Black Friday 2011

Black Friday 2011 is approaching to its end by the time I write this post. This year Kohl's is on top of our shopping list, then JC Penny Outlet Store, then Walmart.

Just Dance 3 Wii video game is the one on top of the kids' list, and they had it today. It was amazing to watch them dance together and perfect their dancing skills. Very good way to sweat and stretch! I tried once on the Mermaid with Nosaj, and he has been the best in the house. Already a four-star dancer!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving in Year 2011!

Today, November 24,  is the fourth Thursday of November, 2011, the official day of Thanksgiving Day.

I am thankful for having food to eat and a house to live. I am thankful for having two kids to keep me alive with hope to see them grow up and be independent with their own lives.

This Thanksgiving holiday I decide to shop less and eat less. I would walk routinly and stay fit for the rest of Year 2011.

Shop only what you need, not what you want. This is the way to go green with Earth's limited resources.

HikeOhio!

HikeOhio! - get off the couch and outta the house...

HikeOhio is a Meetup group for walking and hiking in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Founded on August 25, 2008, it currently has 1,361 members.

This group is for anyone who likes to hike and walk on nature trails, backpacking trails and just about anywhere in the great outdoors. All those who are dedicated to hiking excursions in Ohio, with a focus on leaving no trace of litter on our lands can join us! We will get together for evening hikes on metro parks trails, gather for day hikes in the Ohio State park and forest system and maybe even do overnight trips if anyone is interested. Lace up your hikers and hit the trail with us!

Proudly joined on November 21, 2011.

If interested, here is HikeOhio's calendar for the upcoming events.

King of Prussia Mall - The Largest Shopping Mall in the U.S.

King of Prussia is a booming town with the largest shopping mall in the United States. It is located in the northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The King of Prussia Mall has two sections, one is Plaza at King of Prussia, the other is Court at King of Prussia, which includes the Pavilion at King of Prussia.

The King of Prussia Mall was first developed and opened by the Kravco Company in 1963. It now has over 400 stores and 2,793,200 square feet (251,388 m²) total retail floor area. Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, H&M, Nordstrom, etc are some of the high-end stores; Sears, JC Penny are the examples of the medium to lower-end stores. Several retailers rent more than one space, such as three Macy's, two Coach stores, two Victoria's Secrets, three Auntie Anne's (Aha, my favorite!)

The King of Prussia Mall is a prominent tourist destination in the Philadelphia area, with an estimated 20-25% of visitors as tourists. Ask for details of mall tourist packages if you plan to visit Philadelphia. The mall tourist package typically include mall gift cards.

The Most Beautiful Landmarks In the U.S.

The U.S. has a wealth of beautiful landmarks, from soaring man-made monuments to jaw-dropping natural landforms, which every American or foreign visitor should not miss or visit at least a couple of them.

The past century-and-a-half has seen the creation of two organizations that work together to protect America’s national treasures. After the first national park, Yellowstone, was established in 1872 to protect the natural beauty of its world-famous geyser basins and wildlife, the U.S. National Park Service was founded in 1916—and now oversees the preservation of 58 parks around the country. Later, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 created the National Register of Historic Places, to protect landmarks that specifically illustrate the heritage of the United States.

#1. Niagara Falls, Buffalo, New York (checked)
More than 750,000 gallons of water per second thunder down this iconic 167-foot waterfall—the most powerful on the North American continent. The falls straddle the border between the U.S. and Canada, and though some argue that Horseshoe Falls—set on the Ontario side—is more spectacular than the smaller American Falls, the landmark has held a particular place in American history ever since 1901, when Michigan schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the falls (and survive) in a barrel.

How to See It: Take a half-hour water tour on the Maid of the Mist ferry, which has boarding docks in both countries.

#2.Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota
Carved into a granite mountain face in South Dakota’s southwesterly Black Hills, this sculpture of four of America’s most influential presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt) was considered an extraordinary feat of engineering when it was completed in 1941—and it’s still majestic today, bringing in more than two million visitors per year.

