July, 2015 - Lili on the Loose

30 07, 2015

Follow Your Feet at Lan Su Garden Portland, OR

By Lili|July 30th, 2015|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2012, North America, North Pacific Coast 2012, Oregon, path, pathway, Portland, stone, stones, Travel Thursday, USA|Comments Off on Follow Your Feet at Lan Su Garden Portland, OR

Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden is a beautiful place to check out on your visit to the city. Beyond the beautiful pagodas and variety of plants I was also amazed by the intricate stone pathways. They said that these stones were hand selected for placement, and were designed to be able to walk barefoot in meditation. The juxtaposition of the smooth river rocks and flat stones would give you a different feeling as you walk. Each area of the garden has its own stone designs. And will have a different feeling depending on the time of year, lighting, and how

27 07, 2015

Museum Monday: Cartier Pearl Necklace

By Lili|July 27th, 2015|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century, cartier, Colorado, DAM, Denver, Denver Art Museum, diamonds, museum, North America, pearls, platinum, USA|0 Comments

The Denver Art Museum had an exhibit called Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century which I was lucky enough to see in its last few days. I was mesmerized by some of the older designs, including this 1911 necklace that features platinum, diamonds, and pearls. Its hard to see but the connectors of the chain are a swirl around a 4 diamond floral pattern. Before cultured pearls, pearls were worth more than diamonds. 1911 Cartier Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

25 07, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Money Cat

By Lili|July 25th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 1997, Beckoning Cat, cat, Hawaii, International Marketplace, Japan, Lucky Cat, Maneki Neko, Money Cat, Neko, North America, Oahu, Sunburn, Sunburnt 1997, USA, Waikiki|0 Comments

It is a bit ironic that I was ripped off buying a Maneki Neko (Beckoning/Lucky/Money Cat) at the old International Marketplace in Waikiki. I was young, and didn't know you were supposed to barter in the open air tourist shopping bazaar. So when they gave me a price for this golden cat, I immediately agreed. I was just starting my obsession with Japanese culture and just had to have a Money Cat. But it was an expensive purchase...nearly all of my spending money...and at the start of the trip. My parents were shocked I spent so much on it. They

20 07, 2015

Travel Missteps: Ripped Off

By Lili|July 20th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2012, cabbie, cash, Central America, Costa Rica, Costa Rica Adventure 2012, delayed, Denver, DIA, exchange rate, flight, hotel, late night, money, robbed, San Jose, scam, taxi|0 Comments

Budget travel means that you are trying to stretch your money as far as you can. Which means in my case, I often choose the cheapest flights, even if they aren’t ideal. Which is why I found myself at DIA late at night getting ready to catch a late night flight. But what I hadn’t counted on was my flight to Costa Rica to be delayed. Which meant I arrived in San Jose after 1AM, and found that that my hotel was completely full for the night. They kept speaking Spanish, and it sounded like they wanted me just to

16 07, 2015

Gondola Ride at The Venetian Las Vegas

By Lili|July 16th, 2015|Categories: Activities, Travel|Tags: 2011, Girl’s Weekend, Gondola Ride, gondolier, Grand Canal, Las Vegas, Nevada, North America, ride, The Venetian, Travel Thursday, USA, Venice|0 Comments

Me and my friend Heather enjoying our Gondola Ride. Las Vegas gets a bad rap of being gaudy and fake. But that is actually part of its charm and you have to enjoy it for what it is. Take for instance the Gondola Ride at The Venetian hotel. You are serenaded while being ferried around the waters of The Venetian hotel. The start of the indoor route. The inside route is a facsimile for Venice's tight waterways, and you'll float below bridges, shops, and cafes while the fake sky looms overhead and tourists gawk and take

13 07, 2015

Museum Monday: Triceratops Skull

By Lili|July 13th, 2015|Categories: Dinosaurs, Museums, Travel|Tags: Boulder, Colorado, Museum of Natural History, North America, triceratops, University of Colorado, USA|0 Comments

There is a little and overlooked museum on the University of Colorado campus called the Museum of Natural History. It is quite small, but has a good section on dinosaurs. Its main piece is a large Triceratops Skull. It even has its own personality and facebook page. Come check it out at the Henderson Building. Triceratops Skull Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

11 07, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Cable Car Snow Globe

By Lili|July 11th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2008, Cable Car, California, ghirardelli square, Good Food in San Francisco, North America, San Francisco, snow globe, The Mowgli's|0 Comments

I lost my head in San Francisco Waiting for the fog to roll out But I found it in a rain cloud It was smiling down -The Mowgli's This was my second snow globe that I got after deciding to start collecting. I picked this one up near Ghirardelli Square among other typical tchotchkes. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

8 07, 2015

Recipe: Lemony Dill Smashed Potato Salad

By Lili|July 8th, 2015|Categories: Food, Food & Drink, Recipe|Tags: potato, Potato Salad, potatoes, Recipe|0 Comments

Ingredients When you forget ingredients at the store, you have to come up with another plan. I was going to do loaded baked potatoes for 4th of July, but after forgetting butter and sour cream I decided to make impromptu Potato Salad! Only problem was...I've never attempted potato salad. So I grabbed some fresh herbs from my herb garden and started whipping them together with mayo and a Lemon Juice. Mix all the ingredients minus the potatoes to taste. The List: Black Pepper Fresh Dill Garlic Fresh Chives Fresh Rosemary Bacon Lemon Potatoes Salt Mayo Olive

6 07, 2015

Travel Missteps: The Fish Bet

By Lili|July 6th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, Asia, baywatch, bet, fish, Japan, koi fish, koi pond, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Tokyo|0 Comments

When you have 10 high schoolers on a trip abroad, things can get weird. Clicks form, arguments occur, and silly childish bets occur. While we were still in Tokyo, one of our chaperones bet us that no one would stick our head in the hotel's massive lake, filled with Koi fish. The idea was that once you put your hair in, you'd need to flip it back "baywatch style" and stroll back into the hotel like nothing happened. Like all bets, it involved money and for high schoolers who had already blew a lot of money shopping Tokyo, earning extra

2 07, 2015

Tips for Swimming with Sea Turtles

By Lili|July 2nd, 2015|Categories: Activities, Travel, Travel Tips|Tags: Belize, Belize Barrier Reef, Caribbean, Hawaii, Maui, Mayan Encounter 2013, North America, Sea Turtle, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, Tips, Travel Thursday, turtle, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, USVI|1 Comment

A turtle in Belize Sea Turtles are a majestic sight to see when snorkeling. I’ve had the opportunity to see and swim with turtles in Maui, HI, St. John USVI, and the Belize Barrier Reef. But too often swimmers or snorkelers get too close to Sea Turtles and inadvertently end up harassing them. Here are some tips when swimming with Sea Turtles to make sure the experience is good to everyone. Turtle Town Maui First it is important to note in many areas turtles are protected by law. You should not touch, attempt to feed, or