Washington DC

Home of the President of USA, this city is very unique with historical monuments, memorials and museums. We drove down from New Jersey, NJ which took us about 5 hours including multiple pit stops for coffee and bio breaks.

We stayed at a budget hotel here, which had access to the main city via shuttles plying every 15 mins. The main attraction of this place is the free museums, other than the Whitehouse of course.

Being the memorial day long weekend, the whole place was crowded with professional bikers, showcasing their cool custom made Harley Davidson bikes, and paraded the streets with their stunt biking.

We mostly walked around the main city, covering most of the memorials and museums. To get to places further away, the metro is pretty accessible and well connected.

The National monument looked spectacular by night, with flags hoisted and lights in the color of the US flag. America surely knows how to put up a show 😀

 

Also read: The funnier version of this blog here.

Fall colors- Door County, Wisconsin

Well the best fall foliage is experienced in the east coast, esp at New England, Connecticut in the US. The desiduous trees and shrubs exhibit this brilliance, with their leaves pigmenting in beautiful red, yellow and pink colors.

We drove down to Door county, due to the lack of vacation days to visit Connecticut and experienced the beautiful colors all around us.

To add to the beauty was the city of sparsely inhabited Kewaunee in Wisconsin (Kenosha county), excruciatingly quiet and gave us the vibes of being haunted,;)

We stayed at the Kewaunee inn, which is a beautiful old wooden resort, with creaking floors and old violins and pianos that were decorated in Halloween style.

The bartender took advantage of my vulnerability and narrated ghost stories, and also told me about ghosts in our neighboring room. I could barely bathe or brush in peace 😀

Another peculiarity about this inn is, all the rooms are left open – giving anyone the chills and added to that- sleepless nights!

But if you arent a coward like me, this is a beautiful place in the midwest to experience some very beautiful colors!

The windy city- Chicago

More popularly known as the windy city, it is by far the best city I have lived in, in the United States. We lived in the heart of downtown, stone’s throw away from the most popular attractions. This city is a mix of the hustle and bustle, yet there is tranquility and a laidback attitude, unlike New York or San Francisco.

We lived 2 blocks away from Magnificent Mile, which houses some of the top notch brands and is largely a shopping district. You would also get to see the fourth largest building in Chicago also known as the John Hancock tower, which has a signature lounge on the 96^th floor. One can enjoy drinks and appetizers aside a spectacular view, especially at night by the tall glass windows. The lights are stupendous and if you are a female, you will get to see more stunning panoramic beauty from the ladies washroom.

Chicago houses the popular Willis tower deck, formerly known as Sears tower, in the office downtown district. It is the tallest building in the US of A, and one can get on to the 103^rd floor and walk on glass skydeck. It is an enthralling experience to do so, and you can let your creative juices flow if you want to click some quirky snaps. The skywalk extends to about 5 feet from the tower and one can experience “walking in the air” with the city below you.

Another unique feature of this city is the Chicago river, which flows in between the city. The architecture boat tours are very famous and offer an educational tour with quite a few interesting facts, other than the fact that the city tour by boat is awe-inspiring, and especially during dusk, when the city begins to light up.

Check out the Merchandise mart below, which has its own zip code, due to the enormity of its structure- It encompasses a whopping 4.2 million square feet of space!

 

During the St. Patrick’s day, the Chicago river is organically dyed into green color, that signifies the Irish tradition. People are dressed up in green colored attire, and the irish pubs are flowing with green colored beer too J

Chicago is very famous for its architecture and has some of the very popular architects. Frank Lloyd Wright is a famous stalwart, who’s famous creations can be seen through a tour at Oak park.

Apart from the architecture, Theatre is very prominent here. There is no dearth of theatre artists here. Do not miss a show at a Chicago theatre or at second city, where one gets to uncover great artists or comedians.

Nothing Hill

I am talking about a town called “Nothing” …And no i am not in an inebriated state while penning this post down 😀

We have spotted this town on the way to Vegas a couple of times, on the US route 93 highway. It literally has nothing, which was at one time sparsely inhabited by just 4 people.

Town of Nothing Arizona. Founded 1977. Elevation 3269ft.
The staunch citizens of Nothing are full of Hope, Faith, and Believe in the work ethic. Thru-the-years-these dedicated people had faith in Nothing, hoped for Nothing, worked at Nothing, for Nothing. (Source-Google)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Captain Morgan & the Carribean

The word “Carribean” has been at the top of my visit list since my childhood. I associated this word and the place to something whose exoticism was inversely proportional to it being cherry pie on the map. It was like the song I heard in my 10^th grade “We are going to Ibiza!” by Vengaboys; I thought that island was a made up name, till I discovered its coordinates on the a large world map in my dad’s study room and also learning about how atypically exotic this island too is (The next item on my bucketlist in Europe!)

