Lady Liberty - Enlightenment or Welcome?

A gift from France to celebrate the American Centennial, the Statue is one of America's most visited and enduring symbols... and definitely the most recognizable!

We visited the Statue of Liberty last Monday, September 4th, Labor Day.It was a picture perfect day! The view of the NYC skyline was great and seeing Lady Liberty as the immigrants saw her was amazing!

We're from NJ so there no rush at all. Just some tips for visitors, it's better to get tickets on line for the first boat. Arrive early, do not bring anything with you except personnel items and cameras( saves time) and go up into the statue, that's where you can get a real feel of it.

It was great! Truly, a symbol of welcome and enlightenment.

Ellis Island

The Flag at Ellis Island





At the Registry Room that was used as a federal immigration station opened on January 1, 1892. It was closed in November 1954 but not before processing more than 12 million immigrants.

MUST DO IN TORONTO!

On our recent trip from New Jersey to Toronto, one of the "must do" items on our list was the C.N. Tower. The CN Tower is definitely worth seeing! Oh yeah, it is a little pricey especially if you do everything there. Things are not labeled well so you will have to ask before you do things. Haha!

Inside is the usual array of shops before going up in the lifts, which is a bit scary. Once up there you feel very safe, and strangely don’t really feel the height. The glass floor is fun and there is a bar at the top. I literally rolled over and over to get the best picture possible. Well, I’m not alone… just so you know.

We didn’t eat in the 360 restaurant due to other reports saying the food was expensive and not very good - and true the food was expensive - the cheapest main course was $39 excluding tax - whereas on the street you could expect to pay anything upwards of $8 excl tax for a main meal. The King St. area (with bars and different cuisines) is a good destination for eating out.


Some facts: From Wikipedia The CN Tower, at 553.33 metres (1,815 feet, 5 inches) tall, is the world's tallest freestanding structure on land. It is located in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is considered the signature icon of the city; more than two million international visitors are attracted annually to the tower[1]. Guinness World Records, which broadly defines 'building', has listed the CN Tower as the world's tallest for 30 years[2]. CN originally referred to the Canadian National Railway, but following the railway's decision to divest non-core freight railway assets, prior to the company's privatization in 1995, the CN Tower was transferred to the Canada Lands Company (CLC), a federal Crown corporation responsible for real estate development. Since the citizens of Toronto wished to retain the name CN Tower, the abbreviation CN now officially stands for Canada's National rather than the original Canadian National.

july 2006 posts...

the lake, the mountains and the snow... (Summertime in Lake Tahoe from Heavenly Ski Resort)


haha... i just realized that i did not post the blogs i made last july... how awful! am i getting old or something?! i guess it's something! OH WELL, HERE IT GOES...



GO LAKE TAHOE!

I'm not sure if I can ever go to Lake Tahoe during the winter... and there are many reason. Number one, I can't ski! It's going to be shameful to go there just to walk on the snow... haha! Well, seriously, I can't stay in the cold just yet. I'll get really sick... so summertime is just perfect!







A MOVING EXPERIENCE



The Golden Gate Bridge is arguably the most recognizable bridge in the world. When you see it for the first time on a clear day the colors from not only the bridge but from the surrounding landscapes is staggering. You'll never look at another bridge with such wonder, amazement, and appreciation. There are numerous vantage points throughout the city to photograph the bridge that are great, but the spots in the immediate vicinity are the best.

In one word "stunning". We did the city tour which drove us over it. Although when we were there the weather was cool and foggy and the biggest part of the time the bridge was covered in cloud but it was wonderful when you got clear views. Of course, it is good to see in real life what you mostly see in films... a moving experience... truly charming!

soarin' at EPCOT

Do you love flying? Take a free-flying adventure across the natural wonders of the Golden State aboard this thrilling Disney's California Adventure™ park attraction. With the wind in your hair, glide 40 feet in the air as you look down upon the breathtaking vistas of Yosemite and redwood forests. Soar as high as your imagination over a world of wonders...

How about driving really fast? Enter the hair-raising world of auto testing on one of the longest, fastest rides in Disney history! Strap yourself in to race up bumpy terrain, roar through hair-pin turns, speed into freezing cold chambers, and rush on to 50-degree banked curves at 60 miles an hour. At just under 5-minutes and with a top speed of 65 mph this is the longest and fastest ride at Walt Disney World. While waiting for the thrill you will have a rare sneek peek inside the world of automobile testing and get a first hand look at how cars and trucks are tested...

Wanna be an astronaut? This ultimate interactive thrill-packed adventure is as close as you can get to blasting off into space without leaving Earth. Each member of your astronaut team has a challenging role in a dynamic and daring cosmic mission dodging meteors and navigating nebula. Feel the force of lift-off and have an exhilarating, mystical rendezvous on another planet. It's out of this world! Oh yeah! I was really dizzy after but I don't regret trying!

