Destinations

 

Friday, October 27, 2023: Saguaro National Park, Rincon District, AZ - My seventh new national park in six days! Wonderful 5-mile hike among the cacti and other desert vegetation.

Thursday, October 26, 2023: White Sands National Park, NM - It's not sand, it's gypsum and very nice to hike on. My dad worked at the nearby missile range in the 1950s.
Thursday, October 26, 2023: Guadalupe Mountain National Park, TX - the highest elevation in Texas.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023: Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM - I thought it would be a lame set of tourist caverns, but it's an incredible 40-mile long cavern system (with only a couple of miles open to the public) and well worth the trip.
Tuesday, October 23, 2023: Mesa Verde National Park, CO - Southern Colorado and these mesas are stunningly beautiful.
Tuesday, October 23, 2023: Arches National Park, UT - I hiked about 8 miles through Devil's Garden starting before dawn. I don't have the words to do it justice.
Monday, October 22, 2023: Canyonlands National Park, UT - Perhaps my favorite of the amazing Utah national parks, highly under-rated.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022: Cuyahoga Falls National Park, OH - Ohio's only national park, but I had never really been here. The town of Chagrin Falls is very quaint!
Saturday, February 19, 2022: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA - The Band of Heathens and Nicki Bluhm. Great to hear live music with friends.

Sunday, January 30, 2022: Rancho Nicasio, Nicasio, CA - Really enjoyed eating dinner and listening to Jacob Aranda and his band!

Saturday, April 17, 2021: Deer Park Trail, Fairfax, CA - Lovely hike and meditation!

Sunday, October 9, 2016:  Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO - Awesome 6-mile hike. At about 9,700 feet above sea level, possibly even more beautiful scenery than the day before.

Sunday, October 9, 2016:  Lunch at the Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO - excellent food and fine beers.

Saturday, October 8, 2016:  Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO - Amazing 8-mile hike.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016:  dinner at Broderick - boozy shake, yum!

 

Sunday, October 2, 2016:  lunch at Pelican Inn after the hike, really good food.

Saturday, October 1, 2016: Lily Kai, Petaluma - really yummy chinese food!

Sunday, September 11, 2016: The Giant Race, AT&T Park, SF with Team RWB - super fun event in which I placed 3rd in my age group and 40th overall out of 5,494 runners in the 10K.  Good times with my Eagle peeps!

Sunday, September 11, 2016:  Red Dog Restaurant, SF

Saturday, September 10, 2016:  Picaro and Amnesia, the Mission district, SF - tapas & sangria followed by some dancing and a wild ride in a Porsche down Van Ness!

Sunday, September 4, 2016:  San Francisco Fest, AT&T Park.  Awesome concert!

Saturday, September 3, 2016:  Live screening of the Burn, somewhere in Emeryville...

 

Sunday, August 21, 2016:  Duathlon 50K - with Jenny, Jason, and Andrew - 22-mile bike ride on Calaveras Road followed by a 9-mile hike/run in the Sunol Regional Wilderness.  Epic workout.

Sunday, August 14, 2016: Blackhawk Country Club - Nancy Mullally's surprise party for her 60th birthday.  A good time was had by all in this beautiful if man-made setting...

... followed by a visit to the more down-to-earth Tilden golf course clubhouse for dinner.

Sunday, August 7, 2016:  Prosser Family Campground north of Truckee.  Beautiful site to which I would return.

Saturday, August 6, 2016:  North Lake Tahoe with David, Rita and friends.  Excellent party to celebrate their 25th annoversary!

Saturday, July 30, 2016:  Adele concert at SAP Center, San Jose with Cathy, David & Rita - a most excellent concert.  She is amazing.

... preceded by a morning of volunteer work with Team RWB at the Marin Food Bank in SF.  Good people, good effort.

Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, 2016 - Ragnar relay at Royal Gorge - epic team trail running, 30+ hours, 129+ miles. Very challenging.  Great camaraderie and team effort!

