{Road Trip} Parks in Clark 2 - Air Force City Aircraft Park

This post has been sitting on my draft folder for 15 months already.  I wrote this after my short visit to Clark last May 2014.  Since this is still worth posting, I am sharing this now.  Read about the {Road Trip} Parks in Clark Part 1 here.

If you have plans to visit Clark during the upcoming long weekend, drop by the Air Force City Aircraft Park.  If you have a toddler, I bet he/she will have a great time looking at the planes, and of course running around.

{Road Trip} Parks in Clark 1 - Clark Nature Park

Last December (sobrang late post na talaga ito), I had to go to Clark several times to visit our Christmas party venue and coordinate with our account officers.  Though it was work during the weekend, it was a perfect excuse to have a road trip to Clark.

After my short meeting at Holiday Inn, we decided to drive around Clark.  Thanks to Google, we learned about Clark Nature Park along Gil Puyat Avenue.   

{Road Trip} Sunday Detour at Fun Ranch

Whenever we have a busy weekend ahead of us (errands, pay bills, etc) we always include a detour to Fun Ranch in our schedule to have a quick fun time with Julia.

It has 2 things that make our little princess happy -- horse and train.  She squeels with delight every time she rides the carousel and train.  

She loves fishing, riding a car and playing golf too.

P50 per ride/activity is expensive for us so Julia gets to enjoy 4 rides only -- But it's enough to make her day.  

We are looking for other parks to visit within Metro Manila. Any suggestions?

{Road Trip} Davao Vacation Part 2 - Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort

{Road Trip} Davao Vacation Part 1 - Cebu Pacific

When in Davao (except during business trips), I always make it a point to visit Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort.  My vacation is never complete without going here.  Every since I was a child, my family and I love to go there every weekend, eat breakfast and go back home before lunch.  Don knows how much I love this place so he definitely agreed to go there with Julia.

The Km. 9 Paradise Island dock in Sasa is about 5-7 minutes from our house.  They have a parking area there where you will leave your vehicle.  Make sure you bring everything with you because going back to get something you forgot is not easy.

{Road Trip} Davao Vacation Part 1 - Cebu Pacific

Road Trip is back! I am so excited to share with you our recent (and not so recent) road trips. Let's start with our Davao vacation. 

Last month, Don, Julia and I visited my hometown to celebrate my grandfather's 93^rd birthday. Lolo knew some of his children will visit him, but he did not expect that all of them will be there (oh except 1, pala) and that I will be there with my family to celebrate his special day. So Lolo, including my parents were surprised to see us! For the first time, our surprise was not a failure.

{Road Trip} Back at Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago is still our favorite park.  A couple of weeks back (x10 ata... this is a super late post!), we ordered our favorite McDonald's Happy Meal and visited Jose Rizal again.

Now that Julia is two, she is exploring her surroundings more.  While walking around, we heard her say "Wow!" several times.  So cute, I swear!  She giggled non-stop!  She enjoyed looking at the flowers and birds around the park.  She asked us a million times, "Mommy, what's this?"  "Daddy, what's that?".  So annoying yet so adorable.

She won't stop saying "ride horse" until we ageed to ride the Kalesa with her.  It was a bit expensive but when we saw Julia so happy, it was the best P150.00 we ever spent on!

I always visit The Dungeon when we are there.  I cannot imagine how 600 Filipinos fit inside that hole... it's heartbreaking I tell you.  It feels weird sometimes when I see Japanese tourists visit this place.  I often wonder how they feel after reading this:

Julia is scared of these priests. 

I noticed that there are now a lot of people visiting the park.  I have mixed feelings about this.  I am happy that people take time to visit a national treasure such as Fort Santiago.  It makes me smile when I hear parents explain to their kids Fort Santiago's rich history or when students proudly tell their parents they know who Jose Rizal is. 



The park is well-maintained and clean.  I hope they keep it that way. 

We will be back soon, that's for sure. 

{Road Trip} North Forbes Park

About a month ago, I went to the house of Julia's ninong to drop off something.  I passed by their village park and wished I brought her with me.  I stopped for a few minutes to walk around the park.  Don and I dream of living in a village with a nice and safe park.  It would be great of she can go out to the park a few hours each day instead of being stuck at home.

