A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
After getting up at 4:00 a.m., we packed our snowboarding gear and headed to Kirkwood Ski Resort near South Lake Tahoe, California. The drive was surprisingly smooth, and I arrived in Kirkwood around 8:00 a.m. (a 3.5-hour drive). The roads were clear; there were no snow or highway restrictions (e.g., 88, 89, 50). . . . . Since we arrived early (around 8:00 a.m.), we…
Read More: Snowboarding Kirkwood and Sierra at Tahoe
Today, we listened to the 2017 Dartmouth Pops Concert at Dartmouth Middle School.. . . . It was the first Band concert of 2017, with Alex playing trumpet in the Symphonic Band.. . . . Once the Pops concert started, Mr. Neipp presented and directed all major bands, including the Jazz Band, Beginning Band, Choir (led by Gina Jenkins), Concert Band, and Symphonic Band.. .…
Read More: Pops Concert at Dartmouth Middle School
For Inna's birthday with our family, we decided to try the well-rated Hult's restaurant in downtown Los Gatos. We have always wanted to try it since it's supposed to be run by a former Swedish Hockey player.. . . . . When we arrived at Hult's on Saturday evening, Valet parking was available for $6, but I decided to find free parking nearby. Although Hult's…
Read More: Inna’s Birthday Dinner at Hult’s
For Inna's upcoming birthday, I made a reservation at the well-rated (but perpetually unavailable) Nick's Next Door restaurant in downtown Los Gatos.. . When we arrived at Nick's on Thursday evening, we found plenty of parking on East Main Street. We arrived at a fully packed restaurant but were quickly seated. Inna thought the restaurant would be very romantic, but it was extremely loud and…
Read More: Inna’s Birthday Dinner at Nick’s Next Door
After many changes in travel arrangements, we settled on our Whistler Ski vacation for February 18 to 22. Since we could not book our favorite Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside hotel for Alex's annual ski week (at Dartmouth Middle School), we made reservations at the Crystal Lodge. Pan Pacific usually offers significant adventures for skiers, such as the included 2 adult Whistler/Blackcomb lift tickets for each…
Read More: Snowboarding Whistler
With excellent, fresh snow in Lake Tahoe (and 48" of new snow at Kirkwood), I was eager to make my own fresh tracks at Kirkwood - one of my favorite Lake Tahoe ski resorts.. . Since the drive to Kirkwood is long and tedious, I decided to use the Bay Area Ski Bus, a shuttle service that provides transportation to one of many Lake Tahoe…
Read More: Snowboarding Kirkwood
Which are the best restaurants, spas, and travel destinations? At the end of 2016, 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…
Read More: Best of the Best 2016
While in New York City, on the spur of the moment, we decided to purchase tickets to see The Illusionists -Turn of the Century. We were not planning to see it, but Inna read some fantastic reviews and was curious about this Broadway-quality magic show. Using the TodayTix app on my iPhone (extremely useful for last-minute tickets), I purchased three discounted tickets for the Christmas…
Read More: Review: “The Illusionists Turn of the Century” on Broadway (Palace Theater)
What can be said of Cats - a musical I first saw performed in Houston, Texas, in 1993? Has it changed at all? Is it better on Broadway?. . . . The plot for the latest Cats revival remains the same. A bunch of Jellicle cats prances around the stage, using Cat-like movement and choreography, singing about their unique characteristics. There is a Jellicle Ball…
Read More: Review: “Cats” on Broadway (Neil Simon Theatre)
The sorry state of the world gives us a new reason to appreciate the depth of feeling so powerfully, so ingeniously embedded in "Fiddler on the Roof," the much-loved and much-revived 1964 musical comedy that has returned to Broadway.. . . . The superb new production, currently playing at the Broadway Theater, certainly honors the show's ebullience of spirit, as embodied in the central character…
Read More: Review: “Fiddler on the Roof” on Broadway (Broadway Theatre)