Dear Travel Diary #2: House on the Beach

Dear Travel Diary,

See that picture below? I went here today! Jealous? You better be because I had a fantastic time today at the Pescadero State Beach. I soaked up the sun, I ran from ice-cold waves, I burned my feet on the piping hot sand, I ate a delicious home packed picnic I packed myself, and I explored the sand dunes. 

That is what a beach day should be like every time, and this is one tradition that I want to keep doing every year, and that is to visit this beach with my roommate and his daughter very summer. This is the third year in a row that we managed to get our bodies here, which is something since my roommate is a major homebody. However, Pescadero State Beach is his favorite beach, so it wasn't really hard to get him to want to come.

RELATED POST: [Pescadero, CA] Pescadero State Beach 

I can see the appeal of this beach. There is a mile long stretch of sandy, clean beach with tide pools on the south end and cliffs on the north end, where at low tide opens a path that connects Pescadero State Beach to its neighboring beach, Pomponio State Beach and Gregorio State Beach. It is also not too crowded, even during the summer time.

The coolest part about this beach is the many driftwood huts made by past visitors. Some are so roomie that it can fit a few people inside! It was so much fun exploring all the different driftwood structures, it was also like house shopping.

Even though we call received sunburns that day and went through half a dozens little arguments, it was a perfect day. There's something about the ocean that creates this serene, youthful happiness that can dissolve any level of frustration and irritation.

We will be back...soon.

Happy Wandering, Alice.

To watch my day, here is a link to: Travel Vlog #2: House on the Beach

[San Gregorio, CA] San Gregorio State Beach

The beautiful beach of San Gregorio is located just 10.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. There is a little parking carve where you can pull right up and park your vehicle. That is exactly what I did to get these amazing shots of the beach.

My visit was brief because I had my heart set on spending my day at Pescadero State Beach, a few miles further south, however the moments I spent here was enjoyable nevertheless. You cannot beat the views of this beautiful estuary!

[Pescadero, CA] Pescadero State Beach

I want to start off this blogpost by saying, "I wish I did more extensive research before revisiting this beach", but then again, I went there with the mind set of lounging, and to enjoy my company, as well as, the beautiful ocean. So I really don't know how much exploring I would have really done, even if I have known there was more to see besides the beachfront.

[Photo Gallery] California's Pescadero State Beach

Welcome to the mile-long sandy beach of Pescadero State Beach...a beach that was introduced to me by one of my best friend, which happens to be his favorite, which is why we try to come here at least once a year.

Please enjoy a few pictures I took of this gorgeous place! More pictures will be uploaded in the future since this will not be the last time I visit.

Pescadero means "the place to fish" in Spanish,

which explains why I saw quite a few people fishing that day.

There were plenty of drift wood laying about, which is why you will see a lot of forts built along the sand dunes. Some of these forts are quite spacious inside. We were able to fit all three of us in this one!

This small sandy path along the cliffs will take you to Pescadero's neighboring beaches. However, you can only access this path during low tide.

The wall of the sand cove with visitors' initials engraved on it. The cove separates the north and south ends of the beach. The south side is a bit longer than the smaller north end.

One of my favorite pictures I took that day of father and daughter. I love the fact that my camera focused on their different sized sand buckets.

To read more about California's Pescadero Beach, please click on the link provided!

Happy Wandering! Alice

Click, to learn more about California Beaches!

[San Jose, CA] Chinese Cultural Garden

I find the best way to experience the Chinese Cultural Garden is by stepping through its Friendship Gate before seeing anything else of the garden. 

The Chinese Cultural Garden is a feature of a park, called the Overfelts Garden. It is located at the southeast side of the park. From the entranceway, about a hundred feet, you will see that the road will split into two. Choose the lane to your right. You will find Mildred Overfelts' house on your right, and on your left is a good size lake (the lake would either be dry or full depending on California's rains; if it's dry, than it will look like a grassy, large dip in the ground). Continue on this road and you will eventually come to a garden of tall palm trees to your left. There will also be a road that heads towards these palm trees. Take that road and continue onward where you will eventually come across the Friendship Gate. You can not miss it. It is quite large with the words "Chinese Cultural Garden" written near the top.

Once you have recovered by this magnificent sight, go ahead and walk through the gate. You, my friend, have entered the Chinese Cultural Garden.

