What’s the best 5 star resort within driving distance of LA? That question has several answers with many opinions. And perhaps after a few more years of living in LA, I’ll come to a conclusion… but for now, Monarch Beach Resort was our stop of choice. Family friendly to the max. I’ve never seen a […]

“Anywhere except Chinese food,” Jake told me as we made dinner plans. A tourism industry veteran, Jake was traveling for business and staying in the heart of Chinese-American culture in Southern California: San Gabriel. If you’ve heard of gentrification, imagine Chinification. Nearly every restaurant, café, store, establishment, etc, was created by and for the Chinese […]

Our last day – Rachel wanted soba for breakfast. I was kinda Japanese-fooded out. Last night we had ramen, oyster, scallops, sushi, and green tea everything. Rachel was staying for another week and loves soba for breakfast; I was running around trying to get everything sorted before my flight home… a nice relaxing Japanese meal […]

Soooooo much sightseeing. Our feet were aching from miles and miles of walking through the narrow streets of Kyoto. Halfway through our trip and at least 12 solid Japanese meals in, my body (and mind) needed something satisfying in a different way. Our first day away from Hokkaido, I used points to book us at […]