Laguna Beach Workation

Due to the raging wildfires in the San Francisco Bay Area, the air quality deteriorated to some of the worst values in the whole country. The Air Quality Index (AQI), usually around 25-30, now exceeds 160 on multiple days. Hiking and mountain biking were now out of the question,  and even our short walking in our neighborhood or around Vasona Lake became unpleasant due to the burning smell and the multiple incidents of coughing I experienced.

Since all of us were working from home, I thought about places to get away from the horrible Bay Area air. At first, we considered flying to Raleigh, NC (as Alex was considering Duke University) and wanted to explore the area. However, spending a month there didn't excite us. Then, I thought about flying to St. Pete Beach, Florida (where my parents used to live). Although Tampa had plenty of rentals, the thought of flying far away (and the additional threat of COVID-19 on airlines), plus the danger of hurricanes, tempered our excitement.

 

 

Finally, after reviewing multiple options, Inna found multiple properties in Southern California, near Laguna Beach, where air quality was significantly better, and the thought of living on the beach was tempting. Luckily, Inna found a beautiful home minutes away from Laguna Beach for rent at an attractive price.

We decided to rent the Laguna Beach home for 30 days (September 4 - October 4), as Inna had to return to San Jose due to her work requirement (and so did Alex, as Bellarmine College Prep was planning to resume classes in mid-October).

This would be our work-cation at a beautiful beach destination!

Friday, September 4, 2020

Since Juniper had a Friday, September 4, as an extra company holiday, I spent most of my morning packing my Toyota Sienna minivan. In addition to 4 surfboards, 3 beach chairs, and multiple suitcases, I had to determine which electronic gadget to bring and which to keep at home.

I started the long, tedious drive from San Jose to Laguna Beach at around 3:45pm, arriving at 11:00pm. During the 6.5-hour drive, I stopped by twice for rest and fuel. It was the first time we stopped by to eat at Jack in the Box, ordering some burgers for dinner. Since there was nowhere to sit down and eat (like an average human), I almost immediately resumed the drive to Laguna Beach while Alex and Inna ate in the car.

When we arrived at Laguna Beach, at around 11:00pm, Olga greeted us (she was still working in the garage) and showed us our new accommodations. The home contained a short outdoor swimming pool and a Weber barbecue grill (with a non-working lighter).

After carrying our gear upstairs, we unpacked and turned in for the night. We were all so tired from the long drive and needed rest.

Saturday, September 5, 2020

I planned to wake up at 7:30am, but I set my iPad alarm incorrectly to 7:30pm! Despite this error, I woke up naturally at 7:50am. I decided to visit Whole Foods early to avoid the crowds. Inna and I dressed and drove a few blocks to the nearby Whole Foods.

The Laguna Beach Whole Foods is a much smaller store (than our San Jose Blossom Hill variant), with smaller physical space and a more limited selection of breads, meats, drinks, and other items. Fortunately, we brought our own green tea and rice, so we were not seriously lacking anything.

 

After eating a quick breakfast of yogurt, Inna, Alex, and I decided to visit the Saturday morning Farmer's Market a few blocks away. We purchased fresh sourdough bread, multiple pastries, cucumbers, organic blueberries, and organic strawberries. I was thrilled to buy bread because our local Whole Foods had an abysmal bread selection.

After resting and trying to get the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K to work on our rental's LG TV, we decided to explore downtown Laguna Beach and the nearby beach. 

 

Walking downtown, we saw multiple cute restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques. Inna thought that Laguna Beach reminded her of Carmel.

We decided to walk on the beautiful, clean sand when we reached the beach. The beach was quite busy and packed with sunbathers. Multiple people were swimming in the water, and we even saw a few beginner surfers.

After walking for a few miles, we returned to our rental. On the way home, we stopped by Dolce Gelato for a taste of delicious Italian gelato. While Inna raved about her strawberry gelato, I enjoyed my espresso and chocolate flavors.

When we returned home, Alex was still studying for the ACT, doing one of the verbal sections. We decided to drink some hot green tea with pastries.

