Friday, June 25, 2010

Creative Work

Some more creative work
Paper crafts, easy way to add personal touch to our home. Put all your imaginations on the color paper, cut it paste it do as you like.  Let me show some of mine.

Paper Plant, rain or shine this plant will stay fresh for ever.

Colorful star shaped wall hanging.



Colorful sunflower on my door, to welcome all :)) Specially to welcome my in-laws, planning to visit US next month.


Having lots more color paper, many more are still to come. Will keep you posted.
I got all the inspiration from  Martha Stewart site. if you want some, check this URL :  http://www.marthastewart.com/

Bye bye !!!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Summer Holidays - First Long weekend trip

We are still driving and few miles away from the great historic place. On our way we crossed a nice 2 mile long tunnel. The lights in the tunnel were so dramatic that it felt as if we were in the middle of a 'Batman' or 'Men in Black' movie. We all were so thrilled to drive in.

In fact, to watch the full video you can click this Youtube  link :)) Enjoy !
Sudharshun and Thani took the front seat and me and Karthik shared the back seat. As soon as we were out of the tunnel we took an exit and started driving in 'Lincoln Highway'. Let me tell something about the great Lincoln Highway.
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America. Actively promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway originally spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco through 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.
The first officially recorded length of the entire Lincoln Highway was 3389 miles (5454 km) in 1913. Over the years, the road was improved and numerous realignments were made, and by 1924 the highway had been shortened to 3142 miles (5056 km). Counting the original route and all of the subsequent realignments, there is a grand total of 5869 miles (9445 km).  (From Wikipedia)

This highway is called 'US Route 30' in PA. This one was so different compared to all we come across earlier. Its a one lane road, had sudden ups and downs, more sharp short curves. Also had very less or no shoulders. Karthik forced Sudharshun to take over the back seat and he drove the car, because we all felt little scared. Absolutely not because of Sudharshun Driving, the road was like that.



I really cant explain that in words, once you drive in that you all can understand what I am telling. Though we were little scared we enjoyed the scenic view around us.


At last, by 1.00 pm we reached the Great historic battle field in Gettysburg. This was the most important battle field and was a turning point in the US Civil War. The battle was fought for 3 days starting from July 1, 1863. The causalities were horrible, around 8000 killed and 36000 wounded or missing.




US government painstakingly restored the whole battle field to the way it looked during those fateful July days. States which contributed troops for this battle have erected individual memorials for their regiments who served in the battle.

We spent around 3 hours in this place, Sudharshun and Karthik were so excited they both were talking about all the events happened here. They both like History a lot. After seeing this battle field we went and saw a huge painting called "Gettysburg Cyclorama"
 The painting is the work of French artist Paul Dominique Philippoteaux. It depicts "Pickett's Charge", the failed infantry assault that was the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg. The painting is a cyclorama, a type of 360° cylindrical painting.original painting was 22 feet (6.7 m) high and 279 feet (85 m) in circumference. The version that hangs in Gettysburg, a recreation of the original, is 27 feet (8.2 m) high and 359 feet (109 m) in circumference,[1] although that version has lost some of its size due to the ravages of time. Its original size is estimated at 42 feet (13 m) high and 365 feet (111 m) in circumference. (From Wikipedia
I was so shocked to see that painting. It doesn't looked like a painting at all to me. It was looking so real like a 3D picture. When we were planning this trip, Karthik was telling me about this painting but it was much bigger and breathtaking than what I imagined.
Just posting some photos, these are only a small part of the big cyclorama painting


It is fantastic isn't it !  Oh, I enjoyed it...

Its 4.00 pm we all were hungry, couldn't find any place to sit and eat. So drove out few miles away from the battle field pulled over near a Wendy's parking lot, opened our bag and had our lunch in the car itself. It was a different experience for us, 4 people eating inside a car, where all the foods are to be served from the box and nothing was ready to eat.

If you get a chance to pass that place, don't miss the US 30 route and the Cyclorama painting. Those were the highlights of our day.

Hm, from there we went to sweet, yummy delicious place. I m not kidding. Will tell about this in my next post. Bye !!!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Summer Holidays -- First long weekend trip

Friday morning, my hubby, Karthik went to office and promised to come early. Sudharshun, good boy didn't go to office at all and one more friend, also joining us in the trip. His name is Thani and this was his first long trip in US. I was busy in lot of preparation. Do you want to know what I prepared for this trip, pls check here. By 3.00 pm we all started. For the first time Karthik and myself sat in the back. Yes, Sudharshun was driving the car.

