many firsts

Ahoy,

Our actual final trip of the summer began over Labor Day weekend. We left LA late on a Friday to our flight that was the last flight of the day and delayed 3 hours, arriving in Chicago after 3am. Our road trip would take us from Chicago to Niagara Falls to Toronto to Montreal to Acadia in Maine and finally to Boston.

We took nearly the whole day on Saturday to drive to Niagara Falls. It's about an 8.5 hour drive, in addition to losing an hour. It was broken up by a stop for disc golf just before the border crossing. The course was at this very nice park that surrounded a school. Quick 9 holes, in the bucket. This border crossing was much faster than the Seattle/Vancouver one. The next morning we walked out to a diner for breakfast and continued walking to the Falls. It was a good day with some cloud coverage. My parents had been before a few times, but it was A's and my first time. We walked down the the horseshoe part and back pretty much, stopping for pictures. A seemed surprised by how big it is and unexpectedly impressed. There is so much more water there than in CA. We hope to see the American side sometime. My dad seemed like he wanted to go on the zipline. He kept asking me if I want to go, and if I did, he would go with me. So I think I'll have to take him ziplining eventually.

The area around Niagara Falls has that Vegas vibe, which was unexpected and not something I care for at all. We walked back to the hotel and drove to Toronto, again, stopping for disc golf on the way. Bronte Creek requires admission. It's a big park with tons to do. Disc golf here had 18 holes with a lot of variety. Probably the most technical of the places we played on this trip, but a good reason to go to the park nonetheless. Mom and dad were still into it. Dad stayed for all 18 holes, and mom tapped out when it started raining harder.

Upon arrival in Toronto, we walked around Chinatown and Kensington Market until we decided where to eat dinner. Mom and dad were happy to finally get Chinese food again. The next day, we drove out for dim sum in Scarborough. And we stopped at the Kim's Convenience shop! Probably the highlight of the day. Mom started talking to the shopowner and asking about her daughter, as if it's a reality show. She was very nice about it. In Scarborough, we also went to the botanic garden that had some really cool sculptures. And then, you guessed it, disc golf. This course was better for beginners because it was more open. A threw his disc right into a family's picnic. We got mosquito bites at this one, but a really nice park and course nonetheless. There was lots more to do at the park then disc golf. For dinner we went to, you guessed it, Chinese food. So good, so cheap - as my parents would say. The last stop was at the old Distillery District, now filled with art and cute shops.

Our next day took us 5 hours away to Montreal. We stopped at a park, but there was no disc golf. With a full day in Montreal the next day, I took us on an all day walking tour. I was also able to get French food twice before we went back to Chinese. We walked all over Montreal and up and around a mountain in the middle of the city. Kudos to my parents for keeping up with minimal complaints. They really are champs when it comes to adapting to our style of travel. We saw Chinatown, Old Montreal, Downtown, McGill, the waterfront, the royal chalet, the gay village... There is so much we still have yet to see. We were our own Chinese tour group with me as the ringleader. But I think they like having a tour guide and being led around, so they are willing to have us decide what to do. They do know how to google where Chinatown is. They got to chat with the restaurant owner at the Chinese place and remarked how impressive that the immigrants there have to learn French and English.

The next day we departed for Acadia National Park in Maine, about 6.5 hours away. If my parents are not going to be eating Chinese food, the next best thing is lobster. For dinner, we made it to a roadside lobster stand swarming with mosquitoes. I think everyone would say it was worth it. At all the places, my mom would ask what was their biggest lobster and order it. They were so concerned that A would not have enough lobster.

Our full day here would take us into Acadia National Park. One day is not enough time to accomplish all you want in Acadia. We started off at the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the east coast at a whopping 1,529 feet above sea level. We covered a lot of ground subsequently: the wild garden, a stairs hike, an ocean hike, a climbing hike, another ocean hike, and the Jordan Pond. We also stopped at the restaurant for popovers and tea. We managed to pack a lot in and get lobster again. And weather was really favorable, perfect temperatures and overcast.

The following day was super rainy, so it was really lucky for us that it did not rain the day before.  Hurricane Dorian had made landfall in Maine. Fortunately, this was our departure date. We left for Boston and saw a recently flipped over RV on the way. For lunch, we stopped at a small seaside town for lobster, again. At this point, even A is tiring of lobster. Also, you guessed it, we made a stop for disc golf. A quick 9 hole forested, but not too dense course. We dropped off the rental car at the airport in Boston and got picked up by family. I was so happy to have not lobster for dinner. We hadn't been back to my aunt's house in 7 years. It was a nice evening with family. A and I flew back the next morning, and my parents stayed an extra day.

It was a fun trip filled with firsts for all of us. My parents are great to travel with. I'm really glad they let me arrange these adventures. They are willing to disc golf and walk all day. Dad is so adventurous and mom is tolerant of my antics in exchange for a personal travel agent.

happy trails,
jt

in a flash

Ahoy,

Summer happened in a flash.

