Early to Bed, Early to Rise

One of the few (if only) bright spots of the last ten months has been that the morning hike has replaced the morning commute. More thoughts on the virtues of hiking are available here: https://johnpavolotsky.com/2021/01/09/take-a-hike/ Pulgas Ridge Preserve Today’s hike started at 7:15am, in the Pulgas Ridge Preserve (Redwood City, California) parking lot, en route to … Continue reading Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Spanish Steps

It is a tough time to be a travel writer. As a baker needs flour, so does a travel writer need fresh sights, smells, sounds, experiences, inspiration. Of course, writing about past adventures is an option. For example, I could tell you about a brilliant day last autumn, cool morning, warm afternoon, mild evening, starting … Continue reading Spanish Steps

Networking in California

I wrote this article in 2011, but the sentiments and considerations are still relevant today. Enjoy. I was having lunch with a friend a few weeks ago. Beautiful sunny day in downtown Palo Alto. Pad Thai at Siam Royal. We were discussing our MBA experiences. I earned mine in May 2010, exactly 10 years after … Continue reading Networking in California

Santa Cruz

There are, perhaps, few moments finer than a sunset at Moran Lake Park Beach (https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/moran-lake-park-beach/), a few miles south of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (https://beachboardwalk.com) and a few miles north of Capitola (http://www.cityofcapitola.org), a sleepy seaside town.   Walking down the beach, with a wispy cloud or two in an otherwise clear sky, before the fog … Continue reading Santa Cruz

San Francisco

It has been almost 40 years since I first traversed Golden Gate Park, en route to an apartment in the Richmond District, more than 6000 miles from home. For some reason, I recall the corner of 25th Avenue and Geary Boulevard, streetlights that probably should have been brighter, the Doggie Diner on the northeast corner. … Continue reading San Francisco