Camping at Lake Tahoe

The weekend camping up at Lake Tahoe by the beautiful Emerald Bay with Charlie, Sara and her family - just awesome! Most photos courtesy of Sara :)

Breathtakingly beautiful Emerald Bay

Camping with the city slickers, tons of fun!

Sara's dad Jim and his little grand daughter Priya.

Jim's Harley.


Sara and Charlie on the walk down to Emerald Bay.

The most gorgeous green forests.

Small waterfall on the way there.

No kidding when they warn about "extremely cold water"!

Chillin on the 'beach' by the lake.

Sarb & her daughter Jasmine.

Thanks Sara & Charlie for the most awesome time!

Carnivorous Plants & DeYoung Museum of Art

The Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is full of beautiful gardens, museums and galleries, not to mention all the joggers, groups practising tai-chi and homeless people.

The stunning gardens at the Conservatory of Flowers.










Carnivorous Plants Exhibition - way cool.








The DeYoung Museum of Art.

Copia & the Napa Valley

The beautiful Copia Academy of Food, Wine and Art in Napa Valley, where Sara and I had an awesome time wine tasting, learning about tomatoes and enjoying the exploring the edible gardens.

"Wine and food speak not only to the palate, but to the mind and the deeper domain of the heart. Like poetry, painting and song, they are carriers of culture and celebrants of life, returning us to the world of the senses, of memory and the imagination."

The huge vases made of recycled bottle caps, very stylish.


New age wine tasting - through a vending machine!


First class cooking demonstrations!

The Cutest Kittens in the World!

Sara & Charlie's super cute little tyrant Linus

and the new kid... Frankie!

A shakey start, but...


All's well that ends well!

Around & About San Fran

After our drive back from Monterrey, I spent the day in San Fran exploring more of the sights. Spent the morning in the fascinating Museum of Modern Art - MOMA (great exhibition on Matisse's sculptures at the moment), around the parks in the city and the afternoon in the busy Fisherman's Wharf area.

View from Yueba Beuno Gardens of San Fran .


MOMA in the background.


Tai Chi in the park.


A very 'green' city, recycling everywhere, incentives for hybrid cars and a general main stream awareness that is refreshing.


Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial
"No. No, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a might stream."






View of Golden Gate Bridge across the Bay.


Alcatraz prison in the background.


Home and birthplace of famous Ghirardelli Chocolates.


Bustling, world famous Pier 39.






A beautiful walk to the ferry terminal along The Embarcadero.