We are so fortunate to be living so close to our favorite beach town of Santa Cruz, California; just a 20-minute drive on Hwy 17 over the Santa Cruz Mountains. Santa Cruz has everything a beach town should have and more. First and foremost are what everyone goes to Santa Cruz for – the beaches.
Panther Beach.
It was a warm sunny weekend when we went to San Francisco in the end of February and our plan was to relax at Fort Baker, grab lunch at Fort Mason, and stroll by the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge.
With a cool breeze and the most beautiful blue skies with puffs of white clouds, the City by the Bay couldn’t have been any more perfect on this weekend.
Continue reading A Weekend in San Francisco. Fort Baker, Fort Mason & The Ferry Building
The twins were turning 10, and this was one of those times when I just didn’t want to plan and organize yet another kids birthday party. Those of you who have kids know this, there are countless kid’s birthday parties, and we as parents are trying to make our child’s birthday unique in some way or another. Parents have done every themed party and original idea there is out there to make their child’s birthday special. I was one of those parents who just didn’t want to do that yet again – that is, go out of my mind trying to be creative and original for another birthday celebration.
This was the year when as a Mom I just wanted to take a break from kids birthday parties. So I asked the twins if they were okay with NOT having a birthday party that year if I promised to make their birthday very special. The twins thought about this and discussed it among themselves and decided to trust me. Now I was on the hook to deliver! But I knew what I had planned for their 10th birthday would not disappoint.
Continue reading Visit to a Goat Farm in Pescadero, California
Sometimes you just want to get in the car and go on a drive and enjoy the open-road. You know what I mean? Especially after a rough week, it’s a great feeling to get away from all the noise and be out in nature. Once in a while I love doing this. Take a drive on a panoramic road where the destination is not something touristy, but rather something more simple; it could be just to check out a farm-stand, or to stop by a special nursery, or in this case, to see a few grey and white seals. Continue reading A Scenic Drive to Bolinas Lagoon & Point Reyes Station, California
When I was working at Bay Networks years ago here in the Bay Area, I was Program Manager for a few of their marketing and sales tools, and as part of the project team I hired a company called Medior to do multimedia animation and programming for my products.
Medior’s offices were at Pelican Point in Half Moon Bay, California. They had converted an old abandoned fishing warehouse on the docks into an open plan office space for all their programmers, art designers, and office personnel. It had a view of the Pacific Ocean and the pier, and the building was basically glass from top to bottom. It was a beautiful warehouse. I wish the iPhone was invented back then in 2001, I would have taken a few pictures of that gorgeous office building. I still have the image etched in my mind. This is how I discovered the quaint town of Half Moon Bay, California, my all time favorite seaside village. Continue reading The Seaside Village of Half Moon Bay, California
Mombasa, Kenya. This charming coastal town in South East Kenya is the hometown of Hitesh’s family. Mombasa is different from other cities in Kenya. Because this area was a trading post for Arab merchants who traded between East Africa and the Middle East, you see a lot of Arab influence here, from decor, to architecture, to the people. While majority of people in Kenya are Christian, in this coastal area a lot of the folks are Muslim. You see many mosques and you even hear morning prayer calls from loud speakers in Mombasa. It really is a town with a unique character different from the rest of Kenya. Continue reading Visit to Mombasa, Kenya
While visiting our friends Jo and Oliver in Cape Cod, Massachusetts this past summer, we made a day trip to the quaint island of Nantucket. Under the guidance of Jo and Oliver, who were our tour guides for the day, we planned to spend the entire day on Nantucket Island.
Continue reading A Day Trip to Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
Our friend Jo, who lives here in the Bay Area, has a summer home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and has been telling me for years to bring the kids and visit her. I finally decided to do it and made it out to Cape Cod this past July. What an amazing time we had. Beaches, boats, hydrangeas, and cedar cottages. This is the best way to describe this charming area of Cape Cod.
“I want all my senses engaged. Let me absorb the world’s variety and uniqueness.” by Maya Angelou. What better way to describe my recent trips this past summer.
I made a new year’s resolution early this year, to travel more and to get out of my comfort zone i.e. California. Continue reading “I want all my senses engaged. Let me absorb the world’s variety …”
Big Sur, California is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. The land here is absolutely stunning. “Much ink has been spilled extolling the raw beauty and energy of this precious piece of land in California shoehorned between the Santa Lucia Range and the Pacific Ocean, but nothing quite prepares you for your first glimpse of the craggy, unspoiled coastline.” from lonelyplanet.com This is exactly how I felt when I first saw Big Sur – speechless. The land and sea here is so spectacular that words fail me.
Continue reading Big Sur, California. Is there any place more beautiful?
