.
Conclusions
Our first cruise was to Ensenada, Baja California with the Liang family in December 1997. That cruise turned out to be loads of fun, so we decided to go on an even longer one. The best part of this vacation was undoubtedly the Indian River boat ride. The tour itself was nice, but the honor of being the unofficial sonar operator made it infinitely better. I also loved Ketchikan as well; the unique atmosphere of the town made it a very special place. I hope to go back there should we ever revisit Alaska.
Our cruise had some not-so-glorious moments as well. The worst part was when some of us started feeling ill a few days ago. No wonder they say it's easy to get sick on cruise ships. I only had a mild case of sore throat, but my parents and Moonway's father Hank had it somewhat worse. Being sick on a family vacation is no fun. :-(
There's also that run-in with the angry shopkeeper in Skagway after Moonway and I wrote some crude comments in the guestbook as a joke. Dad said the guy could have called the police on us, but nothing of the sort happened. I guess we lucked out.
The other thing was the age restrictions: many of the ship's amenities, such as the exercise rooms and most dance floors, were off-limits to children 15 or under. While this didn't seem to be strictly enforced, I didn't want to be a bad role model to the other kids by not following the rules. This means I probably won't be able to get the most out of a cruise until I'm older, but I guess there's a time for everything.
The vacation also wasn't all fun and games as I had to read Will Hobbs' Downriver and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for 8th grade English class during my free time. It's not like the teacher will give us a quiz on the first day of school, but I felt it was best to get that out of the way first. However, this did not make the cruise any less fun; if anything, it made the vacation a lot more memorable because I actually enjoyed those two books.
To say the least, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I don't know if we'll ever go on another cruise like this, especially because it's so hard to find another family that is willing to spend the money. For those who aren't aware, cruises can cost up to twice as much as regular trips, and even more so for international cruises. Traveling by ourselves is always an option, but cruises just don't seem that fun when it's just me and my parents. Having said that, I hope it won't be long until our next one.
In other news...
Moonway recently got the full version of Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition at Electronics Boutique. Throughout the cruise, I was so anxious to check out the game that I kept asking Moonway what would happen if we fire an RPG at various objects, much to his chagrin. I guess I'll get my answers soon enough. :-)
Currently reading: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
My family just got back from an amazing eight-day Alaskan cruise. This was our first real trip to Alaska - not counting the brief layover in Anchorage during our trip to Taiwan in 1995 - so it was pretty exciting.
Like our previous cruise, this wasn't a vacation for just the three of us as we traveled with the families of my friend Moonway and cousins Connie and Cathy. Strictly speaking, my parents did not plan this vacation; the Shiehs and some of their neighbors had organized a group vacation with Celebrity Cruises, and Aunt Cynthia invited us to join them. The Lins also expressed interest in coming along, so we happily obliged. :-)
Day 1
The trip began with a flight to Vancouver, the port of call. Upon arriving at YVR, my parents and I rendezvoused with the two other families and introduced them to each other. The meeting between the kids was a little awkward at first, but Moonway's sister Sarah and Cathy quickly became good friends. This was not unexpected, considering that the girls are about the same age.
Once everyone had gotten acquainted, it was time to board MV Mercury and get the party started. But before the ship set sail, all of the passengers and crew first had to participate in the mandatory muster drill. This is actually one of the lessons from the Titanic disaster. The drill was followed by the captain's welcome reception in the evening, and we got to meet the big man!
Day 2
The day began with a bus tour of the area around Juneau. The tour took us to quite a few places, but the most notable stop was the small zoo in the countryside. While zoos aren't exactly my cup of tea, I loved seeing the grizzly bear cubs. They were just so darn cute!
I should mention that I bought a key chain for Dad while at the zoo. The souvenir didn't cost more than a dollar, but it looked really nice. I certainly hope Dad will find it useful.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful except for the comedy show that my parents and I went to see in the evening. It was hilarious at first, although it started getting boring during the second half. The three of us then met up with the Shieh family for dinner. I shared some of the jokes from the show at the table, but nobody else seemed to get them. Oh well.
Day 3
The entire day consisted of sailing as the next destination was was several hundred miles from Juneau. This didn't allow for any excursions, so we took the opportunity to see what the ship had to offer. It was hard to believe how big MV Mercury was.
Our families spent some time on the main deck to enjoy the cool breeze and the great ocean view. There was also a swimming pool and spa, the latter of which was nice. Moonway and I later found a game room on one of the floors, and the two of us would often go there during the next few days. The room only had four computers, but they were seldom occupied.
The cruise offered some ballroom dancing lessons, and our parents decided to go dancing after dinner. Moonway thought the idea of dancing with girls was gross - and the event was restricted to people over 15 anyway - so the two of us stayed in his cabin to play with my Game Boy instead.
Some time later, I found out there was a teen dance party scheduled for midnight. The staff apparently hadn't forgotten about us kids. I really liked the LAYC dances when I was in 7th grade, so I decided to stay up to see what this one was like. However, the only people that showed up were a couple of girls. That didn't seem too fun, so I went to bed. I think the dance would have had a much better turnout if it didn't start so late.
