California Itinerary - Summer 2020

With the ongoing pandemic certainly scrambling our usual travel plan for the foreseeable future, our travel dream for 2020 got scrambled early on. With the shifting travel restrictions worldwide, we contemplate something almost unthinkable and unprecedented: a domestic trip! Other than an occasional long weekend trip to Washington DC or New England, we haven’t traveled within the United States extensively in recent years. As I look back on my travels, I can't believe my last domestic flight was our trip to Savannah, Georgia, in the spring of 2015.

At the time of our trip, California was experiencing a surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases, and it has been placed on the red list by our home state of New Jersey. So, is it right to travel or responsible to travel during a pandemic? Probably not. But in my defense, we came to California with a purpose. Not only did I get to introduce Brian to my early days in this country, but I also got to size up this region as a candidate for potential relocation.

Day 1 - Newark - San Francisco - Cupertino

Our first dose of pandemic-era travel began at the Newark Airport with our direct flight to San Francisco. Much to our relief, the airport terminal was half abandoned, and our flight on Alaska Airlines was just less than a quarter full. Since American aviation does not have the best reputation in service and amenities, even in the best of times, I actually don’t think the pandemic has many effects on the overall services. Oddly enough, we actually don’t mind flying in the era of coronavirus, at least assuming the half-empty flight. I will trade the nominal beverage service for all the empty seats around us.

After six hours, we landed at an eerie San Francisco International. For whatever reason, even an empty airport still has a distinct California vibe, especially compared to the griminess of the New York metro area. After picking up our rental car, I hit the ground running, and all the memories from the past came right back to me. Recognizing all the streets and interchanges you grew up with was a thrill. Before heading to our hotel in Milpitas, we stopped at one of the main attractions of California: In-N-Out Burgers. This was Brian’s first try at the famous burger chain, but unfortunately, our experience this time was limited to drive-throughs given the pandemic. I am glad he did agree that the burger is far superior to its counterpart in New York…. Shake Shack.

By the time we reached Sonetta Hotel Silicon Valley, it was already eleven, and we were exhausted. Curiously, we were surprised that the hotel parking lot was completely empty. And by that, I meant it has no car, not even for the staff or auxiliary vehicle. My worst fear was confirmed when I pulled up at the main entrance to see a notice taped on the front door. Although I could understand that hotel closure could be expected during the uncertain time of the pandemic, I was shocked that an international hotel chain like Sonetta failed to inform their confirmed guest of the closure. What was even more frustrating was that they are still accepting reservations for tonight on all major travel search engines. Thanks to Hotwire.com, we could make a last-minute reservation at Juniper Hotel in Cupertino for a mere $65. It was a blessing in disguise since Cupertino was the heart of my family’s old stomping ground.

Day 2 - Cupertino - San Francisco - Sausalito - Point Reyes - Tiburon - Cupertino

Our first morning in California began with a visit to 85°C Bakery, a bakery chain from my native Taiwan. After sampling their signature sea salt coffee and taro marble bun, we began sightseeing in San Francisco. Due to the pandemic, I decided to make a\ very much abridged tour of Fog City. Although it is impossible to cover this great American city, I picked some of my favorites, including the Palace of Fine Arts, Lombard Street, and Coit Tower. Though somewhat cliche, I do agree that these are some of the places that captured the best moments and vistas of the city. The pandemic also made driving in this notoriously busy place a breeze, I could honestly say that pandemic travel has been quite enjoyable so far.

The view down the famous Lombard Street. You could see the Bay Bridge in the distance.

As we were preparing to make our way out of the city, we decided to visit the townhouse used as the exterior shot of the sitcom Full House. Of course, we were not the only ones taking a picture of the house. Just a moment after we pulled up next to the house, we were joined by three tourists posing by the front steps. I could hardly understand the excitement since I had never seen the show. Our tour continued with the crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge to the idyllic seaside town of Sausalito. Our lunch at Fish was our first restaurant meal since the COVID-19 lockdown back in March. It was quite an odd sensation after a five-month hiatus. But could there be a better, more suitable climate for outdoor dining than California summer? I guess not! This was my fourth visit to Fish, and the food never disappoints.

