Travel: San Francisco - Berkeley

I'm reverting to my old trip summary format. I'm leaving out a lot of stuff, but this is the crux of it.

• Day 1 (Friday): Since it was a last minute trip, B and I drove to SF from LA (airfare prices were in the $250/pp range already). Checked into the Hilton San Francisco (Union Square) and couldn't score a room with two queen sized beds (two conferences were going on that day). Instead got a modern room with two double beds :(. But the front desk staff offered to switch our rooms the next day :). Showered, got snacks from the Starbucks downstairs, and waited for C to arrive from dropping off his rental at SFO. We all finally met up at about 8pm (only 30 minutes late) and had dinner at the Claude lane restaurant area. We were supposed to go to Cafe Claude but the 2-hour wait forced us to settle on Claudine (which wasn't bad at all AND had no wait). After numerous tries at nearby crowded/popular/noisy bars, we finally settled on a horrible one (that shall not be named) seeing as how late it was. But we had a good time nonetheless and then crashed for the rest of the evening.
• Day 2 (Saturday): We had a looong breakfast at another hotel near our own. We then drove up to UC Berkeley to tour the campus. After riding the elevator up Sather Tower, we discovered that a Holi celebration was going on and proceeded toward it. Because C was catching a flight later on that day and since I was afraid of getting color packets thrown at my camera, we decided to watch the festivities from atop and afar. It was great fun. We continued touring the science buildings of the campus (dinosaur fossils!) before walking down Telegraph Ave to a Japanese restaurant where we had a looong lunch. Finally we dropped off C at SFO. 
• Continuing Day 2: H canceled on us. H was supposed to hang out with us that evening and spend the night at our hotel but was simply too exhausted to come out to SF. So, we called up another couple and had dinner with them at a Cajun place near City Hall (we were supposed to go to Suppenkuche but that had a two hour wait). After much discussion, we realized S had an amazing view of the city from his place on Twin Peaks AND that he had the game Apples to Apples. So that ended up being quite an enjoyable evening (upon returning to LA, I bought Cards Against Humanity + the 3 expansion sets). 
• Day 3 (Sunday): After doing a little shopping, B and I met up with a former high school classmate of his (+ gf)  in Union Square. Packed up and drove down to C's hotel to pick up a bag he left behind. Made our usual pitstop to a Fresh and Easy and then drove back to LA that night.

The "Unglamorous" List

I haven't posted a travel-related post in a while because my plans still haven't solidified (the perils of dealing with other people's schedules!). Hence, all the photography-related posts. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a story.

I can't recall if I was in New York or San Francisco, but I do remember the moment I was downgraded to "unglamorous." The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Toothbrush... check!"
C: "You're using a checklist to pack?"
Me: "Yeah. Why? Is that bad? I've got like 90 unique items that I have to pack for any given trip!"
C: "Well, it's just that I always had the impression that you would pack last-minute before you would fly up to meet up with me."
Me: "Well, I sort of do! I can pack in 45 minutes before any trip, thanks to my travel checklist."
C: "But that's so 'unglamorous.'"
Me: "You travel practically every week. And, you don't have a checklist?"
C: "Nope."

So there you have it. I lost my glamorous, jet-setting status in two seconds thanks to my travel checklist.
But, I'd rather be unglamorous any day than relive moments like when I had to buy a non TSA-approved nail clipper (I broke a nail! It was a dire emergency! I was in a foreign country!) only to have it confiscated by airport officials. :(

Travel: Lake Tahoe

It was a no-brainer when C flew in from Zurich and asked if I wanted to go to Lake Tahoe with him. I'd been itching to see snow ever since Montreal (Part 2). Plus, I'd never been to Tahoe!
Itinerary:

• Day 1: I flew LAX to SJC where C picked me up and we drove to South Lake Tahoe. We had dinner in Davis, CA (it was just on the way, and we were waiting for traffic to die down).
• Day 2: I shopped and took photos while he skied. We après-ski'ed and had dinner in Heavenly.

