In an effort to use a few vacation days, last weekend I went up to Incline Village for a quick ski-getaway just before the crowds headed up for the President’s Day weekend. Once again utilizing my Hyatt points, I booked Thursday and Friday night at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe and began looking for restaurants … Continue reading Incline Village Ski Trip
I have never been terribly political, but this election cycle has made me think harder about getting more involved with the issues that are important to me. I was extremely excited to find out that San Jose was hosting its own Women’s March this January in order to express our desire for change and bring … Continue reading San Jose Women’s March
Many of you may know that I’m an avid climber - and recently started lead climbing at my home gym, Planet Granite in Sunnyvale. While I mostly climb indoors, I’m trying more and more to get outside and off the wall. One of the best places to do this locally, of course, is Castle Rock … Continue reading Climbing at Castle Rock
Backpacking at Point Reyes National Seashore is a yearly tradition for me. I’ve been going ever since we took a class trip in sixth grade, and I almost always stay at one of the backpacking camps (though this year I stayed at Marshall Beach in Tomales Bay). Of the four camps, my favorites are the … Continue reading Backpacking at Point Reyes – Coast Camp
This town is famous for two things: the mission, and the shops. Mission San Juan Bautista is a beautiful mission, unobstructed by urban development. Built in 1719, this mission was an integral part of the California Missions Trail, which leads from San Diego to Sonoma and is comprised of 21 missions. The mission is extremely … Continue reading San Juan Bautista
Out in the western Sierra Nevada foothills, there are a series of amazing adventures to be had, including several great spelunking excursions. Moaning Caverns allows you to rappel 165 feet into an amazing cavern for their adventure tour, and California Caverns offers a “Middle Earth” tour that cannot be beat. I highly recommend going to … Continue reading Moaning Caverns
This ride is best timed in the spring to see the reservoirs at peak levels and encounter maximum wildlife, but is beautiful at any time of the year. This 18.8 mile loop is a lovely training ride with rolling hills (only 731 ft. elevation gain), gorgeous scenery and wineries - should you care for a … Continue reading Morgan Hill Reservoir Ride
We have some lovely swimming holes in the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of the best known, is the Garden of Eden swimming hole off Highway 9 in the Henry Cowell Redwoods. This little piece of heaven can be tough to find, but is well worth it. There are a few parking spots along the road, … Continue reading Heavenly Swimming Holes
Any of you that know me personally know that I have a very special cat. Teal, my adopted Snowshoe Siamese, is just as much of an adventurer as I am. Since I adopted her a week before I was laid off at the end of 2008, I was able to spend a lot of extra … Continue reading #CampingCat
San Jose has two beautiful rose gardens. The Municipal Rose Garden and the Heritage Rose Garden. Both are just a short walk from my neighborhood, The Alameda, near Diridon Station and Shasta/Hanchett. The most widely visited and well-known of these is the Municipal Rose Garden. Maintained by a both the city and dedicated group of … Continue reading Roses and Wine