For the Thanksgiving weekend, we planned to hit it off at these islands months in advance after zeroing down on a place. It was a challenge to decide where to go, since each country in the carribean is special in its own way. We chose Puerto Rico – because I love the way it sounds!

I was constantly pinching myself when the D-day arrived: right from O’hare to Charlotte which was our stopover before we landed in San-Juan. It was a mighty long journey before we set afoot at our destination and what we went on to experience was unreal, movie-like and implausible to the eyes!

Our hotel room was facing 2 swimming pools followed by the beach right next to it; surrounded by Palm trees overlooking talcum powder like sand and aquamarine waters. Waking up each morning to this sight was indeed a much unparalleled feeling.

The first night, we chose to spend our time and money frugally in our hotel casino. However, upon seeing the ultra low minimum dollar bets, we turned greedy and prodigal… We made some, lost like a truck loads and made pittance and turned in to our rooms.

Day2: El Yunque Rain forest tour and Luquillo Beach

We had to rise up a tad too early, to be driven into El Yunque (pronounced as ‘Joonkay’). This was a lush green and dense rainforest… where we went on to hike through a trail. Our tour guide Robert Sanchez was a rather hilarious and a very well informed individual; who kept us engrossed in discussions ranging from touristy stuff to do in PR to a rather controversial “Where does PR stand versus the USA”. Apparently, PR doesn’t want to be the 51^st state of the USA due to several reasons; the most amusing one of them being that:

There is no space on the US Flag to draw the 51^st star!!

So, we hiked on El Yunque which is at a height of approximately 3500 feet above sea level. The view of various islands from atop here was astonishing! Turquoise waters, blue skies and white clouds, dense green backdrop, old forts… I have never imagined being in a frame more picturesque that this. Each tree in the rainforest had a story to tell… There were almond seedlings lying around us, different types of orchids growing..free money! We saw the main ingredient for Chanel no. 5 – the flower smelt like jasmine, those trees grow in abundance in the Carribean.

We also came across an unusually carved concave bark of a tree, which was dark grey in color. Upon pouring water, on it, it turns into a royal bluish gray texture, which is one of the most commonly used base in facials! Ladies, you know now where to head for a natural spa treatment and of course the Chanel flower!

The palm trees in the forest grew in gravity defying ways; weird angles, a tree emanating from another tree – like conjoined twins, some growing horizontally for long stretches and then turning vertical; as if the tree was suffering from vertigo and almost all their roots grew  above the ground.

Most of the trees had beautiful natural creepers growing around them, and we saw sly camouflaging snails and walking sticks too!

This is probably as fresh and natural the air can get, so made the most of it by taking deep breaths. Very quaint.

There were quite a bit of natural waterfalls and it is probably like seeing nat geo coming to life out of the idiot box.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After enjoying this beautiful bountiful tour of nature, we were taken to Luquillo beach, to spend about 4 hours.

Luquillo beach: Pronounced lookeeyo

Now this was the icing on the cake! More blue green crystal clear and clean water, soft white sand, umbrella, beach level patios, pina coladas, sun and loads of fun! It was the most serene, very low current; almost virgin beach we were at.

To top it all, the temperature was just fine, extremely pleasant.

If you are a vegetarian, expect to stay hungry or be fed well before your tryst with this beach. I ate a repulsive looking corn meal with much hesitation and had to sip infinite number of pina coladas to get rid of the feeling in my mouth. It was as if eating a fried sea anemone ugh!

I cannot describe in words the amount of fun we had at this beach, it was ideal, to be basking in the sun with such a beautiful sight.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Robert dropped us all off at our respective hotels and we went back to freshen up and enjoy some local cuisine in the evening.  We splurged on their homemade Sanrgias and Mojitos – extremely well made drinks and binged on Rice and beans and Mofongo. The beans is the best I have had in my life, very close to our traditional “Rajma” but scores better than that!

Mofongo is a dish made out of green plantain baked like a wall, with stuffing inside… Again, mouthwateringly delicious.

local phoods

 

 

Day 3: Snorkeling with the Pirates at Culebra and La Parguera

As much as I was looking forward to this trip, I dreaded the part where we had to snorkel and swim amidst dangerously high currents in the ocean. We were ferried to a really small unexplored island, where we were made to practice snorkeling for first timers and then enjoy beach time for a while. This was one of the coolest boats I have been on; unlimited drinks and food on the house; with gasolina kind of music playing in the background.

The waters again, choppy yet gorgeous!

“Pirates of the Carribean” was shot here. No wonder, it was amazing, unreal and I never wanted to come back from there 😉

We enjoyed quite a bit of beach time and then went for a swim in deep waters with our snorkel equipment. Gorgeously vibrant corals, beautiful colorful fish took our attention off the depth we were swimming at. It was quite a struggle to swim back and forth from the shore. We were exhausted at this point and were wondering how the real snorkeling would be like!

When it was time to get back to our boat, we were so hungry due to all the swimming, we finished off all that was laid off for us before the next snorkeling. The boat went right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, which also mixes with the Carribean sea, making the waters more choppy with dangerously high tide currents.

We were asked to “Jump” from the boat into the water to see more corals. That sounded fanatical to me. Jumping in the middle of the ocean, I was scared to death!!!! But then, we had the rescue team aboard, so I decided to not be a chicken and jump!

 

aboard heading out to Culebra!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Los hombres locos

The scary part:

We had such a great time clicking pictures of different colored fish and the corals; it all seemed calm till we suddenly came to the surface and couldn’t find our boat!

The current had drifted us so further away from the boat; it was a challenge to swim against the motion of the current to get to our boat. At one point, we almost gave up hopes, as one stroke of ours forward threw us back with twice the thrust of the powerful current.

We somehow made it to our boat, alive and in one piece 😀

After getting onboard, we noticed that a couple we befriended on the boat, were getting drifted really far away into the hungry ocean. Ironically, neither of them knew swimming and were not even a tad bit scared. The rescue team went on to pull them off before any mishap occured. This was some experience – life threatening yet thrilling!

We then went on to enjoy more drinks, made merry, danced inebriated and were pooped by the time we reached San Juan.

The next mammoth of a task was to take off the sands from our clothes, and just chill by the Jacuzzi which ended brilliantly, as we were offered complimentary champagnes!

Later in the evening we went on to try some more local food and hit the casino.

The chow down:

It started like the graph of ‘e’, and ended as if an asteroid just hit the earth and created yet another grand canyon.

I obviously had beginners luck in the slot machine, by making $3 out of 1$. It was exhilarating I tell you! I was so full of it that I went on to play roulette. Boom! I made $80 :D. Then I heard my conscience calling me out, asking me to be parsimonious and wisely exit the hot seat.

We took a break and returned to play blackjack, not once; FOUR times! It was like Thrice bitten, still not shy!!!!

We lost and lost miserably. It was dead of the night 2 am and we lost count of how much we were betting. It only got hilarious for us at the pace at which we were turning paupers 😀

It was a great night nevertheless and we went on to turn in, only to wake up the next day – being our last day at PR.

Old San Juan: Last Day

Did I mention Johnny Depp earlier? Oh yes. We have a connection here, I would like to believe so atleast 😉 This is not a random rambling. I will explain how.

We got ready to visit the Old City and the old Fort which was a 10 minute ride from Condado.

The fort was very well maintained and was the dwelling hub of the sailors from World war 2. From dungeons to Observation points and the rooms, beds and clothing of the sailors, it was impeccable!

We went on to tour the Old city, narrow steep lanes, old houses…. It was exactly where “Rum Diaries” was shot. Johnny did it again 🙂 and thus the connection I was referring to.

It was very European – Spanish style, striking and exceptionally beautiful …

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After purchasing our souveniers, we headed back, toured around a little more concluded with more Mofongos and Ananas Mohitos(No it has nothing to do with being an Anti-corruption drink!!)

Ananas Mojito

It was dreary at 4pm for both of us to even think of leaving the place.. We wanted to settle down right there!!

Zonked!

 

Time to say bye to the beautiful view!

….. After hours of travel, we were back to bedlam in the cold windy city at 12 am.

Next on the list: St Maarten and Ibiza! 😉

Rainbow Bridge, Utah

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Rainbow bridge in Utah, is the one of the world’s largest natural bridge, formed by the River colorado. We took a cruise boat from Page, AZ to reach this place, which took us 3 hours to get there. The best part of the 3 hours is the changing landscapes one gets to see, while transitioning from Arizona to Utah. Lake Powell gradually merges into the river Colorado, once you reach the Rainbow Bridge.

One gets to uncover surreal colors against the beautiful hues of blue and green waters of lake powell cruising through narrow deep red and white canyons sculpted by wind and water during broad daylight that transform them into deeper exotic colors as sunset approaches.

You can see from the pictures, how gorgeous the water looks amidst the uninhabited narrow cave like structures.