• Day 3: Drove around the entire lake stopping at Inspiration Point, Truckee (for cappuccinos), Donner Lake, Squaw Valley (we happy hour'd there) and Kings Beach (where we we watched the sunset).
• Day 4: Drove to SFO where we checked out an exhibition at the airport. After dinner, he flew back to Switzerland and I returned to LAX via Virgin America.

Travel: New York City - Upper West Side

Itinerary:

• Day 1: LAX >> SFO >> JFK. I arrived in New York City before C did. I didn't know at first that the Empire Hotel had a super trendy bar on top, and so I didn't understand why there was a long line of beautiful people standing outside in the cold waiting to get into the hotel. It turns out that the TV show Gossip Girl also takes place there, thereby increasing the hotel's popularity. Seeing as how I arrived at about 11PM to the room, I took the time to walk around and buy necessary supplies (water, food, etc.) before C joined me. As I was looking through the room's mini bar, I noticed that they provided a travel-sized sex kit. I'd never seen a hotel offer anything like it and was amused by the condoms and manual vibrator they offered inside it. C later arrived several hours later, having gotten lost on the subway, thereby forcing him to take a taxi. We later figured out that he got disoriented because the hotel turns off its enormous, red sign after a certain late hour. We spent the rest of the evening/early morning catching up.
• Day 2: After breakfast at a nearby Starbucks, because of our proximity to Central Park, we decided to see the skating rink, the Mall and Literary Walk, the lake, the Great Lawn, and the Bethesda fountain and terrace. We then went to see the Frick Collection followed by a late lunch in Lenox Hill. It was Halloween that evening and we went downtown to see the parade via Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, it started to rain and the crowds became mob-like. We escaped to the Blue Water Grill in Union Square and had drinks instead.
• Day 3: We woke up to go to Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island the next morning. That evening, we had dinner in Times Square and went see Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre. After the show, we decided to see what all the fuss was about with regard to the hotel's rooftop bar. Not only was it the most expensive bar of the trip, it was also the warmest :).

• Day 4: C had to work in the daytime, so, I decided to explore the northern part of Central Park including Belvedere Castle, Ramble Stone Arch, and the reservoir. I met up with C after his work and we had dinner in Greenwich at the Grand Trattoria. We checked out the Washington Square Arch and surrounding area, ultimately having drinks near NYU before heading back.
• Day 5: Flew back JFK >> LAX, in time for my photography class.

Travel: San Francisco

Itinerary:

• Day 1: I flew up LAX >> SJC and met up with C. After he picked me up, I dropped off my stuff at Hotel Avante in Mountain View. We went out to Palo Alto for dinner at Bistro Elan and for drinks at a popular college hangout whose name escapes me at the moment (it was suggested to us by B's friend S who had gone to Stanford).
• Day 2: The next day, we drove out to Muir Woods and took one of the easier paths. Since we were already on the other side of the Golden Gate bridge, we decided to tour Sausalito. After a late lunch there, we headed back and went to Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero for a little shopping. We then caught a movie (Quantum of Solace) out at a local AMC. C had never seen Casino Royale (with Daniel Craig), so I had to give a synopsis of the first part while we were driving around town. It was interesting that one of the movie trailers that played was Tom Cruise's Valkyrie. C remarked how in Germany the story only warranted a made-for-TV movie, yet, in the US, it was a full-blown blockbuster. Afterward, we strolled through the City Hall-area before heading back to our car. It was a bit scary, as we ended up walking through a dodgy part of town.
• Day 3: We headed out to Golden Gate Park and strolled through various parts of the park including Stowe Lake Island (where we got hot chocolate nearby), Strawberry Hill, and the Golden Gate Pavilion. Afterward, we drove out to Ocean Beach, followed by a trip to the Presidio. We had dinner in Palo Alto at Joya. I flew back to LAX later that night.

