A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Having last hiked the Dipsea Trail in September 2016, I was eager to experience the raw beauty of untouched wilderness again. I was especially keen to revisit the rainforest, with its lush vegetation and moss-covered trees. . . Although the Dipsea Trail has multiple entrances, I decided to start the hike from the intersection of Highway 1 and Arenal Avenue in Stinson Beach. The trail…
Read More: Hiking Dipsea Trail
For our 19th wedding anniversary, Inna initially booked two nights at the Timber Cove Resort (a bit North of Bodega Bay). However, a few days before our arrival, when she inquired about the weather and activities, she learned that ping-pong and a few others were discontinued due to COVID-19. . . Since the drive to Timber Cove would require 3+ hours, we explored other alternatives.…
Read More: Enjoying Sausalito
Inna purchased the 4/3 mm Dawn Patrol wetsuit in medium-tall (MT) size for Alex from Ripcurl in Santa Cruz on September 2, 2020. Alex grew so much that he was no longer fitting in his medium Ripcurl wetsuit. . After surfing for about a year (60 sessions), the seams in the back of the wetsuit started to come apart. We decided to drop it off…
Read More: Repairing Ripcurl Wetsuit
Monday, September 28, 2020 - Rosh Hashanah . After waking up around 7:30am, I decided to walk to Heisler Park to enjoy the beautiful beach as part of my daily exercise routine. Since it was Rosh Hashanah, I skipped breakfast and lunch. . . In the afternoon, around 12:00pm, Inna and I walked back to the main beach in Laguna Beach for a pleasant stroll…
Read More: Last Week at Laguna Beach
Ah, another delightful week (my 3rd) at Laguna Beach! What could be better?. . Monday, September 21, 2020. . I had a reasonably busy workday but stopped by Wally's Barbershop for a haircut. I felt much better after getting all of my long hair trimmed. . In the evening, I found time to surf at Rockpile Beach. Waves were relatively small - no more significant…
Read More: Enjoying Laguna Beach
On Saturday evening, September 12, we returned to Laguna Beach from our short stay in Las Vegas. After unloading our Sienna minivan, Inna and I ate dinner in downtown Laguna Beach.. . . . . . At first, we decided to try Wild Taco on Ocean Avenue. We found a cozy table outside and looked at the menu. Since no one came around to take…
Read More: Returning to Laguna Beach
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…
Read More: Laguna Beach Workation
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…
Read More: Hiking Pacifica
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…
Read More: Windsurfing 3rd Ave
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…
Read More: Relaxing at Pismo Beach
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. .…
Read More: Golfing at Emerald Hills
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…
Read More: Windsurfing at Sherman Island
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…
Read More: Windsurfing Waddell Creek
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 PointWith 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
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 Capitola
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
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