Sai

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Snorkeling at Molokini

One of the activities you can do on Maui is to Snorkel at Molokini. Molokini is a submerged volcanic crater, and its crescent shape blocks the waves and currents forming relatively calm waters in the crater which can be explored either by snorkeling or scuba. All snorkel tours at Molokini happen during the morning since the trade winds make the seas rough to navigate as the day progresses. We…

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Maui Ocean Center

There are so many things to do on Maui but if you want to know more about the wildlife of Hawaii then the Maui Ocean Center is the place to visit. Hawaii islands are some of the most isolated land masses on earth so there isn’t much of a wildlife on the land but the ocean surrounding Hawaii is rich with wildlife and the Maui Ocean center does a great job at displaying them. It is considered one…

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The Old Wailuku Inn

We first visited Maui and on Maui we stayed at a pleasant bed and breakfast called The Old Wailuku Inn. It’s a historic building that has been converted into a bed and breakfast and is in Wailuku. It is only 15 mins from the airport which is a big plus when you are getting off a long-haul flight. It is also conveniently located between the two sides of the island. If you are not familiar, Maui is…

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Hawaii - getting there

Hawaii – getting there

So, it’s been a while since I made any posts here mostly because I did not do anything great due to you know why. But finally, I was able to go on a real vacation to Hawaii. It’s been 2 years since I took a real vacation and this trip started off with a couple of hiccups. First the rental car broke down on my way to the airport. Somehow got it to start and got to the airport. Next my flight got…

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A day over the water in Key west

A day over the water in Key west

  After washing off all the salt from the snorkeling trip in key largowe headed to key west, the southernmost of the keys. The drive to key west is considered one of the best in the world. It’s a motorway connecting all the keys. You will be driving above the ocean surrounded by blue water bodies. If the drive bores you( which is highly unlikely), you can stop at the many beaches alongside the…

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Snorkeling in key largo

Florida, the sunshine state has a lot to offer when in comes to adventure and thrills. You can swim with the manatees, visit crazy theme parks.....

Florida, the sunshine state has a lot to offer when it comes to adventure and thrills. You can swim with the manatees, visit crazy theme parks, skydive,  kiteboard, zip line, etc, etc. But Florida with its vast coastline offers the best snorkeling spots in the United States apart from Hawaii. And snorkeling in Florida doesn’t blow a hole in your pocket.

I choose the keys to snorkel since apart…

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MA’ONO Fried Chicken One day while going through my Instagram feed I came across a photo of fried chicken from…

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A trip to Voodoo Donuts The last time I was in Portland I visited Voodoo Donuts because of all the crazy hype about it. 422 more words

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Home made Indian food

Homemade Indian food is the way to go when it’s all about a laid back holiday. Just cook and eat and let the spices and flavors dance on your tongue. It’s got everything. It’s hot to give you a sweat, it’s spicy to bounce multiple flavors and it’s sweet to end the roller coaster ride.

The main dish is Idly and dosa. Two traditional south Indian dishes that have taken over Indian breakfast and…

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So after glacier point and Yosemite I headed towards Vegas. It was a day of driving up and down thousands of feet. Luckily Tioga pass opened a week before I visisted Yosemite cutting 2 hours off my drive to Vegas. Tioga pass is a road through Yosemite and is closed during winters and opens only after the snow is completely cleared. Tioga pass boasts spectacular views from the beginning to the very end. Climbing to 10000ft, the kens were simply stunning with ranging views of Yosemite Valley. Each stop has a unique view waiting for you. At Olmsted Point, with binoculars, you can see people climbing Half Dome. Along the route is Tenaya lake located between mountains and harboring stellar reflections of the Hills surrounding it. Driving and weaving through the meadows and the mountain sides I exited the park through the West entrance of Yosemite. From here on we were descending from 10,000 ft. As I stopped along the road to take in the breath taking surrounding, I noticed a few daredevils climbing a nearby snow capped mountain to ski the last snow of the season. After stopping multiple times for stellar views I finally reached Interstate 365. But right before joining Interstate 365, I took a small detour towards the last gas station before the Yosemite west entrance and headed to the RV parking located on top of a hillock to get a perfect view of Mono Lake. Mono lake is called the inland sea and is used for every purpose other than fishing. The color contrast of the lake and the barren land around it is weirdly satisfying. After getting my fill of the view I mergerd with the interstate and headed into the Wild Wild West. The houses, the cantinas, in fact almost every structure looks as if they were a set in a western movie, adding a sense of nostalgia.

And so through all these landscapes, I was approaching Death Valley. Death Valley is known as the driest place on earth and it hasn’t rained there in over 2 million years. The nearest town close to Death Valley is the 50 miles away. Once you enter Death Valley all you can see is wide expanses of barren lands, mountains, and sand dunes. But these inhospitable terrains also harbor some gorgeous landscape views. Imagine miles and miles of land without a person in sight and tempered carefully under the sun’s blazing rays. The nothingness is a beauty in itself. 