Obviously, my love for out-of-this-world stuff made EPCOT my favorite at WDW. It's a wonderful combination of a science exploratorium and a world's fair sprinkled with thrills throughout. Epcot looks at the future and celebrates the world's cultural diversity.

Truly magical! ;-)

MAGICAL WORLD OF WDW

Sneakers? Check.
Sunscreen? Check.
Sunglasses? Check.
Hat, backpack, park-hopper tickets? Check.
We're all set! Good to go!

A century ago, oranges and cows were the main attractions in Orlando. Now, a daunting array of water parks and entertainment centers, led by Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando, draw millions of visitors each year. Even the most jaded adult can find something wondrous in this eye-popping land of marvels—with or without the kids. And if you need an escape from animated characters and crowds, head to one of Orlando’s many well-respected spas.

...and once you choose to vacation in Neverland, it's never too soon to begin strategizing. Because no one truly "escapes" to the magical worlds of Disney and other parks without fine-tuning a game plan. Armed with your map and provisions -- snacks, water bottles, sport drinks -- you're ready to outmaneuver the pixie-dusted millions who visit the area each year.
Once you're prepared with a realistic vision of your vacation, you'll be more than ready to let the fantasy sweep you away to the golden-spired Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Then forward march to the lush jungles and sweeping savanna of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Discover Epcot and its hodgepodge of culture and technology. Finally, rewind to a Hollywood heyday that never was at the star-studded Disney-MGM studios.


iNtro...to the MAGIC...
The sheer enormity of the property -- 30,000 acres near Kissimmee, Florida -- suggests that WDW is more than a single theme park with a fabulous castle in the center. The property's acreage translates to 47 square mi -- twice the size of Manhattan or Bermuda, and about the same size as San Francisco. On a tract that size, 107 acres is a mere speck, yet that's the size of the Magic Kingdom. When most people imagine Walt Disney World, they think only of those 107 acres, but there's much, much more.
More than 2,800 acres of the property are occupied by hotels and villa complexes, each with its own theme and swimming pools and other recreational facilities. Epcot, a little more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom, is the second major theme park. A combination of a science exploratorium and a world's fair sprinkled with thrills throughout, Epcot looks at the future and celebrates the world's cultural diversity. Disney-MGM Studios, devoted to the film business and also known familiarly as the "Studios," is nearby.
In the past several years, Disney has introduced and expanded a way to experience the most popular attractions with little or no wait. FASTPASS allows you to schedule appointments and avoid the long lines that are so commonplace. Going by a Disney survey, FASTPASS may save as much as two hours of line-standing time. Just step up to the front of the line and book your reservation time by feeding your theme-park admission ticket into a machine. PHOTOPASS is also so amazing. My husband and I had so many pictures together... thanks to Disney's PHOTOPASS .

And you may not be finished yet, since the flashier colors and thrills of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure await beyond Disney World's gates. Don't forget to give Seaworld, Busch Gardens, and Cypress Gardens their due, either.


Wherever you decide to wander, stick to your plan and hang on to your hat, because it's going to be a wonderful (sometimes scary!) joyride.

Universal Studios, Florida

Universal Studios...

I've read somewhere that a century ago, oranges and cows were the main attractions in Orlando. Oh well, too bad!

Now, a daunting array of water parks and entertainment centers, led by Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando, draw millions of visitors each year. Even the most jaded adult can find something wondrous in this eye-popping land of marvels—with or without the kids.

If you are looking to spend a day away from the Disney theme parks, there are many things that you can spend a day doing within a short drive from anywhere you are staying in the Orlando area. One of my favorites is Universal Orlando... you'll feel like a star as you ride your favorite movies such as ET, The Mummy, MIB, etc... 

SEAWORLD Orlando

Yehey!!!
Just got from a fantastic Orlando Trip, the fun capital of the world.
Aside from the ever-popular WDW,
Orlando is also home to Shamu and his friends at Seaworld. It is owned by the Anheuser-Busch people, who also make the beer. Nothing excites kids or the kid in all of us more than watching a great big killer whale leap about gracefully and effortlessly through the air. You can also enjoy dolphins, sharks, sting rays, shows, and concerts.

They also have cool rides too... and I mean cool!  

lovin' the colors

 

taipei airport w/ my honey

taipei airport w/ my honey, nov 4, 2005 

oN mY tRaveL tALeS

hmmm...i'm not really well travelled you see... I've memorized the fifty states of the U.S. because it's "part of the job" not because I've been there. I can tell you the European countries with their capital cities...memorized it from the atlas my mom got me during my 5th grade. Haven't been there too but someday I will. travel tales... I haven't really travelled yet, but you know what? someday I will and I want to write cool stories and web logs about it. Nah! Not really to share but for me to look back after several years. Picture essays will be real cool too!