Actress Bhavna Balsawar took in the American delights in November last year. Her mom Shubha Khote was her travel mate for the three-weeks tour

Bhavna's American trails

Actress Bhavna Balsawar took in the American delights in November last year. Her mom Shubha Khote was her travel mate for the three-weeks tour. Says Bhavna, "My mom and I love to travel and we make trips overseas at least once every year, if not twice." Here's her account of all the fun and fanfare:u00a0

Heavy plans
We started our holiday in New York, then went on to Houston and from there to a small waterfront town in Texas called Kemah. Las Vegas and Grand Canyon were next. In Vegas, we played at the slot machines. This time, lady luck decided to bless me with a small fortune every time I played with a small amount. I made a deal with my mother that I would splurge my earnings of every evening on breakfast the next day. Needless to say, we had heavy, sumptuous breakfasts throughout our stay in Vegas!

Playful two
Belonging to the profession we do, my mom and I make it a point to watch a lot of shows when we travel. In fact, we schedule our trips in accordance with the plays. This time in New York, we watched four shows on Broadway in a span of only three daysu00a0-- A Steady Rain, Bye Bye Birdie, God of Carnage and Wishful Drinking. In Las Vegas too, we watched two theatrical extravaganzas -- Ray Romano and Kevin James' stand up comedy act and The Showgirl Must Go On, a musical, by Bette Midler. We did our airline bookings only after we had secured all the show tickets!

High point
A thrilling, high point of the trip, besides watching Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig live in action on stage (A Steady Rain), was the hike I took to Guano point during our visit to Grand Canyon. Guano point gives one of the most spectacular views of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River flowing below. As I stood in solitude atop the peak, I was overwhelmed by the serenity that fills these ravines. The stark, natural beauty takes your breath away, as does, not knowing where to put your next step as you gingerly tread on the treacherous rocks!