all the places we didn't go

Ahoy,

The year began so earnestly with a rat race! For the year of the rat, we finally signed up for the Firecracker race in Chinatown. I had been wanting to do it for years but we were always gone. It was a great route, that started and ended to drumbeats in Chinatown. We went through Elysian Park for some great views and coincidentally past where we went for disc golf and lost all our discs. I would absolutely do it again. We ran into friends that were trying to collect all the medallions and they were more than 8 years in! 

We went to Chicago for CNY and it was just as cold as Sneezy feared it would be. Very stark contrast from CNY in LA the weekend before. It was very comfortably settled in the 70s for our run then. 

We continued what would hopefully be an annual tradition of cross country skiing with friends in Seattle. It happened to be the first weekend of pandemic and mayhem in Seattle. We went into Canada for a day at Ski Callaghan. There was no hand sanitizer or Lysol wipes anywhere. It did not hit LA until the following weekend once we returned. That might have been the last weekend Canada was permitting entry.  

We joined some friends for a weekend of camping in Bishop. This was the first weekend of mayhem in LA. The lines at grocery stores were fine on Wednesday, and Thursday was chaos. Our friend had gotten a private campsite at a place that had their own disc golf course. We locked our keys inside the car when we went to disc golf. Sneezy called AAA and they rescued us just in time for him to not freeze his buns off. The guy said he had had to clean up somebody's guts earlier in the day for the coroner, so this was not a bad call. The campground was emptier than usual, the owner said. She had gotten a lot of cancellations. We found some hikes in the area we would not have done on our typical climbing expeditions. We got a bunch of bread from Schat's. Good thing because the shelves would be cleared out in LA. 

On this very ambitious hike, we went so high up the mountain that we found snow. It was 14 miles up to Mt. Wilson Observatory. The wildfires would get right up to the Observatory from all sides later this year. The firefighters would be the heroes and win the battle this year. My knees were so achy after this hike. I would recommend poles.  

I used my bike a lot to get out and see the neighborhood. For some time I was going out once a day for Buy Nothing, stuff for me and others. We went to the beach and saw a lot of beaches. The highlight was watching a group reel in a bat ray and eating seafood at the pier. The teamwork on that was nothing less than impressive. I especially appreciated it since binging Alaska: The Last Frontier all year. It really taught me to appreciate subsistence living and being connected to your food. 

Having gotten a trip to Santa Barbara cancelled early in quarantine, we took a day trip a few months later. We went on a hike that did not afford any views because it was so overcast and foggy that day. Apparently, the views are supposed to be killer. Our favorite taco stand cum batting cage was still open for takeout and we ate it on the beach where we watched a bunch of school kids film what appeared to be a pandemic video for school.

I got on the sourdough train. Sneezy got on the eating sourdough train. 

There was a brief window in September/October when the numbers had gotten low everywhere. Fortunately, we happened to already have flights booked for Seattle. It seemed for a moment our trips to Seattle might have bookended COVID. It was wishful thinking. It was a great camping trip to Lopez Island. If campsites were at half capacity, I did not notice because the island definitely seemed at full capacity. We left just as wildfire season was ramping up. Air quality instantly turned for the worse as soon as we got back to the city. 

The following weekend, we had plans for Chicago. Just at the tail end of summer. I was determined to finish this Little Free Library for my folks' home. 

Our costumes this year to go nowhere: from To All the Boys I Loved Before, part 2. I was Lara Jean Covey as French Toast, and Sneezy was John Ambrose McClaren as Deviled Egg. We did our typical: go to the grocery store, walk around the neighborhood to look at decorations. We saw no other trick or treaters. Spooky. 

My bff had moved to Denver-adjacent over the summer and this was our first trip to visit her. Our first taste of the region, the downtown does not seem lacking, nor does the wilderness. Lots of stuff yet to venture here. 

happy trails,

jt

racing up the trail

Ahoy,

I remember my first conscious view out the airplane window as the plane swept across the landscape of the Western States. It struck me how much it looked like crinkled tissue paper. The grand Rockies and Sierras, breathtaking in pictures from the Earth - the stuff of American folklore and legend, could be described so simply from afar. I'll guess I must have been trying to diminish the grandeur of this fabled and coveted place West of the Mississippi that I did not want to venture. That was over 10 years ago now. 

