TRAVEL AWAITS: 9 Unique Food And Dining Experiences I Loved In San Francisco

This article was first published in Travel Awaits on Dec. 16, 2022

San Francisco usually makes it to the list of the Top 10 Best, Most Exciting, Fun Cities in the World. I had flown to this great City by the Bay a few times when I was still working for computer companies in Manila. But since those were business trips, I really didn’t get to experience what makes the city so top-notch.

It just so happened that my eldest daughter Trisha and her family now live in Livermore in the Tri-Valley, only about an hour from the city, but our visits have mostly been social events. When my youngest daughter April (based in Melbourne, Australia) had to train at her company’s San Francisco head office, we found the chance to explore the area. Trisha’s daughter Daniela who worked as a scientist in a San Francisco company volunteered to take us on an unforgettable two-day tour.  

Pier 39 on Fisherman’s Wharf: Clam Chowder and Sourdough

She took us on an Uber ride to Pier 39, pointing out the floral door around a lovely door, the famous Carousel Ride, the wooden boardwalk, many exotic shops, the huge heart, the giant crab sculpture, and the great bay views. But when the barks, honks, grunts, growls, roars, moans, or whatever else  they call those sounds grew louder, we knew we were approaching the seals that have made the unique pier home for years.

Pier 39 is in the famous neighborhood called Fisherman’s Wharf. We spotted colorful street art, a view of the mystical Alcatraz, and old WWII ships on display.

But it is best known for its restaurants and food outlets. We avoided those offering crabs because that’s what was planned for dinner. But my granddaughter insisted we stop for snacks at the Boudin Bakery for their remarkable flagship sourdough bread perfectly paired with classic clam chowder. At certain times you can even see the bakers at work through a 30-foot observation window and ask questions (and get answers) through a two-way intercom system.

Ghirardelli Square, Chocolates, and Chocolate Ice Cream

A walk past the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park would usually give you a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge, but this day she was hiding. The road took us up to Ghirardelli Square, a lovely shopping area with captivating arches and classy shops. We entered the lower level and went straight up to the Marketplace at the second level. And there we bought plenty of chocolates to bring home. We also could not resist the different versions of chocolate in decadent ice cream!

Roman-style Pizza and Craft Beer Downtown

Afterward, we met April for lunch at Delarosa, a popular pizza place near her office on Market Street. It was buzzing with activity, just like a festive Italian party, with all the millennials taking lunch breaks from their high-tech jobs. That’s what the restaurant is known for: “Communal-style all-day dining, 7 days a week.” Their interpretation of great craft beer (and also Italian and Californian wines and other craft cocktails) paired with their Roman-style pizza has definitely made a mark with the young and the young-at-heart.

Chinatown and Dim Sums

Another Uber ride took us to Chinatown. Whoa! Beyond the Dragon Gate unfolded an area bustling with alleys filled with all kinds of cultural products from the East: Home décor, gadgets, souvenirs, produce, baked goods, dry goods, etc. We found plenty of cocktail and karaoke bars, food joints, etc. as bright-red round lanterns hanging over the streets contributed to the festive atmosphere. Ornate buildings and temples made for great photo-ops, too.

Then she led us to her favorite little bakery, Good Mong Kok. There are no tables or chairs. You fall in line, order your dim sum selections—and eat, standing, outside on the sidewalk. They are truly exceptional (and inexpensive) dim sums. We ordered so much that, reserving our appetite for the grand crab dinner that night, we took home a lot for next day’s breakfast. San Francisco’s Chinatown is America’s oldest and the largest outside Asia. Don’t miss this unique experience.

Vietnamese Roasted Crabs and Garlic Noodles

At last, it was time for the grand crab dinner! Crustacean is the sister restaurant of Thanh Long, the classic Vietnamese restaurant that has served its famous roasted crab with garlic noodles for ages. Thanh Long blossomed into a multi-million-dollar empire after the family arrived in 1975, fleeing the Communist takeover of South Vietnam. It was hailed as San Francisco’s first Vietnamese restaurant, regularly patronized by celebrities such as Harrison Ford.

