travel diaries

July 4th weekend in NorCal

10:39:00 PM

1 DAY @ YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

5:50:00 PM

Bucket list, CHECKED!

This park had been in my bucket list for the longest time.

It was my friend's birthday and we decided to drive 5-hour up north to celebrate his birthday with a road trip. The drive was easier than I expected. The roads were steep but easy to drive and the views were worth a stop.

We arrived early so the main gate wasn't opened yet so we paid after we left the park. Down side of it though was we didn't get a map. It wasn't really a problem because there are signs that you could follow to get to your destinations. Most of the main attractions can be reached by cars but if you're a fan of hiking (which you should) then you must do so in order to get to some of the hidden spots at this park.

Tunnel View

Our first stop was at the tunnel view. You could see from here the view of the falls from the bottom. It was just a great spot to take pictures because you're not really at the top yet, but nonetheless, it was a great stop to just take panoramas and enjoy the nice view. Off we go to our second destination which is the Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite valley offers you a lot of different things to do. You could hike to see the falls, there's a visitor center you could check out, souvenir shops, cafes, post office, and it's where you could park your car if you want to take the bus that will take you to different stops.

On our way to Glacier Park, we stopped at some river to take pictures. It was calming to hear the water running, birds chirping and the trees dancing.

Glacier Point

Our last stop was at the Glacier Point. I must say this view is spectacular that will literally take your breath away. It was scary because I'm not really an athletic person and I can't do much rock climbing and I was afraid to slip. But nonetheless, you just need to be careful and make your stay worth it.

Overall, I enjoyed every part of this trip hence the little time that we had. One day is surely not enough for you to see everything that this park has to offer. I know I'll definitely come back here to see more hidden gems that we didn't get to see.

chicago

CHICAGO!

4:03:00 PM

Yep, we're here, we made it. Good morning windy city, Chicago!

We landed around 7 in the morning, took an uber to our Airbnb house, relaxed a bit then hopped right on to our first destination; of course, it's none other than The Bean.

DAY ONE

Getting around the city, we bought a 3-day pass for train and bus that costs $25. For us it would be so worth it because we didn't rent a car. We relied on their transportation, which, I would say, is one of the best. Trains come on average every 12 minutes and bus times could be easily checked by texting a number on your phone. Going to our destination is not a problem at all.

Chicago transportation : A+

Millenium Park

It's THE BEAN! I was awed and speechless. I have been waiting for this moment and now that I'm actually here, it felt surreal. The place where it's located is very picturesque. We came on a very beautiful sunny weather. Tourists are also piling up around it that is why it is hard to take a pretty decent picture. Nonetheless, I had my moment to just admire the beauty of this scene.

Magnificent Mile

After that, we took the bus to eat at Chinatown. Sorry Chicago, but your Chi-town couldn't be compared to what we have in Los Angeles. The food was also not what I expected, it was just okay.

After eating, we came back to downtown and explored the Miracle Mile. There we had a taste of their famous Garrett Popcorn. It was definitely worth a try for your sweet tooth.

Chicago Food : B-

The Water Tower is our last destination for the day. It's a very pretty place to just sit down and admire the beauty of the tulips around it. We rested for a bit and decided to head back. Our first day ended quite early due to the fact that we didn't get much sleep and had to adjust to the 2-hour time difference.

DAY TWO

We started our second day with the Architectural Tour, though it was very cold and windy, we managed to make it through the end. It was 90 minutes long and half way on our sail, it got pretty boring. I enjoyed looking at the buildings though, I just wasn't really that in deep of learning architecture. For lunch, a local told us to try deep dish pizza from Gino's. It is my first time having that kind of pizza, though it's good, I didn't really like it that much.

The Field Museum

Our day today was just full of photo-ops. We explored the lower side of the city in which we took the bus to go the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium to see the skyline. It was pretty cold so we decided to go home and cook some home-made food.

View from the Shedd Aquarium

DAY THREE

Pictorial sesh at the bus stop because why the heck not?

Florentine Benedict

Breakfast at the famous Wildberry to start our last day here in Chicago. There was an almost 2 hour wait to get in so we decided to walk around the area and buy some souvenirs to kill some time. I'm telling you though, go eat here. It is definitely one of the most amazing food you will get to try here in Chicago.

After our breakfast, we then took the bus to the most-awaited tour to the Sky Deck on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower.

Breath-taking view indeed. I recommend you to buy tickets online so you won't have to wait in line for it.

I don't have a fear of heights that is why I get to stand in the deck without anxiety.

After the photo-ops, we headed back home so we could pack and catch our flight back home. Little did we know that we're about to face some difficulty. WE MISSED OUR FLIGHT! THE PLANE LEFT US. TSA LINES ARE CRAZY. WHAT TO DO?