another great summer road trip

This past weekend was also nice as we took my aunts and uncle on another road trip, this time to Reno and Yosemite!

Day 1: racing to Reno

We left around 8:30 a.m. so there would be plenty of time when we arrived in Reno. It was very hot when we arrived due to a heat wave, so the afternoon was eventful aside for a stop at Costco for dinner. The best thing about Costco's food court is that everything is cheap. I also got some ice cream bites at our hotel. It was a little expensive but quite refreshing in the hot weather.

Dad later took us to Atlantis Casino Resort Spa to play the slots. One thing I noticed is that the slots at Atlantis seem to be "looser" - that is, they have a higher payout percentage and allow you to play longer. I think we spent around three hours at the casino. This was the best part of the trip even though we didn't hit any jackpots. As the saying goes: the house always wins.

Day 2: cars and more casinos

Having had so much fun at Atlantis the day before, Jill and Yu-Hua wanted to check out more local casinos. Therefore, Dad took us to Harrah's Reno after checking out of the hotel. The slots here were "tighter" than those at Atlantis, but we still had a good time.

We also made a stop at Carson City to let my aunts see the Nevada State Capitol. It turned out the building is closed on weekends, but that wasn't a problem as we still got some pictures. We also went to check out the Carson City Downtown Revival Car Show in the downtown. Some of the classic cars were really cool.

It was then time to head to our hotel in Bridgeport. Because it wasn't a very long drive, Dad made another stop at a small casino in Gardnerville. We decided to stay here for a while as it was quite hot outside. Although we didn't win anything here either, this was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

Our hotel in Bridgeport was a nice lodge in the mountains. Though it didn't have the same amenities of our suite in Reno, the lodge was located right next to East Walker River and had great views. The plan was to visit Mono Lake after checking in, but we decided to save that for the next day as we were all a little tired.

Day 3: a hectic drive home

The day began with a stop at the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center. But because the car rental agency had a policy that returning the car after 10 p.m. would incur an extra day's charge, the plan was to get home before 9 p.m. Therefore, the six of us decided to skip Mono Lake and take pictures from a distance before heading directly to Yosemite.

Of note is that Yosemite National Park was very crowded this year. Because my aunt Yu-Hua and uncle Yeh-Wei had not been here before, Dad made sure to stop at the essential stops, such as Glacier Point and Bridalveil Fall. I had hoped to visit Soda Springs and Yosemite Village, but we decided to skip them due to time constraints. This was a bit disappointing that as I was really looking forward to seeing Soda Springs.

The trip home was uneventful besides a stop at Costco for gas and food. Dad then went to the airport to return the rental car. I helped with the unpacking before accompanying Mom to the airport to pick him up.

Conclusions

Vacations are always fun, but traveling with relatives makes them even better. Although my favorite part of the trip was playing the slots at Reno, I really enjoyed revisiting Yosemite as well. It's one of those places that never gets old. The only downside is that we we didn't get to go to all the places we wanted to see, particularly Soda Springs. As much as I want to go back to Yosemite, two trips there in such a short time is probably a bit excessive. :-)

Feel free check out the pictures from our trip.

Currently listening to: "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" by Lou Christie

Los Angeles trip report + congratulations to Andrew and Catherine!

"I'm not responsible if someone gets hurt." ⁠— me, after my cousins dragged me onto the dance floor

I had an awesome weekend as we went to Los Angeles for my cousin Cathy's wedding with my aunt Jill. Considering that we don't often get to see the Shiehs anymore, the family reunion was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. This was no doubt one of our best trips ever.

Day 1: a long-awaited family reunion

Dad wanted to start out early as the venue is over 360 miles from our house. Because there weren't many attractions along the route, our only stop along the way was Lost Hills for gas. The plan was to find a restaurant afterwards, but we decided to have a simple lunch in the car as there would so much food at the reception.

Due to the relatively light traffic ⁠— and our decision to not go to a restaurant ⁠— we arrived at our hotel much earlier than expected. Dad and I went to the front desk and were told that we could only check in after 3 p.m. However, management made an exception for us after hearing we had been on the road since 7 a.m. I truly appreciate their accommodation.

We had some rest before going to the nearby Longo Seafood Restaurant for the celebration. This was our first time seeing the Shiehs again since Connie's wedding five years ago. The reception began with a cocktail hour with appetizers and drinks. It was great to meet Cathy's husband Andrew and Connie's kids Dean and Desiree. I also got to meet Andrew's relatives and many of the couple's friends. The Frangos were especially friendly to us.

The MC invited the couple to perform their first dance before Andrew's and Cathy's relatives gave their toasts. They must have choreographed their dance because it was quite impressive. This was followed by a 10-course family-style dinner. Everything was absolutely delicious. The couple decided not to have a wedding cake, but that didn't make a difference because everyone was already full. There were actually enough leftovers to last us a few days!

The MC later asked everyone to gather together for a group picture before turning up the music and inviting people to dance. There were also games at each table, but people were more interested in dancing and socializing and barely touched the games. Connie and Cathy later insisted that I join them on the dance floor. Although I was very reluctant at first because I can't dance to save my life ⁠— especially when my RuneScape character is a better dancer than me ⁠— I eventually had to acquiesce. There was no way I was going to say no to my cousins. This turned out to be really fun and was the best part of our trip.

The only downside is that the dance ended early. Because many people have started leaving and the only ones on the dance floor were strangers, the couple decided to call it a day and suggested that we leave. This is unfortunate because there aren't many opportunities to dance outside of clubs, but the last thing we wanted was to make things difficult for the newlyweds.

Days 2 and 3: a sentimental farewell

All of us had trouble sleeping and ended up getting up around 6 a.m. There was more than enough time to get rest in our room. The breakfast at the hotel sucked as there were only pastries, but that wasn't an issue as we had leftovers from the night before.

We later headed to Griffith Park for the farewell picnic. I was pretty full from the leftovers and only had a single tamale and some drinks. However, there was more than enough time to chat with Andrew's and Cathy's friends. Even my parents had a great time talking to the Frangos. I also played Spikeball with the other young people. That was pretty fun.

As much as I wanted to spend more time with my cousins, all good things must come to an end. I'm not going to lie ⁠— three hours just weren't enough. Saying goodbye to the Shiehs and Frangos was the saddest part of the trip, especially knowing that it might be a long time before we see them again. I definitely hope they can visit the Bay Area in the not-too-distant future.

There was one place I wanted to visit before heading home: the nearby Griffith Observatory. Only Mom and I went in as Dad wasn't able to find a parking spot and Jill wanted to rest in the car. Therefore, I didn't want to stay too long and mainly focused on taking pictures. Of note is that the observatory is extremely popular during the summer. Getting from place to place was difficult due to the huge crowds. Where's Thanos when you need him? :-)

It was then time to head home after a busy trip. Because we left the observatory earlier than planned, Dad decided to use the extra time to take us to Costco after stopping for gas. I was getting a little hungry because I didn't eat much at the picnic, so we had some samples before continuing up north. The bad news is that there was much more traffic than we expected. The fact that there were no less than six accidents on I-5 didn't help the issue. On the bright side, we saw a colorful sunset on the way home. That was quite nice.

Mom and I went to In-N-Out Burger to get food after we stopped in Kettleman City for gas. The crazy thing is that both In-N-Out Burger and the nearby McDonald's were so crowded that people were sitting on the floor. This was like a scene straight out of a disaster movie. The good news is that there was little traffic for the last 100 miles, but it was still past midnight when we finally got home.

Conclusions

One thing that's hard to deny is that weddings are really fun. In addition to celebrating the love between two people, there's always great food and opportunities to socialize. Seeing my best friend get married was a most surreal experience. I'm so glad I got to celebrate Cathy's big day with her. On behalf of all of us, I'd like to congratulate the two and wish them all the best as they begin their life together.

Of note is that traveling to SoCal can be a pain in the ass. It would have been more relaxing to spend an extra day in Los Angeles, but we decided against it for several reasons. For one, Mom was concerned about the high crime rate and didn't want to stay longer than we needed to. She also needed to water our plants as our sprinkler system has been broken for a while. Perhaps the most important reason is that my company's current project's beta release is today and I wanted to be available in case any issues came up.

The not-so-fun part is that I have a bad case of the holiday blues. One thing for sure is that I'm already missing my cousins and our new friends. On the bright side, Dad is planning to take us on another road trip this coming weekend. So at least there's something else to look forward to. :-)

In the meantime, feel free to check out the pictures from the wedding and the rest of the trip.

July 11 update: the pictures are up.

Currently listening to: "Down" by Jay Sean

back from Bakersfield

The holiday season has been nice as we went on a two-day trip to Bakersfield!

Day 1

The trip began with a 255-mile drive to Bakersfield. Aside from a bathroom break at Casa de Fruta and another stop at a rest area for lunch, the drive was uneventful. There was some traffic, although we didn't arrive too late.

We unpacked our stuff and had some rest before going to the local Albertson's to buy food. The three of us had dinner before heading down to the fitness center. It was nice to burn off calories while watching the football game between UCLA and Kansas State.

Day 2

All of us woke up pretty early and had trouble sleeping again. On the other hand, the nice part about getting up early is that there is plenty of time to explore the area. Following a nice breakfast at the hotel, my family headed to Red Rock Canyon State Park for a hike. This was pretty fun, although we spent much of the time in the car as it was getting hot outside. We had to drive some very bumpy gravel roads to get back to the freeway. This was definitely an adventurous moment. On the whole, I'd say Red Rock Canyon State Park was the best part of the trip.

We turned back towards Bakersfield, stopping in Tehachapi on the way. This was a small town and reminded us of Niles. We spend a short time exploring the downtown. Mom then suggested going to the nearby Burger Spot to try out their ostrich burger. It didn't taste too different than a regular hamburger but was still delicious.

Back in Bakersfield, the three of us visited three thrift shops and went to WinCo Foods and Von's for groceries. Dinner again consisted of frozen meals. There wasn't much else to do in the area, although I watched X-Men: Days of Future Past on TV while my parents talked poetry.

Day 3

The three of us spent the morning exploring the downtown after another nice breakfast at the hotel. One notable stop was the Kern County Museum. It was really nice to check out the 50 original buildings from the county. The downside is that we wasted over half an hour here due to Groupon issues, but the clerk was kind enough to let us in for free our troubles.

This was followed by lunch at IHOP. The plan was to visit Taft as well, but we decided to leave that for another time as my parents were tired. The drive home was mostly uneventful.

