2016 - The Weekend Abroad

Where to Grab a Drink in Berkeley, California

It’s been just over two years since I made the move from Vancouver, British Columbia to the just as culturally diverse Bay Area town of Berkeley, California. The college town, which is just a 20 minute train ride from San Francisco, has no shortage of restaurants, book stores, and places to stroll and get your cardio on (e.g. the Berkeley Marina or Berkeley Hills). However, in the couple years I have resided here, one thing has puzzled me: the shortage of bars in Berkeley. Most mid-large sized cities offer at least one lively block of bars and go-to weekend places, but Berkeley is oddly not one of them. I live downtown and I can count the area’s decent bars on both my hands. I must mention that there is Telegraph Ave., which is home to a couple bars geared toward college students. If that’s you then Pappy’s and Kip’s are where you’ll probably be on a Friday night.

Travel Tips: Labor Day Weekend in Southern California

Our last visit to Southern California was on Fourth of July weekend where we stayed at a Torrance, CA Airbnb and spent most of our time at beaches (and looking for parking at beaches). Needless to say, visiting during America’s rowdiest weekend was a bit overwhelming. We hoped to explore Orange County, but failed to find parking at both Huntington and Newport Beach after much circling, and only succeeded at 7pm when we arrived at Laguna Beach. Our SoCal visit this time around was a bit less hectic to say the least.

Travel Story: A Day and a Half in Lake Tahoe

According to my Roger, I am “hard to surprise” because I’m always so busy. And so I was more than happy when he told me Saturday morning that he’d booked a night in Lake Tahoe. After parting ways with a friend from home that afternoon, we set off from Berkeley to Tahoe City, which took about 3 hours. We checked into the quaint Tahoe City Inn, which he had gotten last minute at $180/night. Being the bustling summer destination that it is, this was the most affordable he could find on a Saturday night. Our room was spacious and we were pleased that they have continental breakfast from 8am-10am.

Napa: 12 Wineries in One Day

After relocating from Vancouver, BC to California in August 2014, I was thrilled to hear my parents planned their first weekend trip to visit me. We only had 2.5 days together so I planned a weekend where they could see as much as possible (without the San Francisco touristy destinations, which they’ve already done).

After hiking and sightseeing around the Point Reyes National Seashore and Marin Headlands on the Saturday, we ventured bright and early to Napa the next morning. And when I say bright, that is no exaggeration – the temperature that day rose to over 40 degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit). We couldn’t wait to hop into each winery for the strong winds of air conditioning.