The Backpack Adventures

After 7 long years, my wife and I finally got a chance to revisit Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte last December 2017. What makes this trip special for me is that for this road trip, we already have a daughter along with us. Aside from that, this road trip is also my first with my wife's family. It was safe to say that it was a special year-ender trip for me. Ilocos Sur - Ilocos Norte Road Trip 2017 Here's how our Ilocos Sur-Ilocos Norte Road Trip 2017 turned out: December 25 (Day 1) Our adventure started in my brother-in-law's house in Cavite. Our two-car convoy left at around 7AM. The trip was quite fast thanks to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway or TPLEX. By 12NN we were already having lunch at Casantaan Bulaluhan at Kambingan Eatery in the town of Sto. Tomas in La Union. Lunch at Casantaan Bulaluhan at Kambingan Eatery Yummy bulalo After lunch, we drove straight to Ilocos Sur and reached the Ilocos Sur Arch a few hours later. As expected, we had our...

Located at Anonang Mayor corner Don Lorenzo Quirubin in the town of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, Heritage Resort of Caoayan is a five-hectare family resort that is perfectly located a few kilometers away from the historical city of Vigan . Heritage Resort of Caoayan Heritage Resort of Caoayan Details Heritage Resort of Caoayan offers visitors budget-friendly accommodations and its geographical closeness to Vigan City . Aside from that, visitors with time to spare can also take a dip in its pools or just relax in its farm-like atmosphere. What I like about the resort is its large rooms. Apart from being wallet-friendly, it could also fit a family of 10 (given that four of them are children). Speaking of large space, the resort also has a large parking space suited for those family road trip convoys. In connection to that, it is also good to know that the resort also has a large pavilion that can be used for weddings, debuts, or birthdays.  Heritage Resort of Caoayan - Caoayan, Iloc...

Located in the town of Agdangan in Quezon province, the Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary is a Catholic tower and sanctuary built beside the town's parish church. Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary History Standing 120 feet tall, the Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary is the brainchild of Fr. Raul "Puti" Enriquez. The inspiration to build a sanctuary in Agdangan came to him sometime in 2003 during the time when  jueteng  (a local type of gambling)   and excessive drinking plagued the small coastal town.  Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary - Agdangan, Quezon The sanctuary is just beside St. Isidore Parish Church Reminds me of Seattle Space Needle Collective visions and dreams of several people about the sanctuary brought together important people who played a big role in the movement to build the sanctuary in 2004. Construction took a few years and was finished in 2007. According to our guide Ms. Yam Maglaqui , th...