Wisetrips Travel Blog

Gunhild Carling’s performance at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco was a terrific night out for fans of traditional jazz—from Dixieland and swing to big-band classics—and for anyone who appreciates musicians as entertaining to watch as they are to hear. The Swedish-born multi-instrumentalist, singer, and entertainer, often dubbed the Queen of Swing , brings together dazzling musicianship, vintage jazz, playful humor…

Today, after test-riding the X-Lab RS7  road bike and the X-Lab GT8  gravel bike at the local Sports Basement in Almaden (the shop finally had both bikes in stock), I decided to buy the RS7 base model in white, size large. At $ 2099 , it offers the best value and felt excellent on the road. I considered the X-Lab RS7 Di2 version with electronic gear shifting for $2899 (an $800 premium), but decided the added cost and comple…

For our 25th Anniversary dinner, I initially booked Evvia, but had to cancel because Inna felt unwell. When I tried to book another day, I could only reserve outdoor tables, which worried me due to the cold weather. I decided to try dining at Le Papillon —a restaurant I visited decades ago. I made a dinner reservation for Saturday, October 24, at 19:00. On arrival (a short 15-minute drive from home), we were quickly seated …

With the promise of continued beautiful weather (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in Santa Cruz, I planned a Saturday morning cycling trip around Happy Valley (using Komoot as my guide). When Alex arrived at 09:00, we loaded his bike into my Toyota Sienna and headed to Gateway Plaza in downtown Santa Cruz, where we'd start our ride. On arrival there, we unloaded the bikes and started the ride. At first, we encountered a few homeless…

We haven't been to Carmel-by-the-Sea in a while, so we decided to revisit it on Saturday.  We met up with our friends at our favorite  Mad Dogs & Englishmen Cafe , which has nice bicycle sidecars on display. After sampling a few pastries and enjoying delicious cappuccinos, we walked down to the beach. Although it was mid-October, the weather was beautiful and a bit hot (reaching 85 Fahrenheit). We saw packs of …

For my 58th Birthday, Inna treated me to a delicious dinner at Dalida Mediterranean in San Francisco's Presidio. She made a reservation for 19:30 (the earliest available for Sunday, October 11).  We tried calling Dalida to see if we could dine earlier, but couldn't reach anyone. When we arrived about 40 minutes early, they told us we couldn't be seated earlier. Since it was getting dark, we decided to park near t…

A.C.T.’s North by Northwest ( playing at Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco)  feels like a production whose theatrical ingenuity outpaces its storytelling: an accomplished cast, inventive stagecraft, and considerable comic energy, but an uneven relationship with Hitchcock’s suspense. Whether that sounds entertaining or frustrating depends on how much you enjoy seeing a familiar thriller turned into playful physical theater. …

I hoped to wing foil at Coyote Point (one final time this season), but the wind didn't cooperate. Although the forecast called for 20 knots, I waited until 13:00, but the wind didn't reach the forecast speed. I decided to unload my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan and go mountain biking at Almaden Quicksilver instead.  I parked at the Hacienda entrance nd unloaded my 2011 Specialized FSR Stumpjumper.  I started the ride a…