Wisetrips Travel Blog

Which are the best restaurants, spas, and travel destinations?  At the end of 2021, 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 (overlooking Maui's North …

How was 2021 in Sports? With Covid-19 raging, it turned out quite different, with much more windsurfing  and  mountain biking  than in previous years. Here is the link to my Strava Year in Sports 77 days of playing tennis at Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC) 42 days of  surfing  (Capitola, Rockpile Beach, Trestles) 20 days of windsurfing (Crissy Field) 3 days of snowboarding (Palisades Tah…

On Christmas Eve, Inna and I strolled through our Almaden Winery neighborhood to enjoy and delight in the elaborate Christmas ornaments set up for display. For Christmas Eve, Inna ordered a few ethnic Russian favorites, including: 'Olivye' Salad Roasted Duck Holodetz Shuba I really liked the Roasted Duck - it was delicious!

As I struggled with consistency in my one-handed tennis backhand, Ryan Reidy from  2minutetennis  evaluated it and offered excellent pointers for improvement. Here is a list of technique items to work on: The backhand stroke must be initiated lower, with the top of the tennis racket being at the same height as my head (my error was in holding the racket much higher - this works for the slice backhand stroke, but no…

Saturday, December 18, 2021 On Saturday, December 18, 2021, we woke at 05:30 to prepare for the long drive to North Lake Tahoe. One of our friends offered us a room at a house on Donner Lake (near Truckee), and we planned to use it as a base to snowboard at Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley) and at Alpine Meadows. I pre-purchased  Ikon passes for Alex and me (that I did not use last year but intended to use this year). …

With a Covid-19 outbreak at N.U.in London , we suggested that Alex return one week earlier from London, UK. Instead of Sunday, December 19th, we modified Alex's return flight to San Francisco for Sunday, December 12th. His American Airlines Flight from London's Heathrow Airport arrived on time in San Francisco (thankfully, ahead of the big winter storm heading for Northern California). Alex almost missed his fli…

Forehand Notes Initiating the stroke below the ball increases overall topspin (but is more challenging to time on fastballs) Hitting in front of the right shoulder really helps Accelerating the arm through the ball for more power (watch the follow-through) Keeping the wrist firm (not loose) Left hand going up Initiating the stroke after the bounce If you need to hit harder, you need more topspin…

Inna found out about a Pink Martini Concert in Palo Alto (for which tickets were sold out), but she purchased excellent seats for a concert at SF Jazz (201 Franklin St, San Francisco). After driving to San Francisco, we decided to park at the Performing Arts Garage , where I parked my van. It seemed safer than the other parking lots nearby (due to all the unsavory characters and homeless). Since we arrived early …

As I struggled with my tennis serve, Ryan Reidy from 2minutetennis  evaluated my serve and offered excellent pointers for improvement. Here is a list of technique items to work on: The tossing arm should be pointing straight up During the toss, when releasing the ball, the tennis racket should be pointing down The right arm should be much closer to my head (relative to touching my tossing arm) during th…

On November 20, 2021, Inna and I revisited Sedona, Arizona. We last visited Sedona on November 28, 2019 (before COVID-19) and were eager to hike some of our favorites again. Since the  Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock was much more expensive, Inna and I decided to try the Lantern Light Inn instead. We also booked Southwest Airlines Flight #2316 from SJC to PHX, departing at 07:35 PST. Saturday, November 20, 2021 …