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Northern CA Roadtrip 2026 – Petaluma and Bodega Bay

Posted on April 14, 2026 by JimG

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

We got up and went back to Rustic Bakery for coffee, and I stocked up on their cheese coins before we headed north to Petaluma, California. The drive was less than an hour, and Petaluma put us closer to both Sonoma and Napa.

It was too early to check into the hotel, so we headed into Petaluma’s historic downtown district to walk around. I was surprised by how nice it was — historic, charming, and filled with fun, upscale boutique shops and restaurants.

Our first stop was the Sonoma Spice Company. I try to hold off buying spices at the grocery store so I can splurge when I find fun shops like this one. After that, we found a culinary store, which is always fun to browse through. We then found the Petaluma Pie Company and stopped for a snack, sharing a couple of small savory pies. Continue reading →

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Northern CA Roadtrip 2026 – Muir Woods

Posted on April 13, 2026 by JimG

Monday, April 13, 2026

Overall, this was a packed, fun-filled day.

We started with another stop at Rustic Bakery for coffee and a ham and cheese croissant. I also bought a box of rustic cheese coins for the road and quickly found that they were somewhat addicting.

As we left the hotel, the sun was shining brightly. Driving south on the 101, I looked out at the green, hilly terrain and admired the natural beauty. It was one of those views that made me think, this is why people want to live here.

We arrived at Muir Woods around 8:30 a.m. We had the required parking reservation, and there were, at most, a dozen cars in the lot. Since it is so close to San Francisco, I had no idea how busy it would be, which is why I wanted to get there relatively early on a weekday. It looked like my plan worked. Continue reading →

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Northern CA Roadtrip 2026 – Point Reyes

Posted on April 12, 2026 by JimG

Sunday, April 12, 2026

We got up around 7:00 and headed over to Rustic Bakery in the Marin Country Mart before driving out to Point Reyes.

It was pouring rain as we headed out. I reminded myself that when it comes to seeing nature, nature doesn’t always cooperate. It poured pretty much the entire morning, so we spent more time driving and sightseeing than hiking and taking pictures.

I hadn’t been to Point Reyes before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It is a vast, scenic region with a little bit of everything: rolling hills, patches of forest, rocky coastlines, and sandy beaches. Elk and deer roam freely, birds are everywhere, and elephant seals sun themselves along the beaches.

We used the GuideAlong app, which gave us the history of the area while letting us know which stops were must-sees and how difficult the hikes were. Although the rain didn’t make for great pictures, we had a great time seeing the area. It reminded me of visiting California’s Central Coast, where you drive from one scenic stop to the next. Continue reading →

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Northern CA Roadtrip 2026

Posted on April 11, 2026 by JimG

Family get together!

Saturday, April 11, 2026

I love to travel, but in the days leading up to a trip, I always find myself thinking of every reason why I should just stay home. Then, once I actually hit the road, I’m fine — and usually wondering why I hadn’t left sooner.

We were up early, packed the car, and headed to Paris Baguette for coffee. As we were ordering, my cell phone chirped. I looked at the camera alert and saw that, for the second day in a row, someone had put a door hanger on my front door.

Nothing screams “we are not home” quite like packages, flyers, or door hangers sitting on your doorstep.

So we headed back to the house to grab it, and as I suspected, it was from a real estate agent promoting an open house. Seriously, you would think a real estate agent would understand home security. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Final Days

Posted on November 7, 2025 by JimG

Friday, November 7, 2025

We spent our last couple of days doing exactly what a vacation should include: hanging out by the beach and pool, driving around the island while searching out places to eat and stop. We tried to book a Nā Pali Coast tour, but ocean conditions weren’t great and the available options were limited. We decided to save that for a future visit.

On the way to the airport, I had the familiar feeling that once we arrived in Hawaii, the next thing we’d know it would be time to go home. Vacations always seem to work that way.

Even though I’ve been to Hawaii many times, I never once felt a sense of “been there, done that” on this trip. In Waikiki, we stayed at the Royal Hawaiian. It’s a very nice hotel, and the staff was top notch. I’d always wanted to stay there, and it didn’t disappoint.

Kauai felt pretty much the same as I remembered, but Waikiki has changed. I used to love Waikiki—back when I was in my twenties and happy going out until all hours of the night. Somewhere along the way, both Waikiki and I changed. As one of our Uber drivers put it, “Waikiki is nothing but a city with a beach. Kauai is still an island.” I have to agree.

As we boarded our flight back to Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that we couldn’t stay longer.

 

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Hawaii 2025 – A day at the Beach

Posted on November 5, 2025 by JimG

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

I did a few work related things in the morning and then drove to Lihue for saimin at Hamura Saimin. We’d eaten there on our last trip. It’s mostly a local spot, but there’s always a slow but steady trickle of tourists finding their way in.

After that we swung by Safeway. I wanted to grab some poke for the room, and honestly, I just like seeing what is available locally. I am always amazed at how expensive food is in Hawaii.

