Tag: travel

Trip to Stockholm

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Last week I went on my first business trip ever, and it was a fantastic one! The trip was to Stockholm, Sweden. Not only was the work really productive, but exploring the city was really fun as well. One of the highlights was that my coworker and I went for an evening run along a popular route. That was super! We also ate a lot of traditional food and sampled many local beers. What a great trip! Below are some of the photos I took.

Sunset over Stockholm
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 9.7mm, f/3.6, 1/20 sec, ISO400
 We were walking to dinner and had to stop several times to take photos of this amazing sunset over Stockholm.
Arlanda Express
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 10mm, f/6.7, 1/20 sec, ISO1000
 This is the Arlanda Express, which is the best way to get to/from the airport and Central Station. We used the app to buy tickets while at dinner. So convenient!
Sakura
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO100
 I was surprised to find sakura! I see so many Instagram photos from Japanese instagrammers, and I am happy that I could take some sakura photos too.
King Gustaf III
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO100
 This statue of King Gustaf III is by the waterside… a favorite perch for the local seagulls.
Blå Dörren (Blue Door)
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/4, 1/15 sec, ISO3200
 Blå Dörren (Blue Door) is where we had Swedish meatballs and pickled herring, along with local beer. So yummy!
No 9
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.6, 1/15 sec, ISO3200
 No 9 on Stora Nygatan in the Old City
Plugged Records
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.6, 1/15 sec, ISO2500
 Plugged Records on Stora Nygatan. This street is in Gamla Stan Old Town. It’s such a cool section!
Stora Nygatan
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.6, 1/15 sec, ISO2000
 Stora Nygatan in the Old Town
Stora Nygatan
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/15 sec, ISO1600
 Stora Nygatan in the Old Town
Window Shopping Åhléns
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/160 sec, ISO800
 Window Shopping at Åhléns. This department store was right next to the office. I really liked the Honda CB, which had a weird disc brake fitted to the front wheel.
Nice Ad
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO400
 Nice ad on the street. I like the cow.
Local Brew
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/15 sec, ISO1250
 One of the many local beers we sampled. This photo was taken at Bakfickan.
Fuchiko, Röhrstrom, and Chiffon
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO1000
 Fuchiko, Röhrstrom, and Chiffon. Mariko sent me a message with this dish design, and I found this cake dish at the Åhléns department store. I had to hand carry this back to Austin, but it was worth it!

Walt Disney World Vacation

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Fireworks over Cinderella's Castle
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 7.4mm, f/2.5, 1/10 sec, ISO800
 Fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle

We just returned from a second wonderful Walt Disney World Vacation in Orlando, Florida. We had a great time, just like our first visit! This time we stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort which was just a basic hotel, but it definitely fit our needs. The important thing was that there was great bus service to the parks, Downtown Disney, and the airport.

Mission:SPACE Pilot Controls
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec, ISO1600
 Mission: SPACE Pilot Controls

The first day, we visited the Magic Kingdom, second day was Hollywood Studios, and the third day was Epcot. We didn’t have time to visit Animal Kingdom this time around. One tradition we have when we visit a Disney park is that we buy a bag of Sour Ball Candy (assorted flavors) and snack on them all day. We’ll choose a color for the other person and that person will try guess the flavor. Strangely enough, the bag usually gets finished right at the end of the day.

Astro-orbiter
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/1.8, 1/4 sec, ISO200
 Astro-orbiter

Before my memory fades too much, I want to quickly get things down. So here’s a list of notable things from the trip:

  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is so fun! We couldn’t get a FastPass + for this one, so as soon as we arrived at the park, we headed to this ride first. (Tip: Reserve FastPass + online early!)
  • The Memory Maker photo pass is a great deal. We took photos whenever we saw one of the photographers, and also met some characters and took photos. Also, the newer rides such as Tower of Terror and the previously mentioned Mine Train automagically take video footage of you and make a cool video. Check out the video at the end of this post!
  • We joined the “More intense” Orange Team for Mission: SPACE. At the last moment, Mariko opted out and it was a smart move. I think she would have been dizzy and not feeling well the rest of the day. Bay, Koa, and I enjoyed it though, and we went on it again (Green Team) with Mariko two more times.
  • Epcot World Showcase is more fun than I had expected (and remembered). The Agent P missions that Koa joined were well-done! The Morocco area is my favorite.
  • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a great ride! I generally don’t like the free-fall-type rides, but this one was better in that you are shot up in the air, and then you hang for a second before coming back down. I guess since you know exactly when you are going to free-fall, it’s not so bad.
Courtyard in Morocco-EPCOT
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 8mm, f/3.6, 1/25 sec, ISO400
 Courtyard in Morocco-EPCOT

In the video below, we are sitting in the top-right of the ride. But the funniest part are the two dudes sitting in the middle. Their poses are classic!

I am looking forward to our next trip to a Disney Resort. I really think that spending the money to stay at an official Disney Resort is the way to go. There are just so many perks to doing it that way. And you know, life’s short. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. /ferris

Skateboarding on Vacation

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On the Strand
On the Strand

After getting our new skateboards last summer, Bay and I decided that we should take our boards when we travel and go skateboarding on vacation. So for our Christmas trip to visit my family in Los Angeles, we packed up the boards and brought them. Actually, I only brought over my trucks and wheels since I had an old deck at my parents’ house, while Bay brought over his whole skateboard.

The first day we were there, we rode to the park and skated around there. My old deck is a real ’90s style, with a squared off tail (and tail guard!) and front of the board goes a bit wider. It is such a comfortable cruiser shape! I loved riding it again!

On Christmas Eve day, we all went to the Strand. Most of the group was on bikes, but my oldest brother, myself, and Bay rode our skateboards. I also borrowed some rope from my dad because I was anticipating being towed by one of the bike riders. And as you can see from the photo above, we made good use of the ropes! Riding on the Strand brought back so many memories. It was なつかしい！(nostalgic)

The only thing I would change is that instead of bringing my Bones wheels, I’d bring the OJ’s instead. The softer and quieter OJ’s would have been more comfortable and easier on the ears than the hard Bones.

When the vacation came to a close, I was going to bring my old deck back to Texas but decided to just bring the trucks/wheels home. I’ll leave the deck in California for the next visit!

Camping at Choke Canyon State Park, TX

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The day after Thanksgiving we took the kids camping to a new place for us: Choke Canyon State Park. It’s located between San Antonio and Corpus Christi, about three-hour drive from our house. We really enjoy camping and since we have all the gear it’s easy to go spur-of-the-moment. Going the day after our Thanksgiving feast wasn’t a problem at all. We went basic with the meals, just stopping at the supermarket to fill up our cooler with steaks, breakfast sandwiches, bread and deli meats/cheese. And of course we had to have s’mores!

The campsite was pretty nice, but it’s mostly RV campers and only a couple of people in tents. But it was ok. The only downside was that most of the RV campers left the lights on at their campsites all night. Plus there was also the constant hum of electric appliances. It was kind of fun seeing all the lights strung up at the campsites (I have never camped at an RV area before). I only wish they would have turned off the lights when they went to bed. It would have made the star photos a bit better.  But, the bathrooms there were super-clean since I think most of the people at the campground prefer to do their business in their RVs. Just a guess.

Anyways, the camping was fun as usual, with a nice campfire, steaks, and s’mores. I bring my BBQ grill when we go camping, so we have a nice controlled cooking fire, and then we have the campsite fire pit for the larger campfire.

I woke up at about 1:30 AM and decided to take some photos of the night sky. Luckily I remember to bring the tripod on the trip! It was a lot of fun! I wish the kids would have joined me, but I didn’t really want to wake them since they were snug in their warm sleeping bags. I did manage to get a few decent photos and see one shooting star before retiring back to the tent at 2:30.

The next morning after breakfast, we headed down to the lake and did a little fishing. We didn’t catch anything or even get a nibble, but we were able to see a huge alligator sunning himself on the bank. It was pretty impressive!

