Wisetrips Travel Blog

Which are the best restaurants, spas, and travel destinations? At the end of 2017, I am rating the following (from best to worst) based on my personal experience. Restaurants Even though Michelin has not rated it, Mama's Fish House on Maui is our favorite restaurant worldwide. Mama's Fish House combines an authentic Hawaiian atmosphere with exceptional cooking and a magnificent tropical setting (overlooki…

On Saturday, December 23, we decided to see the famous birds and animals at the world-famous San Diego Zoo . We enjoyed our stroll through the zoo, but Inna could not really enjoy it due to her mother's fall and transfer to the hospital. The Pink Flamingoes were the first colorful birds we saw, and Inna could not resist the urge to take a couple of photos. There are many varieties of monkeys: Orangutans, G…

For a nice, relaxing, and relatively inexpensive trip during the Christmas holidays, we decided to revisit the city of San Diego. We last visited San Diego in June 2008, so we were eager to review our main attractions. Inna found inexpensive, direct flights on Southwest Airlines from San Jose to San Diego, so we booked the trip. Our initial plan was to fly out on Thursday, December 21, at 8:15 a.m. on Southwest Flight #6225 an…

Today, I saw "A Night of Jazz" at Bellarmine College Prep - a concert of the Jazz Band classics. The music program included several compositions I had never heard of and a few I recognized (as Jazz Standards). "Cottontail" - a famous Duke Ellington tune - was a highlight for me, along with "Charade" by Henry Mancini. Music Program Perfidia …

I last saw Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox live at Warfield, San Francisco, on December 13, 2015 . At that time, the line-up included Arianna Savalis, Haley Reinhart, and Sara Niemietz. Two years later - on December 10, 2017 - my wife and I saw another show with many different singers and musicians. Unfortunately, neither Hailey nor Arianna were present this time (nor Scott Bradlee h…

On a chilly, 38 Fahrenheit December morning, I decided to practice my dirt biking skills at Hollister Hills SVRA. After loading my Yamaha WR250F motorcycle and associated gear, I stopped by the nearby House of Bagels to pick up my croissant, Turkey Bagel, and chocolate muffin for lunch. The drive to Hollister took about an hour, and I was surprised to arrive at around 9:10am with few people there. I parked at…

Today, I saw the TheatreWorks production of "Around the World in 80 Days" at Lucie Stren Theater in Palo Alto. Around the World in 80 Days by Laura Eason takes the classic work from Jules Verne and adapts it for the theater. It centers on the story of Phileas Fogg, who tackles the wager that he cannot cross the World in just 80 days. In Eason's adaptation, we see Fogg head out across the World, visiting distant p…