A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Today, we saw the History of the Eagles Concert at the SAP Center in San Jose.. I have never seen San Jose this crowded! The concert looks like it's sold out.. . . . . We didn't have the best seats in section 213, row 11. People were constantly going back and forth to get beer or drinks during the concert (it was a bit…
Read More: Review: History of the Eagles Concert
We attended the Bay Area Travel & Adventure Expo at the Santa Clara Convention Center today.. . I was surprised by how many people were interested in travel!. . First, we listened to Rick Steves's talk about traveling through Europe. Rick Steves' talk was extraordinarily crowded, with standing room only for many visitors (including me).. . He talked about his guidebooks and about how he…
Read More: Bay Area Travel & Adventure Expo, Santa Clara
Today, we attended the 2014 Silicon Valley International Auto Show at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 West San Carlos Street, in downtown San Jose.. . . . . Alex had lately shown a marked interest in cars, and I wanted to show him all the various brands.. . We arrived on Sunday at 10:30am and immediately went to look at the BMW cars…
Read More: 2014 Silicon Valley International Auto Show
As we were in Campbell looking at some tiles for our Kitchen's backsplash, we stopped by for lunch at Mo's The Breakfast and Burger Joint.. . We sat outside and ordered some burgers, not expecting much. We were surprised by the fast, friendly service and the high-quality burgers we got.. . Inna ordered the Mushacado Burger with Avocado, and it was delicious.. . . .…
Read More: Burgers at Mo's
Today, we saw a "The Book of Mormon" performance at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco.. . . . I wanted to see this musical last year (the 2012-2013 season), but could not find any seats (it was sold out).. I hoped to get seats this year, but again, no seats were available (and I did not want to pay scalper's prices) or try the…
Read More: The Book of Mormon at the Orpheum
Before enjoying our scheduled performance of "The Book of Mormon" Musical at San Francisco's Orpheum Theater, we stopped by for dinner at Bluestem Brasserie.. . . . . The dinner at Bluestem was fantastic, and we especially enjoyed the "Pan-Seared Black Truffle Pierogi" for our appetizer. The service at Bluestem was super fast and friendly. I don't recall the last time I had such fast…
Read More: Bluestem Brasserie, San Francisco
After exploring the new Exploratorium on Pier 15 in San Francisco, we drove to Tartine Bakery on 600 Guerro Street for a quick lunch. When we finally arrived, around 4:30pm, the line to the bakery looked like a scene from old Soviet Russia. We decided we could not wait this long, no matter how delicious the bread and pastries looked. . . We decided to…
Read More: Pizza and Desserts at Tartine Bakery & Cafe / Pizzeria Delfina
After seeing "Tristan & Yseult" at Berkeley Repertory Theater, we stopped by for a late lunch at Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen in Berkeley.. . Many years ago, after graduating from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, I moved to Houston, Texas, to work for Compaq Computer. While living in Houston, I came to love and appreciate spicy Cajun cooking, especially at restaurants like Pappadeaux. Living in California, I…
Read More: Eating Cajun at Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen
Today, we saw the Berkeley Repertory Theater's production of "Tristan & Yseult".. . Synopsys:. King Mark rules with his head, until he falls head over heels for his enemy’s sister. Based on an ancient tale from Cornwall, Tristan & Yseult revels in forbidden desires, broken hearts, grand passions, and tender truths. It’s another marriage of gorgeous music and ingenious staging from the acclaimed creators of…
Read More: Review: Tristan & Yseult at Berkeley Repertory Theater
I saw The Barber of Seville at the San Francisco Opera today.. . The stage had a beautiful modern rendition of Seville, Spain. It was elegant and classic at the same time.. . The performers' costumes were richly detailed and appropriate for the opera. I especially enjoyed the small touches, like the rising moon, the bicycles that Figaro rode, the beautiful balloons, and the car…
Read More: Review: The Barber of Seville at San Francisco Opera
I saw the musical Evita at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts today.. . Evita had a few memorable songs, like "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," but I found it boring.. The show was too long, and I wondered when it would finally end.. . The overall story was relatively weak, making it difficult to follow many songs. Maybe it was the San…
Read More: Review: Evita (San Jose Center for the Performing Arts)
Today, we had fun trick-or-treating in our neighborhood at the Almaden Winery.. . Inna dressed as a Blue Monster, and I was Ted the Bear.. . . . . . . . Our neighborhood had many well-decorated houses.. . . . . . . . Alex collected tons of candy, and we had fun exploring the neighborhood at night, seeing all the fabulous costumes.. .…
Read More: Halloween, Almaden Winery
We saw Sarah Brightman's Dreamchaser concert at SAP Center in San Jose today.. . I really liked "La Luna" and "Nessun Dorma" (though Nessun Dorma is written for a tenor - not a soprano voice). I also wanted "Scarborough Fair," the "Phantom of the Opera," and "Time to Say Goodbye.". . The guest tenor, Erkan Aki, had a voice and was the show's highlight. There…
Read More: Review: Sarah Brightman's Dreamchaser Concert
Today, we decided to have our 12th Wedding Anniversary dinner at the Plumed Horse in Saratoga.. We usually prefer to go to Manresa, but it was unavailable for our special day.. . . . . We ordered the "Chef's Autumn Tasting Menu," which was delicious! This is now Inna's favorite restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area.. . . . . . . . This…
Read More: Anniversary Dinner at the Plumed Horse
Today, we saw Berkeley Rep's production of "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.". The play was exciting but not super entertaining.. . SFGate has an interesting review of the play here.. . . . . . . Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike . Written by Christopher Durang. Directed by Richard E.T. White. Limited Season · Roda Theatre. September 20–October 25, 2013 .…
Read More: Review: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Berkeley Rep)
Today, I made an appointment to purchase my leased 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T sports utility vehicle at Audi of Stevens Creek. As my 3-year lease was expiring, I decided that the value of my car was much greater than the lease-purchase price.. . . . . . . When I arrived at 12:00 p.m. for my appointment, I planned to drop off the check, sign…
Read More: Purchasing an Audi Q5 2.0T from Audi of Stevens Creek
Today, we test-drove a 2013 Tesla Model S sedan. After reading about the fantastic reports of Tesla's performance, I requested a test drive after reading about the tremendous reports in Consumer Reports and Car & Driver.. . I requested an online test drive for the Model S and confirmed my appointment by phone.. When we arrived at the Santana Row showroom, we found a Tesla…
Read More: Test driving the Tesla Model S
Today, we saw the play "The Further Adventures of Three Musketeers" by the Los Gatos Shakespeare Company in Oak Meadow Park (on an outdoor stage).. . . . The play is loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers series of novels. We enjoyed the performance, and Alex liked all of the swordplay.. . It's all for one and one for all in this premiere…
Read More: Review: The Further Adventures of Three Musketeers (Oak Meadow Park)
Today, we decided to go for a mountain bike ride at the Wilder Ranch State Park near Santa Cruz/Davenport, California.. . Wilder Ranch State Park borders the Pacific Ocean, offering sweeping views of the nearby cliffs.. . . . . . There is little shade, and the trail can sizzle in the afternoon sun. Most of the vegetation was dry or burned out.. . .…
Read More: Biking the Wilder Ranch State Park
Today, Inna and I saw San Jose Repertory Theater's performance of "A Minister's Wife." . . . . The actors played and sang their parts well, but I was not moved by the music, the songs, or the performance.. . . . . . . . Musical Adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Candida Makes its West Coast Premiere at San Jose Rep. Three hearts and…
Read More: Review: A Minister's Wife (San Jose Repertory Theater)