Sunday, July 17, 2016: Archery class with Team RWB and the Redwood Bowmen behind the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland - what fun!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016: Kingston Mines, Chicago - great blues outing with Erik.  Saw two really cool artists, including the Mike Wheeler Band, although this pic is of the Giles Corey band, also very good...

Monday-Sunday, July 3-4, 2016:  Martz family reunion in Lake Geneva, WI - fun times with the family!  So great to see everybody. <3

Sunday, July 3, 2016:  Chicago Architecture River Cruise - a wonderful way to tour this beautiful city!

Saturday, July 2, 2026:  Art Institute of Chicago - a truly world-class museum.  Here's just one of my favorite pics of great artwork...

Saturday, July 2, 2016:  Cloud Gate, Chicago (the Bean) - not actually one of my favorite tourist attractions, but a unique photo opportunity.

Saturday, June 25, 2016:  A Runner's Mind, Lafayette - pancakes & mimosas with Team RWB!  Good times!

Thursday, June 16, 2016:  Lafayette Ridge Trail - although this was not a "new experience", the pic below was taken by one of my friends and is one of the finest examples of the amazingly beautiful scenery we have been enjoying all year! 

Tuesday, June 14, 2016:  Treasure Island at the Berkeley Rep.  A really fun and well-performed musical!

Saturday, June 11, 2016:  Erik's college graduation, Santa Cruz.

Thursday, May 26, 2016: Lafayette Ridge Trail - although this was not a "new experience", the pic below was taken by one of my friends and is another one of the finest examples of the amazingly beautiful scenery we have been enjoying all year! 

Sunday, May 15, 2016:  Bay to Breakers - my first time actually running it, and I was really happy with how I did.

Thursday, May 12, 2016:  Tilden Park, Berkeley - not my first time on the trail, but the fog layers were simply unearthly and stunning, proving once again that every day is a new day lending a new perspective.

Saturday, April 30, 2016:  Linfield Luau, McMinnville, OR - a fantastic show put on by an all-student ensemble, truly well done!

Saturday, April 30, 2016:  Lincoln City, OR - lunch and the beach with Lara.

Friday, April 29, 2016: Lithia Park, Ashland OR - scenic stopover on my drive north.

Friday, April 29, 2016: Oredson Todd Woods - beautiful trail run in Ashland, OR.

Thursday, March 31, 2016:  Seaview Trail, Tilden Park, Berkeley - again, not a "new" experience, but it was the first along this trail with my running buddies, and we all really bonded with each other and with nature.

Saturday, March 12, 2016: St. Baldrick's - head shaved for kids cancer research and a GoRuck custom light challenge. Good livin'.

 

Saturday, February 13, 2016: San Francisco - Logan's Run with Team RWB, fun run and picnic!

Sunday, February 7, 2016: Metallica - The Night Before, AT&T Park, San Francisco, with David and Erik. Best concert I have ever seen.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016:  Boulette's Larder, SF - Excellent closing dinner for a great client.

Saturday, January 23, 2016:  Squat & Gobble, SF - tasty brunch after a stellar workout on the Lyon Street steps with Team RWB!

Friday, January 22, 2016:  Speak Easy, Petaluma.

Friday, January 22, 2016:  Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Petaluma IMax.  Awesome!

Sunday, January 17, 2016:  Pre-hike meal at Mr. Mom's Cafe in Petaluma (Google Images photo), followed by an 11-mile hike in the rain near Point Reyes!

 

Thursday, January 7, 2016:  La Finestra in Lafayette. Wonderful dinner!

Friday, January 1, 2016:  First run of the year, and it was a great one:  11 miles by virtue of 2 loops and 2K+ elevation gain around the super hilly Lafayette Rim Trail with Team RWB!

Sunday, December 27, 2015:  Surprisingly slow month for experiencing NEW adventures, although I had a ton of fun, but I did finish the year strong by ice skating with Team RWB at a venue I had never been to:  Yerba Buena Center in SF!  I skated like a zombie, but I improved as the 2 hours went by, and I never fell down!

 

Sunday, December 6, 2015:  It took 6 years, but I turned over 20,000 miles on my Specialized Roubaix.  I have been through a lot with this sweet bike.

