Stone 8 Resort & Aurora Memorial National Park in Nueva Ecija

The silent town of Gabaldon in Nueva Ecija is just an hour and half away from Cabanatuan City. One cannot just fall asleep on the way because the picturesque landscape is enough to keep you awake. On the way, the rice fields are so green with flocks and flocks of ducks every now and then. The Pampanga river runs silently on the right side. What's so amazing are the mountains of General Tinio on the right and the Sierra Madre Mountains on the left side which can be likened to the rolling mountains of Batanes.

Stone 8 Resort is a notable resort just along the National Highway of Gabaldon before reaching the town of Dingalan. It is at the foot of the Aurora Memorial National Park. The entrance fee is just P50 per head but the cottages are expensive. You must bring your own charcoal for grilling because it's expensive as well. Even the grill is for rent! Everything inside is so expensive. They also have rooms for rent. I'm sure they're so expensive, too. Ok, enough with that.

In fairness, the water in the swimming pool is so cold since it is fresh running water from the mountains of Sierra Madre. There's a big dual slide at the big swimming pool. And on the far side, is the nice swimming pool for kids which I know they will surely enjoy. There's also a small river which runs across the resort and empties into the big river in the highway. But it was a rainy day and the water from the mountains are murky. I'm sure it's a lovely sight during summer.

But what's exciting about this resort is the hiking trail going to the Aurora Memorial National Park. The trail is well maintained. The first hundred steps were cemented but after that, was just a small trail going steeply uphill. But this side of the mountains are lined with mahogany trees which you can hold on to. I'm not athletic, so as usual, the climb was so hard for me. But it was just a breeze for the boys. But the struggle of the climb was all worth it because it was a view to behold when we reached a clearing. I stayed in the clearing to savor the beauty of Gabaldon and the nearby towns. The boys even went to the peak of the mountain and they said that it was even more beautiful. But we have to hike down fast since it was already raining. We had bananas for umbrellas - brings back childhood memories.