Cascade Loop, WA, USA - 2008

One major advantage of living in Seattle is the luxury of driving around lush green snow-capped mountains all year around. Drove around cascade loop many times in the past 5 and half years I have been here. It is one of the best drives and is scenic all through. Pictures from my first drive around this loop -

The Wenatchee river that runs parallel to US 2 until Leavenworth, WA

July 4th fireworks at Wenatchee, WA

Lake Chelan

Rainbow Falls at Stehekin, WA

Washington Pass on State route 20

State Route 20 - best part of cascade loop!!

Map at the start of rainy lake trail

View of Rainy Lake falls

Hawaii (island), USA - 2013

This was our second trip to Hawaii (state) and this time we visited Hawaii (island), also called the "Big Island". Three things that stayed in our mind once we were done with our trip - Volcano, Coffee and Cookies :) I learned a lot about volcanoes just by driving around active and dormant volcanoes. Kilauea volcano is the one that's active now. Pictures -

Sunset from Resort

Punalu'u Bake Shop - at the southern most point of the USA. Malasada's were so good here.

Kīlauea Iki Trail - View of Pu`u Pua`i cinder and spatter cone - Still fuming!

Lava flow into Lua Manu from 1974 Kilauea volcano eruption along the chain of craters road

Sea Arch at the end of chain of craters road

Lava flow on the chain of craters road from Puʻu ʻŌʻō

A vapor plume rises in the distance from Halemaʻumaʻu Crater in the Kīlauea summit caldera

View of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at night

High surf at resort

Buddhist temple at Kona, HI

Inside the Buddhist temple

Green turtle at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach

Coffee berry used to produce Kona Coffee

Maui, USA - 2011

I recently visited Hawaii (Big Island) and that's when I remembered to write this post about Maui (my first trip to Hawaii in 2011). Maui - we spent most of the time at the beach and resort facilities. But we did drive around a bit to Hana and Haleakala. Pictures -

Sunrise from Haleakala is a must see! But we managed to reach there only after sunrise :) But the view was worth the trip..

Volcanic rocks at Haleakala

Tender coconuts are so common in India but here in the United States you can hardly find one. And these were found on my way to Hana, Maui

View on the way to Hana, Maui

Black sand pebble beach near Hana, Maui

View of Sunset from Maui

Banff and Jasper, Canada - 2010

A round trip of 1335 miles covered over a weekend. Tiring but interesting! Moments captured on the way -

Paella at a Restaurant in Banff, AB

View of Athabasca River

Columbia Icefield on the Icefields Parkway

Athabasca Glacier

On my way to Banff, AB from Jasper, AB

Lake louise

View of Banff, AB

New York, USA - 2009

New york!! Three words to describe this lovely place would be magnificent, alive, and harmonious. Pictures -

Tiffany & Co at Wall St.

WTC site

My Favorite! Saravana Bhavan at New York

Statue of Liberty

Wall St.

View of  Graffiti from New York Subway

Struthio camelus at

American Museum of Natural History