Sunday, November 29, 2015: Hiked from Crissy Field to Kirby Cove with Team RWB, over 9 miles round trip.  Beautiful location that a lot of folks don't know about.

Friday, November 20, 2015:  AsiaSF - dancing and a dinner show. Super fun!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015:  The Magic Flute at the San Francisco Opera. Specatacular show!  I had the best time ever.

Saturday, November 14, 2015: Epic run with Team RWB from A Runner's Mind to Baker Beach and beyond.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015:  Prospect restaurant followed by the Water Bar in SF.  Excellent on both counts.

Thursday, November 5, 2015:  Pier 23 Cafe in SF.  Very good food, a fabulous local band called Jethro & Jeremiah, and an interesting vending machine in the women's bathroom...

Monday, November 2, 2015: Baltimore airport.  I don't believe I had ever flown through there, so I am counting it as another first.  Nice sunset!

Sunday, November 1, 2015: With my cousin Ginny, visited Aunt Ruth at her nice apartment on Cheviot Road.  Had a great all around visit to Cincinnati.  Good for the soul.

Saturday, October 24, 2015:  Aftershock festival, Gibson Ranch, Elverta, CA - a rockin' loud weekend concert!  I went only one day but was fortunate to see Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Shinedown and others perform.

Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, 2015: McMinnville, Linfield College, and Portland.  Visited Lara and had a wonderful time!

Saturday, October 10, 2015:  Inaugural Yosemite Half Marathon at Bass Lake.  By far my fastest but most strenuous 13.1 ever.  Sore for a week and a half afterward, but it was worth it.

Saturday, September 26, 2015:  Gilligan's in Scottsdale.  Funky bar; a good time was had by all!

Friday, September 25, 2015:  The Hangar in Scottsdale.  Nothing special food-wise, but it was great to connect with my family after a long drive from Utah.

Friday, September 25, 2015:  Earned an Old Glory and a medallion for running with the Team RWB / OGR team - a total of 28 miles over 2 days.

Thursday, September 24, 2013:  Lead runner for OGR.  Strenuous day of running in Utah - heat, hills, and altitude.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015:  Great Basin National Park and the Lectrolux Cafe in Baker, NV - a full day of amazing experiences in a remote area.  Fourth national park in 4 days!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015:  Zion National Park, including Angel's Landing.  Awesome hike!

Monday, September 21, 2015:  Bryce Canyon National Park - such a beautiful place full of the artistry of nature.

Sunday, September 13, 2015:  Matt Davis Trail hike in Mount Tamalpais State Park with Team RWB.  Beautiful!

Friday, September 11, 2015:  Visited the Facebook campus as part of the Old Glory Relay.  The campus and the people there - ho hum, but still kind of interesting.

Saturday, August 29, 2015:  Two firsts in one - visited Half Moon Bay and went kayaking. Fun times with Team RWB!

... and an after-party at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Definitely a great pub with good beer!

Saturday, August 22, 2015:  Faction Brewing in Alameda, after yoga with Team RWB.  Tasty brews.

Saturday, August 15, 2015:  Run for the Seals at the Marine Mammal Center in the Marin headlands, with my friends Lisa and others.  22 minutes for a 5K with hills is not too bad.

... and Allie the Seal!  She's so cute!

Sunday, August 9, 2015:  Alamere Falls hike with Team RWB.  A hidden gem north of Bolinas in Marin County.

Friday, August 7, 2015:  Idina Menzel concert, Concord Pavilion.  She has an amazing voice and put on a great show!

Sunday, July 26, 2015:  Wharf to Wharf 6-mile run, Santa Cruz to Capitola. One of the most fun running events in which I have ever particpated!

... as well as the after-party with Team RWB at the Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery!

Sunday, July 12, 2015:  My first-ever mani-pedi and reflexology massage.  Wonderful!

Saturday, June 27, 2015:  Double Dipsea - hiked 15+ miles from Stinson Beach to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley and back.  Epic, beautiful hike!  One of the most beautiful routes anywhere.

