2018 Winter adventure day in NYC

On the final day of 2018, I took my cousins on a full day adventure in NYC. Below is a recap for future reference. I was surprised we managed to fit so much into one day!

stop0: jersey city

We started our day by taking a leisure stroll to Jersey City waterfront. The sun was out so we managed to enjoy the view of lower Manhattan skyline and the ferries. After some sightseeing, we took the Path train from Exchange Place to World Trade Center. Don't forget to load up on subway cards (can be used for both PATH train and NY subway trains).  Info on path: https://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html and subway https://new.mta.info/

stop1: downtown

We walked through Brookfield winter garden to see the LED lights. It was relaxing and fun! C. wanted to see the Ground Zero memorial fountains so we skipped the inside of the Oculus hub. At Fulton Center C. introduced me to a bubble tea chain called Gong Cha. I've never been a huge fan of bubble tea but decided to try white pearl (it's interesting). After the fountains we walked to City hall and took some pics of the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge. Surprisingly busy on a cold day.

stop2: chinatown

We took a MTA bus from City hall to Chinatown. This was a request by cousins as I don't typically walk around Chinatown unless I'm meeting friends for food. We didn't get any food and it was getting close to lunch time so made our way to St. Marks for lunch.

stop 3: lunch

Given it's lunch time, St. Marks was kind of dead. No yakitori place was open. Some of the other places I had in mind didn't work out given they didn't have non-gluten options. We ended up getting lunch specials at a place (forgot the name) which was okay. Hopefully in the future we can try
okonomiyaki at Otarfuku and/or udon west.

Stop 4: midtown

We took the subway to Grand Central to browse Kinokuniya bookstore. Sadly didn't have time for NYC library or exhibition, but we were sort of in a hurry to head to karaoke before it got too late.

Stop 5: karaoke

Karaoke duet near 35th st, opens at 2pm https://www.karaokeduet.com/
We made it to karaoke and managed to sing for an hour before heading home to NJ on the 33rd St Path train.

Post NYC

After our multi-stop NYC tour we relaxed with some anime.
My pick: Tsurune (show about archery club, very well animated and very relaxing for a sports genre)
D's pick: Zombieland Saga (zombie idol show with a very wacky cast)

New Year's eve dinner can be pretty packed depending on the place and time. It was raining pretty hard and still relatively early, so we took my aunt/uncle and cousins to a local beer garden called Zepplin Hall.

It's always fun having visitors who want to explore NYC so I look forward to our future adventures too.

Seattle 2018 Trip

Huge shout out to my cousin Diana for being a fantastic host on my recent trip to Seattle. Feel free to use my travel notes as a guide for your future visitors (including myself!).

Fun

Starbucks Roastery (Seattle location), Capitol Hill)
I took a leisure walk to this place on my first full day. I ordered a coffee ((Pantheon 2018, pour over) and did some people watching (so much to see!). On my last day I went to the shop again and got some freshly roasted beans (also Pantheon). They of course also have food options, tons of coffee (made with your favorite brewing method) and plenty of Starbucks Reserve goodies. I can't wait for the NYC roastery to open up soon.



Seattle Center International fountain
Best place to enjoy a bit of sun (on those sunny days in Seattle, lucky me!) and people watching. and also a great place to snap a pic of the Space Needle.

I looked into the music a bit more when I was organizing my trip notes and found some great resources below:

• article about the DJ from the Stranger
• actual playlists!
• I haven't listened to this specific playlist but the date range matches when I visited the fountain. 

Tours

KEXP tour (Seattle Center)
Having listened to KEXP live in studio performances podcast, I was intrigued by the station tour and also the setup of the space. They have a rotating coffee place and also a record store in the lobby. The tour was clearly well-advertised because we had people from all over the world (including Scotland and South Africa). I haven't watched too much of their youtube channel but it is also very popular around the world. The actual studio had glowing, pulsating blue LEDs that are surprisingly calm (note for my future lighting project, ha). I was really impressed with the massive CD library. Each CD also had personalized notes from the DJs. The collection is already being digitized and everyone was relieved to hear that the CD notes will also be scanned and stored as part of the effort. The space had a lot of neat artwork, this one showing the skyline of Seattle was my favorite.


Mount Rainier National Park (2 hours drive from downtown)
Earlier this summer I went to the Grand Canyon and caught the national park fever. Given Seattle is so close to several national parks, I had to visit one! After searching, I found a tour group called Evergreen Escapes and went on a small group tour to Mt Rainier.

We got lucky with the weather and had possibly one of the best days ever for hiking. We were surrounded by beautiful colors of the fall and also amazing old growth trees/forests. I'm glad I took this tour closer to the beginning of my trip (since I traveled from East coast and still woke up at 3am on my first few days in Seattle). The tour specs included a round trip from downtown in a comfortable van. Our tour guide also provided water, snacks, and lunch so we didn't have to bring much. I would definitely do this same trip (perhaps a diff season) and other outings with this company again.





Underground Tour (Pioneer Sq)
I went on this highly recommended tour when I first went to Seattle but my cousin Diana hasn't experienced it yet (because tours are for tourists, not locals)! We joined a bunch of people during a weekend session and had fun walking around underground and looking for purple glass (skylights).  If you go on this tour, you will be causing sidewalk traffic jams like proper tourists. I enjoyed the storytelling part of the tour more so than the so-called 'relics' and 'artifacts' but decide for yourself! 

Theo Chocolate Factory Tour (Fremont)
On the last full day of my trip, I woke up to a gray and rainy day. I skipped my plans for the zoo/garden and ventured out to Fremont for a chocolate factory tour instead. The tour gave a description of the bean to bar process, a peak inside the factory through clear observation room, and of course chocolate samples. I picked up some bars at the store afterwards.

Colorado Trip Notes

I visited Colorado for the first time and wanted to share some sights and tips from my visit. I enjoyed both Denver and Boulder and would definitely come back for more fun. Some specifics around restaurants / hikes / beers / food stuffs have all gone out of my head. hopefully S. and T. have better notes and/or memory and can add a bit more.

day 1 Denver

beautiful airport with tent structure and fantastic lighting http://www.flydenver.com/

16th st free mall ride http://www.rtd-denver.com/FREEMallRide.shtml

state Capitol building. restoration of house and senate chambers (check it out next time). hall of president portraits. http://www.denver.org/listings/Colorado-State-Capitol/3679/

Tattered Cover Bookstore with coffee and ice cream shop (reminds me more of Powell's than Strand) http://www.tatteredcover.com/

Wynkoop Brewery. http://www.wynkoop.com/ Rail yard Amber ale (also part of the downtown brewery listing from the visitor center. food was also pretty good. I ordered trout with polenta.