Conclusions

The main reason for the trip was actually to visit the LIGO Hanford Observatory - which we thought was in Hanford, California. Mom knew I liked science and figured I'd be interested. Only after we left our house did we realize the observatory was in Washington. *facepalm*

Despite the mistake, Bakersfield was still pretty fun. Although we had passed it a few times on previous trips, this was our first time exploring the area in full. The hike in Red Rock Canyon State Park was definitely my favorite part of the trip. It's too bad we didn't have time to visit Taft or Carrizo Plain National Monument due to time constraints, but I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to go there in the future.

Currently listening to: "Fox on the Run" by Sweet

cultural exchange, part deux

The past month was pretty busy as four of my aunt Jill's students came to visit from overseas. Our guests were Mark and Danny, and twins Johnny and Wen. Jill herself unfortunately couldn't come due to her stroke, so my parents had to look after them for three and a half weeks. This was no doubt really exhausting. On the other hand, all of us really enjoyed their company.

To let them see what the U.S. was like, we took them on a trip to Reno and Tahoe the day after their arrival. That was lots of fun even though the weather was a bit warm. I had to work during the weekdays, although my parents took them to San Francisco, the Stanford University campus and some local stores.

This was followed by an amazing trip to the Southwest U.S. the week after that. The trip was also exciting even though the temperatures were extremely high. Right after we got home, we went on a field trip to Salinas and Monterey with Henry's film club before going boating the next day.

Last week was also filled with activities as my parents took them to Santa Cruz, the UC Berkeley campus and Villa Montalvo. We also let the twins take classes at an archery range on Friday before going to San Francisco again on Saturday. The day after that, Dad took us to pay respects to my late maternal grandmother Pi-Tan (as the boys were morbidly interested in what cemeteries in the U.S. were like) before going out for ice cream and a hike at the Redwood Grove Nature Preserve.

The boys had such a great time at the archery range that they decided to shoot arrows in our backyard - for three days straight. They had heard that Mom was really good at cooking, so we treated them to dinner at our house twice. Oh yeah, and we also took them out to eat at lots of different restaurants throughout their entire stay.

There was no doubt something for everyone. Johnny says he really enjoyed Grand Canyon and Monterey while Wen's favorite part was doing archery at our house. Danny isn't so much a nature person but loved staying at the townhouse during our visit to Mammoth Lakes. Last but not least, Mark says the highlight of his stay was a tie between visiting Grand Canyon and going swimming.

Yesterday was bittersweet as the boys left the U.S. early this morning. It was really hard to say goodbye to them at the airport. We did so much stuff over the past week that I've lost count. I should mention that the boys gave us some nice presents before their departure. Mark bought me a nice Bluetooth-enabled mouse while the twins got some kitchenware for Mom and a gardening kit for Dad. We truly appreciate their generousity.

The thing about being a tour guide for three and a half weeks is that it can be very taxing, especially considering that Jill wasn't able to come. Though kids in general can be hard to deal with at times, traveling with other people always makes vacations more exciting. I'm going to miss our new friends for sure.

Currently listening to: "Love Me like You Do" by Ellie Goulding

an amazing Southwest U.S. trip

"What do brie and cheddar have in common?" -- me, to a couple that asked me to take their picture

Summer has been great so far as my family just came back from another awesome trip. We again took my aunt Jill's students along as we visited Las Vegas, the American Southwest and other places. Our group left on the 30th and came back today during the early morning hours. Even though the weather is really hot at this time of the year, the trip was still lots of fun.

Day 1: into the heat

The trip began a bit later than expected as there were a couple of things that needed to be done. Our first stop was Casa de Fruita in Hollister, where we bought some dried fruits and snacks. This was followed by a stop at the San Luis Reservoir. The smoke from the Goose Fire made it hard to see the lake, especially considering that the water level was quite low due to the drought. The rest of the 400-mile drive to Barstow was fairly uneventful as none of us wanted to get out of the car too much due to the heat. The temperature actually reached 114° F at one point. Yikes!

It was pretty late when we arrived in Barstow. All of us were too tired to look for any restaurants, and ended up having some lunch leftovers and fruit for dinner.

Day 2: the start of a grand adventure

Given that Grand Canyon is one of the incredible places in the United States, my parents figured we had to let the boys see what it was like. We first visited Grand Canyon West, which isn't part of the park itself. One notable stop was the Grand Canyon Skywalk in the western area. This was really cool, although it's certainly not for people with acrophobia. Aunt Jill is scared to death of heights and would undoubtedly have stayed in the car had she been able to join us.

No more than 15 minutes after we got in, the staff started to people off the Skywalk due to an approaching thunderstorm. I imagine such a structure would easily attract lightning strikes. Had we arrived just a bit later, the admission we paid would have gone to waste. Something tells me a place like this wouldn't usually give refunds.

Though the Skywalk was an interesting experience, the admission was a little high in my opinion. It's definitely not a place we are likely to visit again in the future. Another notable stop was Guano Point — which gets its name from bat poop. It had some pretty good views and made for some great pictures.

We arrived at our hotel in Tusayan a few hours later. It was close to midnight by the time we checked in and settled down. All of us were pretty hungry but didn't feel like walking to a restaurant even though there was a pizza place about 0.1 miles away that was still open. I did find a vending machine that had potato chips and other snacks, but ultimately decided it'd be unwise to eat junk food for dinner as that's probably even less healthy than going to bed hungry. Our "dinner" ended up consisting of dried fruit and cookies.

Day 3: native grounds

Grand Canyon is apparently very popular for early birds. The hotel's dining room was filled with people even though it was barely 7 a.m. when we went down there for breakfast. Given that we went to bed hungry the night before, all of us were more than eager to dig in.

It was then time to see what the rest of Grand Canyon had to offer. Though we came here during our 2000 Southwest U.S. trip, the cold weather at the time prevented us from making many stops. The nice thing is that we got to "properly" explore what park had to offer this time.

Another great thing is the temperatures weren't too high. Our party first checked out several of the vista points and got some great pictures. The boys wanted to go on one of the helicopter tours, so my parents bought tickets. I wasn't interested at first due to the prices, but Mom figured I'd make a good tour guide. The helicopter ride was really awesome and easily my favorite part of the trip. It actually made me wish people could fly. If only someone would invent a wingsuit powered by an arc reactor. :-)

A rain started shortly after the tour ended. The rain soon turned into an intense hailstorm. This was quite unexpected, especially in the middle of summer. It seems the climate in the desert is very dynamic.

We visited a couple more photo stops before stopping at the Cameron Trading Post for dinner. Due to the lack of restaurants along the route, none of us had anything to eat except for some junk food. As you could imagine, all of us were pretty hungry at this point. The food wasn't too bad, though!

The final destination of the day was St. George. The route took us through Zion National Park in the evening, although we didn't get to see anything as it was completely dark outside. The winding roads meant we couldn't drive fast without being unsafe. It was well past midnight when we got to the hotel!

Day 4: another "dam" hot day

Hoover Dam was another place we wanted to show the boys. The landmark hadn't changed much when we came here around 20 years ago, although security was now really strict. The tickets for the full tour were sold out, but the power plant tour still available. It was largely similar to the one we went on back in 1996 but still pretty informative otherwise. We were then free to explore the observation area on our own. The weather had gotten extremely hot again, but there were luckily some cooling stations around. Those were nice for sure.

The evening ended with a little mishap: the clerk at our hotel in Las Vegas gave the boys the wrong room number. Yet their key was somehow able to open the door. Imagine their surprise when they saw a stranger laying in "their" bed. I'm glad they didn't walk in on more... intimate... things.

We were fortunately able to clear up the confusion with hotel management. The seven of us had a quick dinner before going on a drive on the Strip before checking out some malls and the fountains at Bellagio. One unusual thing is that Las Vegas was extremely crowded this time. I wonder whether it's a summer thing.

There was another mishap: Dad missed the exit leading to our hotel as he was exhausted from all the traveling. The fact that U-turns weren't allowed in many places didn't help the issue. It was well past midnight when we got back to our hotel!

Day 5: far from civilization

The first half of the day was spent on the road as the next two destinations were pretty far up north. Our journey brought us to Great Basin National Park in the afternoon. I had looked forward to visiting this place and finally got the chance to do so. The plan was to go on the Lehman Caves tour, but the last one had already ended. On the other hand, the views from the vista points were amazing.

Not too far from Great Basin was the ghost town of Osceola. Due to the lack of clear signs, it took us quite a while to find out how to get there. We arrived only to find that there was nothing more than a few buildings. There was a road leading further into the ghost town, but we decided not to continue after a guy told us there was nothing more than a cemetery. Yikes.

Our final stop of the day was Ely. There weren't any good restaurants in the area, but luckily we had bought some food at Costco earlier in the afternoon.

Day 6: it's pronounced "ee-lee"

All of us were kind of tired from all the traveling and wanted to rest for a bit before starting out. Dad and I went on a drive around downtown Ely and got some gas while Mom and the boys relaxed at the hotel.

One notable attraction in the area Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park. The site wasn't that far away, but the rocky gravel road made it hard to drive fast without damaging the tires. The ovens were much larger than I had imagined. There were a few trails leading from the area, although we didn't hike on them as it was getting hot outside. We instead went to a nearby trading post for snacks before continuing on.

The rest of the day was uneventful as we had a long drive to Mammoth Lakes ahead of us. It was really late when we finally arrived in town. On the other hand, we had a nice dinner at the villa where we were staying. This was actually my first time trying elk meat!

Days 7 and 8: a mild disappointment

Mammoth Lakes was one of our favorite stops when we went there 18 years ago, but the time constraints meant we couldn't really explore the town. So we decided to head to Mono Lake, which my parents figured was more interesting. It was fun to explore the lake shore, although it was a little gross due to the mud and stench.

We then headed west to Yosemite as it's arguably the best-known national park in the west. One thing that makes Yosemite famous is the many beautiful waterfalls. Yet most of them barely had any water due to the drought. The huge amount of people also made it hard to get around. To be honest, this visit was somewhat disappointing.

Wanting to make the best of the situation, Dad took us to Glacier Point for pictures. The views here were better, and a local astronomy club even let visitors look through their telescopes to see people on Half Dome. That was a cool experience for sure. We then made a quick stop at the Yosemite Village before beginning our drive home.

Due to the speed limits, getting out of Yosemite took around two hours. As we were all pretty tired, we didn't make any other stops on the way home except a Carl's Jr. for dinner.