We rested a bit, and after Alex finished taking the math portion of his ACT practice test, we decided to drive to Dana Point (since Huntington Beach was too far away). When we arrived at Doheny State Beach Park, we parked our minivan and strolled onto the beach. Multiple surfers were in the water, and the clean, rolling waves looked nice (though small).

Alex and I decided to try surfing. I put on my O'Neill Reactor 2mm shortie wetsuit, and Alex put on his 4/3mm Ripcurl wetsuit. We paddled in the calm Pacific Ocean; the water felt relaxed and refreshing. Alex caught a few rides immediately, but it took me a few tries to see my first wave.

The waves lumbered in slowly and were much smaller than expected. Nevertheless, I caught 2 nice rides, and Alex rode at least 7 waves. At around 7:30pm, the sun had already set, and it was getting quite dark.

After returning to our minivan, we changed clothes and drove back to Laguna Beach. Initially, we thought about eating dinner at Carmelita's Kitchen de Mexico (but it was pretty busy), so we decided to stroll downtown to see if we could find a restaurant with open seating.

We must have been quite lucky, as just a few minutes from our rental was the Lumberyard Restaurant, which seemed to be open. We were immediately seated and ordered a few dinner entrees. We were lucky to have arrived at 8:30pm, as the restaurant closed at 9:00pm.

After examining the menu, I selected the Fish & Chips, while Inna and Alex decided on the highly recommended Beef Stroganoff. I enjoyed my Fish & Chips, and Inna liked her Beef Stroganoff. Alex settled on the Campfire Chocolate Chip cookie for dessert, which we enjoyed sharing.

With a live musician playing, we really enjoyed our time at Lumberyard. After returning to our rental house, we drank hot green tea and rested. I got the Apple TV working, so we could now watch Netflix.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

With my iPad alarm set to 6:30am, I woke on time. Alex also woke up at about the same time and ate breakfast (Morning O's Cereal with goat milk). At around 7:00am, we were ready to head out. Despite a wrong AQI index at Huntington Beach, we decided to try our luck there. Huntington Beach is a premier surfing spot where many surfing contests are held. The surfline.com wave forecast was 3-4 feet near the Pier, and Alex was eager to test his short-boarding skills there.

The drive from Laguna Beach to Huntington Beach took about 45 minutes, crossing multiple famous cities and beaches, including Crystal Cove, Emerald Bay, and Newport Beach. When we arrived at 8:00am, we found one of the last parking spots near the Pier at Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach is incredibly long, with parking lots stretching for miles in either direction. It was hectic on Labor Day weekend.

After paying for my parking at the nearby machine (I paid for 4 hours), I carried the Tommy Bahama beach umbrella and chairs to the beach so that Inna could enjoy herself without getting sunburned. Alex was already putting on his wetsuit and waxing his shortboard. He used his best shortboard - the Firewire Tomo v4 6'. I put on my O'Neill Shortie and waxed my Wavestorm 8' surfboard.

I plunged into the calm waters of Huntington Beach (North of the Pier) and paddled through the surf break. It wasn't as difficult as I expected. Eventually, I met up with Alex, who was surfing there as well. Unlike surfing at Doheny State Beach, surfing at Huntington was much more competitive. Surfers would paddle hard to catch incoming waves, and right-of-way rules were fundamental. Seeing a wave that didn't already have someone else riding it was hard for me.

During my two hours of surfing, I caught and rode 3 waves. I enjoyed the cool water and lovely, clean waves but needed time to adjust my expectations of when the waves would break.

After finishing surfing, I returned to the beach and rested with Inna until Alex returned at 11:30am. We packed our things, loaded our car, and decided to dine at the famous Duke's Restaurant. We were quickly seated and ordered our drinks: Watermelon Lemonade. We also ordered Black Bean Nachos to share (as Alex and I were starving). 