Union Station. yet another station that’s prettier than our Penn Station. I didn’t take the train and we walked inside where they had many food shops and even décor for Halloween.

day 2 Boulder

We took Green Ride from Denver to Boulder. http://greenrideboulder.com/

walking around on Pearl St. one memory store was the puzzle store and one memorable street art was watching people make art by sticking leaves and flowers on the rock with water slowly running down it. http://www.boulderdowntown.com/visit/history-of-pearl-street

tried a pumpkin cannoli from this shop: https://pieceloveandchocolate.com/

hiking and panorama views (photo from S.)

French restaurant near pearl st. I think it was brasserie ten ten? great happy hour specials https://www.brasserietenten.com/menus/happy-hour/

SFjazz Michael Jackson tribute (with jazz interpretation) http://www.sfjazz.org/events/2015-16/1022/collective

day 3

origami convention

west end tavern rooftop – forgot which beer I had? smoker selection (pork, chicken, sausages) http://www.thewestendtavern.com/

day 4

flat iron coffee. http://www.flatironcoffee.com/

flat hiking around Sawhill Ponds https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/sawhill-ponds-trailhead

celestial seasoning tea tour http://www.celestialseasonings.com/tours learned about herbal infusions and the overpowering “mint room”. of course sample all the teas there ( I liked watermelon zinger and chamomile lavender) and buy some gifts for your friends and family back home! I enjoyed reading about the history and also looking at the illustrations that they have for each tea.

teahouse lunch (amazing décor outside and inside, visit it!) we sipped some tea and I loved the Mediterranean salad which came with hummus, grape leaves, and olives  http://www.boulderteahouse.com/

street art near the teahouse

more hiking with more slope and views Chautauqua https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/chautauqua-trailhead

chophouse and tavern (??) split lamb chops with T.

we sampled java porter (coffee flavored beer) at mountain sun bar and caught haymarket square 'punkgrass' band performance. http://haymarketsquares.bandcamp.com/ the bar also offered prime people watching opportunity. we saw poker players, board game groups, dancers, couples, visitors, and more. http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

day 5

the buff for breakfast http://www.buffrestaurant.com/

Next Time:

• Denver Visitor Center Tips
  • Appaloosa grill 10pm music http://appaloosagrill.com/
  • Jazz at Jack's http://www.jazzatjacks.com/
  • http://www.denver.org/things-to-do/day-trips-around-colorado/denver-beer-triangle/
• Coors Field baseball stadium tour http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/col/ballpark/
• Denver zoo http://denverzoo.org
• various parks and stuff
  • http://estes-park.com/peak-peak-scenic-byway
  • http://peaktopeakguide.com/

Resources:

• Colorado Beer Tour iOS App. I consulted this along with Yelp for a few good outings. https://appsto.re/us/LL6zz.i
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Visitor Centers and Trail Maps

Winter in New York City

We have had our share of cold and snow in New York this winter, but not enough to stop some recent visitors from enjoying the city. While my previous NYC guides and tips have been more summer and warmer weather focused, I thought I'd summarize some winter outing tips for future reference.

Top 5 picks for non-holiday season winter months in NYC (in no particular order):

• Museum: Metropolitan museum of art, (or other museums such as Natural history museum, Guggenheim museum, MoMa)
• Music: jazz bars in the village, or whatever type of music suits your mood. 
• City watching: pick any food and coffee place with a nice window and watch the snow fall. people watching is awesome too.
• Ice skating: Bryant Park, Prospect Park, Central Park, Rockefeller, etc. Tip: wear stretchy pants and finger less gloves! take a break with hot chocolate and marshmallows.
• Bookstores/Comic Shops: Strand is great for browsing/reading/buying. For comics I usually go to Midtown comics but Forbidden Planet is just a few doors down from Strand so good for a combination visit. Here's my bookstore list (which seriously needs to be updated. sigh)

Misc Tips

• weather tip: dress warmly and wear warm comfortable boots. if the weather is below 10, may be easier to plan your day around one neighborhood (food/drinks/music/fun) as to avoid too many cold subway transfers or walking.
• host tip: make sure to stock up on hot chocolate. my favorite is Godiva's hot chocolate (dark chocolate). I make it with hot water and add cinnamon/nutmeg. then add a bit of milk. You can also make this with hot milk (a min or two in the microwave). 

Q's visit notes

Q is a friend I met in Shanghai years ago. Despite the number of years that has passed, I'm glad we are still able to chat and catch up and hang out together. It was her first time in NYC. NYCGO has a nice list of top attractions here http://www.nycgo.com/must-see-nyc/

Fri - Jazz at Met museum (this was a special event organized by Jazz and Colors), starbucks under Rockefeller Center (the worst starbucks service I've seen in the city, but it is indoors and has seating and good for a chat), Q and her classment went to Top of Rock and Times Square afterwards.

Sat - Financial District - Charging bull, Battery Park sights, Wall street, New York Stock Exchange, Stone St for lunch at Ulysses burger and coffee. Excellent Statue of Liberty photo op on board the free Staten island ferry. Quick mid-afternoon snack break at Underground pizza. Another break afterwards for hot chocolate.
Artsy spiral building and ceiling photo shoot at Guggenheim (looks prettier during the day though). They have free Sat evening admission so we also looked through exhibits (mostly under construction though).
Metropolitan Museum visit to see more exhibits. Luckily they open late on Friday and Saturdays. Egyptian temple, armor wing, american wing. persian, islamic, chinese art exhibits (peking opera face paints). bus downtown then ramen break. Zinc Bar jazz concert (Monika Oliveira and the Brazilians. great flute and sax parts and of course singing).
we ordered birth of cool and A-train cocktails.

Sun - french toast with apricot/chocolate and genmaicha tea
Brooklyn Bridge. Seaport stationery shop and park for views of BWM (Brooklyn, Williamsburg, and Manhattan) bridges
grocery store challah adventures.
sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese

E's visit notes

E and I met in middle school and were penpals (yes real letters and stamped envelopes) when I moved out of state. We managed to stay in touch and I'm glad I got to visit her in SF a few times and soon in Philly too. 