Conclusions

This trip was super exciting as it was our first time visiting the Southwest U.S. in 10 years, not counting our trip to Las Vegas in 2012 for the CES. The scenery and the local culture make the Southwest one of the most fascinating places in the world. The Grand Canyon helicopter tour was by far the best part of the trip, although the other places we went to were also super awesome. The fact that we traveled with four other people made the trip even more exciting. It's definitely an adventure that will be talked about for years.

Currently listening to: "Hello" by Adele

first trip of the summer

You may remember that my aunt Jill brought two of her students over from China about two and a half years ago. This summer, another four of her students came to visit from overseas, namely Mark, Danny and twins John and Wen.

To let them see what the U.S. was like, my family took the boys to Reno and Tahoe over the weekend. Jill herself unfortunately couldn't come as she recently suffered a stroke and was told by her doctor to avoid going far places. The other issue is that the weather was extremely hot as it's the middle of the summer right now. However, neither of those things made the trip any less fun. Traveling with other people is always exciting - even though kids can be hard to deal with at times. :-)

Day 1: starting out late

As we would be taking four other people along, there was lots of stuff that needed to be done. I took the opportunity to give the boys a tour of my old high school while my parents packed up. Mom also took the boys to buy some ice cream and other snacks. It was almost 1 p.m. when we left our house. Seeing that it was well past noon, the first stop was a dumpling place in Milpitas for lunch. The food was pretty greasy but wasn't too bad otherwise.

The rest of the drive wasn't too eventful, although we got to Reno pretty late due to the amount of traffic along the way. All of us then had dinner at P. F. Chang's China Bistro. While the service was great, the food kind of sucked. Everything was either too dry or had no taste. However, the boys were very polite and kept telling us how good everything was. Bless their hearts.

There was also a little mishap: I noticed I had brought the wrong adapter for my laptop after we checked into the hotel. This wasn't a huge issue, but it did mean missing out on lots of RuneScape XP. Good god, I'm such an idiot.

Day 2: a step back in time

The day began with a visit to Virginia City in the morning. The nice thing is that the weather was cooler than expected, not to mention that most of the shops were open this time. Mom even bought us some ice cream at one of them. The atmosphere was simply wonderful.

We then decided to check out Carson City as well. One memorable sight was a group of people who were protesting against Hillary Clinton. Politics aside, this was our first time seeing a protest up close and so was a neat experience. Our group then stopped at Firehouse Subs for lunch. I suggested eating here because their subs looked really good and that they put in a great deal of effort in supporting firefighters. This wasn't a bad choice because the sandwiches were absolutely delicious.

Lake Tahoe awaited us in the afternoon. The temperatures were much higher here, but there was luckily lots of shade at one of the beaches. The plan was to go on a sightseeing cruise so the boys could get a better view of the lake, but the tickets were all sold out. Though there was another cruise available, the boat was having technical problems. In the end, we just relaxed in the shade for a while.

Up next was a vista point overlooking Emerald Bay. The views were amazing, and even the weather was pretty cool here. It made for a wonderful experience.

The final stop of the day was Circus Circus. All of us were pretty hungry when we arrived and so had dinner at a pho restaurant first. The reason for coming to Circus Circus is that we figured the kids might want to try the carnival games. It turned out none of them were really interested, so we headed back to our hotel.

Day 3: the heart of the Golden State

The highlight of the day was Sacramento. As the field trip there last summer was lots of fun, Mom thought this would be a great place to take the boys. Our party had a nice seafood lunch before visiting some of the nearby shops. The weather was really hot, but there was fortunately some cheap ice cream available. :-)

The penultimate stop was the California State Capitol. This was pretty relaxing as the building had some nice air conditioning. The place was so nice that we didn't leave until late in the afternoon. The trip ended with a quick dinner at In-N-Out Burger. I had no idea the Double-Double and animal-style fries could be so delicious!

Conclusions

As mentioned earlier, the main purpose of the trip was to let my aunt's students get a glimpse of Western culture. Even though we didn't really visit any new places, traveling with other people always makes vacations exciting. It's hard to say which was the best part of the trip, although I'd probably pick Virginia City if I had to choose.

The nice thing is that we'll be taking the boys on another trip to the Southwest U.S. later this summer. That will be our first time going to the Southwest in over four years. We're also taking them on a field trip with Henry's film club right after getting home. I'm super excited!

Last but not least, here's to hoping Jill will get well soon so we could go on more trips together!

In other news...

Happy second anniversary to my cousin Connie and Luc!

Currently listening to: "Team" by Lorde

New Zealand trip report: an adventure like no other

"I'm the king of the world!" -- me on the deck of the TSS Earnslaw

Summer ended on a high note as we went on an amazing trip to New Zealand. This was no ordinary trip as we traveled with my uncle Yeh-Wei and aunt Yu-Hua, and my cousins Anne's and Tom's families. Yeh-Wei was a tour guide for over 10 years and knows every square inch of the South Island, so we were lucky to have him show us around. New Zealand is easily one of the most special places in the world.

Pre-trip

It was a busy Labor Day weekend as we spent most of the time preparing for the trip. Because we would be gone for almost 10 days, there were many things that needed to be done, such as harvesting the vegetables from our garden, unplugging appliances and securing the home. However, our efforts paid off as everything went without a hitch.

Days 1 and 2: kia ora

The trip began on the 7th with an evening flight to Auckland. We packed up and had a quick bite before our family friends Jeff and Sheila picked us up and drove us to SFO. The 13-hour flight was enjoyable despite its length. For starters, the safety video was hilarious. The in-flight entertainment was good too. There was also a feature that allowed passengers to message each other. That's one way to hook up and join the mile high club. *Lenny face*

The movies were a great time killer. I watched Terminator Genisys and Avengers: Age of Ultron before dinner was served. The food was delicious, especially the raspberry and white chocolate mousse. I also saw Justice League: Throne of Atlantis and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies afterwards. The latter was appropriate given that the entire Lord of the Rings series was filmed in New Zealand.

The plane landed in Auckland around 9 a.m. Though it took a while to clear customs due to the stringent biosecurity measures, the process wasn't as bad as we had imagined. The three of us then boarded our connecting flight to Christchurch. There wasn't much on TV as this flight was much shorter, but Dad and I had a great time guessing the answers to the trivia questions.

The flight was soon over, after which we made our way to the baggage claim area. To our surprise, Yeh-Wei and Yu-Hua were already there waiting for us. It was wonderful to see Yeh-Wei again after all those years. He and Yu-Hua brought us to their house, located just a few minutes from the airport. We unpacked our stuff and had some rest before the Hus took us to local attractions.

First up was Mona Vale - a nice park with lovely gardens. Yeh-Wei then gave us a tour of a prison-turned-hostel called Jailhouse Accommodation. Staying here for a night would be an interesting experience, although I can't say the same for actually going to jail.

The five of us had lunch at a Chinese restaurant before heading to Hagley Park for a stroll. The place was so big that my uncle says we had only seen a fraction of what it had to offer. The next stop was a temporary mall called Re:START that was built from shipping containers following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. It was a very unique place.

Yeh-Wei then brought us to Tom's house. This was our first time seeing him and his wife Sarah in over eight years. Following their arrival, Mom gave them some of my old clothes to give to their kids. The clothes actually once belonged to Tom, who gave them to us when I was a toddler. Talk about a full circle moment.

Anne came over in the afternoon. This was super exciting as our last time seeing her was almost 18 years ago. It was nice to finally meet her daughter Valerie and Tom's sons Jerry and Ryan. The family reunion was something we had been eagerly looking forward to. The downer is that Anne's husband Lawrence is working in Taiwan and couldn't join us. I guess we'll have to wait until another time to meet him.

Everyone then split up for dinner. I stayed with Tom's and Anne's families while my parents went to Yeh-Wei's house. Sarah turned out to be a great cook just like my mother - no doubt Tom is a lucky man. He and Anne took me back to my uncle's place a few hours later. I was completely exhausted at this point and went to bed shortly afterwards. That was pretty nice, considering that I hadn't slept in about 42 hours!

Day 3: hitting the road

The real adventure was about to begin. Yeh-Wei rented a minibus with 12 seats so we could all fit in. The first stop was a retail and restaurant complex called Farmers Corner. Though nothing was cheap, my uncle had access to a 30% discount through his connections and got me a box of chocolates. We then had lunch at a Japanese restaurant before going to the nearby Lake Tekapo for pictures. Its aquamarine waters were beautiful. The same could be said for the blue waters of the picturesque Lake Pukaki.

Yeh-Wei took us to a few more stops, including the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. The view of Aoraki / Mt. Cook was incredible. The museum was closed when we arrived, but the café was still open. The lounge was the perfect spot for a coffee break and to enjoy the atmosphere.

After arriving in Omarama - the final destination of the day - we checked into the Countrytime Hotel and headed to the on-site restaurant for dinner. The food wasn't bad at all. The adults went to the recreation room afterwards for foosball and table tennis. This made for wonderful family time. I then logged into RuneScape to collect my daily rewards before going to bed.

Day 4: all kinds of everything

The first stop in the morning was Puzzling World in Wanaka. As the name suggests, the place features many puzzles and optical illusions. It was one of my favorite attractions. I could spend the entire day here.

Speaking of which, my biggest regret is not exploring the Great Maze. Tom went in but ended up having to bail out through the emergency exits. I was up for the challenge, but the tickets were expensive and we were short on time. Puzzling World is definitely a place I'd like to revisit on a future trip to New Zealand.

Up next was the Kawarau Bungy Centre, located at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge. Bungee jumping is too extreme for me - you couldn't pay me enough to do it - but we enjoyed watching other people take the plunge. Well, maybe I'd consider it if you offered me a million dollars. :-)

Another point of interest was the Arrowtown Chinese Settlement - a former mining town that was once home to Chinese miners during the Otago Gold Rush. Some of the huts were so small that they looked like they were for dogs rather than humans. One could imagine the hardships people went through.

The destination for the next two nights was Queenstown. Our party checked into the hotel and went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. This was my first time trying venison. The meat was similar to beef aside from its taste. We then went to a supermarket for food before returning to the hotel.

Day 5: sheep jokes, anyone?

