Tag: Texas

Dallas, Texas

Early in the morning, my college friend and I went to Dallas for me to see my high school friend who was also living in Texas. She came from Abilene but was also staying with a friend in Fort Worth so we met up in Hotel Indigo.

Hotel Indigo Dallas Downtown

The Hotel Indigo Dallas Downtown is located at Main Street in Dallas.  It is a boutique hotel in a landmark building with a restaurant called Titches Bar and Bistro that offers breakfast and dinner. I also loved the room at the end of the hallway.

After my high school friend and her colleague arrived at the hotel, we left our bags to the hotel’s lobby and went to walk to Main Street.

Giant Eyeball and St. Jude Chapel

We went to the Giant Eyeball, a realistic eyeball made in fiberglass sculpture in a fenced garden in downtown Dallas. Beside it was the St. Jude Chapel in which we went inside to pray and bought souvenirs from St. Jude’s relic medal and a cross with a baby.

Weekend Coffee

We had breakfast Weekend Coffee Breakfast located inside The Joule Hotel. They served their signature coffee and pastries. It is also one of the favorite coffee shops in Dallas.

Museum of Memories

Museum of Memories is an art gallery with a different collection of an interactive art installation that was inspired by childhood memories and imagination. It is located in Old East Dallas. We enjoyed our photo op and selfies here with the different themes per room.

Deep Elum

Deep Elum is known for its vibrant street murals and art galleries. It is also an entertainment district for the concert venues. There are so many restaurants, brewpubs, bars and signature Tex-Mex eateries. We were craving Japanese food so we went to Tanoishii Ramen and Bar. Just beside the restaurants are street arts.

The Sixth Floor Museum

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a historic location that showcases the history of John F. Kennedy that leads to his assassination. From the outside near the Plaza, you can also see the marking or the spot where John F. Kennedy was shot dead in Elm Street. It was overlooking the building in Dallas. We also went to the Museum Store and Café across the street.

John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza

Walking along Houston Street we also see Dallas County Courthouse going to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza. It is a monument dedicated to the former president.

Frankie’s Downtown

We ate our dinner in one of the popular sports bars that serves brews and delicious burgers in Dallas called Frankie’s Downtown.

Reunion Tower and Cloud 9

The Reunion Tower is one of the famous landmarks in Dallas. It has an observation deck that features the panoramic view of the Dallas skyline. It is located beside the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The observation deck offers an indoor and outdoor observation deck.

We arrived just before the sunset so we had a great view of the sunset. As it becomes dark, you can also see the light shows from the nearby buildings.

Just above the observation deck is Cloud 9, a revolving restaurant.

Ascencion Coffee

After spending a night in the Hotel Indigo, we went for breakfast in Ascencion Coffee – Thanksgiving Tower in Elm Street near the hotel. It is one of the best local spots for breakfast and coffee.

Dallas Art Museum

The Dallas Art Museum or DAM is located at Harnwood Street. It is one of the famous museums in Dallas Texas. During our visit, there was a special gallery for Dior in which we also checked out.

For Dallas City tours click here

Fort Worth, Texas

My flight was 9 in the morning, but I needed to arrive 2 hours in JFK prior to the scheduled flight. I took the train until Grand Central but decided to take a  cab going to the airport as. I boarded the American Airline plane going to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. A friend picked me up at the airport and I stayed in his house until the following morning before visiting another college friend in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Water Gardens

Fort Worth is a city in Texas referred to as “Where the West Begins”.
The first place we went to was Fort Worth Water Gardens. The Water Garden was located downtown between Houston and Commerce Street adjacent to the Fort Worth Convention Center. It is a beautiful and refreshing oasis with a variety of water features in a cityscape.

Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards is located in Rodeo Plaza. It is a historical district for the livestock industry during the late 19th century.

The Stockyards consists of entertainment and shopping venues that capitalize on the “Cowtown” image of Fort Worth. I also saw the parade of longhorns cattle with the cowboys of Stockyards.