Sat
Japonica - good tuna sashimi, Japanese pickles and green tea. we watched snow fall outside. it's very relaxing to watch snow.
origami meetup at Cosi- butterflies, modular origami
flamengo jazz guitar Andreas Arnold - Cornelia Cafe. For cocktails I ordered a madison manhattan and E ordered a sneaky ginger.
Rasa - Malaysian curry.
Dessert at Amorino. I had a gelato (cafe and hazelnut). E. and R. ordered very thick looking Italian hot chocolate.
We wandered through Strand bookstore until closing.

Sun
French toast brunch
brunch part two: Open door gastropub Caribbean wings and virgin bloody mary (tomato juice and hot sauce)
E went to catch a broadway show with family, I had flute ensemble practice followed by a flute concert.

Georgetown Picks

This is a list for my friend S. who asked about food recommendations and my friend W. who is visiting DC soon. I’m sure there are detailed reviews of some of these in my blog (but may be outdated). I encourage all my friends / family in DC area to leave your favorites below since you’re more up to date on the happening places in town.

Eats

Tombs (tombs burger, Tombs ale, chicken tenders, crab&artichoke dip). probably my favorite place. just watch out for lines if you happen to go during a parents’ weekend, homecoming, graduation, or reunion weekend.
http://www.tombs.com/#!menu

Clyde's (look for either the airplane room or the travel themed room). everything is good although I haven’t been there in a while.
http://www.clydes.com/georgetown#Menus

J Paul's - good raw bar
http://j-pauls.capitalrestaurants.com/georgetown/

Old Glory’s BBQ – get the ribs and try all the bbq sauces. brunch is good but really… do you want eggs when you can order more ribs during lunch/dinner menus?! 
http://www.oldglorybbq.com/menus/regular-menu

Mai Tai (formerly known as Bangkok Bistro during my school years) – people may laugh but I love their green curry.
http://www.maithai.com/

If you prefer to grab and go instead of sit-down place, I recommend either choice below:

buy a sandwich from Wisey’s (student favorite). I love their ‘chicken madness’ (best to split one with a friend) and also the California chicken (chicken, sprouts, croissants = genius). http://www.wisemillersgrocerydeli.com/index.html

buy any food item (used to be only sandwiches, now sushi too! wow kids these days are spoiled) from the student-run grocery store Vital Vittles in Leavey Center (http://maps.georgetown.edu/leaveycenter/196/) and enjoy the indoor lounge seating or head to the outdoor esplanade.

Drinks

there are many student-run coffee shops on campus but you can also walk around M. Street and find others. I didn’t explore coffee much during my student years. I would also leave bars/cocktails off this list because I honestly just haven’t been to that many.

Baked and Wired (recommended by my friend BTB): http://bakedandwired.com/

Sweets

Dolcezza (also other locations in town): good gelato/sorbet. if they have watermelon vodka, I highly recommend it. good for a break after walking/shopping/campus touring.
http://dolcezzagelato.com/locations/georgetown/

Thomas Sweets (also locations in Princeton, NJ): homemade ice cream and fudge. also a nice seating area.
http://www.thomassweet.com/locations/washington-dc

Café Bonaparte: crepes, coffees, etc. I guess I could have put this under “drinks” section.
http://cafebonaparte.com/

Campus

http://maps.georgetown.edu/

Healey Clock Tower

Dahlgren Chapel Fountain

Koi ponds (near White-Gravenor and Observatory)

Navigation

Georgetown university app (wish I had this when I was a student):

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/georgetown-mobile/id555977538?mt=8

Circulator (I’ve been getting lazier and only use the Circulator to get to Georgetown these days, instead of walking across the Key Bridge)
http://www.dccirculator.com/

GUTS bus. Georgetown shuttle from campus to Dupont or Rosslyn. I can’t remember what their non-student policy is. feel free to ask the driver
http://otm.georgetown.edu/guts/

New year and new discoveries

It's been a good start to the year and I wanted to write a quick note (via phone blogger app) before the next proper update.

I've been discovering good tours this year, all from places I've been to before. 

For some reason I've never taken a tour from the following places until this year. How wonderful to climb a castle (in Central Park), recognize tree types (in Brooklyn Botanical garden), learn about Islamic art symbolism (in the Met), and hear about the diorama process (in the Natural history museum), just to name a few. 

All of this makes me feel like a student again (explorer, creator, and researcher, all rolled up into one). 

Central Park

Brooklyn Botanical

The Met

Self-Portraits: An All-Star Gathering at Figureworks

My friend Stephanie had always wanted to explore Brooklyn, and what better way to do so than a gallery tour? Armed with smartphone apps NY ArtBeat ($1.99, absolute essential app for art lovers, including galleries and openings around the NY area) and Art & Absinthe Guide to Brooklyn (free, with whimsical artwork and cocktail recipes), we roamed around Williamsburg on one cold January Sunday. Out of the 5 or so galleries we visited, I enjoyed The Self-Portraits exhibit at FigureWorks the most. The friendly owner Randall was kind to share stories of the artists and works with us.

Figureworks Gallery

168 North 6th Street
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Sat / Sun 1-6pm (also check schedule for 2nd Fridays in Brooklyn)
http://www.figureworks.com/
Self Portraits Exhibit runs through March 3, 2013
All Images courtesy of Figureworks [harris@figureworks.com], taken with my iphone 4S.

Elim Mak – heart illumination

This one immediately caught my eye because it reminded me of traditional Chinese watercolors. The silver lines of the fierce tiger profile and the soft brushstrokes create a fine contrast. The heart illustration (veins and all) is straight out of a science class but doesn’t seem out of place in this composition. Fun fact: she also does comic books! [artist link]

Howard Eisman – Portrait of a Renaissance Man

Steph and I were fascinated with this piece and Randall was able to help us piece the whole thing together. The artist uses this medium for his normal works. So it makes sense for his self-portrait to reflect his medium. While it looks like it could be translucent, the entire work is actually quite heavy. You have to look closer at the real thing (this photo doesn’t do justice) to see different aspects of life that he included inside the colorful collage. Some of his other works do not have the wooden backboard, so you can imagine an abstract form floating on the wall.
[artist link]

Fred Hatt – Self Portrait

Randall said that Fred (the artist) looks exactly like this self-portrait. At a meet-and-greet event, most gallery visitors were able to recognize him. I haven’t attended an event yet but you can view a photo of the artist on his website. In the gallery, there is a video of the creative process on display next to this portrait. Steph and I were both surprised to see how the artist worked his way through the picture, without actually outlining the face first. He went straight to the eyes with blue outlines, before the beard and mouths were even formed. [artist link]

Other Notes

There were many other self-portraits of different mediums and stories. I wonder if Randall will publish a catalogue of the different pieces along with their stories. The reason why I called the title of the show “all-stars” is because most of the artists had already had their own shows at FigureWorks. If you think about it, a gallery usually features one or two artists at a time. This show is actually a great way to meet 50 artists all at once and learn about their styles and stories.

