DC's Annual Spring Beauty! (2009 Edition)

Come April, DC turns in to a blossoming beauty, thanks to the numerous cherry blossom trees. The city (and the country) marks this event by holding a festival, aptly named Annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Throngs of crowds pour down in to DC to watch the legendary blossoms, enjoy the free museums, and make trips to the Capitol and other attractions in town. Needless to say, I really enjoy watching the blossoms and feel proud to be living in this town, and call the power center of the world to be "my" town! Pictures are coming shortly...enjoy.

Recent Travels: Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Tucson

Las Vegas.

I attended the annual Association of American Geographers' conference in Vegas. While I was mostly at the conference during the day, nighttime was an entirely different deal. I had a chance to walk the famed Las Vegas strip many, many times and enjoy the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas' nightscape. Leisurely walking along the strip with my camera and tripod, I had a nice chance to capture the eye-dazzling Las Vegas lights. I had posted some of these photos to my Facebook; As always, here's the link to my Facebook album:

View Photos: Glitz: Las Vegas at Night

The Grand Canyon.

Well, what can I say about the Grand Canyon. This is one of the places that I have always wanted to visit even before coming to America. I have long been waiting to go visit the Grand Canyon, and I finally had a chance last month. We drove from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon and stayed overnight, so that we can catch the Sunset and enjoy the canyon during the morning time. the Grand Canyon amazed me with it's sheer expanse and awe-striking views - like the view of the Canyon at the sunset, when the red shades of the canyon are brought out by the setting sun. Another memorable experience was the night sky at the Canyon - it was the brightest sky I have ever seen! I have never really seen so many bright stars in the sky! When back from the Canyon, the brightness of the stars was so striking that I pulled over to enjoy a quick moment looking at the sky. Well, overall, it was such a great experience! For my next trip, I would like to stay longer and hike the Canyon.

View Photos: Grand Canyon's South Rim

Tucson, AZ

After the pleasant stays in Vegas and the Grand Canyon village, I drove to Tucson to meet my UNI friends Masha and Val. The last time I met Masha was in Russia; I still remember that bitter color November day! Masha gave me a beautiful tour of the Peter-Paul Cathedral - even as she was freezing! Anyhow, it was wonderful to see her and her hubby, my friend Val in the warm and sunny Tucson. I loved the landscape and the environs of Tucson. We visited the University of Arizona campus and then headed off to see the Desert Museum. We spent a day and half in Tucson, when we had to (grudgingly) drive back to Las Vegas to catch the flights back to Washington. For a moment, I just wanted to stay back in Tucson - the sun, the desert, the town...all seemed to be so different and attractive that I just didn't feel like coming back at all! : )

View Photos: Tucson, AZ