Friday, June 26, 2015:  Rustic Tavern in Lafayette - very good food and wine, but $$$...

Sunday, June 21, 2015:  Bubble soccer!  David Pearson's birthday party at Civic Park in WC featured this fun and silly game!

Sunday, June 21, 2015:  Etcetra Wine Bar in SF.  Wonderful cheese to go with lovely wine!

Thursday, June 18, 2015:  Project Pie in Walnut Creek. Yum!

Saturday, June 6, 2015:  Super Spartan Monterey (near Salinas) with Team RWB.  Good times!

Sunday, May 17, 2015:  Bay to Breakers, San Francisco, CA.  My first ever! Every day is like Halloween in SF...

Saturday, May 16, 2015:  Gold Star Families Ruck March, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, CA.

Sunday, April 12, 2015:  SAR Type 2 training hike around the summit of Mount Diablo, 6+ miles total.  Fairly difficult, and at a fast pace.  Beautiful day for hiking!

Saturday, April 4, 2014:  Service project at Acta Non Verba Community Garden in Oakland with Team RWB.  Great people providing helping hands on a nice day.

    

Sunday, March 22, 2015:  ORF marathon relay with Jacque, Kris and Scott.  An excellent run and good time was had by all!  Sustenance afterward at Heinhold's on Jack London Square.

Friday, March 20, 2015:  4 coins in the fountain by Il Fornaio in Walnut Creek (although they were actually made after dark).  Best wishes for the future.

Thursday, March 19, 2015:  Mexican food at El Nido in Danville.  

Saturday, March 14, 2015:  Super fun day!  Got my head shaved for the St. Baldricks' fundraiser for kids cancer research, with the GoRuck Norcal team at Children's Hospital in Oakland.  In the evening, had a ball at Urban Putt in SF with Team RWB.  

Saturday, February 28, 2015:  Rope climbing and cross fit WOD in SF with Team RWB.  Very tough workout, but fun!

Sunday, February 22, 2015:  Veterans Yoga Project with Team RWB in Alameda.  Also lunch at Red Onion with Cherie.

Sunday, February 15, 2015:  Berkeley Marina to Bay Bridge bike ride with Team RWB.  Beautiful weather and fun to be on the bridge.

Saturday, February 7, 2015:  Mission Peak hike with Team RWB.  Beautiful!  Microclimates:  rainy and windy, yet also sunny and nice.  

Friday, February 6, 2015:  Team RWB social at Plank in Oakland.  Great fun!

Saturday, January 31, 2015: An epic adventure in San Francisco, including the Mark Hopkins and the Top of the Mark, Perbacco, and the Cat Club!  Good livin'...

Saturday, January 17, 2015:  Angel Island.  Wonderful day trip!  Returned the next day to recover a friend's lost phone...

Wednesday, December 31, 2014: Mount Hamilton ride.  85 miles from San Jose to San Ramon.  Brutally cold and windy, but wonderful scenery back along San Antonio Valley Blvd. and Mines Road.

Saturday, December 27, 2014: Team RWB run along Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail in the Berkeley hills.  Gorgeous views!

Sunday, December 21, 2014: Livermore Valley Wine Trolley, wine-tasting tour with Kristie.  Much fun!  Loved Tenuta winery; Wente and Rubino less so.  Murrieta's Well was good, too.  Wine bar at Tenuta:

Saturday, December 20, 2014: Foothill Regional Park Team RWB hike in Windsor.  Beautiful, great trails!  Also checked out Riverfront Regional Park, equally nice.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014:  Tour of Google's campus with Team RWB.

Sunday, December 14, 2014: BARF holiday party at Sports Basement.   Another fun party with great people!

Saturday, December 13, 2014: Veterans holiday party at the American Legion hall in San Mateo. Sumo suits and good times!

Friday, December 12, 2014: Øl Beercafe & Bottle Shop in WC.  Nice pub!

Saturday, December 6, 2014: North Face Endurance Challenge – Marathon Relay with Team RWB. 

