After the Storm at Lake Michigan

Watched the sunset at the White Lake Channel (Montague Side) 

A storm pummeled Muskegon last night and left behind a trail of colossal destruction. The heavy downpour of rain flooded some areas and caused power outages to thousands of homes. We’re lucky enough to sleep through the night with power. The deafening thunder was so loud that the whole house trembled so many times.

However, just like in every storm, there’s calm after. It was a beautiful sunny day and we watched the sunset at Lake Michigan!

The water was calm and this man was doing the kite sailing. 

Amazing view of the man doing the kite sailing right before the sunset. 

He jumped so high out of the water so many times! 

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River Tubing Adventure at Ludington State Park

Tubing (also known as inner tubing, "bumper tubing" or even toobing) is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.

The idea of a river tubing was something I didn’t really think about until I moved here in the United States. I was more of into boating and river rafting. It was my first time last year and so glad to be able to do it again today!

Sitting back in the inner tubes (except I had a tiny raft) while floating at the relaxing water for about two hours certainly belongs to everyone’s bucket list. The adventure treated us to the vibrant display of green trees and beautiful sceneries.

After the tubing, we were greeted by the beautiful water of the great Lake Michigan! Waves were so high but the water was so shallow so we had a lot of fun swimming. For the first time, the water was warm enough for my ‘tropical body’.

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New Jersey- New York- Philadelphia- Canada Trip (Part 4)

Summer 2018 was made so special with our road trip across three states, two countries, one iconic landmark, and one nature's wonder.

Our last day was equally special since it was my birthday. David disappeared after we got back home from the mall the night before to get flowers, cards, and gift for me. We were filled with excitement because our last destination before heading home would be Niagara Falls.

The scenic views from Philadelphia and New York to Canada were indescribable. Walls of rocks, beautiful trees, and pristine lakes kept us entertained. As always, we just followed the route from Google map so imagine our surprise when the map ended right in front of a residential house!

After a little bit of research looking for the proper route, we finally arrived at our destination. Niagara Falls was the most beautiful place that I have ever been. Even when we were still at the car looking for the parking area, we were already so overwhelmed with emotions. It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday with the person I love so much. The three falls are part of the Niagara River, which forms the U.S./ Canada border all the way from the city of Niagara Falls up to Lake Ontario. American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are on the American side of the border, and the Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian side. We opted to see the Canadian side.

The temperature was almost 95 but whenever we stood right at the part where the mist was, it dropped to about 60F. We felt sad that we were able to stay for about 30 minutes only. We had more than six hours of drive on the way home and it was getting late.

The Port Huron border was packed with cars and we were at the bridge for more than an hour. I felt bad that my husband was the one driving the whole time of our travel. He was beyond exhausted and when a deer jumped right in front of the car when we were near Grand Rapids, I could not believe how fast he stopped! We were both shaken thinking of what could have happened if David was not able to stop. It was past 11:00 p.m. and he was driving since 7:00 a.m. Thankfully, we arrived home safely closed to midnight.

For most people, traveling is all about that adrenaline rush brought by the excitement of seeing new places, meeting new people, eating new foods, and basking on beautiful surroundings. Traveling is not a panacea but it does give you a clearer perspective about life in general. For me and my husband, it is our time to talk and enjoy the moments uninterrupted by technology and worries of life. Plus, don’t forget the joy of seeing a very dear friend.

Part 1:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada.html

Part 2:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_6.html

Part 3:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_54.html

Part 4:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_84.html

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New Jersey- New York- Philadelphia- Canada Trip (Part 3)

 

 New York Brooklyn Bridge during night time.

Philadelphia downtown where we met Mich. 

The main reason of our travel was to meet Mich who was in the U.S. to attend a convention. She was sent by the University where she works. Even though fate brought us far from each other, we continue to enjoy this special bond that connects us. We used to spend hours just talking about anything and everything.

There were no words to describe the moment that I hugged her again. It was so special that my best friend met my husband for the first time. The moment was made more beautiful with the fact that we were in a beautiful city of Philadelphia. Although I enjoy traveling in different cities in the U.S.A., I always relish the time that we go back home but Philadelphia was different. It has this blend of old and new which makes the city more welcoming and I actually felt right at home.

King of Prussia Mall considered as the largest mall in United States in terms of the area for lease. 

