My memorable birthday at the Red Rock County, Sedona!

At an elevation of 4500 feet, in the midst of red rocks, canyons and creeks, Sedona was my 29th Birthday present. Personally I love growing older and the blessing of living in this beautiful world year after year gives me immense joy of its own. I am so so excited to enter into the 30th year of my life and I will strive my best to make my existence worthwhile.

We landed at Phoenix airport and made our way up the deserted mountains towards Sedona. About 2 hours away with a drive of giant cacti on both sides, we reached the red rock county at lunch time. Restaurant Hudson was a perfect lunch spot with magnificent views. The glass doors there opened to the view of huge red rocks. It all painted a beautiful picture of how delightful Sedona was going to be. After enjoying corn chowder soup and beet salad at the Hudson for lunch, we stepped into the art and crafts village of Tlaquepaque.

Tlaquepaque is an excellent outdoor traditional Mexican style market featuring art galleries, craft shops, cobblestone paths and decorative arches. We spotted a beautiful bohemian style chai spot where we enjoyed the hot chai listening to the tunes of bollywood music at their rooftop. After exploring a few shell shops and painting galleries, we reached to the corner where Santa arrived for Christmas celebrations. The joy of Holiday season was in the air and the carols sounded lovely.  We slowly made our way to check in to our hotel although I did not want to leave that market at all.

We stayed at the Poco Diablo resort on our first night in Sedona. Our room overlooked a huge golf course with a backdrop of the mountains. While the sun was setting, we enjoyed sipping hot green teas at our backyard of the room. After a good night sleep we were all set to hike and explore the West Fork trail. Sandy trail with 13 creek crossings of the West Fork Oak Creek and canyons all around made our hike both challenging and fun at the same time.

The most awaited part of our trip was our stay at the Enchantment resort on my birthday night which is one of the most finest resorts in Sedona. Standing up to my expectations, Enchantment resort was a very delightful sight to the eyes. With deers and javelinas frockling around the resort property, our golf cart ride to our red mud casitas was just spot on. The resort in sorrounded by Boynton Canyon and is world famous for its Miiamo spa facilities.

Through the back door of the spa facilities, we hiked to the top of Kachina Woman Vortex which is believed to radiate positive energy. The vortex found in Sedona are rare and signify the balance of masculine and feminine energy. There was a flute musician who played very soothing music on the top of the vortex. He also handed us heart shaped carved rocks and gave us his blessings. I still remember his message about how unconditional love can overcome negative energy in all forms. After resting for a while on the top , we made our way back to the resort facilities. I also vividly remember the lovely stars as it grew darker and colder. I enjoyed gazing at them during our golf cart ride for dinner.

Next morning was my 29th birthday and I couldn’t have asked for it to be more beautiful than this. As the sun shined, I practiced my first sun salutation and thanked mother nature for her blessings in all forms. We then hopped on to our golf cart to take a tour of the property and enjoy breakfast in the main lobby of the resort. Relaxing in the hot tub, eucalyptus steam room and sauna of the Miiamo spa was such a lovely experience.

My 29th birthday was like a dream come true I couldn’t have asked for more beautiful birthday. What has been your favourite Birthday so far. Do share, I would love to read!

Blast from the Past, Wisconsin Dells!

Every year my parents visit me here in the United States and we usually plan our annual travel trip during the summer. Last summer, we traveled to Wisconsin Dells because it is at a driving distance from Chicago and there are just so many fun activities to do out there especially during the summer. In small towns such as the Dells, we prefer staying in bed and breakfast over a hotel. It feels more homely and you also get to enjoy breakfast first thing every morning. Our Bed and Breakfast was Victorian style old home with a pool right by the breakfast patio. We really enjoyed the home cooked delicacies every morning. The inn had a huge backyard that overlooked the Dells river. The evening we reached there we enjoyed sipping coffee in the backyard and then crossed over the road to walk along the river walk.

We spent our first day in Dells exploring the river area with Upper Dells Boat tour. Our guide gave us brief descriptions of rock formations and sandstone cliffs overlooking the Dells river. The boat took us to two scenic locations where we got down and explored the areas on our own. We walked down the mysterious pathway of witches gulch and enjoyed watching the dog jump over the stand rock. We did a short hike through the forest and reached back to board the boat that took us back.

We ended our first day in Dells enjoying delicious wraps at a local restaurant in Downtown Dells. Downtown Dells was walking distance from our Bed and Breakfast and that was one of the best part that we did not had to deal with any other means of commute. My parents loved our trip to the Dells and it is definitely one of the best destinations in the US for family vacation. We also went river tubing, jungle safari and horse canyon riding in the Dells which I can’t wait to share in my next post 🙂 Family vacations are just the best, where did you recently travel with your family? Do share. I would love to know.

My Thanksgiving trip to Portland, Oregon.

Thanksgiving is one of the best time of the year to travel. This year thanksgiving took me to visit my aunt and uncle in the North West Pacific of the US. We drove to Portland from Seattle over the weekend. Our drive was about three hours and we enjoyed watching the stunning snow covered peaks of Mount St.Helens and Mount Hood on our way to Portland.

As soon as we reached there, we made our way to the Columbia River Gorge scenic area which encompasses numerous waterfalls in the midst of Mount Hood forest area. We started hiking a short trail that stretched from Wahkeena falls to Multnomah Falls. Our hiking trail was along the Columbia River and overlooked the huge trees by the river. After trekking for about half a mile, we caught a site of the Multnomah Falls which is the second tallest waterfall in the US and the tallest one in the State of Oregon. To get a closer look view of the waterfall we climbed up to the bridge located halfway through the falls. I could spot some of the visitors all the way at the top of the falls.

