Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

The Basilica is one of the most visited church in Washington DC area due to its renowned beautiful sacred art and unique architecture. It is considered to be the patronal church of US catholics and America's preeminent Marian Shrine. It is also the largest Roman Catholic church in the US and in North America, and one of the 10th largest churches in the world.

In 1913, the Catholic University of America suggested building a national shrine in honor of the Virgin Mary, wherein the archbishop of Baltimore laid the foundation stones on September 23, 1920 after the building designs were completed by the two architects, - Maginnis and Walsh of Boston who were then the chosen ones as the architects of the shrine. The construction stopped when the bishop died in 1932. It was during the year 1953-54 (Marian Year) that the American Catholic Bishops started to lead a fund raising effort. It was then dedicated on November 20, 1959 as a National Shrine and was elevated as a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II on October 12, 1990.

There are numerous chapels, statues, shrines etc.that are to be seen both at the Upper Church and at the Crypt level.

Guided tours are conducted daily including group tours as well. Audio tours are also available if you prefer it more convenient. All tours are free. :)

Drum Workshops For You!

Do you want to be a great drum player? Here is a drum workshop at guitarcenter.com by DW. You can check a video clip by clicking the link given on this post.

Drum Workshop, popularly known as DW started its roots as early as 1972 as a small drumming studio with a goal of further improving the performance of enthusiastic drummers through teaching and training.

Nowadays, it is already highly recognized worldwide in terms of an industry leader in drums and drum hardware.

Check it out!

The Grand Architecture & High Tea at the National Cathedral & Basilica-Washington DC Tour

Me 

A few years back, I remembered myself walking inside the Washington National Cathedral for a self-guided tour. It still continues to amaze me when I came back for the second time with a group tour. No major changes, except that part of the cathedral's architectural designs were destroyed by an earthquake that occurred in August 2011.

The National Cathedral is more than just a church. It always opens its doors to the public regardless of your religious background and faith.

Every year, thousands of visitors and worshippers come here to experience not only to find inspiration and peace and strengthening their faith but to witness and experience witnessing the cathedral's extraordinary art and architectural designs.

Washington National Cathedral is considered to be the 6th largest cathedral in the world uniquely designed and built with Inidiana limestone. The building has a cross-shape design with a long nave - a 10th of a mile, and characterized with 2 shorter transepts.

The architectural style is considered to be Gothic due to its pointed arches, boss stones, large windows, ribbed vaulting and flying buttresses.

Its decors such as stained glass large windows, wood and fabric art are captivating and considered to be more than just beautiful decorations. Behind them are symbols and images purposely designed to teach Christian beliefs as well as they pay tribute to the country's values and history.

There are two levels that are worth visiting inside the cathedral; - the Main level (the Nave) where you can see the "must-see" highlights of your tour and the Lower level (the Crypt).

Other areas are outdoors such as the Cathedral Close, the Bishop Garden and Olmsted Woods.

The Philadelphia Flower Show - 2016

The Philadelphia Flower Show is one grand event which is being held once a year. This year's theme is "Explore America: 100 Years of the National Park Service" - in connection to celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the National Park Service.

The main features of its floral and garden displays are centered on America's natural landscapes of waterfalls, wildflowers and woodlands from Redwood to Yellowstone parks. Visitors are to witness the witty and creative designs of the world's leading floral and landscape designers which include exhibitions by at least 408 national parks and historic sites as the show has partnered with the Park Service.

The show is run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and gets revenues which supports various charities of PHS.

The Philly Flower Show offers more than just floral and landscape exhibits as well. Visitors can shop to at least more than 100 vendors, and can sample wine and spirits from products coming from around the world. Visitors can also enjoy culinary and horticultural demonstartions, and the "Butterfly Experience", - a miniature train garden is another one additional feature added this year.

There is always more to look forward to every year for this type of flower show, as they have different themes yearly!

Burnham Park - "The Mother of All Parks"

When you're in Baguio, Burnham Park is not difficult to find, and in fact the most popular park in the area. The fact that the park is located at the center of the city of Baguio, the accessibility is fast and easy, making it known to be "the mother of all parks" in Baguio City.

The park stretching more than 32 hectares was named after Daniel Hudson Burnham, an architect and urban planner from New York, USA and also helped laid the plans for Baguio City.

Burnham Park is also popular because of its man-made lake located at the center of the park with rowboats for hire which many call up to this day Burnham Lagoon.

In the past years, the park was originally created as a greenery park with clusters of different botanical gardens with colorful floral blooms. Nowadays, Burnham Park expanded its clusters to additional spaces for amusement parks such as bicycle and skating areas and other sports activity areas, plus some food/restaurants shops around.