I shared in my previous post that Don and I are looking for a new house.  If you know of place that you can highly recommend, please send me an email.  We are taking the decision process slowly but surely.  We want to make the right choice.  A swimming pool and a beautiful park in the area are definitely part of our New-House-Must-Have checklist.  Sigh.  Someday...  Soon, I hope. Meanwhile, check out the photos I took while I was walking around.

{Road Trip} Holiday Fun at Subic

We had an almost-perfect holiday celebration last December 2012.  Don and I decided not to spend Christmas at either of our hometowns so we went to Subic!

The ride went very well, thanks to NLEX and SCTEX.  Me talking non-stop and Lays Barbeque kept Don awake the entire trip.  We also had a bag full of toys and books to keep Julia busy during the long ride.  Good thing she was asleep from NLEX all the way to Subic.  She was finally awake just in time to say hi to the monkeys!

We arrived Subic around lunch so we decided to go to Ocean Adventure because hotel check-in is scheduled at 2pm.  It was really hot and there were a lot of people.  We only stayed for the Sea Lion Marine Patrol Show and the Dolphin Show.  Julia wouldn't keep still for 2 minutes!  We figured she was tired and sleepy and she refuses to give in because she just wants to run a round.

We stayed at The Lighthouse Marina Resort Subic Bay.  My friend from the office recommended the resort because she stayed there during one of our company's event.  We stayed at the Aqua Veranda Suite and we love the room!  It was spacious and comfortable.  The guest personnel were very courteous and friendly.  Don was not very impressed with the food but overall we had a good experience.

On Christmas Day, Don and Julia went for a swim at the hotel pool.  They had so much fun!  Julia threw a tantrum after because she did not want to leave the pool!  So cute!  After lunch we went to Zoobic Safari.  Now here's the reason why our holiday celebration was "almost-perfect".  We arrived at Zoobic Safari around 3:30pm.  The line was not long but I took more than 10 minutes before I was able to get our tickets.

The tour is done in batches but there were a lot of guests so we were about 50 in our group!  FIFTY!  Fifteen minutes into the tour, I was already annoyed.  The Tiger Safari tour was the worse part.  The tour lasted less than 10 minutes but there were 3 groups ahead of us (an approximate of 150 people!  With about 4 jeeps with a capacity of fifteen, you can compute how long we waited for our turn!).  We got so impatient and annoyed.  When it was finally our turn, the tigers were so full that feeding was no longer allowed.  I was relieved actually.  Julia might be traumatized when she sees the tiger eat the chicken.  Don did not think so, but I was glad the tigers were full and sleepy.  So after the Tiger Safari tour, we decided to leave and go back to the hotel.  Thank goodness we brought our own car!

A few tips if you are planning to visit the 25-hectare amusement park:

• If your child is less than three years old, you may want to defer going there.  The tour includes walking and riding a tram (you can bring your own car like we did).  You have to consider the dust, heat and insects.  If your child loves animals, then it will be worth the trip I guess.
• If you decide to go there, make sure you bring your own car for the drive-thru attractions.  This way you can close your windows in case the road gets dusty.  
• You must have the following with you:
• anti-mosquito patch
• alcohol
• wet tissue 
• umbrella
• fan
• baby carrier (please do not bring a stroller!)
• Don't go there during the holidays.  Trust me, you don't want fifty people in your group.

Overall, our Subic adventure was a lot of fun.  We hope to have more out-of-town road trips this year.  Malacanang, through the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, released the Nationwide Holidays and Non-working Holidays for 2013.  Click here and plan ahead for the long weekends (there are four!) with your family.

Ocean Adventure

Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area
Subic Bay Freeport Zonr
Directions here and rates here.

The Lighthouse Marina Resort
Moonbay Marina Complex, Waterfront Road, CBD
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
(047) 252-5000 or (047)252-7545
Directions here and rates here.

Zoobic Safari
Group II Ilanin Forest
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
(047)252-2272 or 0929-7072222
Directions here and rates here.

{Road Trip} Building Memories

According to my blog stats, our family Road Trips are the most viewed posts in my blog.  Road Trip started as a segment for summer:

Don and I work out-of-home so spending time with Julia has always been our concern.  Every day, we wake up early.  We spend the 1^st few minutes cuddling, kissing and hugging Julia.  We never fail to tell her that we miss her and we love her.  We spend the rest of the day in the office and when we arrive home, she is already asleep.  We work six times a week, which leaves us with only one whole day to spend with her.