A friend— the CEO of the computer company that supplied equipment to the organization where I oversaw automation—introduced us to this culinary experience. She treated me and my young daughters to this popular spot in the late 1980s. Since then, my children have gushed that it was the best meal they have ever had anywhere in the world and have dreamed of going back. I took them to the more accessible and upscale sister restaurant that was added to meet the huge demand. Yes, we each devoured one huge crab, complementing bites with oozing forkfuls of divine garlic noodles. Do this at least once in your lifetime.

Fashion, Technology, and Little Delhi

San Francisco is also a fashion mecca, so the next day my granddaughter took us to some favorite stores. First was Uniqlo (whose brand ambassadors included tennis icons Djokovic and Federer) to see what all the fuss is about this Japanese brand. We discovered the company secrets in plain sight: great designs and outstanding materials. Afterward, she took us to JINS, another Japanese brand for fashion eye frames frequented by millennials. I found some styles for me (I guess that, at 74, I still feel 34). The store closed in August 2022 as online sales soared.

Finally, it was time to pick up April for lunch. Curious, I wanted to see the secrets of Zendesk, one of the most successful innovative high-tech companies in customer service (Uber and Airbnb are two of its biggest clients). We discovered some reasons. The creativity of every employee is unleashed with modern food/bar areas on every floor, with pantries filled. There are nooks for two, areas for bigger groups, and even a creative studio. Desks/chairs are for every style of working: standing up or slouching over a laptop (my preference).  

Lunch brought our focus back to our happy little family. April chose Little Delhi and my husband could not agree more. They both love Indian cuisine. Classic dishes enjoyed by the people of New Delhi for decades are offered at this modest but impeccably themed place. Even the taste of Old Delhi, famous for its layered parathas – a type of bread fried on a griddle and made without yeast—is served here. Daniela and I found some great options and we all had a great time.   

Matcha in Japantown

After lunch, Daniela took us to a place I never knew even existed: Japantown. It is a sprawling, two-wing two-level mall of everything Japanese: Décor, gadgets, clothing, art, food, cosmetics, etc. I loved the imposing giant pagoda at the entrance, the wall mural of colorful Japanese umbrellas, the red bridge/stairs connecting the two floors, replicas of temples, and other Instagrammable spots. Daniela had to get a specific cosmetic item, best for Asian skin, at an outlet, but it was at the store selling matcha ice cream in tons of different flavors where we lingered the longest. I had the green tea version, of course—four scoops!

The Filipino Homecoming In Max’s

Finally, for dinner, we met the rest of the family at Max’s, that classic Filipino restaurant we have loved since my children were born. It is known as “The House that Fried Chicken Built,” with as many as 170 branches in the Philippines.  I have tried to replicate their whole fried chicken, which is not breaded, crispy on the outside, and moist inside, but I have failed each time. There are already 14 international branches of this successful restaurant, including six in the US, five in Canada, and others in Australia, Dubai, and Kuwait. With other authentic Filipino favorites in their menu selection, it was a trip back home, a family feast of Filipino food. I understand that Filipino cuisine is gaining popularity. This is where to try it.

Dessert and Merienda at Auntie Em’s

Right after lunch, Daniela took us to Auntie Em’s Fine Foods and Pastries just next door. Actually, from this store, she ships to me items that I love. It specializes in Filipino delicacies for desserts and merienda (snacks). I took the chance to buy a dozen of my favorite ensaymadas to bring home. And there are others like kakanins, empanadas, leche flan, bibingka, haleya, etc. You must sample those made from ube (purple yam). The spate of Internet articles about it probably indicates that items made from it are also gaining popularity.

We owe these nine amazing food experiences in San Francisco to one of the best tour guides we could ever have. Our millennial granddaughter not only knew the city (and its food) well, but she lovingly gifted us with her precious time and wonderful company.

