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We have collected some useful links from trusted sources to help Ukraine. Please spread this information. If you have more links to any other non-profit organisations – where people can donate or help in any way, please share the link in the comment section. Please only promote trusted & reliable places! We will add all…
Help Ukraine! — Besides the Obvious -
If you are not living under a rock, you must already be aware of Firefall at Yosemite National Park. Just kidding, even we got to know about it last year through mom, she watched it on TV in some kind of documentary. Social media is a powerful tool these days, so it’s very much possible that most of you have at least heard about it.
Basically, Firefall is an imitation of flowing lava by a small water stream known as Horsetail Fall over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. This phenomenon is time sensitive and you need to be actually lucky and patient to witness it.
– It happens only in winter evenings, typically from mid to late February.
– The Sky must be clear and the weather should be sunny for this phenomenon to happen.
– There should be enough water flowing from the waterfall.
– The sun rays should fall perfectly over the fall to start the effect.
If all the above conditions are met, don’t celebrate, you still need to fight for a parking spot. The parking spaces are very limited and they get filled very quickly. People start occupying the area near the waterfall from as early as 2 o’clock so getting parking is no less than winning a lottery.
We were in Los Angeles when read about the Firefall in a news article that it is likely to happen now, immediately planned to visit Yosemite National Park. We booked White Chief Mountain Lodge for 2 nights and it was just 5 min drive away from the south entrance of the national park. Still, Yosemite Valley which contains most of the attractions of the park was a 1-hour drive from the entrance. Our lodge property manager was a nice lady and she advised us to reach the area at around 3:30 PM to witness the Firefall due to the overwhelming crowd. She also told us that all properties in the area all fully booked.
On our first day of the trip, after a difficult hike, we decided to leave for El Capitan at around 3 PM. We were late and the roads were already full of traffic. Our car was parked by the roadside near (P3)parking spot (where we wasted almost half an hour in search of parking space) of Curry Village.
Yosemite Valley Map To control the situation, portions near Horsetail were closed and northside drive was divided into two sections- one for pedestrians and the other for vehicles. The nearest parking available to the fall is P1 and you will have to reach there very early to claim the space. If you are lucky and able to park at P1, you still have to hike 1.5 miles (one way) to reach the place.
So we drove all the way from Curry Village to El Capitan, Yosemite Loge parking was full and so was the case with P1. No stopping or parking was allowed on northside drive, so we just continued. There was literally no place to park, we were highly disappointed. There was an instance when we thought of postponing the idea, but then we found an empty area by the roadside on southside drive and parked there(No other option). Then we had to hike all the way back to El Capitan which was overcrowded now. Forgot to mention, Harmit had a fall during all this adventure, she slipped on an icy patch and got a little lightheaded. Poor girl hiked even after all this to see the natural phenomena everyone was so crazy about.
Position Acquired We reached El Capitan at around 4 PM and the effect was not yet visible. There were no proper markings to indicate which fall is Horsetail or which creek we need to look for. Everyone looked confused. We firstly asked a park ranger managing the traffic and he advised us to go further (till we notice crowds) for a better view. Once we reached there, we confirmed the location with a calmly sitting guy. Harmit took a spot on a log on the ground while I set up my camera on a tripod just behind her.
Camera In Position It was like some kind of event, everyone was laughing, enjoying, chit-chatting. We noticed many photographers with tripods and big, bulky cameras. Now all we need to do was WAIT.
Camera Testing 
Craziness Behind The waterfall was dry, there was little moist which can be seen through binoculars. Due to this reason, the effect was not as perfect as we had seen in the pictures, but still, it was unique. It was very cold, good we were well prepared.
As soon as sun rays fall at the desired angle, the effect starts to appear. We took numerous shots during our time there (almost 1.5 hours), we stayed till sunset, till the effect was no more visible.
Phases Of Firefall You can notice the different phases of the Firefall in the above pictures. As time progressed, the Firewall looked more distinct. It actually looked like flowing lava, thanks to the wonderful nature.
It was getting dark so we headed back to our parking spot. Thus another hike, we felt like moving in a big herd of zombies walking together to an unknown destination. Walking like this in COVID was never our choice, we tried to avoid the crowd, but that was impossible. The happiness on our faces was unmatchable when we reached our car. All that tiredness was worthy due to that beautiful effect, but the rest of the night was painful indeed. Exiting from the park was the most difficult part, all paths were jammed now. We were stuck for 2 hours in our car with the traffic. Traffic was not even moving, I actually had to turn off the engine while Harmit took a nap. The park rangers did their best and finally, traffic got cleared at around 9 PM and we reached our lodge at 10 PM. Bummer, no dinner!
Overall it was a great experience, but annoying due to the massive crowd.
Tips & Points To Consider:-
- This phenomenon happens only in the last 2 weeks of February. Check on the park site before planning a trip.