Yeh-Wei and Yu-Hua got us tickets for the Walter Peak farm tour. The five of us boarded the TSS Earnslaw as the farm is across Lake Wakapitu. Passengers were allowed to enter the engine room to see its inner workings. The deck provided a nice view of the lake. I couldn't resist reenacting that scene from Titanic while there. ^_^

The steamship arrived at the Walter Peak High Country Farm about 40 minutes later. Our guide Hamish introduced us to the animals and even let us feed them. He then did a demonstration of the Border Collies herding the sheep. The guests were treated to tea and snacks before Hamish showed us how sheep were sheared. This was one of the most memorable moments of the trip.

The Hus dropped us off at the Skyline Gondola after the Earnslaw brought us back to Queenstown. The ride to Bob's Peak was worthwhile. At the top were several attractions, including a luge track and a bungee jumping platform. Anne and Tom went luging with their kids while we checked out the visitor center. I'm surprised we didn't run into them. Yeh-Wei then took us to more stops so we could get pictures. It was a busy day for sure.

Day 6: alien worlds

We left for Te Anau and got there in the early afternoon. Yeh-Wei bought us tickets for the glow-worm cave tour and drove us to the Real Journeys visitor center. This was followed by another boat ride as the entrance to the caves is located across Lake Te Anau. The tiny lights of the glow-worms were surreal. It was a magical experience and my favorite part of the trip. The guides then led us back to the visitor center for drinks and a presentation.

Photography was unfortunately not allowed in the caves as the worms are sensitive to light. For what it's worth, getting decent pictures would have been impossible anyway in the near-total darkness. I guess a postcard will have to do.

Yeh-Wei picked us up at the docks and took us to Fiordland. He went as far as Homer Tunnel before turning around. The views were spectacular and reminiscent of the Arctic Circle tour during our trip to Alaska 11 years ago. One cool sight was the mirror-like lake surfaces in the absence of wind. New Zealand is truly an amazing place.

Back in Te Anau, the day ended with nice seafood dinner at a Chinese restaurant not far from our hotel. Yeh-Wei had asked the owner to prepare a lobster for us. That was easily the best part of the meal.

Day 7: a historical perspective

The highlight of the day was Dunedin. I saw a Chinese couple doing a wedding photo shoot as we arrived. There was a funny moment when Tom's sons insisted on taking pictures with the bride. It was a little awkward, but she was more than happy to oblige. Kiwis really are friendly people. We congratulated the couple and chatted with them for a bit before going separate ways.

Yeh-Wei then took us to Anne's alma mater, the University of Otago. He let Anne be the guide for this part because she got her bachelor's degree here - despite her protests that she doesn't remember much. The campus was full of students as school has started. Our other major stop in Dunedin was Baldwin Street - listed in the Guinness World Records the steepest street in the world. According to my calculations, the street has a 19° slope. It's a good workout for sure.

Mom says Dunedin was her favorite part of the trip. The plan was to book a hotel here, but because Yeh-Wei wasn't feeling well, all of us agreed to return to Christchurch early so he could get some rest. Despite his exhaustion, he made sure we didn't miss out on seeing the Moeraki Boulders. They were among the strangest things on Earth.

It was almost midnight when got back to my uncle's house. I didn't want to disturb his sleep and went to bed shortly afterwards.

Day 8: back to nature

The morning was uneventful as we didn't do much other than relax and check our e-mails. However, Yeh-Wei started feeling better and took us to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens after lunch. There were many plants native to New Zealand. This was another one of my favorite places.

The Hus also took us to their friend Sue's house. The Lins treated us to snacks and gave us a tour of their 12-acre farm. Their DIY projects were impressive, especially considering that Sue's husband did most of the work alone. Looks like Dad has competition. :-)

We then stopped at Coupland's Bakeries for bread and snacks. The store had a huge selection of items. The plan was to visit more supermarkets after dinner, but all of us were tired and decided to rest instead.

Days 9 and 10: all good things...

It was sad to realize this was our last day in New Zealand. Because our flight to Auckland was in the afternoon, my aunt and uncle took us to New Brighton after breakfast. The cool ocean breeze made for a nice stroll on the pier. The weather couldn't have been better. The five of us ordered some fried fish and oysters at a take-away restaurant before returning to Yeh-Wei's house.

Tom and Sarah came over for lunch, followed by Anne a bit later. It was just us adults as Valerie was sleeping and Tom's sons were at school. Yeh-Wei prepared a nice meal for us as we got ready for our trip home. Everything was delicious, especially the fish. It was soon time to head to the airport after filling ourselves up.

We bid farewell to Anne and her parents before Tom and his wife gave us a ride to the airport and helped us check in. The farewells were the saddest part of the trip. I'd be lying if I said we weren't close to tears. As much as we hated to leave, all good things must come to an end.

The flight to Auckland was shorter than anticipated, leaving more than enough time to browse the shops. Mom and I bought all sorts of snacks. I can't wait to try them. The flight back to SFO wasn't too bad either as I saw more movies. Interstellar was my favorite, although I enjoyed San Andreas and Tomorrowland as well. It was also nice to get some sleep on the plane.

The airport was pretty crowded when we arrived in San Francisco. Claiming our baggage and clearing customs took longer than expected due to the large number of arrivals. Jeff and Sheila then picked us up and gave us a ride home.

Conclusions

To say the trip was fun would be an understatement. This was our first international trip in over six years and first foray into the Southern Hemisphere. It was something we had greatly looked forward to. The highlight of the trip was the Te Anau glow-worm cave tour while the Walter Peak farm comes a close second. The local food was unforgettable too. I'm also happy to touch base with Anne and Tom for the first time in ages.

However, there's no such thing as a perfect trip. The worst part is that Yeh-Wei got sick two days ago. I happen to have a sore throat myself. It must have been a very contagious virus. At least it had the decency to wait until our trip was almost over. Haha.

Because he was sick and couldn't concentrate, Yeh-Wei hit a road sign as we were leaving Dunedin. The damage to the vehicle was minor and barely noticeable, but the rental agency still found out and charged him for repairs. Shit happens.

One of our regrets is that we didn't go into the Great Maze at Puzzling World. Computer-generated mazes just don't compare to the real deal. Another thing is that Internet access was spotty at times, although that's a relatively minor issue as we didn't come all the way to New Zealand just to surf the web.

I ought to mention that the Hus paid for our trip. There are no words to express our gratitude. Though we likely won't go to New Zealand again anytime soon, the memories from this trip will last a lifetime. One thing I've heard is that the North Island is just as awesome. The layovers in Auckland had barely scratched the surface. If only plane tickets were free...

Now that we're home, the first few days after coming back will be tough. There is probably lots of work to catch up on. I'm not exactly looking forward to the jet lag and post-vacation blues, but at least the weekend is almost here!

Of course, no trip report is complete without pictures and videos. I think we took around 3,000 photos - and it took me hours to upload the good ones - so you better enjoy them. :-)

September 19 update: Pictures are up. The bad news is that the post-vacation blues have set in. I'm going to miss New Zealand.

Currently watching: Interstellar

Davis trip report

"Oh man, my ass is going to be on fire tomorrow." -- me at an Indian restaurant with spicy food

The weekend was pretty fun as my family went to Davis and several other places. Though we just came back from another trip last month, Dad had several thousand Hyatt Gold Passport points that were about to expire. I certainly can't complain!

Day 1

The first leg of the trip was a stop at the Petaluma Marina. Because it was almost noon when we arrived, the three of us ate lunch in the car before taking a look around. There wasn't much other than some offices and a handful of shops, but we still went for a walk and took some pictures.

The main reason for the trip was to go to Bodega Bay and see the locations where The Birds was filmed. This is something we had wanted to do for a while. Despite the relatively short distance, the drive to Bodega Bay took longer than expected due to traffic. Our previous visit here was around 20 years ago. Can you believe how fast time flies?

This was followed by dinner at an Indian restaurant in Vacaville. The food was super spicy but otherwise delicious. Dad checked into the hotel before taking us to the UC Davis campus for an evening stroll. The school is famous for its arboretum, but we decided to come back the next day as it was getting late.

Day 2

The morning started with a tasty breakfast at the hotel, after which we returned to the UC Davis. The arboretum was beautiful and had all kinds of plants and wildlife. The lack of crowds made it a pleasant experience.

The next destination was the Budweiser factory in Fairfield. The funny thing is that we passed it many times but never thought to go in. The tour was informative and included beer samples. This was definitely the best part of the trip. The plan was to visit the Jelly Belly factory as well, but we changed our minds after finding out there are no tours on weekends.

The final stop was WinCo Foods for groceries. I got a few snacks while my mother bought some soy milk and flour. Mom didn't want the soy milk to go bad in the heat and suggested not staying out too late. The smooth traffic made the drive home shorter than expected.

Conclusions

On the whole, the trip was quite enjoyable. The best part was the Budweiser factory tour, although the UC Davis Arboretum comes a close second. I didn't know the campus could be such a nice place. Feel free to look at the pictures from our vacation.

In other news...

Happy one-year anniversary to my cousin Connie and her husband Luc!

Currently listening to: "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey

Father's Day weekend trip report

I just got back from a three-day trip to Roseville and Tahoe with my parents. It was very exciting as we went to several new places. There's no better way to spend the Father's Day weekend!

Day 1

The plan was to visit Bodega Bay as we hadn't been there in years. However, Dad had gotten word that Eileen's poetry club was meeting at Lake Chabot on the 19th. The event was moved from Lake Merritt in Oakland due to traffic following the Golden State Warriors game. Because my parents are philosophers at heart and have each recently written a poem, they opted to go to Lake Chabot and save Bodega Bay for another trip.

We arrived at Lake Chabot Regional Park just as lunch was about to begin. It was a potluck with all the fixings. Everyone then recited their poems before going for a walk along the lake. It was a wonderful feeling - the only reason we didn't stay the whole time is that we had to drive another 110 miles to Roseville.

The good news is that it didn't take too long to get to Roseville despite the traffic. Seeing that it was hot outside, the only stop in the evening was a Japanese restaurant for dinner. The noodle soup was among the best I've ever had.

Day 2

The breakfast at Hyatt Place was also really good. Reno wasn't too far, but the drive took several hours due to congestion. Because the temperatures were still high when we got there, the afternoon was uneventful except for a late lunch at a stylish café. Though we only ordered two sandwiches as it was well past noon, they were both delicious.

After the weather cooled down, my family went to a pizza joint for dinner before going to Circus Circus Reno. The slots were fun even though luck wasn't on our side this time. ^_^

Day 3

Happy Father's Day and summer solstice!