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Creative Ideas for a Meaningful Self-Isolation

White Tank Mountain Regional Park

On January 21, it was reported that the coronavirus ravaging China had arrived in the US, in Seattle, Washington. We were on our annual three-month all-inclusive vacation at a resort in Mazatlan, Mexico. Later, I got more worried since the most vulnerable seemed to be older people, like Bill and me, especially those with compromised immune systems. This post is how we progressed from cutting short our trip, going home to self-isolation, and finding ways to cope with the situation.

Going Home

Los Arcos on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta

On March 11, when we were on our second of a two-week visit in Puerto Vallarta, the WHO officially declared COVID-19, the coronavirus disease, a pandemic. We did not want to cut short our stay so we did social distancing. We did not join tours, visited landmarks at non-peak times, went to outdoorsy places, and tried to keep the required healthy distance from the people we found in places.

When we got back to Mazatlan on March 14, Europe had become the new epicenter and panic-buying in the US had set in. We had twelve more scheduled days in Mexico but we decided to cut short our stay and canceled/rebooked our tours to La Noria, La Concordia, and San Carlos. Then we shopped for staples, including toilet paper, at Walmart and local grocery chain Soriana.  We were driving.

the Mariposa border, a ghost town

We left Mexico when the statistics were pretty grim, the US had become a new epicenter, and the Canadian and Mexican borders had been closed to non-essential travel. It took us two days, driving eight hours each day to get home. What was surprising was it took us no time at the Mariposa Border on both the Mexico and US sides. What was scary was that there was no inspection or testing done.  

But home is the best place to do self-isolation, not on a cruise ship out at sea or a hotel room in a foreign country. Now that we have completed our 14-day period of self-isolation, it has been decided for us that we have to extend it to the end of April. I wouldn’t say it is welcome news but it’s not a problem. There are a few things we have learned to do to make it a more meaningful one.

Having a Flagship Project

Whenever a phase in my life goes south, I always turn to some project to which I can focus my energy. The last time, my first travel book, Carolina: Cruising to an American, was born. This time it’s my second travel book. I started it last October but progress had stalled. Now my first draft is near completion and I hope to be on the editing phase by the end of the month. (No, the title will not be Cruising with Coronavirus). I call it a flagship project, one that consumes my passion. Find yours!

Creating Significant Engagement Time with Others

My three daughters and their husbands are all in “work from home” modes in San Francisco, Calgary, and Melbourne. With the help of Zoom, I have been able to conduct one-hour class sessions with my grandsons, ages 4-6, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am so happy that I can help and that I am engaged with my family. They may not be as far-flung as mine but your physical engagement is limited just the same. On Easter Sunday, we hope to celebrate via HouseParty. And we have scheduled a neighborhood party through the same app. As a matter of fact, an appeal of mine for one lemon posted on the Viewpoint Facebook Group netted 18 lemons, 13 oranges, and seven grapefruits,   Let technology bridge the gap!

on Zoom with my grandkids

Keeping the Kitchen Alive with Substitutes 

Delivery from groceries and pick-ups from pharmacies have kept us from needing to go into stores. But, particularly for groceries, the stocks available are not the same so sometimes we cannot cook with the same ingredients. Consider my Spam Fried Rice. We did not have eggs. Guess what is the substitute for them? Vegans have known all along that it is scrambled tofu. It’s a good thing I had a non-refrigerated version from a Mexican local grocery chain. Scrambled tofu looks and tastes just like scrambled eggs. Believe that there’s always a substitute! 

Cleaning with Everywhere Solutions 

The time calls for disinfectant cleanliness but the panic-buying has created out-of-stock items big time.  When we shopped in Mexico, hand sanitizers and 60+% Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol bottles were nowhere to be found. But Bill found ethyl alcohol 70% so we made hand sanitizers together with aloe vera with it. He even found wipes and gloves in a medical supplies store at a hospital in Mexico. As far as face masks are concerned, Holiday Inn, our hotel on the way back home, gave us enough. Solutions are everywhere!

a gift from Holiday Inn

We had our house cleaned before our arrival. As soon as we arrived, we left our shoes outside the door and used disinfectant sprays on all commonly used surfaces to further protect us. Now we also launder linens and towels more often.  We also disinfect groceries outside before taking them in. It is good we are fully supplied with toilet paper, paper towels, and tissue paper because the shelves in Mexico were full of them, as well as other cleaning supplies like Chlorox and Lysol.