There was a period during early pandemic when we went on a hike every weekend. We saw a lot of the Angeles Crest because it was close enough and somewhat of a little known secret because there is just so much there. Many of the trails we selected were not very crowded - sometimes we would only encounter one other party. We also were trying to go early enough to beat the crowds and heat. We got to the top of some crinkles of tissue paper. The next time I flew over the landscape, I had a somewhat different perspective. 

Trekking all across the Angeles Crest had made it more familiar to me, and I found myself wanting to trace the trails across the crinkles. I tried to pick out the peaks and draw the lines across to the other peaks. I squinted to look closer for the tree that I hung my jacket on or the critters that scattered upon my step. Was it possible to get to know someone so well?

As sunrise came earlier and earlier we found ourselves less eager to race to the trail. Fires eventually swept across the Crest and we sought respite elsewhere. But early pandemic will be a period of time when we got to know the mountains in our backyard better than we would have otherwise. 

happy trails,

jt


 

down under

Ahoy,

I was incredibly pleased to be meeting up with my bestie in Melbourne! She had been in Australia for a bit already. My mom was very pleased the airbnb I booked for us had a washing machine. She quickly decided she needed to do laundry every day.

Upon arrival, we went wandering around some coffee shops before being able to check in. Mom had arranged plans to meet with her friend for dinner in Chinatown. We looked around in Chinatown before dinner. A and I stopped for a beer while my mom and dad went on the hunt for a Chinese newspaper.

Our first day took us on a van tour along the Great Ocean Road. Mom and dad were into this because we were not walking as long distances as we normally do. This trip is similar to going to Big Sur. A lot of epic ocean views and natural wonders. We also saw koalas and kangaroos in the wild.

Queen Victoria Market was just steps away and it's just full of fun stuff to look at from books and games to apparel and food. Everything is there! At the visitor center, we found a map for a self-guided walking tour to see all the graffiti in the neighborhood. I think we got pho that night. There are a lot of ethnic foods in the area.

Melbourne is an incredibly diverse metropolitan city, in that respect it is so similar in feel to any other urban place - it didn't feel like we were abroad as much as Singapore did. But still a great place to visit, really comfortable and easy to navigate. Would go again!

When we went back to the states, I arranged for my folks to stay a night in LA, which gave my mom an opportunity to harass her friends at 6am on a Sunday to come out to get her to go to dim sum. And we took them to disc golf. What an epic trip! We packed so much in there!

best,
jt

music city

Ahoy,

Our latest expedition took us from Chicago to Nashville. I took the opportunity of being able to fly from Chicago to head south before heading west. I have not seen much of the south - it is such a trek to get out there from LA.

We took our first day to get out to the Parthenon of Nashville. It was erected for the Columbian Exposition and so loved that they eventually made it permanent. It's a replica of the real one in Greece and I got to get a lot closer to this one than the original. There is an art/history museum inside. It is a lot of art. That was his one art museum pass for the year. Art museums are on the bottom of my museum hierarchy, so A has to trick me into going to them. Eventually my high school friends made it to the park and we walked back to get BBQ. We walked through the Gulch, and made it to that main street of bars with live music, eventually picking a place that had a girl performing. It was a great pick. We walked back to get Hattie b's hot chicken for dinner. It was good, but I don't know if it was better than Howlin'.

Our next day was our rainy day. We started off indoors at a restaurant because the boys missed their breakfast. It stopped pouring for a bit while we walked downtown to the capitol and the State Museum, which is full of fascinating and old things and free! It was pouring while we were inside. We got a ride to go to Prince's, again, not as good as Howlin'. Our next destination was a bar that had games and axe throwing. The wait was too long so we played cards for a bit before heading back. I was trying to emphasize an earlier call time for the boys the next day.

