March 2026
Places visited
I took a drive to Goshen, New York for some business after visiting my mother's grave in Monroe, New York. When my business was done, I got a burrito at Super Nacho in Goshen. It was delicious and I had a good day.
Brian came for a couple of days for business, which went well, and then we had time for more fun things. We had lunch at one of my favorite spots, Lil' Britain in Bennington, Vermont, then went to my house where Brian helped me do things I couldn't do, like hang a couple of pictures. In the evening, we had a terrific dinner at Ye Olde Tavern Manchester, Vermont. The next morning, we had a great breakfast at Manory's Restaurant in Troy, New York. In between eating, we talked and had a wonderful time catching up on what we have been doing. It was a marvelous couple of days!
Rachel, Taran, his friend, and I went to "Titanic: An Immersive Voyage" in Schenectady, New York. It was very interesting and we had a great time walking through it. Then, we went to the Rotterdam Square Mall in Schenectady where we ate at the food court, then went to the VIA Aquarium which is always a fun place to visit. Last, we ate Rice Krispy Treats that I made, and Taran read a book to us while we ate them. It was a fun-filled day, and I really appreciated the time I got to spend with them!
Brian, Bea, Noah, Mariati, and I flew to San Diago for a few days. On the first day, after arriving, we rented a car at the airport and drove to COSTCO for lunch, where we ate outside, and got provisions for our stay. Then we drove on to our lovely rental house along the water in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. The house was great and the view was outstanding.
On the second day, we stopped at Linda's donuts on our way to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, a 1750-acre coastal wilderness of pine forests and sandstone canyons dedicated to the Torrey Pine tree and other indigenous wildlife. We walked on the cliffs above Torrey Pines State Beach with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. From there, we drove to La Jolla for lunch with an ocean view at Brockton Villa Restaurant. The meal was delicious with a marvelous view. After eating, we took a walk in Ellen Browning Scripps Park along the ocean, and we especially enjoyed seeing the seals and sea lions sunny on the rocks. Next, we drove to the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, the only memorial that honors veteran, living and deceased, from the revolutionary war to current times. There are plaques for each service member listing each veteran's or serviceperson's accomplishments during their term. Our last stop was Calumet Park, a small park in the Bird Rock neighborhood with more stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
On the third day, we spent the morning at Balboa Park and walked through many of the various museums and gardens, ending up for lunch at The Prado at Balboa Park. After the wonderful lunch, we drove to the Cabrillo National Monument where we saw the monument and walked on the nearby Oceanside Trail for its panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The third day, we drove to the San Diego Zoo, arriving in time for the energetic opening featuring macaws flying from the gate back to their homes. We took a guided bus ride and aerial tram ride to see the open-air, cageless exhibits. It was quite interesting to see the many animals and plants. While there we also had a great lunch at Albert's Restaurant, which, among its other features, includes a waterfall. For dinner, we got takeout from In-and-Out Burger which was delicious and had the longest drive thru lines I had ever seen.
On our fourth, and last day in San Diego, we walked around Embarcadero Marina Park North for the waterfront views on our way to Tuna Park with its statues and then boarded the Spirit of San Diego for a guided harbor tour. The tour was informative and we enjoyed seeing the harbor from the water. We had lunch at Miguel's Cocina on North Island with its delicious food and great atmosphere. We ended the day with a drive to a nearby beach walks looking at the houses and Pacific Ocean.
We talked and played card games each day. Then, our fifth vacation day, we flew home, had takeout from Chipotle Mexican Grill, which was, as always, a superb meal.
The vacation was perfect, the weather was wonderful, and I really enjoyed going with happy, thoughtful people.
Books Read
We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by Jose Andres
The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline
Reliquary by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
I took a drive to Goshen, New York for some business after visiting my mother's grave in Monroe, New York. When my business was done, I got a burrito at Super Nacho in Goshen. It was delicious and I had a good day.
Brian came for a couple of days for business, which went well, and then we had time for more fun things. We had lunch at one of my favorite spots, Lil' Britain in Bennington, Vermont, then went to my house where Brian helped me do things I couldn't do, like hang a couple of pictures. In the evening, we had a terrific dinner at Ye Olde Tavern Manchester, Vermont. The next morning, we had a great breakfast at Manory's Restaurant in Troy, New York. In between eating, we talked and had a wonderful time catching up on what we have been doing. It was a marvelous couple of days!
Rachel, Taran, his friend, and I went to "Titanic: An Immersive Voyage" in Schenectady, New York. It was very interesting and we had a great time walking through it. Then, we went to the Rotterdam Square Mall in Schenectady where we ate at the food court, then went to the VIA Aquarium which is always a fun place to visit. Last, we ate Rice Krispy Treats that I made, and Taran read a book to us while we ate them. It was a fun-filled day, and I really appreciated the time I got to spend with them!
Brian, Bea, Noah, Mariati, and I flew to San Diago for a few days. On the first day, after arriving, we rented a car at the airport and drove to COSTCO for lunch, where we ate outside, and got provisions for our stay. Then we drove on to our lovely rental house along the water in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. The house was great and the view was outstanding.
On the second day, we stopped at Linda's donuts on our way to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, a 1750-acre coastal wilderness of pine forests and sandstone canyons dedicated to the Torrey Pine tree and other indigenous wildlife. We walked on the cliffs above Torrey Pines State Beach with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. From there, we drove to La Jolla for lunch with an ocean view at Brockton Villa Restaurant. The meal was delicious with a marvelous view. After eating, we took a walk in Ellen Browning Scripps Park along the ocean, and we especially enjoyed seeing the seals and sea lions sunny on the rocks. Next, we drove to the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, the only memorial that honors veteran, living and deceased, from the revolutionary war to current times. There are plaques for each service member listing each veteran's or serviceperson's accomplishments during their term. Our last stop was Calumet Park, a small park in the Bird Rock neighborhood with more stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
On the third day, we spent the morning at Balboa Park and walked through many of the various museums and gardens, ending up for lunch at The Prado at Balboa Park. After the wonderful lunch, we drove to the Cabrillo National Monument where we saw the monument and walked on the nearby Oceanside Trail for its panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The third day, we drove to the San Diego Zoo, arriving in time for the energetic opening featuring macaws flying from the gate back to their homes. We took a guided bus ride and aerial tram ride to see the open-air, cageless exhibits. It was quite interesting to see the many animals and plants. While there we also had a great lunch at Albert's Restaurant, which, among its other features, includes a waterfall. For dinner, we got takeout from In-and-Out Burger which was delicious and had the longest drive thru lines I had ever seen.
On our fourth, and last day in San Diego, we walked around Embarcadero Marina Park North for the waterfront views on our way to Tuna Park with its statues and then boarded the Spirit of San Diego for a guided harbor tour. The tour was informative and we enjoyed seeing the harbor from the water. We had lunch at Miguel's Cocina on North Island with its delicious food and great atmosphere. We ended the day with a drive to a nearby beach walks looking at the houses and Pacific Ocean.
We talked and played card games each day. Then, our fifth vacation day, we flew home, had takeout from Chipotle Mexican Grill, which was, as always, a superb meal.
The vacation was perfect, the weather was wonderful, and I really enjoyed going with happy, thoughtful people.
Books Read
We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by Jose Andres
The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline
Reliquary by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton