A digital travel diary. · WP v1.12 · Updated
In anticipation of a windy day at Sherman Island, I prepacked my minivan with Windsurfing gear, including my Goya 84-liter Quad Custom Pro and 2018 Fanatic 105-liter Freewave STB.. . I woke up at 5:40 and checked the wind forecast at Sherman Island. According to iWindsurf, the wind was already 26 knots! With the ebbing tide running until noon, my best shot would be to…
Read More: Nuking Winds at Sherman Island
With July 4, Independence Day (a 4-day weekend) rapidly approaching, Inna and I were considering various travel options. We really wanted to get away from San Jose, but the increased incidence of COVID-19 made planning for a getaway difficult.. . Considering various alternatives, including Mendocino, Lake Tahoe, Bear Valley, and Morro Bay, we decided on Morro Bay. Having never visited Morro Bay, we liked exploring…
Read More: Exploring Morro Bay
After many months of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Coyote Point Park in San Mateo (my default windsurfing destination) re-opened on June 15th.. . As Coyote Point is much closer to my home (usually a 45-minute car ride vs a 90-minute ride to Sherman Island), I was eager to reclaim at least a small part of my rapidly fading windsurfing season.. . With…
Read More: Windsurfing at Coyote Point
After spending 3 hours assembling the very complex Weber Genesis II S-345 Grill (which I purchased from Costco for $949), I was finally ready to try grilling steak! I bought a 15-pound propane canister (outdoor supply hardware) for $65.. . . . My first attempt was to grill a prime rib using the iGrill thermometer. According to YouTube directions, I needed to examine the steak…
Read More: Grilling on the Weber Genesis II S-345
Having difficulty catching waves on my Firewire Spitfire, 6'6", I decided to try my luck at stand-up paddleboarding from my last experience at Sayulita. It might make it easier for me to catch slow waves in Mexico.. . . . After some research, I settled on an F.One Madeiro 8'5" wave sup on Craigslist. I also needed a new paddle (Cruz carbon) and a board…
Read More: Learning to SUP surf at CapitolaWith strong gusty, 25+ knot winds promised by the iWindsurf forecast, I rushed to Sherman Island in Rio Vista.. . . . I arrived at about 4:15pm, parked my minivan near the Sherman Island County park (as parking in the actual park was completely full), and rigged my Ezzy Elite 4.0m sail. I selected the 85-liter Goya Custom quad fin for my board of choice,…
Read More: Windsurfing at Sherman Island
Over the past two years, I have been using primarily two surfboards for surfing:. Wavestorm 8'0" soft-top surfboard (Costco $99) . Firewire Spitfire 6'6" FST epoxy (purchased used for $525 from Rodney/Craigslist) . As I started progressing on the Wavestorm, I switched to the Firewire Spitfire 6'6 FST, but my progress slowed dramatically. I could no longer catch any waves despite a lot of hard…
Read More: Wavestorm 5’8″ Fish
For a few weeks, I have been thinking about using a bike computer to help me improve my fitness training when riding my Specialized FSR S-Works mountain bike at Almaden Quicksilver County Park (and other parks & trails).. . Until now, I have been using my iPhone 10 with an Apple Series 3 watch to record my rides using the Strava app on my iPhone.…
Read More: Review: Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt GPS Bike Computer
With my City Sports Gym closed (due to the COVID-19 outbreak), I decided I needed a stationary spin bicycle to keep my cardiovascular fitness. Although I try to mountain bike as often as possible, I don't always have 2 hours.. . . . After much research, I settled on the Keiser M3i bicycle because it's available at my City Sports gym, and I was already…
Read More: Keiser M3i Spin Bike
With the coronavirus raging in San Jose (and across the United States), I resumed exercise. I thought that Almaden Quicksilver County Park would be closed, but I learned it was still open on closer inspection.. . . . . On April 17th, I rode my Specialized FSR S-Works mountain bike on my standard 10.5-mile trail. According to Strava, my ride took me 87 minutes. With…
Read More: Back to Almaden Quicksilver