Traveller

by sfcphotography

by sfcphotography We all need a little more exercise these days and finding something fun, easy to do, is cheap or free and with a lovely bit of scenery was a big goal. by sfcphotography For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World Fairs to earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk through an historic airfield, forests, or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas. The San Francisco Presidio contains miles of bike paths, walking trails and hiking trails, including the well photographed and jogged Golden Gate Promenade, along Crissy Field. Here are five great - FREE - walking/hiking trails within the Presidio, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Check out the Presidio's great website for the most updated maps because they are adding new trail...

If you were ever curious about this blog's sidebar and the content there, wonder no more. Much of the content is static, as it is just fun to share interesting links. There is an actual list of books and music that are honestly on my MP3 player and on my bookshelf. Further down the list is a FINCA badge that is there to simply remind all of us that very little separates us on this planet, that we share many of the same issues. The badge is also there to share the connection I have with Natalie Portman and Village Banking. I believe as a global citizen: It is my duty to help others outside of my own country Borders are often a state of mind If we empower women, we help the future Micro loans are effective A rising tide lifts all boats It is interesting how Gwyneth Paltrow easily gets popular media coverage for her Spanish language skills and her possible move to a home in Spain, while Natalie Portman quietly and without fanfare creates a documentary "FINCA Mexico: Stories o...

There was a time when we lived overseas and traveled on a regular basis to various international destinations. At one point my passport was so full that I had to go to my local embassy and get extra pages sewn in before we could leave the country. It was required that we, as permanent legal aliens have extra empty pages in our passport, ready for various official government re-entry and exit stamps. It is doubtful you can bluff your way through a mistake like this at an airport immigration desk. There was one period years ago now, January found us in San Francisco, then we spent a week on Kauai before returning to Tokyo. A few months later we escaped Japan for a long weekend in Hong Kong, followed a couple of months later by a week long vacation on the island of Bali before ending the year back in San Francisco to celebrate the holidays with family. It was a pretty thrilling year and the week on Bali was particularly exotic and magical – along the lines of living out our very ow...

I have no vested interest in promoting The Writing Salon . That said, I have taken a couple of workshops from them in the past and enjoyed them a lot. Therefore when I saw this upcoming travel writing workshop in my inbox and I wanted to share it with anyone out there interested. A little about The Writing Salon: The Writing Salon is a school of creative writing for adults (ages 18 and up). We offer small classes (of 6 to 13 students), held in comfortable, colorful, living room-like settings, complete with fresh-brewed coffee, tea and munchies. We are a big enough organization to offer a wide selection of classes and teachers, but small enough to ensure intimacy and individual attention. Our 5 to 9-week courses and one-day workshops include classes in every genre: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting and magazine writing. by sfcphotography Saturday, July 25th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Berkeley $95 members/$110 non-members REGISTER Do you love t...

When we lived overseas in Tokyo, though a great experience and wonderful opportunity that we would not have missed for anything, there were many sad moments. I've hesitated to share any of them before because I did not want to sound like I was whining or ungrateful. That is far from it and now that time has moved on, I think it is healthy to share. My experiences may help other expats who feel the same longings and mixed emotions. Five of my most sharp and sad memories were: Not being able to pick up the phone and call California on a whim because of the 17 hour time difference Staying in Tokyo for Christmas Being "skinny" by California standards but an XXL by Japanese size charts Getting homesick but not being able to tell your friends because they thought you lived an exotic life of luxury Seeing this commercial for a local bank with all the local San Francisco sights that you missed, and hearing Tony Bennett sing I left my heart in San Francisco If you live overseas...

What so many visitors and residents love about San Francisco in the summer, others despise. One persons natural air conditioner, is a freezing ice berg of a climate to another. Where do you fall on this spectrum? Do you know that it will always be colder at Ocean Beach by several degrees than at the Giants baseball ballpark ? by sfcphotography Do you find the fog serene? How do you feel about the haunting sounds of the horns shouting their warnings on the Golden Gate Bridge? For sailors and those who love the sea, there is nothing more invigorating than the sharp smell of a salty breeze or its brisk feel on your cheek. Come visit San Francisco in the summer and enjoy not only its landmarks but savor the micro-climates of the city. Read the San Francisco Chronicle, the local paper to find or avoid the fog zone. by sfcphotography

by sfcphotography Moss Landing is a delightful and often overlooked little town on the coast - between Santa Cruz and its more famous neighbors to the south, Monterey and Pebble Beach. by sfcphotography If you drive the coastal and mostly scenic Highway 1 between San Francisco and Hearst Castle or Santa Barbara, you will find yourself going through this town of less than a 1,000 people. Just don't blink. by sfcphotography With the agriculture in the area, one of the nicest and juiciest fruits grown locally are the strawberries. Come to town and savor all the strawberries you can hold during the annual Watsonville Strawberry Festival on August 1 and 2, 2009. I like this festival way more than the Garlic Festival in the town of Gilroy, several miles north. Garlic ice cream? Never. Strawberry cake? Always! by sfcphotography Another unique aspect to this part of California, is the workers and the migrant labor. An interesting by-product are the snacks sold at the road side stands....