Atlantic City

Time: Oct 24th-25th 2009

Places: Atlantic City, Central Park New York

Company: Family

Album: Click here

Video: Colors at Taj

Detroit and Chicago

Time: Oct 16th-19th 2009

Places: Detroit (brother's house), Chicago

Company: Wife (but went to Chicago with family)

Album: Click here

Highlights:

Day 0: Left Marlborough at 1 pm for 4.30 pm flight from Boston to Detroit via Philadelphia. Reached Detroit at 10.30 pm. Family get-together at brother's house [Dad, mom, bro, sis in law, wife and me]

Day 1: Deepavali. Pooja and feast. Suddenly, decided to go to Chicago! So rented a car, planned the itinerary, booked the hotel and left the house at 1 pm. Went to Detroit downtown to see GM building and other neighbouring buildings via train. Saw Canada side too!

Left to Chicago at 3 pm. Reached Navy Pier at about 7 pm. Roamed around till 8 and then went to Signature Lounge at John Hancock tower. Waited in the queue for about 30 mins and then got a table with a wonderful view! This is better than Sears tower because entry is free and if you pay, you get to drink with view!

Retired for the night at Aurora.

Day 2: Sri Venkateshwara Temple at Aurora. Very nice. Definitely worth a visit. Beautiful idol. Much better and bigger than the one in Pittsburgh.

Then headed to Bahai temple in Wilmette. Beautiful architecture. Reminiscences of Lotus Temple in Delhi but latter is much better and huge compared to this.

On our back to Detroit, went via Divan Street to see local Indian shops and ads and restaurants.

Reached Detroit at 9 pm. Dinner and retired.

Day 3: By mistake, had switched off the 4 am alarm and woke up at 4.45 am. Flight was at 6 am!! Bro sped through in the morning at almost 90 mph to reach airport at 5.20 am. Finished security and ran like crazy to the gate. We were the last few to board the flight to Boston via Washington DC.

Reached home at 11.30 am and back to office by 1.

Synopsis:

Boston to Philadelphia to Detroit on Friday;

Detroit to Chicago on Saturday;

Chicago to Detroit on Sunday;

Detroit to Washington to Boston on Monday!!

Mt Cannon

Time: Oct 10th 2009

Places visited: Cannon Mountain, Flume Gorge, Kancamagus Highway

Company: Wife, Niraj, Kedar (but met colleagues during the day at intervals)

Album: Click here

Videos: Trek in Flume Gorge, Mt Cannon Summit and Fall colors at parking lot