celebraTINg exisTENce

Lakas maka-California girl. <3

I forgot what time we left Vegas but it was before sunrise. We haven't eaten our breakfast so we had several stop-over before reaching Legoland. We have a Denny's branch near our place but it was my first time in California to try eating there.

For a bank errand and a quick restroom break, we had a stop-over here too at Oceanside.

It actually feels a bit similar to Santa Monica only that, this place had less people or we were just a bit early for the crowd. Nonetheless, if I had a day to spare in California, I would have chosen a day spent here in Oceanside. I am a sucker for anything "ocean" because there's something about the waves and its smell that relaxes me. Like this is a new information, noh. hahaha.

Legoland!

My first amusement park in the United States of America. Hahaha :)

We rode a couple of rides though, yeah, those are for the children which is the main target of this park. Haha! Just like this huge lego block boat... so had to ride this!

My friend got this big blue stuffed toy from somewhere and I gladly carried it for him all around the park.

Panakip taba!! :))

Alaska, Sydney, Acapulco, New York very very soon. :))

South Korea very soon!! <3

We enjoyed the waterpark too much that we swam until its closing time so we weren't able to use our tickets for the sealife aquarium because it was already closed when we arrived at the gate. Boo. :( What a waste! :( It would have been my first fish tank experience in the US.

Second to Manila Ocean Park which I've gone to in 2012.

Click this link and see how payat was I during those days. Here.

Pa cute lego guy! Haynako ah, life, buti pa 'yung lego pwedeng i-jowa.

At mawala na lahat, huwag lang lipstick ganern? Hahaha!

Goodbye, Legoland!!!! :))

I am actually looking forward to the time that I will be able to go back to Malaysia just so I can add Malaysia, Legoland to the itinerary. I don't know, I just want to see it too. Hehehe. And actually, my friend joined this raffle to the Cartoon Network Park that is in Thailand. haha! Maybe lang, ano, the universe will be generous to us and actually grant us those tickets.

Miniland USA at Legoland link: here.

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Legoland is definitely an amusement park for kids, okay kids at heart, and lego enthusiasts - okay an amusement park for everyone na lang kasi. HAHA.

Anyway, I'm showing you below the attraction in Legoland that became my favorite - MINILAND USA.

Basically the Miniland USA is composed of Lego replicas made up of 32,496,352 lego bricks!

This is the replica of San Francisco's Lombard Street. The Colt Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge are also at the back. Back then, I haven't gone to San Francisco yet so these are like "goals" ahahaha.

Pier 39 Area

This is San Fo talaga. Hahaha. Sobrang galing!!!

I can't even make something distinguishable using Lego bricks and they can do something as amazing as this. :)))

SAN FO GOALS BEYBEH!!!!

Took a picture with it just in case I won't be able to go. :))) But I wassssssss. Posting soon too!

Chinatown in San Fo.

LINKS: Hollywood's Chinese Theater, Griffith Observatory, and Hollywood Sign

Because I don't have a clear picture with the Hollywood sign, Legowood sign will do. :))

Found "home" in Legoland, California. <3

Luxor and The Excalibur Hotel of the Las Vegas Strip!

New York, New York

Paris, The Venetian

Mirage and Fortune Island

I miss you so much, Las Vegas!!!

MIND TAKING ME BACK?! :(

Build your own lego boat and race it with your friend... ang shubaaaaa. HAHAHAHA.

Autumn soon. Autumn Somewhere.

70 days from now. Please be good to me, life!!!! One day at a time. <3

This was taken while riding the Coast Cruise wherein different attractions from all over the world have replicas.

Mt. Rushmore

Statue of Liberty

Band

Aside from the Taj Mahal, they had more such as the Eiffel Tower, etc. dahil nalimutan ko na. :))))

I have pictures from the rest of the park and its waterpark which I will be posting soon. Actually, this is a place that I won't go to if not for my companions. HAHAHA. I am not an amusement park person. :)) To be honest, the only the that I am looking forward to visiting is Ferrari World in Dubai. :))) But my US Trip kinda changed my preference of the places that I want to go to so yeah, here's to more amusement parks all over the world!!! <3

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WHAT?

