The Emerald City

It is indeed emerald as I caught an aerial glimpse of Washington from the plane. Arrived safely, walked into my hotel, and suddenly realized that I had stayed at this same hotel on my last trip. I didn't remember the name, but I remembered the lobby. I'm on the 15th floor, but even so there is no view of the bay because 1) there are a lot of much taller buildings nearby, many certifiable skyscrapers and high rise hotels, and 2) my window does not face the bay.

Did a lot of walking around the downtown area today and realized that I have a pretty good sense of direction partly because I've been here twice before. The streets feel very comfortable to me. I still recognize some places, like Post Alley, and remember this fantastic little Italian restaurant with no sign to identify it, except for one small pink door and the savory smells of garlic. Looking forward to going on an underground tour of the city tomorrow.

Tea Time in Victoria

Looking forward to going to Seattle, San Juan Islands, Victoria, and Vancouver next week.

Journey down the California Coastline

I treated myself to a nice leisurely drive down along the coast all the way to Los Angeles, something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I was elated at the first sight of water, and the views were nothing short of breathtaking.


Being awed by Big Sur's beautiful rocky cliffs.


Learning about Solvang, a cute little Danish town nestled in a hidden valley.


Following the footsteps of the Spanish missionaries at the Santa Barbara Mission.



Spotting a pirate ship in Santa Barbara, and gawking at a minivan plastered with plastic action heroes and other objects from popular culture.


Beaching in Malibu, there is no better way to spend an afternoon. Time to work on my tan.


Sneezing and feeling the infernal itch in the roof of my mouth from the pristine lawns and sterilized streets of my hometown, Irvine. Really, I am quite literally allergic to this city.

Everyday is Saturday!

I L-O-V-E this sabbatical, but strangely, I've been quite busy and have not had as much down time as I had anticipated. In fact, I find my days going by very quickly and I still have a long list of things I want to do. Here's some of the mischief I've been up to:



Checking out antique stores in Historic Niles in Fremont



Scaring the birds at Shoreline Park in Mountain View


Collecting squished pennies at the San Jose Flea Market



Getting spooked at the Winchester Mystery House



Checking out real Egyptian mummies at the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose