we enjoy the ocean views.

I was feeling down in the dumps a few weeks ago and just needed to get
out and do something outside of the day to day stuff. Tim found this
place in Santa Cruz after reading reviews and it was perfect! Super
easy hike that has gorgeous ocean and cliff views for most of the
trail. We finished the hike pretty fast and ventured over to W Cliff
to walk along the neighborhood and beach area to the lighthouse. After
that we drove to the wineries and had a few tastings and several pints
of organic beer. It was the perfect remedy to lift my spirits again!

We went hiking at Skyline Ridge last wknd and it was a workout! Not a
strenuous hike but we definitely had to stop and catch our breath
while going up the incline. The lakes were beautiful and the views of
the hills were amazing. There's even a lil' visitor center with
drinks, snacks, maps, and an exhibit that showcases the furry and
creepy crawly occupants of the ridge. Looking forward to checking out
the nearby trails like Russian Ridge, Monte Bello & Los Trancos!

Here's another good spot to hike because of the awesome views - Muir
Beach, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a beautiful walk,
lined with wild flowers, tall tress, and lush green hills. Not a hard
hike either and very short. In about a mile, you'll reach the beach
with it's clean coastline. Highly recommended even for non-active
folks.

Now that the weather's better, we can pick up hiking again!

 We usually just go impromptu on a Saturday or Sunday morning after
breakfast. It's nice to get away from the city and surburbia and get
fresh air and nature.

 Sawyer Camp Trail is by San Mateo. We took this hike last summer with
D&N. Fun, easy walk but not much in terms of view and difficulty. It's
a great trail if training for a marathon though because you can go for
miles without much incline on a fully pathed trail.

They sure do love their bears.

So I am sitting here on this airplane with an empty styrofoam box of the world's finest kim chi fried rice.  Some people may say that Boots and Kimo's Macadamia Nut sauce is like crack, well then the kim chee fried here with spicy bbqed pork must be along the lines of heroine...  There is just something about this little hole-in-the-wall food stand that lures me back every time I'm in honolulu(multiple times).
On the plane ride to hawaii, all I can think about is their Kim chee fried rice.  So we make that our frist stop.  30 minutes before leaving to the airport to go home, we take the risk of being late and run to the International food market so we can carry this fried rice through miles of security checkpoints so it can be our last memory of our vacation.......   I suggest anyone to make sure they stop by and get some fdried rice during yiour vacation. The fried rice is extremely simple, I think it's just a ton of kimchee and some sesame oil......  my my I will miss you dearly until my next return!!!

Fried Rice!

Come here if you want amazing Italian style pizza. I know, it's kind of an oxymoron, but seriously we eat American pizza most of the time. This place is in sf north beach hidden among the strip clubs. What made this pizza tops was the thin, yet substantial and crisp crust, the thin layer of cheese, the bakanced sauce, and spinach parmesan combo. Loved the spinach more than the Italian sausage. Another plus is that you can drink while waiting and bring your own wine. There are no reservations so expect a wait, but that's why you order your drink once you check in!