This past weekend we took the steam train from Carson City to Virginia City on the V&T Railroad. As with everything in Virginia City, they do a great job customizing all the details so you feel like you have just done some time travel to the wild wild west in the late 1800’s. The landscape is pure Nevadan with mines, silver ores, sage brushes, and wild horses, but the 1.5 hour ride was a little too long considering if I had driven it would have taken only 20 minutes.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Once in Virginia City, we walked thru the saloons, gambled a dollar or two, and took an underground mine tour, but the real highlight was the Outhouse Races. Yup, toilets on wheels. Only in Nevada… Actually, if you do some research you’ll find that they also do this in Iowa, Arkansas, etc., and that people travel the country to race the outhouses they built and customized. The best part are their names like the “Party Poopers” and the the “Pot Rod”. While we were watching it, someone asked my friend K. to help them push one of the outhouses for the race, so he even got to participate. It was hilarious!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Between the tufas at Mono Lake, the walk to the giant sequoias at the Merced Grove, the views of Half Dome, and the walk to the dry, but beautiful Yosemite Falls, Dad loved every minute of it. Less than a 4 hour drive from home, I need to get there more often.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Come on, you know I need to take a trip far away every couple of months to keep my sanity. I didn’t think I would be able to go anywhere for a while after the Australia/New Zealand super duper expensive trip, but dad came to the rescued and treated me to a weekend in NYC for my goddaughter’s baptism. I’ve been to this city probably between 10-20 times and I can’t get enough. My friend S. booked us a great hotel right in front of Penn Station so it was easy to get around. The trains to/from the airport are easy, fast, and cheap. 7^th Avenue is also a walkable distance to the Brooklyn Bridge (well, if you like to walk like me…), Times Square, and Central Park.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Besides walking the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade, which I talked about on my running post earlier on (and I repeat: best views of Manhattan ever) and going to Central Park again, we also went to the National 9/11 Memorial. It was the 12^th anniversary of 9/11 just a couple of days ago and I have so many ties to NYC that it was a bit emotional, but they did a really good job with the two square pools that have the name of all 3,000+ victims of the attack. Although it is free to enter, you do have to pick up a ticket at the preview site (book online to avoid an extra line). The rest of the site is still under construction, but it’s still worth to take a look. A couple of the new towers (they are building 7 total) are really pretty and impressive. Seeing them on the NYC skyline is actually healing. They fit perfectly. The 1WTC building is actually the tallest one in the Western Hemisphere at this moment.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I can’t go to NY and not see a Broadway show. One of my favorite movies is “Once”. Its song “Falling Slowly” won an Oscar a few years ago. In 2012 they made it into a Broadway musical and it even won a Tony for Best Musical of the year. It wasn’t a super production and the story is lame, but the music is awesome! It felt more like a concert than a play and the guy performer’s voice was incredible. Even my dad liked it.

Once – Broadway Show

Once – Broadway Show

Once – Broadway Show

On Sunday I took the train to Long Island for my goddaughter’s baptism. Not impressed with LI. Too suburban. My little goddaughter on the other hand: ADORABLE. I’m spoiling her already with clothes, jewelry and even a Bible. Maybe she can read it and tell me all about it one day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Finally, I just had to take my dad to the Empire State Building. One of my Top 3 favorite movies is “Sleepless in Seattle” where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks meet at the top of the Empire State Building. It is actually the only movie I can quote: “It’s like magic”, Tom Hanks saying when he describes falling in love with his late wife. I had been there a few times before, but, every time, I had to wait on a 2-hour line to get to the top. Thanks to my dad, we woke up early and made it there before 9 am. Plus, it was cloudy. The result: no lines and only a dozen people up there.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After a totally free weekend doing the three things I love the most (thanks dad and S.!) I had some money to spare, so my last stop right before my flight to Reno was at H&M for some fall shopping. Ah, what a great trip!

Gotta love Reno/Tahoe: there is so much to do around here. Last weekend my dad and I went to the Rib Cook-Off. This weekend is was time for the Great Reno Balloon Race. We woke up at 6 am to go to Rancho San Rafael for the sunrise. There my dad marveled at the hundreds of balloons being prepped on the ground before the 7 am mass launch that filled the skies with color. Definitely a must-do in Reno.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If you live in this area, you know that after Labor Day the weather can be a hit or miss, so I’ve been trying to enjoy Lake Tahoe as much as I can. My go-to place is always Nevada Beach. The 1 mile walk from the parking lot at Kahle Drive thru the meadows gets Slick ready to enjoy the sand and it’s never crowded. My dad swam in the cold water while I caught up with friends and played with the dogs. Summer, please don’t go away yet.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I get super excited when someone comes to visit me. Mainly because I love stay-cations and Reno/Tahoe is the best place for it, especially now that I have a beautiful house. The day I came back from New Zealand, my host sister K. from Minnesota arrived to see me, so she said she would understand if I was tired from my trip and didn’t wanna do much. Does she really not know me??

Brand-new guest bedroom!

