2nd half of 2013 travel in bullets and pictures

2nd half of 2014 saw us traveling within the US.

• 2nd Half started with our friend from New Jersey visiting. And we did our usual San Francisco tour with them. It was still great visiting the city for the nth time. Couldn’t get enough of the golden gate bridge, the twin peaks, Lombard streets, the Ghirardeli ice cream, etc.
• Followed by a road trip to Redwood National Park with another friends family. Wonder why we didn’t visit this place which is not too far from home this long. Such a beautiful park. Fern Canyon hike is dreamy. The Lady Bird Johnson grove and Stout grove reminds one how insignificant we humans are. The beaches are pretty much empty and invites you to play. This park is not too crowded although the Fern Canyon parking lot gets full very fast. It was fun having picnics in the middle of the grove. Very thankful to the Govt for the restrooms and picnic benches all over. The kids loved the guided hike.

Stout Grove

Tiger Lily at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Towering Redwoods

• Labor Day weekend saw us in Lassen National Park. One of the best National Parks we have visited. Another National Park so close to home that we have neglected all these years. We did loads of hikes. The 4 hour Cinder cone Volcano hike was tiring but well worth it. The view is breathtaking and unlike I have ever seen. The Kings Creek Falls hike is another beautiful hike. Bumpass Hell Hike is a must see just for the boiling mud pots and the steam vents. We also went to see to the Sundial bridge in Redding, but not too impressive when compared to the beauty of Lassen.

Kings Creek Falls

Cinder Cone Hike Entrance

Cinder Cone Hike

Bumpass Hell

• October, husband participated in a 100 mile bike ride for ASHA for Education. We were in Davis for a day. It was fun driving around the beautiful Davis area pretending to help the bikers.
• Dec has been a busy month with Kauai and Lake Tahoe trips. Tahoe trip was fun as usual. We went with a couple of families, rented a big house at Northstar, cooked up a storm, ski-ed to our hearts content. The kids enjoyed the most since some of them were seeing snow for the first time. Will do a separate post for Kauai since it definitely deserves one and it is fresh in my memory.

1st half of 2013 travel in bullets and pictures

• 2014 started in Switzerland with boo and family. We were at Klosters at a Spa skiing away to glory. We welcomed the new year from our room viewing fireworks and flying lantern. Though bil hurt his leg while skiing, other than that drishti, it did start with the bang

Klosters Serneus Bad

• Feb – May saw many ski trips to Tahoe.
• Sneaked in a 2 week trip to India by myself for a cousin’s wedding. Had a wonderful time at the wedding.  Within the short trip, took a weekend trip to Hyderabad to visit Utbt and family. Wish I had more time with the kids and Utbt.
• End of May, beginning of June saw us in Swiss again. A visit to surprise my mom on her 60th bday. We went on a trip to Lake Como, Italy. Bellagio, Lake Lugano, Villa Carlotta, Villa Bilbianello, Verenna took our breaths along with the awesome gelato. A cousin of ours also joined the trip. On the way back to Swiss, went to Verzasca(The dam from Golden eye) and Lavertezzo (A picturesque bridge). The pictures cannot capture their beauty.

Bellagio

Villa Bilbianello

View from Villa Carlotta balcony

Valle Verzasca

• As if the above was not enough, husband and I took my parents to Austria and Germany as a birthday present. Drove through the autobahn. It was thrilling to drive with no speed limits. It was fun reliving Sound of Music and visiting the castles/fortess of Salzburg and more importantly the birth house of Mozart. On the way back we stopped at Hohenschwangau and Neushwanstein castle. One has to see the castles to believe the beauty of it.

Salzburg from Hohensalzburg fortress

Hohenschwangau Castle

Neuschwanstein castle from Marie Brucke

Marie Brucke from Neuschwanstein castle