As I entered Death Valley I checked my fuel gauge and water stocks since there is practically no life in Death Valley apart from a couple of villages. But some 30 miles into Death Valley I noticed that my car fuel gauge had a glitch. The fuel gauge had been indicating the wrong levels of fuels all along and suddenly plunged to indicate that I had less than a quarter of the fuel tank left. I had enough fuel for another 60 miles and from what I gathered from the internet the nearest gas station was furnace creek which was 56 miles away. I had already crossed one of the two villages of Death Valley and that village was out of fuel and fuel would be available only after 2 days. There was no guarantee there would be fuel at the second village either. Even if I turned back there was a good chance I would run out of fuel well before I reached the interstate so I forged ahead praying that fuel didn’t run out and hoping my car fuel gauge indicator wouldn’t dip any lower. I switched off the AC so that I could conserve fuel and drove on neutral whenever I was heading downhill. I managed to conserve fuel and increase the mileage for the next 20 miles and if this went on I would make it furnace creek without any hitch but that was a long shot in the unforgiving desert. My lips were drying up fast and the hot breeze through the window was blistering my skin. Any moisture on my skin just vanished. The  Sun was setting fast and with no person in sight, things were getting dire for me. If I ran out of fuel I would be stuck in the middle of the desert with a 2-day hike to the nearest gas station and this wasn’t an option in 110 F temperatures. I forged on using any tactic I could to save fuel. As I was driving deep into death valley and was staring at an emptying fuel gauge I came upon Stovepipe wells, the second village in death valley and thankfully there was fuel in the fuel pumps here. Apparently, Stovepipe Wells is a sort of resort unlike the first village which is basically a run down minning village. Stovepipe Wells had a saloon, a hotel with a pool, a gift shop and a gas station. I don’t know why anyone would want to establish the resort in the middle of nowhere but I was thanking my stars that they did.If not for this fuel station I might have been in a tricky situation. After I fueled up my car and got myself a shirt from the gift shop I got back on to the road and was on my way to Vegas. Along the way, I stopped at the Mesquite dunes which are sand dunes that a smaller version of the saharan dunes. A hundred feet from the road these dunes give an impression as if you are in the Deserts of Sahara. The setting sun and the orange hue on the dunes make the whole Vista magical but the heat accompanying the magical view was punishing. Just 20 mins outside the car, my skin started drying and cracking and that was my cue to get out of death valley.

Driving through Death Valley can get monotonous. There is no vegetation or civilization around for miles and all you see is barren land. Even if you got off the road for one second at high speeds you would bust a tire. Battling boredom I carefully drove my way through Death Valley and finally reached Parhump at around 8 pm. And from there Sin City was a hop, skip and a jump away.

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Death Valley drive  So after glacier point and Yosemite I headed towards Vegas. It was a day of driving up and down thousands of feet.

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Yardbird - Las Vegas

Yardbird – Las Vegas

I was searching for restaurants to experience the food in Vegas when I stumbled upon the Yardbird. It is located in the restaurant wing below the shopping section of the Venetian. It’s famous for its southern food and the fried chicken at Yardbird is supposedly one the best in Las Vegas. So after my sand bugging adventure, I headed to the Venetian/ Pallazo. A Vegas hack- If you are on the strip…

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After Yosemite Valley, I headed out to explore other parts of the park but the summer traffic was making it next to impossible to stop over at all the traditional stops, so I had to pick my spots carefully so that I could get the best of Yosemite. I favored tunnel view and glacier point since these two were known to have the most gorgeous views of the valley and Tunnel view was on the way to glacier point making it was a quick detour. Tunnel view harbors views that encompass the whole valley and the hype regarding the views if anything is well deserved. Standing on the edge gives you an almost bird’s eye view of the stunning visuals of the valley. You can see cars making their way into Yosemite, eagles soaring above, trees swaying to the winds and clouds passing by under a blue tapestry. After immersing myself with tunnel view, I headed towards glacier point.I had an ulterior motive compared to other tourists who were visiting glacier point. I had seen a million photos of the daytime views from glacier point. So I planned to do night photography and try to capture the stars. I had a lot of time to kill before the sunset. So on the way to Glacier point, I came across the sentinel dome hike and decide to probe since sentinel done had one of the best 360 views of the whole valley. And so I set out on a 2 mile round trip to conquer Sentinel Dome.

