Angel Island is one of those Bay Area not so hidden gems that is definitely worth a visit. Just a mile from San Francisco, I took the ferry to the immigration point turned national park and spent the day exploring for my birthday! ...
Travel
SFMOMA First Timer Tips
This trip was looooong overdue! After talking about going for the last few months, I finally spent a lovely Sunday afternoon at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) exploring both the older exhibits and all of the new, innovative additions that were just recently introduced as a part of the renovation. ...
Yes, I am a Bay Area native, but, no I’ve never done that: Bucket List
The funny thing about being a native Bay Area’n is that, though I have lived in the area for a large majority of my life, there are so many sights and activities that are associated with the city that I have never done. You’ve never been Alcatraz Island? No, I’ve never done that. You’ve never been to The Palace of Fine Arts? No, I’ve never done that either. And the list goes on and on! ...
Napa in the Summer
This is soon to become a recurring segment on this blog - I just can’t get enough of Napa. I spent a lovely day in Napa with my family to celebrate my Dad’s birthday and visited new wineries and restaurant. Take a look at the places we visited: RUTHERFORD HILL My family started the day off at Rutherford Hill, a beautiful winery with a large outdoor tasting patio and picnic grounds. My mom hooked us up with an amazing spread of pasta and cheeses and meats and veggies, and I could go on and on! We snacked and enjoyed a couple bottle of white and rose wine. We purchased a couple bottles from ...
A Day Exploring Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Embarking on the Berry Creek Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, I had no idea what I was getting into. But 11 miles later, I completed one of the most beautiful, rewarding, and trying hikes I’ve done. Located in the Santa Cruz mountains, about an hour and thirty minutes south of San Francisco, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is the oldest state park in California and has more than 80 miles of trails winding through the park. And I have to say, while I’ve been to many parks to hike - the massive redwood trees make for one of the most unforgettable hiking experience that I recommend for ...
Austin, TX for Memorial Day
Something about Texas for Memorial Day sounds just too American to pass up. So I packed up my cowboy boots and denim shirt and headed to Austin for a long Memorial Day weekend. Okay, I didn’t bring cowboy boots - but I was excited to head to Austin, a city I had been wanting to visit for some time. Saturday I arrived in Austin at around 12 pm on Saturday. Taking an early morning flight on Saturday saved me close to $200, an early wake-up call was definitely worth the savings. And my arrival time was perfect to get the day started in my favorite fashion, with brunch! We went to EastSide ...
The best beach in Bali… Shhh it’s a Secret!
During my travels around Bali, I visited quite a few amazing beaches. From Uluwatu to Seminyak, I made sure to see all the most famous beaches. And while all were great, there was one beach that took the cake - Secret Beach. A hidden gem that requires two boats from Bali proper. Secret Beach is just that, a secluded oasis that was all ours for the afternoon. Nusa Ceningan is the smaller Nusa island situated a stone's throw from Nusa Lembongan. A speed boat from Bali to Lembongan takes about 45 minutes, and there are quite a few companies that charter this route. The next part gets a little ...
Traveling While Black: Bali
Race and nationality are interesting dynamics when traveling around the world. While in Indonesia I experienced quite a few racially charged encounters – I don’t necessarily mean that in a negative or positive way, rather encounters that made me aware of my blackness while abroad. And what’s interesting is that many of these incidents were with fellow travelers, not with Balinese. I found that Balinese people are generally very accepting and respectful of all people they encounter – a nice departure from experiences in a few other countries I traveled to. As mentioned, most of the racial ...