As I've likely mentioned before, Steven and I have four children, and each lives in a different US time zone. From oldest to youngest, they live in Brooklyn, Chicago, Berkeley (across the bay from San Francisco), and near us in Denver. We're not always this lucky, but in the space of about two months this winter/spring, we flew out to Chicago and New York for weekend hops to hug our daughters and their families and tell them we loved them, did the same with our newlywed son and daughter-in-law in Denver, and then flew out to the West Coast to spend a few days with our older son and his family before beginning our newest adventure in Fiji.
We didn't tour SF at all, but had fun walking to playgrounds, their local library, and a favorite ice cream shop with the little ones. Many of the flowers and other images were too tempting to pass up photographing!
Gloria: I thought of you when we saw the Calla Lilies, as I know they were part of your wedding bouquet when you married Paul.
I was surprised that so many very old homes in Berkeley were wood-shingled, unlike those in Denver, where only some roofs are shingled. Even those are being phased out due to fire risk, which is a huge issue in the Rocky Mountain West.
How sad to have this as a sign of our times right now in the United States.
You can't not smile when seeing the robin-egg colored home. Whatever you're feeling, it's sure to lift up your spirits, especially with the white picket fence out front, too!
I recommend clicking the photo to enlarge it so you can see the uniquely California wisdom or exhortation!
I didn't remember seeing bamboo growing by a home before on our previous visits to Berkeley.
In tribute to Chiura Obata, a mural located at a PG&E substation, honored a renowned Japanese American artist and University of California, Berkeley professor who once had his studio across the street. He continued to paint while incarcerated in American internment camps during World War II.
A tattoo parlor near the UC Berkeley campus!
Our go-to place to treat the grandchildren for ice cream, or perhaps just an excuse for us to get some!
The credit for the gorgeous cherry blossoms in Alexander and Cory's backyard goes to their landscaper!
Purple is a much-loved paint color in Berkeley, or there was once a sale on purple paint!
Walking up and down Berkeley's streets, it's common to find discarded items that are free for the taking. The quality ranged from "treasures" to what I'd call junk!
Please grant me some license to include these photos of San Francisco's Chinatown that I took in late December 2025, when Alexander and I took his daughter, Max, to explore something very different from the Mission District, where they then lived.
We had a great view of the iconic Transamerica Pyramid from Chinatown.
The Kuomintang, also known as the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, is the North American headquarters for the Chinese Nationalist Party.
I thought that Max would really like getting away from her younger brothers for a fun outing in Chinatown, buying a treat in an unusual shop, and eating lunch in a Chinese noodle shop. I must have been naive, as I think I enjoyed the experience more than she did! Her "enthusiasm" was, unfortunately, less than palpable.
A mural by the Willie "Woo Woo" Wong Playground:
Nicky and Alastair: I hope these images bring back some fond memories of your own time in San Francisco's Chinatown!
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral was dedicated in 1854, served as the first cathedral in California, and was once the tallest building in San Francisco.
The Dragon Gate, also known as the Chinatown Gate, marks the southern entrance to Chinatown
I, if not Max, was excited to hear the telltale clang, clang of an approaching cable car while we were in Chinatown! I hadn't known that the San Francisco cable car system is the world's only remaining moving National Historic Landmark.
Did you know that a traditional Chinese dragon is a symbol of good luck, strength, and power?
The neon sign advertised the Li Po Cocktail Lounge, a historic dive bar in Chinatown.
Laundry hanging out to dry from, you guessed it, a Chinese laundry!
Perhaps when Max is 9 or 10, she might enjoy exploring Chinatown with her dad and me. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Next post: Fast forward 11 hours, hopping over the International Date Line, landing in Fiji just after dawn, picking up a rental car, and driving 90 minutes, to ride an electric-assisted bicycle on ancient sugar cane tracks through the rainforest! Ahh, the adventures we find!
Posted on April 13th, 2026, from Twizel in the South Island of New Zealand. I'm thrilled to continue showing Steven familiar places in NZ and exploring new ones together. It's a great day to be a hockey fan in Denver, as our hometown University of Denver Pioneers men's hockey team just won its 11th national championship at the Frozen Four, which makes it three of the last five, and 11 national titles all told! Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