GHOST TOWN?!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK?!

Make me ride the world's scariest roller coaster and I won't complain but ghost town?! Even if it's listed as one of America's "coolest" ghost town, I will not go to this place if not for my insisting companion.

It's not like I had the control of the steering wheel.
It's not like I can get out of the car anytime I wanted to.

I just gave up and told him that, "Whatever happens to us, it's your call! I don't care anymore."

But even reverse psychology didn't work so I still found myself going to Rhyolite!!!! And much worse than the ghost town is that there was a nearby cemetery which I'm so glad we didn't find our way to.

Almost near the place where time stopped more than 100 years ago!!! Huhuhuhu.

Are we really doing this? :(

Rhyolite Articles here:

Ghostowns.com
Telegraph.co
Travelandleisure.com

"Let's go down the car, look around, take some pictures and we're immediately driving back to Vegas... okay?"

Truth be told, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be 'cause there was still sunlight but you can feel like there's really something from the 3rd dimension dwelling in it... I know that I sound like I am over reacting but these things and places frighten me so much.

Look at this art installation!!! :( Although yes, these installations got me curious. I wanted to know their purpose and why were they chosen to be placed there out of all the other ghost towns but no enough to make me feel calm. I was taking pictures hoping no other "being" will pose there too. HAHAHAHA

How is it like to be driven into a place where a horror movie can take place...

People who know that I hate this kind of things told me, "Nag-iba ka na talaga." HUHUHUHUHUHU. OO! I SURVIVED ONE OF AMERICA'S COOLEST GHOST TOWN!!!! NAG-IBA NA TALAGA KO.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THEREEEEEEEEE.

As if the old buildings are not enough, they had to add these art installations on this side of the ghost town. Voodoo. Mangkukulam. Black Magic. Mga ganyan.

Ghost last supper and something which purpose I don't know.

Is that used to hang people? :)))

Art installations that added more creepiness to the already creepy place for me.

Yes, it's cool to be there since the place has a lot of history and it's amazing how some of the infrastructures have remained intact after all those years but this is something I will not do again... unless may mapilit na naman na hindi ko alam kung anong hanap!

We're thankfully done with Rhyolite.

It's a good thing that after a ghost town I didn't say that I'm done with you too, isn't it? HAHA!

Back to Vegas... but were we on the right path?

Our phones had signal for text messages but there wasn't any mobile data so we couldn't check our location using our GPS.

We were in Beatty, Nevada so we thought that we were on the right way. It was only 7 PM but we didn't see people walking around anywhere. It wasn't of my concern even if it was the first thing I noticed, sa Vegas lang naman ata hindi uso matulog.

We just drove straight, waiting for the road sign that would point where Las Vegas is.

I fell asleep and woke up around an hour after and guess where we were?!

Still on the road.

I never thought that we were lost since the roads look the same in this part of Nevada.

It felt forever driving through this road!!! And then we saw a sign that said Reno was 300 miles away from us!!!!

SERIOUSLY?!

We drove so faaaaaaaaaaaaaar! What the heck. >.<

I asked, "Why aren't we turning back now that we're 100% sure we're heading the wrong way?"

"'Cause I don't know where the closest gasoline station is if we go back now but I'm pretty sure there's one in Tonopah."

I got scared 'cause it felt like we kind of entered a maze in a horror movie but that's me over thinking so with all the calmness I gathered in my already paranoid self,

"Okay so we're driving all the way to Tonopah for a fuel refill and then drive back to Vegas....."

Back in the mining days when Rhyolite wasn't a ghost town but a gold town, Tonopah was also considered a silver and gold town in Nye County, Nevada. The main difference is of course, Tonopah didn't turn to a ghost town.