- Even if you are in the the park at right time, it’s not necessary it will happen.
- The parking spaces are very limited, we noticed reserved parking spaces near the area. If you can reserve the parking, that’s great.
- The shuttle services are also available in the area. Check for the schedule on the park site. The crowd will be a factor with shuttles too.
- You will have to hike at least 1.5 miles one way, so come fully prepared. Bring chairs, water, blanket, camera, torch, etc.
Let us know if you have seen Firefall yet? If not, would you care to?
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
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I have set up a goal of 50 books this year in Goodreads. Other than our Glamping at Kimberly Creek retreat, we pretty much stayed at home. I completed 3 books, first one popped up in my Kindle as part of Kindle’s First Read program, the second one was lent to me by my friend, and the third one I borrowed for free through Kindle Unlimited.
The Taste of Ginger is a debut novel by Mansi Shah in which she beautifully portrayed the price of being an immigrant. The plot is from her own experiences. The author has been away from her birth country since early childhood and is working as a successful lawyer in the USA, she is quite disconnected from her roots. Her elder brother is the only one who understands her while her mother sort of despises her for being too American. Things change when she has to travel to India for an emergency and has to extend her stay there. The country and the people she always avoided, the environment she never wanted to be in, all become part of her life for some time. Soon she starts understanding the culture and tries to re-discover herself and actually realizes how much they (she and her brother) tried since childhood to mix up in American culture and even then she will always be an immigrant. She is in-between, neither an American nor an Indian. That’s the actual turmoil of an immigrant. As soon as she accepts her truth, her relationship with her mother also improves. It’s a very nice book and completely worth your time.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a very unique fiction that has everything from mystery, ethology, love, romance, murder to courtroom drama. The novel has already been planned for a movie adaptation. The story is about an outcast girl named Kya who is known to locals as a Marsh girl. Her childhood was full of troubling memories, being part of a dysfunctional family was tough and when everyone left her, firstly mother then siblings, and at the very end, her father, now she had the whole marsh to her. It was so difficult for her to survive alone in the marsh, but necessity is the mother of knowledge. Once naive, now she knows everything about the Marsh including various paths and its ethology. Things get worse when she becomes the prime suspect of a murder. The suspense is good and keeps the reader hooked up. One thing I really loved about this book is the information provided by the author about various insects and plants. The story points out how living alone outdoor may cut us from civilization, but also makes us closer to nature and well equipped with survival skills. This would be the book of the month.
S. No. Title Author Format Genre Rating 1 The Taste of Ginger
Shah, Mansi *Kindle Literary Fiction 4/5 2 Where the Crawdads Sing Owens, Delia Book Fiction 4/5 3 Operation Blue Star Ka Sach Brar, K.S. Kindle Non-Fiction 3/5 January Reads Operation Blue Star Ka Sach (Truth of Operation Blue Star) is a recounting of events that happened during the infamous operation blue in which the Indian Army had to enter inside the premises of the holy Sikh shrine – Golden Temple to remove the Bhindranwale and his followers. The author K.S. Brar was the in-charge of the operation, so he presented his side of the story in this book. The book is written in Hindi and covers all minor details of the operation. This operation was very controversial and the Indian army got too much bashing from the Sikh community. The author tries to clear the image of his team and raises some valid questions. This book should be read by anyone interested in Indian history and politics. This operation resulted in the assassination of then Prime minister Indira Gandhi, which ignited the riots between Hindus and Sikhs across the nation. It was a black chapter in the history of the nation which we should be aware of.
Have you set up a reading goal for this year? How many books you have read so far?
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
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Being with your loved one in the lap of Mother Nature on a special day like today is the best you can ask for. Neither a fancy date nor a luxurious trip can create the magical atmosphere that a good hike in mesmerizing surroundings can do.
We are here celebrating the day of love in Zion national park. How about you? What are your plans for today?
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all ❤ ❤ ❤
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
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Just like 2021, this year also started with Camping. Last year in January, we were in South Dakota camping in the seclusion of the Lewis and Clark recreational area whereas this time we were enjoying Glamping in Nebraska barely half an hour drive away from our apartment.
The first few days of 2022, we spent in New Jersey with our sister and her cute dog and then joined our friends for Glamping at Kimberly Creek Retreat. The camera was always with us, so whatever slim chances we got, we utilized them. We also went for an evening hike to our favorite Zorinsky lake park for rejuvenation and photography.
Other than this, I set the reading goal for this year to 50 books and read 3 books which I will discuss in the later post.
Highlights of the month:-
- New year celebration in NJ
- Read 3 books
- Glamping at Kimberly Creek Retreat
- Hiking in Zorinsky Lake Park
The below pictures are mainly taken at Zorinsky Lake which was frozen completely and people were walking, sitting, and fishing on it. During the sunset, beautiful colors appeared creating the perfect backdrop for nature photography.
