Baguio City: Getting There

Finally, after more than 5 years i was set to go back to the City of Pines, Baguio City. i didn't really intend to be away from this mile high city that long, there had been numerous attempts to come back sooner but got cancelled for reasons i can no longer even remember. forget those cancelled trips, the important thing is i'm going back and i'm as excited as my first time some 20 years ago.

since i'd be driving going to the City That Kisses The Clouds, i had to get my car ready for the long haul ahead. i had my tires checked out for holes, luckily all five tires were ok. then i visited a Shell Service Station to have them check whatever it was that needed to be checked for a long trip ahead.

On the day of the trip, i filled my gas tank so i can compute my car's fuel efficiency. Kilometer 0 was the Shell Gas Station near Ever Commonwealth. Good thing fuel prices had been on a downtrend making driving to Baguio more practical than hopping on a bus.

Being an occasional environmentalist, i filled my gas tank with Shell's Super Unleaded E10, which is the most environment friendly fuel as of yet from Shell.

Another thing that got me interested in driving all the way up to Baguio was the completion of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway or SCTEX. i already tested the SCTEX going to Zambales early this year and it really was a welcome development for trippers like us.

i'm sure with this expressway, tourism in the provinces being served by it will get a needed boost as it cuts traffic anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the destination. More tourists will be encouraged to travel with SCTEX in operation.

It costed me Php69.00 from SCTEX exit to Tarlac City exit, not bad for the hassle-free driving that stretched around 70 kilometers.

Left our house just before 4:30am to get a headstart over the other expected vacationers. good thing about leaving early is you get to average at a high speed due to the small volume of cars on the expressway during that time.

there are several roads leading up to Baguio, but i preferred Kennon being the shortest one of them. and i learned that this was the most scenic path leading up to Baguio. i made sure i stopped by the Kennon Viewpoint for it offers the view of the path you just took and it was quite a sight.

another reason of choosing Kennon was to show my son, Jaden, the Lion Head bust near the top. He might recognize it from the Madagascar cartoon character, Alex the Lion. Unfortunately, he was more scared that animated with the Lion Head when they came finally face to face. We arrived at the Lion Head at around 9am and it was already full of tourists.

the entire trip took about 4.5 hours coming from Commonwealth in Quezon City with a slight delay at the exit of the Tarlac SCTEX due to growing volume of vehicles by then. on a lucky day, you could really get to Baguio in 4 hours coming from Commonwealth so i think given this stat i think i'd be visiting Baguio more often than before, guaranteed.

Now that i got under way with my trip to the Summer Capital, i'm looking forward to enjoying my stay here and i'll keep you posted of the places and experiences i get to enjoy for the next four days.