How to See It: If you visit in winter, you’ll be able to avoid the summer crowds and see the monument dusted with snow. In warmer months, though, try to catch the evening lighting ceremony (starting at 9 p.m.), where park rangers slowly illuminate the enormous granite faces above.

#3. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California (checked)
Stretching 1.7 miles high above the mist-enshrouded waters of San Francisco Bay, this peaked, vermilion-painted suspension bridge (the color is officially known as International Orange) is as striking today as it was when it was completed in 1937. The natural surroundings—including the coves and forested bluffs of Marin County; the island of Alcatraz; and numerous sailboats, barges, kite-surfers, and even frolicking seals—can all be seen from the bridge on a clear day.

How to See It: Walking at least partway along the bridge’s pedestrian path allows for the most dramatic views (and best photo ops).

#4. The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona
Set in the remote Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness in northern Arizona, this dazzling rock formation, which looks like a cresting wave frozen in time, isn’t easy to access: you’ll need a permit from the Bureau of Land Management, which allows only 20 people per day to visit the delicate landform. But getting to see this fiery swirl of Jurassic-age sandstone, carved by the wind more than 190 million years ago, is well worth a little advance planning.

How to See It: From the Wire Pass Trailhead, it’s a three-mile hike out to the Wave over sandy terrain. Summer temperatures soar to more than 100 degrees, so bring plenty of water.

#5. The Giant Forest, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, California (checked)
Located in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, this three-square-mile forest of massive giant sequoias is home to the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest tree by volume (52,508 cubic feet). The other trees here are jaw-dropping, too—on average, they are as tall as 26-story buildings and have base diameters wider than many city streets. Equally awe-inspiring as these conifers’ grand size, though, is their age: most are between 1,800 and 2,700 years old.

How to See It: If you’re short on time, take a two-mile hike through the Giant Forest on the Congress Trail, which begins at the General Sherman Tree. With more time to explore, though, you’ll want to take the steep quarter-mile staircase to the top of Moro Rock, a granite dome that offers gorgeous views of the Great Western Divide and the forest below.

#6. Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
The legendary home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, this 4,091-foot-high peak is located on the southeastern part of the Big Island of Hawaii. Appropriately named after the Hawaiian word for “spewing” or “much spreading,” this is one of the world’s most active and dangerous volcanoes. Continuous eruptive activity has occurred here since 1983, creating devastating-but-beautiful lava flows that have etched their way across the dramatic landscape.

How to See It: Take Crater Rim Drive, an 11-mile road that circles the summit of Kilauea, for panoramic views of the volcanic landscape. Since access roads often shut due to volcanic activity, though, be sure to check for closures before you visit.

#7. Taos Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico
Set at the base of the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this multistoried adobe compound is one of the country’s best-preserved Pueblo Indian settlements. The pueblo, which was built before 1400 and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the States, consists of ceremonial buildings and individual homes built from adobe—bricks made from earth mixed with straw and water—and decorated with bright turquoise doors. While visitors are welcome, approximately 150 people are lucky enough to call this UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark home.

How to See It: You’re welcome to wander around in the Pueblo as you like—but be respectful by only entering clearly marked shops, as most homes in the pueblo are privately occupied. (As a courtesy, you should also ask for permission before photographing Pueblo residents.)

#8. Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. (checked)
This stately 555-foot monument, built in the bladelike shape of an Egyptian obelisk and completed in 1884, is the most prominent structure in the American capital city. Built in honor of the nation’s first president, the marble monument has served as a backdrop for some of the country’s most historic moments, including Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. It’s at its most beautiful when mirrored in the Reflecting Pool at sunrise or sunset, and especially on the Fourth of July with evening fireworks bursting overhead.

How to See It: Though admission into the monument is free, tickets are required and long lines form to get inside every day. A better bet: enjoy the exterior of the monument from the steps of the Lincoln Monument, or from the tidal basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in April.