[Photo Gallery] Chinese Cultural Garden

Dear Travel Diary #1: Eating Greek Food & Getting Techy

Dear Travel Diary,

Today, I was able to experience real and delicious greek food, and got my childhood memory of San Jose's Tech Museum crushed a bit. Some things are just better in the past.


I actually woke up pretty excited today because I was going to spend the day with Lily. I used to babysit her but now she has grown to be a pretty awesome teenager, and since she is basically a mini-me, we get along very well despite our age difference. To top it off, my best pal, Taber and his daughter decided to tag along.



The plan was to hit up the California Greek Festival around 11ish to get a bite to eat before heading over to the Tech Museum.

This year's San Jose Greek Festival will be taking place at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. It was my first time going so I really did not know what to expect, except there will be good food available, and that means happy times!

The first thing I noticed was a whole lamb slow-cooking on a giant rotisserie. I immediately knew I had to try it, and we did! We ordered the Lamb Sampler, among a few other dishes, but this one is something to rave about because the lamb was DELICIOUS! The meat was so tender and full of the most wonderful of subtle flavors that tastes like a piece of heaven on my taste buds. Gosh, it was delicious!

RELATED POST: California Greek Food Festival

The rest of the Greek Festival was just meh. There were a few booths full of random jewelry, clothes, and other objects to buy. There is also a small Greek Museum that houses a few displays of traditional Greek clothing, plates, other household goods. The model of the famous Parthenon was pretty cool, but the whole collection felt it could have been organized better with more informative signs so that visitors can learn more about the Greek Culture. It literally took us 10 minutes to walk around.

There is also music and performances to enjoy, but the food was definitely the highlight, as it usually is with these kind of festivals.

Shortly after we ate, we headed over to the Tech Museum. I wanted us to have enough time to play and observe everything at the Tech, especially since it closes an hour earlier than usual on Sundays.

Looking back now, I wish we had stayed a little longer at the festival because we had more fun there than at the Tech. It was definitely not worth the $25.00 (for adults) and the $19.00 (for kids) price tickets we had to pay. We were a bit frustrated throughout the visit because half of the exhibits were activated by motion and heat sensors that did not work more than half the time. A lot of it was also a bit boring. Even with the two kids we had ( a 5 and a 15 year old), they seemed bored half the time as well.

RELATED POST: The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, California

What happened to the bustling, noisy, exciting Tech Museum I remembered back in my early teen years? The place seemed quite empty for a summer Sunday afternoon, and it seems that the exhibits were a bit more scarce than I remember. I left quite disappointed. 

Don't get me wrong, there were a few galleries I enjoyed and found interesting. However, I noticed that the exhibits I enjoyed the most were older exhibits, for example the Space Exhibits in the Exploration Gallery are quite old, yet they remain fascinating. The discovers and future plans for space never seems to get old. 

I still felt like my day went by nicely. I was able to spend time with some awesome people, and their company is what matters the most...even though a childhood memory was a bit shattered.

To watch my day, here is a link to: "Travel Vlog: [Bay Area] Getting Techy Bay Area (Travel Vlog #1)"

Happy Wandering, Alice.

[San Jose, CA] The Tech Museum of Innovation

Let's take a look at one of San Jose's most famous attractions, The Tech Museum of Innovation, aka "The Tech". Sounds like something out of a movie doesn't it, "The Tech"? It is located in Downtown San Jose. You can not miss it. It's the only solid blue and orange building with a dome roof in the city.

[San Jose, CA] California Greek Food Festival

The California Greek Food Festival circulates the State of California year round. I have heard friends raving about this for a while now, so when a buddy of mine mentioned free tickets on the San Jose's Greek Festival Facebook Page, I saw it as a sign to finally go. However, tickets are usually around $3.00-$5.00, nothing too extravagant.

[My Top 5] Places in the South & East Bay Area, California

Hello fellow Wanderers! Today I would like to share with you my top 5 spots in the East and South Bay Area. I have lived two-thirds of my life around these parts, and a few spots have definitely caught and held my attention in those years.

All these places I am about to share with are all free activities. I understand what it is like to be on a budget, and like most, I like free stuff.