Overall my trip to the scenic area was very refreshing, away from the city on a chilly yet sunny day. I and my family had a great time in the woods and I would recommend this visit to all the nature lovers who would like to take a short get away from their day to day city life.

Last Hike this season, Matthiessen State Park.

Most of us are now relishing the few last days of summer this year. It is the time to say good bye to the long days of summer and welcome the lovely colors of fall. The weather being super nice last week, we decided to hike at Matthiessen State Park which is right by the Starved Rock State Park in Ottawa, Illinois. We walked about 5 miles around the canyons and waterfalls enjoying the nature and appreciating it. The most challenging part of the hike was climbing up the unending flight of stairs. The entire park is in circles and there are just so many stairs to go down and then climb back up. Since it rained the previous night, the ground was damp and it was very enjoyable to step on the pebbles and cross the streams of water to make our way to the canyon. We also enjoyed making our way up to the canyon to get a close view of the water fall. How have you been spending the last days of summer? I would love to read. Do share!

The first hike of the season at Starved Rock State Park!

Starting this spring until fall, my friends and I have promised ourselves outdoor adventure every weekend. Last weekend we hiked the trails of Starved Rock State park which is about an hour and half away from Chicago. Starved Rock State Park is a hidden gem of the Midwest and known for its rugged canyons, scenic waterfalls and vivid foliage. The forest preserve is huge and the drive to the State park was very scenic. The lush mint lemon colored trees and red bud flowers on both the sides looked beautiful. I could see a lot of bikers enjoy their bike ride in the warm and sunny weather. We arrived at the park before noon and were all geared up and excited to trek and explore it.

Boardwalk

Wild Flowers

Lasalle Canyon

We started our day with the Board walk trails, hiking uphill along the steep steps to reach the Lover’s leap which was the highest point of the park. It had a great panoramic view of the Illinois river, rock formations and forest preserve. Walking further down along the winding pathways by the river, we headed towards the Lasalle Canyon which was about two miles away. We enjoyed climbing tree tops in the perfectly breezy weather which kept us going towards the Canyon. We trekked for about 4 miles in all and were exhausted by the end, but it was all worth it when we caught a sight of the beautiful falls at the Lasalle Canyon. We relaxed by the flowing stream of water for a while and then made our way back to the visitor’s center.

Now that I loved this hiking experience at the Starved Rock State Park, I am even more excited to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park at Colorado during my long weekend travel at the end of this month. Do you love to hike? Which was your best hiking experience? Which other outdoor adventures do you enjoy?

Climbing the woods

Poison Warning

Behind the Falls

River Trail

The Evergreen City,Seattle!

My first city in the US as a tourist, Seattle will always remain close to my heart. Being surrounded by forest, lake, river and hills, it is a perfect destination for nature-lovers. The city just captivates you with evergreen trees, pleasant weather and clear sky(not so much).Be aware of the rain in Seattle, definitely plan your trip keeping weather constraints in mind as the evergreen trees also cause light showers every now and then. Here are some fun outdoor activities to do when you are out and about in Seattle.

Hiking Mount Rainier National Park

The drive to Mount Rainer National park through the hills and forest is very adventurous and scenic at the same time. After driving through a couple of hundred feet above the ground level, its time to hike the mountain by foot to explore the hills, valleys, waterfalls and meadows surrounding the cascade of mountains. The lovely view of the snow covered peaks of mountain makes it worth the visit.

 

Trekking the Snoqualmie Falls

A few hours away from Seattle, Snoqualmie falls is a massive 268 feet waterfall on the Snoqualmie river. Trekking along the forest trail to reach the bottom to catch a sight of the colossal fall is such an enjoyable experience. The flora and fauna on the trail makes it even more delightful. Once you are all the way down at the lowest point of the fall, you can step into the rocks, woods and water to enjoy it even more closely.

Exploring the Bainbridge Island

The best way to get in the water in Seattle is to take a ferry ride across the Elliot Bay to the BainBridge Island. While you are on your way, keep your cameras ready for the perfect skyline view from the ferry. Explore the island by foot, bike or car depending on what you like. The island is huge with trails by forests and lakes so the best way to explore it in and out might be by car.

Day in Downtown

The trip to Seattle is incomplete without a day well spent exploring Downtown Seattle. Stroll by the Pike Place market and relish the fresh fruits in the farmer’s market. Hop into the Ferris wheel to get a complete view of the skyline and the city. Enjoy a rickshaw ride along the shore and wander around enjoy smoky delicious cart food in the hilly Downtown.

 

Journey to Leavenworth

Few miles away from Seattle, Leavenworth is a small hilly city in in the middle of mountains. The Bavarian village there is a small shopping district with little unique boutique, art and gift shops. It is lovely place to stroll by and there are cultural dance performances by different countries in the streets. We were able to watch the England dance and music festivities where the men dressed as soldiers and women danced around them. The architecture of the buildings resemble the European design with domes and castles.  It is a lively place full of happiness and fun, definitely not worth missing if you are in Washington.

 

If you happen to have a few more days in Seattle,explore the zoo,aquarium,lakes and museums in the city.There are just endless destinations for tourists to explore in the state of Washington.