We camped in Idyllwild for a night. It was pretty close. Probably about 2 hours. Of course, we stopped to play disc golf on a packed course full of families out for July 4 bbqs. The campsite was awesome and raised up off the road. Would be happy to camp there again. We got a last minute site, so it's nice to know there are places you can camp without a reservation 6 months ahead of time, even on a holiday weekend. I awoke to the people at campsite next to us arguing with each other. They stormed out of there. It was pretty entertaining. There is a high fire danger because there is so much forested, so for the first time ever we heard no fireworks for July 4. Good place to go if you have anxious pets. Also, we were pleased to find out our National Parks pass worked in the national forest there. It seemed like there were lots of hiking options, and we didn't really get into it. Lots more in store for subsequent trips.

Our next camping trip took us to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Our site was in Kings Canyon this time. Trips past have had us closer to Sequoia, so I thought we would see more of Kings Canyon. We were pleasantly surprised with the steep granite walls and lack of crowds. John Muir has once stated it may be 'grander than Yosemite.' I was able to set up my hammock at our campsite and hang around while I waited for my PR to wake up. A lot of King's Canyon is accessible only by backcountry. We did the long hike to some waterfalls that seemed like the must do. And we saw the caverns and some bats. King's Canyon is nestled between Yosemite and Sequoia, and doesn't get a lot of attendance, but I would recommend you all check it out sometime in your travels. You will be pleased.

Our next summer trip took us to the Portland area. We jetted into Hood River to stay with friends on their amazing property abutting a river. They have so many fun things to check out: chickens, garden, old cars, trees, river, outdoor shower... We went on a long hike to a mountain top with amazing views. It was not crowded at all. It seems like every trail in California is always packed. I always notice and appreciate when we have a trail to ourselves. Our post-hike reward was a whiskey tour and tasting at Wanderback on their farm and barn. We had a great time chatting with the tastemaster and trying their repertoire. One of our highlights was stacking wood into the wood shed for winter - something we've never done before. It's a part of a totally different lifestyle. One of our favorite things about traveling is discovering how other people live. Another fun hike was to the top of Beacon Rock as we raced the rain clouds. We rounded off the trip with a night in Portland to get coffee and doughnuts before flying back to LA.

Our last thing on the summer list was to make a couch that converts to a bed. So now we are ready for anybody that wants to come stay in our tiny apartment.

happy trails,
jt

blink of a trip

Ahoy,

Our latest international foray was finally going to be Germany. We never can get that far East into Europe. There are too many good places before we ever get there. We flew into Sweden because it is a direct flight. So we opted to stay 1 night in Sweden. I was very pleased to find out Swedish households have a shoes-off policy.

With just a little bit of trouble coordinating, we were able to gain access into our airbnb. A was insistent on getting airbnbs, but for a 1 night stay, I think we should go with a hotel next time. The guarantee of having someone at check-in and luggage storage is worthwhile. We unloaded our things and went straight out otherwise we would have fallen asleep. We got so sleepy in a park, and there were so many benches everywhere that were hobo-friendly
(suitable for laying down). Along our walk, we saw some of old town, the palace, grand buildings, waterfront views. A tried to navigate us to an island park, but we did not make it and only got to the tiny island in between.

I saw Ikea food on a dinner menu, but we veered away from it. We went to sleep when the sun was still out, but sunset is at something close to 10pm. We woke up so early and made it to the big island park. There was a Disney-esque portion and a lot of very forested portions. Nothing was open so A couldn't get coffee right away. He loaded up on candy at the airport before our flight to Berlin.

For whatever reason, we got the first 2 seats on Easyjet. Let me tell you, sitting in the front is entertaining. The flight attendant was very friendly and funny. There was a group of rowdy uni students he scolded during the safety demo. Our stay in Berlin was in a quiet neighborhood. When we stay with airbnbs, I'm looking for places that have a neighborhood feel and off the tourist circuit.

We walked out so early in the morning. We saw Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust Memorial, the Tiergarten, and so many other things before we saw other people. There was a glass dome atop an administrative building that you need reserved tickets to enter. We weren't able to go up, but you should get the tickets if you go.

German customer service is the worst I've experienced in a developed country, and most developing countries. I'm sure they have other ideas of what customer service means. German food is not something I'm trying to go back for either. Two nights in Berlin and we were onto Munich. I was excited to meet up with our friends.

Munich felt like a smaller city, but still urban. There are a lot of things to see and do very close together. However, A opted to have us walk an hour out to the summer palace. Upon arriving, I was so sleepy and over it. Had we known there was a lot of garden behind the palace to explore, I would have insisted we take transit there so I wouldn't be so grumpy upon arrival.

