Travel Tuesday-Exploring Past Chicago Millennium Park

I have been to Chicago before.  My first time in this beautiful city, I looked up at all the skyscrapers and wished my family could one day see all of this.  Little did I know that one day, I would revisit with them. 

Of course, our first stop had to be to Millennium Park to check out the Cloud Gate sculpture.  But when you are traveling with a six year old, sculptures are not on their things to do.  This great idea soon turned into a bad idea.  Until we decided to explore Millennium Park a little.  There are many visitors mostly tourist in this park.  It can be overwhelming.  If you walk east towards the Grant Park lawn, over the BP pedestrian bridge, you will find the Maggie Daley Park.

We went to visit the bean and ended up finding the most whimsical park ever with slides, rock climbing, towers, and so much more.  I have learned that sometimes you just got to go with it.  This trip was not about sightseeing in Chicago but I am glad that we were able to actually venture out a little and discover this gem in downtown Chicago.  One pit stop turned into a day of fun. 

Weekend Snapshots | 1

This year my plan is to continue what I started last year and stay more connected to my family.  In the end all the hard work we do is for them, right?    

I am joining Arianna from 3twentysix in her Weekend Snapshot Series.  This is my first installment of this past weekends adventures. 

My weekend started early on Friday at Merlot 2 Masterpiece where I got to paint and sip on wine.

The theme was Mardi Gras.  We painted two masks on a purple background.  My painting was more a reflection of the happy face and sad face.  Not that I was trying to paint it this way but it just came out this way.  As I kept painting, my painting took it's own life.  The top mask was a reflection on the happy me, when everything is fine, more put together.  The bottom mask was sad, imperfect, and was darker.  I was just painting but this is what came out.  Anyways, it was a fun ladies night.

My hubby and I were able to have the Valentine's date we didn't get to have last week.  I had told him I had wanted to go to the park.  He asked if this was going to be like our trip to Austin where we walked a mile for each year we had been together and reflected while the whole time, we were lost without water.  Yeah, that happened and no, it was not.  It was good for us to be able to hangout just the two of us.  We do not get to do that alot anymore and it was much needed.   

There are trails.  You can ride bikes.  Make sure to pay attention were you park, were you start, and how far you want to go.   

We even stopped at the Houston Police Officers' Memorial on our walk.

We even got to go to the gym together to get a couples workout in.  We had not been able to go to the gym together.  Many people have told me they are not able to workout with their partner.  My husband and I have a fun relationship.  We always have a good time.  He cracks me up.  If you have met my husband, you know he is a clown.  He had set the timer for 1 hour but we ended having so much fun we kept right on going for 30 more minutes.

We reconnected.  We were able to talk, be silly, and best of all, enjoy each other's company.  How was your weekend?  Did you do anything exciting?  This was a snapshot of our weekend.  I hope to share more of these moments with you on the Weekend Snapshot Series.  Until the next one. 

Travel Tuesday-Hamilton Pool Preserve

Saturday was the 1st day of Summer.  Our Summer started on Friday when we took a road trip to Austin to visit the Hamilton Pool Preserve. 

I like the opporunity for road trips to be educational learning for the entire family.  Just because school is out does not mean we stop learning.  Even the little one can learn a thing or two, and we are never too old to stop learning. 

With Austin being so close to home, we have decided to visit another beautiful place I never knew excited.  As I was goggling beautiful places to visit a place here in Texas popped up.  I had to double check that this place was really real and it was.

Look how beautiful this place is.  It is so serene.  A natural beauty and it being so close to home, we had to add it to our Texas Road Trip Places To Visit List.  (picture and information below come from https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/find-a-park/hamilton-pool)

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic swimming hole which was designated a preserve by the Travis County Commissioner's Court in 1990.  Located 3/4 mile upstream from its confluence with the Pedernales River, Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall as it plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. The waterfall never completely dries up, but in dry times it does slow to a trickle.

You can call to check if there is swimming on the day of your visit.  Our visit day included a no swimming day due to the bacteria levels, which was ok with us because this place was just beautiful to be at, take in, and experience.

