Visit to Disney World

We have left St.Louis on 24^th of May and reached Houston along with our Granddaughter Kithika who is having her summer holidays. Our son has planned to go to Orlando in Florida for a three day visit.

On 28^th morning we left by a flight to Orlando. We checked in Hotel Buena vista Palace a luxury hotel near Disney world.We have hired a car from Airport and after checking in the Hotel had some food and then proceeded to Tampa where Vamsi my wife’s sister’s son is working. Usha, Vamsi’s sister who is on site at New York also came to Tampa for Disney visit. We went to Petersburg Clear Water Beach which is near to Tampa in Florida.The beach was having white soft sand and shallow water. We have played till sunset and returned to hotel by night 12 AM.

Morning we got up and went to Magic World in Disney World resort. Some information gathered about Orlando and Disney world will be opt to mention.

Orlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region. It is Florida's third largest metropolitan area and it's fifth largest city by population

Originally the center of a

citrus growing region, Orlando is a city now heavily urbanized with various industries. The area is a major tourist destination and is the home of Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. Lake Buena Vista, Florida, located 21 miles southwest of downtown Orlando, is the home of Walt Disney World. These attractions form the backbone of Orlando's tourism industry, making the city the third most visited American city

The Walt Disney World Resort is the world's largest and most visited recreational resort, covering a 25,000-acre area encompassing four theme parks, two water parks, 24 on-site themed resort hotels and other recreational venues and entertainment. It opened on October 1, Kingdom theme park and has since added Epcot(October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (May 1, 1989) and Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park (April 22, 1998).

This world famous resort was inspired by the dreams of Walt Disney and his creation of Disneyland in California. Its original theme park, IMagic Kingdom, is designed similarly to Disneyland. Walt Disney created "Disney World" in order to have a vacation resort that was much different from Disneyland's one-day visit; this includes a much wider variety of sports, recreation, uniquely-themed resort hotels and entertainment.

Magic Kingdom is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The first park built at the resort, it opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises (now known as Walt Disney Imagineering), the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. In 2009, the park saw an estimated 17.2 million visitors, making it the most visited theme park in the world

Instead of being a replica of a small mid-western American town, Main Street at Magic Kingdom features some stylistic influences from around the country, such as New England and Missouri. This is most noticeable in the "four corners" area in the middle of Main Street where each of the four corner buildings represents a different architectural style. There is also no Opera House as there is at Disneyland; instead there is the Exposition Hall. Main Street is lined with shops selling merchandise and food. The decor is early-20th century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's childhood and the film Lady and the Tramp. City Hall contains the Guest Relations lobby, where cast members provide information and assistance. A working barber shop gives haircuts for a fee. The Emporium carries a wide variety of Disney souvenirs such as plush toys, collectible pins and Mickey-ear hats. Tony’s Town Square and the Plaza Restaurant are sit-down restaurants. Casey's Corner is at the end of Main Street and sells traditional American ballpark fare including hot dogs and fries. The Main Street Confectionary sells sweets priced by their weight, such as candied apples, crisped rice treats, chocolates, cookies and fudge.Most windows on Main Street bear the name of people who were influential at Walt Disney World or other Disney parks. An example of a classic Main Street, U.S.A. attraction is the Walt Disney World Railroad, which transports guest throughout the park, making stops at Frontierland and Mickey's Toon town Fair.

Cinderella Castle at night

A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams is the largest fireworks show ever presented at the Magic Kingdom

In the distance beyond the end of Main Street stands Cinderella Castle. Though only 189 feet (55m) tall, it benefits from a technique known as forced perspective. The (fake) second stories of all the buildings along Main Street are shorter than the first stories, and the third stories are even shorter than the second, and the top windows of the castle are much smaller than they appear. The resulting visual effect is that the buildings appear to be larger and taller than they really are.

Symbolically, Main Street, U.S.A. represents the park's "opening credits". Guests pass under the train station (the opening curtain), then view the names of key personnel along the windows of the buildings' upper floors. Many windows bear the name of a fictional business, such as "Seven Summits Expeditions, Frank G. Wells President", with each representing a tribute to significant people connected to the Disney company and the development of Walt Disney World Resort.

