Niagara Falls - Philadelphia - New York - Washington DC - Chicago - South Bend - San Francisco - Sacramento - Reno

July 1 - 31, 2010

Such a nice sunny day today :) And I'm glad too, because it's Canada Day which means lots of people will be out, and there should be a lot to do! After breakfast, we walked to the falls; I have countless photos now of the American Falls, and the Horseshoe Falls. Way too many...

Walked up the touristy little area of Clifton Hill, so much going on there. Museums of all sorts, fast food restaurants, souvenir stores, and just fun stuff for kids...though I think I would enjoy them too :) It was kind of like a Las Vegas-type area for kids.

We went back to the hostel for lunch & some rest, before returning to the falls for the light show, & fireworks. It was pretty cool, & we had a really great spot :) The place was packed! It was difficult to get out of the crowd at the end of the show, but we managed to weave ourselves out :)

The following morning, we went the other direction, where I thought the waters would be calmer. It wasn't, instead it was rapids and "whirlpools" as they would call it. Nothing much to see down that end, except for a big souvenir store, and of course Chocolate World. So back up to the falls, to a park and just people-watched for a while.

Overnight bus to Philadelphia, and it was late to leave. It was a good thing, that we had a long lay over in Buffalo before the next bus arrives. Got to the US border, and again another group of pain-in-the-ass-people asking the MOST STUPID questions. I swear, they should just be my friend on Facebook so they know what my plans are, and what I'm doing. Is it really that hard to believe to be taking a year off to travel? What century are these people living in anyway? And is it difficult to give a slight smile rather than look like you have a stick up your ass??? Though smiling for them might make them look constipated...so never mind!

Yeay New York! But not for long, we had to change buses here for Philadelphia. When we finally arrived, it was a long walk in the heat, and it didn't matter that it was still early in the morning. This next hostel - HI-Philadelphia-Apple Hostel, is located in a small alley, one of the oldest in the area. I also stayed here last time, though now owned by a different company and looks brand-spanking-new! Loved the bright colours, the cleanliness, the staff, hostel events, free cereal :) and the massive kitchen! We went to Penn's Landing in the evening to watch the fireworks. You know, I don't think I want to see another fireworks display for awhile...

Independence Day...so it was fitting that our first stop was the Independence Hall, the Great Essentials exhibit (which had the ink stand that supposedly "witnessed" the signing of the declaration), toured the Congress Hall, and finally the Liberty Bell. Then sat by the curb on Market St, under a tiny shade waiting for the parade to start. *YAWN* It was long and nothing great, and the sun moved so fast that we were under the sun for most of the parade. The only good thing that came out of this was the free cake at the Visitor Center ;)

We saw Benjamin Franklin's grave at the Christ Church Burial Ground, then went to the United States Mint. Back to the hostel in time for the free BBQ, mmm chicken hot dog :) Later when it was a lot cooler, we walked to Elfreth's Alley (it's the oldest, continuously inhabited street in the US), Betty Ross' House (she sewed the first flag), the Arch St Friends Meeting House, Christ Church, and the First Bank of the United States.

Went to see the "LOVE" sculpture at JFK Plaza, then to Reading Terminal Market. I guess it's best to go there on weekends, the only thing that was open was the cafes, and diners. Walked to Benjamin Franklins Court, and the underground museum. Looked at the exhibit in the Second Bank of the United States. And for lunch had the Philly Cheesesteak from Steaks on South (SOS)...I was surprised I liked it :) Also checked out the City Hall before calling it a day.

Caught the bus to Washington DC just after lunch. It took longer to get there than usual, since it was so traffic. Then took the metro to Courtyard Marriott in Vienna to meet with Tata (my uncle) who I haven't seen since 2004! I also met his partner tita Marisa, and her daughters Bea, and Isa :) We went out to dinner at the "best" (according to Tata) Italian Restaurant ever. Well I just agreed, I'm pretty sure I've had better :P

Woohoo! There's a gym, and we used it first thing in the morning for about half an hour. Took the metro to Washington DC (about 30 minutes) arriving at Smithsonian. Went to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was the most graphic presentation I've ever seen about that subject; so much video recordings and pictures. We were there for a long time, but we didn't even get to read all the inscriptions. So this is a must when we come back to in the future.