The hike is easy until you reach the base of the dome. From here one has to scramble up the dome side to reach the summit. For an experienced hiker it isn’t  a challenge but for inexperienced hikers, it might be a bit strenuous. I suggest being careful while you tackle it as the dome steeps down and falling could have devastating effects. As I reached the top of the dome I could see expansive rolling vistas of the valley in every direction. On one side was the setting sun and the Yosemite fall’s water thundering down and on the other side was the imposing half dome with snow covered mountains as a backdrop and the Nevada falls, which can be experienced on the way to the half dome. This hike was for just standing there and taking in all the galvanic views presented to you. Having my fill of the views I headed back to the parking lot and was back on my way to glacier point. It was still early for my night shoot but Yosemite’s summer traffic was there to delay me.

I finally parked my car and was on time to witness the last rays of the sinking sun spill through the clouds and the stars wake up to the oncoming night. I was standing right in front of a view that was simply speaking intoxicating.In front of me was the majestic half dome in all its glory with Nevada falls to its right and other small hills surrounding it. Witnessing this view I understood why hikers and adventurers would hike 18 miles risking falls and injuries to get to this view point even if you could just drive up here. Taking inspiration from them I jumped over the view point boundary and headed towards the edge of the ledge on which the view point is located. Daring a potential 7000 FT fall, I stood on a knife edge stone in the corner of the ledge to get a photo of me with the half dome as my backdrop canvas. As the stars took over the sky I witnessed the view for the patient minded. Orange hued lights below in the valley and bright twinkling celestial bodies up above. It is a view to be experienced. I stood there and perfected my night shots.Some were good, some were bad but I couldn’t get the perfect shot I so craved for. The environ was so flawless that even the silhouettes of the people around me, against the night, turned into a magical snap. Every direction had a view that Instagrammers would kill for. The inconvenience of staying back late in the park was well worth the reward. After getting the photos, I headed back to Yosemite bug to call it a day and rest my jet lagged body.

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  Yosemite National Park – Glacier Point After Yosemite Valley, I headed out to explore other parts of the park but the summer traffic was making it next to impossible to stop over at all the traditional stops, so I had to pick my spots carefully so that I could get the best of Yosemite.

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The efforts of protecting what we have http://asubtlevoyage.wordpress.com/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #instagood #passionpassport #igmasters #igers #travel #traveler #iphone7 #instadaily #picoftheday #photooftheday #photography #photographer #travelphotography #instatravel #iphoneonly #iphoneography #wanderlust #naturephotography #natureaddict #neverstopexploring #landscapephotography #lonelyplanet #lppathfinders #california #yosemite #nature #naturelover (at Yosemite National Park)

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So for the Independence Day weekend, I decided to travel to the west coast and take a road trip from San Jose to Las Vegas through Death Valley and Yosemite. I was gonna stay near Yosemite for two days and in Las Vegas for two days. I booked my flight to San Jose on Friday evening so that I would land early and head to Yosemite but United airlines had something different waiting for me. After boarding the plane and completing all the departure procedures and leaving the aerobridge, the plane was idling on the tarmac for 1 hour 45 mins delaying departure and evidently my plans. I hit a speed bump at the very beginning of my trip. I was supposed to land at 8:30 pm, instead I landed at 10 pm. Now I had to drive 3 hours to get to my lodging for the night – Yosemite bug – which was near Yosemite Valley. Hence started one of my longest days in my life and one of the best trips of my life.

By 10:30 I was on my way heading towards Yosemite. The time difference between New York and California meant that I was already awake for more than 20 hours and fatigue was slowly setting in. I stocked up on food and water as the drive to Yosemite is mostly devoid of civilization and California temperatures during the summers cross 100F. Most parts of my drive were pretty smooth but by the end, fatigue was getting to me and making the drive arduous.It was a race against time.The longer I was away from my bed the more dangerous it was for me to be on the road and driving through the mountain roads in pitch darkness wasn’t helping either. After weaving my way through the curvy roads with thousand foot drops I reached my stop for the night. The Yosemite Bug is a mix of hostel and cabins that make it perfect for solo travelers as well as families. It is located on the side of a hill.Since I arrived at 2:30 in the morning I had to drive up to the hilltop for parking. And the reward for driving all the way from San Jose through my fatigue was waiting for me at the hilltop. A sky littered with stars, twinkling like sparkles on an obsidian blanket, showing me the beauty of creation. Such views were waiting for me through out my trip in different attires.

After my bumpy start, I  rejuvenated most of my energy with a good night’s sleep and headed to Yosemite around noon along the curvy road and was immediately hit by the summer traffic. Yosemite is extremely packed and busy during summers and it took me almost 3 hours to get to Yosemite Valley. But the views from Yosemite Valley were something out of an epic movie.Large expanses of greenery with sequoia trees and Sierra scrims, Water falls falling from incredible heights, perfect blue skies with passing clouds. I could just lay there and enjoy Yosemite the rest of the day. A quick walk from the drive is the Yosemite Falls, placed among high rock formations causing most of the water falling to mist away before reaching the landing adding a mystic afterglow to the landscape. As I was driving out of the parking lot I witnessed a butterfly flapping in front of the falls making the whole scenario seem as if the butterfly’s flap was causing the waterfalls. Though Yosemite was bustling with people I felt I was sharing a private moment with the Valley’s serene beauty.