After lunch, I decided to head north to visit the Point Reyes National Seashore. I have always considered Marin County the most beautiful part of the Bay Area. The wilderness area around Point Reyes has made me think this is where I wish to retire in California. Just merely north of San Francisco, it feels like a world away from the bustle of the Bay Area. This was only my second visit to this area, and I decided to make the same stop at the little town of Inverness by Tomales Bay. A quaint town in its own right, Inverness is perhaps best known for a shipwreck.

For whatever reason, it has become an iconic stop for tourists and photographers. Another half-hour is my ultimate destination of the day: Point Reyes Lighthouse. I distinctly remembered that when I last visited ten years ago; the fog was so dense that I could not even make out the lighthouse. Ever since I have vowed to return and see the lighthouse. Ironically, I didn’t even get close to the lighthouse this time. Perhaps due to the budget cut and the pandemic, the access road was closed completely.

We joined a throng of disappointed visitors to the nearby Drakes Beach instead. The scenery of the white chalk beach seems to be a distant cousin of the White Cliffs of Dover. As is usually the case, the Pacific coast of northern California is very often shrouded in clouds. Nevertheless, it does not take away the beauty of the wilderness. We continued our journey southward along Pacific Highway Route 1 back to Sausalito. Along the way, we stopped by various viewpoints, offering us a glimpse of what awaited us at Big Sur a few days later.

Eventually, we returned to Sausalito for a casual stroll along the waterfront. Of course, we stopped at a salt-water toffee shop and marveled at the high real estate prices along the bay. We then headed for dinner at the Luna Blu in Tiburon, which is said to serve wonderful Cioppino, a dish native to San Francisco and the symbol of Italian American cuisine. After dinner, we drove to Marin Headlands for a sunset view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It didn’t take long until we were amidst fog and only got a sliver glimpse of the bridge. Nevertheless, it was a successful day for sightseeing, nonstop.

Day 3 - Cupertino - Saratoga - San Jose - Cupertino

Today is our first full day in the San Jose area. The partial objective for this trip is to scout out the potential of living in California. Brian was excited to see this part of California since it was part of my immigrant story. Our day started with a visit to my alma mater, Saratoga High School. I honestly think this was my first time back on campus since graduation. I marveled at all the changes, including a new administrative building and a fully decked-out football field. On the floor at the front gate, a chalk writing wrote: “Saratoga High graduates, you are privileged.” I didn’t share that sentiment back in the day, and it was not until I moved out of California that I marveled at what an exceptional educational experience I enjoyed. My tour of Saratoga continued with a visit to various places around town that my family frequented, such as the public library and the West Valley College campus. Of course, we did visit our family house before heading out to check out the quaint downtown.

We then made our way to Los Gatos, which has since become quite a ritz part of Silicon Valley due to the presence of the Netflix headquarters. Of course, much of the downtown along Santa Cruz Avenue has been transformed for outdoor dining. We decided to grab lunch at Loma Brewery. Much to my amazement, the food was delicious, and we savored real-time relaxation. I think by then, Brian was also sold to the Californian lifestyle. And I do have to admit that it is hard to argue against the California weather, especially after 12 years in New York/New Jersey. After lunch, we drove to San Jose to visit my grandparents’ place.

Funny enough, I ran out of places to visit around my “hometown” after just half a day. Despite being one of the largest cities in the country, it was hardly a tourist mecca. After much thought, we took a short drive to the famed Winchester Mystery House for a look from outside the fence and the Japanese Friendship Garden at Kelly Park. In the spirit of relaxation and California living, we headed to another brewery, Barebottle Brewing Company in Santa Clara. It was weird for me to relax on vacation, to be honest. We ended our day with a bowl of pho at Pho Ha Noi, just outside the hotel. Well, I am sure tomorrow will be more exciting.