We had breakfast at one of the restaurants at Readers Market. My husband said the biscuits and gravy he had was the best he ever tasted. The place is a historic indoor market which has about 80 vendors offering a wide variety of cuisines from all over the world with some operating the same way back in 1892 when it first opened. Nothing could be better than spending the first hour of seeing each other after seven years in a very special place.

It was raining so we decided to spend the rest of the day at King Prussia Mall and TJ Maxx where we tried to catch up with each other’s life in between shopping and laughter. Needless to say, I was dreading the time that we would drop off Mich at her hotel and say our goodbyes. Although I was glad to spend the whole day with her, I wished it was longer. 

Part 1:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada.html

Part 2:
http://www.teacherwanderer.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_6.html

Part 3:
http://www.teacherwanderer.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_54.html

Part 4:
http://www.teacherwanderer.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_84.html 

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New Jersey- New York- Philadelphia- Canada Trip (Part 2)

At the Liberty State Park where we had a good view of the iconic Statue of Liberty. 

All geared up after being well-rested the night before, we drove on the way to Liberty State Park where we planned to ride a ferry and see the iconic Statue of Liberty. However, when I realized that the view of the statue from the park was good enough, I told David we didn’t need to ride a ferry to get a closer look. It’s known for a long queue and we knew that we won’t have enough time to see other places if we stayed there for so long. Visit to New York was limited since we needed to head back to Philadelphia in the afternoon to meet my friend who would be arriving from Italy.

The drive to New York was crazy. Traffic was bad and tolls were confusing. Instead of stressing ourselves of missing the turns and paying several times in the same toll, we chose to just enjoy the ride. I also find it ridiculous to pay $15 in Lincoln tunnel. It was worth the drive though because we were able to enjoy the beautiful day at Central Park.

We were surprised that we easily found a free parking area right in front of the park. Interestingly, Central Park is bigger than Vatican City. It contains several lakes, theaters, ice rinks, fountains, tennis courts, many playgrounds, and baseball fields. It was so amazing being surrounded with trees and giant sculptures of rocks amidst the city with skyscraper buildings. Central Park makes New York such a nice place to live knowing that you could just walk there and breathe some fresh air. Of course, David enjoyed playing with the pigeons and he ended up having a bird poop on his shirt.

The next stop was back in New Jersey for some taste of Filipino cuisine. Jollibee makes the visit in different states complete. As always, it was full packed mostly with Filipinos.

After enjoying the delicious lunch comprised with palabok, chicken, peach mango pie, halo- halo, and hotdog, we headed to the two-hour-drive to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, I booked the wrong hotel. Hilton has several hotels and I chose the one about thirty-minutes from where Mich was staying. King of Prussia where our hotel was located was breathtakingly beautiful though. We were so near the King of Prussia Mall known for being the largest mall in the U.S. in terms of leasable space. Mich and I decided to just meet the following day since our hotel was not as near to hers as we initially thought.

We ended the day shopping and enjoying the rest of our Hilton complimentary cookies in the comfort of our room.

Part 1:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada.html

Part 2:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_6.html

Part 3:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_54.html

Part 4:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_84.html

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New Jersey- New York- Philadelphia- Canada Trip (Part 1)

Oftentimes, we get wrapped up in the daily mundane of working and paying bills that enjoying life becomes secondary. David and I however have always discussed seeing new places and creating memories by traveling. As a matter of fact, in the short time of my stay here, we have visited places near Michigan and our recent travel was the farthest so far.

To wander in an unfamiliar place with the person closest to your heart is the most beautiful feeling in the world. Knowing that the reason for our travel was also to meet a very dear friend added to the excitement.

We left Friday at 4:00 a.m. anticipating the thirteen-hour-long drive. Our first destination was NewJersey known for having the most diners in the world. Fifteen minutes after leaving the house, my husband realized that he didn’t have his phone. We frantically searched the car but it was nowhere to be found. Missed calls however indicated that the phone was just somewhere in the car. Finally, I told him to check the car’s roof and of course it was there! Fifteen minutes on the road and his phone was on top of the car!

The travel was quite uneventful but it was filled with picturesque sceneries that stretched as far as the eyes could see. We also savor the moment of just being able to talk without worrying about anything.