Alex ordered the Classic Burger for his entree, while I selected the Macadamia Crusted Fresh Fish (halibut). Inna ordered the Ahi Platter with fresh, sashimi-grade Ahi tuna. During our meal, we heard a nearby BLM protest - but it was peaceful (thankfully) and did not affect our enjoyment.

The drive back to Laguna took a bit longer (45 minutes) as there was more traffic. We saw lots of cars waiting in long lines for parking spots. After returning to our home, we rested a bit. I was so exhausted that I took a 2.5-hour nap, and even Inna fell asleep.

At around 6pm, we decided to walk to the beach to taste Dolce Gelato and enjoy a sunset view. We ordered 3 large gelatos - and they were delicious as usual! It was hot, so we had to rush to a bench to sit and enjoy the gelato, as it rapidly melted in the 90-degree air.

After finishing with gelato, we waited for the beautiful sunset, taking many photos. After the sun had set, we walked along Laguna Beach, reaching the end as dusk approached. On the way back, Alex stepped on something (perhaps a Scorpion), and his left foot exploded in pain. He couldn't walk for a while, but he eventually started walking. At first, we thought about getting UberX to take Alex home, but his pain finally subsided, and he could walk relatively normally.

We had dinner reservations at Carmelita's Kitchen de Mexico at 8:30pm, but we were not hungry due to all the gelatos we ate earlier. We decided to skip dinner and purchase a few items from nearby Whole Foods instead.

Monday, September 7, 2020 - Labor Day!

After waking up at 7:30am, Inna and I decided to visit Treasure Island Beach -  one of the highlighted beaches recommended by thatocgirl.com. 

We loaded our minivan and headed to Treasure Island Beach, parking at Lot 7. (We didn't know we had to pay for the parking). We grabbed our two beach chairs and umbrellas and headed to the beach while enjoying the marvelous view of the Montage Resort.

We set up our umbrella and chair near the official Montage Resort chairs and walked along the beach for a long walk. We enjoyed our walk and watching the kids try boogie boarding and skimboarding. 

On the way back, we stopped by for breakfast at a cute little place called the Lost Pier Cafe. While the line was long and moved slowly, the food was worth the wait. In addition to delicious coffee, Inna and I shared a croissant with strawberry jam, avocado toast with egg, and a breakfast burrito with chips. All the items were top quality - entirely unexpected from the little cafe on the beach!

We enjoyed the rest of our day at the beach. Despite the foggy weather and somewhat reduced visibility, we appreciated the lack of hot sun and the clean air coming from the ocean.

At about 1:30pm, we returned to our rental and made some lunch. It was the first time I used the home's Bunn Coffee maker, which didn't work initially but eventually started working.

After resting, I decided to surf at Doheny State Beach, about 20 minutes away. After parking and paying the $20 day-use fee, I put on my O'Neill shortie and took out my Wavestorm 8' board. The waves looked mushy, but I caught and rode 3 waves.

When I finished at 7:00pm, it was getting dark as the sun set on the horizon. I drove back to Laguna Beach, meeting up with Inna, who arrived at about the same time - 7:40pm.

We decided to go out for dinner in downtown Laguna Beach. Since Inna always wanted to try the Brussels Bistro restaurant (highly recommended by Olga), we decided to put ourselves on the waiting list. 

Luckily, there was space downstairs, and we were quickly seated. Inna ordered the Lasagna Bolognese, I had the Beef Bourguignon, and Alex selected the pasta dish. 

Our entrees were incredibly delicious; even the freshly baked bread was warm and appetizing.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 - Back to Work

After waking up at 6:30am, I decided to enjoy a long stroll to Laguna Beach before starting my workday. I stopped by Whole Foods during lunchtime to purchase a gallon of spring water, cereal, and Pirate Booty popcorn (for Alex).

After my work finished at 4:00pm, I decided to surf at Doheny State Beach, about 20 minutes away. After parking and paying the $6 fee for two hours, I put on my O'Neill shortie and took out my Wavestorm 8' surfboard. 