The day began with another nice breakfast at the hotel. Dad then took us to some nearby trails he had found, starting with the Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Loop Trail - which is part of the Tahoe Rim Trail. This was our first time hiking in Tahoe and an exciting experience. The scenery in the area was incredible. The hike was easily the best part of the trip.

Further down south was the Diamond Peak trail, located next to the ski area of the same name. The three of us ate lunch in the car before heading out as it was already past 1 p.m. But because this hike was more strenuous - and the views weren't as great - we turned back shortly afterwards.

This was followed by a short stop at Eagle Falls for pictures. One notable feature was the swimming hole near the waterfall. Some people were wading in the water to cool off - which definitely looked fun. I wouldn't have minded staying a bit longer.

Dad then took us to Fallen Leaf Lake on the recommendation of a poetry club member. The place was quiet and peaceful. I even enjoyed a frozen treat while relaxing in the shade. Despite its merits, Fallen Leaf Lake probably isn't worth another visit due to its remote location.

We had planned to look for more hiking trails but decided to head back after my mother started getting tired. Mom had hoped to stop at Costco for gas and groceries on the way home, but my father missed the exit due to the GPS acting up. Though we took the next exit and eventually found our way to Costco, the main store closed just as we finished refueling our car. That meant we couldn't get groceries as we had hoped. Shit happens.

Not too far away was a WinCo Foods store. As much as we love WinCo, all of us were tired and decided to skip it this time. The traffic wasn't too severe and allowed us to get home earlier than expected. It was nice to get some rest after an exhausting trip.

Conclusions

Tahoe never gets old no matter how often we go there. But what made this trip so exciting was visiting new places. Hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail was my favorite part of the trip, although Fallen Leaf Lake wasn't too bad either. I definitely hope to check out the other trails soon. Until then, feel free to enjoy the pictures from our vacation.

Currently listening to: "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

an impromptu trip to Reno

The year is ending on a high note as we went to Reno over the weekend. The reason for going there was to see a concert at Silver Legacy Reno. The trip was essentially free. :-)

I'll start with some background: my mother has been writing for a Chinese magazine called Distinctive Taste for several years. The magazine's general manager recently gave each contributor two tickets to see Shirley Kwan. The nice thing is that the costs were covered. In other words, this was an all-expenses-paid vacation!

Day 1

Though transportation was provided, my family decided to drive to Reno ourselves so that we could travel at a more leisurely pace. The first stop was Eileen's house in El Cerrito to give her some things. The Tangs were thrilled to see us even though we didn't stay more than a few minutes. This was followed by a stop at Costco in Citrus Heights for gas and samples. Dad also took us to an antique store in the area so Mom could look for china. The rest of the drive was pretty smooth despite the traffic.

We checked into Silver Legacy Reno before going to the Grande Exposition Hall to pick up the tickets. I had planned to explore the hotel on my own or play RuneScape while Mom and Dad attended the concert. However, the general manager saw me with my parents and gave us a third ticket so we could go together. That was so nice of him. Thanks, George!

The three of us played the slots for about 15 minutes before returning to the venue. The attendance was so large that the seats quickly filled up. The free glow sticks were a nice touch. Of note is that the songs were mostly in Cantonese. Though we didn't understand the lyrics, the concert was enjoyable.

The event lasted longer than expected and ended around 11 p.m. All of us were too excited to go to sleep just yet and spent another two hours at the slots before heading back to our room. It was well past 1 a.m. when we finally got to bed!

Day 2

The slots were so much fun that we returned to the casino after lunch. Our luck wasn't spectacular this time as we lost around $36 in total This wasn't too surprising because - as the saying goes - the house always wins. Well, almost always.

On another note, Mom and I bumped into Lily from Henry's film club while at the casino. I also got to meet her daughters Jessica and Jasmine. Talk about a small world.

It was then time to start heading home. The trip was far from over as Dad found three antique stores along the way - where Mom bought some china and several sweaters that she liked. The three of us also went to WinCo Foods in Vacaville for groceries. The last stop was a Burger King in Fairfield for dinner. The place had bad Yelp reviews, but we ate there anyway as it was pretty late.

Conclusions

This was our first time attending a concert in over four years. It was definitely a memorable experience. However, the best part of the trip was the slots. That was pretty fun even though we lost a record $36 this time. The vacation was quite awesome, especially considering that it was almost completely free. I've posted some pictures from our trip on Flickr.

Currently listening to: "Dela" by Johnny Clegg

Pasadena trip report + congratulations to my cousin Connie!

"Are you sure he's not an undercover NSA agent?" -- me asking Luc about the videographer

The weekend has been awesome as we went to Pasadena with my aunts Jill and Yu-Hua for Connie's nuptials. This was my first time attending a wedding in almost 18 years. It was great to touch base with the Shiehs again after they moved to Southern California almost three years ago.

Though we were also invited to the rehearsal dinner, I didn't want to take another day off on such short notice and regrettably had to decline. However, that's not a big deal as the most important thing was being there for Luc and Connie on their big day.

Day 1

We started out early due to the possibility of congestion in the L.A. metropolitan area. Except for a stop at Casa de Fruta so Jill and Yu-Hua could look around - and Burger King for lunch - the 350-mile drive was uneventful. Contrary to our expectations, the traffic in L.A. was light and didn't cause any delays.

Luc and Connie decided to have a courthouse ceremony and forgo the traditional bridal party in the interest of time. The bad news is that we missed the ceremony because checking into the hotel and dressing up took longer than expected. I had told Connie we'd be there and felt guilty about breaking my promise. This could have been avoided by going directly to the courthouse, but Mom felt showing up dressed inappropriately would be worse than not showing up at all.

The reception began around 5 p.m. at a small restaurant called POP Champagne & Dessert Bar. The place was crowded as there were over 60 guests, many of whom were related to Luc. I got to meet Connie's friends, Luc's extended family and Cathy's boyfriend Gene. Aside from the parents and a little girl named Bella, most of the guests were my age. It's too bad there was no dancing as the venue had limited space.

Dinner consisted of two passed appetizers, followed by assorted beef sliders and macaroni cheese with truffle oil for the main course. The Shieh and Danziger families then shared stories about the couple during the toasts. Dessert included crème brûlée, churros and pavlova. The newlyweds later thanked us for coming before cutting the cake.

Because Luc's aunt Armelle helped plan the wedding and was a huge Star Wars fan like Connie, the cake had a Millennium Falcon topper. As a fellow Star Wars fan, I thought it was a nice touch. Although the cake was delicious, all of us were so full that Mom and I shared a single slice. I probably shouldn't have eaten that extra burger for lunch.

On the whole, the evening was fantastic. It's too bad my father couldn't be there. Dad was tied up with an important work project and also didn't want to pass any germs around from his cold. He nonetheless showed up at the end of the night to give Connie his blessings.

Day 2

I had no more than three hours of sleep and was totally exhausted. The excitement and the sugar rush from last night were probably the reason. It wasn't just me because Jill was so tired that she decided to skip breakfast and sleep in. I took the opportunity to get level 83 Crafting in RuneScape in the meantime.

Luc and Connie had invited us to join them and their friends on a field trip to the J. Paul Getty Museum. This sounded fun but was canceled due to my aunt Cynthia not feeling well the night before. Therefore, my father took us to downtown Pasadena instead.

Cynthia felt much better in the morning and invited us and Luc to her place in L.A. for lunch. The Shiehs had a large home with three floors. It was nice to relax and hang out with my cousins while waiting for the food to arrive. The lunch made for wonderful family time. Dad knew quite a few mother-in-law jokes. ^_^

Cathy and I accompanied Cynthia back to Pasadena as my aunt had to pick up her car. Cynthia was kind enough to take me to the Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain after Mom told her I wanted to go there. Though the ice cream looked tasty - especially in the hot summer - consuming so much sugar in such a short time seemed like a bad idea. I had also just recovered from a cold and didn't want to risk getting sick again. The Fair Oaks Pharmacy is definitely a place I'd like to revisit in the future.

Jill and Yu-Hua have decided to stay with the Shiehs for the rest of their time in the U.S. It was hard to part with my aunts and cousins. The three of us hit the road shortly afterwards as Dad didn't want to arrive home too late. Despite the traffic, the drive back to the Bay Area was fairly smooth. Our adventure ended with a nice dinner at Il Postale in Sunnyvale.

Conclusions

The reception at POP Champagne & Dessert Bar was easily highlight of the trip. Seeing my cousin get married was one of the most special moments in my life. So without further ado, congratulations to Luc and Connie. I wish them nothing but love and happiness as they begin their life together.

There is so much to do in Pasadena. I've always been interested in science and had hoped to visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory - which wasn't very far - but that wasn't an option because the facility is only open to the public on weekdays. The city is also home to a number of Route 66 attractions, including the Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain. Looks like we'll have to go back to Pasadena soon!

I'd say my biggest regret is missing the ceremony at the courthouse. The only consolation is that Connie says it's not a big deal. Another downer is that Dad was unable to come to the reception, but at least he was able to join us for lunch afterwards. I'm also a little bummed about missing the rehearsal dinner. Sometimes not everything goes to plan.

Now that we're home, the post-vacation blues have set in. On the other hand, the memories from Connie's wedding will last a long time. Feel free to check out my pictures and videos from the trip.

Currently listening to: "Wake Me Up" by Avicii

a weekend getaway to Reno

"All right, everyone, let's get to work." -- Dad at Rail City Casino

Summer is off to a good start as two of my aunts are visiting from overseas. Figuring we had to do something fun together, Dad took all of us to Reno and Tahoe over the weekend. Intense heat aside, this was an enjoyable vacation.

Day 1

The first stop was Solano Town Center in Fairfield so my aunts could have a look around. There wasn't anything they needed, but it was nice to stretch our legs. We arrived in Roseville around noon, and the nearby Maidu Regional Park was the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Though the weather was warm, the park had a large shaded pavilion. The picnic made for great family time.

The route took us through Auburn and Truckee. Given that it had gotten hot outside, Jill and Yu-Hua opted to stay in the car. Because my family had been to both places, all of us decided to continue on.

Dad checked us into Hampton Inn & Suites Reno after a long drive. Our suite was spacious and had more than enough room for everyone. Jill and Yu-Hua relaxed at the hotel while the rest of us went to buy dinner at the nearby WinCo Foods. The artisan flatbread from Leonardi's Pizza was delicious!

We went to Grand Sierra Resort in the evening so my aunts could get a feel of casinos in the U.S. Seeing that the slots at Grand Sierra Resort had low payouts, Mom suggested going to Rail City Casino in Sparks instead. The five of us played the penny slots at Rail City Casino for around two hours and actually ended up winning a few dollars. This was my favorite part of the trip.