Thursday, December 4, 2014:  Lunch at Kanishka's in WC with David Pearson.  Excellent food and service!  Will definitely go back.  Lamb sliders, yum...

Saturday, November 29, 2014:  Training run in Redwoods Regional Park with Team RWB SF.  Such beautiful trails!

Friday, November 28, 2014:  LaserMania Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon show at the Chabot Space & Science Center with Erik.  Very cool, fun show!

Sunday, November 16, 2014:  Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey.  Super run and event! 1:41:11, a PR.

Saturday, November 15, 2014: Helped Team RWB SF organize the The SF Hunt.  Good times.

Sunday, Nobember 9, 2014:  Berkeley half marathon.  Saw some Team RWB friends and had a nice run in perfect weather.

Saturday, November 1, 2014:  BARF run and potluck party in Healdsburg near Lake Sonoma.  15-mile beautiful trail run, but broke my right pinky finger - as far as I know, my first broken bone ever.

Sunday, October 26 - Tuesday, October 28, 2014:  Mendocino and Fort Brag mini-vacation.  Absolutely gorgeous!

Thursday, October 23, 2014:  Jimmy Buffett concert at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley with Jenn.  Fun!

Saturday, October 18 - Sunday, October 19, 2014:  CocCoSAR UNO.  Epic adventure.

Friday, October 17, 2014:  First CoCoSAR call out.  Rio Vista, dementia walkaway; unsuccessful search, but I learned a lot.

Sunday, October 5, 2014:  Cool day of surfing with Erik and Richard Rodriguez!  Had a great time.  Paddled within 10 yards of a sea otter who was just hanging out eating crab.  Then went to lunch at Zachary's for Mikes' Mess - yum!

Saturday, October 4, 2014:  Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park.  Wonderful!  will definitely go back next year.

Sunday, September 21, 2014:  SAR navigation training, Briones Regional Park.  Excellent hiking, orienteering, and team-building!

Friday, September 12, 2014:  Old Glory Relay run with Team RWB SF!  An epic day with amazing people.  This deserves an entire blog post of its own.  Can't wait to do it again next year!

Monday, September 1, 2014:  Paddle-boarding in the Oakland/Alameda estuary on a perfect day.  What fun!

Saturday, August 30, 2014:  Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz.   Lovely!

Sunday, August 24, 2014:  Surfing in Santa Cruz with Richard Rodriguez and friends!  Awesome.

Saturday, August 16, 2014:  Brazen Bear Creek 10K at Briones - my first registered 10K.  Finished 1st in my age group and 6th overall!  Here I am celebrating my medal with my buddy David, who worked a half marathon aid station...

Saturday, August 9, 2014:  Ran with BARFies up near Colfax and down to the north fork of the American River, in which we swam and truly enjoyed the surprisingly warm water.  Potluck lunch afterward at Jeannot's lovely home.

Monday, August 4, 2014:  Watched a special pre-screening of The War Comes Home, a documentary by Soledad O'Brien about Save a Warrior.  The film, and meeting Jake Clark, Delon, and Garrett, was a profoundly moving and powerful experience.

Sunday, July 27, 2014:  San Francisco Half Marathon.  Very nice course, good run!

Saturday, July 12, 2014:  Ran across the Golden Gate Bridge and back, for the first time ever, from the St. Francis Yacht Club with Team RWB San Francisco.

Sunday, July 6, 2014:  Blue Bottle on Broadway in Oakland - great coffee and waffles with Jacque and Kris after a fun run in Alameda on a beautiful day!

Saturday, June 28, 2014:  Cupertino - Workout and hiking with GoRuck Norcal buddies for Operation Red Wings.  Excellent day of camaraderie for a good cause!

Friday, June 27, 2014:  Sunol Ridge.  Food and drink with friends.  Nothing special, too noisy.

Saturday, June 21, 2014:  Marin Power Yoga with Team RWB, and then an epic 2.5 hour meal with my friend Theresa at Bubba's Fine Diner in San Anselmo!  Ahi tuna pot stickers, thai calamari salad, and a soft shell crab sandwich with sweet potato fries.  Amazingly good food, and great conversation. :)  Afterward, sat eating gelato and listening to good, live music.