Our goal was to get an 'early' tour for the Belle Meade Plantation. The Journey to Jubilee tour was so worth it and educational and eye opening! Please do this if you go to Nashville. We learned about the few slaves that are named that worked there. Of the 136, only 5 have known identities. It was part spoken word, part lecture, part critical analysis, etc. Really such a unique experience. And includes a wine tasting.

Our next stop was disc golfing. There were a lot of holes, and we did not finish them all. But great course. I wouldn't mind going again. I called it when I was hungry. A distillery tasting was coming up and I thought it would be wise to get food beforehand. Alas, the hot chicken place that was near the distillery turned out to be closed and under construction despite what google was reporting. It was heartbreaking. With a time crunch to be back for our tour, thus began my mad dash to find food with 4 boys trailing behind me. We walked to the farmer's market near the State Museum from the day before. When we got there, it was closed for a private event! Heartbreaking. Then I led us to a fast food style seafood place that miraculously, was open. It was surprisingly good. And we got back in time for our tour. Nelson's Green Brier Distillery has a history that is made for movies. We got to try a lot of their varieties that are unfortunately not available in LA.

Our last night, we caught another live act before embarking on A's first White Castle experience. He said he would eat it again. That's a win! Our hotel was great. It had the best parts of a more intimate family owned bnb, but still the amenities of a big chain. Would stay there again!

We arrived in LA with plenty of time for New Year's Eve. Barely stayed awake to midnight, though.

best,
jt

another flight across the pond

Ahoy,

I realize I forgot to record our travels in November to Singapore and Australia. The flurry of returning just upon the holidays was definitely occupying my time. And now I'm afraid I don't have a great recollection! Eek!

I had arranged for my folks to arrive into LA for a night before we all departed on a Thursday morning. The flight to Singapore is not for the faint of heart. We did not arrive in Singapore until Saturday before the sun came up. There was a layover in Japan. I managed to finish Obama's book and left it at the airport in Tokyo right outside a book store. I hope somebody found it, but in retrospect - I really should have left it at the lost and found. There was a demo for ink block printing at the airport that I got to try. Mom and dad remarked that they will never go to Japan - that airport was probably the closest they'll ever get - a remnant of China and Japan's complicated relationship. But they do like sushi!

I booked us a cute little capsule hotel-like space for the first night because in a hurry, I realized I had booked our hotel for arriving during the day, but we arrived at night, and the room could not be ready yet. My bad. My folks did not mind it as much as I thought they would. Our hotel the next day was much more spacious. The room had a giant circle tub and a drop down projector screen. 

Singapore is hot as balls and humid. It is year round. I could not live there. Our first morning we went to the hawker center across the street. I arranged us to stay in Chinatown, which pleased my dad. He got to have rice everyday. Mom promptly got in a line that turned out to be the one for a Michelin star place. We ate a lot of food. Mom continued grumbling about how no one gives you napkins - you have to bring your own. Appalling! And everything has too much flavor. 

Later that day, we continued to Little India and back to the downtown area to see the Merlion. We were able to meet up with my friend from middle school who had moved here. He was our tour guide. He took us to one of his favorite local places before we went to the zoo for a night tour. We had never seen the animals that close or that active. It was really remarkable. Seems to me you can only see the animals at night because it is so stiflingly hot during the day. 

Our second day began with another hawker center. Apparently, it was considered cool if it goes below 100 degrees F. We went to encourage my friend out of his house by crashing his place, thus forcing him to come with us to get us out of his place. We dragged him on a hike that I think only A enjoyed because it was so hot - none of us wanted to do anything. At this point, it is clear all the days will be torturous. We could do nothing indoors or whine outside doing stuff. Kudos to A for putting up with our grumpy butts. Truly, not my best. There were wild monkeys on the hike that were not at all afraid of people. They have fewer issues with personal space than I do. 