This exhibit also made me ponder what my self-portrait would look like. Probably a mix of maps/city photos/music, a multimedia experience. When I wrote about my “welcome corner” [blog entry], Steph did say it was a way to reflect my personality. Maybe subconsciously I was already starting to make my own self-portrait.

What medium and materials would you use to make your self-portrait? If you need inspiration, check out the show at Figureworks.

NYC Autumn/Winter Guide 2012– Preliminary Listing

Seems I haven’t updated my city guides in a few years. Looking back (link to 2009, 2010), I really did take advantage of all the events NYC had to offer. Now that I live in New York, NY proper, should look into more events that I missed in the past while living in Queens. With the retirement of awesome NewYorkology site which listed tons of daily activities, I will have to do a bit more research. To be fair, my 2009-2010 events listings were pulled from various sources as well. This winter reason, I hope to write up some of the activities, instead of just providing a straight up listing. I will take these favorites and them to my guestbook and also my NYC welcome corner. Think of it as my NYC picks for winter (to be followed by the other seasons!)

Updated Nov 2012. (continuously updated throughout winter)

Winter/Holiday Outings
//Bryant Park Ice Skating Rink [link] until march 3, 2013
Free ice skating (if you bring your own skates and a lock) in the middle of the city surrounded by skyscrapers. You can also juggle with BPJugglers on Tuesday evenings and daily during lunch. A few things had changed about the Pond since I last wrote about it. For one, they opened up a chic lounge called Celsius (it’s only exotic to us Americas since we only use F while the rest of the world is on C). The place is conveniently located near the rink so you can relax and have a drink. While the holiday shops more or less stayed the same (I love the Star Wars one, every year), I noticed they have included more food/drink options (including food truck stars). Makes perfect sense to me!

//Radio City Christmas Show [link] until dec 30, 2012
Sadly, after 6 years of living in New York, I still haven’t seen this show. Everyone I know still recommends it so I’m going to keep it on my guide.

//Nutcracker at Lincoln Center [link] until dec 30, 2012
Ditto.

//Holiday Trains at Grand Central Terminal

//Even more Trains at NYBG in Bronx

//Stroll on the High Line

Various Trees and Lightings 2012
//Rockefeller Center: W Nov 28. The biggest tree in NYC. More lights than tree. If you haven’t followed @30rocktree on twitter, go read him now! Other favorites in the area are Saks snowflake show. Personally I’ve never skated there due to crowds.

//Bryant Park: Tu Nov 27. They always have great ice shows and ornaments on this tree.

//Natural History Museum: Famous origami tree. While you are at it, take some origami classes or join an origami meetup! (disclaimer: I’ve been to the class and meetup before)

//Metropolitan Museum of Art: medieval tree. like angels? you’ll love this. If you’re at the Met for any of their exhibits this season, do make your way to this tree.

//Christmas Stars at Columbus Circle

Indoor Happenings
//B&N Readings (Union Square Listing)
Great authors. I just saw Tony Bennett today and was inspired to update this winter activity list. Fired up Spotify to check out his new duets album Viva Duets as well. If you like Rachel Ray, looks like she’s coming Dec 4. Check out the holiday shops in Union Sq. before the book events too!

//Strand Books Readings (Calendar)
Even if you don’t make it to the readings, just walk around the bookstore and browse five areas that you wouldn’t ordinarily read. There’s a big world of books out there. I also like their cards selection the best, if you still like sending out cards with stamps (yea, old school).

//Jazzy events at Lincoln Center
http://jalc.org/multimedia
I can’t find the listening parties that I’ve attended in the past but the online live-cast and media archive is great for a cold day when you just want to get some music at home with a cup of hot chocolate.

//karaoke 
http://www.karaokeduet.com/

Other interesting stuff
http://bkbazaar.com/
http://www.bigonion.com/
http://www.theskint.com/
http://www.walkingoffthebigapple.com/

Portland–City of Roses and Water

Without looking at my travel notes, I can narrow my Portland trip down to two major impressions: the best bookstore experience and the numerous fountains (both the drinking kind and the decorative kind).

After sorting through my notes, I realized I had forgotten about the informative city walking tour, the dazzling and overwhelming rose garden, as well as the Japanese garden, the Chinese garden, vibrant life in Pioneer Square, and more. There is a lot to Portland that cannot be photographed. I also spent good number of hours browsing the magazine rack at the famous Stumptown coffee.

By the way, I have never been to Portland before, and didn’t see Portlandia [tv series] until I went to Seattle right after my stay. I really didn’t have too many expectations (high or low) but did hear great things about the bookstore. Having experienced major sightseeing spots and downtown’s efficient public transit along with the best weather one can hope for, I came away with a very positive impression of the city.

San Diego–Bonus Chapter

San Diego was the first stop on my four-city West Coast Trip. While it was my first time visiting the city, I only did enough research to narrow down my “to-do-list” to Coronado Beach (Voted number one by Dr. Beach in 2012) and Fish Tacos (the hype lives up). My friend and travel companion E. recommended the San Diego Zoo (one of the world’s best, didn’t you know?). I liked the fact that the Zoo was inside Balboa Park, another popular sight mentioned by various San Diego guides.

Outside of the main three attractions, I considered all the other stuff we saw along the way extra bonuses. This entry is all about those bonuses, and also a celebration of taking “side-trips”, “detours”, and “spontaneous adventures” before heading back to the main road and final destination.

