I got lazy- so instead of creating an entry for each day, I combined all 3 days into one entry. May 19, 2009 We drove south and then headed west to Zion which was less than an hour drive away from Bryce. We entered the park from the east side and I was increasingly excited whenever we drove pass prickly pears one after another. They were dangerously gorgeous! Though, I learned later from the park shuttle driver that prickly pear is actually edible and tastes quite good. The winding small two-way reddish asphalt road took us through land of lava-like looking [View Full Entry]

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We hit Hat Shop trail on our last day in Bryce. The weather certainly was nice to us by keeping the clouds scattered all over the sky protecting us from the heat of the sun during the hike. Exactly as described in the trail guide, Hat Shop trail was obviously quiet and less crowded than any other trails. It's not stunning like Navajo trail-but it sure provides you with ample solitude and a good opportunity to observe Clark's Nutcrackers, birds of the high mountains of the American West, in their nature. It was so quiet that even small movements of various [View Full Entry]

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Thank you weather for continuing to behave, so we had an opportunity to enjoy a nice hiking day today. I couldn't wait to get down to the bottom of the canyon and stand among the strange-looking hoodoos. Reading from hiking trails descriptions, Queen's Garden and Navajo trail combo seemed to be the most interesting trails. Starting at Sunset Point where a panoramic view of Bryce can be appreciated, we gradually descended into the canyon. The trail was rocky and gravelly and varied in coloration in different areas. As the sun became stronger and stronger, many hikers found refuge in the shades [View Full Entry]

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We started our day with food, of course. We stayed at Bryce View Lodge, a motel, owned by Ruby's Inn Best Western located across the street. It seemed as though we crossed the road to the civilization. The motel had, well, a place for you to sleep while the Inn had pretty much what a tourist would want. The biggest disappointment for us at Bryce is availability of good food. The hotel served standard American food either buffet style or regular style; I don't get it. Serving basic American breakfast is not in any way bad, but managing to make basic [View Full Entry]

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Finally, I can say that I've been to Las Vegas. Well, it has never been a preferred destination of mine, but as a gateway to the gems of the South West...sure! We landed just before noon, then headed over to the rental car center via shuttle bus. I think it's not a bad idea to have all rental car companies under one roof. You can never get lost trying to find your rental car company. Since we traveled on budget, we went with one of the cheapest rental car companies I had found online. It took us for a little over [View Full Entry]

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Hello Christmas 2008. This year we went to Sean and Pat's condo in Atlanta. My second visit to Atlanta and not a disappointing one compared to my first visit that was so short and so city-confined. Since it's been a few years and I don't feel like recalling the details of our trip, this entry will be quite short. What i want to mention is DeKalb Farmers Market. I really wish we had one here in Northern Virginia. All those spices were so darn cheap and abundant for me to choose from. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures there because I [View Full Entry]

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คริสมาสต์ปาร์ตี้เล็กๆ จัดที่บ้านเจ้มุก แต่ละคนก็ทำอาหารมากินร่วมกัน อุ๋มกับดัคเอากะเพราป& [View Full Entry]

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Another Christmas is visiting us and my neighbors sure welcomed it brightly. When I went out to take pictures of the Christmas lights, some of the houses had already turned their lights off. So I might try to catch the ones I missed later, weather permitting. It was strangely warm today given that it was cold to the bones a few days ago. I took advantage of this and strolled leisurely since my hands weren't freezing up like last year, making a simple act like pressing a camera shutter such a challenge. Happy holidays. [View Full Entry]

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Second attempt to get a tour inside Independence Hall. We came much earlier than the first time and was the second group to enter the building. We were directed to sit in a room where they used to give introduction to Independence Hall and tested our knowledge of American history. After that we followed our guide to different rooms; meeting room where Declaration of Independence was signed, room where several significant people gathered to discuss country's matters, then ballroom, offices, and dining room. We went to take a look at the Liberty Bell briefly then headed out to Valley Forge, [View Full Entry]

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It was touring outside of Philly day. I had my eyes on this small town that appeared to be a good day trip, Doylestown, about 40 min-drive NW of Philly. What drew me here was historical buildings and art galleries. We visited Mercer museum first. The building was essentially concrete entirely with exception to certain parts. The museum was filled with gazillion things invented by Mercer(not sure if it was solely his collection). The museum was built to be a place where Mercer could showcase his invention to later generations. He really taught ahead of time and wanted to make sure [View Full Entry]

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