In Reno we walked around the neighborhood for a couple of hours (she got blisters, oops…) and being the nature lover she is, she taught me the name of the birds and plants in the area, so it was like I was a tourist in my own backyard. I took her to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Reno, Grateful Gardens, and was ready to show her downtown and Hot August Nights, but I guess being a good host means I have to follow my guest’s pace, so we chilled at home with a movie instead.

Walking near my house

Beautiful leaves

No one believes there are wild horses around!

We also went on a hike up Mt. Rose, but only to the waterfall, which takes about 45 minutes. From there, she saw Lake Tahoe for the first time, and I just loved her enthusiasm! Last year, when my brother’s girlfriend saw the lake for the first time, she said “I’ve seen more impressive things…”, so it was delightful to see someone as excited as me about this place.

It’s the lake!

Mt. Rose Waterfall

Yay!

The next day it was a trip around the lake, with stops in Tahoe City, Emerald Bay, Camp Richardson for lunch at The Beacon, and Nevada Beach for a walk to the lake with Slick. Seriously, Lake Tahoe is the most beautiful place on earth. And I just came back from New Zealand.

Emerald Bay

K. and Slick – Nevada Beach

Tahoe City

Between 2010 and 2012 Christchurch had several huge earthquakes that destroyed the whole city center. They are still rebuilding it, but most of the city is just a bunch of parking lots and construction sites. The Re:Start area is full of shipping containers transformed into stores, bringing a little bit of life to the area.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I walked thru the botanical gardens (I love that NZ is full of them!) and went to the Canterbury Museum, but the best attraction in town is the Antarctic Centre, which was the perfect way to end my trip to New Zealand.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Christchurch is the main hub for those going to Antarctica and the museum has plenty of information about the continent. They have little penguins swimming around and a room where you can experience below 0 temperatures and a wind storm. Pretty cool, especially when that’s the only continent I still have to go to. Now I feel a little closer to completing my 7-continent list.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

On our way to Lake Ohau we stopped to see the Moeraki Boulders, which are huge round rocks on the ocean. The scenic route didn’t end there. The region is full of lakes and views of Mt. Cook, the highest one in New Zealand. By Lake Tekapo we also visited the Church of the Good Shepherd and a monument to border collies (I miss Slick…)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lake Ohau is a tucked away place with an eco-lodge and a ski resort. They both have won awards for sustainability and the resort has been voted the best one in New Zealand for years. It was a splendid place and I had a lot of fun at the toga party. Last night with my tour peers! We danced and sang our theme song until 3 am.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dunedin is a university town in the South Island. I thought the city was pretty rundown, but I guess after Queenstown, everything will seem like that. We walked to the Octagon, which is the main plaza, with the church and a sculpture of the poet Robbie Burns, and then to Baldwin St., which is the world’s steepest street.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In Dunedin we also took two very informative tours. The first one was about beer at Speight’s Brewery, and the second one was about chocolate at the Cadbury Factory. I don’t know which one was better. We had all you can drink beer at the brewery, but the chocolate one had a chocolate fountain that dropped 1 ton of chocolate in one minute.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Okay, here it goes. The highlight of my trip. Can’t wait to go back to Queenstown in the future!

Arrowtown – Wild West 1800’s town like Virginia City in Nevada, built around the gold rush. It’s in the Otago region, near Lake Wanaka, which is a beautiful wine area.

Winery

Arrowtown

Arrowtown

Puzzling World – mazes and illusion rooms in Wanaka.

Maze

Illusion Room

Puzzling World

Shotover Jet Boat – crazy fast boat ride that gets super close to the rocks on the Shotover River. Freezing cold!

Jet Boat

Jet Boat

Skyline Gondola – Amazing panoramic views of Queenstown, the lake, and The Remarkables mountain range.

View from Skyline

Bungee

Queenstown

Queenstown

The Waterfront – that’s where the Botanical Gardens are. Nice marina too.

The Waterfront

The Waterfront

Queenstown Mall  and Beach Streets – pedestrian streets where all the bars and shops are.

Beach Street

Beach Street

Cardrona Ski Resort – skiing in August!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Milford Sound – a 5-hour drive from Queenstown, but totally worth it to cruise the nice fiords by boat.

Mirror Lake

Near Milford Sound

Mitre Peak

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Bungee Jumping Kawarau Bridge – can’t even begin to describe the experience of jumping off a bridge 43 meters high with only a rope tied to your ankles. The Kawarau Bridge bungee was the first one ever in the world started by A.J. Hacket in 1987.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In the Southern Alps we visited two of the most famous glaciers in New Zealand. Each is at least 12 kilometers long (7 miles) and the ice pretty much descends from the mountains all the way down to the rainforest. First we walked to the Franz Josef Glacier thru a beautiful trail and then up to Sentinel Rock to get a good view of the glacier.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In the afternoon I took a helicopter ride to Fox Glacier for another hike. The ride was breathtaking and we landed right on the glacier. With crampons on, we started to make our way up the face of the glacier. Climbing on ice was very difficult but so exciting! The heli-hike was my most expensive activity in New Zealand but worth every cent.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.