During dinner, we ate at the Golden Corral Buffet and Grill with my friend’s whole family. We also shopped at the nearby Walmart Supercenter before going home. I saw the train of the Fort Worth & Western Railroad.

For Fort Worth tours click here

A Summer in the United States of America

The United States of America was not part of my bucket list. I only wanted to go there because of studying. In 2004, I was admitted to a university to pursue a Master’s Degree and the second time was in 2017 when I applied for EMBA with a scholarship. I did not pursue both. Maybe studying there was not really for me.
Last year I joined being a mentor for the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. Somehow, I knew I would be going to the USA for the GSA Summit, an event for mentees and mentors every summer. I asked for assistance with an invitation letter last March and interviewed on the last 7th of May. After 3 days, my passport arrived with a multiple 10 years entry visa to the US of A.

I started planning for the trip to where I should go first. My initial plan was to stay on the East Coast. I was only planning to meet my friends from New York and New Jersey. I asked a friend to help me find a hotel there but he offered his place for me to stay during my New York trip. He started planning for us to go to Washington D.C. and to stay for one night in Virginia. He also told me to visit our friend in Dallas.
So I contemplated on where to go and then after a week, I asked some friends and they offered their place for me to stay. I chose to stay longer with my long lost closest friend from my F days, and then meet other friends separately. I filed a leave from work, finalized the days where I would be staying and when to meet friends and bought my ticket. The flights were Manila – New York – Dallas Fort Worth – Los Angeles – Manila from July 20 to Aug 5.


I arrived at my first destination at the wee hours of the morning at John F. Kennedy Airport. I took a cab and the taxi was caught by NYPD because of beating the red light. It was scorching hot when I arrived because of the heatwave and my friend Chester toured me to the City on a 94 Fahrenheit weather. I would give the details of the places I went to in another post and when I was alone. I also met Karen, my favorite client from UPMSI and Patriz’s family, one of our classmates in the UST Chem.

I attended the GSA Summit and met those people who organized the event, the different STEM mentees and their parents. I attended a seminar with Josh Henkins. I met so many wonderful people like Ann, Adrienne and many others.
I got lost while traveling alone, but it was easy to find my way in Manhattan. I saw so many different places in New York, enjoyed my time and the city. Enjoyed walking, the subway and the bus. I love the Museum Mile and Central Park where the apartment was located.


On the following weekend, we went to Washington D.C. to explore. Going to Washington D.C., the bus needed to go through the highways of New Jersey and Maryland. We spent the night in Virginia and went back again to New York the following day.
When I was having fun being a New Yorker for almost 8 days, and I had to leave the city already. On July 29th, it was time for me to go to Dallas Fort Worth Airport.


Texas is like a laid-back place that is a part of the Midwest. It has a different vibe from New York City. Well, Texas is so huge that I feel I could be lost and I could not find my way back home. Every city and town I saw had their distinct beauty. What I love most in Texas was the old and historical McKinney and the museums.
I reconnected with my old friends Beah, Louvette and Robert and meet different people like May, Ted, Marissa and Mitchell and the whole family of Beah.

My friends decided where we should go. The best plan is when you have no plans at all and everything turned out well. Although there were some bumps in the road or should I say expected things that didn’t happen. It was a summer worth remembering.

I would like to thank all of my wonderful friends who managed their precious time to be with me, for letting me crashed their homes for a while, for those who had to take their days off and had to travel 1 to 3 hours to join me with my trip. Thanks to all the friends who sent me messages to meet them, I’d like to travel to different states but there will be next time. And just in case I decided not to come back. I already went to the East Coast and Midwest.  I had a glimpsed of West Coast thru Lax Airport. I went to 4 States and the District of Columbia. I fell in love with America with its chaos and silence. I fell in love with the United States of America.

For the USA tours click here