A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Today, we flew out on Norwegian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner from San Francisco, California, to Oslo, Norway, on our summer Scandinavian vacation.. . This was our first time on the Boeing 787, and it is a much superior plane to all of the previous Boeing and Airbus jets I have flown. The seats were much better, the engines were much quieter, and the cabin was…
Read More: Oslo, Norway
For Father's Day, we decided to go to Mountain Winery's Sangria Sunday with Santos Perdidos.. It was a lovely, sunny day out, and we enjoyed the beautiful view from the winery.. . The band started playing around 11:30 a.m., but it was not especially loud or energetic. I expected energy, but the band sounded muted, like it was playing in the background.. . . .…
Read More: Sangria Sunday at the Mountain Winery
I was surprised that Showboat - a traditional American Musical - was being staged by San Francisco Opera. I found a discounted ticket through Travelzoo, so I decided to attend the musical, partly based on the great online reviews.. . The production was massive - over 80 cast members. In addition, the costumes and overall production quality were genuinely extraordinary. We really enjoyed the show…
Read More: Review: Showboat at San Francisco Opera
Today, June 12, 2014, my eleven-year-old son Alexander graduated from Guadalupe Elementary School.. . Here is a photo of Alex holding his graduation certificate with Mrs. Sarah Jellin, the school's principal.. . . . Here is another photo of Alexander with his 5th-grade homeroom teacher, Mrs. Misty Buckley.. . . . His final report card is not too bad:. . . . In the fall,…
Read More: Alex's Elementary School Graduation
Today, we decided to enjoy Carmel-by-the-Sea's beautiful white-sand beaches. We drove on US 101 heading south (we usually take US-17), and this way was much quicker.. . When we arrived around noon, Carmel was covered in a light fog. Eventually, the fog lifted, and we enjoyed a beautiful day on the beach. It started out chilly (in the 60 degrees Fahrenheit) but warmed to 70…
Read More: Beach time in Carmel
I decided to mountain bike at my nearby Almaden Quicksilver County Park in south San Jose, this time using the Hacienda Park entrance (Eastern side of the park).. . When I arrived at 8:45 a.m., there were not too many cars. I assembled my Specialized Ground Control bike and started on the ascent of Mines Hill Trail.. . The park map is below:. . .…
Read More: Biking Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Today, we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday with brunch at La Foret Restaurant in San Jose.. . La Foret is located in Almaden, near the Almaden Quicksilver County Park. It's tucked into a semi-rural area of San Jose. Nearby, there are lots of ranches with horses and other domesticated animals. It's a very romantic setting.. . . . . We arrived right around 1:00 pm for…
Read More: Sunday Brunch at La Foret
Today, I saw "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for the first time at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in downtown San Jose.. . . . The show started slowly and tediously but picked up in the second half. The costumes and sets were amateurish, but many songs were memorable and enjoyable. This is not a favorite among Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals,…
Read More: Review: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Today, I decided to sample multiple mountain biking trails at Joseph D. Grant County Park. When I arrived, I parked at the parking lot on Hamilton Road, a few hundred feet past the park's entrance (near Grant Lake).. . I shot a short video on my GoPro Hero 3 Black here of my ride from Halls Valley Road to Canada de Pala and returning by…
Read More: Biking Joseph D. Grant County Park
Today, instead of visiting Lake Tahoe, we decided to visit Half Moon Bay. We had never been there before, so we were curious about the trails and beaches.. . When we arrived around 10:00, I discovered that the front tire on my Specialized Ground Control mountain bike was flat and wouldn't stay inflated. I decided to have it repaired at the local bike shop -…
Read More: Biking the Coastal Trail in Half Moon Bay