I certainly envy work at home moms and stay at home moms.   They are as busy as work out of home moms but I like it that their schedule is flexible and they can be with their children at home.  People close to me know that I do not dream of climbing further the corporate ladder.  I love the career I have chosen but ever since Julia was born, I have been yearning stay home to be with my daughter.  My friends would often tell me that I should just resign and stay home.  I would love to but it’s not that easy.

We do not want our circumstances to dictate the welfare of our family so Don and I decided to use our Sundays to build memories with Julia.  It is the only rest day we have so we will make the most out of it. 

So every Sunday, after Julia’s Kindermusik class, we go to a place where we can walk, run, eat and just hang out.  We love going to parks and museums!  Explore places we have never been to and sometimes, we go back to places we love.  When our routine is interrupted by errands and other factors (like my MIL vacationing in the US and my parents visiting us), we still spend time together… either we stay home or go to our favorite malls.  Yaya Lani happily stays home so she can have a day of rest without Julia (Sunday is a no-yaya day).

More than the destination, I realized that for us, “road trip” means “time to build memories with Julia”.  It does not matter where we go and what we do, the important thing is, we are together and we do things together to strengthen our relationship as a family.  

I am glad “Road Trip” helps moms know and discover places for family bonding and I look forward to sharing more of our road trips with all of you. 

What’s your “road trip”?  How do you spend quality time with your family?  

{Road Trip} Luneta Park

Road Trip is back!  Our weekend schedule has been crazy busy (and fun!) for the past weeks so we never really had time to explore and visit parks for our usual early morning or afternoon walks.  For the past two months, we were only able to go to University of the Philippines two or three times.

For those who are new to this blog, every Thursday I feature parks, museums, gardens or facilities for the family that we have been to.  I sometimes share our family activities, too.  Read my Road Trip posts here.

Anyway, back to our road trip two Sundays ago.  Despite my dad's "Watch your things!" and "Don't let Julia be out of your sight even for a second!" warnings, we braved Manila and visited the historic Luneta Park.  It was not our first time but the last time we were there, Julia was less than a year old so it was a manageable situation.  With a very energetic toddler, our visit to one of the Philippines' major tourist attraction will definitely be a challenge.  Our game plan was:  Don is in-charge of Julia, I am tasked to take care of our things.

Trivia:  Right in front of the Rizal Monument is the 0km Post, the spot from where distances in the Philippines are measured.  Check here for more info about Luneta.

After taking photos, we decided to cross the street and stay at the Quirino Grandstand so that Julia can run and play with her hula hoop and ball.

At Quirino Grandstand

The sun started to set and we decided to go back to the park area.  We saw lights coming from the Central Lagoon area so we decided to check it out.

The Luneta Dancing Fountain!  It was fun to watch, very entertaining.  The photos I took were such a disaster, so I grabbed this photo from the web instead.

Photo from Directions on Web

Luneta Park is huge!  We were not able to tour the entire park.  check all the mini park, sites and facilities.  We will definitely go back to check out all mini parks, sites and facilities.  Daddy Don also promised that we can ride the train :-)

Luneta Park
Roxas Boulevard, Manila
More photos and directions from Directions on Web.

{Road Trip} Centris Walk

Last Sunday, we were not able to attend Julia's Kindermusik class.  She was sick but well enough to attend her class.  However, we don't want the other kids to catch a cold because of her.  We had fun activities lined up that day, but we decided to postpone them.  We made a quick run to the grocery store then we went home to rest the whole afternoon.

At around 5pm, we all felt re-charged so we decided to go to UST for a walk.  We had to stop as were about to turn left to Gov. Forbes Street.  It was very odd because there was no rain from where we were, but it was raining hard 100m ahead of us!  So we made a U-turn and decided to go to Centris Walk instead.

Centris Walk is an alternative venue for our "quick" walks with Julia.  More restaurants are now open so it was not surprising to see a lot of people there.  I miss the days when the area was not crowded.  But, as always, Julia enjoyed walking and running around.