The sun was pretty hot when we came out that we didn't get a chance to walk to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Instead we saw the Washington Memorial, World War II Memorial, the Reflecting Pool which eventually brought us to the Lincoln Memorial. Saw the White House, before catching the metro back to the hotel. Swimming then dinner tonight was of course, at the "best" Mexican Restaurant ever - Chipotle. Alright, this place was good, and cheap :)

Metro back to the city and visited the National Museum of American History. We were there until about 1pm. Got to see Dorothy's red shoes from the movie The Wizard of Oz, Kermit the Frog, lots of costumes, machines, and tons of other stuff. Then next door to the National Museum of Natural History. I think this is better than the last :) We were here till passed 5pm, there were so many interesting animals on display...of course they were either stuffed, or just skeletons left :)

Oh, I couldn't and wouldn't want to do any more museums for a very very looooong time! So the next day, tita Marissa brought us to Tyson's Corner Center. It was nice to just be in the mall for a change :) And in the afternoon we met up with Tata for dinner at Custom Burger, and you know we wouldn't be eating there unless it was the "best" hehehe But it was pretty cool, you got to choose what kind of burger patty you want, the bun type, and toppings. A bit pricey though.

It's so nice to finally just sleep through to 9am :) I like it! We said our goodbyes to tita Marisa and the girls today since they had to go back to South Dakota, a 6 hour drive away. Nice relaxing day today, we did...nothing :)

It was our turn to leave today, caught the Greyhound bus back to New York. It was great to see Talib and Mara (who ran the hostel) again, and even more exciting since the smoothie/juice bar has now opened. Cheap yum yum fruit smoothies!

Finally...I can say I've been up to the Observation Deck of the Empire State Building :) Quite a view, though I wish it wasn't so cloudy. Brought Joel to Grand Central Station, where a lot of films have been filmed, the Rockefeller Plaza to browse around the Lego store, and Nintendo World. And also got Joel to try the hot dog from the street vendors for lunch today. Delicious! Got to Times Square and realised that tonight would be the only night we'll get to watch the Broadway show - Avenue Q. So we snapped up tickets right away (promo price YES!), and just hanged around until it was time to go.

Avenue Q is being shown at the New World Stages. Sooo funny, I LOVED it! Even Joel was laughing and enjoying it :) They actually toured in Australia a while ago now, but didn't get a chance to see it. So if ever it comes to your city, I highly recommend for you guys to see it ;)

Laundry in the morning, then subway all the way to the tip of Manhatten. Then...it rained :( We were stuck waiting undercover at the station for a good 30 minutes hoping it would stop. It didn't...so we took the subway back up to Grand Central and looked around for New York-style pizzas. Found one on Lexington Ave, close to the station called. We bought an 18" pizza. HUGE! I could really only eat 3 slices. The guy's eyes almost popped out when I ordered it hehehe.

We ate it as we walked back down towards Battery Park. Ducking undercover when ever it started to drizzle hard, and having a slice of pizza. Went to the 9/11 Memorial Site Preview, Wall St, then finally a view of the Statue of Liberty from the park. Enough walking for the day, we took the subway back.

Early pick-up for La Guardia airport this morning. Our flight to Chicago was at 9:55am with American Airlines 319. The queue was so long, glad we got here early. The security check was a bit over the top, within 5 minutes we were asked to show our tickets and passports. This was like entering the line, then at the end of the line. As if I can change my identity there!