The park contains two additional tributes: the Partners statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle and the Sharing the Magic statue of Roy O. Disney sitting with Minnie Mouse in the Town Square section of Main Street, U.S.A. Both were sculpted by veteran Imagineer Blaine Gibson.

Adventure land

Adventure land represents the mystery of exploring foreign lands. It is themed to resemble the remote jungles in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the South Pacific, with an extension resembling a Caribbean town square. It contains classic rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise.

Swiss Family RobinsonTreehouse

Frontierland

Frontierland is where guests can relive the Wild West – from cowboys and Indians, to exploring the mysteries of the Rivers of America. Frontierland contains classic attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tom Sawyer Island, Splash Mountain, and the Country Bear Jamboree.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Liberty Square

This area of the park is based on an American Revolutionary town. The Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America hosts the Liberty Belle riverboat. Liberty Square is home to the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents.

Fantasyland

In the words of Walt Disney: "Fantasyland is dedicated to the young at heart and to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true." Fantasyland is themed in a medieval-faire/carnival style. The section will undergo an expansion over the coming years, with completion scheduled for 2013. Phase one of this project will be finished around 2011, and phase two in 2013. It will feature a ride featuring Ariel, which will also be at Disney's California Adventure Park, the Beasts Castle, Aurora's cottage, and much more. One of the main changes will be the Dumbo ride will have a circus themed waiting area filled with circus games to play while you wait. Toon Town Fair will close because it will be replaced with Pixie Hollow.

Attractions include "it's a small world", Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, and Mad Tea Party.

Tomorrowland

In the words of Walt Disney: "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."

Tomorrowland is themed to be an intergalactic city. Classic attractions include Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway.

Mickey's Toontown Fair

An expansion of the land created as Mickey's Birthdayland, and later Mickey's Starland, this area is home to attractions such as Mickey's Country House, Minnie's Country House, Goofy's Barnstormer, and Donald's Boat. This area will soon be demolished to make way for the Fantasyland Expansion to be completed in 2013.

We could see most of the places till night 9 O’clock and sat near the castle where procession of all walt Disney characters marched with illuminated costumes which lasted for 40 minutes. Then the illuminated castle with so many colours was a wonderful scene we can never forget. Then the fireworks started behind the castle and we were enthralled by seeing them for another one hour. Fully tired we reached hotel.

The next day we have taken tickets for Disney's Hollywood Studios which is another important  theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. The third park built at the resort, it opened on May 1, 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios.

The park is represented by The Sorcerer's Hat, a stylized version of the magical hat from Fantasia. It replaced the Earful Tower as the park's icon in 2001.

The park consists of six themed areas. Unlike the other Walt Disney World parks, Disney's Hollywood Studios does not have a defined layout; it is more a mass of streets and buildings that blend into each other, much like a real motion picture studio would. The layo

ut of the park, however, did have an interesting design characteristic. The plaza at the end of Hollywood Boulevard featured a large Hidden Mickey, which was visible in aerial photographs of the park and on the park's early guide maps. However, construction and other changes to the park have eliminated much of this image.

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard serves as the park's main entrance and is lined with venues selling Disney merchandise. Parades such as the Pixar Block Party Bash travel down Hollywood Boulevard on their route through the park, and live street entertainment can be found here throughout the day. Michael Eisner, who had a major part in the park's creation ever since the earliest development, demanded the opening land operate on the same principle as Main Street, U.S.A. but in a style more fitting to the Studios.

At the far end of Hollywood Boulevard stands the Sorcerer's Hat, the icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios. Behind it, inside a replica of Grauman's Chinese Theater, is The Great Movie Ride, a dark ride paying homage to several classic films, including Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Echo Lake

Echo Lake is the park's small oval-shaped lagoon, which was designed to form one of the ears in the enormous Hidden Mickey from the park's original layout. Surrounding it are numerous attractions and services, some in structures designed to mimic the "California Crazy" form of architecture from Hollywood's Golden Age.