The rest of the pictures were from our sister’s neighborhood. You can also spot her dog Eevee playing in the first snow of the season. The first snow is always special and it was good enough to make us see nature with the blank and white filter.
Which one of these is most striking to you? We really love the outdoors, but due to extreme cold, we were not able to step outside of our apartment. Going to Zorinsky Lake was a wise decision as we witnessed both golden and blue hours and got some amazing pictures. Do you also have any such place nearby which never disappoints you with its beauty?
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
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Glamping, when we first heard this term from our friends, we had no idea what’s it all about. We knew about tent camping, RV camping, and backpacking camping, but this one was something new. Our friends (Manish & Sonam) explained the term Glamping which actually means Glamourous Camping. Basically, when you want to do camping without leaving the comfort and luxury of your home, Glamping is your best bet.
They also haven’t tried it yet, so we planned to do it together. Manish did the research and found Kimberly Creek Retreat in Ashland, Nebraska as the perfect place for this activity. The best part was its proximity to our places. It was like half an hour’s drive from our house.
There were various glamping cabins out of which we chose the King dome, a furnished dome having 1 King bed and 2 Queen beds. After we all agreed, Manish booked that dome for a single-night stay on Jan 16th. This was done well in advance on Dec 1st.
King Dome This outdoor activity was just one week after our return from NJ, so it was officially our first trip of 2022. Manish was a little worried due to the sudden increase in COVID cases. I assured him if we feel any symptoms, we will let them know and then can probably reschedule or cancel the plan.
Two to three days before the trip, we created a Whatsapp group and discussed the items to bring for the trip. Harmit volunteered to prepare shimla-aaloo(green peeper, potato) curry and to marinate paneer (cottage cheese) at home while Sonam volunteered for fried rice and frozen chapatis. I decided to take care of tea stuff – sugar, tea leaves, pot, milk, and snack items while Manish arranged grilling tools.
On the day of our trip, we decided to reach the place at 3 PM, but marination and curry preparation took time so we got late and reached there at around 5 PM. Manish and Sonam were waiting for us and were a little restless. We don’t have a very good reputation for punctuality and we somewhat lived up to the expectation (really need some retrospection).
We parked our car and moved our luggage into the dome. The dome was cute and it had everything you would need in a well-furnished unit. We just gave it a quick look as we already lost most of the day’s light so wanted to do a quick hike. Manish already had a few trails in his mind and there was a trail map available in the dome. Firstly we started for Trav’s trail, but due to recent snow in the area, it was very slippery and uneven. So we decided to turn back and choose another trail.
Bill’s spot was the right trail in those conditions and it was very short. The trail led to a creek. We walked slowly and reached the creek after some time. There were other people as well on the trail.
Trail The creek was frozen and was the dead-end of the trail. We took photographs there and saw the last remaining colors of the sky. It was getting late so we decided to head back to our dome.
Creek 
Posing For The Camera Once we returned, we decided to start the propane fire pit. It was the perfect time for tea. We gathered all the ingredients for tea and started the fire. We couldn’t have lunch due to the food preparation, so were hungry. We decided to have snacks and food as well. There was a microwave inside so we heated the curry and rice in it. There was no cooktop, so cooking frozen chapatis became a challenge. The solution was to heat them for 10 seconds in the microwave and then prepare them on the firepit.
Tea Time It took us nearly 30 mins to prepare the tea and another 20 mins to cook chapatis. We used the crockeries provided in the dome. It was cold but the fire gave needed warmth. The food was delicious and tea was the best thing you could have asked for at that time. Soon stars also popped up in the sky. We talked a lot and after being outside till 8 PM, we came inside the dome.
Outdoor 
Fire-Pit The dome was well heated, there were actually 3 heaters inside. It was time to grill the panner, so Manish and I went outside to work on the outdoor grill while Harmit and Sonam stayed. Both of us were naive, so it took us some time to figure out how to use it. We used the grill sticks provided for the grilling. We covered the grill for 20 minutes and came inside. When we went back again to check, they were burned and stuck to the grill. Our inexperience was visible, still, they tasted well.
Interior 
Loft After talking till 10 PM, we went to bed. Manish and Sonam took the king bed at the main level while we took the queen bed at the loft. There was a portable heater in the loft. The blankets were normal and due to excessive load, we had multiple power drips. I believe it was due to 4 room heaters operating. We had to get an extra blanket from our car to fight the cold. Soon Manish found extra blankets in a chest on his floor. After Manish told us about the blankets, we also searched and found an extra blanket in a chest. The blanket was thick and warm and the bedsheets were soft and comfortable. The stars were visible from our beds. We slept like babies and woke up from the sounds of Manish and Sonam. It was one of the best sleep and we wanted to stay long in bed. But since they had already gone outside, we got ready and joined them.
