Ocean Beach During a quick break from my conference we enjoyed some sunshine while exploring Ocean Beach, walking down the pier for views of the coastline and the surfers enjoying the storm-driven...
Blog posts from California
San Diego: beer!
Saturday: Kearny Mesa / Miramar Eric had a full day so I called the shot for drinks! After picking him up from the conference we drove north to Quantum Brewing. I had the Final Gravity Russian...
San Diego: food – Liberty Station, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach
Wednesday We headed back to Liberty Station for breakfast at the Fig Tree Café. The weather was reasonable, so we sat outside next a heater which was quite comfortable. Place was not too busy when...
San Diego: food – Mission Valley, Hillcrest, Liberty Station
Saturday It was an early start for Eric, so we just grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and then met for lunch at True Food Kitchen in the Fashion Mall. I had the Dashi Ramen bowl with Portobello...
Sonoma County: where we ate (and drank beer)
There are lots of great places to eat and drink (outside of the plethora of wineries) and we visited a few interesting places on this trip. Santa Rosa Belly Left Coast Kitchen - Planning to go to...
Sonoma County: Russian River Valley wine tasting
Porter Creek Vineyards -- On our second visit to this charming tasting room we had an equally lovely visit. Jonathan was a friendly host full of suggestions and stories. Given the small tasting room...
Sonoma County: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley wine tasting
Though we have been to Sonoma County a few times now, we really hadn't explored the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, so on this trip we set out to remedy that issue. Zinfandel is king here and you...
Sonoma County 2014: overview and where we stayed
We like Sonoma. Enough so that we made our third trip (2011, 2013) in late February. On each visit we've had good luck with the weather, and this trip was the best yet with sunny days and temps in...
Long Beach, California: restaurants and bars
As you probably know by now, we usually do quite a bit of research into bars and restaurants before we visit a city. We found quite a few tasty places to eat and quiet spots for a drink in Long...
Long Beach, California: where we stayed
Hyatt The Pike, Long Beach Since a conference was the reason for the trip to Long Beach, we focused on hotels within a few minutes walk of the convention center. Now, a Hyatt is attached to...
Long Beach, California: daytrip down the coast
With most of a day free before Eric's conference, and a hotel next to the Long Beach ferry terminal, we originally planned on a day trip to Catalina Island. As we researched what we could do there...
California coast
Our location in Guerneville meant that within a 25 minute drive we could be on the Pacific coast. We managed to drive out twice during our stay, and I think it was one of the most beautiful drives...
where we stayed in Yosemite National Park
Once we knew that my brother Ryan and his girlfriend April were going to join us on this trip, I started looking for a place we could share to help keep the costs down. We knew that staying in the...
waterfalls in Yosemite National Park
The first official waterfall close-up on the trip was Bridal Veil Falls. It's more or less a roadside view, so get there early to get a parking spot and share the short hike with lots of other park...
Yosemite National Park
Our first view of the Yosemite Valley while driving in on Hwy 120 was stunning to say the least. After settling in to our cabin we had just enough daylight left to hike Sentinel Dome from Glacier...
friendliest bird in San Diego
You know how, most of the time, when you stop to look at birds they scatter or fly away? Well... sometimes they make a beeline right for you. I actually had to back away from this character because...
California recap
I just realized that I never mentioned the incredibly windy ferry ride to Sausalito or the delicious family-style lunch at Angelino Restaurant... so I've added a few photos below. Also, the entire...
The French Laundry
For those of you that know about The French Laundry, this post will probably cement the fact that you should go at least once in your lifetime and once you do, it will be clear that this experience...
Our Itinerary
2024 Trips
San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Matera, Italy (Oct)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London, UK (Dec)
Manchester, UK (Dec)
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Oak Island, NC (Sept)
Brooklyn, NY (Sept)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)
2022 Trips
Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)