America Road Trip before Heading Back To Singapore

A month has passed since I returned to Singapore. It has been 6 years since I left Singapore. To assimilate to Singapore’s lifestyle after being away for such a long time was not an easy feat. The overcrowded public transport, the heat and the long working hours made it difficult for me to spend quality time with my husband. It is during moments like these that I yearn for a vacation to take us away from the mundane routine.

I am glad that we took a 6 week long America road trip before making our way back to Singapore! Whenever we feel worn out and exhausted, we would look at the pictures we have taken. As we browse the photo albums, we reminisce the wonderful moments we spent together. The memories are priceless and unique to us.

Mt Washburn, Yellowstone National Park, USA

I would urge family members and friends to take a short getaway vacation before major lifestyle changes occur. These major lifestyle changes include first job, career change, marriage and the arrival of a new born baby. Before each major milestone in life, we should take the opportunity to spend quality time with our friends and / or family members. The time we spend together form an everlasting memory that will bond us together.

Arches National Park, USA

 

Big Horn Sheep, USA

My husband and I love food, cultural experience and the great outdoors. In view of our interests, I drew up an itinerary that took us to French speaking Canadian cities (Montreal and Quebec), the Canadian capital city Ottawa and countless National Parks in USA. Whilst enjoying the sights as we drove towards our destinations, we also came up with random conversation topics. These random topics enable us to understand each other better. Moreover, it helped us shaped our new goals and expectations. A vacation does wonder, and it is therapeutic. Additionally, we marveled at the numerous natural wonders that no words can quite adeptly describe.

Mules, Grand Canyon National Park, USA

Bryce Canyon National Park, USA

On a final note, while I was picking photos to complement this post, I saw many photos that we have taken. As I looked at them, my heart felt warm and a smile was on my face. Happy memories are precious. Quality time spent with a loved one is meaningful.

Your Travel Beacon,
Joanne

Travelling with Elderly Parents

Last month, our parents made a visit to USA. My husband and I planned a self-drive USA / Canada trip for them. In this vacation, we took them to the east coast of the America continent. The destinations include Niagara Falls, New York City and Quebec City. We had also made a trip to the national parks of America West. The national parks include Yellowstone National Park, Mt Rushmore National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park.

In our original plan, my husband and I had intentions to savour the French influenced cuisine in Quebec City. We had also intended to explore each national park in great detail. To fully appreciate the beauty of the national parks, the best way is to hike the numerous scenic trails.

Yellowstone National Park

However, when we embarked on our great vacation, things did not go as planned. We had to make special arrangements to accommodate to the needs of our elderly parents. Our ideal plan to savour all the authentic local dishes went out of the window. Our elderly parents have a limited palate for western cuisine. Our French influenced cuisine in Quebec City turned into Chinese stir fry in an unknown restaurant picked up by our GPS. The quest for New York styled cuisine turned into a trip to a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown.

Laksa, Chinatown New York City

Nasi Lemak, Chinatown New York City

But the food was great, and everyone enjoyed the dining experience very much. While searching for Asian cuisine we unexpectedly found Singapore/Malaysian food in various cities. This satisfied our craving for home food, especially since we have not had Singapore food in a while.

Our dream to hike the scenic national park trails for a complete experience became impossible too. Our elderly parents do not have the stamina to go on these trails. The sulphuric stench in Yellowstone National Park is too strong. The heat in Grand Canyon National Park made it very exhausting from them. It was near impossible for the whole group to go on a long trail. Once again, we made special arrangements to accommodate to their physical condition. We chose easier trails that gave us the best national parks experience. It was not an easy feat to accommodate to everyone's wishes, however it is important to try to understand everyone's abilities and needs. For a family vacation involving elderly parents, it is crucial to make special considerations for them. An altered itinerary can be made equally enjoyable and adds a touch of spontaneity. They have enjoyed the vacation and have had as much fun as we did!

Your Travel Beacon,
Joanne