Yosemite National Park.

After 2 past failed attempts, I finally made it to Yosemite National Park! I took a one-day bus tour there today; my final day in the Bay Area. Yosemite is home to some of the world's most majestic and awesome rock formations, including El Capitan, the world's largest monolith, which stands at 3000 feet tall! Other highlights include Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America, and the groves of giant sequoia trees.





I had my lunch in the award-winning Ahwahnee Dining Room. The 34-foot-high beamed ceiling with large sugar pine trestles that complement the room’s granite pillars, floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, linen tablecloths and beautiful china create a spectacular ambiance. Entrée: Sautéed Mountain Trout.

Washington DC!

Washington DC was the best. The magnificent Capitol House (above) is often mistaken for White House (below).

Thomas Jefferson Memorial


Vietnam War Memorial


Abraham Lincoln Memorial



Hope Diamond @ DC's National Museum of Natural History
(World's largest deep blue diamond)

National Air & Space Museum

(The dude on the right is a US fighter pilot)

Philadelphia & Baltimore.

I got up bright and early on Friday morning to catch my 2-day bus tour to Philadelphia / Baltimore / Washington DC, which departed from Chinatown NY. It was snowing heavily outside. I accidentally boarded the wrong bus, but managed to transfer to the right one in the nick of time. Phew!

New York -> New Jersey -> Pennsylvania -> Delaware -> Maryland -> Washington DC.

First stop: Philadelphia



Lunch stop: Delaware City
$9.50 all-you-can-eat buffet bliss!

Afternoon stop: Baltimore Harbour



Dinner Stop: Silver Spring
I gave the $11 all-you-can-eat buffet dinner a pass. Would have been severe overkill! Haha. Settled for roast chicken and mash. Picked up a Tommy Hilfiger Polo Tee from Marshalls!

Final Stop: Holiday Inn, Maryland.

Wow! 2 Queen beds to myself, wireless internet and cable TV!

New York: Part V.

On Thursday it was back to New York. I visited the Bloomberg HQ on 731 Lexington Ave. What an office! The interior design is stunning. Looks like it belongs in a 6-star hotel, not an office!



Now that is what I call a pantry! 50m of tid-bits and drinks buffet heaven.

In the evening I met with Tim and family. Talk about long time no see! It had been close to a decade since I had last seen them. Back in the day, Tim and Jean were still courting and Celest was non-existent! Tim showed me around the Lehman Brothers office and we also took a peek at the University of Columbia campus. We all had dinner at this Cuban joint in Upper West Side and subsequently Tim and I proceeded to McD's for the continuation of a good long chat.

Boston!

First thing Monday morning, it was off to Boston with Charmaine. Once again, I got to experience life in a college dorm. As there were no spare beds, I slept on the hard floor (and that bought me a few days' worth of backaches!) The highlights of the trip were...
Testing guitars @ Guitar Center

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Concert @ Berklee College of Music

New York: Part IV.

On Sunday, we went to Times Square Church for the morning service, followed by T.G.I. Friday's for lunch. Comes at a price though. (And I don't just mean that in an economic sense!) But YUM YUM YUM YUM *BURP* anyway!!


We spent the afternoon through evening at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. I'd already bought just about anything I could possibly need, so I did not end up buying much of anything that day. After shopping we met Julie and David for dinner at some Korean restaurant in K-Town, where I had my first Bi Bim Bob!

New York: Part III.

On Saturday morning we went to check out Ground Zero. Basically you go there to see that there's nothing to see. After that we walked over to Battery Park, where we viewed the Statue of Liberty from afar (and took photos while at it!)



In the evening we went to see the hilarious Tony Award winning musical Avenue Q. The humour is highly politically-incorrect and takes cynicism to new heights, but leaves you gasping for breath from laughter! "What do you do with a BA in English..." Lalala...