A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
The 41st annual Leap Sandcastle Classic at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, was scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 2023. We heard a little bit about it from the website: . . The Leap Sandcastle Classic is back at Ocean Beach on Oct. 28, 2023 from 11am-3:30pm! The free event brings out thousands of people for the ultimate sandcastle contest. You can watch teams build absolutely enormous…
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Inna purchased two tickets to Tango Lovers in San Francisco's Herbst Theater. It was our first time at Herbst Theater. It's quite a small venue, and we had excellent seats with a clear stage view. . The program began with a jet landing in Buenos Aires, accompanied by the orchestra and two singers, Guillermo Fernandez and Maria de Los Angeles, singing a duet. . Something…
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Friday, October 13, 2023. For our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, Inna made reservations at the Indian Springs Hotel in Calistoga. After finishing our work on Friday evening, we lightly packed our suitcases and loaded our Tesla Model Y. . . We started our drive to Calistoga at 17:20, encountering heavy traffic and about 30-45 minutes of delays. We arrived at Indian Springs at around 19:52. We…
Read More: Relaxing in Calistoga
On Sunday morning, Inn and I decided to visit Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. After packing our Tesla Model Y, Inna started the 80-minute drive to Monterey along Highway 101. . . . . Traffic was reasonably light, and we arrived in Monterey right on time, stopping for coffee at Captain + Stoker Cafe. There were excellent tennis courts nearby, and people were playing on them. I…
Read More: A Day out in Monterey & Carmel
After many weeks of planning, we finally found the time to watch Oppenheimer at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall's newly opened Showplace Ikon movie theater at 16:10. . . . . Once we purchased the tickets (with assigned seats), we walked over to the theater and reclined in the excellent chairs. . . . . . . . According to Wikipedia: . . Oppenheimer is…
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As a Legion of Honor Museum member, Inna and I decided to visit the Tudors exhibit, which is running until September 23, 2023. . . Our drive from San Jose to San Francisco was uneventful, and we parked at Crissy Field at 13:00. We walked along Marina Blvd toward Scott Street (where we used to rent an Airbnb). On Scott Street, we turned left on…
Read More: The Tudors at the Legion of Honor
For the past 30 years, I have been a big fan of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ( a swing band), and I thought that Inna and I would enjoy seeing them play their set at Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA.. . . . The show was scheduled to start at 19:30, with Puddles Pity Party starting it first. . . . . Puddles Set List…
Read More: Review: Puddles & Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Mountain Winery
Since Inna purchased tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil Corteo show at Chase Center in San Francisco, we decided to spend the whole day there. . . . . . With a favorable wind forecast at Crissy Field, I brought my wing foiling gear to Crissy Field so I could wing foil if the opportunity presented itself. . After loading up my 2008 Toyota…
Read More: Review: Cirque du Soleil Corteo
On Friday, August 11, 2023, we started our long drive to Arnold, California, where we planned to spend two nights. We were hoping to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Calaveras Big Trees State Park and paddleboard on White Pines Lake. . Inna made Airbnb reservations at 2560 Chamonix Dr., Arnold, CA, and we shared the large home with 2 other families. . . We…
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In the morning, the iwindsurf Pro Forecast called for 20-25 knot winds at Crissy Field at around 2:00 pm, and I decided to risk driving up to San Francisco in the hope of wing foiling. . After loading my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan with my Naish Hover LE Carbon 95 board and 2 Duotone SLS Wings (4.0m, 5.0m), I stopped by Shell to refuel. I…
Read More: Wing Foiling at Crissy
When I noticed a considerable heatwave headed to the Bay Area during the July 4th holiday weekend, I looked for nearby places where daytime temperatures would be more moderate. After looking at Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Lake Tahoe, Inna and I decided to book 2 nights at the Inn at the Pier Hotel (a Hilton Property) on Pismo Beach. . . Initially, only Inna…
Read More: Relaxing at Pismo Beach
On Monday, June 19th, the iWindsurf forecast called for strong NW winds from 20-25 knots at Coyote and Crissy Field. . . . . Eager for more wing foiling, I loaded up my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan with all of my gear: . . . 2022 Duotone Slick SLS 5.0m with Aluminum boom. 2021 Duotone Slick 4.0m. 2022 Naish Wing Foil LE Carbon Ultra 95…
Read More: Wing Foiling at Coyote Point
Inna and I visited the San Francisco Symphony to listen to the Joshua Bell Plays Sibelius program. . . . . Artists. Conductor: Dalia Stasevska . . Violin: Joshua Bell . Musical Program:. . . Nautilus . [San Francisco Symphony Premiere] . Anna Meredith . Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto (with Joshua Bell) . Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 . . . . I really enjoyed…
Read More: Review: Joshua Bell plays Sibelius
With iwindsurf.com predicting steady winds, Alex and I drove from San Jose to Sherman Island to open our 2023 windsurfing and wing foiling season. . After parking at the Sherman Island County Park, I unloaded the van and pumped up the Duotone 4.0m SLS Wing with the Naish Hover 110GS board (using the Armstrong 1850cm foil). The wind was gusting to 22 knots, and it…
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Today, Inna and I went to listen to a concert by Mashina Vremeni (Машина времени) at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. . The concert was scheduled for 20:00. We left San Jose early so that we would be able to find parking at the Palace of Fine Arts. . . . . This is an iconic rock group (like Beatles for Americans)…
Read More: Review: Mashina Vremeni
For Inna's big birthday, I made reservations for Thursday, February 23rd, at our favorite Michelin Star-rated local restaurant nearby - The Plumed Horse. . . . . . The San Francisco Bay area was experiencing a powerful winter storm, with temperatures plunging into the low 40s and periods of heavy rain. We drove to Saratoga without issues, and I parked my minivan nearby. . After…
Read More: Birthday Dinner at The Plumed Horse
On Sunday, February 12th, Inna and I decided to listen to Bria Skonberg (trumpeter) at the Joe Henderson Lab in the San Francisco Jazz Center (on 201 Franklin Street).. . . . While I enjoyed some of her standard tunes, I am not a big fan of her music choices in this concert. . Bria and her band played for one hour, mixing standards (she…
Read More: Bria Skonberg at SF Jazz
With Valentine's Day approaching, I made early (30 days in advance) reservations at the Tasting House - one of our favorite local restaurants in Los Gatos. . . . . . When we arrived at 19:15 (right on time), we were quickly seated at our table in the main dining room. It was busy, and all the tables were occupied. It was deafening inside (and…
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On Saturday, January 28th, Inna and I saw the play In Every Generation at TheatreWorks Mountain View. . . One family. One holiday. Four millennia. The Levi-Katz family celebrates Passover again and again (and again and again) and while times, location, and languages change, traditions stay the same. Over matzah ball soup and (vegan) brisket, the close-knit clan contends with questions of race, religion, and…
Read More: Review: In Every Generation
After learning to stand-up paddle (SUP)surf in Kauai over the summer, I was eager to try SUP surfing in Santa Cruz. However, the new stand-up paddleboards for surfing were extremely expensive. . After consulting with Oliver at Covewater Paddle Surf in Santa Cruz, I thought the best SUP model for me would be the Starboard Wedge 9'2" 160-liter model. However, it was priced at $1870…
Read More: SUP Surfing on Fanatic Allwave 9’3″