Once we got back to the hotel, I headed straight to the beach and rented a cabana. I’ll never get over how you can pay a resort fee and still have to pay extra just to sit on the beach at a beachfront resort. It’s ridiculous, but here we are.

The weather was partly cloudy — warm, tropical, and comfortable without being unbearably hot. I enjoy listening to the ocean while watching people frolic in the sand.  Every once in a while, I dipped into the ocean or pool. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Allerton Gardens – The Sunset Tour

Posted on November 4, 2025 by JimG

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

The plan was to spend the day at the beach, but a thick cloud cover killed that idea. We ended up driving to Koloa and stumbled onto Break + Fast. Solid choice — we liked it a lot. I had some work to finish up, so I knocked that out until the housekeeper showed up. We moved to the lobby, sat in the rocking chairs for about an hour, then headed back to the room. Both of us crashed for a nap before heading to the Allerton Gardens.

We’d toured Allerton once before — the Best of Both Worlds tour — and loved it. This time, I was curious about their Sunset Tour, you visit the Allerton House and have dinner.   Sure enough, we ended up with the same guide who is very funny with a contagious laugh and knows his botanicals.

Quick refresher: Robert Allerton was born in 1873 into an absurd amount of money. He wanted to be an artist, wandered Europe for a while, eventually gave up, and on a whim stopped in Kauai. Weeks later, he bought the 62 acres that are now the Allerton Gardens. He created these outdoor “rooms,” built structures, and threw extravagant parties. I could never find much info about those parties online, but our guide said former estate workers told him that when the parties started, the staff basically vanished from sight. That tells you enough. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Turtle Beach

Posted on November 3, 2025 by JimG

Monday, November 3, 2025 (Part 2)

After a quick break, we headed out to explore on foot. This was my first time staying in Poipu, and I’d heard there was a spot where sea turtles swim ashore to sleep at night. Sophon pulled it up on Google Maps — not right in front of our hotel, but close enough to walk.

As we got near, I was surprised to see a roped-off area with about twenty turtles resting on the sand. They were huge. A biologist was on-site answering questions, and I had plenty: Why this beach? Do they ever come up at the beach next to ours? Are these the same turtles every night?

She explained that this particular stretch of beach has a gentle slope and is naturally protected by rocks, making it a safe place for the turtles to sleep. They come ashore in the early evening and return to the water just before sunrise — they simply can’t rest as deeply in the ocean. It’s not the same group every night; this is one of only three places in the world where this behavior happens, and the mix of turtles changes daily, though they do see some individuals return a few times a week. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Driving around Kauai

Posted on November 3, 2025 by JimG

Monday, November 3, 2025

Early in my career, I spent six weeks traveling between Kauai and Maui. I couldn’t have asked for a better project — I fell in love with Kauai’s natural beauty and immediately understood why so many Hollywood productions were filmed here. Even now, simply driving around the island is one of my favorite things to do.

We drove from Poipu up to Kapaʻa, about 45 minutes. Passing through Wailua, I noticed the Coco Palms was still fenced off. It’s the iconic hotel where Elvis filmed the wedding scene in Blue Hawaii. Hurricane Iniki destroyed it in 1992, and ever since, there’s been endless talk of redeveloping it. Sadly, it still sits there today — fenced off, decayed, and frozen in time.

We had breakfast at Kountry Kitchen, one of my longtime favorites. Sophon went all in with the pork loco moco — shredded pork over rice, topped with an egg and smothered in gravy. I stuck with my usual Eggs Benedict. From there, we continued up to Hanalei Bay, stopping along the way to take in the views. When my parents retired, I used my miles to bring them to Kauai, and they absolutely loved it. I always think about how special that trip was. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Waikiki to Poipu

Posted on November 2, 2025 by JimG

Sunday, November 2, 2025

We had breakfast at the Surf Lanai, the hotel’s restaurant. I went with the eggs Benedict, and Sophon ordered the signature pink pancakes with a side of bacon. Both were great, and the view of Waikiki and Diamond Head never gets old.

After breakfast, we took a walk through Waikiki. Earlier in the week I’d spotted a hot sauce from a local Hawaii company that I really liked, and I was determined to find it again. The problem? Trying to remember which ABC Store we were in. I have no idea how many ABC Stores Waikiki has, but we checked at least six within a couple of blocks. Eventually, I gave up — they blend together after a while.

We headed back to the hotel to pack up for our flight but took one last walk around the Royal Hawaiian. I really enjoyed staying there — zero complaints.

The flight to Lihue was quick and painless, which is all you can ask for these days. We grabbed the rental car and drove to Poipu, where we were staying. As we pulled into the Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas, it hit me: years ago I worked on a project at Kiahuna Plantation right next door. Back then I stayed at the Islander on the Beach in Lihue, so this was my first time actually staying in Poipu. Continue reading →

Categories: Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu | Leave a comment

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