During our walk we saw butterflies, worms, and fish.  We heard a couple of strange noises out in the brush but we didn't get to see any other animals.

 The beauty of this place was all around us.  The water flowing of the waterfall.  The birds flying around from their nests hollowed in the Limestone.  Seeing how the rock and the trees surround this place was so beautiful to look at, even my daughter was so amazed.

-What I learned was not to put white on a toddler. 
-Bring water for everyone.  Short walk but you get lost looking at everything that time passes you by.
-Wear comfortable shoes and clothes for this experience.
-Even if you go on a NO SWIM day, enjoy the view.
-No matter what age, you will all enjoy the beauty of this Texas treasure.
-Take breaks if needed. 
-Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc... it is HOT right now.
-Plan ahead.  Due to the size of the preserve and trying to preserve it for everyone to enjoy-limited entrance.  Call ahead.
-This place is perfect for a picnic.

Travel Tuesday-New York Bucket List

2014 is looking awesome for me as I get to check off something else off my At Least Once in this Lifetime Bucket List.

-New York

I finally made it to NYC.  I was so excited I even made a little New York Bucket List for my short 24 hour trip.  See when I think NY I think of JLo, Friends, and the Big Apple.  My theme song was Aleshia Keys 

Alba's New York Bucket List-

1)  Bump into JLo
2)  Visit Central Park 
3)  Experience Time Square
4)  Admire the Empire State Building
5)  Cross the Brooklyn Bridge (I want to visit several bridges all over-on my life bucket list)
6)  Skate at the skating ring
7)  Ride the boat to the Statue of Liberty
8)  Visit the 9/11 Memorial
9)  Go behind the scenes or sit in the audience of a show
10)  Visit the biggest Toys R Us (per my son who was lucky enough to go on a church choir trip to NY and told me there was a 2 story Toys R Us with a Ferris Wheel inside the store)

I was on business so I did not know if I would even get to go to any of these places.  I told myself, "What if I never make it back?"  So the list was created.  I only had a small window for sight seeing and who needs sleep anyways?  After business was taken care of, I ventured alone in the Big Apple.

I crossed some of my bucket list items off and was able to experience other places I did not have on my list.

Visited the set of the Today Show, too bad everyone was gone to Sochi for the Olympics but I was there.

 Not on list -Go to the Top of Rockefeller Center-not on my list but now I have added this item to my Life list -go to the top of all the famous buildings in the different cities i.e. Seattle Space Needle

 That is Central Park.  Through the fog, the place covered in snow, and I did not care as you can see from my cheesy smile.

 I did not get to skate here, just pass through but I actually can say I was there.  I saw where the tree goes.

 To you just a subway picture, to me a Houston-Texan -Wow a subway! The NYC subway

 I made it to Time Square.  Not as big as I thought it would be but yet an experience.  Everyone was there and it was late at night.  I felt like a New Yorker.  Walked past the Late Show on my way to find the Empire State.  All I had to do was look up and see the beautiful colors that lit up the night.

That completed my search as I headed back to the hotel that night I still had the itch so visit Central Park.  Not realizing how close I had been to it all along.  My hotel was across the street from there.

 Central Park!!! I made it.  I did jog a little because it was night time, I was alone, my battery was dying, and I did not want to be a victim on CSI New York edition.  This place was amazing and I want to come back so I can jog, see the castle (yes, there is a castle there or so I heard), and just experience this huge park that goes for city blocks.

 Check out the ice on the river.  Nothing famous, just a body of water and some buildings.

 The Freedom Tower.  I asked the driver on the way out of the city to please take the long way to the airport and drive me by there.  He did.  I did not get to see the 9/11 Memorial from the car but just being in this area made me so emotional.

 On the way in and on the way out, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge.  It is a beauty.  We do not have bridges like this in Houston.  Our driver was so nice.  He was a mini tour guide.  Telling me about the Bronx, the Queens, Harlem, the buildings we were passing up and then even coming to the rescue by not making me miss my flight home in all the traffic.  Oh yeah, almost forgot I passed through the tunnels.

Sad to say good bye to New York but I can honestly say I want to come back.  A different city, fast life, and I loved it!