Trampled by Turtles

The are called Trampled by Turtles and they are a famous blue grass band from Minnesota. They are also one of Julia and Izak's favorite bands. As if it was planned, they performed in Santa Cruz on one of the last evenings with the kids. What blessing to share this with the two as well.

Capitola Beach

We took a stroll on Capitola beach on our own, had lunch at a small Greek restaurant and couldn't stop ourselves from taking a selfie with the lagoon in the background.

#300

There is a sneaky cache in the parking lot behind the Citibank close to Izak's new house. I picked this one up late afternoon for my 300th cache.

Lake Tahoe

The three days that we spent at Lake Tahoe with the kids was very special. We were fortunate to live in a cabin on the shore of the lake. Watching the surface of the water change with dawn, fog, rain and wind through the big windows, while making food and talking was a wonderful experience.

Donner Kitchen

We stopped for lunch at Donner Kitchen. The Donner lake in the Sierras is infamous for early pioneer's cannibalism when they got lost in heavy snow on the way west. I had great chicken Taco's with a Miller beer.

Breakfast in San Jose

Most mornings we made breakfast together while staying at Izak and Julia's temporary apartment in San Jose. Oatmeal with fruit and nuts and freshly brewed coffee. So thankful for the time that we can spend together.

Gaudalupe Gardens

There is a historic orchard in the middle of San Jose, commemorating the fact that there was a time when the Santa Clara county was the biggest producer of fruit in the state. Then in the 1960's came chip factories and a different kind of Apple orchard, and now nobody is pruning trees and picking fruit any more.

Golden Gate Bridge

One cannot really claim to have been to San Francisco if you were not photographed with the magnificent Golden Gate bridge in the background. Afterwards we crossed the bridge for dinner at Scoma in Sausalito - bringing back memories of business dinners in another time.

UCSC Arboretum

The University of Santa Cruz Arboretum is a garden of many plant species from across the world in a beautiful setting. It was great to experience all the different plants and the many hummingbirds that flicks from one plant to another. The South African proteas, pincushions and strelitzias were in full bloom and painted a proud picture.

New Home

The kids signed a lease on a great house in Capitola (adjacent to Santa Cruz). It is a spacious dwelling with lots of natural light. They expect to move in within the next fortnight. We were privileged to share the moment with them. Back in South Africa, it would now be easier for us to picture them as they live their dreams.

California rain

Some people say that the drought in California is the most severe in recent memory. That is why it was such fun to drive back to San Jose on the I-5 in the driving rain.

Barf Sink

I have been to many restaurants in the world, but this was the first time that I saw a Barf Sink in the restroom of this Vietnamese establishment in Los Angeles. The situation was made even more funny when the waiter asked us if we would mind eating things like pork blood, pig intestines and fish heads. In the end though, the food was actually quite good.

Santa Barbara

We decided to drive down to Los Angeles to see Izak (working on a project in Irvine). It was special time to bond with our daughter-in-law. We stopped at some of the beaches on the way and even dipped our toes in the Pacific at Santa Barbara.

Crow's nest

We are blessed to be with our children in the US, sharing their plans and dreams. We had dinner at the Crow's Nest; good sea food and a local Chardonnay. The restaurant has a perfect setting next to the yacht basin at Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz

The thing about Santa Cruz is that the breakers for one of the surf spots is right underneath a cliff overlooking the sea. One can see surfers plying their trade within 50 yards from you. Wonderful and special moments that we can share with the kids.

Bugger

I discovered fraudulent transactions on my credit card and had to ask my bank to cancel it. My watch stopped working and then MTN informed me by text that I had spent more than my credit limit on roaming charges and suspended my phone. Great way to start my holiday abroad.

Rockies railroad

They say that the railroad through the Rockies from Denver to Sacramento is the most scenic route in North America. The track climbs to over 3 000 meters, following majestic canyons and though many tunnels. Looking down over sheer cliffs into rivers speeding over rapids or long plains that stretches all the way to the horizon. What a memorable trip this was for Annelie and me.

Washington

Washington could be seen as a garden full of grand buildings, statues and memorials. It oozes symbolism and value-statements. I drove and walked through the center of the city and realized why the peoples of this country constitute such a great nation.

Izakaya

Seeing that we are on our way to visit Izak's new home in California, Annelie felt it appropriate that our last meal in New York should be at a Japanese restaurant called Izakaya. We also ordered California Rolls because we are about to start a 3 000 mile journey by train to California.

First class to New York

We were treated with a wonderful surprise when both of us were upgraded to first class on the A380 from Dubai to New York. We enjoyed the spacious cabins and the world-class cuisine and rare wines. And, yes, we did it: we showered at 40 000 ft.

Wine for breakfast

Pineapple, melon and a variety of berries are the type of flavours that one would find on good wines. It almost felt as if I was having wine with breakfast in the lounge at Dubai on the way to New York.