To get back, we had a spat out on the street when he insisted we not board the tram because he didn't know how tickets worked. I had us board the next one and got us tickets by asking the conductor and asking the other riders for change for the machine. The brazenness of a grumpy and determined tourist!

At the English Gardens, we heard a hit and run between a cyclist and a dog off-leash. Everyone seems to be very confident about their dogs being off-leash in Germany. We spent a day walking around the tourist traps with Glu and then a day out to Neuchwanstein. It is the castle that inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella castle at the Disney parks. According to A, it was the only thing he wanted to do in Germany. It is somewhat disappointing as far as castles go. It never really saw battle or conflict, and was never complete. The guy knocked down a castle to build his more opulent, extravagant medieval castle during the industrial revolution.

The next day, we were onto Heidelberg. A last minute change in our itinerary took us from Frankfurt to Heidelberg. No one told us any good things about Frankfurt, so we cancelled our Frankfurt plans at the airport before we left the States. Heidelberg is like the Cambridge or Harvard of Germany. It's a little college town with a lot of history. There is a run down castle, that they market as ruins so they don't have to make repairs or maintain (in my opinion). It got wrecked during some battles and struck by lightning. Real action.

Our last stop on this trip would be Paris, which I don't particularly care for. We'd been before, and it was fine, but we were going for the direct flight back to LAX. Upon circumstance, A's bestie from grade school would also be there. All 3 of us made the pilgrimage out to Versailles. It really does feel like it because everyone is on the same trek. The palace was really opulent but on a totally unimaginable scale as far as how daily life goes about. There are some smaller residences behind that are much more realistic. And the village and farm all the way in the back of the property were really the highlights. I would have liked to have more time back there. It was so cute!

The air quality in Paris was worse than I had remembered. Everywhere was cigarette smoke or fuel exhaust. But the food in Paris was sooo delicious. Especially after Germany, I appreciated it so much more. We flew Norwegian again for this trip, and had no problems this time. Probably not going to make it to Germany again if given the choice. But there are so many other places to go to!

happy trails,
jt

cdmx

Ahoy,

This holiday break we went to Mexico City. It took me way too long to realize all the 'CDMX' everywhere was short for Ciudad de Mexico. I wanted to take the Metro to our hotel, which is all the way at the other end of the airport if you land internationally. It is only 5 pesos, which is about 25 cents. The train cars are older, and look like what we would consider vintage train cars here. It's pretty cute. They run very frequently. We got around a lot on the train - there is good coverage and frequent service, which might be more than I can say for LA.

We arrived to Condesa in the afternoon and just walked around the neighborhood. The neighborhood feels very European with a lot of sidewalk bistros, wide pedestrian boulevards, and lots of trees. At about 7000 ft elevation, I wasn't very hungry. Drinks are very cheap, beer and mezcal. We tried a lot of mezcal. And we had a lot of street tacos, which were mostly $1 each. They were all very good.

We went to a castle, of Chapultepec, the only castle in North America. It was so crowded; it was like waiting in a line the whole way through the castle. There was a lot of art. More art than I can tolerate. It was just endless! And then we walked through one of the main boulevards before making our way back to Condesa.

One of the days we took an Uber out to Teotihuacan. It was a pretty quick ride and efficient for 4 of us. I always waver between going with a tour guide or going on my own. I hate having to wait for the group and waiting to be released to explore with a limited amount of time. But sometimes guides do give good context. We were all pleased with the way we did it. It was a good use of our time and we were all on the same page for the most part. We made it back to the city earlier than we thought we would. A flooded the toilet at our friend's airbnb before we headed back out to Polanco. Personally, I think I could have done without visiting Polanco. It was so much like Beverly Hills.

We spent another day on the train to Xochimilco, remnants of old Aztec canals. Of the canals we've seen around the world, these were probably the least well maintained. It was so touristy, we tried to look for a spot where we could just watch the canal activities without participating. Afterwards, we took the train back to the Anthropology Museum, which A really wanted to see after reading it was one of the best in the world. No doubt that is true because it was giant. There is not enough time you could spend there to absorb all the information and knowledge.

Another day we took the train a short distance to Centro Historico. It was so crowded! There are so many people in CDMX. We tried to go to the library because it is an architectural marvel, but it was closed Dec 24-Jan 6. I also wanted to see the Chinatown. It was so interesting mostly for the fact that we saw no Chinese people - working or visiting. We were the only Chinese people. It is only 2 blocks, but still so interesting.

The old buildings in the historic center were fun to walk along without cars. There are a lot of street markets in there, but oh, so crowded!

There are so many parts of CDMX that we were walking along that just felt so much like LA. It is so easy to get to, the flights feel very domestic. And the people just feel so familiar compared to LA. We'd be happy to return. Who doesn't need to practice their Spanish every so often?

best,
jt