Hiking Adventures in the San Francisco Peninsula and Beyond
Brewed Awakenings, Williams Arizona For a blog called The Daily Grind, would a reader not expect at least a few posts on coffee? Of course! Some might recall the Wendy's "Where's the Beef" ad campaign from the mid-1980s, featuring the iconic Clara Peller. So, where's the coffee? In Williams, Arizona, elevation 6,762' and population 3,176. … Continue reading Where’s the Coffee?
Dear Readers, I had hoped to find time to write about each of these in detail, but no such luck. I hiked these in the course of a week. I am sure you can do the same, if not more. Enjoy. Soldier's Pass Trail - Giant Sinkhole (be careful), fabulous cave at the top (be … Continue reading Hiking Arizona
South Rim, Grand Canyon Have you ever taken the perfect photograph? Nailed the timing, the light, the atmospherics? It had been raining on/off all day, with snow showers at higher elevations, especially on Highway 180, from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. The South Rim stands at a very respectable 7,000 feet, higher than Lake Tahoe. … Continue reading The Grand Canyon
Pacifica below and Mount Tam to the north Some stats, notes and observations: Duration: 3 hours (including a few stops for water, snacks, etc.)Distance: 6.7 milesElevation Gain: 1,669 feet Weather: 54°F at 9am; 60° F at 12pmStarting Location: San Pedro Valley CP Visitor Center (Pacifica, CA)Hike (URL): https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/north-peak-via-montara-mountain-trailSan Pedro Valley CP Information: https://parks.smcgov.org/san-pedro-valley-parkLunch: http://www.milagrosrc.comNotes and Observations: This is a quick and … Continue reading North Peak via Montara Mountain Trail
March 21, 2022 Hello Spring. Nowruz Mobarak, as well. More on wine. Duckhorn was founded in 1976, three years before my migration. Dan and Margaret (Duckhorn) first specialized in merlots, long before the term was amusingly besmirched by Paul Giamatti in Sideways (2005). Paraduxx (1994), known for fabulous and inventive zinfandel and other blends, followed. Goldeneye (1996), a … Continue reading Migration
Paraduxx Winery You might wonder how I might be able to tie these three disparate topics into one post. Continue reading. It's been another tumultuous last seven days. In October, I "won" a wine tasting package at a local charity auction. I had been a Board member of San Mateo-Foster City Education Foundation (https://www.smfcedfund.org) and … Continue reading Napa, Rick Steves, and Ukraine
Budapest I had originally titled this post "Day 16," but, regrettably it has sat in my draft folder for the past four days. I am being productive, but have a nagging feeling that I am probably not doing enough. We are now almost in week four of the invasion, or as Russia continues to maintain, … Continue reading Day 20
Kyiv March 7, 2022 Sunday, March 6, 2022 was another hard day, with the Russian military pummeling Irpin, just west of Kyiv, without regard for civilian casualties (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-irpin-civilian-death.html). I will update this document from time to time. To be clear, it is not comprehensive or exhaustive. If you have suggestions regarding other ways to help … Continue reading How to Help Ukraine
The Meadows Some stats, notes and observations: Duration: 4.5 hours (including a few stops for water, snacks, etc.)Distance: 12.3 milesElevation Gain: 2000+ feet Weather: 36° F at 8am; 46° F at 12:30pm Starting Location: El Corte de Madera Parking Area (16040 CA-35, Redwood City, CA 94062)Hike (URL): https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/skyline-bear-gulch-alambique-and-meadow-loopWunderlich CP Information: https://parks.smcgov.org/wunderlich-parkLunch: http://www.milagrosrc.comNotes and Observations: Wunderlich … Continue reading Wunderlich
It has been another tumultuous and exhausting week. Some thoughts and observations: I had dinner a few days ago with a good friend at my favorite local taqueria (La Cumbre). In the same year I became naturalized (1986), he escaped from Iran, as a teenager. He had grown up in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War … Continue reading Day 9
The Peninsula Hiking Club 