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Los Angeles|San Mateo|California Travelogue 2007

Text and Photos Copyright © 2007 by Angelica Viloria.
Other photos Copyright © 2007 by Manuel Viloria. All Rights Reserved.
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Related: Anaheim 2007 | San Francisco 2007

Off to the US and NAIA Terminal 2 (May 7, 2007)
We left for the US last April 18. We took the PR 102 flight to Los Angeles at 10PM.

Philippine Airlines and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
We arrived at the Los Angeles Airport at about 7pm on April 18 still. It was a cold 15 degrees celsius (well, we are Manila people so that is cold for us) so we scrambled to whip out our jackets as we boarded the airport bus.

Universal Studios Tour
Back to regular programming -- back to our Viloria Vacation series. While in Los Angeles, we visited Universal Studios which is a good one hour by car from Anaheim (where Disneyland is.)

Oriental Seafood Noodle House at Irvine, California
After several days of burgers and pizzas at the theme parks, we just had to have some rice, together with a real meal. So, for dinner on the Sunday we were there, we tried Oriental Seafood Noodle House which serves Chinese food.

Cold Stone Ice Cream
On this trip, we finally got to try Cold Stone Ice Cream. After our Chinese food dinner (which we described in our previous entry), we moved on to the next store which was Cold Stone.

On To San Francisco
After our brief stay in Anaheim, Los Angeles, it was off to San Francisco to visit my brother and his family and to do more sightseeing. It was a one hour drive to LAX and my other nephew Andrew drove us to the airport.

Hillsdale Shopping Center
Hillsdale Shopping Center is located at Sixty 31st Avenue, San Mateo, California. Shopping hours are from 10am to 9pm on Mondays to Saturdays and from 11 am to 7pm on Sundays.

See's Candies
We bought some See's chocolates to bring home to family and friends in Manila. When we go on a trip, we try to purchase items that are not readily available back home so our pasalubongs will be more memorable.

Victoria's Secret
We dropped by the Victoria's Secret shop at Hillsdale to get some lotions, body spray/body splash for gifts. Aside from beauty products and cosmetics, Victoria's Secret also offers lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear, among others.

Bath & Body Works
We likewise dropped by the Bath & Body Works store. Bath & Body Works products are not as readily available in Manila (as Victoria's Secret) -- I see them mostly in the bazaars and tiangges come Christmas time.

Barnes and Noble Bookstore
When I was younger, I used to relish visiting the bookstores in the US as they were bigger, offered a wider range of books, and were more "welcoming" with their chairs where you can lounge around. On this trip, we dropped by Barnes and Noble and I didn't get to buy much.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
This was my son Adi's favorite place in the US. We went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California with my brother and his kids.

Philippine Fashion by Rene Salud
While in the US, we got the chance to watch Tatak Salud, a fashion show featuring the 2007 fashion collection of well-known Filipino designer Rene Salud. This took place last April 29, 2007 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, at 2 pm, and was produced by Alphie de Guzman.

Wholesale Shopping
When in the US and you wish to do some wholesale shopping, be sure to drop by Costco. You are sure to generate significant savings although be ready to buy in bulk.

Target Shopping
When Filipinos go to the US for a vacation, one of the things that they like to do is to shop. Some people say that most Filipinos would prefer to go to factory outlets rather than go commune with nature. =)

Roaring Camp at Felton
Daddy Manuel liked the Exploratorium. Adi had a great time at Discovery Kingdom. Ali enjoyed the parade at Disneyland. I, on the other hand, enjoyed this destination the most -- Roaring Camp in Felton, California.

The Tech Museum of Innovation
After our visit to Roaring Camp in Felton, my brother dropped us off at the Tech Museum of Innovation. The Tech is located at 201 South Market Street, San Jose, California.