Xi’an is known for its amazing dumplings, and it’s Dumplings Girls. During the Tang Dynasty beautiful women were curvy and voluptuous and their civilization was prosperous. The images of these dumpling girls are everywhere. Even as a modern day marketing symbol. On our first night in Xi’an we enjoyed the optional Dumpling Dinner. We looked…
If it’s true that an army travels on its stomach, our tour group is a mighty army. I’m going to look at our food from a bunch of different angles … for any of you reading this who might take offense, sorry / not sorry. First off, this is China, if you’re coming here for…
After we returned from a full day of sightseeing we went for a walk just a few blocks from the hotel to the Wangfujing Market. The market is actually a huge pedestrian walkway that looks much like Time Square in New York. It’s filled with very polished high-end stores, huge indoor shopping malls, and lots…
So, as you probably noticed Chuck is tackling all of the touring and I’ll be working on the hotel and food posts… Our first experience with Gate 1 Travel was our trip to Thailand a few years back and we found that the hotels and meals were very good. We were actually REALLY surprised when…
If you are like me you grew up hearing your mother say ‘ Clean your plate, there are starving children in China!” Yesterday was day one of our China vacation and I think Gate1 Travel and our Chinese hosts are out to prove that theory wrong. Our first function of the trip was breakfast in…
A major part of our vacation research involves stalking YouTube food vlogs for our upcoming trip to China. Now truthfully, we’ve booked a complete travel package with Gate 1 Travel. We worked with them on our trip to Thailand two years ago and could not have been happier. We know that all of our flights are…
We’ve been diligently researching for our upcoming trip to China. While Gate1 Travel does an amazing job with all of our travel plans, transportation, hotels, and sightseeing, they still offer a decent amount of free time. While Chuck’s birthday isn’t until August, technically this vacation is in celebration of his milestone birthday. He’s turning 60!…
If you know us, you know we love to travel; actually, we work to travel. We have both said many times that we are blessed to be able to explore the world. This year we are headed to China! We had such a great experience with Gate 1 Travel in Thailand that we knew we…
A day alone – great Pacific Northwest food and Pike Place Market are the perfect storm for me.. I arrived in Seattle ahead of Chuck and my siblings so I checked in and headed downtown to Pike Place Market. This awesome market is actually a combination of several marketplaces, local shops and alleys filled with…
The time is finally here for our annual big adventure. This year has been a bit of a rocky road with moving, leaving Mission Inn and some family health issues; but we’re here! We’re heading to Seattle with a cruise to Alaska on the Celebrity Solstice. Chuck and my sister in law Judy have been…