at Walmart in Mazzatlan

Keeping Ourselves Renewed

My writing assignments have increased and I am still maintaining my blog while Bill reads e-books and listens to music a lot when he is not working on our financials. As far as recreation is concerned, there are many options for entertainment available for my favorite pastime of watching movies. So, we are friends with Netflix and TV every night. As a matter of fact, we have allowed ourselves the luxury of one Redbox on Demand once a week when we imagine we are in a theater with popcorn!

at the Estrella Mountain Regional Park

But the best idea is this. We have considered our car an extension of our home. We disinfect it, too. So we have created a list of places where we can go and breathe the good fresh air and see the desert in color. Spring is the best time to be here. It's the season when the palo verde trees turn blazing yellow, poppies grow wild, and the cacti bloom. If we don’t see people on the trails, we go down and walk a little. If not, we just continue driving. The operative principle is to distance ourselves from others, but not from nature.  We are grateful that Arizona has not closed its state parks.

We have canceled our trips in April but are still holding on to our bookings from July to September. Even if they all fall through, we will not be bothered. Self-isolation is a meaningful activity not only because it helps flatten the curve for our community and the world but because it gives us meaning for our own lives. Besides, it may be a significant inflection point for a new normal of how we live.

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An Eventful Road Trip through the Canadian Rockies

From Park City, Utah, we proceeded north to visit friends and my daughter and family at their home in Calgary, Alberta. From there we turned west toward on the road to Vancouver, British Columbia stopping in Kelowna to visit more friends from the Viewpoint snowbird community.

the Bullwhacking Statue in Helena

Park City, Utah to Helena, Montana

Driving to Helena, Montana took seven hours but it was all through freeways so the trip was largely uneventful. But the capital of Montana, 31,000 in population, proved to be quite a lovely stop. In search of a nice place to dine, we were led to the Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall, right in the heart of downtown Helena. Lucca’s, the best Italian restaurant, was fully booked so we opted for Bella Roma.

After dinner, we walked the Mall that was lighted by large yellow bulbs just like San Diego's gas district. Victorian buildings that have been converted into shops and hotels lined the entire strip. The highlight at the back near the restaurant was the Gazebo. At the middle stands the interesting Bullwhacker Statue. At the entrance, we shied away from the Homemade Ice Cream Shop because we were full...and there was a long line.

with the grandbabies in Calgary, Alberta

Calgary, Alberta

From Helena, it took us seven hours to reach Calgary, with a 30-minute duty-free and border time included. We go to Calgary every year to visit with the family. This time, we also got to visit with two friends, one from my BIR days in the Philippines who was also babysitting a grandson (Filipinos make up the fourth-largest minority in Canada, after the Chinese, the First Nations, and the South Asians).

The other is a couple from the Viewpoint snowbird community. Their unit was right in front of ours. Their Calgary home is a 3BR penthouse at a condominium building in the upscale Valley Ridge Golf and Country Club area in the outskirts of Calgary. It is at the last exit of the Trans-Canada Highway right before reaching Banff and all the beautiful national parks of the Canadian Rockies.

Calgary, Alberta to Kelowna, BC

the scene of the second accident

Up to this time, we have had such good luck. But it changed on the road trip to Kelowna. On July 17, we headed out west, bright and early at 8 am, on the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian Rockies. The trip was supposed to have been for eight hours. When we had just three hours left, deep into the Rockies, we came upon a non-moving line of vehicles on our side of the two-lane mountain highway.

