Category Archives: California

Half Moon Bay Visit

Shea’s aunt, cousin, cousin’s wife and cousin’s son, from Pittsburg, California (his hometown) were camping in Half Moon Bay. That happens to also be my dad’s old stomping ground from after his retirement from the Coast Guard since he had a commercial fishing boat there. We went out to see them (my first time meeting Shea’s family), which also served to escape the heat wave that was in the Bay Area. For those who aren’t familiar with the various microclimates in the area, the coast is almost always more pleasant during times like this. Surprisingly there was very little traffic for a Saturday, and we even got back in time for some pool time with friends in Vallejo, which was still well above 90 degrees when we returned around 6pm.

While in Half Moon Bay we did a lot of outdoor activities, including taking a long walk along the beach, rode the bikes with the cart for dogs hitched to one of them, which completely inspired me to get one for my electric bike. We also had some food al fresco, and played Rummy Tile, a board game inspired by Mahjong. I didn’t win either game, but at least I didn’t come in last the second time I played!

You’ll see in the videos that I come to a sudden stop at least once to make sure the dogs were okay behind me. They were carefully strapped in, but were probably unsure of what to make of the situation. Shea is filming when I did this so he almost ran into me. You can see it from two perspectives which we laughed about in the end. Fortunately no one was hurt during the making of these videos, least of all the dogs.

Downtown Palm Springs

Shea really wanted a coffee (iced) on a very hot day in Palm Springs. We went to Koffi, which has a brilliant garden and view behind it at this location. Thereafter, in 104 degrees Fahrenheit, we strolled down the very “deserted” streets of Palm Springs. On the Walk of Fame, we took a picture with Ross Matthews, who is a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a show that Shea enjoys.

Started Coastal Trip

We started the trip down the coast and had enough time to make a few pitstops. This was Shea’s first time on 17 Mile Drive. Snoopy and Bonnie have been amazing and getting lots of beach time in. We made it to Pismo Beach right before dark. We almost took PCH all the way there, but there was a road closure due to a mudslide that forced us to go all the way back up to Monterey and take 101 down, but it was lovely the whole time. Shea really enjoyed some of the non-touristy nooks and crannies I showed him in my dad’s hometown of Monterey.

Pacific Grove
Spanish Bay near Monterey
Bixby Bridge in Big Sur

We HAD to do it, thanks to the kindness of a stranger. I am still looking for Point Shea!

Obligatory Lone Cypress shot, the pièce de résistance of 17 Mile Drive.

Obligatory Bixby Bridge shot.

Montara Beach May 2024

Wonderful reunion with my friend and former co-worker Debra Dixon Anderson, who was pretty much my “work wife” for at least a year. I hung out with her and my friend James (aka Buck) and Debra’s REAL husband, Rick. Brought Snoopy and Bonnie to Montara beach (very dog-friendly) . I suspect it was Bonnie’s first time ever at the beach. She and Snoopy were perfectly behaved and stuck close to me even off-leash. I so enjoy showing people from the East Coast and other places who appreciate the beauty of where we live, and this was just a small sampling of one of my happy places. More pictures and edited video to come!

If I had been thinking correctly, I would have brought the beach chairs and waterproof folding blanket from my car, but still a wonderful memory that I will cherish.

Sonoma Rendezvous with Law School Colleague and other Friends

Mike O’Rourke is an amazing attorney in Canada who I went to law school with and who was instrumental in my coming out process. His husband and he flew in to the San Francisco area and we were able to meet up with our friends Rick and Kai. I brought the dogs to Viansa Winery and then we made a quick trip to downtown Sonoma where we had lunch. The weather was gorgeous and I was glad I was able to share some time with them as they started their Wine Country leg of their trip. Mike had flown in from Hong Kong a few days before and Pangus (a British Columbia native) flew in from Toronto, where they both currently live.

Benicia State Park First Bike Trip

I loved how easy it was to access the fabulous Benicia State Park from my house on the paths with the bike just down the hill from our house. I also had no idea that hand gliding was done in this area, although I’ve seen it many times in northern Vallejo where the larger hills are. I didn’t actually see any launch into the air this time, but the hand gliders were erect as they were training in the wind.

Just in time this morning my new MIPS-approved bike helmet arrived. I sent back the purple one because it was not MIPS-certified. I got good advice to make sure I protected my head the best way, although honestly, I can’t tell the difference in design at all.

Today’s ride definitely gave me a whole new perspective on riding in perilous off-road dirt paths. I was so glad to have a fat tire bike and an electric one at that. I love that I can pedal when I want, and I can use pedal assist, without feeling I’d be stuck if I got very tired. I wasn’t sure if my knee, on which I had surgery a number of years ago, would love this kind of action, but it survives the whaleboat rowing which is very much about the legs. The e-bike’s power going up hills on less than perfectly paved roads and the adventures that I can achieve still astound me. It would have taken me days to hike all the places I went in just over an hour. I am also seeing spots up close that I often admired in the hills while rowing the past few years. I’m so lucky.

In one still shot you can see Mount Diablo in the background while I’m at the apex of this hill with the electric tower that connects to the East Bay through high wires over the huge freight ships that go to Benicia’s ports.

GoPro Cam Perspective (Meticulously edited):