An Afternoon with Flowers at The Sunflower Maze, Pangasinan

Following our stopover at the Our Lady of Manaoag Church, we headed to The Sunflower Maze located at Brgy. C. Lichauco, Tayug, Pangasinan. This is quite a long way from the beach where we came from so that's why we went to the church first.

One of the most picturesque spot in the whole maze.

Even though it was a cloudy afternoon, there was still enough sunlight to take great pictures with the flowers in the maze. I actually didn't explore the whole maze as we just went to and fro hunting for good spots to take pictures. (Of course, more pictures after the jump.)

Appreciating Nature and Visiting Our Lady of Manaoag Church

After an overnight beach escapade, it was time to head back home. This time, we were able to better appreciate the natural scenery unfolding before us as we traversed the dusty path back to the city.

A piece of the beach reminds us of our previous day's adventures.

So what scenic spots did we see along the way? We took pictures to remember them although these are not enough to show how vast and pretty they are in real life.

Fun Under the Sun at Amayaj Bora Beach Resort, Cabongaoan, Burgos, Pangasinan

Our summer would not be complete without a beach adventure so we looked for a new destination to explore. This time around, Kala and Karin found a beach spot in Pangasinan. We also found Amayaj Bora Beach Resort which had great reviews from those who have tried their amenities already.

Posing at the signage in front of the beach.

We just wanted a decent place which provided the basic amenities for comfort and convenience. So we booked our stay and were on our way to see if the long travel time was worth it. Our travel started very early in the morning and we were treated to some awesome views along the way. Upon arriving in Burgos, Pangasinan, a different kind of landscape greeted us as well.

Kala and Karin Soak in The Sunshine on A Roadtrip

Kala and Karin have been on many road trips; some short, some quite long and even boring. Through all these trips, we have learned that the journey itself has its own rewards and attractions. 

Is that a meteorite speeding across the sky? Is that a volcano erupting in the distance?

On this particular journey, our destination was quite far away and so we needed to start our trip very early in the morning, at 3AM. This meant that we were sleepy or asleep as soon as we got on the van. A few hours later, we were witness to the spectacle of the sunrise. It happens every day but we seldom appreciate its beauty. Since we had the scene unfolding right before our eyes, we could not help but click away.

More Than the Beach at Laiya White Cove Beach Resort, Batangas - Day 2

The second day of our early summer vacation, we woke up later than usual and took our time going around the resort in the morning. It was fairly quiet and if you sat on one of the wooden benches just listening to the sounds of the waves; it was easy to feel drowsy and fall asleep again.

View of the covered area near the beach.

Cool breeze, quiet atmosphere and beautiful surroundings definitely made me want to just doze off again as the sound of the waves lapping the shore was a calming lullaby. But it was time to wake up the rest of the gang for some breakfast.

Early Beach Escapade at Laiya White Cove Beach Resort, Batangas - Day 1

Kala and Karin planned an early summer trip for some friends who wanted to enjoy a weekend at the beach. We looked around for an ideal location close to Manila so an overnight stay would be convenient and we chanced upon Laiya White Cove Beach Resort in Batangas.

Sand, sea, sky and mountain surround the resort.

Going to a beach before the summer season starts was a good idea because we had the whole beach to ourselves. It also gave us the opportunity to appreciate the facilities even more because the place was not crowded. Check out our little escapade with lots of pictures of course!

Friends Visit the PMA Museum in Baguio with Kala and Karin

Our Baguio trip was going quite well with the weather cooperating. It was cool but not raining since our visit to Mine's View Park and The Mansion where our friends enjoyed a private jeepney joy ride.

A couple of our friends posing by the entrance to the academy.

The last spot on our list was the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Museum inside Fort Del Pilar as well as the vintage war paraphernalia displayed on its grounds. There's the customary vehicle check at the entrance. No slippers or sleeveless shirts allowed inside so better dress appropriately when you visit.

Friends Pose at The Mansion and Ride a Jeepney in Baguio with Kala and Karin

Our Baguio experience was off to a good start with our early morning visit to Mine's View Park. Our friends also wanted to visit as much of the popular tourist sites as they can all in one day. But they also wanted to experience riding in our local jeepney.

Gate of The Mansion

It was still early in the morning when we arrived at Wright Park where The Mansion was located. The gates were closed so we thought it was closed for the day. We were informed that they were in the middle of the flag ceremony so we also stood in attention as we waited.

Exploring Mines View Park at Baguio with Kala and Karin

The day after visiting The Strawberry Farm, we were off to an early start to visit Mine's View Park. It had been rainy the day before so we were hoping that the fog would lift up so we could see a clear view and take good pictures. Fortunately, there was only a slight drizzle when we traveled from the hotel.

Our friends Ms. Jane and Mr. Sing posing at the Mine's View Park entrance.

We got there before 8AM and we thought that we would have to wait until after 8AM to get inside the park but we were told that we could already go inside. This made us quite happy as we could explore the place without any other visitors around.

The Strawberry Farm in Baguio with Kala and Karin

Baguio is famous for its cool weather and fresh produce. From Vigan, we travelled to the Strawberry Farm in Baguio where some of the produce you see in the city's market come from.

Trekking our way thru the abundant produce at the farm.

Although it is called the Strawberry Farm, other vegetables and even flowers are grown here. When we came to visit, there were also a lot of other visitors snapping pictures at every turn.

Cape Bojeador and Paoay Church with Kala and Karin

The last location on our Ilocos trip was Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. This historic site provided a beautiful view of the landscape and the shore but the structure itself was worth the visit.

The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse also known as the Burgos Lighthouse.

We took a tricycle to reach the lighthouse from the site's designated parking lot. Upon arriving, we were looking at the many steps to climb to reach the actual lighthouse building. We readied our legs for the stair-climbing session.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation with Kala and Karin

Next on our itinerary after the Bangui Windmills visit is the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. There are many pictures of this famous rock formation but we learned that there was more to it than the single rock you often see in pictures.

The famous rock formation of Kapurpurawan in Ilocos Norte.

Luckily, the slight drizzle had stopped and the sun shone through the clouds. It was the perfect weather to explore our next destination and to take pictures, lots of pictures.

Bangui Windmills with Kala and Karin

The long trip to Vigan thru La Union tired all of us but we all woke up early to grab some breakfast and head on another long drive (but shorter than the day before) to Laoag and Pagudpud for some sight seeing and picture-taking. Our first stop was at the famous Bangui Windmills.

Bangui Windmills on a cloudy day.

As we came nearer the area, it was slightly raining and there was a fog which made us really thankful to be in our jackets and shawls. Thus, most of our pictures look dark and even our photographer friends said that if there was more sunlight, the windmills would be an even more beautiful sight to behold.

Road Trip Thru La Union to Vigan, Ilocos Sur with Kala and Karin

The last post about the Corregidor Tour had a lot of photos and so did the Ilocos trip the next day. So this time around, we will go by each site that we visited instead of posting all of the Ilocos trip in just one post.

This view of a mountain wrapped in some clouds was one of the sites we enjoyed as we rode thru La Union.

As usual, our trip starts early in the morning. Since the ride through La Union didn't offer much food options, our friends contented themselves with the fruit stands that they saw along the way as we tried to spot some places for lunch.