We were struck in heavy traffic for the first two hours. Karthik knew this before, so he said he will drive after taking first break. Poor Sudharshun. Once we crossed Chicago, the traffic was normal. Our first stay point is Youngstown in Ohio, 7.30hrs drive from our place. this is as per the Google, Map prediction. But for us it will differ because we will take some breaks in between.

We stopped in Ohio, turnpike service plaza for dinner.


It looks so tempting isn't it !!! But we didn't enjoy much here, because lot of mosquito's, since we sat in an open area. After the mosquito bite dinner, got our energy back and started our journey again. We like to drive a lot in night time rather than day light. After 3 hours we reached the Hotel and slept nicely.

Saturday Morning, we planned to start from Youngstown at 6.30 am. Since we wanted to go for a early morning drive hearing 'Rudram" (slogam) in the background, to see the misty, foggy dark sky dawning into a clear, bright, blue sky . Unfortunately, everybody except me woke up very late (as always), so we started at 8 o' clock only. I thought we missed that morning drive :( God heard us and gave a big surprise !!!




We were speechless and felt extremely happy. Its almost 9.00 am and we saw misty cloud all over.  I started clicking everything. Once we entered Pennsylvania turnpike I thought we were in the midst of forest and mountains. Wherever you turn, you can see green all the way.

    

See its looking as if somebody sketched the whole place with green and blues. I loved it !!!

In my next post I will say where we were heading and what historic piece we saw... BYE BYE

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Summer Holidays -- First long weekend trip

After our winter trip to Washington D.C, we didn't go any other long trip. We were waiting for our first summer weekend, May month end for a big trip. We have been planning so many days ahead for our Summer trip. We shortlisted many places...
  1. North Dakota
  2. Texas
  3. Circumventing lake Michigan 
  4. Green bay in Wisconsin .... List was going on and on !!!
At last our friend (Hope you all know, Sudharshun) suggested 'Pennsylvania' (called PA) and we all accepted it. From next day, Me and my Husband were browsing a lot and lot to shortlist the places where  to go and what to do in PA. My goodness PA is such a big state and we find it difficult to finalise the places.
My Husband and his friend love History a lot... They both wanted to go all the historical Battle field, museums, anything related to history. I hate History, mainly Museums :(( Somehow we finalised the places.

A week before we booked all the hotels and were waiting like kids for the weekend to come :))
Forgot to tell you, booking hotel. Oh, its such a pain. Have to check for good locality near the Highway, near to our next destination, the hotel should have all basic things, must be cheap, Internet should be fast, etc...This time we spent so many nights in search of hotel to get a good deal.

Now-a-days, I prepare a big list before we start off to any trip. This I am doing after my marriage only, before that my Amma, sister, and my Manni will take care of everything. (Oh, I m missing them). Here everything will ends in me, to avoid the 11th hour tension and to be little perfect I prepared the full list about the dresses we wear, things we carry like camera, I-pod, chargers, extra batteries, Printout of the hotel confirmation, Toiletry items, so many little things.

This time my Hubby was also very good. He took the maps of all the places. Also prepared a full schedule of our 3 days trip. We were planning to cover the whole PA state.  Hope you can understand what I am saying from the below map. If not, please write to me.


Here ends the introduction chapter, I will tell you more about our trip in the coming chapters.
Till then wait for me :)

Bye !!!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Weekend Hikes -- Chain Of Lakes

Summer Season வந்தாலும் வந்தது, நாங்க நல்லா நடக்க (ஊர் சுத்த)  ஆரம்பிச்சிட்டோம். ரெண்டு வாரம் முன்னாடி Chain of Lakes -ன்னு ஒரு இடத்துக்கு (park) போனோம். As the name says, இந்த இடத்த சுத்தி ஏழு Lake இருக்கு. இந்த எல்லா lake-யும் Fox river-ன்னு ஒரு ஆறு connect பண்றது.
இந்த Map பார்த்தா உங்களுக்கு புரியும்


இந்த இடத்துல நிறைய Lake இருக்கறதால நிறைய Boat shops இருந்துத்து. Boat மேல பறக்கறது பார்க்க அழகா இருக்குல்ல!!!


நாங்க பார்த்த மத்த இடத்தை விட இந்த  Chain of lakes, Park ரொம்ப different-ஆ இருந்துத்து. திடிருன்னு ஒரு இடத்ல அடர்த்தியா மரம், கொஞ்சம் நடந்தா பக்கத்ல sudden-ஆ planes. தூரத்தல பார்த்தா அழகான River, Mind blowing scenery .

இந்த இடத்ல என்னோட 'Paper plant' செயர்துக்கு குச்சி தேடி தேடி கடைசில எடுக்கவேயில்லை. நல்லா ஒரு 4 மைல் நடந்துட்டு இங்கேருந்து கிளம்பிட்டோம்.