Day 2

All of us got up fairly early as the heat made it hard to sleep. The historic Virginia City awaited us after a nice breakfast at the hotel. Considering that Virginia City was a highlight of our trip to Reno and Carson City five years ago, my parents thought Yu-Hua and Jill might be interested. But because it was already really hot - and most of the stores weren't open yet - our stay here was short.

We then went back to Rail City Casino to play more slots and watch the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina. Luck wasn't on our side this time as yesterday's gains soon disappeared. I can't say this was unexpected. As the saying goes, the house always wins. Or at least almost always.

The plan was to check out nearby casinos and look for hiking trails in the area. However, none of us wanted to stay after the weather turned out to be even hotter than the day before. Dad made a quick stop in South Lake Tahoe so my aunts could get pictures. There were more people on the beach than we've ever seen. How they could stand the heat is beyond me.

The heat soon became unbearable, at which point we decided to head back to the Bay Area. The five of us had a short rest at the Nyack Shell convenience store before leaving the mountains. I bought a bag of potato chips and some much-needed ice cream.

Our final stop on the way home was WinCo Foods in Vacaville for groceries. Jill and Yu-Hua were impressed by the size of the store. Dad wanted to have dinner at a dim sum place in Fremont but later found out it had permanently closed. Therefore, he took us to a Chinese restaurant in Milpitas instead. The crazy thing is that the power went out in the middle of the meal. Oh dear!

I'm guessing the heat caused the outage. It was hard to see the food until Dad brought in a flashlight from the car. This kind of ruined the mood but was also an interesting experience. Sometimes it's these little mishaps that make a vacation more memorable. At any rate, the outage seemed to affect just one particular area and didn't give us any other problems.

Conclusions

The biggest downside of the trip was the unexpected heat wave. The high temperatures made it difficult to spend more than a few minutes outside and often caused our plans to change. That said, everything else was awesome. Although the car rides were uncomfortable due to the cramped space, having companions always makes traveling much more enjoyable.

On the whole, I'd say the best part of the trip was playing the slots at Rail City Casino. This was our first time traveling with Jill and Yu-Hua since our visit to Taiwan and China seven years ago, and their company made this trip especially fun. Be sure to check out the pictures from our vacation.

Speaking of which, my cousin Connie's wedding is in two weeks. Jill and Yu-Hua are again joining us as we head to Pasadena. I'm super excited. :-)

Currently listening to: "Summer" by Calvin Harris

back from Reno: a trip of many firsts

"Looks like shit is about to get serious!" -- me, on the $1 slots

I just got back from Reno with my parents. The reason for the trip was to explore the Pyramid Lake area. This was one of our best vacations ever!

Day 1

There were some delays because the preparations took longer than expected. On the other hand, traffic was fairly light. The first stop was an antique store in Vacaville, although my mother didn't find anything interesting. Vacaville is also home to a WinCo Foods store, but we decided to save that for the end of the trip.

The shops in Sacramento and Auburn had better items. Mom found some things she liked before we continued on to Boomtown Reno in Verdi. Speaking of which, Dad put the wrong address into the GPS and missed our exit. Oops. I'm glad I noticed it right away because going back would have taken a while.

Though it was late when we checked in, there was plenty of time for slots after dinner. Our earnings reached $10 at one point but soon went back to the house. Of course, that wasn't exactly surprising. I then tried video poker for the first time. Unlike most casino games, video poker has an element of skill. It was pretty enjoyable even though my luck wasn't great.

The day ended on a scary note: a guy was passed out on the casino floor as we made our way back to our room. That really freaked us out. I hope he'll be all right.

Day 2

All of us woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. Therefore, the three of us got up around 7 a.m. to explore the area. I wanted to check out the nearby Cabela's store after seeing their ads in Field & Stream countless times. However, my family went to other places first as the store wasn't open yet.

We saw steam rising out of the ground at one point along the route. The steam turned out to be from a geothermal area called Nightingale Hot Springs. I wanted a closer look at the source, but it was fenced off and closed to the public. Oh well.

The gas station we stopped at had slot machines as well. Mom suggested giving them a try - and this wasn't a bad idea because I was up $1 a short time later. I figured it was best to cash out before losing it again. ^_^

The next point of interest was the Pyramid Lake Paiute Museum & Visitor Center in Nixon. The museum was small but had lots of Native American artifacts. I've always been fascinated by Native American culture and decided to donate the $1 we just won.

Pyramid Lake wasn't too far from here. The local geology was unlike anything I've seen. However, the pyramid-shaped formation that gave the lake its name was no longer open to the public. One of the locals told us this was due to vandalism. Fuck the idiots who ruin things for everyone. >:(

Another cool thing is that fireworks are legal here. I'd have bought some if they weren't sold out. Pyramid Lake is definitely a place I'd like to revisit.

Back in Reno, my father found more stores for our shopping pleasure. He also took us to Gold Dust West and Sands Regency at my mother's suggestion, although our luck wasn't extraordinary at either casino. This was followed by a stop at a family diner in Reno as we were all starving. The food was somewhat salty but otherwise delicious.

Cabela's was still open when we got back to Verdi. The store was huge and had tons of stuff. I had enjoyed looking around even though there was nothing we needed. All of us were exhausted after being on the road for 12 hours. But the fun wasn't over yet.

Upon returning to the hotel, my parents noticed our room hadn't been cleaned. Dad and I reported this to management and were told they would send someone up. However, they only put a "do not disturb" sign on our door. Lazy jerks. Only after I complained to the front desk again did housekeeping clean our room. On the bright side, the guy gave us lots of coffee packets. :-)

We went back to the casino after some rest. The cool thing is that Dad won $50 after a few minutes at the quarter slots. That was quite unexpected. He then suggested playing the $1 slots for shits and giggles. I don't think we've ever lost $10 so quickly before.

Day 3

It was time to begin our drive home. Our journey took us through Auburn again. Because I had always wanted to try the food here, my family had lunch at a restaurant called Auburn Alehouse. The food was all right but nothing to write home about.

Dad found several thrift stores along the route. The three of us also went back to the others to check for new items. The final stop was WinCo Foods in Vacaville for groceries.

We came home to find presents on our doorstep: a box of See's candies and a bottle of wine from our neighbor Bob. There was also a holiday gift basket from our financial advisor Kris. The holiday season is definitely off to a good start. :-)

Conclusions

This was one of our most enjoyable vacations. The best part was winning $50 at Boomtown Reno, although I really liked Pyramid Lake as well. I had no idea Nevada could be so much fun. It looks like we'll have to plan another trip soon. In the meantime, you can go here for the pictures.

Currently listening to: "Payphone" by Maroon 5

back from Tahoe

Christmas break is off to a good start as we went to Tahoe over the weekend. The trip was only two days long but lots of fun!

Day 1

Despite the late start, my family arrived at Tahoe fairly early thanks to the light traffic. That left some free time, during which we made a stop in Truckee. One thing I love about Truckee is that it never gets old.

Our hotel for the night was the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino in Incline Village. After we checked in, I played Angry Birds Star Wars HD on the iPad while my parents watched Contagion and Big Miracle on HBO. I soon started getting itchy bumps on my wrist. They looked like bug bites, so we went to the front desk to ask for our room to be cleaned again. However, management blew us off and said they couldn't do anything. Dad wasn't too happy about this and filed a complaint with Hyatt.

The three of us went to the Grand Lodge Casino after dinner. I think we spent around $4 at the penny slots. Aside from not winning anything, this was pretty enjoyable.

Day 2

It was snowing in the morning. The plan was to go skiing at Soda Springs after breakfast, but we didn't want to get wet in the snow and went back to the casino. The weather cleared up around noon, at which point we went to Soda Springs. The resort was extremely crowded despite the freezing temperatures. I have no idea how these people manage to brave the cold.

Mom then suggested going to Nevada City instead. The foliage was beautiful when we came here last fall. Yet the scenery wasn't impressive this time. Therefore, my parents and I didn't stay long except to visit a local supermarket.

I wanted to stop by Auburn again on the way home as it was one of the highlights of our Memorial Day weekend trip last year. However, the Old Town seemed smaller than I remembered. I took a few pictures, although we didn't stay long here either as Mom was a little tired.

The last stop of the day was Vacaville. I've always wanted to eat at Black Bear Diner, so that's where we went for dinner. This turned out to be a good choice: not only was the food reasonably priced, everything was delicious. All of us then headed to WinCo Foods for groceries (and tons of snacks) before continuing home. It was a spectacular end to a spectacular trip.

Conclusions

This was one of our best vacations ever. The highlight of the trip was the dinner at Black Bear Diner, although I also loved playing the slots. While the bug bites were annoying, they went away after a while. I didn't take many pictures this time, but you can go to my Flickr account to see them.

Currently listening to: "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys

Memorial Day weekend + Northern California trip report

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. At least my family did, considering that we went to far Northern California. It was a crazy trip with road closures, food poisoning and whatnot. Despite the mishaps, the trip was a great way to start summer.

Day 1

The first stop was Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown. The park is known for its steam trains and not unlike Roaring Camp in Felton. The train rides looked fun, but we weren't eager to find out the ticket prices. Nevertheless, Railtown 1897 is an attraction I'd like to visit again.

Not too far away was Columbia State Historic Park - located about 15 minutes to the north. Unlike our last visit six years ago, the weather wasn't too hot this time. This made our visit much more enjoyable. Dad also took us to Sonora afterwards. Browsing the stores there was the best part of the trip.

The plan was to stay two nights in Mammoth Lakes. But there was some bad news: Route 108 was closed due to the weather when we were just 20 miles from town. To make matters worse, the deadline for canceling the reservation had passed. Although my father chose to take the 250-mile detour rather than let the money go to waste, the distance proved to be too much. Just when it seemed we were out of options, he managed to get the credit transferred to a partner hotel in Auburn. It was decided to cut the trip short as we were all tired.

Day 2

I felt refreshed after a good night's sleep. Thinking it was a shame to go home so soon, especially after having spent so much time planning the trip, my parents extended it back to three days. Dad booked a hotel in Redding as we were packing up. Hell yeah!

Auburn was a quiet city with a rustic feel. The restaurants in the Old Town looked nice, but we just had breakfast and were pretty full. I'd love to try the local food on a future visit to Auburn.