The surfing spot was much more crowded than I expected; all the high school kids were surfing (lucky them!). Waves were coming in, but they were not steep, and catching a wave for me was difficult. I also noticed later on that I didn't balance my board as well as possible to ensure a low-drag glide through the water. I didn't have any great rides, but I enjoyed the exercise.

I returned home around 7:00pm, and Inna already had chicken ready in a dish for baking (and rice cooking in the rice cooker). This was our first time using the gas-powered oven, and we undercooked the chicken a bit. Our GE electric home oven is much more accurate.

During the previous day's walk, Alex's left foot was stung by a scorpion, and he still had symptoms of red swelling. Inna consulted an online Urgent Care expert to check, but the online doctor required a 1-on-1 consultation before prescribing any medicine. It turned out to be a waste of time.

I also had problems using the Bunn coffee maker; it failed to make coffee, so I decided to use the French Press provided. Eventually, I read online instructions (as I have not done it for a while).

To make the best French-Press coffee, the following instructions should be followed:

1. Boil water in a kettle. Let it sit for 30 seconds so the water temperature drops to 200 degrees F.
2. Put freshly ground coffee in the French Press
3. Pour hot water into the French Press
4. Wait 30 seconds, then stir the foam rising to the top.
5. Let it sit for 3 minutes before pouring out.

Wednesday, September 8, 2020

As I was tired from the previous day, I slept until 7:30am. I took a shower and ate my breakfast of yogurt with fresh blueberries. I had many back-to-back meetings (and Inna went for an early morning walk), though I could see smoke in the air.

Inna found a new coffee shop called Tippy's, which also serves London Fog!

Inna didn't complain about the smoke, but I could smell the odor. I tried to work while sitting close to the air cleaner.

At lunchtime, Inna and I went for a walk, taking me to see Heisler Park. She showed me an excellent surf spot called Rockpile Beach, where many advanced surfers were surfing waves. There was plenty of nearby parking (metered), so I decided to try surfing there later in the day.

After we returned to our vacation rental, we resumed our work. At around 3:30pm, my work was finished, and I was itching to try surfing at the new surf spot at Heisler Park.

I put on my O'Neill shortie wetsuit at home and drove 5 minutes to Heisler Park parking (on Cliff Drive). I had difficulty using my parking meter with the Laguna Beach Parking app. It didn't seem to understand it. I gave up, took out my 8' Wavestorm, and descended the long stairs to Rockpile Beach.

Many large waves were near the rock pile (in the middle of the beach), and the best waves were at the rocks. The waves could get rather large, sometimes as big as 6-8 feet. I tried to catch the waves but couldn't get the timing right; I had to be in the right spot to catch the wave before it broke.

After surfing for over an hour, I returned to my Toyota Sienna minivan and drove home. After a quick shower, Inna and I decided to walk around Laguna Beach; it was a nice, relaxing walk, where we strolled on the beautiful, deserted beach, watching some surfers at Thalia Street.

Laguna Beach Trip Report

Highlights

• Our new work-cation home at 320 Loma Terrace 
• Walking the beautiful sandy Main Beach
  
• Surfing at Rockpile Beach
• Surfing at Doheny State Park
• Freshly baked pastries from Moulin
• Newly-made gelato from Dolce Gelato
• Dinner at Brussels Bistro
• Lunch at Lost Pier Cafe
  

Lowlights

• Long drive from San Jose to Laguna Beach (7 hours)
• Crazy Southern California drivers
• No freshly baked bread in Whole Foods (unlike San Jose)
• Days with bad air quality
  

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Hiking Pacifica

With the California wildfires raging and the air quality in San Jose in the 150+ (unhealthy range), according to PurpleAir, Inna and I decided to escape the smoke and haze by hiking in Pacifica.

The drive from San Jose to Pacifica was uneventful, taking about 45 minutes. We parked at Mori Point (the parking lot there was closed). From there, we hiked along the "Old Mori Trail" beside Sharp Park Golf Course to Pacifica Beach Park.

Here is my Strava route:

 

We strolled along Sharp Park Beach, noticing a few local surfers in the water. There were a few waves (although the Surfline forecast rated today's conditions as "Poor").