The camping trip was just one night, but it was fun and nice to visit a new place. I can’t wait for our next camping trip! Please enjoy the photos below.

Snacktime, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Snacktime, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Our Campsite, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Our Campsite, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Around the Campfire, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Around the Campfire, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Night View, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Night View, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Night Sky, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Night Sky, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Writing with Light, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Writing with Light, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Morning, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Morning, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Big Gator, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Big Gator, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Fishing, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 10mm, f/11, 1/250 sec, ISO50
 Fishing, Choke Canyon State Park, 2014

My Half-Marathon

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A Distant Goal

One of my short-term goals is to run a half-marathon (and someday a full marathon), probably at the Austin Marathon in 2015. My sketchy plan was to build up my miles in preparation for that race, maybe running 3-5 miles Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a rest day Saturday. On Sunday I’d do a long run of about 10 miles followed by a rest day on Monday. I felt this would be a nice, do-able routine.

But, when I injured my knee in October, I had to suspend my running for a few weeks to let it heal up. So, the routine got messed up. In November I slowly started running again and finally got back up to running my normal distance of about 5 miles, but taking at least one rest day between runs.

Weekend Run

Sunday morning, I began my normal run around the neighborhood.

It started out on a good note with the weather just about perfect. There were plenty of clouds to block the sun and keep the sky beautiful, a nice breeze, and mild temperatures. About a mile into the run I saw a turtle sunning itself in the middle of the boulevard, so I picked it up and put him by the nearby pond (where I assumed he came from). That immediately put me into an even better mood and I continued the run with a smile on my face.

Can I Run All the Way?

At this point the thought of running 13.1 miles crept into my head.  “Can I run all the way? Does it matter that my half-marathon is not at an official event?” These questions were floating around in my head while I started to calculate how many laps around my usual route I would need to make. I figured I would aim for three laps, but I had my phone with me telling me how long and far I have run every 10 minutes. I didn’t have to worry about getting the course perfect. With that in mind, I just kept running.

Lap 2 was uneventful but towards the end my legs started getting fatigued. I also started thinking that I didn’t really fuel up before the run since I didn’t think I would go for long. In fact, my breakfast consisted of two cups of coffee, a single glass of water, and about five macadamia nuts – not the best pre-race meal!

What’s Important about 13.1

I was also pondering why running a half-marathon was important to me, or rather, why it was a goal of mine. I guess it’s all about completing the distance, and not actually competing in an official event. I’ve run 5k and 10k races before and although they took place at nice locations and were fun, they don’t seem to have the appeal to me that they do to other people. I guess I am kind of a solo runner (and motorcyclist too). I really look forward to running alone. So the answer to my second question above – “Does it matter that my half-marathon is not an official event” – was “No”. I’m doing the distance, albeit at a slow pace. But 13.1 is 13.1, isn’t it?

Back to the run. Halfway through lap 3 (at around the 10 mile mark) I started to get really thirsty. My mouth was getting dry and my lips felt chapped. I also started to feel a little bit of pain in my right calf muscle, as if it were cramping up a bit. I was so close to my goal! Of course I didn’t want to risk my health or suffer dehydration, but I could taste the “finish line”. After a quick check of the rest of my body’s condition, I came to the conclusion that I could go on. I was pretty much in the home-stretch, heading back towards the house.

Success!

Continuing to watch my body condition closely, I kept chugging along and before long, I had passed the 13.1 mile mark! It kind of felt like when I passed the 1,000 mile mark on my Saddlesore 1,000 motorcycle ride. I knew I had achieved my goal, and any extra distance I ran was just the icing on the cake!

When I reached home, the total distance was 13.9 miles and it took me about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Now that I have completed my goal, I am looking forward to upping the distance and have learned a few things. Most important is that I need to fuel up properly, and even maybe plan a water stop at my house. Also, I learned that I need to allot about 50+ minutes per “lap” and I should be good!

I’m so happy to be running again!

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