Day 4 - Cupertino - Santa Cruz - Monterey - Carmel - Monterey

After an obligatory visit to 85°C Bakery for breakfast, we began the sightseeing portion of our trip. Our first stop was Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, a local villa and art center that has always been popular for local weddings and photoshoots. On our way to Santa Cruz, we stopped by Henry W. Coe State Park, midway between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. My family often visited this park due to the proximity and easy trail loop around the redwood forest. Much to my surprise, a line of cars ran miles from the park entrance. Perhaps due to the pandemic, outdoor recreation places seem to be in high demand. Though I would love to show Brian this place, I don’t believe it was worth the long queue. Instead, we made the beeline for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Wharf. The funfair atmosphere was certainly quite a change from the last few days. After a lovely lunch at Vinocruz Wine Bar + Kitchen, we headed to our destination for the day: Monterey.

The drive to Monterey was lovely. We passed by the agricultural field of Salinas Valley and the endless beach at Sand City. While waiting for our room to be prepared, we strolled around Monterey. From the Fisherman Wharf to the famous Canary Row, central Monterey was surprisingly pedestrian-friendly. But sadly, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, my favorite attraction in the city, was closed due to the pandemic. After checking in at Hotel Pacific and relaxing on our room balcony, we headed out to the picturesque town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Although it was just a stone's throw away from Monterey, the climate and architecture of Carmel could not be more different. The town was shrouded with dense fog. For whatever reasons, we decided to have a late afternoon drink/snack at Casanova. Like the town, this restaurant has plenty of old-time ambiance. It was not difficult to imagine why this was the town of the rich and famous. We spent the rest of the afternoon on our balcony and waited for our late dinner reservation at Osteria Al Mare. Though not the best Italian fare, the outdoor seating facing the harbor was a good place to end our day.

Day 5 - Monterey - Big Sur - Ragged Point - Pacifica - Monterey

Monterey is an ideal home base for a visit to Big Sur. The isolation around Big Sur made accommodations notoriously expensive and hard to come by. Knowing that food options may be limited, we got a full American breakfast at First Awakenings. We were then soon on our way down south via the Pacific Highway. As we drove south, we made stops at famous popular viewpoints such as Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Creek Bridge. Perhaps not surprisingly, the weather was less than phenomenal along the coast. However, given that we are doing a round trip, I felt the weather might improve on our way back. Soon enough, we entered the wilderness areas and lost our cellular signals.

Luckily, I mapped out various points of interest on my offline Google Maps ahead of time. Due to COVID, many state-operated attractions, such as Big Sur Lighthouse, were closed. Our first major activity was the hike down to Partington Cove. It was a steep 15-minute descent from the highway, bringing us to a secluded cove. Honestly, the hike up was much more challenging than I thought. We somewhat gave up on the prospect of any strenuous activities for the rest of the day.

The toughest thing about your Big Sur visit may be deciding when to stop to admire the great vistas. It was the best travel if you were in a hurry. In some regards, we had little or no time pressure since there was not an endpoint we attempted to reach. After seemingly four hours of driving through the mist and winding roads, we had lunch at the scenic Rugged Point. Developed as a massive recreational complex, Ragged Point Inn & Resorts was perhaps one of the largest stops for travelers. With a full-fledged restaurant, a coffee bar, and a gift shop, the area seems like a great to relax and unwind. After a satisfying lunch, we relaxed along with the viewpoint and admired the dramatic coastline. Only about 20 minutes down the road from Rugged Point, we saw a mileage post for San Simeon, home of Hearst Castle.

