The Smiths: Travel

Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Michael's Trip to Egypt

Last October Michael had the opportunity to take a trip to Cairo, Egypt with some of his classmates to research housing. Although he left me behind in LA to take a quick 6 day "vacation" without me, at least he took pictures galore! Be prepared for LOTS and LOTS of them!

dinner in the desert

view of a pyramid

this picture looks photoshopped!

the tourists

the Arabian horse was biting Michael

I'm pretty jealous that Michael went on this amazing trip without me, but I can't wait for all the great trips we will be able to go on once he is finally finished with school in June. We have so much to look forward to!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

2nd Annual Yosemite Trip

Matt and Ashley Marriano, Kael and Heather Alden, Sarah and Josh Rivera, Austin and Rachel Robinson and Mike and me! Such a great photo op.

In the Fall of 2010 Michael and I had the chance to go to Yosemite National Park with the Robinsons. It was so much fun and you can read all about it here. Well, this year at the end of September, thanks to the thinking and planning of some really great friends, we were able to go again and this time we had lots more people to enjoy the trip with!! I love Yosemite and I can't believe how amazingly gorgeous it is. I wish it were just a little bit closer so that we could go more often.

The weekend trip consisted of a 9 mile hike up to the top (and edge) of North Dome, some AMAZING meals planned and cooked by the Riveras, some yummy 'smores roasted over some much needed warm fires, and two fun car rides back and forth from LA to Yosemite.

Heather and I walking along the edge of North Dome

walking along the edge of North Dome

The girls sitting at Glacier Point

We hope that we can make this a tradition and go back again next year for a 3rd Annual Yosemite Trip :)

And Thanks Kael for taking such amazing pictures!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Final Weekly Wrap-up In Pictures: Week 8

Monday - Praying at the center of the earth

Tuesday - Michael at the Forbidden City

Wednesday - Smoking over my food? Why thank you.

Thursday - Shopkeeper

Friday - An original Chinese garden entrance

Well, I had an amazing summer that I will NEVER FORGOT!! I'm so happy that I was able to document all of our adventures and blog about them, even if it is mainly for myself. Thanks for reading along. And if you ever have a chance to go to China? GO!! It will change your life!!!

Wangfujing Market and FRIED SCORPION!!!

Yes, I ate a fried scorpion. I decided when I got to China that I was going to eat something outrageous and not long after, I decided that it was going to be a fried scorpion. Lucky for me, when my parents came to Beijing my dad decided that he was going to eat a fried scorpion as well. I had heard a lot about the Wangfujing market and I knew that it would be the PERFECT place to eat my fried scorpion because they fry pretty much EVERYTHING there from scorpion to rattlesnake to seahorse.

We started out by trying a few "normal" things like seasoned lamb on a stick and some strange fried seafood, then my dad and I decided we were ready.

I got some great pics of him eating his fried friend, but sadly there was a camera malfunction and I didn't get mine on camera. My dad offered to buy another one so I could eat it on camera, but there was NOTHING that could get me to do that EVER AGAIN. It tasted just like it sounds in case you are wondering...

We decided to finish off with some candied fruit which was AWESOME and really took that gritty taste out of my mouth.

Over all, I'm glad I did it, but I would never do it again. :)

The Forbidden City

Michael and I never really got the chance to visit the Forbidden City until my parents came into town. It was amazing, but unfortunately the weather was not in our favor. It would have been even more impressive I'm sure if it had also been a beautiful day outside. The Forbidden City was actually forbidden to anyone outside of the royal family and his servants. It is unbelievable how HUGE the forbidden city was!! We walked the entire length of it from south to north and wondered if it would ever end!

My parents inside of one of the squares. There were about 5 total.

Michael and I at the entrance.

Just outside Qianmen Gate.

Another one of the huge Forbidden City Squares.

At the North Entrance to the Forbidden City, where we exited from, had an amazing Chinese garden and was really neat to see. It was packed, so we could hardly get a good picture, though...