The Woodrow Wilson's Presidential Library & Museum

The library and museum is the ideal place to visit when you need a better and more concrete information about your class history, particularly about the life and achievements of the 28th president of the United States; - Pres. Woodrow Wilson.

The library-museum is located in historic Staunton and you can freely take a self-guided tour at your own pace. There are 7 galleries inside, which show all Wilson's early years, his presidency and all the historical events that occurred including the WW1 era.

Inside the museum also includes the restored presidential car of Wilson, - a 1919 Pierce-Arrow limousine that serves as one of the highlights of your visit.

One part of the museum also worth visiting is the World War 1 trench exhibit complete with lights and sounds as you step inside it and experience what was it like for those soldiers while they were engaged in the battle. Displays of authentic weapons, uniforms and other battle gears during the war are also in the museum.

Cool Customized Glasses With A Twist!

I love to drink wine as much as I also love to collect wine glasses in different designs, shapes, colors and sizes. They can be an attractive decor at home as well, if placed in a special, separate glass rack with mirror covers. :) 

 I love looking at the hurricane glasses due to their shapes. How cool will that be if personalized designs will be on them. don't you think? I haven't thought of it until I saw some samples of a customized cocktail glass at GlassWithATwist.com. 

 I am actually thinking of probably getting some few of their existing designs they have online, but at the same time, I would also want to have my own unique personalized design. It would be fun having some of my chosen glasses customized from scratch!

It was really a perfect idea for me to install some hanging cabinets at my home in the Philippines! At least, now I know where would my customized cocktail glasses go! It would be something looking forward to when I go home for a much needed vacation. :)

Stay-In Vacation at Golden Berries Hotel & Convention Center

After almost 20 years since I departed Tabuk, Kalinga, - the place where I grew up, it was a blessing indeed to be able to go back and visit. 

Now considered a city (Tabuk City), some hotels have already been up.

It was such a good place to stay while I and my family had a vacation for a week.

Early morning infront of the hotel

Another good thing is the fact that this is the hotel closest to our relatives' residences which are only 5-minute drive going to the houses. While I and my husband got a room in the hotel, the rest of our family chose to stay with our relatives. They enjoyed bonding with them that way ;).

There is one inn much closer to the house and much cheaper, but it didn't have the hot shower my husband wanted. It was basically more on a transient boarding house and we were not so sure about its security as well.

Golden Berries Hotel is located along the provincial road of San Juan, Tabuk, Kalinga province in northern Philippines. This makes it easy to locate because it is close to the road. The hotel is also a popular venue for seminars, conferences, wedding and other occasions.

Golden Berries Hotel has 15 rooms and 3 convention halls for various functions. Rooms are clean and regularly maintained, with amenities; - A/C, cable TV, wi-fi, and with hot and cold showers.

My husband loved their brewed coffee! We actually bought 2 regular packs of this to take with us to the US ;).

Our stay in the hotel also came with a complimentary Filipino breakfast, but only good for one person :(. It wasn't a big deal though, because our family was always cooking for us big meals 3x a day...LOL!

The pool was a plus! Our nieces and nephews went there for a swim while the adults stayed at the poolside, eating! hahaha! It was fun being together with loved ones together with food. :)

We ordered from the hotel and they were all good! 

Woodrow Wilson Home, Birthplace & Museum

The museum is located in historic Staunton, Virginia where I had an informative experience in an engaging guided tour of Pres. Wilson's birthplace, - his home, and did a self-guided tour of the museum as well. The house sits on top of the crest of a hill in downtown Staunton's Gospel Hill Historic District.

Inside the house, photos and videos are NOT allowed, but unlimited photos/videos are allowed outside the house. I was able to get a shot of the entire house, so that was nice.

The house tour includes visiting the various rooms of Pres. Wilson's house as we stepped back in time as to what life was like during the 18th century in the pre-Civil War era.

The house is a Greek Revival style brickhouse, with 12 rooms, has center halls and four chimneys. During the 18th century, it has been revealed by church records that the total cost of the house construction was about $4,000...an already expensive amount during those years!

Some parts of the house were restored, so don't expect the house to be a 100% original in its condition. The restorations were done for parts that were into a partial collapse, by replacing some parts and repainting the walls too!

Most of the decorations in the house are from the Wilson family including period furnishings. It was in 1856 that Pres. Wilson was born in this house.

When he was elected president of the US in 1912, he visited his birthplace to celebrate his 56th birthday in the house on December 28th.

The Famous "White Carabao" Landmark in Bulanao

Our tour group ;)

While having a tour around Tabuk, we happened to stop by at this famous "white carabao" landmark in Bulanao, Tabuk.

It surprised me now located in a different spot. I learned later that the city government moved it from its old location which was at the middle of the road intersection to the side of the street fronting St. William's Cathedral. It also looked brighter with its tri-colored green-orange-yellow combination and is now a waiting shed, making the carabao on top of it.

I couldn't seem to find answers to my question as to why they transferred the monument, except that there was an issue of the old monument being abused by placing lots of advertising banners, political, commercial ads, etc...losing the monument's historical purpose, thus, there was an executive order issued by the governor of Tabuk prohibiting any streamers and banners of any kind on the landmark.

The "White Carabao" monument symbolizes the main occupation of the residents of Tabuk, - which is farming, and is always a prominent historical landmark when you reach the town of Bulanao - the town it became popular with.

I've witnessed the presence of this monument 15 years in this town while growing up, and being a small child those days, I actually called Bulanao "white carabao" everytime I see it. :) That would also meant I am already 5 minutes close to home! ;)

Honestly, I couldn't complain about the landmark's new location now with a waiting shed below it. it looks like it is now serving its purpose much better with its much improved looks...just my opinion! :)

Choosing The Right Connectors For Your Gears

Do you think you know more than enough about your cable connectors for your gadgets or gears? Better yet think again...if you're not a professional about connecting cables for them or you are not so sure about the type of connectors or cables you are getting, it doesn't hurt to ask help from accredited professionals.

 If you are buying one, be sure a store assistant equipped with the knowledge about cable connectors is around to help. It also would help to read about cable buying guide depending on the type of cable you are needing. If you are trying to buy audio connectors for instance, it is also a good idea to have some knowledge about audio connector types that should match your gadget. Better safe than sorry, right? Well, have a good one shopping! ;)

A Quick Look of St. William's Cathedral

We were not actually able to step inside this cathedral for a detailed visit. Due to other trip itineraries we had in mind, we thought of just taking its photo as we stopped by on the other side of the street.

St. William's Cathedral is located in Bulanao, one of the towns in Tabuk which is like 2-3 kilometers away from Tabuk town proper (Tabuk City). It is located right along the road fronting the "white carabao"-turned waiting shed so that everyone in the area can easily see it clearly. Its architectural design is quite catchy so that someone with a camera couldn't resist taking photos on it :).

It's known for its modern architectural design obviously seen on its facade. At the back of it is the St. William's Academy, a school named after Msgr. William Brasseur, who were then the apostolic vicar of the Mountain Provinces. This is how ST. William's got its name, - for both the cathedral and the school.