The plan was to go hiking in Clear Lake State Park in the afternoon. But when we got there, Mom noticed the trails were dry and had no shade. That made us change our minds - paying $7 for a sunburn wasn't exactly a good deal. The rest of the day was uneventful aside from a stop at Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay after dinner. The bridge was a cool sight and made for great pictures.

Day 3

Mom wanted to return to Sundial Bridge in the morning for more pictures. It was equally impressive in the daytime. She then suggested going to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park after lunch. Because we really enjoyed Burney Falls on our trip to far Northern California five years ago, that was our next stop.

We were told there was a "medical emergency" in the park as we arrived. Lots of police, firefighters and paramedics soon showed up. Some rangers watched the river while a CAL FIRE helicopter circled above. It quickly became apparent that someone had fallen into the water. The rangers then began clearing the area, at which point we decided it was best to leave.

I later learned that a 16-year-old boy had drowned near the waterfall. This is a sad situation and not what we wanted to hear. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man's family during their difficult time. Upon leaving Burney Falls, I realized how precious life really is.

The three of us headed to Lassen Volcanic National Park after digesting what just happened. Aside from a quick stop at Lake Manzanita, our stay was short as much of the park was inaccessible due to the recent storm. However, this wasn't a big deal as we had been to Lassen before.

The other thing is that my father got food poisoning from bad quiches. He was very tired and didn't eat much when we went to Denny's for dinner. Despite not feeling well, Dad was OK with stopping at WinCo Foods for groceries. The drive home was otherwise uneventful.

Conclusions

I'm not going to lie - this was a crazy trip. Due to the road closures and long drives, all of us were exhausted when we got home. I can hardly believe we were only away for three days!

The tragedy at Burney Falls was a sobering experience and certainly put a damper on the mood. That said, the rest of the trip wasn't too bad. Sonora was my favorite stop, although Old Town Auburn was also pretty nice. All things considered, I really enjoyed this trip. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.

Currently listening to: "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins

back from Yosemite

I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. Dad realized we hadn't been there in over five years and decided to take us there over the weekend. It was a refreshing trip!

Day 1

The traffic was light and allowed us to arrive earlier than expected. Our only stop along the way was Merced Fruit Barn. The place had a homely feel, especially the café. I wouldn't mind having lunch here in the future.

Dad had originally booked the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. The lodge is located inside the park and supposed to be quite beautiful. But because it was closed for repairs, management gave us a room at the Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp instead. This was actually a better deal because the latter was more expensive. I'm not complaining about the free breakfast either. :-)

Though it was raining when we arrived in Fish Camp, the weather cleared up shortly afterwards. The timing couldn't have been better. From our experience, the alpine air is always fresh after a shower. This made for a great hike.

The afternoon ended with a visit to Yosemite Village, one of my favorite stops. Seeing that it would take an hour to get back to the lodge, my parents bought dinner at the Yosemite Village store. The chicken drumstick was slightly overcooked, but the carnitas was delicious.

Day 2

The breakfast at Tenaya was wholesome. We decided to explore the park some more as the weather was even better. Hiking on the Yosemite Falls Trail was the best part of the trip. Of course, all good things must end: my parents didn't want to stay too late because tomorrow is Monday and they didn't want me to go to work tired. The drive home was mostly uneventful, although we had dinner at Applebee's in Tracy before heading to the nearby WinCo Foods for groceries.

On the whole, this was an awesome trip. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.

Currently listening to: "Oh My Darling, Clementine"

a quick trip to Tahoe

Happy New Year's Eve!

I just got back from Tahoe with my parents. The trip was short but pretty fun. I had suggested staying home in light of our current financial situation, but Dad was able to book a room at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino for only $21 with his loyalty points. :-)

Day 1

There was little traffic on the way to Incline Village. I had done most of the driving and was a little tired when we arrived. Freezing temperatures aside, the evening was eventful as we went to Raley's for groceries and tried our luck at the Grand Lodge Casino after dinner. Playing the slots was my favorite part of the trip even though luck wasn't on our side this time.

Because there wasn't much else to do, all of us went to bed before 10:30 p.m. Shortly afterwards, Mom realized she may have forgotten to turn off the outlet valve after cleaning our swimming pool. Oh crap.

Day 2

The morning weather was pretty nice. The three of us went for a stroll along Donner Lake and browsed the shops in Truckee. However, because the Shiehs are having us over for dinner, my parents decided we shouldn't leave too late. Besides stopping at three stores in Roseville for groceries - namely Costco, Cost Plus World Market and WinCo Foods - the trip home was uneventful.

The plan was to go to a local restaurant for lunch, but we weren't hungry anymore after eating a bunch of samples at Costco. The light traffic allowed us to get home earlier than expected. The other good news is that Mom did remember to turn off the pool valve after all. That was no doubt a huge relief.

Conclusions

On the whole, this was a great trip. Tahoe is one of those places that never gets old. I definitely wish we had an extra day or two. At any rate, feel free to check out my pictures on Flickr.

I'm also excited to celebrate New Year's Eve with my cousins. It's so nice to be invited to dinner right after coming home. :-)

Currently listening to: "When the Dream Ends" by Christopher Chua

back from Ukiah

Just because summer break is over doesn't mean the fun has to end. Speaking of which, I just came back from a trip to Ukiah with my parents!

Day 1

We had only driven a few blocks when a garage sale caught my eye. Dad pulled over so we could see what was available. I saw some nice items but didn't find anything useful. It wasn't long before we were back on the road.

The first real stop was the Santa Rosa Town Center. Because it was almost noon, my family had lunch in the car before exploring the area. I was surprised at how empty Borders was. Mom also wanted to walk to Cost Plus World Market at the nearby Santa Rosa Southside. She didn't see anything she needed, although I bought some snacks for the trip. :-)

Our car wouldn't start when it was time to leave. Dad called AAA and was told the battery was dead. Due to time constraints, he agreed to have it immediately replaced. There was a Lexus dealership just around the corner, but we took the AAA guy's word that his service was cheaper.

Ukiah was just an hour to the north. The plan was to go hiking in Smithe Redwoods State Reserve and Richardson Grove State Park after checking into our hotel. That was what made our last trip to Ukiah so much fun. However, I couldn't find either place no matter how hard I looked. It turns out my memory was wrong - the parks are located near Leggett rather than Ukiah. Oh well.

At any rate, the hotel was quite nice. The evening was mostly uneventful, although we had dinner at Denny's and checked out the nearby Wal-Mart.

Day 2

The morning began with a stop at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. This was our first time here in several years. The three of us attended the morning sessions before heading to the dining hall for lunch. To support the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association - as well as give back to the community - we bought some vegetarian food at the on-site restaurant and made an additional donation.

Dad wanted to take us to Point Reyes afterwards, but our GPS kept giving us wrong directions. That went unnoticed for over 30 minutes, after which we decided not to turn back due to the high overhead. On the other hand, there was a roadside oyster bar on our way home. Price aside, the oysters Rockefeller was delicious. The day ended with a nice dinner at the Szechuan Taste Restaurant in San Francisco.

Conclusions

The original plan was to spend two nights in Ukiah. Though we decided to shorten our stay because there weren't many attractions, all of us had a great time. Speaking of which, the stop at the oyster bar was my favorite part of the trip. Sometimes it's the little things that matter the most. I've posted some pictures from our vacation.

In other news...

Dad recently got an Olympus SP-800UZ digital camera. The 30x zoom and 14 MP resolution are impressive!

Currently listening to: "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel

back from Chicago and the Atlantic Northeast

"So we have a lawyer in our car... does that mean I can get out of speeding tickets?" -- Dad

I just got back from an 11-day trip to the Lake Michigan area and the Atlantic Northeast with my parents. That was awesome as we saw many sights and reconnected with family and friends. It was one heck of an adventure!

You may recall that we stayed a night in Chicago during our trip to Spain last summer. I had hoped to hang out with my cousins and see neighboring states, but there was no time for either. I've suggested we should revisit the Great Lakes area ever since. Dad apparently liked the idea. :-)

Yet this trip was a bit different: the main purpose of going to Chicago and the Atlantic Northeast was to look at universities to which I've applied. However, that doesn't mean we didn't have fun. Here is the trip report for your reading pleasure!

Day 1

It was a hectic morning as there was a lot of packing to do. We had barely finished breakfast when our family friend Karen whisked us off to the airport. Despite the increased security due to the Northwest Airlines incident two days ago, the check-in process was quick - aside from me getting a TSA pat down.

The flight to Chicago was fairly smooth. The long lines at the car rentals made the wait in the cold seem like forever. Dad took us to my great-aunt Shu-Ying's warm and cozy house after getting a car. I saw my cousins Eric, William, Frank and Jennifer, and uncles Da-Wei and Peter. This was my first time seeing Frank in years as he was out of town last time.

Once everything was unpacked, all of us went to Royal Buffet for dinner. This is the same restaurant we ate at on our trip to Spain. The food was delicious and quickly filled me up. Jennifer had to work but still met with us later.

Da-Wei took me to his place in Darien after a short break at Shu-Ying's house. Dad knew I wanted to spend more time with my cousins and had arranged for me to stay at their home for the next three nights. As embarrassing as it sounds, this was my first real sleepover!

Eric and William were watching their favorite football team, the Chicago Bears, play against the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears won the game, much to our delight. I generally don't follow American football but enjoyed rooting for the Bears with my cousins.

The boys and I played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360 afterwards. Though I prefer classic shooters like Doom and Quake over modern ones, Call of Duty turned out to be lots of fun. Of course, "everything in moderation" applies to gaming too: because it was getting late, all of us soon headed to bed.

Day 2

Da-Wei brought me back to Shu-Ying's house after breakfast. Everyone then gathered to pay respects to my late great-uncle Chi-Ming at a nearby cemetery. Those who follow my blog may notice this trip is starting to sound familiar!

It was then time to hit the road. The first stop was Northwestern University in Evanston. There was a homely feel to the place. Some offices were open, and we were lucky enough to run into two statistics professors who provided lots of useful information. The meeting ended around noon, but because there were no nearby restaurants, lunch consisted of whatever we could find in the car.

The next destination was the University of Chicago. Dad found a lounge with Wi-Fi and decided to reply to his e-mails. This took a while given the sheer number of messages. There was time to explore the campus, although we only took a few pictures because it was super chilly outside.

One thing I wanted to do was to visit nearby states. To that end, Dad took us to Indiana and Michigan later in the afternoon. Things didn't go without a hitch: at one rest area, I accidentally spilled some water while handing it to my father and got an earful. Thanks, Dad.