Sunday, June 15, 2014:  Disney Museum, the Presidio, San Francisco - excellent time with Erik and Lara touring the very interesting exhibits about Walt Disney, as well as a wonderful bonus special exhibit about Mary Blair.

Thursday, June 12, 2014:  Novela Bar, San Francisco - fun social event with Team RWB!

Saturday, May 31, 2014:  Littlefield Tank Museum, Portola Valley, CA - excellent tour of a collection that is disappearing and will never be duplicated again.

Saturday, May 24, 2014:  For Gold and Green, Concord, CA - Kate Pearson's Girl Scout Gold Award Project honoring the Green Beret Foundation.  Team RWB wins!

Friday, May 2, 2014:  Kobe Japan - delicious sushi!

April 12, 2014:  Run as Team Red White & Blue, San Francisco, CA - with Andrew Hutchinson and Kris Lord

Tuesday, April 22, 2014:  Ellis Island, New York

Wednesday, April 23, 2014:  Avenue Q, New World Stages, Manhattan - hilarious!

Saturday, March 15, 2014: Sunol, CA - 51 mile bike ride on a beautiful day!

Saturday, March 8, 2014: Cool, CA - Ran the Way Too Cool 50K in 5'27".  Very tough run and glad to have done it.

Saturday, February 8, 2014:  Cataract Trail (and other trails) on the north side of Mount Tamalpais.  Awesome 15 miles of running in the rain!

Sunday, January 12, 2014:  Visited Golden Gate Park, including a ride on the carousel, as well as Crissy Field, the marina, and Lombard Street in S.F.

Friday, January 10, 2014:  Ate dinner at the Lemon Grass Bistro in Martinez.  Very nice!

 

Wednesday, January 1, 2014:  Turned over 14,000 miles on my Specialized Roubaix!

 

Thursday, December 26 - Saturday, December 28, 2013:  Drove to Corona...

... and stayed at the lovely Ayres Inn.  Had a really super time!

Thursday, November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving):  volunteered at Brazen Racing's Nitro Turkey run at Point Pinole, a beautiful location!

Saturday, November 23, 2013:  Doubled up on the fun -- Hiked/ran to the summit of Mt. Diablo with BARF (starting at Rock City)...

...AND hosted a wonderful party with Gina's Tree House Circle of friends!

Saturday, November 9, 2013:  Epic bike ride. Visited the Three Bears, then up Wildcat Canyon for extra Inspiration before tackling the brutal climb up South Park Drive, which I had never done before. Followed Grizzly Peak south to Skyline, then down Pinehurst, through Moraga and back home. 51 miles in 3 and a half hours. 

Saturday, November 2, 2013:  Lake Sonoma / Healdsburg run and after-party with BARF

Saturday, October 26, 2013:  Brazen Racing Rocky Ridge half-marathon with my buddies, Gary, Adam, David and Jamie.  Good times!

September 17 - October 22, 2013:  Journey to the Center of My Brain - Intuition Intensive @ Rabika.com

Sunday, August 25, 2013:  Santa Rosa Marathon!  Completed my first marathon in 3:29:48, barely beating my goal by only 12 seconds.  Fulfilled a life-long dream, a true "bucket list" goal, and I felt very emotional afterward.  I wish my friends could have been there to participate and celebrate with me, but this was something I did for myself.  The pic below, taken later in my motel room, is significant to me because it commemorates three excellent experiences I have had in the past 12 months:  the hat is my GoRuck tactical hat with a "NorCal" patch in honor of my GoRuck friends in the Bay Area; I earned the headband last month at Tough Mudder Tahoe; and, of course, in the middle is the rather large medal I received for completing the marathon.  I wore the hat and headband during my run as my inspiration to remain mentally tough.  I am very happy with my result.