#9. Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Illuminated for the first time in 1791 by whale-oil lamps, this lighthouse is located within the beautifully landscaped grounds of Cape Elizabeth’s Fort Williams Park. Attached to a red-roofed Victorian keeper’s house, the 92-foot-tall white conical tower is often seen as a symbol of Maine’s beauty. From its location on a commanding point at the southwestern entrance to the harbor, you can take in crisp salt air as well as endless views of the ocean and rocky coastline for which the state is known.

How to See It: Fewer than 300 tickets are given out to climb the tower on Open Lighthouse Day, a September event put on by the Coast Guard, the State of Maine and the American Lighthouse Foundation. You can also enjoy the lighthouse in a more leisurely manner, by gazing up at it while picnicking in the park or visiting the museum.

Happy 4th of July!

Lot of fireworks everywhere! Columbus's Red, White and Boom on July 1st, 2011 is known for being the largest firework show in the Midwest of the United States.For the first time ever, we stayed late to watch the fireworks on TV until the grand finale.

Dublin Ohio's firework show was on July 4th, though we skipped, since we got up early for the fishing derby at the pond next to Dublin Recreation Center.

U.S. States We Visited

Here comes the list of the states we have visited in the United States:

1. Ohio, Buckeye State: lived in central Ohio for so many years, visited almost every corner of Ohio: Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Bowling Green, Athens, Dayton. Strongly recommended tourism hotspots: Dayton's Air Force Museum, Columbus's Dawes Arboretum and Columbus Zoo, Hocking Hills Old Man's Cave.
2. New York, Empire State: visited Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Columbia University, World Trade Centers before September 11, 2001
3. New Jersey, Garden State: fishing, crabbing, turtling except gardening
4. North Carolina, Old North State: summer vacation at a vacation house of Outer Banks in 2003
5. California, Golden State: 12-day field trip from LA to Napa Valley, from San Francisco to Hearst Castle to Silican Valley then to San Diego
6. Arizona, Grand Canyon State: visited Tucson and its Carolina Mountains
7. Nevada, Silver State: visited casinos in Reno (1997) and Las Vegas (2004)
8. Oregon, Beaver State: visited Eugene and Sea Lion Cave along Pacific Ocean in 2009
9. Montana, Treasure State, Big Sky State: visited Glacier NP, Flathead Lake, tried to go treasure hunting but no time
10. Wyoming, Equality State, Cowboy State: the most recent state we visited because of Yellowstone NP
11. Colorado, Centennial State: National GAP Conference at Colorado State in 2003, visited Rocky Mountain NP
12. Michigan, Great lake State, Wolverine State: visited Michigan State University several times, like their horticultural garden; visited Detroit
13. Indiana, Hoosier State: visited Purdue University and University of Indiana at Bloomington; played U.S. Chess at Indianapolis in 2009
14. Illinois, Prairie State: job interview at University of Illinois at Urbana
15. Wisconsin, Badger State: visited University of Wisconsin at Madison
16. Virginia, Old Dominion: visited friends in Richmond, Virginia in 2010
17. West Virginia, Mountain State: first skiing trip at WinterPlace, WV in 2007 and rafting on the New River in the past June 2011.
18. Pennsylvania, Keystone State, Quaker State: visited Penn State in the Happy Valley in 1996
19. Kentucky, Bluegrass State: visited friends in University of Kentucky
20. Tennessee, Volunteer State, Big Bend State: visited Rock City and Great Smoky Mountains NP in 2007
21. Massachusetts, Bay State, Old Colony State: met old time friends and visited Harvard University and MIT in 1999
22. Alabama, Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie, Camellia State: visited Mobile, Alabama in 2003
23. Maryland, Old Line State, Free State: visited Baltimore and its Aquarium long time ago
24. Florida, Sunshine State: visited Disneyland twice, boarded Norwegian Jewel to Cruise the Caribbeans
25. Missouri, Show Me State: visited Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis long time ago

By Year 2011 I visited exactly half of the 50 U.S. States. What a journey!