Inspite of the additional commercial establishments growing in the park, it is still an ideal place for taking good photos, as well as relaxation area for families during weekends and holidays.

Baguio City's Wright Park

Wright Park is just one of the most scenic parks you will witness while in Baguio City, - the city of Pines! The park is just next to the main gate of The Mansion fronting it straight through a long reflecting pool, with a shallow elongated body of water commonly known as the "Pool of Pines".

This area is considered to be the most photographed (post-card type) scene usually taken at the end of the reflecting pool, fronting the main gate of The Mansion.

The reflecting pool - "Pool of Pines"

Both sides of the pool are pathwalks lined with pine trees on the sides and some  street lights are also installed along the paths. Colorful lowering shrubs are also lined on both sides surrounding the pool, making it one reason why Wright Park is famous for perfect picture taking.

Further down from the reflecting pool is a wide stone-made stairway leading down to the park circle where there are stables for horses, and where horseback riding can be done for hourly rates.

The park is obviously mostly enjoyed by kids for pony-riding and horseback riding for adults as well. Take note that the area gets too crowded mostly during weekends and long holidays.

And expect a strong distinctive smell when you are in the area for horses' pees and poops! So, if you want to avoid sniffing the smell particularly for a longer period of time, you might as well skip getting in the park.

Wright Park got its name from Gov. Luke E. Wright who was the architect of the long reflecting pool and who served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1904-1906 and also served as a Secretary of War from 1908-1909.

Roc-N-Soc Drum Thrones

To all great musicians out there, here are another good deals from roc n soc in MF selection while playing with your drums or any of your favorite musical instruments These items are quite functional and easy to use besides the fact that they are made of good quality and durability.

They have their own unique features that give you comfort during your performance without having to sacrifice any discomfort. The more comfort you have the better the performance, agree? Prices are very budget-friendly so check them out! 

The Mansion House (Baguio)

The Mansion is one of the most popularly visited and photographed tourist attraction in Baguio. It is located right across from Wright Park, with a main gate that can be prominently seen which is made of ornate iron works. It is at the front of this gate that is still considered to be one of the most photographed place of the property.

Getting inside the gate is allowed for visitors and can take photos infront, but visiting inside the building is not allowed. I don't have any idea why, but perhaps due to security reasons.

The Mansion is the official summer residence of the current Philippine president and used whenever they visit Baguio city for engagements and/or official visits.

This building was built as early as 1908, being used as summer residences for U.S. Governor-generals who were the American administrators for the Philippines and was formerly called "The Mansion House".

But during WWII, the house was badly damaged, and rebuilt in 1947. It was also used for several essential events like the ECAFE in 1947, the session of Food & Agriculture in 1948 and the Baguio Conference of 1950.

Recently, it has been used as a place of some international conferences as well.

15cm Cordoba For Guitar Enthusiasts!

Hey guys, may you have all a great new year ahead! Let's celebrate it with a good ole' music. I love this kind of 15 cm at Guitar Center by Cordoba. It's kinda petite but still a powerful performer in concerts...beat that! ;) It's entirely made of mahogany and yet maintains its usual elegant appearance. By the way, this is more on a ukulele and is hand made too.

I still remember when I was a child, my dad would always play some classical songs and would always let me swing and dance...lol!

You might want to watch this instrument for a sample down below:

Good Shepherd Convent Visit - Baguio, Philippines

Preserved purple yams (ube), strawberry jams, peanut brittles, and more are just one of those that are considered popular food preserves you can buy when in Baguio. They can be seen mostly all around shopping stalls in Baguio, but the locals would always highly recommend to buy them at Good Shepherd Convent, to ensure freshness quality of the products.

At the center of the compound is a building called "The Mountain Maid Training Center" (MMTC), - a store which is considered to be the only authorized distributor of Good Shepherd products in Baguio City.

The place is just a walking distance from the stall shops of Mines View Park, so mostly, the visitors coming from Mines View Park would always flock here as their next stop to buy food gift items.

Those who have vehicles pass into the driveway to enter the gate that leads to the parking lot into the compound which is very close to the store.

On one end of the parking lot is also an observation deck where you can see the spectacular view of the distant Cordillera mountains and valleys.

There are some plants and garden areas visible within the compound with colorful flowering plants as well.

Mines View Park - Baguio, Philippines

Courtesy photo of fabulousphilippines.com

Being one of the featured and famous tourist attraction in Baguio, Mines View Park is situated 4 kilometers from the city of Baguio.

