Tag: USA
-
The Scent of Fall at Honey Hill Orchard
On a weekday afternoon, we find ourselves driving out to Waterman, about 67 miles west of Chicago. We’re with a couple of families strolling around a patch of apple trees. The scent of fall is apparent, as can be seen in the pumpkins lying around. We came here for some apple-picking but realized taking a…
-
A Weekend in Wisconsin: Madison’s Capitol Square, Olbrich Gardens, and UW Campus
Madison, Wisconsin turns out to be the perfect city for a spontaneous weekend detour. Closer to Wisconsin Dells than Milwaukee and conveniently located on the way back to Illinois, the state capital offered just the right mix of history, culture, and nature to fill a relaxing day. Exploring the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison Our…
-
A Weekend in Wisconsin: Exploring Wisconsin Dells
After more than a week in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, we’re ready to take a go a bit farther and explore Wisconsin a bit. This state north of Illinois has a diverse geography, with its interior featuring forests and farmlands. The latter is immediately visible as we drive the interstate, while the former takes…
-
Walking Down the Trinity Memory Lane
After a few days in Illinois, we finally go back to where it started for us … 36 years ago. In December 1986, my dad started his masters at the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, which is under the Trinity International University. The a campus is in Deerfield, a quiet town north of Chicago. He brought…
-
Chicago on Two Wheels: Lakefront Neighborhoods Bike Tour
On a crisp Saturday morning in Chicago, I join a biking tour led by Bobby’s Bike Hike. Having explored the central part of Chicago, I want to see the relatively less explored parts of the city, so I join the Lakeside Neighborhoods Bike Tour. After some orientation on bike safety and so, I emerge from…
-
Chicago: A Primer of the Windy City
We first went to Chicago sometime in the late 80s. My dad went to take his masters at a university in a suburb north of the city, and he bought my mom and me to live in a small apartment for about a year and a half. I was barely a toddler then, so I…
-
Dine In: Giordano’s
Chicago has become a hotspot for travelers with particular interest in food, but perhaps no dish has become more synonymous with the city than the deep-dish and stuffed pizza. The history on the origins of the pizza is murky, but most sources do agree that this particular presentation and style originated in the city. So…
-
New York City: The Big, Bright, Brash, and Bold Apple
IT WASN’T EXACTLY LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR US with New York City. The first time I was here in 2010, it was for just a couple of days on our way to Europe. I never got to really explore the city, with rains limiting our itinerary to a couple of sights in Midtown Manhattan.…
-
Final Stop: Antelope Canyon
The decision is near-unanimous: we’re going to the Antelope Canyon. After two weeks driving around much of western U.S.A., the option is easy to just sit back and relax until our flight back home. That we’re in L.A. and in a neighborhood in Long Beach, where time seems to slow down makes taking it easy…
-
California Tripping: Sequoia National Park
It has been three days since the bus tour. At this time we have based ourselves in Lathrop, where Tita Fenny’s sister (Tita Liz) and brother-in-law (Tito Danny) lives. It has been a fun three days. But all things being transient, we now have to bid farewell to go to L.A., where Lola Vangie has…
The Tourist Gaze 