Travel: Zurich, Switzerland & Florence, Italy

I did a 12-day trip to Europe to meet up with E and C, and where I also got to meet new people (G and T, among a few others).
Itinerary:

• Part 1: LAX >> JFK >> ZRH. Originally, my flight was to go through IAD but it was cancelled entirely. United Airlines worked to get me on another flight as soon as possible and I was only delayed a couple hours. As soon as I arrived in Zurich, I stored my luggage and got on the train to Bahnhofstrasse. From there, I rode the trams to a stop to meet up with C. He took me to have lunch with him at the Google offices in Zurich. I had a very nice tour and even rode down the slide! After lunch, I wandered around aimlessly (taking photos) and eventually picked up my luggage. Later that evening, after meeting up at C's apartment, we went out for dinner and drinks. The next day, I flew out to Florence, Italy.
• Part 2: ZRH >> FLR. E, a couple of her friends (L and G), and I all stayed at an apartment in Florence for 8 days to attend a conference. We learned a lot, had a good time, and met some very nice people. We had authentic Florentine steaks for dinner not once, but twice! It was insanely expensive, but oh so delicious! In the evenings, we attended local parties and had tons of fun (courtesy of open bars). I wasn't too keen on doing that many touristy things this time around because I had already been to Florence before. I also met T who seriously sparked my interest in learning about photography using a dSLR.

• Part 3: FLR >> ZRH. I flew back to Zurich with C's apartment key in hand, so I didn't have to stow my luggage again. The next day, we decided to do free things around town (seeing as how I'd already been to Zurich last year). So, we went to see the Botanical Gardens of the University of Zurich, Voliere Zurich, and Langenberg Wildlife Park. We had ridiculously expensive Starbucks while waiting for our train and then later, upon our return, a very late snack at the Coop near Bahnhofstrasse. That evening, we attended a sophisticated (ok, maybe not so much, but definitely grown-up) birthday party (everyone was about a decade older than I was). At first, I thought my not knowing enough German would pose a problem, but everyone spoke English :). One guy especially cracked me up by promising to visit me in LA when he would go to SF (I had to keep explaining the distance factor, but he didn't seem to understand or was too drunk by then. Haha.).
• Part 4: ZRH >> IAD >> LAX. :(

Travel: San Francisco & Mountain View

Itinerary:

• Day 1: E, B, and I drove up to Mtn. View to meet up with C. That evening, we went out to Castro Street for a little nightlife. 
• Day 2: B, C, and I picked up E from her aunt's nearby place (where she was staying) and drove out to SF. We visited the Palace Hotel, Coit Tower (pictured above), Lombard Street, and Lincoln Park. We had lunch at some random place suggested in C's out-of-date guide book. Afterward, we grabbed coffee and pastries at some random Italian bakery we passed by. E left us at some point in the afternoon to meet up with her friends. So, B, C, and I had dinner at Plouf in the French Ghetto. It was fantastic food. We then drove back to Mountain View.
• Day 3: While E attended to other things, B, C, and I had breakfast with C's colleague at Hobee's. We then went to the expansive Shoreline Park and saw various lake activities (sailboats, paddle boats, etc.), joggers/walkers, and picnickers. We also went to the Rengstorff House, a Victorian house located within the park. We then wandered to the outskirts of the park, until the Shoreline Amphitheater and golf course. Afterward, we picked up E from a nearby train station, had a late lunch at Neto Cafe & Bakery, dropped off C, and then drove back to LA.

Travel: Montréal

I volunteered at a conference in Montréal that C was attending. Non-conference-y highlights include:

