Happy Turkey Day!

Early tomorrow morning, we are leaving to visit family for Thanksgiving weekend. I have been so excited about this trip to North Carolina. I can't wait to see family I have not seen in months and get away from Chicago and its baggage (noise pollution, traffic, dreary weather, etc.) for 4 whole days!

New Mexico

Inspiring desert vistas. Delicious Southwestern cuisine. Spectacular Pueblo architecture. Fascinating history. Rich culture. There is much to love about this great state. I visited about a year and a half ago, and to this day, I often think about how blessed I felt while there. It was my first trip anywhere after recovering from an auto accident, so the dork in me feels quite sentimental about this special place.

Anyway, via one of my favorite blogs, I learned about this darling book, New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes. In my opinion, it is not just a travel guide, but a coffee table book as well as it offers plenty of amazing photography. The author and photographer, Elisa Parhad, is a cultural anthropologist. So as you would expect, the book is quite informative and interesting. I enjoyed reading about a place I loved so much. I did not have this book during my first visit, but I am planning to go back as soon as possible. This book will surely make my second experience that much richer.

Some of my favorite photos I took from our visit:

Lonely Planet's The Travel Book

This book was a recent impulse buy, and I have no regrets. It is a travel guide on steroids covering every country in the world from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The photos are inspiring and beautiful.  The better part: it lists entertaining and valuable facts about each country. Did you know Hong Kong consumes more oranges than anywhere else on earth? And that in Japan, it is polite to slurp loudly when eating soup or noodles? And that Honduras is experiencing the most rapid urbanization in Central America?  

Macro Photography

Last Christmas, the Husband gave me a macro lens I've been eyeing. I was excited and sure that I would immediately learn how to use it. Well, I was wrong.  Ninety-nine percent of the photos I took were embarrassingly bad. Finally, about 11 months later, I decided to do something about it and take an all-day class on macro photography (administered by the Chicagoland Digital Photography Meetup Group for $70).  I learned a ton today.  The most important lessons: go completely manual (both exposure and focus) and tripod is a necessity.  Yes, I have a lot left to learn, but I'm proud that today, I was able to shoot this photo.  Yay!

Boulder Highlights

Boulder, Colorado holds a place in my husband’s heart. He lived there while attending CU and loved everything about that experience. Our Labor Day weekend two months ago there was special as it was his first time back since graduation. He was also excited about showing me his old stomping grounds.

We hiked (Chautauqua Park), shopped a little at Pearl Street Mall, stayed at a great hotel (Hotel Boulderado), and ate lots of delicious food (Aji for Latin, Brasserie Ten Ten for French, Lucile's for Cajun/Creole, Tee and Cakes for cupcakes, Moe's Bagels for bagels, Mountain Sun for beer and The Sink for pizza). In short, perfect!

Rocky Mountain National Park

The highlight of our recent trip to Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park.  We spent a day at the park driving Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road, the park's two main attractions.  Both roads offer visitors adventure, inspiring views and wildlife sightings.

First, we drove Old Fall River Road, a narrow and steep one-way 11-mile road that is mainly gravel, punctuated with several switchbacks, and slow-paced (speed limit is 15 miles per hour). It is a journey up to the alpine world.  At the end, it joins with the 48-mile Trail Ridge Road. Eleven miles of this impressive highway is above tree line (elevation of about 12,000 feet) where conditions are similar to the Alaskan Artic. The road offers plenty of marked pullovers to enjoy the beautiful and sweeping views. Simply put, our time at the Rocky Mountain National Park was remarkable.

Here are my favorite photos: 

Tre Kronor

On my wish-list: to travel to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, and other Scandinavian destinations. Until that is possible, I at least have Tre Kronor close to me. It is a wonderful neighborhood restaurant that serves authentic and delicious Scandinavian meals with a lovely outdoor seating. Perfection.