A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
After five days in Tokyo, we were eager to explore the Japanese countryside and the Nagano prefecture. The Nagano region is well-known for excellent summer hiking and exceptional winter snow-powder conditions (a dream destination for snowboarding).. . We boarded the Shinkansen "bullet train" from Shinjuku station to Matsumoto in Nagano, Japan, where we planned to stay two nights.. . . . When we arrived in…
Read More: Charming Matsumoto
I have only read a little about Kamakura. It is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan, the nation's most populous settlement from 1200 to 1300 A.D., and the seat of the shogunate and the regency during the Kamakura period.. . . . Since our Rose Garden Shinjuku hotel was in Tokyo, we took the train from Shinjuku Station…
Read More: Historical Kamakura
I have always wanted to visit Japan, but airline tickets from San Jose to Tokyo have always been out of reach. However, Inna found an exceptional offer ($439 round-trip) for June, so she purchased 3 tickets on Japan Airlines (JAL) from Los Angeles to Tokyo (Narita Airport). Since we live in San Jose, we also needed airline tickets from San Jose to Los Angeles, and…
Read More: Terrific Tokyo
Since iwindsurf.com was reporting epic windy conditions at Crissy Field in San Francisco, I decided to try windsurfing there. I initially hoped to sail at Waddell Creek, but the forecast was less favorable.. . . . . . The traffic was quite heavy, but I found plentiful windsurfing parking (on a green lawn, no less) on the east beach. I was surprised that many people…
Read More: Crankin’ at Crissy Field
It's been a while since I rode my Yamaha WR250F off-road motorcycle, and I decided to refresh my skills with a ride in Hollister Hills SVRA. The weather was promising to be hot (90+ F), and I decided to leave early to enjoy the rides until it got unpleasant.. . When I arrived around 9:40 a.m., Hollister Hills SVRA looked pretty empty. I am used…
Read More: Dirt biking at Hollister Hills SVRA
Today, I finally got to windsurf my Goya 84-liter quad custom waveboard in really windy conditions.. . When I arrived at Coyote Point, I saw a few sailors on 5.7m+ sails, so I decided to sail my tried-and-true Mistral Flow 276. However, when a few sailors returned, they reported crazy winds in the channel - of up to 30+ knots. They were all rigging down…
Read More: Windsurfing Coyote Point’s High Winds
We decided to have a fun family day at the Emerald Hills Golfland in South San Jose. In the past, Inna used to beat everyone, with Alex and I trailing by a few shots.. . On this particular occasion, I played unusually well (at least consistently) and made a few errors.. . . . Inna and Alex played equally well, eventually tying for second place..…
Read More: Fun at Emerald Hills Golfland
Today, I listened to the "Jazz in the Spring Concert" at Bellarmine College Prep's Sobrato Mainstage Theater, where my son plays the trumpet as a freshman. The music program was extensive, but it was sad since Frank and Diane Wyant left Bellarmine. . . Ryan Stohs was substituting for Frank and Diane Wyant.. . . . Alex played trumpet in the first three compositions (as…
Read More: Jazz in the Spring at Bellarmine
Since I recently purchased a Goya 84L Custom waveboard and an Ezzy Elite 4.0 wave sail, I have been eager to try them out.. . . . Checking the wind forecast on iWindsurf.com, I noticed that high winds were expected at Coyote Point (and many other sailing sites in the San Francisco Bay area). I headed to Coyote Point (closest to me) and rigged my…
Read More: Windsurfing Coyote Point
Since my son wanted to learn windsurfing, I signed him up for 2-day windsurfing lessons at Boardsports in Alameda.. . Due to lighter morning winds, sandy beaches, and relatively shallow waters, I was told it was the most desirable location for beginners.. . . . On Saturday, May 5, the windsurfing lesson started at 10:00 am and ended at 1:00 pm.. . . . The…
