A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Today, we attended the 2014 Silicon Valley International Auto Show at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 West San Carlos Street, in downtown San Jose.. . . . . Alex had lately shown a marked interest in cars, and I wanted to show him all the various brands.. . We arrived on Sunday at 10:30am and immediately went to look at the BMW cars…
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As we were in Campbell looking at some tiles for our Kitchen's backsplash, we stopped by for lunch at Mo's The Breakfast and Burger Joint.. . We sat outside and ordered some burgers, not expecting much. We were surprised by the fast, friendly service and the high-quality burgers we got.. . Inna ordered the Mushacado Burger with Avocado, and it was delicious.. . . .…
Read More: Burgers at Mo's
Today, we saw a "The Book of Mormon" performance at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco.. . . . I wanted to see this musical last year (the 2012-2013 season), but could not find any seats (it was sold out).. I hoped to get seats this year, but again, no seats were available (and I did not want to pay scalper's prices) or try the…
Read More: The Book of Mormon at the Orpheum
Before enjoying our scheduled performance of "The Book of Mormon" Musical at San Francisco's Orpheum Theater, we stopped by for dinner at Bluestem Brasserie.. . . . . The dinner at Bluestem was fantastic, and we especially enjoyed the "Pan-Seared Black Truffle Pierogi" for our appetizer. The service at Bluestem was super fast and friendly. I don't recall the last time I had such fast…
Read More: Bluestem Brasserie, San Francisco
Monday, January 5, 2014 (Day 1, 7:30am with Dara - The Fit Test). . I took the introductory P90X class at Courtside Club with Dara (the fitness instructor).. . . . . I've attended Courtside Club for 2 years to improve my aerobic and muscular fitness. I was not making much progress in my strength training, so I wanted to determine whether P90X could improve…
Read More: P90x Fitness at Courtside Club, Los Gatos
At the end of 2013, I would like to take an inventory of things I consider to be the best in their class: . . . . . . . Restaurants: . Mama's Fish House, Maui, Hawaii . Manresa, Los Gatos. The Plumed Horse, Saratoga . . Dishes:. Apple Strudel: Cafe Demel, Vienna, Austria . Bread: "Country Bread," Tartine Bakery, San Francisco, CA . Cakes:…
Read More: Best of the Best 2013
After exploring the new Exploratorium on Pier 15 in San Francisco, we drove to Tartine Bakery on 600 Guerro Street for a quick lunch. When we finally arrived, around 4:30pm, the line to the bakery looked like a scene from old Soviet Russia. We decided we could not wait this long, no matter how delicious the bread and pastries looked. . . We decided to…
Read More: Pizza and Desserts at Tartine Bakery & Cafe / Pizzeria Delfina
Maui time!. . We took the 8:00 a.m. flight from San Jose (Hawaiian Airlines HA45) to Kahului, Maui (OGG), arriving at 11:30 a.m. Hawaiian time. The flight lasted four and a half hours and went smoothly, without much turbulence. I was surprised that Hawaiian Airlines actually provided lunch on the plane. Most airlines charge for food and only offer peanuts or crackers.. . Once we…
Read More: Relaxing at Wailea Marriott, Maui
This is a bit off-topic, but for Hannukkah, I purchased a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set for my son Alexander. He likes building various contraptions using Lego blocks, and this would provide added fun with all the possibilities of motorized, programmable robots.. . Using Mindstorms 300+ parts, one can build a couple of different robots that can be controlled by the included remote or a downloadable…
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After seeing "Tristan & Yseult" at Berkeley Repertory Theater, we stopped by for a late lunch at Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen in Berkeley.. . Many years ago, after graduating from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, I moved to Houston, Texas, to work for Compaq Computer. While living in Houston, I came to love and appreciate spicy Cajun cooking, especially at restaurants like Pappadeaux. Living in California, I…