At The American Idol Experience, park guests can audition and sing for live audiences, and potentially win a special front-of-the-line pass for the popular TV series' real tryouts. Next door, Sounds Dangerous! features a 3-D audio presentation starring comedian Drew Carey. In between them is the A.T.A.S. Hall of Fame Plaza, a display of busts of past and present icons of the television era, such as Oprah Winfreyand Walt Disney.

Echo Lake includes three attractions based on characters and movies produced by George Lucas' Lucasfilm studio. Star Tours is a motion simulator ride set in the Star Wars universe, and is a duplicate of the original attraction at Disneyland. Jedi Training Academy, a live-action stage show, invites children to become "padawan learners" and receive "light saber training" from a Jedi master. Lastly, the live-action Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! re-enacts various scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark while illustrating how movie stunts are performed.

Streets of America

Finale at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

Originally the New York Street backlot set that was part of the park's original Backlot Studio Tour, the section was later opened to pedestrian traffic. More recently, additional architectural treatments were added to create street sets resembling San Francisco and New York. The current version of the Studio Backlot Tour features the American Film Institute Showcase, a rotating exhibit of movie props and memorabilia, and a tram ride through the backlot areas and through Catastrophe Canyon, an effects-laden "movie set." Kids can play amongst oversized plants and toys at the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, based on the 1989 Disney film. Added in 2005, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is a behind-the-scenes look at how vehicle action sequences are created for films, and was adapted from a similar show at Walt Disney Studios Park.

Animation Courtyard

This section of the park originally was the starting point for the tours of the park's active production studios. Its entrance is marked by a square "studio arch," much like a real Hollywood studio lot entrance might be marked. The Animation Courtyard is home to a number of attractions based on Disney characters of yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Magic of Disney Animation is an attraction that examines the development process of an animated character. It also includes interactive games and exhibits, along with meet-and-greet areas for Disney and Pixar characters.

Mickey Avenue, a sub-section of Animation Courtyard, has two walk-through exhibits. Walt Disney: One Man's Dream explores the life and legacy of Walt Disney through photos, models, rare artifacts and a short biographical film narrated by Julie Andrews. At "Journey into Narnia," guests can see props and set pieces from Disney's "Chronicles of Narnia" movie series, as well as meet the namesake of the series' second film, Prince Caspian.

The Courtyard section also hosts two live shows. Playhouse Disney Live on Stage! entertains guests with puppet characters from the Playhouse Disney block of programming on The Disney Channel, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Little Einsteins. Across the plaza, Voyage of the Little Mermaid uses glow-in-the-dark puppets, lasers, music, projectors, human actors and water effects to re-create favorite scenes and songs from the animated Little Mermaid film.

Pixar Place

The park's newest section includes many of the original soundstages used when the park hosted actual production facilities. Today, Pixar Place resembles the Emeryville, Californiacampus of Pixar Animation Studios. Its sole attraction is Toy Story Midway Mania!, an interactive 3D attraction inspired by classic carnival midway games, each hosted by charactersfrom the Toy Story film series.[3] Pixar Place is also the home of Luxo Jr., a six-foot-tall audio-animatronics version of Pixar's desk-lamp mascot.[4] The moving character performs periodic shows throughout the day and evening across from Toy Story Midway Mania.

Sunset Boulevard

Fantasmic! Poster

Sunset Boulevard was the first expansion to Disney's Hollywood Studios, opening in July 1994. The visual focal point of Sunset Boulevard isThe Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a thrill ride based on the classic television series. Located nearby is Rock 'n' Roller Coaster StarringAerosmith, an indoor roller coaster in the dark with three inversions and a high-speed launch.

Sunset Boulevard has two outdoor amphitheaters for live stage shows. The covered Theater of the Stars hosts Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, a stage show featuring highlights of the film. The open-air Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is the home of Fantasmic!, a nighttime show featuring Mickey Mouse and many other Disney characters in a story filled with fireworks, lasers and water effects.

Live entertainment

Disney's Hollywood Studios has featured numerous forms of in-park entertainment throughout its history. During its early years, the park featured the "Star Today" program, with a daily celebrity guest. The celebrity would often be featured in a motorcade along Hollywood Boulevard, or would take part in a handprint ceremony at the Great Movie Ride's entrance, or even participate in an interview session.

