2025: When We're Not Traveling
In 2025, this blog featured past travels to Turkey, Costa Rica, and cruise to Iceland and Greenland. While I was posting these, I was very lucky to be able to go on 2 overseas trips.
There are long months in between these two trips and we filled these weekends with activities around Northern California. Today I would like to share some photos taken from these trips.
San Francisco, in 2025, had been an unusual place we picked for leisurely walks, in particular the Golden Gate Park. There was a stretch during the summer where we were there three weekends in a row just enjoying the very pleasant summer weather. The JFK Promenade was made vehicle-free permanently after a legislation was approved in 2022. Previously, it was only closed for vehicles on Sundays.
Located in Rainbow Falls Pond along the JFK Promenade, Naga is a 100-foot long sea serpent art installation that was originally featured at Burning Man 2024. It naturally attracted many visitors.
Naga at night. It is adorned with over 5,000 hand-forged, iridescent scales and glows with internal LED lights at night, often pulsing with purple and green colors. On occasion, it playfully blows bubbles from its nose.
Along the length of the promenade, there are several art installations.
Something that captured my eye while driving around the city.
I ventured outside of my comfort zone and joined my friends for a kayaking trip to Elkhorn Slough near Monterey Bay. We've been blessed with plenty of sunshine and mild weather. However, since we were going against the current and the wind picking up greatly midway through our trip, we were unable to reach the spot we picked before paddling back. Despite my initial apprehension, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
Exhausted and hungry, we drove to nearby Castroville for lunch. Castroville used to host Artichoke Festival. I attended once, years ago. However, I read that later on, the towns of Salinas and even Monterey hosted the said festival. It was even cancelled in 2025 due to what they call operational challenges, but is tentatively slated to return to its orignal home in Castroville in 2026. I hope that happens. A little bit of trivia, Marilyn Monroe (then Norma Jean Baker) was the first Artichoke Queen crowned in 1948.
We ate at Phil's Fish Market. Afterwards, my friends wanted some dessert so we drove to get some pies at Gizdich Ranch in nearby Watsonville.
Once the pies were consumed we went to our friend's place in Pacific Grove, where we chatted over charcuterie, cheese, fruits and wine. I can't believe we were eating like we were teenagers. When we were fully sated, the dog made us all go for a walk around town.
Pacific Grove is in my opinion one of the prettiest small towns in California, and a favorite short get-away spot for us.
On the walk back to the house, we made sure we took the street where the iconic local landmark and popular tourist stop stands - the Pacific Grove Butterfly House.
It's not just a simple walk around the neighborhood, like this Blue Garden house, where they put a pumpkin and asked people to guess the weight. My friend here was trying to see if she can guess the weight.
After the walk, we all decided to window shop in Monterey along Cannery Row.
Another personal big thing for me this year was finally volunteering at a senior cat rescue place.
This is Miss Nibbles. She was the first cat that I sorta bonded with. I was sad and yet very happy when she was finally adopted in November. For a 15-year-old, she not only moved from California to WA state for her forever home, we hear from her dad that she also accompanied him to St. Louis.
King Solomon was recently adopted along with his bonded pair Queen Sheba.
While this was supposed to be a senior kitty rescue, the founder/CEO cannot refuse surrenders. This is 1-year-old Shiloh who looks so much like my angel kitty Emma (I had seriously considered taking her). She is spoken for and leaving us at the end of January.
This is Opie, the tripod, who came from the county shelter. I saw him at the shelter's Facebook account, and the next thing I knew, he was in the rescue. My wish is for him to be adopted soon. Loves to play.
This is Plum, very shy, always hiding under couch or the very bottom of the cat tree. We think she gets overwhelmed by all the cats. She could benefit from one-on-one loving and socializing, so she's coming home with me in a few days (as of this writing) as a foster.