Read More: Windsurfing Lessons at Alameda
The "Play" version of the Babolat Pure Drive tennis racket contains sensors to track tennis swings and record forehand, backhand, and serve statistics. I was always interested in the racquet, but it was prohibitively expensive - at $349. However, I saw a seller on eBay for $200 (for a new 2015 version) and decided to take the plunge.. . . . To get the Babolat…
Read More: Review: Babolat Pure Drive Play tennis racquet
Today, I listened to the "Spring Concert" at Bellarmine College Prep, where my son, a freshman, plays the trumpet. The music program was extensive, but it was sad since Frank and Diane Wyant left Bellarmine.. . . . I enjoyed the whole program, but especially liked "El Arco de Los Cabos" by Ed Huckeby.. . Music Program. . Director: Diane Wyant. Assistant: Ryan Stohs. .…
Read More: A Spring Concert at Bellarmine
After surfing at Pleasure Point alone, I set up two-hour, two-person private lessons with the Surf School of Santa Cruz. I had to re-schedule a few times (due to high surf) but finally settled on Sunday, April 22.. . We arrived a bit early (the lesson was scheduled for 10:00am), arriving around 9:20am (before the shop was open). The owner was there soon, and we…
Read More: Surfing Lessons with Bud
When I was offered to attend the Sharks vs Ducks Stanley Cup Playoffs (Game 3) for free, I jumped at the chance.. . I was uncertain as I had never seen an NHL playoff game live.. . . . I arrived early - around 18:30 - and found some nearby paid parking for $15 under the I-880 bridge. I walked to the SAP Center (there…
Read More: Sharks vs Ducks Stanley Cup Playoffs
After surfing in Sayulita, Mexico, Alex and I decided to try surfing in Santa Cruz. I found a well-regarded surf sport called Pleasure Point in Capitola and a nearby shop to rent gear - RipCurl (on 41st Avenue). The rental prices are high - $25/board and $20/wetsuit.. . . . We rented two NSP 60 fishes and a wetsuit for Alex (I had my own)…
Read More: Surfing Pleasure Point
In the late afternoon, we took a short taxi ride to Vallarta Adventures, where we boarded boat #4 for the one-hour sail to Las Caletas for the Rhythms of the Night - Savia dinner and show.. . . . We saw a few people dressed in attractive costumes when we arrived onshore in Las Caletas.. . . . Drums were being beaten, calling us to…
Read More: Rhythms of the Night – Savia
When we finally found a working ATM (not especially easy in Mexico), we took out some extra money for jet skiing.. . Here is a GoPro Hero 4 Silver video I recorded of our jet skiing in Nuevo Vallarta, off the beach of Villa del Palmar Flamingos hotel:. . . . The cost on the beach at Villa La Estancia was 1100 pesos for 30…
Read More: Jet Skiing and Boogie Boarding in Nuevo Vallarta
Inna was looking forward to swimming with dolphins in the wild, and she scheduled a half-day session with Mexican Ecotours for Tuesday, April 2. We departed our hotel at 7:50 am for the Puerto Vallarta Marina, where Ecotours is located.. . . . When we arrived there, we checked in and were given snorkeling gear. In addition, we were also shown videos about dolphins and…
Read More: Swimming with Dolphins
In the morning, we decided to skip breakfast and head for the famous surf town of Sayulita. It is renowned as hippie heaven, with lots of surf and yoga shops (at least that's what we were told). Alex and I had plans to surf on the beach (though the surf forecast promised small waves).. . . . The taxi ride from our Villa La Estancia…
Read More: Surfing in Sayulita
After eating breakfast at the nearby El Patron Mexican restaurant in Villa del Parmar Flamingos, we boarded our taxi for the short ride to Vallarta Adventures in Nuevo Vallarta (a 15-minute taxi ride).. . . . After checking in at the Vallarta Adventures lobby, we purchased the additional flyboard activity for Alex ($39 extra) and waited for our turn to board boat #6 for Las…
Read More: Enjoying Las Caletas Beach Hideaway