At other times, Disney has imported characters that were not part of its own library of films and television shows. Some of these characters have included the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective and characters from the Goosebumps series by author R. L. Stine. The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers made appearances in the park during the first seasons of the television series, but then vanished. Disney had ownership of the Power Rangers franchise through its purchase of Saban Entertainment until May 2010 when Saban Entertainment purchased the franchise back, and were regular members of the park's cast of characters through that time.

Many of the park's costumed entertainers are not related to any particular film or TV show. Instead, they are live-action caricatures of figures from Hollywood's history. Originally dubbed "streetmosphere" by Disney and now called the "Citizens of Hollywood", they appear at regular intervals on Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. Some of these characters include directors, talent agents, starlets or hopefuls, and will often take part in streetside shows that will include audience participation.

In the night, on the lake a spectacular Micky mouse show with the help of lasers and light and sound which can never be forgotten in our life. We reached our hotel and the next day we flown back to Houston.

Chicago Visit

When it was decided to visit Chicago, our son-in-law rented a Dodge car, an eight seater and started our journey by road to Chicago on 8th May at 6.00 AM. The High way was so nice that we did not feel any tired ness though the car was going at a speed of 140 Kms per hour. It was 5 hours drive to Chicago. First we have planned to visit the famous Balaji Temple of Aurora (a far west suburb of Chicago),


As a result of philanthropy of nine families who donated 20 acres of land with a farm house in Aurora as a site for the Balaji temple, a beginning was made in the realization of a dream of many. Since Sri Venkateswara swami (Balaji) temple is an institution that has to serve innumerable generations to come, plans were drawn on a magnificent scale related to the means available and the needs of the moment. No pains were spared in making its designs meet the agamic space requirements when at the same time ensuring that it also meets the local building codes, structural safety standards and the needs of the community.

Padmasri M.Muthiah Sthapathy, a noted expert on temple construction in India collaborated with Sri Subhash Nadkarni, a reputed architect of Chicago and a devotee of Balaji, and together they designed the temple. This design is an excellent blend of ancient Shilpa shastra and modern architectural technology. This design also served as a model for other temples that were built later in the United States. A unique feature of the temple is provision for circumambulation (pradakshina) inside the temple not only around the presiding deity, but around all the major shrines inside the temple

In addition to the Lord Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) shrine, there are other shrines in the temple to different deities. On either side of the main shrine are shrines for Sri Devi (Lakshmi) and Bhudevi (Andal). In the two corners in front of the main shrine are shrines for Sri Kanyaka Parameshwari and Sri Ayyappa. In the two corners further away are shrines for Sri Anjaneya and Sri Satyanarayana. Closer to the entrance are shrines to Ganapati, Subrahmanya, Siva and Parvati.

After darshan of all the dieties,we have taken photos there and started for another famous temple of Swaminarayana at other place about 30 miles away from there.

On August 8, 2004, the BAPS organization, a sect of Hinduism, opened BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago, Covering 30 acres .It is largest traditional Hindu mandir, of stone and marble, constructed in the United States. The mandir took 16 months to build and was constructed with Turkish limestone, Italian marble, and Indian makrana marble. The adjoining cultural center, known as the Haveli was opened in October 2000. The large complex contains large rooms with intricately carved walls of stone and wood. The temple is surrounded by large lawns and beautiful statues. We had nice Indian food in the temple canteen, Then we went to Chcago and checked in Hotel Holiday Inn. It was already 5.00 PM and after some leasure, we went to see Chicago city. Since it is already night, we went to Gandhi Marg where most of the Indian society is settled in Chicago. A road is fully occupied by Indian shops and it was not like US but some place in India.

Chicago is the largest city in both Illinois and the Midwest, and the third most populous city in the United States, with over 2.8 million people living within the city limits. Its metropolitan area, commonly named "Chicagoland", is the 26th most populous in the world, home to an estimated 9.7 million people spread across the U.S. states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Chicago is primarily located within Cook County, with the exception of a small northwestern portion of the city at O'Hare International Airport that is located within DuPage County.

Chicago was founded in 1833, near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. The city became a major transportation and telecommunications hub in North America. Today, the city retains its status as a major hub, both for industry and infrastructure, with O'Hare International Airport being the second busiest airport in the world. In 2008[update], the city hosted 45.6 million domestic and overseas visitors.

