Aspiring Nirvana

Is Online Grocery Shopping Worth It? – Pros and Cons

You sit on your couch, select the grocery items from the web, pay online via credit card, and voila! Everything is delivered at your door! What can be better than that? Well, what if you enjoy the experience of in-person shopping?

Benefits of Online Grocery

It’s safer during pandemic

You stay away from the crowded places that potentially lowers your chance of catching disease
You don’t need to put on a mask, wear gloves or use sanitizer

It saves money

There are less chance of buying items on impulse
You can view the total cost and easily change items, which is much easier to do than at store
It save on gas as you are not driving around the town

It’s convenient

Nothing can beat the convenience of online grocery shopping
Getting groceries delivered comes really handy during inclement weather
Time saved by online shopping can be used for more productive and fun activities

Drawbacks of Online Grocery

It can be more expensive

Grocery delivery companies charge delivery fees, service charges and you often have to tip
Prices of certain items may be higher online compared to the store

It can limit your choices

Not all store items may be available online
If the store runs out of your specific brand item then your shopper may not easily pick a substitute
You cannot examine fruits and vegetables condition that fit your needs

Final Verdict

It is really up to you to decide if online grocery fits your lifestyle. It is extremely convenient, but if you enjoy in-person shopping experience than nothing can beat that!

Rare Walk with the Giants of Earth at Sequoia National Park

If you aspire to stand next to the tallest, widest, fastest-growing and longest-lived of all organisms on Earth, you must visit Sequoia National Park to view Giant Sequoia trees. These trees are as tall as 25-story building, have width similar to a city street, and are older than 2500 years. You have to literally stand next to one of them to appreciate the stunning size of these giants!

Sequoia National Park is located in California, close to town of Visalia that is mid-way between San Jose and Los Angeles. We started driving from town of Visalia and reached the park entrance in about 1.5 hours. The route cuts across steep and winding mountain roads that offer beautiful scenery along the way.

We parked near Giant Forest Museum and walked inside to get information about giant sequoias and nearby attractions.

Outside the museum we took Big Trees Trail that is about 1 mile loop. Throughout the trail we saw incredible sequoia trees and lovely meadow with plenty of photo opportunities.

Big Tree Trail, can you spot tiny humans?

Once back to the museum, we boarded one of the free shuttles that takes visitors through the main attractions of the park. We highly recommend taking the shuttle.

General Sherman is a giant sequoia tree and is the largest tree in the world; standing about 275 feet tall, about 100 feet in circumference, weigh 1,385 tons and is believed to be 2,200 years old. Our reaction after watching it was “this is a BIG monster..”

You may have done plenty of drive-through for coffee, but if you ever wanted to drive through a tree then you need to visit Tree Log Tunnel. The tunnel is 8 feet tall and 17 feet wide. The tree had died of natural causes and was later turned into a tunnel.

Crescent Meadow is a small and beautiful meadow in the region and is often praised as “Gem of the Sierra”. We strolled through this peaceful place that was flourishing with lush greenery.

Our last destination was Mono Rock, which offers best view of the whole park.

Moro Rock is a large granite dome that has elevation of about 6,750 feet. We hiked to the summit by taking about 400 steps of concrete stairway. Be careful of the narrow and sudden drop-offs along the route, although handrails makes it somewhat safer to climb. From the top, we saw spectacular view of the valleys and wilderness in the surrounding area.