Read More: Eating Cajun at Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen
Today, we saw the Berkeley Repertory Theater's production of "Tristan & Yseult".. . Synopsys:. King Mark rules with his head, until he falls head over heels for his enemy’s sister. Based on an ancient tale from Cornwall, Tristan & Yseult revels in forbidden desires, broken hearts, grand passions, and tender truths. It’s another marriage of gorgeous music and ingenious staging from the acclaimed creators of…
Read More: Review: Tristan & Yseult at Berkeley Repertory Theater
I saw The Barber of Seville at the San Francisco Opera today.. . The stage had a beautiful modern rendition of Seville, Spain. It was elegant and classic at the same time.. . The performers' costumes were richly detailed and appropriate for the opera. I especially enjoyed the small touches, like the rising moon, the bicycles that Figaro rode, the beautiful balloons, and the car…
Read More: Review: The Barber of Seville at San Francisco Opera
I saw the musical Evita at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts today.. . Evita had a few memorable songs, like "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," but I found it boring.. The show was too long, and I wondered when it would finally end.. . The overall story was relatively weak, making it difficult to follow many songs. Maybe it was the San…
Read More: Review: Evita (San Jose Center for the Performing Arts)
Today, we had fun trick-or-treating in our neighborhood at the Almaden Winery.. . Inna dressed as a Blue Monster, and I was Ted the Bear.. . . . . . . . Our neighborhood had many well-decorated houses.. . . . . . . . Alex collected tons of candy, and we had fun exploring the neighborhood at night, seeing all the fabulous costumes.. .…
Read More: Halloween, Almaden Winery
We saw Sarah Brightman's Dreamchaser concert at SAP Center in San Jose today.. . I really liked "La Luna" and "Nessun Dorma" (though Nessun Dorma is written for a tenor - not a soprano voice). I also wanted "Scarborough Fair," the "Phantom of the Opera," and "Time to Say Goodbye.". . The guest tenor, Erkan Aki, had a voice and was the show's highlight. There…
Read More: Review: Sarah Brightman's Dreamchaser Concert
Today, we had our lunch at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA. Bouchon Bistro and Bakery is run by the legendary chef Thomas Keller (owner of French Laundry, the only 3-Michelin-star restaurant in the area).. . Inna ordered the French Onion Soup (which was delicious), and I ordered the Carrot and Squash Soup. My Carrot and Squash soup was exceptional, too. . . . . My…
Read More: Bouchon Bistro, Yountville
Today, we enjoyed exploring the beautiful Benziger Winery in Sonoma, CA. Benziger was the site where I first proposed to Inna - 12 years ago on May 5, 2001.. . The winery has not changed much; it still looks well cared for and well-groomed.. . . . Fall colors are everywhere, with many trees changing colors.. . . . . . . . . .…
Read More: Wine tasting in Benziger Winery
We had a delicious breakfast and lunch at the Michelin 1-Star-rated Solbar Restaurant in Calistoga, California.. . I love the Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup and have enjoyed them a few times. These are my all-time favorite pancakes anywhere!. . . . . . . . . . Inna ordered the "Bodega Bay" - an English Muffin with Dungeness Crab - and it was also…
Read More: Pancake Heaven at Solbar, Calistoga
We arrived at Calistoga's Indian Springs Resort & Spa late in the evening, around 11:15 p.m.. . . Given the light traffic, the evening drive was not very exhausting. Luckily, we had just enough time to dip in the hot thermal pool of Indian Springs.. . . . . . Saturday, October 19, 2013. . The next day, we got up early and went for…
Read More: Relaxing at Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga
Today, we decided to have our 12th Wedding Anniversary dinner at the Plumed Horse in Saratoga.. We usually prefer to go to Manresa, but it was unavailable for our special day.. . . . . We ordered the "Chef's Autumn Tasting Menu," which was delicious! This is now Inna's favorite restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area.. . . . . . . . This…
Read More: Anniversary Dinner at the Plumed Horse