Saturday, July 13, 2013:  Tough Mudder Tahoe. Really fun!  Very cool hanging with David, Jules and Tanner in beautiful weather at the Northstar resort.  The mud run itself was 10 miles long with lots of obstacles to crawl through and climb over, including Electroshock Therapy, the final test.  Overall, the event was pretty easy compared to GoRuck challenges (even GRC Light), but was fun and is good training.  I carried Guinness and beef jerky in my ruck the whole way and shared a feast with the guys at the end!

Saturday, June 15, 2013:  Brazen Racing "Trailquake" half marathon -- very hilly, difficult trail run, but a beatiful course mostly through the woods near Saratoga. 2'22" was my unofficial time (because I did not register) which would have been good enough for 27th overall out of about 155 runners.  Had fun hanging at the finish with my buds, David and John...

That night I went into SF for dinner at Central Kitchen and had a really nice meal.  This place is definitely worth trying!

Saturday, June 8, 2013:  See Jane Run Alameda half marathon!  Beautiful course and very nice weather.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013:  Southie, a great little restaurant in the Rockridge/College Ave. area of Oakland...

Saturday, May 18, 2013:  Lafayette Ridge Trail/Briones Crest Trail, Briones Regional Park (picture to come) - 9-mile run with Bob and Rick's Fun (BARF) running club.  Beautiful morning, great run, swell people!

 

Saturday, April 27, 2013:  Sutro Baths ruins, SF.  Hiked there with some folks from the Wounded Warrior Project as part of a GoRuck Light event...

Saturday, April 6, 2013:  Brooklyn, NY!  Great place to visit...

Friday, April 5, 2013:  Back to Manhattan and the American Natural History Museum.  Dinner at Ma Peche!

Thursday, April 4, 2013:  Philadelphia - Independence National Historical Park, National Constitution Center, and City Tavern...

Wednesday, April 3, 2013:  Philadelphia, home of Leah, Drew and Emery Hood...

 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013:  The Met, the Guggenheim, and The Lion King at the Minskoff Theater!

Monday, April 1, 2013:  Empire State Building, NY Main Library, MOMA, Circle Line Semi-Circle Cruise, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Union Square, and more Times Square, whew...

Sunday, March 31, 2013:  Manhattan!  Times Square!

 

Sunday, March 24, 2013:  Oakland Running Festival Half Marathon -- great run, perfect weather, really fun!

Thursday, March 21, 2013:  Havana, Walnut Creek.  Drinking with David, Jamie Ostroff, and a few GoRuck newbies...

Wednesday, March 13, 2013:  Turquoise Mediterranean Grill, Orinda.  Nothing special, actually, but always fun to try different places...

Tuesday, March 12, 2013:  Sushi Sho, El Cerrito.  Wonderful!

Sunday, March 3, 2013:  10-mile run in Oakland, starting at Lake Merritt.  Training for Oakland Running Festival half marathon...

Friday, February 22, 2013:  Barbacoa, mexican restaurant in Orinda...

 

Saturday, February 16, 2013:  Mt. Diablo junction...

Monday, February 11, 2013:  Postino, Walnut Creek.  Suh-weet...

Saturday, February 9, 2013:  Tilden Park and Grizzly Peak...

Friday, Feb. 8, 2013:  Office holiday (belated) dinner at Fleming's, WC...

Thursday, February 7, 2013:  Arthur Murray Dance Studios, Walnut Creek!


 

Monday, February 4, 2013:  Sasa in Walnut Creek!  Have been there quite a few times, but never had such a great time before.

Saturday, February 2, 2013:  Wow.  Just wow.

Saturday, January 19, 2013:  Color Vibe, Vallejo

www.thecolorvibe.com/vallejo.php

Saturday, January 12, 2013:  What a perfect day!  First, I met up with a running club at 8 am and ran 12.4 miles near Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills...

After stopping back at my house to shower, I picked up my buddy David and hauled ass to Treasure Island to watch my first pro rugby game, starring Ay Zee, a fellow GRT and Scavenger teammate, who plays QB for the San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club.  Beautiful weather and a fun game to watch.  (This is a stock photo, not my own)...