These are only two of the places worth mentioning when talking about the boom years of Southern Nevada.

Then we reached a gasoline station at Tonopah.

Finally!!

I got out of the car for a short restroom break and it was so cold that night, I was shivering while walking.

The elevation of the area was almost 2,000 MASL!

It's a long driveeeee back to Vegas skiesssss. :)))

Turns out we missed the road we should've turn right in more than 150 miles ago... But okay fine, this whole thing was a Lake Tahoe - Reno - San Francisco Road Trip Dry Run. HAHAHA.

It was an experience, a very memorable experience!!!

FYI: One male ghost in America wears tuxedo. HAHAHAHA! You will not see him in person but he appears in pictures. I just don't want to post the picture here. Shemay. I really don't like this kind of trips. So when I was told that there are more ghost towns in Nevada and ghost town drive in Calico, California (all of which are an hour and a half away from my apartment complex). I shouted at the top of my lungs, "NO WAY!" Not going to another ghost town is my only hope to retain the sanity I have left in me.

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WE SURVIVED A SANDSTORM IN DEATH VALLEY. OMG!!! :))))

After Dante's View, we followed the map route to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes but we got lost twice before getting here. Compared to how clear it was earlier that day, look at the clouds that looked like storm clouds when we got here in Mesquite.

We even had the windows of the car open all the time while in Death Valley since we were afraid that the air conditioner of the car might cause it to overheat since it was hot.

When we reached the Sand Dunes area, "ANO YON?! OMG ISARA NATIN AGAD BINTANA!!!" We closed it on time before the sand that are "crossing the street" hit the car.

When we reached the parking lot, the wind wasn't blowing hard and even if the clouds looked ominous like that, the beauty of the sand dunes was enough to lure us in. <3

Look at the clouds!

Mukhang walang mabuting gagawin sa buhay. HAHAHA. Tipong, I knew you were trouble when you flew in.

But it was fine.

We managed to walk hundreds of meters away from the car 'cause the sand dunes looked better in this area.

Sayang lang wasn't able to take pictures of the "better looking" area of the sand dunes when we went up that high sand hill. Di ko talaga alam tawag sa mga lugar na andito. First time ko, okay!

We have a sand dune in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. I was able to go there once before but was not able to walk in the sand. Tinignan lang namin.
LINK: here.

We took a picture there without sunglasses on. The first time I removed my sunglasses for that day and yeah, sinong nagsabing walang sunburn?! Hahaha. The skin around my eyes looked a lot fairer than the skin in the rest of my face. At least di na masyado obvious ang undereye circles! Haha!

Wind started blowing more but that didn't stop us even the other tourists who were with us that afternoon.

Look at how far we walked but after like 10 minutes of staying here, we retreated because the wind started blowing so hard carrying sands with it and everytime the sand hit out body? It was pure torture! Sand hitting our faces, our necks, our arms, and even if I was covering my mouth I can still feel the sand entering my mouth. HAHAHA. Sand was crunchy though, it was like munching on a cracker.

We experienced everything didn't we? hehe. I don't know if that is defined as a sand storm or haboob since the experience was new to me but that was it. Like all of a sudden, the beautiful sand dunes became a torture place with almost zero visibility everywhere.

I have no pictures of the time when we were walking away from all the "turbulence" in the sand dunes. Back then, it was all part of the experience but now that I am writing about it, I feel like what happened there was really dangerous.

The wind has surely lifted a lot of sand with it, it was crazy! We saw the directions of the wind because of the particles it was carrying with it. It hurt so much being hit by those sand! I still had sands in my hair until the next morning.

We went back to the car and immediately drove away from the Sand Dunes.

As we got meters away from it, we saw that it looked like it was raining since the sand was circling the area and was as high as the clouds. Good thing common sense worked and we thought of "escaping" immediately.

Opposite Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.

Parang walang nangyari, Death Valley ah!!

Death Valley is also famous for having this kind of roads - a never-ending straight road.

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