That evening, we went to check out Gardens by the Bay. We caught sunset and had dinner at the hawker center there. After a mad dash to catch the light show at the forest, we did not make it. And my mom wanted to wait to watch the next show. I spent some more time whining about how the sun is down and it is still so hot! A is chipper as ever because he is made for the tropics. 

The next day, we went to Sentosa Island - a cheesy resort place that holds Universal Studios, among other attractions. I wanted to take dad ziplining. He had first seemed interested in Toronto, so I decided Singapore was the time to make it happen! I'm glad I got to help dad tic that off his list. He had a good time. A and my mom met us at the beach for our hike back. Again with the hikes! There was a really cool library on the way back inside the mall. It's totally automated. Dad got to read his China newspapers on the computer, and mom read tabloids. There was an epic storm while we were inside. 

Our final day, we went back to the Gardens by the Bay to go inside the big glass domes. One is this big forest/jungle with waterfalls and the other is a big flower show. They are both huge and amazing architectural works on their own independent of the also amazing plants inside. A and I also went to the City Museum, which was entirely fascinating and free! After a quick shower at the hotel, we hopped over to the airport to check out the Jewel. My friend met us there for dinner, where my mom again scoffed at the flavors. 

Our flight to Melbourne was a redeye. And would also take us to more temperate climates. 

best,

jt

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

adventure time

Ahoy,

We met my parents in Salt Lake City for an adventure. My dad wanted to go to Yellowstone, but after some research I discovered it is closed in November due to snow. So I arranged a trip to Capitol Reef and Bryce. My mom asked 'Is it famous? Because I only want to go if it's famous...' She has to impress for friends.

First thing my parents told me when we met them at the airport was that my mom had found Chinatown. And it was 18 miles away. So we went to Chinatown which was all of one little strip mall on a street of strip malls. Probably the most underwhelming of Chinatowns we've seen. We walked in and out in under 10 minutes.

Capitol Reef was about 3 hours east of Salt Lake City and we were on our way. We stayed right outside the park so we could go straight there the next morning. There were cows grazing right next to the hotel. The town right outside Capitol Reef is pretty small. The last time we were there, A and I arrived too late and everything was closed. So we went straight out to dinner upon arrival.

I managed to get my folks out on 3 hikes the next day: 3 miles, 3 miles, and 2 miles, which is more than I can say for some of my friends. We hiked through a canyon to an arch while my parents stopped to admire every tree. We saw quite a bit of the park, and a fallen long horn sheep in the middle of the trail. When we finished the hike, we saw rangers heading in - one of them with a shotgun. I suspect the sheep had some sort of spinal injury because his hind legs were not moving at all. Capitol Reef has a lot to offer, but we had just missed harvest season. Apparently, you are allowed to pick fruit from the many orchards there left over from Mormon settlers. It is also probably the least crowded park we've visited, which we really appreciate compared to Yosemite in the summer.

My mom was complaining after each hike hoping it was the last one. She only wanted to go on one hike, she kept insisting. So the next day, we went on one hike that was almost 8 miles.

It's about a 2-3 hour drive south from Capitol Reef to Bryce. We took the scenic route and made it in time to grab dinner in town. I thought it was a small town given how popular Bryce is. I had been to Bryce a while ago and was eager to show A how cool it is. I've always thought it was so unique. We took a hike that went down into the hoodoos and saw a lot of different views. That hike was so varied and really gives a satisfying taste for a first trip. It was perfect weather for Bryce - just before snow and ice, and not muddy at all. We encountered ice only once at a waterfall, just enough of the elements for some excitement.

We spent our last day back in SLC. It was a Sunday so most things were closed, which didn't occur to me would be a problem until we got there. We spent the day wandering around the city. It's somewhat sleepy and suburban, which is not a surprise for a Capital city. A and I went to a bourbon bar to end the night, which had surprisingly good food for a good price and really good cocktails. Also, it was not busy at all. LA standards really make us appreciate smaller cities. I probably wouldn't like to live there, but it's nice to visit.

best,
jt