Tribute to Classic Baseball Stadiums

Petco Baseball Stadium was one of these bonus side-trips. We were heading towards Coronado Ferry/Coronado Beach and decided to stop by the the stadium for some photos. Once we got there, we find out the stadium tour had just started so we ran halfway around the stadium to catch up with leader. Last year I took E. to AT&T Park in San Francisco (2011 blog writeup) and had a fun time. Could this be the start of a new travel tradition? (note to self, start a separate entry listing all the baseball stadiums/tours/etc).

Out of the many stadium photos that I took, this is the only one that features the western metal supply building.

The old building kept most of its original structure and columns on the inside. I loved walking inside it and running my hands along the brick/wood structures. Keeping this one old building to build a stadium around it… what an idea.

One word of caution for SF Giants fans and NY Mets fans (myself included) who love their stadiums: Petco stadium doesn’t try to look too grand or luxurious. The “canyon” feel of the stadium as well as its many tributes to classic stadiums (Wrigley, Old Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards, Fenway, etc) make it understated yet very special. The paintings of famous players found in the VIP section are unique and lovely and provide a decidedly different feel than classic ball game photos that are featured more prominently in other areas of the stadium. Another nice touch for the fans is the slanting of the stadium seats on the sides towards the home plate, without straining your head. Regular stadium seats that are on the side simply direct attention to what is in front of you whereas everyone is inclined to sit facing pitcher’s mount/ home plate.

The Harbor had a few boats

Architecture around Balboa Park

Wishing well and nearby fountain

Santa Barbara Station - The most postcard-perfect tree

More to come:

• San Diego main entry (Beach, fish tacos, and giant pandas!)
• San Francisco (Where we caught the mist over Golden Gate Bridge)
• Portland (Where I spent way more time than is healthy at Powell’s and went to three gardens)
• Seattle (Where I hiked Mt. Si, saw Radio Lab, and chilled out in Pike Place Market for an entire day)
• Trip notes as recorded and organized in tiny memo pad, with more virtual links
• and of course… tons of photos

The Northwest Pt 1

My friend E. recently moved out to Seattle and put up wonderful photos of the city to encourage visitors. I had been looking for a destination for my Oct vacation so took up the offer.
While I took a week to write my first entry, I wanted to capture some highlights and make a list of "everything else" so I can come back and write part two.

Seattle Space Needle

Seattle, Washington
Pike Place Market:
You'll find fresh seafood here, $5 bouquests of flowers, fresh produce, a few eateries, and a ton of neat gift/specialty shops (paper, posters, jewelry, etc etc). We actually made dinner out of fresh king salmon and swordfish steak from here. Delicious.

If you dislike the smell at other seafood markets, I invite you visit here because I don't think I've been a cleaner market. No fishy smell at all. You'll also find the original Starbucks with lively musicians out front and a ton of fans looking at specialty coffee and merchandise inside. I was tempted to buy a mug but after thinking about the fragil transport I decided to pass on it. If you like City mugs from Starbucks, I have to say the Seattle one is the best (and I thought the NYC one was impressive).
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Laser Dome:
Just next to the famous Space Needle (vintage world fair 1961), you'll find the Pacific Science Center which hosts a variety of science related exhibits and the very unique laser shows. If you go, check out the crowd's advice from Yelp (especially regarding what to bring, pillows and blankets!). Walking through downtown Seattle like we're going to a slumber party was quite a scene. Daft Punk's music is perfect for laser shows, as is Lady Gaga and Pink Floyd. Makes me wonder about other cities and whether they  have laser shows too. As an aside, the EMP not too far away also has great music exhibits and shows.
http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/Laser-Dome/laserdome
http://www.empmuseum.org/index.asp

Blokus:
Since I was in Seattle for more than a couple of days, I was lucky enough to attend a house party (board games!) and met some wonderful people there. The one new game that I loved was blokus and I'm in the process of ordering a set myself for familiy and friends here. It's also on ipad so I may get that before I get the physical game. Another game I learned to play was Fluxx but I'm not sure if I ever got the hang of it...
http://blokus.com/
http://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx

Vancouver, Canada
MARKET by Jean Georges:
This was my vacation splurge. Beautiful space, attentive service, and amazing food. I ordered the lunch prix fixe which included a really cool rice cracker crusted tuna and snapper with nut and seed crust.
http://www.marketbyjgvancouver.com/

Trolley Tour:
Funny enough, I've never done a hop-on, hop-off tour anywhere and the first time I decided to try it is in Vancouver. Due to the wait time at each stop (45 min), I actually ended up not hopping off at all.


Canada Place

The route started at Canada Place, which was a block or two from my hotel, went through Stanley Park, Granville Island, and rest of downtown/Chinatown/Gastown. If I go next time, I'll have to plan enough time in Stanley Park's Lookout Place. http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/

Sun Yat-sen Garden:

Garden

This was my first stop in Vancouver after a quick lunch of shrimp wonton noodle soup in Chinatown. I also caught the tour guide's daily tour and learned some interesting things about the garden design and Chinese culture. If you go, you should take your time walking around.
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/

Transportation logistics worked out well.  I went to Vancouver via Amtrak train from Seattle and returned via bus (dependent on schedule, you can take train or bus both ways). I barely used Canadian dollars in Vancouver even though I did exchange a small amount. Mastercard, even with foreign fees and exchange rate, came out a better deal for me.

Other topics for Pt 2
Reading, Pandora, and Entertainment Setup
Argosy Cruise and Port Knowledge
Seattle Underground Tour
Boeing Tour
Din Tai Fung Dumpling House
Various Coffee Shops (Caffe Vita, Roy Street Coffee and Teas, Waves Coffee House)
Iver's Fish and Chips
Hiking (Twin falls)
Vancouver Waterfront and Canada Place
Gastown and Water Street Cafe
Seattle Pagliacci Pizza Verde Primo

Rain, Cat, and Brooklyn

My friend V. had moved out to Williamsburg last summer and somehow or another, I’ve managed to delay my visit until today. What better day than a rainy day in early spring to venture into the unknown?

Awful commute aside (made worse by rain and the fact that I was going to a new and strange neighborhood), I had a great time. V. is the best host ever, this was apparent even when we were students, living in cramped dormitories. I still need to get him inspired by Mad Men to throw a theme party or something.