Mountain View Cabins

Thirty minutes later, a highway patrol vehicle was going around telling every vehicle that it would take at least 4 hours to open the road where there was a fatal collision (I found out later that the fatality and three others injured were Filipinos). It was already 2 pm. It meant arriving at Kelowna well way into the night. We turned back and found the Mountain View Cabins about thirty minutes before Golden, BC.

the Canadian tin man

There were about twelve rustic cabins a mile up from the highway through the dirt road called Forde Station Road. Since there were no dining facilities, just simple cabins each with two wooden double beds and a bathroom, we drove to the town of Golden. Upon the suggestion of the owner, we took the back roads, 100 meters from the Cabins, opposite the direction of the highway which might be busy from vehicles turning back. That proved to be a great suggestion. Although a bit bumpy, the drive gave us interesting finds, including the more than life-size tin man hoisting a Canadian flag and a cool house almost completely covered by mounds of grass to keep it cool.

At Golden, we came upon a Wednesday Farmer’s Market and bought special mountain truffles to take to our Kelowna friends. Then our day ended with a dinner of mountain bison burger for Bill and ginger chicken spring rolls for me at the Island Restaurant, a mountain cabin bar/grill beside the Kicking River Horse River, emerald-hued from large amounts of mountain snow melts.

the cool mound house

Back at the cabin, there was no cable TV, no wifi, and no phone so I fell asleep early. We woke up at 4:30 am. It felt good to be able to hit the road an hour earlier than we had planned. Now, what are the odds that there would be another line of vehicles at exactly the same place we were stopped the day before? We thought that the highway people had not managed to reopen the highway. It turned out that another, but non-fatal, accident occurred at 6:43 am two miles ahead.

the Three Valley Gap Chateau

About an hour later, the road was cleared and alternating lanes were allowed to go. Past the site of the second day’s accident, it was smooth going again. Just west of Eagle Summit Pass, about twenty-seven kilometers from Revelstoke, the site of the first day’s accident, stands a striking complex tucked into the Monashee Mountains and the Three Valley Lake. The red Three-Valley Lake Chateau has 200 rooms and the Three Valley Gap Ghost Town includes First Nations’ heritage buildings, an antique car museum, and an antique rail car exhibit. We wished we had time to stop.

Kelowna, BC

Okanagan Lake from their cabin

At about lunchtime, we reached the Sampahluchee Golf and Country Club, an hour before Kelowna, where Bill and the two husbands/friends had lunch and played golf. The wives lunched and rested at their cabin on the Okanagan Lake, deep and 90 miles long. It waters the whole valley that produces the best fruits and vegetables for western Canada. We sat around the end of their long dock where our friends had built a cute 8-ft. lighthouse. When the men returned, we drove in a caravan on the northern part of the road around the lake. It was a scenic ride into Kelowna.

I wondered about the cluster of high-rise buildings that were huddled in the middle of the lake connected by a lovely floating bridge to the road that we were traversing. It turned out to be the city itself. We stayed at one of the couples’ houses. Delightfully designed, it is highlighted by a very private backyard of the pool, hot tub, and patio, separated from everything else by a cool running stream and a woodsy little hill. The other couple’s home, up in the hills overlooking the lake, should be another stunner.

The Okanagan Valley has truly become a retirement haven, especially with its great micro-climate. A visit there is worth the eventful road trip. I even found my special writing place there...where I can churn out all this chatter.

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Our Lifestyle Adventures: Being Surprised by Belfast

the Titanic Museum on the site where the Titanic was built in Belgast, Northern Ireland

William Street for Bill

We foolishly thought we would be covering nine countries on this European Swing until the political science professor on the Enrichment Voyage said Belfast is not part of Ireland! It is a city in Northern Ireland which is a part of Great Britain, like England, Scotland, and Wales are. And that the United Kingdom is comprised of Great Britain whose capital is London and Ireland whose capital is Dublin! 

my own yellow gazebo at Victoria Square

The name Belfast comes from the Irish, Béal Feirste meaning "mouth of the sandbanks". It is the administrative capital of Northern Ireland and one of the largest cities in the UK in terms of population (579,276) as a metropolitan area. We had a very exciting presentation of Belfast architecture by the charming professor and were surprised, after studying the map that was given us at the Tourist Information Centre at the shuttle bus stop, that they were all within walking distance!

elegant City Hall

The elegant 1906 City Hall just across was the inspiration to Durban, South Africa’s own City Hall, almost an exact replica built four years later. It was the former site of the White Linen Hall, Belfast having been a leading player in the linen industry of the time. After getting a good shot, we walked north to the Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast’s answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Belfast's Leaning Tower

The Clock Tower was designed by Barre who won an 1865 competition for a memorial to Queen Victoria's late Prince Consort, Prince Albert. The second-placer, archrival Lanyon secretly got the prize money until a public outcry corrected the anomaly. Constructed between 1865 and 1869, it stands 113 feet tall. But, as a result of being built on wooden piles on marshy, reclaimed land around the River Farset, the top of the tower leans four feet off the perpendicular.