After observing a few of the surfers, we continued our walk to the end of Beach Blvd. Reaching the end, we turned around and returned, stopping by Perfect Pour Cafe for a quick drink and a light lunch.

Inna ordered a medium Latte with a breakfast panini, while I selected a medium Mocha and a breakfast veggie sandwich.

After lunch, we continued our hike along the coast, enjoying the cool, fresh ocean air (unlike the smoky air in San Jose). Although fog persisted throughout our hike, it did not bother us. Visibility was acceptable, and the cool temperatures made hiking pleasant.

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Windsurfing 3rd Ave

With the end of summer in sight, I would like to enjoy a few more windsurfing sessions. When iwindsurf.com forecasted favorable winds at Coyote Point, I decided to try windsurfing for the 12th time in the season.

When I arrived at Coyote Point, I saw signs that the Coyote Point Park was closed. Although disappointed, I decided to try my luck at the nearby 3rd Ave in Foster City (Baywinds Park). 

Arriving at Baywinds 10 minutes later, I was shocked at how busy it was. It seemed that every windsurfer and kiteboarder was there! I parked my Sienna minivan near the rigging area and took out my 2018 Fanatic Freewave STB 105 board. I was slightly unsure about the wind, so I rigged my Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail.

I saw rigged sails ranging from 3.7m to 5.0m, and I thought I fit correctly. After parking my Toyota Sienna far away, I returned to my setup sailing for the first time. The launch was quite busy, with many windsurfers getting in and out of the water. Once in the water, I water-started and sailed into the channel. 

At first, the wind was not very strong, a bit gusty, and I managed pretty well. However, as I sailed further out, the wind intensity increased dramatically. I was getting quite overpowered on my 5.0m sail. I drifted back to the shore and rested a bit.

I decided to try again. This time, the wind was even stronger in the channel, with large breaking swells. I was getting huge jumps on my board and was sailing out of control at maximum speed. 

It was so much fun but also so exhausting. After a few sessions, I was utterly depleted of my reserves and returned to shore. Sailing back was relatively easy, though I was sailing fast on a broad reach.

I should have used a smaller sail - perhaps a 4.5m would have been better. It was a great day, and I hope to return to 3rd Ave again.

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Relaxing at Pismo Beach

Friday, July 31, 2020

It was finally time for our small mini-vacation to Pismo Beach for surfing and relaxation. Inna and I woke up at 07:30 and loaded the Toyota Sienna minivan with our surfboards, wetsuits, and beach toys.

After a delicious breakfast (Inna made some crepes with caviar), we embarked on the 3-hour drive to Pismo Beach. The drive was uneventful. At about 13:00, we stopped for lunch at Ventana Grill - one of our favorite restaurants in the area.

We were seated on the outside patio and were a bit cold; I even had to return to the minivan to grab jackets for Inna and me (due to the blistering wind)

Alex, Inna, and I - all ordered cups of delicious, freshly made Clam Chowder. Inna thought it was the best clam chowder she'd ever tasted - though I also liked it at Dorn's Cafe in nearby Morro Bay. For entrees, Inna and I ordered individual Mahi-Mahi Sandwiches. We both enjoyed them, but I was already full of clam chowder and barely finished my sandwich. Alex ordered Fish & Chips and was quite happy.

After lunch, we head to our Sandcastle Hotel. With standard check-in at 16:00, we could not check in early. We decided to stroll on Pismo Beach. During the walk, Alex developed a headache. Perhaps he overheated during the long, three-hour car drive.

Waves were mushy and all broken up. There were not too many surfers, and Alex was slightly disappointed with what he saw. He wasn't confident that surfing would be possible in the next few days. Wave forecasts on MSW (Magic Seaweed) and Surfline weren't very favorable.

After our walk, we waited on the Sandcastle Hotel's patio, which had nice furniture and fire tables overlooking the beach.

At about 17:15, we registered at our hotel and brought all our clothes to our room - #211. Inna was hoping for an upgrade to an ocean-view room, but the hotel was fully booked.

Inna arranged dinner in Paso Robles and the special Bruce Munro: Field of Light Show At Sensorio.

The drive to Paso Robles wasn't long, and we arrived at 18:20. It was much hotter in Paso Robles (from 70F in Pismo Beach to 90F in Paso Robles).

Our dinner at Thomas Hill Organics restaurant went perfectly well, although I was less than enthusiastic about my main selections.

For starters, we ordered cold Gazpacho soup. I really liked the gazpacho (a bit spicy), but it was not as delicious as the one I enjoyed in Cafe Demel in Vienna. Alex could not finish his soup, as he was not used to its spiciness (Inna and I endeavored to help him).

For the main entrees, Alex selected the Summer Burrata Salad. I liked the Sate Ayam plate. Inna chose the Spiced Beef Empanadas.

After dinner, we saw Bruce Munro's Field of Light At Sensorio.

We enjoyed the 1/2 mile walk around the field of artificial, electric-powered flowers. It was a unique experience. I hoped to bring a monopod or tripod to take photos, but it was prohibited.


Saturday, August 1, 2020

I woke up at 08:00, put on my wetsuit, and surfed on my Wavestorm 8' - directly across from the Sandcastle Hotel. The waves were surprisingly clean, and I managed to catch 6 waves for nice rides! I returned to the hotel at around 09:30. Since everyone was ravenous, we decided to find a place to have breakfast.

After looking at Yelp, Inna decided to try Penny's All American Cafe. We proceeded on foot since it was a 15-minute walk from Sandcastle Hotel. When we arrived, we added our names to the register and waited about 30 minutes to be seated.

I ordered a Denver Omelet with hashbrowns and toasted sourdough bread. Inna ordered Penny's Favorite omelet. Alex ordered Dave's Mess: 2 Eggs Scrambled with/ Home Fries, Ham, Sausage, Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese. We liked our breakfast, but it took too long (with all the waiting).

We returned to our hotel, and I brought the beach umbrella and chairs while Alex and I decided to surf some more. Afternoon surfing was not as pleasant as the waves were inconsistent and difficult to predict.

Inna made dinner reservations at the Granada Hotel & Bistro in San Luis Obispo (about 15 minutes away).

We really liked the food and ambiance of Granada Bistro; it seemed like an upscale restaurant among tourist-oriented eateries. For starters, we selected Chips & Dip - a really delicious appetizer.

I selected the highly recommended (by our waiter) Fried Chicken for my entree. It was incredibly delicious with the sweet honey/sour sauce.

Inna selected Smoked Salmon with Kale Salad. Although she liked it, she would have been happier with Fried Chicken. Alex ordered the Burger, and he really liked it.

The green tea was also quite delicious. Alex chose a Peanut Butter Cookie with Ice Cream for dessert, while Inna and I shared the Meyer Lemon Bar.

We enjoyed our dessert a lot!

Sunday, August 2, 2020

I was planning to wake up at 07:30 to go surfing with Alex on Pismo Beach; however, when I woke up and checked the forecast, the beach was completely fogged in. I decided to wait an hour to see what would happen.

Fortunately, at 08:30, the fog cleared over Pismo Beach, and Alex and I quickly dressed, put on our wetsuits, and headed to the beach with our surfboards. Alex used his Kym Thompson 6'6" shortboard while I brought my 8' Wavestorm.

Once we paddled out, we saw lots of surfers all spread out. There was plenty of room for everyone (unlike The Hook, where the lineup is very concentrated). The swells were very lovely and easy to catch. Alex caught about 20 waves, and I also saw many rides (between 6 and 10). We enjoyed surfing here, with the smooth sandy bottom (even during low tide). 

Pismo is supposed to be best on a high tide. This was pleasant and enjoyable for a "one" star MSW day. Alex was ecstatic about the cutback he was able to try.