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Yosemite National Park – Yosemite Valley So for the Independence Day weekend, I decided to travel to the west coast and take a road trip from San Jose to Las Vegas through Death Valley and Yosemite.

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Roberts Mexican Cafe 

So on our way to Death Valley, We made a pit stop in mammoth lakes to replenish our water stock before we crossed the valley where it hasn’t rained in 2 million years and is known as the driest place on earth. Since we were in Mammoth lakes we decided to get some lunch before hitting the road and upon some research and looking around we found Roberto’s Cafe. This Mexican place was teeming with…

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Almost a month after my debacle with the Mailbox Peak hike in Washington state I was going to challenge myself with another hike – the Mt. Washington hike. I was going to hike 6288 feet to the summit of the highest mountain in the Northeast. Mt Washington is known to have unpredictable weather with temperature variations. I was going to hike to the summit along with a few friends. One of my friends who had already hiked Mt Washington gave us some tips on how to tackle this monster. We were going to climb the mountain using the Tuckerman trail. We started off at 9 30 am and immediately the trail started ascending, though it wasn’t drastic. The worst part was coming later. We hiked at a decent pace. Since we were well informed of the weather we got our waterproof jackets to deal with the rains. The hike all the way to Hermit Lake is paved and you are surrounded by trees. But Even though you are ascending the mountain the change in elevation gain is gradual unlike the segment after Hermit Lake. I was already feeling my muscles strain and my strength waning. I could feel my muscles in my legs and shoulders tighten and compress as I put myself through this ordeal. But I kept pushing myself because I couldn’t back down.Not again. We had a quick break at Hermit Lake which is roughly the 1/3 point of the trip and replenished our energy. After the lake starts the alpine stretch of the trail where there are more rocks which resemble giant stairs, and fewer trees. Now the elevations ascent is more severe and we were basically climbing boulders. As we gained more elevation the trees became shorter and the views became clearer. And what I saw as I was climbing the mountain justified the pain I was putting myself through. An expanse of greenery below and a battle of dominance between the clouds and the sun above is something that has to be experienced and that was well worth the agony I was going through. The sight of the clouds covering the sun and the cloud’s shadows creeping and conquering the light is irreplicable and has to be witnessed by the naked eye to understand the beauty of the sight. It’s better than Rohan stomping through the Orc army.

After climbing, scrambling, enduring, tolerating, pushing, witnessing and being astonished my way up through the 2nd leg of the hike I entered the 3rd and final leg of the hike, where I was surrounded by the clouds. While most of the 2nd leg of the hike is climbing beside or through waterfalls and snow shells the 3rd leg was a .8 mile scramble to the summit. I was going to scramble the .8 miles of rock formations and loose rocks where one wrong step and I would either knock myself unconscious or I would send a loose rock barreling down the side of the mountain possibly hurting someone below. I had to be extra careful. I was exhausted but I wasn’t going to give up now and head back down. Not after pushing myself beyond my limit.  At this point, you are basically in the clouds with the winds strong enough to push people off the rocks. I was lucky since I was only facing wind velocities of 45MPH but the visibility was low and at best is 10 meters but since the trail is well marked with mounds of stones marking the path I did not get lost. As I was scrambling my way up the 3rd leg, nature was teasing me showing glimpses of the landscape but I never got a good view of what lay way below in the valley and I reached the summit before the view cleared up.

I had somehow pushed myself beyond my physical limit and scrambled my way up to the top of the mountain and the exhilarating feeling of my achievement made me climb onto the highest rock and display my feelings with a pose for a photograph. We grabbed some quick lunch before we caught our shuttle back down since we neither had the energy nor the time to hike back down. But Mother Nature was not yet done with me. Right before I got into the shuttle all the clouds surrounding the summit cleared off to show me the staggering view of the valley and the civilization below and that is a moment I wish I could relive again. The reflective water, verdant vegetation, and the blue sky is something that cannot be photographed but still lives in my memory. That was my parting gift.

This is a strenuous hike and I suggest having good hiking shoes, carrying adequate food and water supplies and preparing for the weather changes.  A change of clothes is recommended since temperatures drop at the summit and it gets really cold. Carry some cash to avoid atm fees since the cafeteria on the summit accepts only cash. And if you get a chance don’t forget to enjoy New Hampshire by Star gazing or basking in the sun.

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Mount Washington  Almost a month after my debacle with the Mailbox Peak hike in Washington state I was going to challenge myself with another hike - the Mt.

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