Our itinerary originally included Ohio University and Toledo, but we realized the overhead was too high and turned back after crossing the Indiana-Michigan border. On the other hand, my family had a great dinner in Chicago's Chinatown before returning to Shu-Ying's house. I'd love to visit Ohio University in the future as it was my late uncle Harrison's graduate alma mater.

Da-Wei brought me to his place after we got back to Chicago. I got to play Ninja Gaiden II on the Xbox 360 for the first time. That game really looked fun when I saw my old suitemate Bryan play it last April. It certainly didn't disappoint.

Day 3

Peter joined us on our trip to Madison. Because it was around noon when we arrived, the four of us went to McDonald's for lunch and coffee first. Funnily enough, Dad spilled his coffee while getting in the car. Oops. Can anyone say karma?

The University of Wisconsin–Madison campus was beautiful, especially in winter. I got some great pictures even though the school was closed for the holidays. The others needed something to keep them warm, so we went to Burger King for more coffee.

A nearby point of interest was Lake Monona. Mom suddenly realized she had left her hat and Dad's gloves at Burger King as we pulled into the parking lot. Oh crap. After hurrying back there, my parents had everything accounted for. That was a close call.

At any rate, it was neat to walk on the thick ice on Lake Monona and watch people fish for bluegill. One could hardly imagine anything would be alive under all that ice. I've seen ice fishing in pictures but had never witnessed it in person. I'd say this was - pardon the pun - the coolest part of the trip.

The plan was to stay a night in Madison and drive along the Mississippi River to Minnesota and Iowa, but we figured this would also take too much time. I guess that's something to consider for the future. The last stop in Madison was Starbucks as Dad needed to reply to more e-mails. The café was a nice place to relax and escape from the cold. I took the opportunity to treat Mom to a cup of latte. :-)

We had another nice dinner on the way back to Chicago. Though it was late when we arrived at Da-Wei's house, I got to play Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on the PlayStation 2 with Eric and William. This was another great game.

Day 4

Dad picked me up around noon and took me back to Shu-Ying's house for lunch, after which we headed to downtown Chicago with Peter accompanying us again. The John Hancock Center and Water Tower Place were huge and filled with stores. This easily took up the entire afternoon.

For New Year's Eve, my father invited his extended family to dinner at the Lee Wing Wah Restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown. Our party arrived early with the intention of exploring the area, but the freezing weather made us change our minds. Therefore, the four of us decided to chill out (or rather, warm up) at the restaurant instead.

On the subject of which, the food was pretty good. After everyone was done, Dad asked for the bill and was told that it was already paid for. It turned out my aunt Sue secretly picked up the tab. That made us feel guilty for sure. ^_^

All of us then went to Da-Wei's place. I played some more Ninja Gaiden II before counting down to 2010 with our relatives. The party was another highlight of our vacation. As much as we hated to leave, my family went back to Shu-Ying's house shortly after midnight as we had an early flight to catch.

Be sure to read my New Year's Day post for more details.

Day 5

Happy New Year!

The 8:30 a.m. flight meant we had to get up no later than 6 a.m. To say I was sleepy would be an understatement. The three of us had a quick breakfast and bid farewell to our relatives before going to O'Hare to return the car and check in.

I got stopped by the TSA again on way to the terminal. Lucky me. The flight wasn't too bad as we got some rest on the plane. The not-so-fun part is that Mom spilled her coffee all over my lap. Holy crap. Is this some kind of curse?

The plane landed at JFK three hours later. Dad rented another car and took us to his friend JJ's house in Morganville. This was our first time getting together with the Yen family in over 13 years. They came to California in the spring of 1996 and stayed at our house for several days. That was so much fun that they decided to come back in August.

But some things aren't meant to be: the Yens canceled that trip after Sing-Long found a job and haven't visited since. As you could imagine, our families were thrilled to touch base again. JJ's kids have all grown up: Gary is now pursuing his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania while Greg and Michelle are undergraduates at Rutgers.

Gary was busy with law school, but the others were home. The Yens treated us to a hot pot dinner, during which we had lots of catching up to do. Greg later invited me to play Contra: Shattered Soldier on the PlayStation 2 with him. It was both fun and challenging at the same time. The rest of the evening was uneventful as we were all tired.

Day 6

JJ gave us a ride to the nearest NJ Transit station, from which we took the bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and then the subway to the Grand Central Terminal. I had no idea the Grand Central Terminal was so large. It was like a city in itself.

Our first stop in New York City was the Columbia University campus. This was another school I had applied for, although we didn't spend more than 15 minutes here as the weather was even colder than in Chicago. All of us started getting hungry and went to a restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown for lunch. The servings were large and delicious, especially the fried fish.

Up next was the World Trade Center site. It's hard to believe over eight years have passed since the 9/11 attacks. The skyline just doesn't seem complete without the Twin Towers. Our next point of interest was the nearby New York University as Dad wanted to see what it looked like.

We then took the subway to Times Square. The plaza was bustling with activity and full of confetti from New Year's Eve. I had hoped to come here for the ball drop - which would have been quite an experience - but the prospect of standing on a crowded street for hours changed my mind. It would also have made bathroom trips a nightmare - not my idea of a good time.

The beautiful Central Park awaited us after dinner. I'd have loved to stay longer if the crime rate wasn't so high. The holiday lights at the Time Warner Center then beckoned us in. I enjoyed visiting Whole Foods Market and Borders despite the high prices. The three of us made a brief stop for pictures at Wall Street before heading back to the Grand Central Terminal.

Sing-Long picked us up at the NJ Transit station and drove us to JJ's friend Joe's house. It turned out Joe was having a big party that Sing-Long didn't want us to miss out on. The karaoke made for a lively atmosphere. I was a little bored as there was nobody else my age, but Joe was kind enough to let me browse the web on his laptop. The other adults enjoyed the party so much that we didn't leave until 11 p.m.

It was nice to be back at JJ's house after a busy day. Greg had left for a nine-day road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains with his girlfriend Glorian, leaving only Michelle and her parents at home. Because I didn't get to say goodbye to him in person, I guess a Facebook post will have to do.

Day 7

The main stop of the day was Cornell University in Ithaca. The route took us past Rutgers, but we skipped it due to the freezing temperatures. I spotted a cute roadside restaurant that turned out to be the perfect place for lunch. Everything we ordered was delicious!

The three of us arrived in Ithaca after a five-hour drive. Aside from a trip to the supermarket for dinner, the evening was uneventful as we were all exhausted.

Day 8

The weather wasn't too cold despite the snow outside. Luck was on our side again: my family met a professor at Cornell who gave us all the information we needed. The afternoon ended with a visit to the Department of Astronomy - where Carl Sagan worked until his death. I've always been one of his fans, and considering that I'll never get to meet him, this was the least I could do. On the whole, Cornell was my favorite school.

The plan was to head back to Morganville after lunch. However, my father extended our stay in Ithaca by a day after another professor said he could meet with us. Dad had hoped to go to Syracuse in the meantime but later changed his mind after the weather turned bad. The evening was much like the previous one: all we did was buy food at the supermarket.

Day 9

The appointment with Prof. Lewis went extremely well. I truly appreciate him taking the time to meet with us during the holidays. Our last stop in Ithaca was the Sagan Planet Walk - which consists of 10 monuments representing the Solar System. They were a nice touch, although we only went to the first four as it had gotten unbearably cold.

Philadelphia awaited us in the afternoon. The reason for coming to the City of Brotherly Love was to see the University of Pennsylvania. Gary is studying here to become a lawyer (an honest one, he says) and was more than happy to show us around. I could tell UPenn was a prestigious school. After the tour, we thanked Gary for his time and took him to dinner at a restaurant of his choice before dropping him off at his apartment.

I was getting ready for bed when I realized I had lost one of my mittens. Chances are it's somewhere in Philadelphia. Shit happens. It really does.

Day 10

JJ recommended Monmouth Battlefield State Park after we asked him about hiking spots. The trails were nice, but the scenery wasn't that impressive. On the other hand, Dad found an abandoned baseball in good condition near a frozen pond. He says it compensates for the mitten I lost the day before.

The next stop was Princeton University as my father wanted to see what it looked like too. This was followed by a hike along the partially frozen Delaware River. The place was beautiful, but we eventually had to turn back after reaching a fallen tree that blocked the path.

The plan was to go to a nearby beach that we heard had a great view of the Atlantic Ocean. Just then, our GPS gave us wrong directions and sent us on a wild goose chase for about 30 minutes. Seeing that we were getting nowhere, my parents gave up and went back to JJ's place. Don't you love technology sometimes?

The Yens invited us to an Asian buffet restaurant for dinner. Though I loved the food, this was a bittersweet moment as we soon had to part ways. Michelle actually needed to go back to Rutgers to prepare for a job fair. I hugged her goodbye before we returned to JJ's house for the night.

Mom noticed several hundred dollars in cash were missing as we were packing up. I'm guessing some random New Yorker must have took them. Fuck those bastards. >:(

Day 11

We thanked JJ and Sing-Long for their hospitality and said our farewells before heading back to the airport. On the way through Staten Island, my family stopped at a restaurant called Jimmy Max for lunch. The atmosphere was nice, although the tight schedule made it hard to enjoy the meal.

The good news is that we were able to board our flight on time despite the heavy traffic. The plane landed in San Francisco five hours later. Karen picked us up and gave us a ride home, during which we treated her to dinner for her troubles.

Conclusions

The purpose of traveling to Chicago and the Atlantic Northeast was to get a closer look at several universities to which I've applied. Cornell was my favorite, although I loved UPenn and Northwestern as well. Here's to hoping I get accepted into at least one of them!

Spanning 11 days, this was one of our longest trips ever. Of note is that never stayed at a hotel except when we visited Ithaca. The generosity of our friends and family saved us a lot in accommodation costs. Though the cold weather limited our outdoor time, that generally wasn't an issue.

The highlight of the trip was watching people ice fish on Lake Monona. The party at Da-Wei's house was also awesome; there are few things better than celebrating the New Year with relatives. It was also nice to get together with the Yen family again after over 13 years. But perhaps the most important thing is that I have a better understanding of the schools I've applied to.

Speaking of which, I ought to be studying as the winter quarter at St. Mary's College of California is starting in a few days. In the meantime, you can see the pictures from the trip here.

Update: The pictures are up.

Currently listening to: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley