The Big Apple- New York

This was our final day in NYC and one place that was in my checklist was Hoboken – Carlos Bakery. Yes from the show Cake Boss. I am not ashamed to say I am a fan of his cakes, so wanted to visit and taste the cake in person. I usually don’t get star struck; but I can’t deny the excitement that had filled my face. As far as cakes and pastries are concerned I think I was short of buying the whole shop. Buddy – the cake boss was not there but did meet his sister Maddalena. After buying loads of goodies we chilled out in a park and saw the beautiful skyline of New York.

Later returned to Times Square for our final goodbye. The NYPD was also there to say bye to us so we kindly graced them with a pic of ours - basically Aakaash and Aan. Later we had an awesome dinner at Hard Rock Café and it was time to bid adieu to US. This was one of my favourite vacations and a big tick mark on my bucket list. Little did I know that when I get back to Lagos I was to get ready for a new adventure of moving to Nairobi, Kenya. 

Bye Bye LA

In the morning we started our journey back to LA. On the way we stopped at Ethel M Chocolate factory and Botanical Garden. This is also the only Ethel M factory in the world which has the same old recipe and still hand packs the boxes. You can see how the chocolates are made through the factory’s window which goes from pipes and conveyor belts to the storage unit. The overwhelming aroma of chocolate forces you to pick up a pack for yourself and after stuffing our mouths with chocolates we went on a short trip to see 300 different species of cactus.

After couple of hours we reached LA and went back to Amarjeet Uncle’s house and spent time with his lovely family. The next morning we were ready embark our final leg of the journey…. Back to New York.

The Sin City - Vegas

Early in the morning we boarded the bus from China Town in LA for a 4 day trip to Vegas and Grand Canyon. By noon we had entered Vegas after passing through the San Bernardino Valley Area and the immense Mojave Desert. Our tour guys let us explore the Sin City by ourselves and I have to say each hotel has its own charm and is a spectacle in itself. No wonder Vegas is called the “Entertainment Capital of the World”. You can walk in at any time of day or night; inside the hotels you can never get to know what time of the day it is since there is a constant flood of people at all hours. It doesn’t matter which hotel you enter, you would be astounded at seeing a different city and atmosphere in every hotel. Time runs very fast in Vegas and after hopping through so many hotels we were ready for out night tour. We saw Treasure Island, MGM, Planet Hollywood, Caser Palace, Palazzo, Venetian, Monte Carlo, Mirage, Trump, Encore etc. This tour is ideal to see the hustle bustle and night life of Vegas Strip.

Our first stop was the Volcano Show at the Mirage that displays high explosions of lava with fireballs dancing to the tunes of music and tabla of Zakir Hussain. Whenever I am out of the country and see Indian talent getting recognized it makes me feel very proud. Our next stop was the Bellagio Fountains which mesmerizes you with the interwoven show of light, water and music. The beautiful choreography of water dancing to the tunes of music looks amazing against the buzzing backdrop of Las Vegas. If you are an art lover then you must visit the Venetian hotel to see the spectacular art work. Our final destination was the Freemont Street Experience which is in down town Las Vegas. We were just in time to see the Viva Vision light Show. The atmosphere was amazing. When we went I didn’t know about the zip line and while we were there they weren’t doing it else I would have loved to do it. After spending some time at the Freemont Street we were finally taken to our hotel which was the Stratosphere. I was very happy since it is the tallest building in Las Vegas and the tallest observation tower in the US that has some crazy rides.

Early in the morning we were super excited to board the bus which was taking us to the Western Rim of the Grand Canyon which is considered one of the natural wonders of the world. After a 4 hour drive we finally reached our destination and straight away booked a helicopter ride. The immense size of the Canyon along with the intricate and colorful landscape is enough to visually overwhelm your senses. I would definitely say that one of the most exhilarating ways to see the Grand Canyon is by a helicopter. The excitement reaches no bounds when the helicopter slowly flies over the edge of the Grand Canyon and descends into the gorge and lands next to the Colorado River. The experience of being on a boat in the Colorado River surrounded by the canyon on both sides is also amazing.

From there we went for Skywalk which is a horseshoe shaped steel frame which projects about 70 feet from the canyon rim and has glass floor. It is suspended at a height of 4000 feet above the river bed. I am very scared of heights and was finding it impossible to walk on the glass. After I took a few steps Aakaash started jumping on the floor which was freaking me out completely; finally a passerby said “Be kind to your wife” which took the humor out of Aakaash and I was able to relax. The view is gorgeous indeed. While we were walking on the glass platform we saw an eagle glide below us so you can imagine how high it is constructed and it indeed has a gorgeous view.

I wanted to stay longer at the Grand Canyon but going with a tour bus has its disadvantages. Nevertheless the plus point is that they make sure that you see many more things that wouldn’t have been possible if you were doing it on your own.. On the way back to Vegas we made a stop at the Hoover Dam. It is an impressive dam, especially given the fact that it was constructed in 1936. By late evening we reached Vegas, had dinner and retired for the night.

This was going to be our last day in Vegas. In the morning we found ourselves in the arms of celebrities in Madam Tussauds.  Aakaash and I also got our hands immortalized while the kids were too small to keep their hands still so as to get their wax hand souvenirs. In the evening we saw the Treasure Island’s Pirate Show which was quite interesting and Aan loved it. This was the only free night we had got and I really wanted to go for Holly Madison’s peep show but of course to arrange for a baby sitter and other things it was too much to do so Aakaash forcefully dropped it. Ironically even though we were staying in a casino we didn’t gamble at all. 

We just roamed around the strip and came back to our hotel to do the fun rides. Two crazy rides that are compulsory for everyone to do are X-Scream & Insanity. In X-Scream you are in a ride which propels you out headfirst around 27 feet from the building. You are literally dangling midair from 106th floor and then suddenly the ride stops brings you back in the building and shunts you out like you are about to dash out of the building and you can see tiny cars and people 106 floors below. It is the third highest thrill ride in the world. While Aakaash was on that ride I was with kids and we could see him and suddenly Aan asked “What happened Mumma why does papa look so scared”. All I could do that time was burst out laughing.

Insanity was also a mind boggling ride which is rated as the second highest thrill ride in the world. It is like an octopus with arms and you are sitting on it and it ejects you out of the building and the floor is removed from under your feet and you are dangling outside the building on the 106^th Floor and then it starts spinning at 40 miles an hour. It sure is enough to make you insane if you stay in it longer. Since we were with our small babies we had to go turn by turn. Aakaash was lucky enough to get to Big Shot which is the highest thrill ride in the world. It just shoots up and down with a great speed. By the time it was my turn, it had become very windy and they had to stop the ride for the night. So this is how we bid goodbye to Las Vegas and gathered all the memories to store down in the memory lane. Tomorrow we would be enduring final leg of West coast.

LA & Huntington Beach

I remember my mom say this to me once, “I really want you to go to California.” Probably in her heart of hearts she really wanted to visit this place. So when the plane touched down at California I was remembering my mom. We were picked up by Amarjeet uncle a friend of my mother-in-law. It was very sweet of him to come all the way to pick us up from Los Angles and we had a pleasant stay in his beautiful home in Huntington Beach.

After taking us out on a scrumptious lunch uncle took us straight to Huntington Beach. It is also known as Surf City due to the windy warm weather almost all through the year making it perfect for the surfers. Just yesterday from Atlantic Ocean in the East Coast we went straight to Pacific Ocean in the West Coast. Aan and Aananya kept themselves busy by running after the seagulls. We took quick snaps on the lifeguard post since we were not allowed to go up there. The wind was so cold that we didn't have the guts to run into the sea therefore the weather didn't permit me to go complete Baywatch.. lol. From there we went home, had dinner and just crashed.

The next morning Amarjeet uncle took us around LA. The first place we went to was the Griffith Observatory. This was the first visit to a planetarium for Aakaash and the kids. The kids had a great time looking through different telescopes and enjoying the show in the Samuel Oshchin Planetarium. This place also served as a great vantage point over LA and we got our pics clicked with the famous backdrop of Hollywood sign. We then went to Hollywood boulevard to see the walk of fame but had only enough time to find Marilyn Monroe and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stars. While we were heading back home I insisted on seeing the Playboy mansion although uncle discouraged that there was nothing that you could see but still went up till the gates and drove past it.. Just for kicks lol; was following Girls Next Door that time.  From there we headed to uncle’s gorgeous home where the dazzling gas pit table was inviting us into their patio to make us cozy enough on a beautiful cold clear starlit night. The next day we were visiting the Sin City.

Everglades & Fort Lauderdale

 Everglades is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the largest wetland in North America. It is also the only place in the world where American alligator and crocodile co-exist in the wild. I was very excited to reach Everglades and we straight away went for the famous air-boat ride. It was exciting to see so many alligators in the marshy saw-grass swamps and lush vegetation of Everglades. The experience was enthralling and it certainly was one of the best ways to experience the journey into nature’s unique, mysterious and vibrant environment of the Everglades.

Once we were back from the tour, we toured around the safari park, went on the jungle walkway and later saw an alligator show. After the show we all got an opportunity to pet and hold a baby alligator. Loved holding the baby alligator and I was smiling from ear to ear.

Soon after the show we headed to Fort Lauderdale from where we had an early morning flight to California. Our stay at Florida had come to an end but we still had loads places to explore and experience. 

Miami Heat

If I remember correctly the drive from Orlando to Miami was 4 to 5 hours. I drove from Orlando to Miami and enjoyed every moment of it. While we were on the highway we had to stop coz Aananya wanted milk and Aakaash had to get off the car to make her bottle. All of a sudden a police car with blinking police lights (complete Hollywood style) pulled up behind us, I can’t even begin to tell you how fast my heart beat was beating out of my chest and I started to wonder would I land up in jail! Suddenly my though was interrupted by Aakaash voice which was all cool and chirpy, I just heard “Good morning Officer” while I drifted back to my thought wondering now what the hell is going to happen. To my relief the police officer just said “Be careful when you park, sometimes the trailers come very fast and we have had a bad accident just last week”. Phewwww we just thanked the officer and off I was on my way. Somehow police officers all over the world make me nervous especially when I am driving.. lol

By the time we reached Miami, it was dusk and we rushed to our rooms, changed and went straight to the beach and dipped our feet in the Atlantic Ocean. Our hotel was a gorgeous boutique hotel with Hollywood themed decor and was located right on the beach. Coz of time crunch we could not really explore and see Miami, something that had happened with us in Gold Coast, Australia. It was just touch and go.  Miami was more so a stopover to go to Everglades. We had dinner and breakfast in the lovely ambiance of the hotel and the next morning we were ready to visit Everglades- a World Heritage Site and the largest wetland in North America.

Orlando – Paradise for kids

These 5 days were just going to be Epic for all of us.  We had decided to do just the theme parks of Disneyland. So we had to cover 4 theme parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. However, I guess we could cover just 3.

Day 1- Magic Kingdom

Our journey began with Magic Kingdom. When you enter Disneyland you are in a different world and you feel that no pain or sorrow can ever touch you again. We were welcomed by the Disney parade followed by the performance of main Disney characters with fireworks with a backdrop of the beautiful Disney princess castle. Forget the excitement that the children were experiencing, I was constantly smiling ear to ear like a childhood wish or fantasy had come true. Later we went to meet Mickey and Minnie. We also met up with almost all the Disney princesses – Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and Belle. The whole place was a fun carnival with Disney characters. We went on a few rides where Aan’s favorite ride was the Jungle Safari Cruise in Adventure Land and we also loved Alladin's Magic carpet. I let my inner child out completely by sitting on the carousel after centuries. I also wanted to do Swim with the dolphins which was in Sea World but we got to know that the whole experience would take 4 hours and we had a very limited time and loads of things to do in Orlando so half-heartedly I had to forego the idea.

Time passes very quickly in Disneyland and it was already night. Soon after Disney’s Electrical Parade was over it was time for the long awaited Disney fireworks which we had missed in Paris due to heavy downpour. The fireworks had us spell bound. We all watched the entire show with fascination and wild admiration. This is was perfect end of our first day in Orlando.

Day 2- Disney’s Hollywood Studio & Epcot

The next morning we were more excited than ever because we had organized a special breakfast with the Disney characters. Although I had tried to organize a stay in the Disney hotels but the cost was too exorbitant so we had to skip that idea and I had booked the breakfast beforehand. If anyone is planning to do the same, I had booked it 15 days before and yet could not get the characters which were my first preference. However, we were super-duper thrilled when Jake the pirate from Neverland, Oso, June and Handy Manny came to visit us at our table followed by a few other characters and when they performed for us and danced with Aan and Aananya, their happiness knew no bounds – it was an experience just out of a dream for the kids..

We had an exciting day at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Aan saw and got pics clicked with his favorite character Lightning McQueen and Mater, Pherb, Toy Story solider and Aananya enjoyed the musical show of Ariel the mermaid. We also went on some cool rides and did a toy train ride of Hollywood Studios. Aananya bought her silver Mickey Mouse ear rings which she was very excited about. The Disney parade was once again a wonderful treat to watch.

Our next stop was Epcot which brings together and showcases the diverse cultures of the world. We rushed to the Finding Nemo block to see so many fishes and kids were rolling with laughter in the show organized there. We saw a beautiful Tinker Bell garden with all the fairies beautifully carved out of the bushes. The place was beautifully decorated with flowers all around. The grand finale was with Illuminations - a very different kind of firework with music, lasers and special effects. I think we didn’t do Animal Kingdom, can’t recollect but the Disneyland experience was amazing which I can never forget throughout my life.

Day 3- WonderWorks & Cirque De Soleil

The third day we had kept a little free and I really wanted to visit this place called the WonderWorks which is an upside down house literally. It is one of the strangest buildings of the world. It has loads of fun and interesting things and activities to do especially related to science.

In the evening we headed to Downtown Disney. The place is amazing to chill out in the evening. The reason for us to be there was to watch the world famous show Cirque De Soleil. It is a combination of circus and theatrical performance with elements of over the top dance, humor, acrobats and stunts. It is hard to describe the brilliance of the show so you have to watch it and experience it to truly understand it.

Day 4- Universal Studio

Universal Studio was a special theme park for me coz I had come here 10 years before and wanted to go with Aakaash on some specific mind boggling crazy rides. The moment we entered we were welcomed by Diago, Dora, Scooby Doo, Shaggy, the Simpsons, Daffy Duck and I had to drag Aakaash away from Marlene Monroe. Aan was super excited to see Spiderman ride a spider bike. 

The comic strip area was also very cool and we had  we had our lunch at the Comic Strip Cafe. Now it was time to enter the Adventure Island where there is no shortage of fun, thrill and exciting rides. Harry Potter Castle was a new addition; I enjoyed a lot and missed my sister so much since she is a diehard fan of Harry Potter. Kids couldn’t relate so much since they had not watched Harry Potter but they could go on some of the rides which was very exciting for them. Took Aakaash to the craziest and the most exhilarating ride I ever sat in. All in all had a fun filled exhausting day. Next morning we had to be fresh to take on the Miami Heat.