We stopped at many more lookout points on our way back, including the McWay Falls. As one of California's only two sea waterfalls, it was one of the most popular stops in all of Big Sur. We also stopped by the eccentric Phoenix shop at Nepenthe for a bathroom break. While not our style, I recommend it as a great place to stop and enjoy the beautiful view. By the time we returned to Bixby Bridge Beach, the sky had cleared out quite a bit to allow some good photos before returning to Monterey. By the time we returned to Monterey, it was about sunset. We ended our day with a beautiful dinner at Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar in downtown Pacific Grove. They turned out to serve up some of the best food we had on this trip.

Day 6 - Monterey - Milpitas - South Lake Tahoe

Before checking out of our hotel, I picked up a couple of donuts from Red Donuts, a local institution. At $1 a piece, I was very happy with the no-frill old-fashioned donut. It would be important to support mom-and-pop establishments like these when traveling. Today was a hectic travel day as we were driving the six-hour drive from Monterey to Lake Tahoe at the border with Nevada. The sky became crystal blue as soon as we exited the Salinas Valley.

We quickly stopped in Gilroy before grabbing lunch at Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks in Milpitas. Provided this is my first Taiwanese food experience on this trip, I went overboard with the amount of fried food. We quickly returned to the road and wished to arrive at Tahoe as early as possible. This drive took us through Livermore and eventually connected us to the famous Interstate 5. Luckily, we quickly started to ascend up the Sierra Nevada; the alpine scenery presented itself as the elevation markers ticked higher. It was a thrill when Lake Tahoe first came into view.

Waiting for our first actual sunset in Calfornia.

We promptly checked into the Station House Inn in South Lake Tahoe. Selecting the right hotel could be quite a tricky matter. Because Lake Tahoe is a highly seasonal destination, the accommodation cost is expensive, and you will be surprised how difficult (and outrageously pricey) it is to stay on waterfront property. Most of the hotels in the area, including ours, have a motel setup. It certainly takes away the ambiance of a lakeside destination. The hotel offers a complimentary pass to a nearby private beach. We could not resist the chance to take a refreshing dip and have a relaxing beach time. After an early dinner at Lotus Pho 2 Noodle House, we returned to the beach for our first Tahoe sunset. With so much to do the next morning, we headed to bed early after finishing our laundry.

Day 7 - South Lake Tahoe - Eagle Creek Fall - Carnelian Bay - South Lake Tahoe

After a restless night of sleep, we woke up early to visit the most popular spot around Lake Tahoe: Emerald State Park. A 25-minute drive from South Lake Tahoe, the park was so popular to the point that visitors were often advised to arrive by 8 am to have a chance to score a parking spot. Needless to say, we did not get up enough, and I was anxious about parking logistics. For today, we decided to tackle Eagle Creek Fall. Luckily, we found a spot just as an RV pulled out.

The Eagle Lake was a popular hike, given its relative accessibility. After 40 minutes, you arrive at this lake, ringed by a high mountain and alpine forest. I immediately regretted not wearing my swim trunks. Even though the lake water was prohibitively chilling and there were plenty of spectators, it was still hard to resist. I had initially planned on continuing our hikes up to the upper lakes. After talking to other hikers, we realized it was just a mammoth undertaking we were ill-prepared for.

After a quick lunch at Sidellis Lake Tahoe, we decided to travel around Lake Tahoe. Going clockwise, we drove by a series of towns and recreational beaches. But I was quite surprised that almost every beach is privately owned or state-managed with a vehicle access fee. Eventually, we arrived at the town of Carnelian Bay on the north shore and found a free stretch of stone pebble beach. This was my first visit to a stone beach, and it was as pleasant as I imagined. The scenery seemed to change as we crossed the state line in Nevada. Despite tasteless casinos, the development along the Nevada coast appears more controlled and superior to that of California. Incline Village, home to Marriott resorts, seems particularly ritzy. As we drove south back toward California, we passed through a string of beautiful beaches, and I decided right then that we must pay a visit before leaving the Tahoe region.