Living Area 
Interior We again started the fire-pit and prepared the tea. It was still cold and the timing of the tea was perfect. The checkout time was 11 AM, so we stayed there till 10:30 AM.
Bed Tea 
Group Selfie It was a wonderful experience. It ended too soon, we wished it to last longer. It was the perfect start for the year 2022. We hope to have more such trips in the coming months.
Facilities:-
- Bedding
- Towels
- Dishes
- Glasses
- Flatware
- Propane Grill
- Fire Pit With Fuel
- Mini-Frig
- Microwave
- Toaster
- Coffee Pot, Coffee
- Room Heaters
- Indoor Furniture
- Hot Water
- Indoor Bathroom & Toilet
- Couch
Points To Consider:-
- There is no cooktop inside the dome, so be prepared for that.
- There were some power drips which made it a little uncomfortable for us.
- The cost of a King dome for 1 night is 295$ excluding taxes.
- Pets are not allowed in the dome, but some arrangements are available.
- Check-in time is 3 PM and Checkout time is 11 AM.
To book the reservation – Kimberly Creek
It was definitely a great experience, but we won’t do it again. We found it expensive and though comfortable not our cup of tea. In our opinion, camping always comes with little discomfort and that is actually the fun part of it. If you are expecting luxury in the outdoors, better be in the comfortable environment of your house. Even the backyard can be used for mini-adventure.
What are your thoughts on it? Have you ever done the Glamping? Do you find its concept exciting?
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
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One thing we love about America is the need for self-dependency in day-to-day activities. In India, we don’t typically assemble or install anything, such services are often complimentary and even if chargeable, at least not worth your kidney. The labor in America is costly, so it’s always better to assemble the things by yourself.
You must be thinking why we are talking about this today all of a sudden? Today it’s quite cold here and we are glued to the fireplace. Seeing those artificial flames bought back the very recent memories of our DIY project at my sister’s place.
My sister ordered an electric fireplace before our arrival at her house. We stayed for close to 2 weeks and during that time we only discussed it twice or thrice and decided to assemble it one day, which day no one knew. We spent an amazing time together and soon it was time to return to Omaha. We decided to leave in the early morning of Saturday. While we were trying to utilize every moment on Friday, my sister coined the dead idea of fireplace’s assembly. Our most crucial tasks are done at the last moment, point to be noted.
It was around 7 PM and we decided to start our supposed-to-be mini-project. She had ordered BELLEZE Modern 58 Inch Farmhouse Electric Fireplace from Amazon and it came in 2 boxes, one for the fireplace and the other for the rest of the structure. Both boxes were heavy, firstly we opened the fireplace box which came with a simple manual. Harmit is really good at understanding manuals. She read the instructions, guided and we assembled the fireplace together. At that moment we were excited as it was easier and it took just 1/2 an hour.
The next box was full of wood panels, screws, and nails. The dullest thing about the box was that it was without a manual. We went crazy looking everywhere for it, my sister even looked for it in her closet thinking it might have been dropped out of the box, but all in vain. So after pulling our hair for a few minutes, we took the help of the internet.
My sister downloaded the manual from the internet and cast it on TV. Now the real game started. The manual was super complex and 3 brains were now working to decipher it. I gave up quickly and decided to follow Women’s lead.
The planks were heavy and instructions were in such a random manner that we had to create separate parts first and instead of going from bottom to top approach, we were going haywire. This automatically added the trouble of lifting those bulky parts, again and again, to put the structure as a whole. The most irritating part was those stupid screws that were not strong enough to hold the structure. The whole structure was designed in a way to avoid drilling the nails into it, but that was not serving any purpose.
During this whole time, my sister’s dog Eevee tried to come close to our activity zone, but each time I asked her to go back to her corner. She is somewhat afraid of me for no reason, thus obeys my instructions. If it would have been Harmit or my sister, she must have been all over the place.
What’s going on? After spending around 4 hours building that masterpiece, we finally succeeded. Still, some of the fireplace’s parts were wobbly, but that was the best we could give. It’s hard to even think about my sister doing it alone. We pushed it against the wall and did the setup. It was looking good and we were happy with our hard work. We don’t think it’s gonna move from the place anytime soon.
Mission Accomplished After this, my sister checked on Eevee and found out that she was holding her pee for the whole time. That innocent dog was trying to tell us each time by coming closer and I was asking her to go back to her mattress bed. So bad!, We rushed outside and she finished her business.
This whole episode ended at 10 PM, so all plans automatically shifted. We went to bed late, chatted till 2 AM, woke up late, and left for Omaha at 10 AM. But there was a feeling of satisfaction in completing that DIY project, LOL.
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
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