Coffee
First time I had soy with coffee (I’m still skeptical about the lattes people rave about, but maybe I’ll try it next time). It was quite good and helped me recover from the rain. V always had quite an influence on my drink habits. First it was adding milk to Lipton (which I never do, until I met the guy), now soy to coffee? Maybe the see-through mugs helped. Any beverage is made infinitely better by see-through containers. Quick apt tour later, I realized that V’s paint job and décor skills puts the rest of us to shame. I never thought too much about interior décor but now I’m itching to get my own place and do it up with tasteful color schemes and containers. The rooftop was impressive too, with a view of the bridge, empire state building, and more!

Brunch
http://www.jimmysdinerhome.com/Jimmys/Breakfast.html
having had amazing corn bread in DC and Chicago, I was not ready to believe there’s good stuff to be had in Brooklyn. Glad I was wrong. Jimmy’s corn bread is amazing! 

They started us out with some cinnamon sugar covered donut holes on the house. Sweet deliciousness. Then I had to order their fried okra because I haven’t had that since my DC days (and that restaurant had gotten rid of that item on the menu, sad but true). Crispy on the outside, slimy on the inside. Also came with chipotle mayo, which was a nice touch. To tell you the truth though, mayo was not even necessary. I think I polished off 70% of the okras. For the main event, V had the Big Boy (with fluffy pancakes!) and I tried the Cornbread Bowl.

Cat
While we were walking back from brunch, V. pointed out a pretty orange cat near the window on the second floor. Being a cat lover, I naturally asked to be introduced to the cat (and its owner, who is a friend of V’s). We met D. and his cat Conan shortly after we stepped inside the building. D. is also in the middle of working on painting his apt. The orange boxes he started were lovely. I hope to see how it turns out next time I visit (maybe tiered like staircase? maybe regularly spaced? maybe some kind of gradual orange to yellow to another color, who knows?) You know how lions and other big cats like to strut their stuff, especially with those muscular shoulders? well, Conan was exactly the same. Inside that orange cat is a fierce and proud lion (and his majesty doesn’t drink out of a bowl, but out of a glass cup just like the rest of us). In short, after I got to know him, I was in love. Both D. and V. showed me how to entertain the cat. Besides a little feather attached to the end of a string and stick, Conan’s favorite toy is a paper covered straw (but not just the straw sitting still, you have to poke it out of doors, boxes, and other devices). In short, you have to work it to get him interested. If you can imagine us three adults in that apt, entertaining a cat, it’ll probably make you howl with laughter. I should have tried to take a video of us chasing and teasing Conan. Totally hilarious. I can just see the ironic title/caption now. “Just another typical Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn”.

Tea
V. brewed some Roobois Cream Caramel Tea after we returned from D’s apt. It went well with the vanilla sweets I bought from an Asian bakery (kind of like macaron, but not as sweet or creamy). Perfect for a rainy day.

Walk
It started to pour outside, but I didn’t come all the way to Brooklyn to stay inside. We stepped out and walked around the neighborhood with our umbrellas to find a number of cute shops (orange décor! fun posters! arts&crafts llamas!).  I was told the “BEST” bagels were found just around the corner (gives me an excuse to drag J. out to Williamsburg next time). I was also introduced to a new breed of Duane Reade with a full super market section and beer on tap. You can buy a growler and fill up on brews such as Brooklyn Lager and Six Point and Kelso. For those of you unfamiliar with Duane Reade, it’s a chain of pharmacies in New York (I’m pretty sure the other branches don’t have growlers). V also lives within walking distance from Brooklyn Brewery (somehow I was never told this, and now I really have no excuse for delaying my Brewery tour). Some of the buildings and architecture on the walk were quite nice. Will have to take some photos next time I visit.

Stuff for next time
Scrabble game
Korean tacos (?)
Bagels
Brewery Tour / Duane Reade Growler
Concert in McCarren (summer?)
Photography

Annapolis, Maryland Guide

Over the Labor Day weekend I had a chance to visit the beautiful capital of Maryland with my family.

Some notable places and reviews below:

U.S. Naval Academy [website]: There’s a guest entrance area where they will check your ID prior to entering the grounds. If you go, be sure to check out two of my favorite landmarks there, the Chapel (green top, you can’t miss it, it’s grand) and Memorial Hall (gorgeous room with beautiful chandeliers). The grounds are also good for checking out.
 

Maryland State House [website]: This is the very building that is featured on the Maryland state quarter. The inside is lovely and you can read about some of the earlier days of the country here. Walking distance to naval academy and downtown circle.

Watermarks Boat Narrated Tour [website]: If you walk to the end of the dock from downtown circle, you can join a boat tour. We took the 40 min. one which talked about Naval Academy history as well as the Chesapeake Bay. I learned from this tour that oysters are also famous in Maryland, along with their crabs.

Buddy’s Crab and Ribs [website]: They have a very well priced brunch. Not only do they have regular brunch such as scrambled eggs and bacon, they also have yummy roast beef off the carving table and assorted seafood. If you like desserts, you can have your pick of the cakes, fruit, sweets, and more. We also came back for dinner because the group wanted whole crabs whereas some of the other downtown restaurants had more crab products (dip, cake, salad, etc). Their fries are seasoned with old bay, which is addictive once you have it.

A list of other downtown finds for future visits since we didn’t get to try them:

• Middleton Tavern [website] – This place was hopping all day. Nice location and beautiful storefront. The menu was promising too. I’m sure they have good nightly entertainment. A lot of oysters on the menu.
• Federal House Restaurant [website] – Another restaurant in the downtown circle area. I swear all of these places look amazing and you really can’t go wrong in any of them. Their surf n turf features crab cake and steak, definitely for next time to try on an empty stomach.
• McGarvey’s Bar [website] – For happy hour and the best bar food?
• Chick and Ruth’s Deli [website] – Our friendly cabdriver recommended this spot for lunch. He also told us it was made famous by Man Vs. Food tv show. Unfortunately I’m not a huge fan of that show and the 20 minute wait made us walk around for another location. Next time I will try it when it’s not too crowded. 
  

!Advise regarding Taxicabs!: If you drive down to Annapolis and stay in the outskirts, don’t take your car into town. They don’t seem to have many traffic lights downtown, basically cars have to yield to pedestrians at all intersections (and there are quite a number of intersections). Ask your hotel reception/concierge to call a cab for you if they don’t offer a downtown shuttle. Then remember to get the cab company’s number so you can have a ride back to the hotel in the evening. There is a taxi stand across the street from Buddy’s but when we got there, we didn’t see a taxi for more than 10 minutes or so! Ms. Julie was nice enough to give us a cab company’s number to call. The cab came rather quickly, and by the time it came, other cabs have gotten to the spot too. I’ll just include the company here for reference. Academy Cabs 410-969-2666. You can probably find others online.

