Let’s see… a trip to Costco, Nijiya Market, the Locksmith, Mitsuwa, and Barnes & Noble. Those count as errands, right? But they were fun because we’re on vacation and with my Mom. 😀
After a bit of lunch, my brother and his daughter came up for the afternoon to help with doing a bit of yardwork for our parents, and then we went to the park to throw the baseball. It’s so nostalgic to spend time in the same park where we played so much growing up. A good feeling!
Today we spent time down in Orange County with my brother and his family. First on the agenda was a stop at Moulin for a nice, fancy breakfast. The bakery/café was busy, and rightfully so because the food was scrumptious! We enjoyed a Niçoise salad, eggs with crepes, toast, French onion soup, and pastries. Yum!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/500 sec, ISO32 “Fancy Breakfast” Costa Mesa, 2021
Next, we went to UC Irvine, where my nephew will be a freshman later this year, and where I graduated from in 1990. A lot has changed on campus, but the old buildings still remain. I was filled with nostalgia as I peeked in the painting and drawing studios where I spent most of my time at university. So fun!
After a stop at the student store (where I bought a hat), we went to my brother’s house to relax a bit before going to the “Big A” to watch the Angels, led by Shohei Ohtani, take on the San Francisco Giants. We were hoping to see Shotime hit a home run or two and defeat the Giants, but alas, he struck out three times and the Giants won. 😥
Still, it was fun to be back at a baseball stadium with my family.
On the way home, we passed by a donut shop and Mariko saw the words “mochi donuts” in the window, so we had to stop and get a few to take back to Torrance. The donuts were just okay…
My oldest brother had the day off today so we spent it with him and my mom with the first stop being the bowling alley. It was great to have some laughs there, while staying socially distant from the other bowlers. I think they kept a couple lanes between the parties which was nice, and we noticed them wiping down the bowling balls and chairs when people left. Although it feels sometimes like we’re back to normal, the truth is that COVID-19 is still ever-present, with new variants making the rounds. 😐
We worked up a big appetite so we went to Pancho’s in Manhattan Beach for some excellent Mexican food. My chile verde burrito was huge and luckily I have two teenager who helped me finish it. 🌯
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/200 sec, ISO25 “Panchos” Manhattan Beach, 2021Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/17 sec, ISO2000 “Chile Verde Burrito” Manhattan Beach, 2021
After our late lunch, we went back to my parents’ house to relax a bit before eating dinner (so much food!) and then settled in for a nice long mahjong session. Lots of fun!
Today we drove from San Francisco to Torrance, where we’ll be staying with my parents for the next week. It was nice to arrive there before dinner so that we could enjoy a Father’s Day meal with the rest of the family who live in Southern California. ♥
We ordered a ton of yummy Hawaiian food from Ono Hawaiian BBQ, opened up some presents, and got to spend some real quality time catching up. Mariko and the kids haven’t seen everyone since 2019 so it was a special day.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/350 sec, ISO25 “Foggy Scene” San Francisco, 2021
This morning I checked off a little bucket list item: running across the Golden Gate Bridge. I woke up before the family and drove alone to the Battery East parking lot (there was only one other car there) for a 6:30 am start. It was chilly and windy, as expected, but I was hoping it would be sunny. Unfortunately I would not see the sun because of the famous San Francisco fog. Oh well, it was more appropriate this way I suppose!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/120 sec, ISO25 “Golden Gate Signage” San Francisco, 2021
The distance is not very far (only a couple miles each way) and the total round-trip run from the parking lot to the lookout parking lot on the Marin side (including picture-taking) took less than an hour. The east side sidewalk is reserved for pedestrians while the west side is bicyclists only. I saw only one other runner on my way across to the Marin side of the bridge, but on the way back I saw maybe 6 runners and 6 walkers. There were many more cyclists, though… I’d estimate about 25 total, including a poor family of tourists who appeared to be dragged out by their father to brave the cold, wet, wind. It didn’t look fun for them. 😉 I smiled as I thought of my family who were sleeping warm and snug in their hotel beds at that moment.
With the run finished, it was time to get down to business and visit a couple college campuses! First on the list was UC Berkeley. Because of COVID-19, the buildings are closed and campus tours have been cancelled but the campus grounds are still open so we walked around the campus and got a good feel for the area. The sun was shining bright, but the temperature was a very nice 76° F / 24° C. The UC Berkeley campus is really cool and the store was open so Koa bought a Cal hat.
Next, we grabbed some lunch at Berkeley Bowl and then headed over to Palo Alto to visit Stanford. Koa really liked the campus and he bought another hat at the store.
Next on today’s agenda was a visit to a friend’s place to pick up some cooking materials for Mariko, and then ramen at Orenchi Beyond. It was delicious! Definitely recommend. And a perfect way to end another long day in the Bay Area. 🍜❤
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