...Also, we had a glimpse on the lifestyles of the rich and famous...

Summer runs from late-June through early September. Our weekends were filled with enjoyable and relaxing getaways. It'll be no wonder if we count this season as our favorite time of year. We are having fun.

As soon as we felt the heat, we took the road for a return trip to Hersheypark in Pennsylvania. They added a new water theme park, the Boardwalk, said to be the largest water play structure in the world.

Then we tried to unwind a weekend at the Splish Splash Waterpark in Riverhead, NY.

The plan on the fourth of July road trip was an overnight camp with canoeing and river rafting. But it was really difficult to look for a campsite during the holiday, so we headed to another theme park. It was the Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut. This theme park has a lot of unique rides including the world class Boulder Dash wood coaster. Though it is the largest water park in Connecticut, a seven-acre expansion is said to be added wherein the first phase is projected to open in 2010.

A weekend after (July 12), we had a privilege tour inside a luxury cruise ship, the Explorer of the Seas. This Royal Caribbean cruise ship is huge, there are lots of things to do on it. There is a shopping area, theaters, ice skating rink and a mini golf course. For those who love to gamble, there is also a casino. You will sometimes forget you are inside a ship. One more thing, the ship's crew are amazing. You will really feel like a royalty.

It wasn't the last great water-related experience we had. Our boating adventure in West Hampton in Long Island last July 26th tops our summer getaway. Cruising on the water just lifts your stress. You're too busy having fun to worry about work and just a time away from TV, phones and computers makes the boating experience a great one. Also, we had a glimpse on the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Whoa! what a busy summer. Add to that the birthday parties and picnics we were invited to celebrate every weekend. Again, we are having fun!

...see our photos as we savored close-up the spectacular scenery and magnificent island homes in thousand islands...

We are really grateful that we're invited in an exclusive garden wedding in upstate New York. Castle wedding has been a choice of many celebrities since it is more memorable and more romantic. Leah and Brad uttered their "I do, I do" at the Singer Castle at Dark Island in Chippewa Bay, NY just in the border of U.S. and Canada. Our best wishes to the loving couple. We are also happy to finally meet our relatives (Avila-Rono) in Ottawa and Mississagua, Canada.

The next day, we enjoyed the leisurely cruise, which highlights the "Millionaire's Row" section of the U.S. islands and then loops into Canadian waters before heading back to Alexandria Bay.

Together with our friends, we went to Ate Marie's house for her babyshower. Since it was a great summer day, it was also our first BBQ party for this year.

...watch the 7.5 minutes video footage of the fight between Peter & Harry just below this post...

"It's official: Spider-Man 3 will be taking over New York City for one full week of movie marketing, before premiering -- as we expected -- at the Tribeca Film Festival. "Spider-Man Week in NYC" will run from April 30 through May 6, and will feature all kinds of different Spidey-related activities. From -- I kid you not -- Spider-Man inspired raps at the Apollo Theater in Harlem (I wonder how many of those raps will include a number of different definitions for the word 'Mary Jane') to Spidey Chats at the Central Park and Bronx Zoos -- The Big Apple will turn, well, webbed later this month.

The actual Spider-Man 3 premiere will most likely take place mid-week and, according to reports, will take place in Queens -- home to Peter Parker. Now, I could be wrong (and correct me if I am), but isn't Peter Parker from Forest Hills? Or did they just shoot scenes in Forest Hills? Either way, I live in Forest Hills -- and so it would be a real fun treat to be able to catch the flick in Spidey's hometown, and not have to spend two hours on a train commuting back home. If you're not able to catch the premiere in Queens, apparently there will be several different screenings taking place throughout the city. Some other stuff taking place that week: You've got a street festival and cast appearance at Rockefeller Center on April 30, original Spidey comic books will be on display at the New York Public Library, and there will be some Green Goblin mask-making at the Children's Museum of Manhattan, as well as lots more. So put in for time off now folks, cause Spidey is coming to town." -Erik Davis wrote in his blog.

We live in Queens, too and we're expecting it to be shown at Kaufmann Astoria.

Check out the Spider-Man Week in NYC website for upcoming events around the town.

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo taken at Bellagio Conservatory in Las Vegas. A carnation filled baby bear.

A bus picked us up at the back of Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas at around 6:00am then proceeded to their deployment station. We were segregated from West Rim tour and paid our tour package. After that, we had a light breakfast. A photo stop at Hoover Dam. Comfort stop in Kingsman Arizona. Then proceeded National Geographic Visitor Center to watch the Grand Canyon IMAX movie before proceeding to the South Rim.

A bus tour takes 14 hours (of which you'll spend 2 - 3 hours at your destination). We arrived back in Las Vegas at around 9:00pm.

The breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, is like nothing else you will ever experience.





How the Canyon Came to be the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is probably the world’s most spectacular example of the power of erosion. Scientists estimate Grand Canyon began forming 6 million years ago with the downward cutting (erosion) of the Colorado River, which flows through the Canyon. The work is by no means finished. The powerful forces of the river, rain, snow, heat, frost and wind are still sculpting the fantastic shapes of precipitous bluffs and towering buttes.

A National Historic Landmark, Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. When completed in 1936, it was both the world's largest electric-power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure.

The dam is named after America's 31st president, Herbert Hoover, who played a large role in bringing the nearby states into agreement about water allocations, settling a 25-year controversy. The dam has been called Boulder Canyon Dam as well as Boulder Dam, but Hoover Dam was reinstated as the official name by Congress in 1947.

The view from the dam also offers a breathtaking look at Lake Mead, the country's largest man-made reservoir. Although water levels have been low recently, Lake Mead can store up to 9.2 trillion gallons of water, equal to two years of the river's annual flow.

Valley of Fire State Park is located in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Seeing some great sandstone formations, we felt that we're on another planet.

Known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World".

The Las Vegas Strip is where all the hotels and casinos are found. Leisurely strolling the strip was well worth the effort with its amazing sights. At the Venetian, we experienced a little bit of Italy with a ride through the Grand Canal in an authentic venetian gondola. The gondolier were serenading making the experience more romantic. Inside the Bellagio Hotel, at the Gallery of Fine Arts, we stopped by to see the current exhibits. Outside there is a light and sound show, coupled with the fountain display. Just across the hotel, the view of the Eiffel Tower replica is amazing. Took a shot with one Elvis impersonator. Click here to view our photos.