Took the metro to the hostel - Chicago Getaway Hostel. Quite a big building, looked really nice too. Then we got to the room which was stuffy, and the kitchen was incomplete even if it was a decent size. But free breakfast! It was even close to the beach, mmmhhhmmm the beach! North Ave Beach, it's actually Lake Michigan but there's sand and the water was refreshing, the wind warm :)

It takes 45 minutes to walk to downtown. Overcast today...but it was nice to walk not under the sun. Most of the day was spent walking along Michigan Ave, also known as the Magnificent Mile. Took pictures of some famous buildings - John Hancock Center, Wrigley Building, & Tribune Tower. Did a bit of shopping :) Then went to Millennium Park, before queueing in a line with everyone else for popcorn at Garrett's Popcorn. Crazy I think, it's just popcorn with flavouring, hardly anything healthy yet these people were buying it by the gallon! A lady even spent over $200...talk about over EXAGGERATION! We were there because we had a free coupon hehehe It was like any other popcorn I've ever had, except messier to eat...so it was very silly for a lady to walk out saying "that was so worth it!". I wonder why there's so many obese people here?

Joel wanted to see Wrigley Park (home to the Chicago Cubs) before we left. And afterwards we took the metro to the Greyhound where we caught the bus to South Bend, Indiana. There we met with tita Gaye, one of my mum's close friends in college. I hadn't seen her since 1993 when we moved to Australia!

It was so great for her to invite to stay for the weekend, it was so relaxing. We got to meet her husband tito Florin, & their friends from Chicago. The food, mostly sausages, cheese, bread, & salad, was such a nice change from our usual rice or pasta dishes :) We had BBQs, & swam in the warm warm WARM pool! It was also a good change of pace for us from always being out and about, to just relaxing with food, great people, & the pool.

Joel & I went with tito Florin to the Freshfood Market, before we went to Shipshewana - an Amish Community. It was hard not to stare, the way they dressed, it was like walking into a movie set! Though it was a bit disappointing to see some were using cell phones, & even a whole family arriving in a van. Though, we passed a lot of horse-drawn buggies. And can I just say, they have the BEST ice cream! Hands down the BEST! THE BEST!

Before returning to Chicago, tita Gaye brought us to Notre Dame University. It's a pretty old institution, we got to see the Main Building, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (quite impressive for a school!), & the massive football field home of "The Fighting Irish". Tita Gaye says that South Bend's population grows whenever there is a game on.

We quickly ate lunch, then left for the bus. This time we will only be in Chicago overnight. The first thing we did after checking-in was to go & see Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, then to the Chicago Union Station, & tried the famous Chicago deep pan pizza. Except ours wasn't really even deep pan, it was just thick crust...cheats! Then to Buckingham Fountain, walked across BP Bridge into the gardens & back to the hostel.

Checked out early in the morning & rode the train to the airport. Our flight to San Francisco - American Airlines AA451 - was delayed. We probably sat in the plane for another hour while they fixed the weather monitor on the plane. Slightly bumpy ride, we were going over storms. We sat next to a nice elderly lady named Margaret. She was crocheting during the whole flight, & at the end gave us the pot holder that she made. Said it was our first wedding present. Flight attendant Tom was also great, he'd come & visit to make sure Margaret was doing OK. He was a very funny guy, made our trip enjoyable.

On arrival to San Francisco, we took the shuttle to our hostel - HI - San Francisco-Fisherman's Wharf. It's located on Fort Mason, & has great views of both the Golden Gate Bridge & Alcatraz. Not to mention close to the attractions by the wharf. One thing I wasn't prepared for though, was the overcast, cold, windy weather! Supposedly unique to Bay area...well really, I couldn't care for it :( It was awful, back to jeans & jacket... Though it made exploring the city a lot easier.

It was still very foggy the following morning, we couldn't see the top of the bridge. Went to Ghirardelli Square, surprised the chocolate store was open! We got free samples, which is really the only reason why we went in ;) Good memories here from the first time I came to the US with my family in 2000. Most were because of my grandma hehehe

Looked around the small "museum" along Hyde Street Pier. Where they displayed Petaluma's Sternwheel, & the San Francisco Bay "Ark". Then to the famous, smelly, noisy Pier 39 where a community of Sea Lions made their home. Showing off, posing for photographs :) Around this time though, there aren't as much of them lazing around. Walked to Coit Tower to get a better view of the city, then made our way to get a close up shot of the Transamerica Pyramid. Quite a strange structure. Doesn't look very pretty either.