In modern times, the city has taken on an additional dimension as a center for business and finance and is listed as one of the world's top ten Global Financial Centers. Chicago is a stronghold of the Democratic Party and has been home to many influential politicians, including the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. The World Cities Study Group at Loughborough University rated Chicago as an "alpha world city" due to Chicago's important role in the global economic system.

The outcome of the Great Chicago Fire led to the largest building boom in the history of the nation. Perhaps the most outstanding of these events was the relocation of many of the nation's most prominent architects from New England to the city for construction of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition.

In 1885, the first steel-framed high-rise building, the Home Insurance Building, rose in Chicago, ushering in the skyscraper era.Today, Chicago's skyline is among the world's tallest and most dense.The nation's two tallest buildings are both located in Chicago; Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), and Trump International Hotel and Tower. The Loop's historic buildings include the Chicago Board of Trade Building, the Fine Arts Building, 35 East Wacker, and the Chicago Building, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments by Mies van der Rohe, along with many others. The Merchandise Mart, once first on the list of largest buildings in the world, and still listed as twentieth with its own ZIP code, stands near the junction of the North and South branches of the Chicago River. Presently, the four tallest buildings in the city are Willis Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower, the Aon Center (previously the Standard Oil Building), and the John Hancock Center. Industrial districts, such as on the South Side, the areas along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago Southland, and Northwest Indiana are clustered. Future skyline plans include, amongst others, the supertall Chicago Spire.

Multiple kinds and scales of houses, townhouses, condominiums, and apartment buildings can be found in Chicago. Large swaths of Chicago's residential areas away from the lake are characterized by bungalows built from the early 20th century through the end of World War II. Chicago is also a prominent center of the Polish Cathedral style of church architecture. One of Chicago's suburbs, Oak Park, was home to the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Next Day we strted for visit of Chicago Down Town which famous for Sky Scrappers. We have parked our car at Navy Pier After break fast we have taken a Water Taxi ( a river boat in which we have travelled in the river passing through the downtown. It was a wonderful experience. We have thoroughoy enjoyed our drive watching the sky scrappers on the banks of the river. Then we visited the Willis tower. Visitors are allowed up to 108 th floor of the tower and from there we can watch the Chicago city. A glass enclosure is arranged on the balcony which is very safe from there visitors can see the city down and photos can be taken.

Willis Tower, formerly named Sears Tower, is a 108-story 1,451 feet (442 m) skyscraper.At the time of its completion in 1974, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York. Currently, Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world as well as the fifth tallest building in the world to the roof.



Although Sears' naming rights expired in 2003, the building continued to be called Sears Tower for several years. In March 2009 London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, Ltd., agreed to lease a portion of the building and obtained the building's naming rights as part of the agreement. On July 16, 2009, at 10:00 am Central Time, the building was officially renamed Willis Tower.

After visiting Willies tower, we have walked through roads of down town of Chicago for some time and came back to the parkihg place by water taxi. We had some food in a Maxican restuarent and started for St.Louis and reached home by 12.00 AM

My Visit to Famous St. Louis Zoo

Visit to St.Louis zoo

My grand daughter is studying Kinder Garden in a Nursery School called Centre at Conway in Chesterfield. On May 12th the school has arranged a visit to Local zoo for the children and they have invited parents to accompany. I have utilized this opportunity to visit Famous St.Louis Zoo which is more than 100 years old and very famous in US. On that day we went to the school at 9.00 AM and all children and accompanying elders gathered in the school and they have started for the Zoo in four busses. It was just half an hour drive. Snacks packets containing turkey sandwich, cookies, cool drink packet and a milk chocolate was given to children and also to the elders. All were asked to come back at 11.30 for returning.

The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair is credited for the birth of the St. Louis Zoo. The Fair brought the world's attention to St. Louis and Forest Park. The Smithsonian Institution constructed a walk-through bird cage for the World's Fair. Ten days after the World's Fair closed, the citizens of St. Louis chose to buy the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage for $3,500, rather than have it dismantled and returned to Washington, D.C. The St. Louis Zoo was born.

