February 21, 2016

Tanya's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN: 1 DAY

​The Day that Never Ended!

GREETINGS, and Happy Sunday!!!

So after waking up aboard the USS Iowa yesterday, which was after doing an overnight on Camp Battleship- which was so super cool!

Did You Know: We stood in the very room that President Roosevelt planned D-Day (The pivotal 1944 Allied invasion on the beaches of Normandy France)?!

In order for us to make our Firecracker Bike Ride Dave & I had to sneak off the ship a bit earlier then everyone else. 
Well with all the hussle and bustle of Friday I threw the WRONG bike shorts in my overnight bag...instead of padded shorts, I packed padded liners! 

I realized this while changing out of my jammies and into my bike wear! HELLO! 
I had no choice but to basically wear this pair of "underwear" as shorts!
​That was definitely Fun-ny!

Part 1 - USS IOWA

Only bathtub aboard a Battleship and it was built for President Roosevelt.

In the Barber shop

Sunrise

This picture was taken after I had already left.

Part 2 - Firecracker Bike Ride

So on with the day, although we were signed up for the 30 miler we pedaled away in the 20 mile ride, I had changed it at the very last minute since the race was starting late and we were already on a fairly tight schedule. Yeaaa didn't you realize that I still had lots more to do?!

Part 3 - Hsi Lai Temple

Next up was driving back to OC to pick up the kids, and jam over to Hacienda Heights and the Hsi Lai Temple and Monastery to meet Skip & Khanny for lunch. After eating and touring the lovely grounds Jet and Chaplin showed up to join in on the fun activities.

Photo Credit: Cosette

Photo Credit: Cosette

Part 4 - Crossroads Kitchen

And of course the day was still not over yet...
Dave and I still had to have our make-up Valentine's dinner. Which I've got to give props was THE BEST MEAL that I've ever had at Crossroads Kitchen!!

And finally, as for today. It is a very special day...it is my baby sissy's 25th birthday!!

So much to be done today - which is not limited to but does include most of the packing for tomorrows trip...I've better get a move on things and get the ball rolling over here!

I'll be back tomorrow, for the start of our 4th trip of 2016!
Ciao 4 Now,
​-T

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 27 DAYS

Sunday Reflections of Beautiful Temples

GOOD DAY, GOOD DAY!!

Greetings from Nassau - yep, we are back home after a week out in Southampton and Manorville.

The kids are a bit wiped out, but they will have today to relax and finish up the balance of their homework.

What I'm most impressed with is that both girls spent an hour each night doing homework, in spite of being with their friend AND being completely wiped out from riding all day!  

​In Kelsey's case, she didn't have homework per se, but had to finish reading an entire book about Walt Disney for her biography book report project.

Since the library was out of books about this great innovator in the kids' section, we were forced to take one out from the young adult area.

I'm so proud of her - reading about 20 pages per night, she only has a few more pages to go to complete this nearly 200 page book.  Way to go Kelsey!

Her project is looking great so far, as it has to be designed as a "Campaign Poster" entitled, Walt Disney for President! We'll finish it up later this afternoon!

Ok, enough school talk.  Can't believe our routine starts again tomorrow.  ugh.

Unfortunately, I came down with a cold which hit hard yesterday.  So, last night, after unloading the car, getting 2 loads of laundry done, getting the girls settled and unpacked, sorting the mail and cleaning out the fridge, I just cozied up on the couch for a few hours with my best girl, Kelsey!

We watched a number of episodes of the Property Brothers on HGTV - did I mention how this little nine-year old wants to be an interior designer when she grows up??  So, we just LOVE watching The Property Brothers and Fixer Upper together.

It's so funny, because as a toddler, Gianna began watching The Food Network and is such a great cook today! She still loves watching this channel, with her latest obsession being "Worst Cooks in America" with Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell

​So, Kelsey will design the houses and Gianna will keep us amazingly well fed!!

Wat Rong Khun in Thailand. Flickr photo by Top Koaysomboon

Oh my goodness!! Is this Temple above, not one of the most beautiful sites you've ever seen??

With Tanya's recap today and writing about her experience of at Hsi Lai Temple/Monastery, I decided to do some online research about the many Temples and Monasteries around the globe.

What I found was a wonderfully interesting article on WildJunketMagazine.com by a young writer, Elica Sue, who also writes a blog called Travelengua, featuring her picks for the 10 Most Beautiful Temples in the World.

Definitely, check out all 10, but, two in particular completely captivated me!!

The temple featured above, Wat Rong Khun, which is located in Chiang Rai Province in Thailand, is probably the most exotic Buddhist and Hindu temples in existence.

Considering the construction is quite recent - 1997 - it harkens back to the ornate and intricate architecture of long ago.

It was designed by the artist Chalermchai Kositipipat, and built in his native land, Chiang Rai, Thailand.  What is so striking is how it is all white, a reflection of the Buddha’s purity, and as a result, it is also called "The White Temple." 

Interior Super Heroes paintings at Wat Rong Khun (credit: whenonearth.net)

The interior of Wat Rong Khun is decorated with statues of the Buddha, as is expected, but strangely, it also featured painted super heroes   such as Superman, Batman, and the Hulk, making it quite unconventional! ​

The Hindu Temple Prambanan. Flickr photo by Nokén.

I guess you can tell by now that I'm very intrigued and impressed with the "Ornate."  The above temple, Prambanan, is located in Central Java, Indonesia.

It was built in the 10th Century, and dedicated to the deity Shiva and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Not only was it created with detailed stone carvings, but it is also the largest Hindu temple in both Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Within the complex, there are 224 temples, and  the pointed, towering architecture style is typical of Hindu temples.


Well, friends, I'm headed out to do some errands, in spite of having no voice and a slight earache.

See ya back here tomorrow for the start of the last week in February 2016!

-E
xoxo