The hike to Rainbow bridge is about one and a half mile long, with the difficulty level being beginner.

We spotted exotic colored chameleons, against the rust colored rocks and the bridge at the backdrop, making it an ideal paradise for photographers.

Legend has it, that it is bad omen to cross the bridge, as per the native red Indians, so as a mark of respect, people do not usually defy their beliefs.

After spending about 2 hours here, we got back onto our boat, to uncover the beautiful sunset on the rocks, glistening golden green waters and giant friendly fish!

Grand Canyon

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Grand Canyon is a marvel and is truly enormous in terms of extravagance.

We visited the South rim, which has 2 parts: One part is offered through guided buses, which operate on routes where you cannot drive your vehicle. The other side, is where you can self-drive and stop at scenic spots to uncover amazing views.

There are several hiking trails in Grand Canyon too, which can be undertaken for to explore this place on the foot. One can also encounter wild coyotes and other animals at times.

The top of the rim offers spectacular views at sunrise and sunset and you can hike down to the bottom where the Colorado river flows. There are helicopter tours available too, that take you from the top right to the bottom, however I would not recommend that simply because I believe in exploring at my own pace and discover different views and scenic spots to experiment with photography.

The West rim has a sky-walk, which is adventurous enough for the daredevils out there 🙂 It is similar to the Skywalk built on Sears Willis tower sky deck in Chicago, which I absolutely adored! Getting on the sky-walk although is a bit of a pricey affair, but it is once in a lifetime thing, if you haven’t experienced the one in Chicago.

If you stay at a decent drive-able distance from Grand Canyon, pull out your trekking gear and plan short trips over the weekend. At least that’s what we do, staying only 3.5 hours drive away!

Antelope Canyon

My delight in visiting this place is so manifold that I hardly know how to begin to describe it all.

Antelope Canyons  are the most picturesque and prismatic of all canyons, exhibiting the most exquisite colors.

Antelope is located in Navajo land and is one of the most popular slot canyons. The Upper Antelope and the Lower Antelope are located on either side of the US 98 highway, owned by separate families who provide guided tour.

Both the canyons are prone to flash floods with very little prior warning, but the canyons are usually shut for a few months when Page receives even a little bit of rain to avoid running the risk of getting stuck between the slots.

The Lower Antelope is a bit more arduous to hike through, as you have to walk down a flight of steep steps as you navigate through, especially when it gets narrower in spots.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Upper Antelope on the other hand does not amount in any laborious hiking, as it is entirely at the ground level and requires no climbing.

The sun beams and stunning colors are best viewed between the months of April and September, at various times of the day.

I would recommend visiting these anytime between 9am to 1pm, in order to get stunning pictures. It can get pretty crowded in the summer months, which can be a bit irksome, so you will have to know your exact settings on the camera. Most of the times I used: ISO 400 – 800, F8 and really low shutter speeds in areas that were darker. Experiment with various exposures at the slots that are a bit darker and a bit too bright, to be able to capture darker colors with stunning contrasts.

The guides are very friendly and will help you with the settings and even take the pictures for you if needed ! The tours range from $20 to $80, and is worth every dime spent.

Horse-Shoe Bend, Page

This is probably one of the best sights to uncover during early morning and afternoon. It is a horse-shoe shaped meander, formed by the Colorado river. This is on the US- Route 89, a very easy to miss sign. The hike is almost a mile to reach the edge of the viewing point. Watch out for colorful chameleons, snakes and venomous scorpions. A good hiking shoe and plenty of water is must to hike upon this trail.

You can also get to the bottom of this, by taking boat rides at lake Powell, which is equally splendid, however it is rather difficult to ascertain the horse-shoe shape of the meander thus formed.

A Colorful “PAGE”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

One of the most scenic places on earth, sparsely inhabited and a rather popular tourist hub.

We have driven to Page a few times, from Phoenix and Flagstaff, only to uncover hidden and untouched beauty at every nook and corner of this small place. The drive itself, is very pretty, with changing and colorful landscapes. As you approach Page, the mountains and rocks appear orangish/red when illuminated by the sun’s rays. The deeper hues are visible during mid-day, making it look only more breathtaking.

There are plenty of things to do in this small city, from Trekking, Boating, Sight-seeing and of-course ample Photography.

Page has a relatively cooler climate than any other city in Arizona, since it is at an elevation. However, it does get arid and hot sometimes.

This place is best visited between the months of April and September, when the sun’s rays are at an optimum angle for viewing and taking the best photographs.

Watch out for my posts on various touristy things-to-do in Page.