• Day 1: C and I toured Vieux Montréal/Old Montreal and had dinner at an overpriced, touristy restaurant on Place Jacques-Cartier (where I actually had the best French onion soup of my life). We shared a room in the Le Cantlie Suites Hotel which ended up being a bit of a walk from the convention center, but provided good exercise otherwise.
• Day 2: Met JF as well as a few others. Some of the guys took me out to Restaurant Basha for a quick Middle Eastern lunch. That evening, JF, C and I went out to Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen and stood in line in the cold for it's famous smoked meats. JF actually lives in Montreal and was able to show us around town that night (e.g, the Latin Quarter). 
• Day 3: I met E & F. That evening, E and I enjoyed complimentary wine at a conference event and had an in-depth discussion about women in computer science.
• Day 4: Lunch in Chinatown w/ C. Went to Dundees that evening and had poutine for the first time ever.
• Day 5: C and I had lunch in Chinatown again. The final night there was a Special Event that consisted of a provided dinner buffet and entertainment (a balloon clown, a live band, and caricature artist) at the Just for Laughs Museum. Of course there were complimentary drinks :D. E and I became good friends after that night ;).
• Day 6: JF took me to the roof of the convention center where I snapped a few panoramic shots. I got a free Google T-shirt! About midway through the final day of the conference, C and I left to have lunch before flying off to our respective countries.

Travel: Grand Canyon & Las Vegas

Itinerary:

• Day 1: B and I drove out to Las Vegas and picked up C from the Las Vegas airport. After dropping off our luggage, we toured the Strip at night (Venetian, Caesar's, Mirage). 
• Day 2: C, B, and I woke up early the next morning to take a plane to the Grand Canyon National Park. We were taken to three sites on the South Rim and had plenty of opportunities to take photos and video footage (I'm actually holding my video camera above). Our tour had an included lunch provided to us before we flew back. After trying to take a nap, we went to the Penn & Teller comedy/magic show. We then toured the Strip at night again (Luxor, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay).
• Day 3: We explored South Strip during the day, first having a brunch buffet at Paris and then stopping at MGM and New York-New York. Afterward, we dropped C off at the airport and B and I drove home.

Travel: London (& Stonehenge, Bath) & Zürich (& Luzern, Mt. Pilatus)

The shot above was taken with a digital video recorder (not a digital camera); hence, the sort of fuzziness. B was answering his work phone while we were at Stonehenge. It was actually pretty cool because we got to go right up to the stones. While I managed to walk on a stone and jump off it, B got in trouble for sitting on one. We think they never saw me.

Anyway, we met up with C in LA and gave him a tour of LA/SD/Tijuana, before leaving him to do his own tour of Central California. Then, B and I went to London. Afterward, the three of us met up again in Zurich where C gave us a tour of the city. B and I were supposed to continue our trip to LA but we actually missed our flight. We had to stay in London for an extra day before coming home.
Itinerary:

• LA/SD/Tijuana (3 days): Picked up C from LAX. LA: Hollywood Walk of Fame/Stars, Chinese Mann Theater, the Getty Center, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Boardwalk, Sunset Blvd., Comedy Store, UCLA. San Diego: Balboa Park, Downtown. Tijuana: Avenida Revolucion.
• London (3.5 days) : Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Piccadilly Circus, pub crawling with B's friends, Westminster Cathedral, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, St. Paul's Cathedral, City Hall, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, pub crawling with D in Covent Garden, Leicester Square. Stonehenge, Lacock, & Bath.
• Switzerland (4 days): Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmunster, Fraumunster, Niederhof, Lake Promenade, fondue, beer garden, Lindenhof, Landesmuseum, Migros, Coop, Sprungli, Teuscher. Luzern: the Chapel Bridge, Mt. Pilatus.
• London (1.5 days): Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Bond Street.
• LA: home.

Travel: Tuscany Tour - Day 7: Florence

Day 7: Our first stop was the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. We met up with the group at the Galleria dell'Accademia to see the David, stopping for gelato on the way. We then went to the Uffizi. That night, we went to a bar in Siena where we watched C and R salsa dance.

Travel: Tuscany Tour - Day 1

B and I went on a 9-day vacation to Tuscany & Rome. The trip was entirely paid for (airfare, food, lodging, etc.) courtesy of B's brother (THANK YOU!!!). There, we would eventually meet C, D, L, as well at a bunch of other folks.

Day 1: LAX >> FRA >> FCO on Lufthansa. Encountered some awful turbulance. I gave the woman next to me some Dramamine because she was vomiting throughout the flight. It knocked her out. lol.
In other news, B decided to bring along his work phone :(. Below is a picture of B later in Florence... working.