Flowing Waters of Idaho Falls

     I love nature, and I love falls. I told myself that when it’s time for me to visit Idaho, I will go to Idaho Falls. So I did that in March 2015.

     I flew into Pocatello from Salt Lake City because I couldn’t get a seat with a direct flight to Idaho Falls. Pocatello is a small town with a small airport. And when I arrived at 6PM, I was the last person in the airport waiting for my hotel shuttle. It was an odd experience, but actually not surprising, as the small town speaks for itself. It’s nice to be in a small quiet town - with laid back life, no traffic, and no stress.

      The way to go to Idaho Falls is to take a shuttle bus. The transportation cost wasn’t cheap, but I had to do it. The ride was less than an hour, and I enjoyed seeing the countryside. I was told that Idaho Falls is small, and it will take me an hour to see everything. I was not disappointed.

     I finally reached the falls, and I got excited. Yes, the falls is not gigantic, but it’s beautiful. I love the serenity of the place and the view with ducks roaming around. It’s a joy to watch them play around. I walked around the area and enjoyed myself. 

     Because Idaho is known for its potatoes, so I needed to try it. I had potato chips and freshly baked potato. They are delicious! I brought some potato chips back home.

     I stayed at the Red Lion hotel. They had a good discounted rate, and they had my favorite jacuzzi. However, the breakfast made me sick, that I had to run to the bathroom. It is very rare that this kind of incident happens to me. It was funny, yet in general, my stay was nice.

     Idaho Falls is not the smallest falls I've seen. One thing is for sure - it's a nice place you would want to see.

 

From Mountains to Temple in Utah

  

       Do you prefer an aisle or a window seat?

      I love the window seat because I want to see the beautiful views outside. I love flying into the west coast, particularly over Utah, because of the awesome views. The rocky mountains, as they call it, are so picturesque. I feel like I am a hiker that has reached the top of a mountain. To see these mountains covered with clouds will give you a feeling of tranquility.

 

     I am a Catholic, but I believe that religion is just a name identified with your religious practices. Spirituality is a way of life.  I can and have visited a couple of other churches. To visit the Church of Latter-Day Saints was an awesome experience. The architecture of the Temple and the inside were majestic. The weather was perfect, and the ambiance around the Temple was beautiful with spring colors. The museums have lots of nice biblical artwork. Surprisingly, I met a Filipina missionary.

 

     The city was clean and quiet. I wasn't aware that it was a church day. Hence most of the businesses in the city were close. So there were no other places for me to go to. It was funny because I was looking for the underground train, but I didn't realize that they have a street train. I met a homeless man on the train, chatted with him, and gave him some words of motivation. He was thankful. I also met a homeless man on the street, and I gave him my food. Sometimes, strangers remind us that we are fortunate than other people. They remind us that we have to be grateful and share our blessings.

 

     I’ve flown into Salt Lake City airport many times. I love this airport. I wanted to go to Mt. Zion, but it wasn’t possible to get a seat. 

     I saw the sunset and the full moon. I had a nice Italian dinner. Visited the famous Temple. I shared some blessings with strangers. I had a short trip but a good one! I will revisit and explore more of this beautiful state.

     

From NASA to River Walk in Texas

My first travel to Texas was to visit a couple friends, Minda and Dindo, in April 2008. It was a great trip. They took me to NASA, and my generous friend, Minda, bought me an expensive bag.  NASA is a landmark in Texas, and to experience the universe through NASA’s technology is indeed memorable. Minda & Dindo own Filipiniana restaurants. I had the privilege to taste their Filipino cuisine. It’s always nice to see and reconnect with good friends.

On a work trip to San Antonio in December 2014, I and my FA colleague, Leomary, took advantage of our long layover.  We went to Alamo and River Walk.  Alamo is famous for its history, and River Walk is known for its beautiful sights and sounds. For me, River Walk is the Venice version of America.

It was Christmas time, and the ambiance was so beautiful with Christmas lights and sounds that have brought a very relaxing mood. We had an authentic lunch at Casa Rio, one of the oldest restaurants in River Walk, founded in 1946. I love Mexican food! The ride on River Walk’s version of Gondola was fun. As always, I met some nice Filipinos on board the Gondola. To see the place on a guided tour on board a Gondola was the highlight of my River Walk visit. 

I would love to come back here on a personal visit soon. I would love to stay in one of the nice hotels by the canal and have my morning coffee overlooking the beautiful ambiance.

I love River Walk, and I love Texas!

River Walk, San Antonio

River Walk, San Antonio

Alamo, San Antonio

NASA, Houston

Sugar Land, Austin

I Love Cheese in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is known for cheese. It has a long tradition and history of cheese and continues to be one of the largest cheese producers in the US.

I love Cheese, so I would eat anything with cheese. It’s my comfort food. We all have it, right? Cheese curb! I tried it. I love this photo at the airport on my uniform with cheese hats. 

My friend, Ryan, invited me to visit his family on Thanksgiving week in November 2014.  I met his nice family and had Thanksgiving dinner with them. We walked along the quaint downtown on a chilly night with his nephew and niece.

The Madison Capital is a landmark in Wisconsin. It’s the second biggest Capital next to Washington, DC.  The Capital is grandeur, but I believe it is more majestic and photographic at night than in the daytime.

People are nice. While strolling on Madison's main street, my FA colleague and I saw a red mustang top-down car parked at McDonald's. We took photos with it, but the owners inside the store saw us and gladly offered to have a photo with them and their car. Isn't it nice of them?

Wisconsin is a beautiful state with nice people. This is one of the reasons why I love to go South.

Madison Airport

Madison Capital