Its observation deck stands below a winding stone-covered stairway which overlooks the place of Itogon, Benguet, used to be a mining town in the early 20th century started by the Americans. The town was widely known as a mining spot for gold and copper mines.

It also gives you a spectacular view of the Amburayan Valley of the Cordillera mountains.

Crowded observation deck area! ;(

Because this park always gets crowded during the day and peak visiting seasons, many would highly recommend visiting the park very early in the morning if you want to take excellent photos without anyone blocking the view.

Prior to going down the observation deck, you will surely meet a St. Bernard dog (sometimes there are two of them), and can take a photo of them with you for a fee, as well as you can sit on a pink  hair-colored (real horse) for a photo with a fee as well!

Today, there are lots of stalls and mini stores around the park selling various gift items and more...clothings, native bags and delicacies, native accessories and other souvenirs. So, if you really want to shop, Mines View Park offers a lot of shopping items you can take back home with you.

A Visit to Outdoor Adventure Park

The outdoor Adventure Park is located within Camp John Hay compound, but has a different entrance location.

Inside this small park has no entrance fee but there is a paintball game with a fee. It also has a small shooting range within the area with a fee as well.

My brothers and nephews trying the paintball game ;)

On the other side of the park is a short-distance zip line ideally fitted for smaller kids and/or adults as well. Just below the zip-line property are places for rock climbers. It's also an ideal place for fun for both kids and adults.

My nieces being adventurous!

Camp John Hay - Baguio

Camp John Hay is today's one of the most popular visited attraction in the city of Baguio. It is situated on the southeast side of Baguio. It used to be the former rest and recreation facility of the US Armed Forces, making Baguio City became known as "little America."

It was actually a major hill station and designated as a communications station, and was run by the US Air Force in its last days before it was finally turned over to the Philippines in 1991 when the expiration of the RP-US Bases Agreement ended.

Camp John Hay used to be considered as the US Military and Department of Defense base since 1903 and also was used as a concentration camp by the Japanese for both British and American soldiers during WW2, and as a military headquarters when Gen. Yamashita went up north from Manila during the coming end of the Japanese reign in the Philippines.

Camp John Hay got its name after President Roosevelt's Secretary of State, - John Milton Hay. It has an average elevation of 5,000 ft., and is a 690-hectare property.

Philippines began managing the former US Air Force recreational facility from the year it was turned over in 1991 until 1997, and turned it as a resort and ultimately developed as private vacation houses, lodgings, famous Baguio hotels, a shopping center and some restaurants, stores and golf courses.

Below are some photos of me and my family while touring inside Camp John Hay's compound.

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Tam-Awan Village

In 1998, Chanum Foundation, Inc. was founded and began constructing huts of Ifugao and Kalinga tribes using original materials, with a goal to showcase model villages to people who are visiting the interior parts of Cordillera region.

Traditional artists reconstructed the houses making them resemble the design of a traditional Cordillera Village. Nowadays, being called Tam-awan village is now also called "a garden in the sky".

More huts were added into the village and are open for lodging with reasonable rates. The entire village today is now a popular place for workshops and exhibits, showcasing the cultural heritage of the Cordillera people. It shows blending of exquisite and aesthetic Cordilleran craftmanship with the concept for a village that adapts with Baguio setting.

The village right up the entrance

Tam-awan Village is also an ideal location for other cultural and art activities enhancing the culture and history of Cordillera life. The word "tam-awan" came from a local word which means "vantage point."

Interested to visit? Check them out at www.tam_awanvillage.com. There is an entrance fee to enter the village.

A Quick Visit to Baguio Strawberry Farm

I and my family

A tourist's visit to Baguio, Philippines isn't complete without strawberry picking.

Strawberry Farm is located 30-minutes away from downtown Baguio situated in La Trinidad, Benguet. It is a unique experience for the whole family picking fresh strawberries direct from the farm itself which is chargeable at a different rates at times. The charging rate is based on weight of how much you have picked per person.

Take note that there are months when the farm doesn't have enough ripe strawberries ready to be picked, so be sure to do your research ahead of time prior to visiting.

Normally, the farm is open for strawberry-picking activity from November to May yearly, but it can change depending on weather conditions such as when typhoons occur that can easily destroy the fruits. If fruits are not available for picking at the farm, there is always the market as an option to buy strawberries. They may not be as fresh as when you pick them directly from the farm, but they still sell good quality strawberries as an option!

You can also get to taste strawberry ice cream, and some popular food sold in the market, including various souvenirs; - T-shirts, trinkets, fruit jams and jellies, etc...

So, if you love strawberries, you get a lot of them in Baguio, be it direct from the farm or not!