A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
With Covid-19 mostly gone, we are happy to move into 2023! Let's hope for better tidings. . . . 2022 in Review. Highlights . Jobs (Inna accepted an excellent position at Drata). A month-long workation in Boston . . Day trips to Portland, Maine, New Hampshire, Newport, and Cape Cod. Mini-trip to the Berkshires. A month-long workation in San Francisco. Learning to wing foil in…
Read More: Welcoming 2023!
. . . How was 2022 in Sports? Except for tennis, I was less active than in previous years.. . 146 days of playing tennis at Almaden Valley Athletic Club. . 18 days of surfing (Capitola, Lihue's Kalapaki Beach). . 19 days of windsurfing and wing foiling (Crissy Field). 0 days of snowboarding. . 5 days of swimming at Almaden Valley Athletic Club. . 0…
Read More: The Year in Sports 2022
Which are the best restaurants, spas, and travel destinations? . At the end of 2022, 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…
Read More: Best of the Best 2022
After many weeks of hard work, Inna and I decided to take a short 5-day trip to Kauai, Hawaii. Initially, we thought Christmas travel to Hawaii would be out of our price range. Still, we found reasonably priced airline tickets on United Airlines from San Francisco to Lihue. . . . . . Wednesday, December 21, 2022 . As our flight to Kauai was scheduled…
Read More: Back to Kauai
After learning to stand-up paddle (SUP)surf in Kauai over the summer, I was eager to try SUP surfing in Santa Cruz. However, the new stand-up paddleboards for surfing were extremely expensive. . After consulting with Oliver at Covewater Paddle Surf in Santa Cruz, I thought the best SUP model for me would be the Starboard Wedge 9'2" 160-liter model. However, it was priced at $1870…
Read More: SUP Surfing on Fanatic Allwave 9’3″
For our 21st Anniversary Dinner, Inna made dinner reservations at our favorite Michelin-rated restaurant nearby - The Plumed Horse - in Saratoga. . After arriving at 8:30pm and parking nearby, we were seated outdoors, near propane heaters. We looked over the Chef's Tasting Menu and the A La Carte Menu and decided to order from both menus. . . . . . Chef's Tasting Menu…
Read More: Dinner at Plumed Horse
With COVID-19 finally over and Elton John nearing retirement, we decided to see his final concert in the San Francisco Bay Area in Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara. . Parking near Levi's required some creative effort. Every parking lot nearby was charging $60 just to park, and street parking was unavailable. However, we found an accessible location within 15 minutes of the stadium. . After getting…
Read More: Review: Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road at Levi’s Stadium
On Friday evening, Inna made reservations at a small French restaurant - Pastis Bistro - in Palo Alto. I was surprised that I had never eaten there. . . . . . After sitting outdoors, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items. . Boris: Iced Tea, Halibut. . Inna:Iced Tea, Coquille St. Jacques, French Onion Soup. Dessert: Souffle. I was surprised (and…
Read More: Dinner at Pastis Bistro, Palo Alto
Saturday, September 24, 2022 . . Inna planned a weekend trip to San Francisco for my birthday, staying at the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel downtown. She also pre-purchased tickets for To Kill a Mockingbird at Golden Gate Theater. . . . . . In the afternoon, we drove to Marina Boulevard and parked there. We noticed a few people going out wing foiling. I did…
Read More: Birthday in San Francisco
For my birthday, Inna pre-purchased tickets to the To Kill a Mockingbird performance by Aaron Sorkin at Golden Gate Theater for 7:30pm. . . . . We started our walk to the theater from the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel at around 7:00pm. It was a sketchy part of town with lots of homeless everywhere. We arrived around 7:20, and Inna picked up her tickets at…
Read More: Review: To Kill a Mockingbird at Golden Gate Theater