New Year 2013 at Baguio City

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This time around instead of spending the New Year at home we decided to take the 7 to 8hours drive to Baguio City and spend the holidays on the City of Pines.  Our journey started on December 30 at exactly 7am.  Yeah, we’re already behind schedule.  We’re supposed to leave the house at 6am.  But with 2 kids in tow and a thousand and one items to pack and put on the car; 7am is just good.

We made headway breezing thru Cavitex, Coastal, EDSA and NLEX.  There was no traffic anywhere and mind you, hubby is driving within the speed limit of each of those highways.  I actually wrote all the town names and directions to get there by searching thru various blogs; and boy, were those things helpful.  Armed with a bag of tuna sandwich, several fruit juices and 2 bottles of Coke, we’re able to reach La Union by noon.

We decided to take lunch at Chowking before going thru that long winded road up at Marcos Highway.  We’re able to reach the house at Dominican Hills Baguio City at exactly 3pm.   

Dominican Hills Extension

Take it from me; if you’re using the Baguio City map follow only those roads in yellow.  The roads in white are very narrow roads and some of it is no longer updated.

Here’s a short list of what we discovered on our 2days, 3nights stay at Baguio.

What we did in Baguio?

·         1^st Day, Afternoon (December 30)

o   Buy pasalubong treats at Baguio Central Market.  It’s cheap!
o   Walk around Burnham Park

·         2^nd Day, Morning (December 31)

o   Visit Mines View Park and take pictures.  Buy your Baguio shirts on this trip.

Mines' View Park

France a top a Pony

Looking out the view

o   Wonder around the Botanical Garden

Botanical Garden

France & Dean under the Friendship Bridge

·         2^nd Day, Afternoon (December 31)

o   Prepare for New Year’s dinner

Waiting for dinner to be ready

·         3^rd Day, Morning (January 1)

o   Pick Strawberries at the Strawberry Farm, Benguet

Picking those juicy strawberries

Looking for strawberries

o   Pack everything and drive down in Kennon Road to take pictures at the Lion’s head

Lion's Head

View at Front

 

People in Baguio know how to throw a big New Year celebration.  We were at home overlooking the valley and there are fireworks after fireworks.  The light display started late, at around 11:30pm; and yet abated only after 2am.  Sadly, the kids and I are already at bed, snoring.  It was too cold for us to stay up and watch the displays.