Day two we went to visit St. Michaels and Eastern shore (about an hour away from Annapolis). It’s surprisingly how well the roads are built and how cozy the town was. The relaxing atmosphere reminded me of the virgin islands. I thought the crabs here were better.

St. Michaels Crab and Steak [website]: Amazing crabs, in my opinion. Also the best broiled crab cakes I’ve had (I think it’s in the secret spices or something). After all was said and done, I tried a slice of the key lime pie. Very good quality. I still miss a good key lime pie! Definitely worth the hour drive through rather small roads. After lunch you can take a look at the maritime museum nearby and the harbor. There are also some nice shops too in the area.

Boston City Guide

While I have been using Tumblr more often, I find its pace a bit too hectic for non-picture entries. I went to Boston for a few days and wanted to jot down some ideas for future visits and reference.

Sorted by area near subway stations for easy trip planning.

North Station Area:
Bulfinch Hotel: We stayed here, very convenient location since it’s close to several subway stations and walking distance to Boston Commons. Ethernet cable available in the room. Across the street from TD Garden for games and concerts. Close to Rite Aid/CVS/Whole Foods/Quiznos/Dunkin Donuts if you need to grab supplies/snacks/fruit/drinks.
Beer Works: Several locations around town. We went to the Canal St location. Great selection beer and big screens for sports fans. I had the Amber Hefeweizen and the 9 Alarm wings (tasty, not too spicy though). The jalapeno poppers weren’t too spicy but they were decent.

Park Street Area:
Cheers: Made popular by the show. Also a nice spot for a drink and a burger near the park. If you go, take a look at their souvenir shop which has many good items. I got a classy postcard there.
Public garden: Small but pretty garden near the park. When I went I saw a lot of roses blooming.
Esplanade: After dinner at Cheers, you can take a leisure stroll along the esplanade. During the summer they also have outdoor concerts.
Freedom Trail: It starts at Boston Commons, just follow the red line on the sidewalk to visit the different sites. I didn’t complete it but saw most of the sites near the beginning. If you don’t want to walk there are other tours in the area via trolley or duck tour etc.
Finangle a Bagel: Yes, I know I’m crazy. I tried a bagel outside the NYC area. I didn’t want burger king and the pubs were not open until noon on Sunday so I just grabbed a breakfast egg on bagel from here. Around town you will find many Dunkin Donuts (literately two on each street corner or more), Au Bon Pain (yay for soups?), and this bagel place (more than just bagels). I would recommend it for breakfast or lunch.    

Aquarium Area:
Quincy market/Faneuil Hall: A lot of food choices. I had a lobster roll/chowder combo from Walrus the Carpenter Oyster Bar (booth). Pretty tasty. Apparently there are many famous seafood booths there. Next time when I have more time I will do some more investigation. J. tried some Mac and Cheese from a booth and thought it was decent. Comfort food, I guess.
Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream: There are tons of ice cream places near the harbor but this one caught my attention. I liked their “Deep Purple Cow” (raspberry with white chocolate and dark chocolate chips and blueberries) and “Heaven” (vanilla with marshmallows and white chocolate chips)
Aquarium: If you take the subway you’ll notice a lot of ads for the aquarium. Check out the penguins and jellyfish and giant fish tank in the middle. I listened to one of the aquarium talks near the tank which was really good. They spoke about the different fish in the tank and how they rescue various sea turtles in the area.
Harbor boat tour: Order your tickets by phone (no surcharge) if you plan to go. The first day we tried to get tickets they were sold out. We took the sunset tour which started at 7pm. Natural lighting near the harbor is great for photos. You get to see the islands, a little bit of Boston skyline, and the U.S.S. Constitution fire a cannon. Boston doesn’t have too many tall buildings though (unlike NYC or Chicago boat tour) but it’s good to enjoy the view and some wind after a hot day running around town.

Copley Area:
Public library: Gorgeous building, open air courtyard, and fun exhibits. I caught an exhibit on vintage travelling posters. Great stuff.
Copley Shops: If you like to browse a mall and cool off, this is a good one before taking the train back home.
Duck tours: Your car turns into a boat for the water portion of the tour! I took this tour last year when I was in Boston. Definitely touristy but fun for at least one time. The water portion was somewhat disappointing (not much to see around the river) but the land portion gives you a sense of the town architecture and history. You can also take the tour at several locations.

Outside downtown:
Revere beach (Revere Beach Stop): Around 15-20 min by subway from downtown. I caught a sand castle/sculpture contest which was tons of fun. They have many pavilions with benches set up around the beach so you can enjoy some shade and sea breeze.  
Fenway Park (Kenmore Stop): Take the stadium tour since Red Sox tickets are hard to get! Smaller stadium means sold out shows all the time! Alternatively, you can probably just visit a bar near there on game day and soak up the baseball air.
Hahvahd Tour (Harvard Stop): I found them on a brochure in the hotel lobby. Pretty funny tour with energetic student guides. Not for high school students looking at colleges but more for travelers looking for a fun way to get around Harvard campus and soak up some history and anecdotes.
Harvard Coop Bookstore: Beautiful bookstore with spiral staircase and gorgeous lobby, just outside the subway stop. Rest of Harvard Square is great for walking around, too. Lots of shops, food, and fun.

Travel Reference
Acela Express is actually affordable (not too much more than regular train, you can use AAA discount on weekend trains) and has Wi-Fi. If you take the Acela from New York, you can get off at Back Bay Station (near Copley and Back Bay subway stations) or South Station (closer to downtown). Sometimes trying different combinations (Newark/NY Penn and Back Bay/South Station) will give you different schedules and fare prices.
MTBA for all your local travel needs. The subway (or T) is easy to navigate around and most trips don’t take very long. Watch out for weekend station closures and you should be fine.
If you fly, Logan Airport is close to downtown as well, via subway.
There are also several buses but since I haven’t taken them I don’t have any recommendations.