The Saint Louis Zoological Park is a zoo in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. Admission is free through a public subsidy from the ZMD.One special feature is the Zoo line Railroad, a small passenger train that encircles the zoo, stopping at the more popular attractions. Home to more than 22,805 exotic animals, many of them rare and endangered. These 800 species represent the major continents and biomes of the world. Set in the 90 acres of rolling hills, lakes and glades of Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo is always a great place to be visited. Due to lack of time we have visited children park and few other places. There was slight rain and my grand daughter was enjoying the rain. We returned well before time and visited the Zoo stall in the entrance where many items like toys of animals, t-shirts, other gift items to remember the visit of the zoo are being sold.

St Louis

St Louis

My Stay at St.Louis,MO

On 28 Apr 2010, at 6.00 AM, we have started from Houston for St.Louis in the State of Missouri by South West Airlines Flight from another airport in Houston called William Hobby Airport. After Security check, we have boarded on Flight 294 from gate No.20 and there were plenty of seats available, so we have been asked to sit where ever we want. We settled in comfortable seats near window. The Flight took off at 07.45 and we started watching the City of Houston from flying aircraft which was a wonderful scene. During the flight we were offered only coffee and peanuts as the journey was only 1 hour and fifty minutes. When the Missouri river was seen from the air I understood that we are nearing St.Louis. We have landed in St.Louis Airport at 8.35. Our Son-in-law Mr. Sunil Kumar came to Airport to receive us.

My daughter is living at Green Castle, Village Green in Chesterfield area of St.Louis. The area is fully green with beautiful wooden houses. The weather was very pleasant with maximum temperature of 18 deg C and with bright Sun but only warm. Chill winds yet times trouble us. During spring the weather is fairly mild and changes suddenly. Following is the information about the city of St.Louis what I have gathered from net.

St. Louis is an independent city^] in the U.S. state of Missouri. The city itself has an estimated population of 354,361 and is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,879,934, the largest urban area in Missouri and 16th-largest in the United States.

Before the European explorers traveled down the great river, the rich land that would become St. Louis was home to the Mississippians, a mighty Indian civilization of mound builders. At its height, more than 20,000 people lived in the fertile river valley. When that culture mysteriously disappeared during Europe’s Middle Ages, only their huge earthen structures were left, earning St. Louis one of its earliest nicknames, “Mound City.” Today’s visitors can explore that lost civilization at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

The city was founded in 1764 just south of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers by colonial French traders Pierre Laclède and René Auguste Chouteau, who named the settlement after King Louis IX of France. The city, as well as the future state of Missouri, became part of the Spanish Empire after the French were defeated in the Seven Years' War. In 1800, the land was secretly transferred back to France, whose leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, sold it to the United States in 1803. Nicknamed the "Gateway to the West" for its role in the westward expansion of the United States, the city gave the moniker in 1968 to the new Gateway Arch built as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; the Arch has become the iconic image of St. Louis.

Once the 4th-largest U.S. city, St. Louis proper has seen its population slip to 52nd.At the peak of the city's influence, St. Louis hosted the 1904 World's Fair and 1904 Olympic Games, both the first of their kind held in the Western Hemisphere.In the 19th century, immigration from Italy, Germany, Bohemia, and Ireland flooded St. Louis, coloring the cuisine and architecture of the city. Many African-Americans moved north to the city during the Great Migration..

The city contributed to the musical styles of blues, ragtime, and jazz. The St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams, make their home at Busch Stadium. Other professional teams include the St. Louis Rams (football), St. Louis Blues (hockey) and AC St. Louis (soccer). A diversity of successful sports franchises has led to St. Louis being called "North America's Best Sports City.” The city's many 19th-century breweries shaped beer in the United States, most notably Anheuser-Busch, Falstaff Brewing Corporation, and Lemp Brewery. The vestiges of French and Spanish colonization make St. Louis one of the largest centers of Roman Catholicism in the United States.

My stay here will be up to 24^th of May. Last week end we have visited famous Gateway Arch.  I have taken a ticket to go up the bridge. There were six coupes taking 5 persons each up to the top of the arch and I have taken good photographs of the city from there.

