My Life Documented in a Month

Hello lovelies, I’m glad to be back after my vacation. Just in case if you’ve missed anything on my blog, here is a small recap:  April 9 - May 10, a month full of fun, and family bonding with my parents and relatives.

It’s been a week since my parents left back to India. A month has just gone by within a blink of an eye. My heart  wants the time to get backward a month but, I know it’s high time to face the reality. Alright, before you blase, I’ll jump right into my fun filled month long trip. 

Early April in Wisconsin was like extended winter this year. Having been dried up in hot sun all round the year in India, it was a pleasant experience for my parents. Couple days after they came over, Wisconsin had  2 inches of snow. The very next day it started to rain, I’m used to this weather and didn’t find anything different. My dad and mom enjoyed the weather more than what I felt the first time I moved here. Our first place was  Chicago. It was a 2 hour drive to The Windy City. Shedd Aquarium(Chicago) was a good attraction spot, one of the biggest aquarium in Mid-West.  

One whole day is definitely not enough if you want to watch all the shows. We picked out the best show, and we were lucky to see the Dolphin show. The show was around late noon, so we were able to have a look at the most parts of the aquarium. Dolphins naturally possess special abilities and the trainers are the ones who bring out to the public. It was an amazing show. End of show, marked the end of aquarium.We decided to take a walk along the lake Michigan. The cool breeze, blowing wind, and the smell of spring was a perfect evening walk. What’s fun without visiting the Bean. The slow walk lead us to the Bean. Snapping pictures and had a relaxing time at the Millennium park.  Chicago was such an amazing city. Although, I have a lot of friends in Illinois area, I couldn’t drop by to anyone’s place. It was a short trip. 

Day 2 at Chicago: Shopping spree at Woodfield Mall. Almost the entire day went by shopping. We wanted to have a night time view of the city. Navy pier is the best. Dazzling lights and sky-scrapers were astounding.

Although, Chicago has many attractions we had to cut down a lot since the duration of my parents stay is just one month. Bags packed  for the next destination - San Francisco. We had a good time at my Sister-in-law’s place. It’s not my first time at the City by the bay, but it was special this time with my parents. At my Sister-in-laws place, kids were the best. They are my sweetie pies. Had a good Indian breakfast prepared by my Sis-in-law, then off to visit the Golden Gate Bridge. 

It’s always windy out at the Bridge, but the day we were there was too cold and windy than most of the days. As a resident of Wisconsin, the weather shouldn’t have been a problem, but believe me around 4 pm, I was freezing. The reason behind it was I just had only my fleece on. For anyone who would like to visit the Golden Gate Bridge, make sure the weather condition is perfect for talking a walk on the bridge. Nothing can be so relaxing than an evening walk with slight breeze and little talks with your loved ones by your side. 

The view of the Alcatraz Island was fantastic. Anyone, who is not aware of Alcatraz, here we go(the little info I know- I will have to google for deeper info): A rich history is associated with Alcatraz. The federal prison on Alcatraz Island in the chilly waters of California’s San Francisco Bay housed some of America’s most difficult and dangerous felons during its years of operation from 1934 to 1963. Here is a picture of Alcatraz Island taken from Ferry ride : 

Later that evening we decided to take the Ferry, to get the full view of the bridge and the Alcatraz Island. That was a wonderful experience. It was little foggy and the bridge looked beautiful with little fog. The close view of the bridge was stunning. You guys, do take the Ferry ride from Pier 39, it’s worth it. The Ferry ride was the end of the day’s plan and we stopped at Saravana Bhavan(famous South Indian restaurant) for dinner.

Our next destination - Grand Canyon. Again it was a two hour plane ride from San Francisco to Phoenix and a two hour and 15 minutes drive from  Phoenix to  Flagstaff. The drive was around 10 pm and couldn’t actually enjoy the nature out there. Finally, Checked into hotel and I slept like a log. We spent the next two days to visit the beautiful Canyons. We took the South Rim and the sunset from Hopi Point is the best. If you visit South Rim, don’t forget to see either sunrise or sunset from Hopi Point. 

Sunset from Hopi Point:

The best view of sunset orange light on the Canyons:

Grand Canyon had a lot of walking the entire two days and end of day 2 at Canyon we were all totally exhausted. The plan ride to our next destination - Connecticut was 7 hours from Phoenix. I had planned to read during the plane ride but all I did was sleep.   

Landed at the Bradley International Airport around 6:30 pm. I was so happy to see my Uncle(Dad’s brother) and my cousin brother at the airport. It’s family time again. Home cooked dinner by my Aunt was waiting. We all had a fabulous dinner. My Aunt is talented at cooking. Hartford, CT ( the place where my Uncle lives) is the place where I could finally relax. It just feels like home. The very next day my Uncle planned for New York, so we’ll hit the sack quite early. It’s a 2 hour drive from his place and of course NYC traffic do I need to say more? 

Day 1 at NYC : We rented out an apartment at the heart of the city. Got the keys and we put our bags in the apartment and headed straight to the Rockefeller Center. We took a mini tour and the guide was so funny, eventually we had a good time. Our next stop - Empire State Building. 

Around 7 pm the crowd was clicking pictures of the city. The night view is stunning. What an amazing view. Here is a picture for you all :

NYC - you rock for the dazzling lights and skyscrapers. The next stop - Isn’t it pretty obvious?? Yes, it’s Times square. We walked around Times square and finally entered a restaurant at 11 pm for dinner, yes, a late dinner and thankfully it was open, surprisingly it was full,and luckily we got a table right away. 

Day 2 at NYC: The Statue of Liberty. We took a Ferry to visit the Liberty Island. Wow, the first time to see the Liberty statue in person, what more can I add?? I was awestruck. 

The entire evening was spent at the Madam Tussauds. Had a fantabulous  time snapping pictures with Celebrities. The moment we stepped into NYC, we had to transform to a New Yorker, that’s the best way to keep up with the people and traffic. Speaking of traffic, NYC has the worst ever traffic. Most New Yorkers don’t follow the rules. Guys, if you plan on visiting NYC watch out for traffic and plan accordingly. We traveled by bus, train and Taxi, the entire two days at NYC- A true New Yorker.  

The very next day we had planed for Whale watch at Boston, but we had to cancel it, due to a severe thunderstorm. Instead we went to the Museum of Science. I learnt a lot. It is a good place for anyone who loves Science. This officially marks the end of our trip. After a wonderful and quite tiring trip I’m back at my home sweet home.

Thanks for sticking with me in my journey, I hope you all enjoyed it!!

Today (May 18) is my MOM’s Birthday. I wish her a Fabulous birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!