News
Boston Globe: Local news. You can also follow their twitter to receive news while you’re visiting.
Calendar of Events: Check out fun ideas.
Also check out various magazines/brochures/maps in the hotel area or tourism offices. You never know what you’ll find! That’s how I heard about the Harbor tour, the Hahvahd tour, and the Sand Castle Contest at Revere Beach. My hotel room had a copy of the Where magazine for Boston. Nice listings.  

Misc
If you have a smartphone or Ipad look for many free Wi-Fi hotspots around the city. On top of my head, some locations include Copley Mall area, Harvard Square, Public Library, Faneuil. This was my first trip using a smartphone so I found it incredibly useful. Google maps overlay with transit lines was a lifesaver. After you get around town for a few hours, you’ll notice that many downtown stations are actually very close together. That doesn’t mean getting the subway card is a bad deal though. I got the weekly unlimited card for $15, definitely worth it since I used many trips during my stay there ($2 if you pay per ride, one day unlimited is $9).

Previous Blog entries on Boston here.

NYC Tourist for Half a Day

How to tour Midtown NYC in 12 hours. After a fun day yesterday, I wanted to jot down this itinerary for future reference. As NYCers we always make fun of the tourists, but in reality, they have been to more places and seen more shows than we can even imagine. Just talk to the people before and after you next time you go to TKTS booth. Time is of the essence and wear comfortable shoes! Keep in mind this is June, depending on weather you would have to adjust for things (esp. Christmas crowd etc)

Stop 1: [noon]
5th Ave, Central Park South.
photo ops:
//Golden Statue by Central Park: With the sun shining and trees flowing, you can't get better "man-made nature" than this. Afterwards, I looked up the statue and apparently it is Gen. Sherman. Kind of violent if you think about it.
//The Plaza Hotel: right next to Central Park south, you can't miss it.
//Horse-drawn carriages: You can either go on this (we didn't) or sneak a photo next to it.
//Apple Store (giant clear cube is a hit with tourists, makes for nice photos too)
//Various Designer Stores (Louis Vitton, Gucci, Coach, Bergdorf Goodman, etc). As you walk down 5th Ave to Rockefeller Center, be sure to check out window displays of your favorite designers! I particularly liked the colorful Coach displays.


Stop 2: [12:30pm]
Rockefeller Center. 49th-51th St, 5th Ave.
photo ops:
//Atlas with globe: A classic that is on many postcards.
//St. Patricks' Cathedral (across from the center. at 51st)
//Rockefeller Center flags: well, this area has ice skating and the tree during Christmas holidays. during summer they have lots of food/bars/tents.
//Nintendo Store: 10 Rockefeller Plaza. we didn't go here but this is usually a stop when I'm in the area. Kiddies will love all the merchandise here.
//NBC Studio Shops/tour: Another option in the area.

Lunch Break: [1pm]
Dean & Deluca Cafe
1 Rockefeller Plaza (Between 5th and 6th Ave.)
//They have cold sandwiches, soups, pastries, designer waters, and more. Check out upstairs for more seating. I really loved their fresh lemonade and roast beef sandwich. The cuban sandwich was good but I prefer my cuban sandwiches heated.


Stop 3: [2pm]
Top of the Rock [link]Entrance is on 50th Street btw 5th and 6th Ave. Closes at midnight. We actually bought tickets at a ticket booth in Rockefeller Center so we didn't have to wait at all. Maybe it's a summer thing though. If you want to save your money for the Empire State Building, consider this: where do you go to see the Empire State Building? (hint: not from the Empire State Building itself!). By the way, there was practically no line when we went. Sweet!
photo ops from top:
//The Empire State Building: in its full glory.
//Central Park: How big is it? Look north, that huge green span of land is Central Park
//Met Life Building: this is the reason why you can't see the Chrysler Building. Oh well.

Stop 4: [3pm]
MoMA [link]53rd St between 5th and 6th Ave.
//We got a combo ticket from Top of Rock booth. Checked out some famous French impressionistic paintings as well as Andy Wharhol pop art. Tons of Picasso too. The sculpture garden makes for fun outdoor photos.
Stop 5: [4:30pm]
Times Square TKTS booth [link]47th St, Broadway.
//Get in line for discount broadway tickets here! The booth opened at 3pm but we lined up around 4:30pm and still bought tickets within 20 minutes. Make sure to bring a list in case they don't have your first choice.
//Check out Times Square during the day! Take tons of photos!
Dinner Break: [5:30pm]
Tony's Restaurant [link]
212.221.0100
43rd St Btw Broadway and 6th St
//Watch out for the huge portions (one pasta dish is enough for 3-4 people) and make reservations if you can! I love the seafood linguini and some people love their stuffed mushrooms.


Stop 6: [6:45pm]
Toys R UsTime Square
//Huge 4 story toy store with an indoor ferris wheel featuring cars with theme characters such as Toys Story, Mr. Monopoly, Barbie, ET, and more. Also check out the LEGO statue of liberty and empire state building on the top floor. People not into toy stores can check out other Times Square shops before wandering over to the 8pm show.

Stop 7: [8pm]
Majectic Theatre44th St btw 7th and 8th Ave
//We saw Phantom of Opera here. You will go to the theatre where you are watching your broadway show. Alternatively, you should check out the AMC Theater in Times Sq. (42nd St btw 7th and 8th Ave) since they have now added IMAX. The non-IMAX screens have beautiful stadium seating too. Quite an experience!

Stop 8: [10:30pm]
Times SquareWhy not checkout NYC by night! While night shots are hard to do on camera, you can videotape your party or the bright billboards.

Stop 9: [11:15pm]
Empire State Building [link]Want to see the famous NYC night lights? This is a great place to go as it closes at 2am. There was no line in sight when we got there at 11pm. The Chrysler Building is no longer blocked, so take out your cameras! We just went to 86th Floor not 105th. The souvenior shops are packed with ESB items so be sure to take a look if you want some stuff for friends back home.
*note: I joined my party later in the day, but they had started early by touring financial district (wall st., the bull, stock exchange, etc). I've written down estimated times of arrival for the different stops, obviously you can adjust them as needed. We've mostly walked everywhere and I suggest you do the same. When we tried to take a cab from MOMA to Times Sq. we ended up stuck in traffic for a quite a while.

*thoughts: I probably should have included Grand Central, Bryant Park, and the NY Public Library too. Maybe I can include it between MoMA and Times Square since it's not too far.