Sunday, December 30, 2012:  Joshua Tree National Park

Friday, December 28, 2012:  Cavalia Odysseo, Scottsdale, AZ -- Spectacular horse show with acrobatics!  Kind of like Cirque du Soleil with horses.  A once-in-a-lifetime experience shared with my family and my brother Tom's family.

Thursday, December 27, 2012:  Les Miserables, the movie, in Phoenix, AZ.  I tried to go into it with a completely open mind and without great expectations.  The movie far exceeded what I ever could have wanted from it.  Loved it!

Saturday, December 15, 2012:  GoRuck Christmas party at Hana Zen restaurant on Pier 39 in SF.  Great people, great food, and some excellent Scotch.  A good time was had by all!

Friday, December 14, 2012:  Gave a talk about financial aid and college selection at Las Lomas to an AP Econ class. Had never helped teach high school students before.  It was a really good experience for me, and perhaps the kids took something useful away from it.

Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 1-2, 2012:  Visiting a new Hospice patient (new to me).

Saturday, November 17, 2012:  GoRuck Scavenger in SF.  This is an all-day scavenger hunt with my GoRuck buddies, just for fun.  We hike around the city completing tasks, finding landmarks, etc. and tweet pics back to the cadre to earn points.  No bricks or heavy lifting, but there is sure to be alcohol involved. ;-)

Saturday, November 10, 2012:  Visited Erik in Santa Cruz and took him to lunch at Burger.  I saw his apartment for the first time and met Sam, one of his 4 roomies.  I love the campus!  Erik showed us a path into the woods near Kresge that leads to a meadow, a climbing tree, caves, and other sites the students where students like to hang.  Erik has adjusted well to college life and seems to be quite happy there.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012:  Not many new experiences this week, but I did try OI-C Bowl in WC for the first time. Compared to most "chinese" food around here, it's pretty good!  I would go back again.

Saturday-Sunday, November 3-4, 2012:  GoRuck Challenge, San Francisco, Class 309

Thursday, November 1, 2012:  War Stories and Free Beer in SF...

Tuesday, October 30, 2012:  Attended yet another closing dinner, at Allegro in SF -- a multi-course, family style Italian banquet!  It was heavenly.

Monday, October 29, 2012:  Closing dinner for TriValley Learning Corp. charter schools at Prima in WF.  What an excellent meal, even by Prima's standards!  A good time was had by all.

Friday, October 26, 2012:  Bosphorus, a Turkish restaurant in Walnut Creek, is good but not spectacular.  I tried the Bosphorus Combo Kebab, with chicken, beef and lamb.  The chicken was not to my liking -- too vinegary.  The beef was OK.  The lamb was the best by far!  I would go back again.

Saturday, October 20, 2012:  Covered a half-marathon distance for the first time with David Pearson and Brazen Racing friends; carried a full GoRuck pack up 4K feet of elevation gain, mostly walking but with some jogging.  It was a beautiful day and a wonderful course!

Friday, October 19, 2012:  Tried a new Korean restaurant called Mixed Grain on Bonanza Street in WC.  Thumbs up!  Wonderful that they offer mixed grain rice as an alternative to white rice.  Definitely will go back.

Thursday, October 18, 2012:  Headed into SF to 5A5 Steak Lounge for dinner!  It was fun hanging out with some folks I know, and somebody else paid the bill, which was nice.  As for the food, I was a bit disappointed; with the exception of the various "shooters", which were great, the food was nothing spectacular -- the side dishes were bland and uncreative.  Excellent decor.

Fun idea of the day:  Sometime I want to wear a red shirt into Target and just mess with people.

Saturday, October 13, 2012 - Residual Sugar wine bar (was there on the 5th, too).  Pricey but fun!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Today's Destination:  the Oakland hills, by road bike.  40 miles round trip from Walnut Creek!

Recent destinations:

Saturday, October 6, 2012 - Baker Beach, San Francisco - been there before, but not with this particular herd of beasts

Friday, October 5, 2012 - Sasa Restaurant, Walnut Creek - been there for lunch, but not dinner

 

Photo Gallery: Homepage

The image gallery is empty.