My 13th Summer

by Isabel

Summer is not just going to the beach and playing in the sand. It can be spent in so many different ways especially for a teenager like me who really looks forward to it after spending 10 whole months in school.

At the onset of summer this year, my family and I went to Baguio along with 4 other families. We enjoyed lots of outdoor activities such as strawberry picking at the Strawberry Farm. It was really hot when we arrived at the farm but it was so worth the fun that we had while picking strawberries. The scent of strawberries reminded me of my favorite Blush Berry Pure 'N Fresh cologne which I happily dabbed on myself after being under the sun for about an hour.

photo by wahpinas.com

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TRAVEL: Strawberry Farms of La Trinidad

A trip to Baguio is not complete without visiting the strawberry farms of La Trinidad. Through the years, I've witnessed the changing landscape from the outskirts of Baguio up to La Trinidad and the farm itself. As kids, I remember being more excited about the prospect of harvesting my own strawberries than riding the horses. And even now as an adult, the excitement is still there.

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TRAVEL: Post-Graduation Baguio Escapade Day 2

Our Day 2 at Azalea Residences' Family Fun Tour began with an early morning breakfast at Tradisyon, the hotel restaurant. Here we got to mingle again with the other bloggers and their families. Call time to hop the van was at 9am and then were all happily on our way to Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary in Camp Sioco, Baguio City.

That's the map of the different areas that you'll get to see once inside the eco-sanctuary. Its best to wear comfortable clothing, comfortable and not slippery footwear, hat, and bring water because its a long hike that goes up, down and sideways.

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Azalea Residences

If you're planning to go to Baguio City and is looking for a nice place to stay that is neither far nor too near to the heart of the city, then the best place for you is Azalea Residences. We visit Baguio maybe 2-3x a year but this is the first time that we've stayed at Azalea Residences and I want to share our wonderful experience when my family (along with 4 other bloggers and their families) was invited to spend 4D/3N at Azalea Residences.

Actually, we do know where Azalea Residences is but since the hotel is not visible from the main road (Leonard Wood Road), only the signage to Azalea is- we (me, hubby and Isabel) were awestruck when our taxi dropped us off at the entrance. So this is what Azalea Residences looks like up close. We already know what it looks like from behind since we always camped at a friend's house in nearby Brentwood and our window faces the hotel (well, the topmost part that is).

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TRAVEL: Post-Graduation Baguio Escapade Day 1

Isabel recently graduated from grade 6 and two days after, we found ourselves enroute to Baguio City via Victory Liner's Deluxe Bus. This is a Family Fun tour and we'll be joining four other families in Baguio. Travel from Manila is approximately 6 hours (including 3 stops) but since we took the 3am bus, we just snored from NLEX to Baguio- no kidding.

We landed at the bus station a few minutes past 9am and then hailed a cab up to Session Road because we planned to eat breakfast at Jim's Retro Diner. Alas, the place was still closed when we arrived so we thought we'll be eating at Tea House (hubby's favorite) but ended up at Point Grill which is just a few steps away from the diner.

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