[Photo Gallery] Rosicrucian Park

Rosicrucian Park

1660 Park Avenue

San Jose, California

[Photo Gallery] San Jose's Municipal Rose Garden

 Municipal Rose Garden

San Jose, California

Naglee Ave & Dana Ave, San Jose, CA

[Photo Gallery] Alum Rock Park

Alum Rock Park

15350 Penitencia Creek Rd

San Jose, California

[Photo Gallery] Montalvo Arts Center

The beautiful Historic Vill at Montalvo Arts Center. 

15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga, CA 95070

[Saratoga, CA] Montalvo's Italiante Garden and Fountain of Love

Beautiful. Romantic. Whimsical. Magical. Sensual. 

This garden at the foot of Montalvo Arts Center can not be described in words, even though I tried my best. Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I will use pictures to try to depict this amazing place, even though I feel none of my photos did this incredible garden justice.

Art students drawing surrounded by white rose bushes with the Historic Villa up ahead.

[Saratoga, CA] The Hiking Trails of Montalvo "Villa of the Arts"

The Historic Montalvo Arts Center is famous for its "Art on the Grounds", and beautiful lawns and gardens, as well as, their support for the artists, musicians and writers. Although the grounds are beautiful and great for an afternoon stroll, what most visitors do not notice right away (especially on their first visit) are the hidden hiking trails behind the historic villa and auditorium.

Montalvo has around 175 acres of hiking trails tucked away in the Foothills of the City of Saratoga. There are a few entrances to get onto the many trails. On the West side, you can enter on Norton Road to get on Orchard Trail, or you can start on the East near Parking Lot 3 or 4 to go straight onto Lookout Trail. Here is a link to the map for reference.

[Saratoga, CA] Montalvo "Villa of the Arts" Center

Sitting on top of the massive "Great Lawn" is an exquisite mansion, formally owned and built by Congressman James Duval Phelan in 1912. If the historic villa did not impress you already on your drive up, take a look around the grounds of this place, you will find a surprise in every corner. Some of the surprises are beautiful and some are down right strange, but they are all fascinating and the real characters that makes this place.

Welcome to Montalvo Arts Center.

[Los Altos, CA] Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

I love this hiking preserve so much! 
I have hiked here 5 times already, and will definitely be coming back over and over again!
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve has everything a simple hiker, like myself, would want.

WildCat Loop Trail

[Los Altos, CA] Deer Hollow Farm

Hidden in the middle of Rancho San Antonio Open Space is a cute little Historic Ranch called Deer Hollow Farm. This Historic Ranch is 160 years old, and is still up and running. If you are lucky and get there early enough, you may be able to purchase fresh eggs from their many chickens or any fresh product that they grow. I am never early enough to purchase these organic eggs...but one day I hope to be lucky!

The Barn

[San Jose, CA] Alum Rock Park

It's the year 1890...you are in the mood to yourself to a spa day, and the only Health Spa you want to go to is the Famous Alum Rock Health Spa Retreat. You have heard that the Spa consists of 27 exquisite mineral springs, an indoor pool, a dance pavilion and a gourmet Restaurant, as well as a tea garden! This is definitely a place for you to unwind, relax, and come back renewed. You don't even need to drive, you can take the Alum Rock Steam Train in Downtown San Jose all the way to the spa.

[San Jose, CA] Fuji Sushi (Sushi Restaurant)

"Fuji Sushi is my favorite sushi place," She says.

After a long, grueling five-hour hike, my friend, Bria and I were pretty hungry, and in the mood to reward our hard work on the prestigious climb of East Bay California's highest peak, Mission Peak. So I asked her what she would like to eat, and she wanted sushi, but not at any old sushi place, she wanted Fuji Sushi.

Fuji Sushi is located along Downtown San Jose's busiest intersections (1st St & Santa Clara St). The exterior is quite cute with outdoor seatings. It is actually right next to two restaurants that I frequented in my collage days (Picasso's Tapas and City Bagel), so I am quite surprised that I had never noticed this place before. I also noticed that like most sushi places in the Santa Clara County area, Fuji Sushi is owned by Koreans. Not that that matters because what I had was delicious!

Upon entering we were immediately greeted by a smiling waitress that took us to our table. Like most sushi restaurants, the place was divided into two sections, the bar and the tables. The decor was nice, and the tables were sectioned off with thin walls of bamboo paper covers, giving the diners a sense of intimacy.

