Fredericksburg

Last week, Wes and I celebrated our fourth anniversary with a trip to Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg was founded by German settlers in 1846 and still maintains a lot of German character. It is also the birthplace of Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Forces in World War II. The National Museum of the Pacific War is in Fredericksburg, despite the considerable distance from the Pacific.

We started our time in Fredericksburg with dinner at one of the many German restaurants. We had schnitzel and sausage in the beer garden at Altdorf.

After dinner, we went to see the bat colony at Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area. It was fun to see the swarm of bats head off into the sky. We did not realize how popular the bat watching would be - the lower viewing deck had sold out (it holds about 70 people) and the upper deck was pretty full. The next day, we saw this news story on the website of one of the Houston news stations.

On the way back into town, we passed by an interesting scene. This is the first time I have ever seen sheep-emus! I did not see them in action, but I am sure they are much more impressive than sheepdogs or even Babe the sheep-pig.


The rest of our time in Frederickburg, we explored the various shops and restaurants on Main Street. It is a cute shopping area where they have maintained many of the historic buildings. One of my favorite ones was a kitchenware shop in the building that once housed the hospital. They used the small rooms and passageways very effectively.


We tried several beers at the Fredericksburg Brewery and several wines at the Fredericksburg Winery.

We loved the German influence and local history that we found in Fredericksburg. Unfortunately, sometimes authenticity is sacrificed for the sake of commercialism and things break down, such as this store we saw on Main Street:

"Auer Haus" Home Furnishings

On our way out of town, we stopped in for tastings at two wineries, Torre di Pietra and Pedernales Cellars. We enjoyed both stops, but would recommend Pedernales Cellars over Torre di Pietra because the wine was much tastier.

Enchanted Rock

While we were spending the last weekend in Fredericksburg, Wes and I spent the morning hiking at Enchanted Rock. The weather was not too hot, considering it is Texas in August. We had a great time.

We started out with a hike up to the peak. On the way we met a friendly doe.
View from the top.
Geological marker at the peak.



We didn't do the calculation, but we're pretty sure this mountain holds enough granite to make counter tops for every home in China.We found some shade in a cave:


We hiked around the loop trail after we finished with the peak.

We <3 New York!

In December, Wes had some business meetings in New Jersey so we made a long weekend of it and spent some time in New York. It was Wes' first trip there and we had a great time.

We spent some time at the Met

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

Then, we walked around Central Park for a while.

From New York Dec 08

We flocked with the other tourists to Rockefeller Center

From New York Dec 08

We had some great views of the city from Top of the Rock - we timed it just right to watch the sunset.

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

Our Broadway show of choice for the weekend was Spamalot - very entertaining.

From New York Dec 08

On our last day in town, we took a harbor tour and were lucky to have great weather.

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

Just before we left town, Wes met the Rock.

From New York Dec 08

Hawaii Part II

Here are just a few more pictures from our trip to Hawaii - these are all from our time on the Big Island. The volcano was very impressive, as was all of the scenery that we saw on our drive around the island.

 

 

 

 

Hawaii

We have been having a great time in Hawaii so far. We have 4 days left! Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing so far:

Wes on Waikiki Beach - just across the street from our hotel

Both of us at the Pearl Harbor memorial

After our luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center

At the top of Diamond Head, overlooking Waikiki

Houston Art Car Parade 2008

Today, Wes and I braved the sweltering heat and watched the art car parade. With over 280 entries, it was very entertaining and sometimes impressive. Next year we might try to get there in time to get a spot in the shade. Enjoy the slide show!!

Northern Thailand

Between Vietnam and Laos, we spent a little while in northern Thailand. We visited Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai primarily. It is a beautiful country and we had a wonderful time. Enjoy the pictures!

Laos

On our Asian vacation last fall, we had a chance to go to Laos.

We crossed into Laos from northern Thailand and took a two day boat trip to Luang Prabang. We spent 5 days in Luang Prabang before heading to Bangkok on our way to Malaysia.

Here are some pictures from way back then. Sorry to keep you all waiting!

Washington Trip

Last month, Wes flew up to Baltimore for some software training. I followed that Thursday and we spent a long weekend taking in the sights. On Friday, we had a chance to visit Rachel and her new baby Amelia (of course, we managed to not take any pictures!). The rest of the weekend, we took in the various things to see on the Mall, went to the National Zoo, and to the National Arboretum. It was a really fun weekend.

Vietnam

This slide show traces our travels through Vietnam. Over two weeks we traveled most of the length of Vietnam, traveling by car, bus, boat, kayak, bicycle, train, and motorcycle.

Trip highlights:

Hanoi
- Visiting the museum of Ethnology, which showcases the many ethnic groups in Vietnam
- Eating Pho in small noodle shops
- Walking the crowded streets looking for handicrafts
- Watching a traditional water puppet show
- Drinking Vietnamese coffee, strong with lots of sweetened condensed milk
- Experiencing the spectacle of visiting "Uncle Ho" at his mausoleum

Ha Long Bay
- Kayaking among the karsts and past fishermen
- Relaxing on the deck of the boat
- Visiting caves

Hue
- Checking out goods at the local market
- Wandering the ruins of the imperial city
- Taking a motorbike tour through rice paddies and back roads

Hoi An
- Walking the Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site
- Getting clothes tailored in the local shops
- Taking a cooking class and learning to make papaya salad and pumpkin soup
- Eating and drinking in the trendy local restaurants and bars
- Visiting the ancient My Son ruins
- Biking through nearby villages
- Taking a boat to an island in the river for a sunset BBQ

Nha Trang
- Playing cards with tripmates on the overnight train
- Getting dirty (then clean) at the mud and mineral baths
- Visiting nearby fishing villages
- Snorkeling in the South China Sea

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
- Touring the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum
- Enjoying Annette's Birthday dinner at a trendy restaurant
- Taking a cyclo tour to the major sites

Mekong Delta
- Paddling small canals to visit a coconut candy factory
- Eating a fried "elephant ear" fish

Xi'an

We know this post is long overdue. We have been keeping ourselves busy with travel, starting work, and buying a house, among other things. Without further ado, we present the first installment in the series on our big 2 month travel adventure.

Our first stop was to fly north into mainland China to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an before we left.

We stayed at the Bell Tower Hotel - here is the view of the Bell Tower from our room.



The next day, we did a tour that included a neolithic village and the terracotta warriors.









The next morning, we rode bikes on the old city wall and then went to the museum. While on the wall, we saw Samantha Brown filming a travel show. Very exciting!