Category Archives: Travel

A different view of San Francisco

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Friends took us over to the Dashe Cellars winery on Saturday afternoon for a bit of wine tasting. Dashe is located in an old hanger at Alameda Point, formerly the Naval Air Station Alameda, which was closed in 1997. They have a wine club with various perks, including discounts on tastings.

This was the view of the San Francisco skyline from an outdoor seating area just outside the main Dashe building, looking across an abandoned runway as the fog was rollling in.

Just click on the photo to view a larger version.

A view from the air: Molokai to the peaks of the Big Island

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Soon after our flight from Honolulu to San Francisco took off on Tuesday morning, I looked across Meda and out the window. There was a dramatic view of half the state! I fumbled around looking for my iPhone, an managed to get a single photo.

Here’s what I think you can see.

Lower right, closest to the camera: The east end of Molokai.

Just above Molokai: The island of Lanai.

Then, moving a bit up and to the left: The West Maui Mountains, looking larger than you might expect.

Continuing up diagonally and to the left: Haleakala, peeking up from behind the clouds, and from this perspective appearing smaller than you would expect.

And then, just above and behind Haleakala, almost lost in the haze, the tops of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii Island.

This was a quick shot with my iPhone. Not the best possible photo, but it works!

Click on the photo to see a larger version.

A useful travel hack

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Here’s a useful travel hack gleaned from one of those click-bait sites that are always begging for attention. This one really works.

And it’s simple. If, like me, you don’t want the sun streaming into your hotel room first thing in the morning because those blackout curtains always leave a small opening, take heart.

Walk over the the closet, take out a hanger that’s equipped with clips, and use it to clip your curtains tightly closed.

Done. You don’t have to wake up a sunrise!

Credit to whoever first shared this idea!

A surprise in the evening sky

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The crows, the crows!

From Portland Audubon:

For more than a decade, crows have been gathering throughout the fall and winter to roost in downtown Portland. This roost has been gradually growing over time to the point where today, at its peak, it can exceed 15,000 birds. The sight of thousands of birds converging on the downtown area is truly spectacular. Portland Audubon has worked with the City, Downtown Clean and Safe and other partners for years to protect this roost and to find humane, innovative solutions for conflicts that have arisen. Portland is currently setting a national example for living with crows in an urban environment.

We were walking to find a place for dinner last night around 6:30 pm. It was twilight, about 25 minutes after sunset. As we walked along Morrison Street, we heard the cawing of crows. Looking up, OMG! There they were. By the dozens, then hundreds, and ultimately thousands, streaming towards their evening roosts.

I had the good sense to grab my phone and get a video of some of the action.

Great viewing! But I’m glad we don’t have a car parked beneath any of their roosting spots!