December 29, 2023

Kid Free Chicago Getaway | 沒帶小孩的芝加哥行

December 29, 2023/ Brandy C.

Second time visiting Chicago, but the goal is not to hit up all of the touristy spots. To take full advantage of this kid-free vacation, our main objective is to sleep. Big thanks to my mom for taking care of the girls and letting us have this getaway. I love you mommy!

重遊芝加哥，踩點是其次，做自己想做的才是重點。沒帶小孩出遊，我們當然要睡飽飽，然後以龜速打理好自己才出門。在此，真心感謝我媽對我們這麼好，一打二在家顧小孩。我愛你媽咪！！！

Prime and Provision

http://primeandprovisions.com

$1 oysters during Happy Hour, on weekdays from 4-6. Other great bites are served as well!

週間4點到6點有生蠔一顆一塊錢的Happy Hour，還有其他小點選擇。

McDonald’s Global Menu Restaurant

http://mcdonalds.com

Can order McDonald’s items from other countries, such as the Japanese Ebi (shrimp) burger and Thai french fries! So cool!

在美國竟然能點到麥當勞在其他國家限定的食物，像是日本蝦漢堡還有泰國蕃薯薯條，超酷的啦！

Aji

http://ajiomakase.com

Sushi omakase is not something that we get to enjoy as often as we did before kids. It’s been so long since we’ve had sushi prepared for us at the counter by a sushi chef!

想說吃點小孩不宜的餐廳，決定來吃日式無菜單料理。大家坐上位後師傅就開始包壽司給大家吃，好久沒坐在壽司台前吃日本料理了。

Christkindlmarket

https://www.christkindlmarket.com/

One of the must visit Christmas market in the US!

被選為美國最有聖誕節氣息的市集之一！

September 10, 2023

Weekend in Bloomington, IN | 週末到印第安納布魯明頓

September 10, 2023/ Brandy C.

（中文翻譯請往下滑）

Over the weekend we went across the state line to Bloomington, Indiana - home of Indiana University. We didn’t realize it was move-in day that weekend, and ran into a lot of college students and their parents. One dad saw us with our babies and told us that it reminded him of when his twin daughters were that little, but now they are starting college.

Bloomington is about 3 hours drive from Cincinnati. Along the way are rows and rows of corn. We were worried about where to stop along the way if the girls acted fuzzy or needed a diaper change on the road trip, but thank God it was a smooth journey.

Accommodation

Hyatt Place Bloomington

We stayed one night here, very conveniently located in the center of town. Walkable to many restaurants and cafes. Cozy and in a very safe area.

Restaurants

Homey Hot Pot

Hot pot all you can eat is hard to find, especially in a town where the Asian population is small. Their soup base is a little bit on the saltier side, but has quite the selection of hot pot ingredients. Our babies love fish and mushrooms. A Google search showed that Bloomington actually has a higher percentage of Asian population than Cincinnati!

Soma Coffeehouse and Juice Bar

Walls are decorated with writings and drawings, very characteristic of a college town. Filled with students and very lively. As for the coffee, suitable for college students is all I can say.

Parlor Doughnuts

What?! I never knew this donut shop we frequented in California is actually from Indiana! How will I miss out on my favorite donuts?

Mother Bear’s Pizza Campus

Best pizza we’ve had recently. Our babies are fans too. We ordered two flavors, and I highly recommend Paulie Pine Nuts Pesto Pie. We love this green pesto sauce pizza.

Places to Visit

Eskenazi Museum of Art

The students of Indiana University are so lucky to have a legit art museum on campus! All kinds of arts are on display here, from Asian history, African art, modern art, and European art, they have quite the collection.

Fell in love with this beautiful college town on this Indiana trip. Not busy as a metropolitan city, and the leisurely student life makes me miss my college days!

週末我們跨州到印第安納大學布魯明頓分校玩，碰到學校Move In Day（搬家日），好多家長和學生在路上。有位爸爸看到我們的寶寶時，讓他想到以前他的雙胞胎女兒們還小的時候，如今要上大學了，讓他好捨不得。（天啊，鼻子有點酸！）

辛辛那提距離布魯明頓約3小時，沿路滿滿的玉米田是我對路上風景最大印象。老實說，出發前有點擔心小孩們萬一在路上爆哭這類事發生該在哪裡停車，但感謝神一路非常順利平安。

住宿

Hyatt Place Bloomington

我們在這裡待了一晚，地點非常方便。走路就能到餐廳和咖啡店。環境舒適安全，很適合全家住。

餐廳

Homey Hot Pot

能在亞洲人比例少之又少的地方找到火鍋吃到飽，我們當然要捧場支持亞洲餐廳一下。鍋底雖然有點偏鹹，但火鍋料很多選項，寶寶們也吃得超開心（猛吃魚片和蘑菇）！上網查了一下，這裡竟然亞洲人比例比辛辛那提還多！