I am very thankful that 2025 has made me very busy this year. The trips I took not only were they to visit new countries, but to spend time with friends. I have visited 11 countries/islands, 10 for the first time, the most places I've visited in a single year.
It was not only all fun this year, 4 people I know joined the Creator. I attended 2 memorial services and had given my first Eulogy.
All in all, despite the misery I felt for the state of the country and its leaders, I can only feel grateful for everything that happened to me personally.
Located in Rainbow Falls Pond along the JFK Promenade, Naga is a 100-foot long sea serpent art installation that was originally featured at Burning Man 2024. It naturally attracted many visitors.
Naga at night. It is adorned with over 5,000 hand-forged, iridescent scales and glows with internal LED lights at night, often pulsing with purple and green colors. On occasion, it playfully blows bubbles from its nose.
Along the length of the promenade, there are several art installations.
Something that captured my eye while driving around the city.
I ventured outside of my comfort zone and joined my friends for a kayaking trip to Elkhorn Slough near Monterey Bay. We've been blessed with plenty of sunshine and mild weather. However, since we were going against the current and the wind picking up greatly midway through our trip, we were unable to reach the spot we picked before paddling back. Despite my initial apprehension, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
Exhausted and hungry, we drove to nearby Castroville for lunch. Castroville used to host Artichoke Festival. I attended once, years ago. However, I read that later on, the towns of Salinas and even Monterey hosted the said festival. It was even cancelled in 2025 due to what they call operational challenges, but is tentatively slated to return to its orignal home in Castroville in 2026. I hope that happens. A little bit of trivia, Marilyn Monroe (then Norma Jean Baker) was the first Artichoke Queen crowned in 1948.
We ate at Phil's Fish Market. Afterwards, my friends wanted some dessert so we drove to get some pies at Gizdich Ranch in nearby Watsonville.
Once the pies were consumed we went to our friend's place in Pacific Grove, where we chatted over charcuterie, cheese, fruits and wine. I can't believe we were eating like we were teenagers. When we were fully sated, the dog made us all go for a walk around town.
Pacific Grove is in my opinion one of the prettiest small towns in California, and a favorite short get-away spot for us.
On the walk back to the house, we made sure we took the street where the iconic local landmark and popular tourist stop stands - the Pacific Grove Butterfly House.
It's not just a simple walk around the neighborhood, like this Blue Garden house, where they put a pumpkin and asked people to guess the weight. My friend here was trying to see if she can guess the weight.
After the walk, we all decided to window shop in Monterey along Cannery Row.
Another personal big thing for me this year was finally volunteering at a senior cat rescue place.
This is Miss Nibbles. She was the first cat that I sorta bonded with. I was sad and yet very happy when she was finally adopted in November. For a 15-year-old, she not only moved from California to WA state for her forever home, we hear from her dad that she also accompanied him to St. Louis.
King Solomon was recently adopted along with his bonded pair Queen Sheba.
While this was supposed to be a senior kitty rescue, the founder/CEO cannot refuse surrenders. This is 1-year-old Shiloh who looks so much like my angel kitty Emma (I had seriously considered taking her). She is spoken for and leaving us at the end of January.
This is Opie, the tripod, who came from the county shelter. I saw him at the shelter's Facebook account, and the next thing I knew, he was in the rescue. My wish is for him to be adopted soon. Loves to play.
This is Plum, very shy, always hiding under couch or the very bottom of the cat tree. We think she gets overwhelmed by all the cats. She could benefit from one-on-one loving and socializing, so she's coming home with me in a few days (as of this writing) as a foster.
I am very thankful that 2025 has made me very busy this year. The trips I took not only were they to visit new countries, but to spend time with friends. I have visited 11 countries/islands, 10 for the first time, the most places I've visited in a single year.
It was not only all fun this year, 4 people I know joined the Creator. I attended 2 memorial services and had given my first Eulogy.
All in all, despite the misery I felt for the state of the country and its leaders, I can only feel grateful for everything that happened to me personally.
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