At about 10:40, Alex's leash broke, so we returned to our room. We still need to check out our hotel. Inna delayed check out until noon (from the standard 11:00 check out)

After packing our clothes and electronics, we packed our car and headed to the Sandcastle Patio to enjoy the beautiful morning.

I enjoyed sitting on the patio and reading my Kindle's next book, Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy. It was an engaging and exciting read.

At about 13:00, we headed to Ventana Grill for lunch before our long drive to San Jose. When we arrived there, we were required to wait about 30 minutes before being seated.

We walked around the area, taking photos of brown pelicans (which inhabit this area).

The views of Pismo Beach were also quite magnificent.

Once seated at Ventana Grill, we ordered clam chowder (for everyone). Alex also ordered the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich. I decided to try the VG Burrito, and it was enormous.

Pismo Beach Trip Report

 

Highlights

• Surfing at Pismo Beach
• Lunch and Dinner at Ventana Grill
• Dinner at Granada Bistro (in San Luis Obispo)
• Sensorio Paso Robles show
  

 

Lowlights

• Dinner at Thomas Hill Organics (in San Luis Obispo) was uninspiring
  

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Celebrating Alex's 18th Birthday

It was that time of the year - Alex's 18th Birthday! I can't believe he is already that old. With Covid-19 still raging, we could not invite any of Alex's friends to celebrate this significant milestone.

For presents, we decided to surprise Alex with the following:

• Apple Watch Series 3 (so he could monitor his heart rate during exercise)
• Dyson Pure Cool Link, Air Purifier & Fan, TP02 (to cool his room)
• A used Carverboard (43" original, to help Alex practice his surfing on land)
• Monoprice BT-300ANC Wireless Over-Ear Headphones (to replace broken Bose version)
• An Etrade custodial account so he could learn to buy/sell stocks

We decided to head to Pedro's in Los Gatos for dinner to celebrate his Birthday.

After dinner, Inna surprised Alex with a freshly baked birthday cake:

The birthday cake was delicious!

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Golfing at Emerald Hills

With waves in Santa Cruz non-existent, I took Alex for miniature golf at Emerald Hills Golfland in San Jose. Alex would have preferred to surf in Capitola instead.

I teed off first, followed by Alex. By luck or skill, I gained an early lead. I sunk the ball in two strokes on the first hole while Alex took five.

Here is a video from my Canon G7x Mark II of Alex putting:

We enjoyed playing despite having to wear Covid-19 masks and the sweltering heat.

Here is the final scorecard. I completed the course with 44, and Alex with 50.

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Windsurfing at Sherman Island

With Andy Brandt's ABK Clinic canceled due to COVID-19, I took some time off work to enjoy the best season winds at Sherman Island. July is usually the most consistent time for strong winds.

Sunday, July 26, 2020

My week of windsurfing began on Sunday, July 26. After waking up at 05:45, I drove early to Sherman Island, arriving at the Sherman Island County Park at 07:30. I parked my van and started rigging (as a couple windsurfers beat me to the water).

I rigged an Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail with a Fanatic 105-liter FSW STB with a 30-cm fin. The tide was still flooding when I hit the water at 08:15 (but it was scheduled to start ebbing at around 09:30.) At Sherman Island, the best windsurfing is usually reserved for Westerly winds on an Ebb tide. An ebb tide ensures easy sailing back (without fighting the strong current and the wind).

I had a fantastic one hour of windsurfing, but the wind started to weaken a bit, and I decided to return and change sails to a larger Ezzy Elite 5.7m. Once rigged, this new sail made a significant difference in the rest of my sailing.

At about 10:30, I was exhausted and decided to return home. I de-rigged my gear, stowed it in the minivan, and returned home, arriving at about 13:00.

Here are a GoPro Hero 7 Black video highlights of my windsurfing session:

Monday, July 27, 2020

After waking up at 05:45, I drove early to Sherman Island, arriving at Sherman Island County Park at 07:45. Monday's traffic was much heavier than Sunday's. 

When I arrived, I was surprised to be among the first early birds in the parking lot. No one was even windsurfing, and the wind was strong and gusty.