Soma Coffeehouse and Juice Bar

裝潢不走現代感或極簡風，牆上一堆標語和圖畫，大學城咖啡店氣氛十足。店裡滿滿大學生，氣氛好熱絡！至於咖啡嘛，有待加強。

Parlor Doughnuts

什麼！我在加州時很常去的甜甜圈店竟然是從印第安納州開始的！不來吃一下我愛的甜甜圈怎麼行呢？

Mother Bear’s Pizza Campus

近期內吃到滿意的披薩！連寶寶們都是一口接著一口，吃得超開心。我們點了兩個口味的披薩，大推”Paulie Pine Nuts” Pesto Pie，我們全家都好愛這綠醬披薩。

景點

Eskenazi Museum of Art

Indiana University太強了，竟然藏了一間美術館，這裡的學生太幸福了吧！各類展覽應有盡有，亞洲歷史文化、現代藝術，館裡有很多很棒的收藏。

這次來印第安納州，深深被這大學城吸引著。雖然不像大城市一樣繁忙，但悠哉大學生活真是令人懷念啊！

December 26, 2022

Long Weekend in Solvang | 長週末到美西丹麥小鎮

December 26, 2022/ Brandy C.

During the July 4th long weekend, we drove from San Diego to Solvang, and hit many spots along the route. Solvang isn’t too big, and slow-paced enough for a weekend getaway. Parking is quite convenient and free, even with the long weekend crowd. We stayed at a lodging on a nearby Air Force Base.

Day One

Our original plan was to leave the house by 8 am, but decided to sleep in a little more. By the time we got to our first stop, San Juan Capistrano, it was almost noon.

Sundried Tomato

31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Outdoor seating is spacious, perfect for enjoying lunch in California’s nice weather. Lunch specials are a good deal!

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Ticket: $14 (include multi-media guided tour)

Founded in 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano was the 7th Spanish mission built in California. The multi-media guide has a lot of wonderful explanations of the history of the mission. I hope to visit other missions in California.

Saffron & Rose Persian Ice Cream

What unique ice cream flavors! We picked Faloodeh, Saffron with pistachio, and Date! Pro tip: add some lemon juice!

Griffith Observatory

Wanted to hike here, but my condition wasn’t optimal for strenuous activities, so we visited the observatory instead. The obsera houses the most visited telescope in the world. Come and be a part of Guiness World Record!

Day Two

Solvang is a small town perfect for exploring on foot. Nicknamed Little Denmark in USA, Solvang is decorated with Danish architectures, windmills, and various museums.

Solvang Windmill

A must visit place. Easy to spot, and in close proximity to many popular restaurants nearby.

Solvang Restaurant

1672 Copenhagen Dr #2759, Solvang, CA 93463

People line up early in the morning for the world famous Abelskiver (be sure to ask the locals how to pronounce it). Goes really well with raspberry sauce, but is it worth the hour long wait? You be the judge!

Hans Christian Andersen Museum

1680 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463

Hans Christian is the creator of many familiar childhood stories, including Little Mermaid! Museum is on the second floor above the bookstore. Pays a lot of tribute to Hans Christian’s works and his life. The only downside is the museum doesn’t have an elevator or escalator.

Old Mission Santa Ines 1804

1760 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463

Compared to Mission San Juan Capistrano, it’s much quieter here. Self-guided tour is provided here.

Lincourt Vineyards

Solvang is also known for wine tasting. Why is a pregnant lady visiting a vineyard, you might ask? UN wondered the same thing too. We had a nice late afternoon stroll in the vineyard, perhaps next time we can bring our babies back with us.

Industrial Eats

UN found this restaurant on Yelp, their Beef Tongue Pastrami is a must order! Pizzas are wonderful too! They also offer fresh raw oysters, but too bad I was not able to enjoy them this time.

Ostrichland USA

Hard to associate a Danish town with ostriches, but if you google Solvang, you will definitely not want to miss this place. I came here with no expectations, but UN thought we would see free-range ostriches roaming in the open pasture. It wasn’t exactly that, but we had a lot of fun. I got scared by the ostriches when trying to feed them, but UN had a blast closely interacting with them. Tip: bring close-toed shoes, or prepare for your feet to get really dirty.

Day Three

We had plans for a few other places to visit on our third day, but we were too hungry. Ended up standing in line for 2 hours for a really popular breakfast/brunch place. Breakfast was meh, a bit disappointed, maybe because we waited too long. After breakfast we headed back to San Diego. We met up with UN’s college friend on the way back. What a relaxing long weekend!

長週末時，我們從聖地牙哥開車到丹麥小鎮（Solvang）。沿途經過一些清單上的景點，趁這次旅行順路參觀。Solvang不大，步調也不快，非常適合長週末來。停車方便，有幾個免費停車場，路上也有許多停車格，即使長週末也很好找到停車位。我們的住宿則是住在附近的空軍基地（Vandenberg Space Force Base），我就不在此介紹。