Centris Walk at Eton Centris
EDSA corner Quezon Avenue
Quezon City
Map here

{Road Trip} Adventure Park at Tribeca Private Residences

Don, Julia and I were invited by Frances, a good friend and colleague at work, to eat lunch in her home at Tribeca Private Residences.  Aside from the food, we look forward to the playground that she told us about.

While we were eating, Julia was busy rearranging the furniture.  Julia just loves hiding remote controls.  Because there were many remote controls there (for the TV, airconditioning unit, air cooler, etc.) we made sure they were all accounted for before we left.

Don and I have hesitations about living in a condominium unit.  We are lucky to have been given a house by my dad but we dream of living in a small house with a nice garden, swimming pool and a nice area for a barbecue party with the family.  However, after seeing Tribeca's Adventure Park and other facilities, we will definitely reconsider.

{Road Trip} Paco Park, Manila

Two weeks ago, Don, Julia and I went to Paco Park for our Sunday afternoon walk.  I heard about Paco Park from my friends but was very hesitant because it is in Paco, Manila.  I googled it, saw some photos online and convinced Don to check it out.

I seriously did not know that Paco Park used to be a cemetery.  Don had an inkling but didn't tell me because he is certain I'd back out.  It's not like Fort Santiago but you can see the efforts of National Parks Development Committe (NPDC) to preserve and maintain the historic park.

Yes, the park is indeed historic and I am shamefully clueless about it.  So again, I googled.  Here are some of our photos with a few things I learned about Paco Park: (Captions in italics are from Wikipedia)

{Road Trip} Plaza Benavides, University of Sto. Tomas

We miss going to a park.  So I was really glad it did not rain last Sunday.  After our get-together with Julia's ninang, we decided to go to a park for an afternoon walk.

We did not go far from our home.  A good friend recommended University of Santo Tomas (UST).  At first I was reluctant because I know that there is a church and hospital inside the campus.  The place might be as busy as it is on a regular school day.  Also, I was not sure if UST has already recovered from the recent flooding.

{Road Trip} HOME

It has been raining for 11 days already.  Am I right?  Has it really been raining that long?  Julia and I miss Mr. Sun.  For the past two weekends, after Julia's Kindermusik class, we either go to a mall or just stay home.

This week I got to spend two extra days at home with Julia because of the weather.  I had a glimpse of what it feels like to be a stay-at-home mom and I loved every minute of it!  Julia was as happy as we are, so she stuck like glue.  When I need to go to the bathroom, she would scream like someone pinched her.  She calls out "daddy" like her dad is lost in the wilderness and she's out looking for him.

Though we were worried about the rain and the flood it caused, Don and I took the opportunity to sleep, eat, play and learn with Julia.  Here are some of the activities we did at home:

• Grocery! Grocery! - We were supposed to go out to buy some food to replenish our stocks (in case the bad weather will continue).  But we live in Quezon City and we didn't want to risk our safety.  So, we set up our own grocery store instead!  

• Throw-Pick Up-Count-Pack Away -  From her toy box, Julia throws her toys on the floor, then pick them up one by one.  She runs to her toy box, I count, as she drops her toy inside the box.   This is a weird activity, but fun anyway!  

• Our Time - We sang songs from Julia's Kindermusik Our Time CD.  I am still learning the songs and studying the story book and workbook materials.  Hopefully, after a few more Sunday classes with Teacher Jeannie, Don and I will be able to memorize the lyrics and actions of the songs.  Yaya Lani was able to join us in one class, but she needs to attend more so that she will be able to do this activity with Julia every afternoon.

• Doodle Time - Julia loves her crayons (Crayola Washable Crayons) and drawing pad!  She can't help but write on her playard, high chair, wall, and sofa.  Training her to write only on her writing pad is a challenge, but doable.  I'm just glad that her crayons are washable.

We went to a lot of parks, museums, etc. and we have more to discover.  We are excited about our future road trip destinations.  But nothing can replace the comfort and happiness we feel every time we are home with Julia.

{Road Trip} Legaspi Active Park, Makati

Gener should be on its way out of the Philippines this morning.  It has been raining the past few days and I look forward to a little sunshine this weekend.  If Mr. Sun decides to show up, here's another park we went to few weeks ago.  You may want to check it out this weekend.