We have enjoyed river cruise on board TOM SAWYER which is a replica of 18^th century river boat that were plying regularly in the river Mississippi. We have travelled three miles in the river under famous EADS Bridge which was constructed in 1874. Still that bridge is so strong, regular rail traffic through it , seen even today.

My days are spent so leisurely without any worry or problem. Enjoying the mornings by walking out side the house and evenings visiting some shopping centers and big malls. Visit to Hindu temple complex was a wonderful experience where we can have darshan of all most of all Gods. Indians  here are much interested in our tradition and dharma and performing all pujas regularly and all festivals are performed here.

While Leaving

So Finally Mom gave dad the Go to visit US. I wish they enjoy a lot and keep in good health.

US Visit -Continued...

It is the long pending wish  of my children Pavan who is in Houston, Texas and my daughter Neeima in New York. Soon after getting Visit Visa for me and my wife Nagamani,my son has booked tickets in Feb 2010 for Apr 28. After preparations like various purchases, medical checkups and packing, checking the weights etc, on 27th Apr we were very busy through out the day with the visits of friends and relatives,phone calls and emails In the evening my brother-in-law Mr. Harakrihna visited us and at 2.00 AM we have proceeded to Airport along with my son Meghasyam,daughter-in-law Vijayalakshmi and grand son Sai Aditya along with sisters of my wife, Smt Kusuma kumari from Hyderabad and Kum Anjanadevi who is a teacher at Sircilla in Karimnagar district.A t4.00AM our checkin baggage  was accepted without any problem as the weights were within the limit of 23 Kgs.There was a problem at Security check for cabin baggage as the x-ray found Silvar Saibaba mandap and idol which we are carryig as gift to my son.However, after seeing it , they have cleared the security check.After seen off by my family and relatives, we have walked with out cabin baggage to gate no.34B to get into the flight. At about 6.20 we have embarked on board BA 276 and we were alloted 18K and 18J seats and I sat near the window.During take off I did not feel much but my wife had lot of ear ache though she kept some earbuds in her ears, I gave her some chewing gum to chew so that ear pain would reduce for some extent. There was bright Sun and few strato cumulus clouds, weather was scantly cloudy. When we were above white clouds lit by bright Sun light, it was a pleasent scene. I tried to take the photogrph but unfortunately the wing of the aircraft were obstructing my view. We were served a continental breakfast followed by some snacks after three hours. After two hours,few soft and hot drinks were sereved followed by an Indian lunch containing vegitarian curry and rice.

We reached 12.45 local time at Heathrow Airport London. We were carried to  terminal 5 by a bus. There was a security check again and all our cabin baggage was cheked completely. Then we have to rush to another side of the terminal at Gate 34 to catch another flight BA 197 to Huston. After using few escaltors and one inter terminal train, we reached the correct gate to catch the flight. After travelling for 10 hrs we reached Houston at 6.30 PM local time.During the entire journey of 24 hours we have not seen night. It was long waiting for immegration check as three international fights have landed at George Bush International Airport,Houstan at that time. We completed our check by 8.15 PM. Our son Pavan was waiting for us and he picked up us and reached his home at 1029,Pin Oak Apartmenet. After wash we went out side and had some food at an Indian Restaurent.

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States and the largest city in the state of Texas. As of the 2009 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles (1,600 km2).Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area—the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of 5.9 million.
Houston was founded on August 30, 1836, by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837, and named after then-President of the Republic of Texas—former General Sam Houston—who had commanded at the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place 25 miles (40 km) east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.
Rated as a beta world city, Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, and health care sectors and is a leading center for building oilfield equipment; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters in the city limits.The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits—attracting more than 7 million visitors a year to the Houston Museum District. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and is one of few U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.

Next two days we have spent our time by  going to various shopping centers and other business centres.  We need to make some urgent purchases like house hold items, groceries etc., I have taken one pair of shoes and also two T shirts and a Jeans pant for my use in US.

My US Visit

Hi Folks!!!

As mentioned earlier to some of my friends, I have started this blog to get you all the happenings during my visit to US. Now countdown started for my travel and the departure is at 6.45 AM on 28 Apr by British Airways flight via London to Huston,TX