[Fremont, CA] Mission Peak

Climbing Mission Peak has become Fremont's Most Popular attraction. It is a 2000+ feet elevation climb to the top. The path is rugged, uneven and mostly uphill with very little shade. The strenuous hike is definitely not for the fainthearted. Besides bringing plenty of water and maybe a snack or two, what you need to bring with you is well-power. I have seen many groups start with an air of joyous excitement to see them turn around in painful defeat. 

[Fremont, CA] Spanish Mission #14: Mission San Jose

Can you believe Mission San Jose originally was made up of 100 adobe structures? Through neglect, natural disasters, and changes with time...this is what the mission looks like today.

[San Jose, CA] The Rosicrucian Park

When it comes to the Rosicrucian Park, most people talk about its famous Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. Don't get me wrong, the museum is quite magnificent, (I've been there three times), and it deserves its own blogpost for sure, but their backyard is never really mentioned.

So today I want to introduce to you my favorite features the Rosicrucian Park has to offer, and why it is my number one place in my neighborhood.

[San Jose, CA] Municipal Rose Garden

This Rose Garden is goals. This is what I would love to have in my dream backyard or even front yard for all the neighbors to see and envy. With over 4,000 rose shrubs and a beautiful, circular fountain perfectly positioned at the center of a ring of different color roses, the Municipal Rose Garden is one of the most romantic places in the great city of San Jose.

My Social Medias!

YouTube! Facebook! Twitter! Instagram!
I have those guys! 

You probably already know that, but I wanted to make sure. I will be doing a lot of updates on these platforms for varies reasons.

Who Am I?

Hi, my name is Alice, I am 27 years old and I want to start traveling...again.

Yes, I have started this blog back in 2011...or 2012, I don't really remember, but I haven't written a post for this blog for over two years now, and a lot has changed in those two years. I have grown as a person, my writing style is a bit different, (I want to say my vocabulary has extended, but I would be lying), and I finally got the traveling bug back! So I decided to trash all my old posts and start all over which is why this looks like my first post, but really it's like my 169th post, give or take 40.

I'm still pretty broke in life...I honestly am living paycheck to paycheck with a little squeeze room that I put into my Beauty Blog and Channel...(yes I am one of those beauty bloggers). So judging on my financial stand point, traveling on a large scale is going to be not possible at the moment, so I decided to start out locally first, and share with you my home area which happens to be California's Bay Area. I have lived here all my life. I know my favorite "free" spots. So baby steps first.

I do want to say that I am lucky to live in such an area rich in history and cultures. So the places I will be sharing is not going to be too boring. I live about 45 minutess from San Francisco, I live steps away from the Tech Giants of Silicon Valley, and I am 30 minutes away from the beach and the nearest wine country. So lots to show.

I also started a Youtube Travel/Vlogging Channel where I will showcase my casual trips. This blog will be more on the informational side. So if you are more into casual traveling, you may like my Youtube Channel a lot more. But if you are into the facts, then you may enjoy this blog more.

Now let's talk about my inspiration. What sparked this need to document my "travel" life? Well, I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. Love his shows. Blogging came about when I took a class in college where I had a semester long assignment to upkeep a blog. I decided my topic would be on the City of San Jose, since I went to San Jose State University. Voila! The birth of travel blogging began! Then Youtube took over and now I want to do vlogging as well.

Why did I quit for two years? Well...I had something called "a lot of drama happened in 2014 and 2015", and I am finally recovering from those events. I also have been financial unsuccessful in the last few years, and I am still financially poor but stable, and I have made up my mind to do this. It's really now or never. I am in my late twenties...and I am at that time of my life that finally realize I am in my late twenties (mid-twenties crisis happened last year), and I don't want to regret not doing something that I feel strongly about. I have wanted to do this since 2009! I regret not keeping up with travel blogging since 2009, so I do not want to regret not even trying to keep up with it now.

So it's really now or never. What do you say peeps. Want to join me on this marvelous, yet unglamorous journey? I will most likely be taking buses, trains, flying third class to get to my destinations, rooming in hostels or motels, and probably struggling the whole darn way to pay for shit, but I promise it's going to be fun...well my Youtube Channel will be more fun than here, but I hope you will join me on this delectable time of my life. What do you say?!

Happy Wandering! Alice