There were many road repairs making the travel longer so we were exhausted by the time we arrived in our hotel. Our plan to meet a friend in New York upon arrival did not push through since we were both so tired.

If there’s one spectacular thing about New Jersey was that you got to enjoy New York’s beautiful view without enduring the crazy traffic of the former. Right across our hotel was the Hudson river offering a waterfront view of New York’s skyscraper buildings. My husband and I were just too exhausted though to do anything except to grab dinner so he had his pizza and I had my Japanese cuisine.

Part 1:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada.html

Part 2:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_6.html

Part 3:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_54.html

Part 4:
http://www.ninabuenanichols.com/2018/06/new-jersey-new-york-philadelphia-canada_84.html

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Trip to Chicago (Part 3- Sunday)

One thing I noticed whenever I go on a trip with my husband- time flies so fast. This would be the last day of our trip before driving back to Michigan so we wanted to make the most of it. Driving around the city was a lot easier and less stressful since we have figured out a more efficient way of looking for the place and parking.

Field Museum at Chicago. 

First stop was the Field Museum. It’s strategically located near Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. City Pass also offers a VIP entry and an all access to the different exhibits. We had a lot of fun and so fascinated with everything. The place was huge and definitely contains millions of gems of knowledge. After watching 4D movie about Sue the Dinosaur, we could not contain our excitement to see her! It was amazing how she was discovered, the process of excavating her, and putting her back in one piece. However, much to our disappointment- Sue was no longer in her place! Only a part of her could be viewed in a window glass and the other parts of her were inside the wooden containers. Apparently, another dinosaur bigger than her was discovered and would be the next attraction in the museum. We felt sad but it was still worth the visit.

Our last stop before heading home was the Navy Pier. It was the first and the only place we visited when my husband picked me up at the airport November 2016. We spent the time basking on the beauty of the lake and skyscraper buildings around it. We also had lunch at one of the famous pizza place- Giordano’s. The food was scrumptious and worth the price- close to a hundred dollars for two meals!

The trip was short but our hearts are grateful for the time that we have spent just simply having fun and far from the usual hustle and bustle of life. I am definitely blessed to have a husband who makes me feel loved every single day.

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Top Three Places to Visit in Chicago Using City Pass

My husband and I almost had a zero argument. We rarely contradict each other and most of the times, we settle everything without arguing. It was funny to find out that there was one thing we bickered a lot when we were in Chicago- finding the parking area! 

It was stressful enough driving in a city with some crazy drivers and looking for parking area was another thing! After a while, we agreed that I’ll handle Google map so he could concentrate driving. We knew our itinerary beforehand since the night before, we purchased the City Pass as recommended by friends. Here are the top places that you need to visit in Chicago using the city pass!

1. Shedd Aquarium 

It was not my first time to be in a water marine park. However, this place makes it on top of my list as one of the best. It was huge and offered not just a glimpse but complete experience in educational way with various marine animals. Having the City Pass gave us unlimited access with all the features of the place.

2. Adler Planetarium
The place was a walking distance from Shedd Aquarium but it was freezing because of the strong wind. It was not worth the walk and the place was a huge disappointment. After being spellbound with everything at Shedd Aquarium, we had high expectations. We got VIP entry courtesy of the City Pass but we did not really enjoy much our visit. I fell asleep at the middle of the 3D movie (The voice over was so boring) and the exhibits were not extraordinary at all.

3. Millennium Park-Cloud Gate

Not having enough time to go to the Field Museum, we decided to just check the Cloud Gate at Millennium Park. It was probably the most stressful part of looking for a parking area. Thankfully, we found one just at the side of the park. Yes, the parking fee was ridiculously expensive! The Cloud Gate was definitely a beautiful art work of an Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor.

The last place does not need a city pass but if you are a Filipino, you definitely need to visit!

Jollibee/ SeafoodCity Market

There wasn’t really much to do at the Cloud Gate except taking pictures so we didn’t stay for long. Realizing we still have time to visit another place, we decided to go to Jollibee. It’s one of the famous fast food outlets in the Philippines known for its sweet spaghetti with hotdogs and crispy chicken. I was so surprised that there’s actually a city market in the same building selling Filipino foods. There’s another kiosk for street foods as well. I ended up doing grocery shopping!

