I never expected to explore the U.S. again, but I am happy that I did. A bittersweet feeling enveloped me as I boarded my plane in JFK — grateful for a chance to see the U.S. for two months, excited to go back home, yet a bit sad that the adventure had to end. As I conclude my…
Category: United States
Back in Midtown: On Top of the Rock
Because it was still early, we took the subway to Midtown. It’s here in Midtown where a lot of Manhattan’s tourist attractions lie: the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Grand Central terminal. It’s also here where the three great art museums are situated: the Met, the…
Lower Manhattan: Civic Center and 9/11 Memorial
Many people would cringe when I say this, but I don’t like New York City. Not that I hate the mad rush, nor do I hate cities, it’s just that the overall vibe doesn’t appeal to my senses. The sidewalks were littered with trash, and the subways were just downright dirty. Most New Yorkers were…
Brooklyn’s Best: New York Pizza and Brooklyn Bridge
From Philadelphia, it was an easy 2-hour ride to New York City. It would be here where we’d catch the plane for a flight back home, ending our trip across America. I wasn’t really excited to see the greatest city in the world as dubbed by others. Rather, I wanted to see a side of it…
Walking around Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
It was just a weekend getaway, but a memorable one nonetheless. To be honest, this second visit to Baltimore made me appreciate the city in a deeper sense than seeing Fort McHenry or the Basilica of the Assumption. Don’t get me wrong, those are both great historical places. But in that very same idea, their…
Enjoying Spring at Longwood Gardens
“Oh, it’s just a time when families go out of town,” answered a relative I asked what the fuss the Memorial Day weekend brings. It was designed to commemorate the veterans who gave their lives serving the country. However, many take advantage of the long weekend to go on a mini vacation, so it appears…
Tummy Travel: Reading Terminal Market
What the heck are we going to do in Reading Terminal? It was the very thought that raced through my mind the first time I heard about the place. My cousin was very eager to bring us there, and I was wondering how special the books were to deserve a spot in our itinerary. Apparently,…
Walking around Philadelphia
Six hours after leaving Rochester, we finally reached Philadelphia, our home on the east coast for the next couple of weeks. The city welcomed us with such warmth that I was complaining about the heat for the first time in the US. I am not sure why I still remember much of the city after…
Closer to Nature at Letchworth State Park
The beauty of going back to places you’ve once been to is the discovery of more places. I oncee read somewhere that the more you travel, the more you realize how much there is to explore. It was our final day in Rochester, but the adventure never ends. Late in the afternoon, we drove past…
Spring Blooms: Rochester’s Lilac Festival
The freezing temperatures were mostly gone, and the warmth of summer was beginning to settle. Rochester’s abundance of snow was nowhere to be seen. In spring, the countryside was starting to become lush, and leaves were beginning to sprout in every tree. Perhaps autumn might be the greatest time to visit, but I have no…