A/W 2019: Pumpkin Patchin'

If seasons were colors, Autumn would be orange. But not your typical, bright, obnoxious orange; rather, somewhat like burnt sienna. Still vibrant and warm like its predecessor, Summer, but with a hint of restraint. Like a youngling who, deep inside, is actually an old soul. Or better yet, a grownup who never lost their childlike wonder. After all, if spring is about new life, then perhaps Autumn would be somewhere within the 40s age bracket?

Hawaii: Iolani Palace

Maybe it was due to the implications of the animated film Moana, but I didn't exactly associate the Renaissance with Polynesian royalties. That is, until I visited Iolani Palace in Honolulu.

Hawaii: Kualoa Ranch

Whenever I hear "Hawaii," these are what come to mind: the beach, surfing, hula, all things tropical, and from time to time-- dinosaurs, too. Wait, what? Did I just say "dinosaurs"? You bet I did! September last year, I got a taste of the aloha way of life in Oahu, HI. Out of the tourist-y things I did, one of the highlights of my trip was seeing Kualoa Private Nature Reserve, also named "Jurassic Valley" after the Jurassic Park/World films shot there.

San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts

One day in San Francisco was all we had, and we used it to be typical tourists yet again. Some sights revisited, some seen for the first time-- but this has to be the highlight for me.

Lights Out

LA is full of "instagrammable" spots, to say the least. One of them is Urban Light, an outdoor art installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or LACMA. Whether at day or night, it truly is a beautiful sight to behold.

Universal Studios Hollywood

A staple on every LA tourist's list-- Universal Studios Hollywood. It's home to many attractions inspired by well-loved television shows and films. But you don't have to be a movie geek or TV aficionado to enjoy this place. Just have a fun-loving, adventure-seeking persona, and you're good to go!

Holidays at Disneyland

Characters in Christmas sweaters, a snow-topped castle, garlands all over-- who would've thought the happiest place on Earth could get even more magical?

Season's Greetings

Christmas means a lot for everyone. It's a time for giving, celebrating, getting together, being with your loved ones, looking back, being grateful, sharing your blessings, and so much more. It's also a season full of hope, love, peace, and joy. Some people go all-out to celebrate, while some prefer to keep it simple; every household has its own traditions. Last 2016, our family had the opportunity to celebrate the season a little different than we usually do-- just one of many things that we're thankful for.

Los Angeles: The Grove & Farmers Market

Ah, Christmas-- the most wonderful time of the year! How could you not agree when you can't help but marvel at how extra every place looks at this time? Speaking of "Extra," if you're familiar with the showbiz entertainment TV show of the same name, let me take you to one of their shooting locations in Downtown LA!

Los Angeles: Beverly Hills & Hollywood

I didn't think I missed California until I came back after four long years. LA sure has its own charm, and it was wonderful walking among the stars (quite literally) and revisiting the most tourist-y spots in the city.

Streets of Seattle

To be honest, I had a completely different write-up for this post; but it's been so long ago (more than a year!) that it felt more appropriate to put in something fresh. The funny thing is, I just took this Buzzfeed quiz on "Which Hipster US City Should You Live in Based on Your Starbucks Order?" and wanna know my result? You guessed it, Seattle! The birthplace of Starbucks, no less.

Seattle 2015: Space Needle

Ah, a classic Seattle landmark-- the Space Needle. It's the futuristic-looking tower in the title sequence of Grey's Anatomy, as well as some other films or TV series supposedly set in the city of Seattle. If you're a Windows interface user (like I am), you may even recognize it from one of the default wallpaper choices. It should come as no surprise though since Microsoft founder Bill Gates was actually born in Seattle, WA.

Seattle 2015: Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market has got to be one of the most iconic marketplaces in the world. Besides being home to the original Starbucks coffee shop (which you can read about in the second half of a previous post), it also boasts a bountiful selection of undoubtedly fresh seafood and other produce. While we didn't exactly get to buy anything, it was interesting getting to experience the market for ourselves.

Of Sirens and Coffee

Kickstarting another photodiary (broken down into four parts) with how most people begin their own mornings-- with coffee. Admittedly, I am not a coffee person. Nevertheless, that didn't make me immune to the captivating magic of the Starbucks siren, nor did it make me any less excited about visiting two of Starbucks's landmarks in Seattle-- their first ever store, and their roastery.

Cruise 2015: What a Ketch-ikan

Our cruise's second to the last port of call was Ketchikan, Alaska. While there were excursions offered in the place, we chose to do without any of them and instead discover the city for ourselves. Plus, the excursion choices didn't appeal to us as if they were worth spending over anyway haha!

Cruise 2015: Crossing to Canada

From Skagway, we crossed over the Canadian border to Yukon. This was our second excursion for the day, with the first one being an all-in Alaskan experience, as I shared in Part 1 of my Skagway story.

Cruise 2015: Seeing Skagway

Another stop in our Alaska cruise was Skagway. We had almost a whole day to spend in the place, so we managed to sign up for two excursions. The first one allowed us to indulge in what I would like to dub as an "authentic" Alaskan experience.

Cruise 2015: A Journey through Juneau

I've always thought that Alaska's capital was Fairbanks, Anchorage, or any of its famous cities. Apparently not, because the correct answer is Juneau (a place which I, I confess, have never heard of before). I just discovered the truth when I began looking up things about Alaska for our summer cruise. Last August 2015, we got to explore Juneau and some other cities of AK.

Lollapalooza 2015

If you've been following me on Instagram (if not, it's never too late!) you already know that I've had one heck of a summer vacation last 2015 when I spent three weeks in America. One of the highlights of my stay there was going to Lollapalooza, a 3-day music festival held during summertime in Chicago, IL. To share how amazing my FIRST music fest experience was, I decided to make a magazine out of it. See the rest of the pages under the break!