Public (free) tone beach at Carnelian Beach,

Upon return, we decided to stroll around the areas surrounding our hotel. Known as Heavenly, the area is anchored by Heavenly Ski Resorts, one of the most popular ski resorts on the West Coast. The area is undoubtedly a tourist center, filled with cheesy souvenir and ski equipment shops. Needless to say, the prices are sky-high. I even had difficulty finding basic information, such as the cost of a gondola ride. Given its proximity to the state line, we decided to walk across to Nevada.

While there is not much to see except for half a dozen blocky casinos, I did get to admire a giant memorial dedicated to the legendary Pony Express. We also got a taste of Nevada’s lax pandemic control. Seeing a packed restaurant interior amid pandemic was quite disturbing. We had a delicious takeout at Thai On Ski Run to finish the night. The surprisingly authentic food was a comforting end to a busy day.

Day 8 - South Lake Tahoe - Emerald Park State Park - Carson City - South Lake Tahoe

Due to the health advisory, the traditional breakfast offering at the hotel is limited to a sad spread of granola bars and grab-and-go fruit. I dropped in at Glazed And Confuzed Tahoe Donut to make our breakfast more exciting. From my short observation, half of the staff there was stoned. The day's goal was to return to the Emerald State Park and hike along the picturesque lakeside Rubicon Trail. However, we were not as lucky today with the parking situation. We had to park illegally approximately a quarter of a mile from the trailhead.

Passing the trailhead, it was a steep descent down to the lake with an elevation change of more than 500 ft. By the sandy beach is a mansion called Vikingsholm. Completed in 1928, it was in the “Nordic Revival” style and blends in various architectural details from Viking motifs to Icelandic green roofs. Unfortunately, the house interior was closed due to COVID-19; it would have been quite a thrill for a Nordic enthusiast like me.

The Rubicon Trail runs along the entire shoreline of the Emerald Bay State Park, offering some easy hiking close to the water. Along the way, countless little coves are suitable for a quick dip. Although it has none of the well-established beach' amenities, nothing could beat the seclusion. Knowing we had to hike back, we only covered roughly eight miles of the Rubicon Trail. By the time we made it back to the cars, we were both exhausted.

To reward ourselves, we had a crazy idea to drive to the nearest In-N-Out Burger, which happens to be forty minutes away in Carson City, Nevada. Honestly, my memory of my first family trip to Tahoe was a bit of a blur, but the transition to the scenery of Carson City’s desert landscape was memorable. In a mere 20 minutes, it was as if we had arrived on a different planet. After the burger, we did a whirlwind tour of the city with an obligatory stop at the Nevada State Capitol, the Legislature Building, and the Governor’s Mansion. Of course, I got my picture taken in front of the capitol building to add to my collection. We did not linger long in Nevada and ended our afternoon at the private beach. And to celebrate our final evening at Tahoe, we opted for a fancy meal at Lake House Restaurant.

Day 9 - South Lake Tahoe - Kings Beach - Sacramento - Berkeley - Emeryville

After checking out, we hit a final beach before returning to the Bay Area. We were itching to visit Nevada’s Sand Harbor Beach. Although we were not naive to think we could get a spot in the parking lot, we did not anticipate that there was a place to park along Nevada State Route 28 within a few miles of the beach. Arguably, this may be the most frustrating aspect of any visit to Tahoe. It certainly would not be a relaxing beach experience if one had to line up at the park entry by 7:30 in the morning. As we were determined to visit a beach in Nevada, we struggled to find one that was public and accessible. After much frustration, we relented and decided on Kings Beach, just across the state line in California. It has free and easy parking, and we were grateful to enjoy Tahoe’s water one last time.