After some hesitation (at being the first there), I rigged my Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail and set up my Fanatic 105-liter FSW STB. I was one of the first windsurfers on the water at 08:45. Although the river was still flooding (until 10:00), I had no difficulty returning. The wind was blowing about 21 knots with many gusts.

Here are a GoPro Hero 7 Black video highlights of my windsurfing session:

I sailed until 11:15 when I quit for the day. Although I made many jibe attempts, a successful jibe still eluded me.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

After waking up at 07:45, I ate a decent breakfast (toast with pastrami) and drove early to Sherman Island, arriving at Sherman Island County Park at 10:15.

When I arrived, a few vans were parked in the Sherman Island County Park parking lot, but no one was on the water. I did see a few kiteboarders and wing dingers racing on the water.

I rigged my Ezzy Elite 5.0m (since iwindurf.com was reporting speeds of 20 knots) with my Fanatic 105-liter Freestyle Wave. The tide was still flooding but about to ebb at 11:00.

I started windsurfing at about 10:45 and was fully powered on my Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail. Despite the flooding tide, I had no problems returning to the launch area. As the tide turned to ebb, the water calmed down a bit, so returning was much more accessible; the wind gusted up and down, and I had some speedy sailing sessions throughout the day.

At about 13:00, the wind picked up so much that I switched windsurf boards to the Goya 84-liter quad. The quad-fin Goya would handle the additional wind better. It did! I felt more in control riding the Goya, though it was much harder to get it planned.

On one of the runs, I crashed and hurt the pinkie on my right hand. Ouch!

Here are the GoPro Hero7 Black video highlights of my windsurfing session:

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Windsurfing Waddell Creek

Waddell Beach (aka Creek) is one of the premier windsurfing spots in the San Francisco Bay area. With strong winds in the summer months and large waves in the fall & spring, it's a famous location where competitions are frequently held.

I haven't windsurfed at Waddell for a long time. It's a difficult place to sail due to a powerful beach break and crowded conditions. I decided to try windsurfing there with both wind and wave forecast favorable (17-23 knots of NW wind with 3-5 foot waves).

The drive from South San Joswas - is only about one hour, with some traffic in the Santa Cruz area. The Waddell parking lot was packed when I arrived, but I found a space.

Rigging and launching are complicated by the lack of grass (to rig sails) and a rocky staircase to the beach. After seeing many windsurfers on 5.0m sails, I decided to also rig an Ezzy Elite 5.0m on my Fanatic 105-liter STB FreestyleWave board.

Launching from the beach is difficult due to the powerful shore break and non-stop incoming waves. After jumping through several wave sets, I finally passed the wave-breaking spot and sailed in the open ocean. I enjoyed sailing on the ocean without worrying about breaking waves.

Here is a short GoPro Hero7 Black video of my windsurfing session at Waddell:



I really enjoyed my sailing here, but I disliked all the sand. It took me a long time to clean up all of my gear.

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Nuking Winds at Sherman Island

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 drive there ASAP.

After a drink of water, I packed my wetsuit, apple, and banana and was off. The drive to Sherman Island took about 85 minutes. I parked at Sherman Island County Park (which was already getting full of cars, even at this early time). There were already many windsurfers on the water!

With the strong wind, I rigged my Ezzy Elite 4.0m sail (my smallest sail) on an Ezzy 370cm mast. I decided to use my Goya 84-liter Quad, as I needed the extra control provided by the four fins. With the ebb tide, returning would be easy.

The wind was mighty and gusty. Sailing across the river was quite challenging. Usually, on my single-fin Fanatic Freewave 105-liter board, I encounter a lot of spinouts during these conditions. However, the quad fins of the Goya Custom kept me planted without any hint of spinout.

Here is my GoPro Hero7 Black video of my excellent windsurfing session:


 

There were many large ramps, and I had some lovely long jumps. Although I tried multiple jibes, I failed all of them.

After two hours of excellent windsurfing, I was physically exhausted. I unrigged my gear, drove home, and returned at 12:30pm.

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