In the evening, tita Lisa (my dad's cousin) came around to pick us up, along with my cousins Alex, & Danielle, for dinner at an Italian restaurant. At first we could barely hear each other, the group on the next table were super loud! It was a relief when they left, we could eat peacefully :) We drove up the Twin Peaks, the BEST view of the city...except it was super THICK fog! Though I'm sure when it clears up, it would be nice to go up again and see the whole Bay area :)

On our last "full" day in San Francisco, we set out on our EPIC walk. According to Joel's pedometer, we had 42,554 steps! Started at 8:30am and didn't get back until 6:30pm. All that and we only saw 6 attractions, they were all so far apart. The first was walking up & down the hills to see the "Painted Ladies", famous Victorian houses painted in pastel colours. These were shown in the opening credits of the show "Full House". Ok, well it was nothing great... The furthest we walked was to Mission Dolores, founded in 1776. It's both the oldest original intact Mission in California, & the oldest building in San Francisco!

We needed a drink, & faithful McDonald's just happened to be on the way :) HEHEHE Tried their mocha frappe, not bad ;) Close-by is the Golden Gate Park, where we passed the DeYoung Museum, walked around Stow Lake, saw a few bisons in there enclosure (they didn't look to exciting), and the last before exciting the park was the Dutch Windmill. Across the road is Ocean Beach, too cold to even think about going to the beach, even for a picnic.

The trek to the Golden Gate Bridge was a bit of a challenge, kind of...trying to find the right street to get up close to it when you are in the middle of all these Victorian houses, all in their different shades of colours. But when we finally got to the bridge, the fog had disappeared from the tops, and it became blue skies :) Perfect, Joel was really hoping it would be like this :) By the time we arrived back at the hostel, it got foggy again and the wind started to pick up once more.

Caught the trolley to get us to the Greyhound Bus Terminal. It got so packed once we went through Chinatown (no surprise there), that I wanted to get off the next stop & just walk the rest of the way. Not ideal to be catching these sorts of public transportation when you got luggage with you... Drama...arrived at the terminal only to find out that our tickets to Sacramento are in fact for the next day yet! Thankfully I keep receipts, & records to show that I purchased a bunch of tickets at the same time. With the amounts of tickets I had, it was possible that the teller made a mistake, I should have checked it earlier. Good thing I'm also persistent, we were waived the $15 surcharge per ticket to get new ones for today :) It also helped the lady at the desk was understanding :) :) :)

HI - Sacramento, the next hostel we were booked at is in an 1885 Victorian mansion, which has been moved from it's original location 3 times! The latest was in the 90's where it was even turned 180˚, so the front of the house now faces the north. Time to catch up with family again :) We took the train to Folsom where we met up with my cousin Kimi :) We went for a bike ride along America River, & you can really feel the heat here! We ended up at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, Joel was very happy :) Back the other way to Folsom Lake. The hill, the heat, was such a killer! So not fit for this ride hehehe but Kimi was right, once we get to the lake, it would be all worth it :) The water was perfect, cold, but after that hill & the sweat, I needed it :)

Went to lunch with tita Mimi, & Kimi at a Tapas restaurant. Then went window shopping at Arden Fair. Can I just say that the Sunday we spent in Sacramento was the most boring day ever! Everything was closed, the shops, the cafes, and most of all, no McDonalds close-by for my mocha frappe :(

Went out with Kimi for in the morning before we left, walked around the Old Sacramento then checked out of the hostel. The bus was full, & traffic bad on the freeway to Reno. They were doing roadworks, & therefore only had one lane open in the direction we were headed. We were so tired when we arrived...

Staying at tita Christine, & tito Sam's house during our stay in Reno. Anyone who has ever come & visited here knows that the house is never quiet ;) There's always so much food & laughter, stories, & more food :) It's so nice to just be sitting around doing nothing for a change, once in a while we would go out to the shops for grocery. And if we were lucky there's a Ross or Marshalls nearby & do some extra shopping ;)

Finally able to buy new joggers, & active wear, we started jogging every morning at 6am. It's so hard to get up, quite cold in the mornings, but at the end it always feels good to start the day like this :)