It was a solid three-hour drive back to the Bay Area, and we could not resist another stop at In-N-Out. And to continue my quest with state capitol photos, we made a quick detour to Sacramento. By the time we reached Four Points by Sheraton San Francisco Bay Bridge in the industrial city of Emeryville, we were both exhausted. The health protocol of this hotel was particularly stringent; they even took away our TV remote. While we did not have any specific point of interest to visit for the rest of the day, we wanted to be familiar with Oakland and Berkeley as the places to relocate.

While the city often has a stigma attached, I was pleasantly surprised by its dynamism and beauty. Much to our surprise, the views from the hillside neighborhood of Claremont Hill or Upper Rockridge toward San Francisco Bay were breathtaking. It completely changed my impression of Oakland. We also drove through Berkeley; visiting Berkeley without any students was strange. We were looking for a decent dinner on a beautiful California evening with nothing else planned. Of course, this Friday evening during the pandemic, scoring an outdoor table without a reservation was a nightmare. After running around town in futility, we ordered noodle takeout at Noodle Fresh in Berkeley and called it a night.

Day 10 - Emeryville - Berkeley - Walnut Creek - Los Gatos - Cupertino

Today was our last full day in California and our decidedly low-key day. After a visit to 85°C Bakery in San Leandro, we headed back north to Berkeley to visit the childhood home of Senator Kamala Harris. Vice President Biden announced the California senator as his running mate only two days ago. Last night, I learned that she grew up in the Oakland/Berkeley area and saw a picture of her childhood home on the Wikipedia page. Given our proximity, I can’t resist paying a visit. The small bungalow on Bancroft Way is currently used as a facility for a local Montessori school.

We joked that maybe we should see whether this place would be put on the market in the next few years, and we could move into a piece of American history. Gosh, we could only hope she gets elected vice president this November. Afterward, we traveled over the ridge for a quick visit to Walnut Creek. Initially, we planned on having a distant social gathering with my cousin Elsa. Even though the plan did not work out, we visited and dropped off a box of See’s chocolate at their place.

The childhood home of Kamala Harris in Berkeley.

For lunch, we went back to Loma Brewery in Los Gatos. Brian had been raving about the steak taco he got there for the past week. To be fair, the steak was divine, and it even converted somebody like me, who is generally not fond of Mexican cuisine. It was a really hot California day. But what was weird was the humidity in the year. Although it was nowhere near the humidity we were accustomed to on the East Coast, it was a strange sensation.

After a quick nap at the Juniper Hotel, we ventured out to visit Mountain View, the home of Google and a city I visited often during high school for volunteer work. We then headed north to Palo Alto, the home of Stanford University, and drove around in horror at the sky-high real estate value. We ended our day with a lovely dinner at ASA Restaurant in Los Gatos.

Day 11 - Cupertino - San Jose - Dallas/Fort Worth - Newark

Today was the day of travel, which we were not looking forward to. After my last iced sea salt coffee, we made the 20-minute drive to San Jose International Airport. It did not take long for us to realize that American Airlines’ pandemic response was non-existent, and no middle seat was blocked off. Luckily, Brian and I lucked out and got empty seats next to us. The layover at Dallas-Fort Worth International was, of course, quite unremarkable. As we boarded the nearly connected flight back to New Jersey, a thunderstorm rolled in and stranded us on a tarmac for over an hour. Due to the federal crew rest regulations, we ran the risk of having to return to the gate for the night. Luckily, a small opening in the weather pattern allowed us to head home, and we were among the four jets that got to take off for the rest of the evening.

The Aftermath

Little did we know that on the evening of our departure back home, northern California was blanketed with a series of ‘dry lightning,’ which eventually led to the deadliest wildfire season on record. The wildfire was so intense that it turned the whole region into a place of an apocalypse. As we joined the nation to watch in horror as California burned, we felt blessed to be able to experience California at its finest. I can’t imagine what a horrific vacation we might have if we postponed our trip by a week. As I tracked the spread of these fires, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of sadness as many of the places we just visited were burned down. It was a sober reminder of the effects of climate change and what has yet to be done.

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