San Antonio

Our latest trip was to San Antonio, Texas! From what I was told, it was unusually cold during our stay, but it was still a fun trip! Last time we visited San Antonio, I only toured the River Walk. This time I expanded my route and visited the historic Alamo.

From the outside the Alamo didn't look like much, but once I entered the walls I was pleasantly surprised. There was a 20 minute video in a small theater which was available to watch, presenting a wealth of information about the Alamo. Throughout the halls were old artifacts, uniforms, and signs which offered more educational information.

San Antonio's River Walk is a beautiful place to walk by and along the way are many places to eat!

Stay tuned, because in March we head to Las Vegas!

Washington, D.C.

During our stay in D.C. we caught the tail end of fall. The foliage exuded brilliant autumn colors. Since I am from Southern California where our seasons all blend into one, I was very taken aback by the beauty of the season.

Even though the National Mall was the only site I had time to tour, it offered an amazing experience. To make the visit even more patriotic, It was Veterans' Day! I started my walk from the Capital...

 Then walked along a beautiful path that ran through the middle of the mall.

The path led to the Washington Monument (which was under construction during my visit)

When I came upon the World War II Memorial, it was filled with people, some were honoring veterans, some were sharing stories, and others came just to look. Regardless of their reason for being there, you could feel the pride and unity in the air. 

Just beyond the WWII Memorial lay the Reflecting Pool which was beautiful and calming. 

Finally, I came to the Lincoln Memorial! My favorite fact about the Lincoln Memorial is that Abe's hands are sculpted into his initials in American Sign Language. "A" with his left hand and "L" with his right hand.

I only had time for one last memorial before heading back to California, the Korean War Veterans Memorial!

Overall, this was an amazing destination and I cannot wait to go back!

Seattle

Seattle, one of my favorite cities, was a beautiful place to visit in September. Although the air was crisp, we were fortunate to have a rain-free weekend which allowed me to roam around city and take in all that it has to offer. 

A few blocks from the ferris wheel was a fabulous restaurant where devoured a mound of sea food. This lunch required a bib and a mallet. Two kinds of crab legs, corn, shrimp, oysters, muscles, and sausage.

Before: 

After: 

Apparently, I have a “thing” for ferris wheels because it seems that anytime there is a ferris wheel at an HPC destination... I’m on it. 

This ferris wheel is the largest observational wheel on the west coast and it looks over Elliott Bay. It measures up to 175 feet tall and can hold over 300 passengers at a time!

The 175 foot ferris wheel seems very small compared to Seattle’s number one attraction, the Space Needle. The Space Needle stands 605 feet tall. Want to get a 360 degree view of Seattle? From the Space Needle’s observation deck you can do so from 520 feet up in the air! 

If you want to be more grounded during your stay in Seattle, then I highly recommend checking out Pike Place Market. Its so lively and there is a lot of fresh produce, fresh seafood, and miscellaneous trinkets to buy.

Last, but most certainly not least, I visited the original Starbucks!!! Being an avid Starbucks goer, this was a must see. Technically, the original Starbucks burnt down in a fire, so this store is the one they built after the fire. However, its still exciting to see! The line was out the door, the coffee tasted the same as it does at any other Starbucks, but the experience was worth it!