Day 4
The highlight of the day was the Hubbard Glacier tour. The glacier was in a rather inaccessible location, so the sightseers got there via helicopter. One thing to note is that the rotors were loud as hell; I have no idea how Sarah managed to fall asleep during the ride. It seems kids can sleep through anything.
The tour itself was literally a cool experience as we got to hike on the glacier. Yet I couldn't help but notice all the deep holes filled with water. It was a little scary as falling into one would almost mean certain death - and a rather unpleasant one at that. Several brave tour guides were there to try to prevent that from happening, but I was still kind of nervous as the ice was quite slippery.
There was a movie night after dinner, and the staff put on Practical Magic in one of the auditoriums. I wasn't too interested in the movie - not to mention that I had seen it before - so I left early to hang out with Moonway.
Day 5
The ship stopped at a small town called Skagway. One excursion that we went on was a scenic train tour through the surrounding mountains. The views were absolutely beautiful, and my parents and I really enjoyed the ride.
The excursion wasn't that long, so there was time to explore the town itself afterwards. Skagway had many gift stores, and we spent much of the afternoon window shopping. To our regret, Moonway and I got into a bit of trouble: the two of us had absolutely nothing better to do, so we wrote some not-so-nice comments in the visitor log of one of the stores as a prank. The manager was obviously not a happy camper when he found out, and blamed my father for not supervising me and my friend closely enough. As you could imagine, Dad wasn't too pleased either. Yeah, that was pretty stupid of us. :-(
Day 6
Next on the itinerary was Sitka. The highlight of the day was a boat tour of the Indian River. There were countless salmon leaping out of the water, and it was an incredible sight. The excursion was fairly expensive but worth every cent. But what made the tour so special was that the captain of the boat allowed me to be the unofficial sonar operator. This was an incredibly special experience - I imagine it's not every day that they'd let some random kid play with such expensive equipment.
The day ended with a "farewell" dinner. This was a little odd, considering that there were still two days left of the cruise. I'm not sure why they put on the finale event at this time, but it made me feel like the trip was almost over. Other than that, the food was delicious, so I ain't complaining. I'd say this was overall the best day of our vacation.
Day 7
The ship arrived in Ketchikan, another one of those Alaskan towns. Ketchikan was very similar to Skagway in that it also had a lot of gift shops, although the former was much larger. Like two days ago, my family spent much of the day browsing the stores. Ketchikan was my second favorite stop; even though it's hard to describe, there was definitely something very special about this town.
Day 8
All good things must come to an end, and this cruise was by no means an exception. MV Mercury arrived in Vancouver at around noon, and all of us disembarked and headed to the airport. Our families then flew back to San Francisco before going separate ways.
I had started feeling homesick a few days ago, so it's great to be home after a week on the sea. But at the same time, I'm also kind of sad that our amazing adventure has concluded.
Conclusions
Our first cruise was to Ensenada, Baja California with the Liang family in December 1997. That cruise turned out to be loads of fun, so we decided to go on an even longer one. The best part of this vacation was undoubtedly the Indian River boat ride. The tour itself was nice, but the honor of being the unofficial sonar operator made it infinitely better. I also loved Ketchikan as well; the unique atmosphere of the town made it a very special place. I hope to go back there should we ever revisit Alaska.
Our cruise had some not-so-glorious moments as well. The worst part was when some of us started feeling ill a few days ago. No wonder they say it's easy to get sick on cruise ships. I only had a mild case of sore throat, but my parents and Moonway's father Hank had it somewhat worse. Being sick on a family vacation is no fun. :-(
There's also that run-in with the angry shopkeeper in Skagway after Moonway and I wrote some crude comments in the guestbook as a joke. Dad said the guy could have called the police on us, but nothing of the sort happened. I guess we lucked out.
The other thing was the age restrictions: many of the ship's amenities, such as the exercise rooms and most dance floors, were off-limits to children 15 or under. While this didn't seem to be strictly enforced, I didn't want to be a bad role model to the other kids by not following the rules. This means I probably won't be able to get the most out of a cruise until I'm older, but I guess there's a time for everything.
The vacation also wasn't all fun and games as I had to read Will Hobbs' Downriver and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for 8th grade English class during my free time. It's not like the teacher will give us a quiz on the first day of school, but I felt it was best to get that out of the way first. However, this did not make the cruise any less fun; if anything, it made the vacation a lot more memorable because I actually enjoyed those two books.
To say the least, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I don't know if we'll ever go on another cruise like this, especially because it's so hard to find another family that is willing to spend the money. For those who aren't aware, cruises can cost up to twice as much as regular trips, and even more so for international cruises. Traveling by ourselves is always an option, but cruises just don't seem that fun when it's just me and my parents. Having said that, I hope it won't be long until our next one.
In other news...
Moonway recently got the full version of Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition at Electronics Boutique. Throughout the cruise, I was so anxious to check out the game that I kept asking Moonway what would happen if we fire an RPG at various objects, much to his chagrin. I guess I'll get my answers soon enough. :-)
Currently reading: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
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