It was another day of fun-filled memories spent with my husband. Despite of the stress in finding parking areas, we just ended up laughing about it. At the end of the day, we remain a couple who would rather show how much we love each other than spend time arguing. 

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Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Chicago

It’s one of the spur of the moment decision of my husband. We’ve been planning a trip for our wedding anniversary and considered Chicago as our destination but we didn’t really make any final choice yet since we were both busy at work. Thankfully, my husband and his surprises never failed me yet. 

After working the whole day, we hopped in the car and off we started our travel. We decided to have a pizza take-out for him and a Red Wok take-out for me. That’s when we realized that we forgot our swimsuits. So, we needed to make another stop over at Walmart to buy them.

The view during the travel was breathtaking. Lakes in the dusk were undeniably beautiful. While my husband was driving, I read aloud Daily Bread. The ride took three hours and thankfully, it was a smooth ride. 

Chicago at night is absolutely beautiful. It’s like a magic city filled with laughter and lights. The check-in was a bit stressful because parking area was in another building and my husband was not really used with city driving. We stayed at Hyatt Hotel right in the heart of the city.

The check-in was uneventful but entering our room was. We swiped the card so many times, checked the numbers written on the card, and nothing happened. The door would not open. My husband went back to the reception area to ask for help while I was left with our luggage. Back to the 15th floor after asking for help, still the card would not work. Finally, he called again for help and only to find out there was a mistake and we were supposed to be in the 16th floor. 

At night, Chicago was bustling with people. While at the elevator after grabbing something at another floor, my husband was even invited to a party! 

It was pretty amazing falling asleep gazing at the night sky illuminated with the lights from skyscrapers buildings! What’s more, it’s an indescribable feeling falling asleep with my husband’s arms around me.

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A Day at Grand Rapids

A day at Grand Rapids, MI would afford you the opportunity to visit parks, museums and watch a show at gigantic Van Andel Arena! 

"Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” 

A day at Grand Rapids, MI would afford you the opportunity to visit parks, museums and watch a show at gigantic Van Andel Arena! 

Just like any other couple, my husband and I normally get so entangled with the hustle and bustle of life. It is through our little travel that we find enjoyment the most. 

So, David decided to book us at Hampton hotel in Grand Rapids, a city about an hour from where we live. We planned on visiting museums and just going around the city. A day before our travel, we learned about the ‘Disney on Ice’ show so we decided to watch it as well. 

Saturday morning when we left and of course, we feel bad for our little dogs who would be home by themselves. Alice knew something was up so she tried to snuggle a little bit longer in the clothes of my husband. Zoie was seemingly unaffected but Dani started barking nonstop. 

First stop was shopping at Burlington Factory. I heard a lot about this store and I told my husband to give it a try. Of course, we decided not to shop anywhere else realizing how much branded clothes are cheaper there. 

At Rockwell restaurant with my new pair of eyeglasses. 

On the way to the hotel, we saw EyeglassWorld. David immediately decided to get a pair for me since we’ve been planning on it for a long time. They have amazing technology and customer service. We didn’t have any appointment but they were able to immediately attend to us. I got two pairs and it was an amazing feeling to finally be able to see again at a far distance. I could not believe how much I needed it!

At Gerald Ford museum. 

Then we were off to the first museum, Gerald Ford museum. The place was very inviting and filled with his memorabilia. It was an amazing glimpse to the man who was obviously highly revered at Grand Rapids. A documentary was shown about the time when he was a naval officer and the ship where he was in faced a storm near Philippines. I became so intrigued with the Watergate scandal so I decided to learn more about it.

Then we decided to check in our hotel and had dinner before the ‘Disney on Ice’ show. The restaurant, Rockwell, was recommended by the staff of the Eyeglass World. The food was acceptable but nothing spectacular. It was loud and far from the kind of dinner that David and I were looking forward to. We were hoping for a cozier romantic dinner but we decided to just stay since we didn’t have much time before the show at 7. 

Disney on Ice was phenomenal. I have never watched anything similar to this so I was in awe. I felt the magic, the shivers ran through my spine, there was tingle on my toes, and my heart was filled with fun and enjoyment. Even David actually enjoyed it. The songs were beautiful and brought back so many memories back when I was a kid. When we left Van Andel arena, it was snowing heavily and everything looked magical. It was definitely a night to remember!

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