Just another block from the tower is the 10-meter long Big Fish, a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture by John Kindness constructed in 1999 at the Donegall Quay near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House. It tells of the history of Northern Ireland on its tiles. Then a long walk or one short bus ride away is the Titanic Belfast. We took the bus, of course!

the Big Fish that carries the history of Belfast

Titanic Belfast is a monument to Belfast's maritime heritage (it was one of the major shipbuilders of its time) on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city's Titanic Quarter. It was where the Titanic was built. The clever design of the monument is reminiscent of both the ship and the iceberg that caused it to sink. The Museum tells the stories of the ill-fated RMS Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1912 and her sister ships RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic.

the little alley under a building

Then we took the bus back to the same station and traced our steps to the Belfast Cathedral. On the way there, we found a William Street for Bill and my very own yellow gazebo in Victoria Square. A street we were directed to, named Pottinger's Entry, didn't at all look like a street!

St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, serves two separate dioceses yet being the seat of neither. Thus, technically it is not a cathedral which is supposed to be the seat of a bishop. Its architecture is also unusual since the front, sides and back are of different type, not having been built at the same time.

beautiful, haunting graffiti/mural

As we took a walk back to the Grand Opera House just past the bus stop on the opposite direction, we found different kinds of graffiti displaying the angst of the people, especially during “the Troubles” or the time of deep division. No wonder Irish pubs abound. We went to the most famous, the Crown Bar, near the Opera House on the other side of the street. 

Grand Opera House in Belfast

It has been refurbished to a high standard in 1885 as an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace. The exterior has polychromatic tiles and the interior features a red granite topped bar of an altar style. There are also ten booths, or snugs, built for the more reserved customers of the Victorian era. And, that is where we found seats with fellow voyagers of the MV Explorer. We all even had a second round at another famous pub beside it, the Robinson’s. Just across this pub is the Europa, Europe’s most bombed hotel.

inside a snug at the Crown Bar, for reserved customers in the Victorian era

our second pub, Robinson's

We couldn’t have survived a third round for we all needed to hurry on to the bus stop if we were to make the on board time of the ship and sail with it an hour after to Southampton, England!

OLA: Lending a Father, Missing a Husband

Suzanne's exercise machine

Suzanne' sent this card to me

Bill arrived yesterday, November 23, he had been gone since Oct. 28. Suzanne, his second child and first daughter, had hip surgery the day after his arrival. The doting father took Devin and Cassie to school and back, cooked meals, and generally kept the house in order while she was in recovery. Suzanne loved that I lent him Bill and sent me a card that said, 'More herds can't express my gratitude.'

Just when Bill was to come home, she suffered pulmonary embolisms in both lungs, an unfortunate complication of surgery, being hugely immobile for a long period of time as well as owing to genetics (see Bill’s own bout with it on http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2013/08/ola-getting-fun-food-and-more-all-in.html ). Bill extended his stay for four days until the weekend when the thanksgiving holiday will give the famly more time to take care for her.At least he got home in time for my birthday!

Bill being picked up by the shuttle

Suzanne's goodies for Bill

Yes, Bill is a good father. But he is also a good husband. I missed him but I knew how to cope with the situation. Before he left, I asked him to take me to the Oriental Store. I bought all that I needed for a walk down a Filipino culinary memory lane: daing na bangus, pinangat na isda, paksiw na isda, escabeche, ginisang patola, ginisang ampalaya, ginisang upo, chicken tinola, beef bulalo, each one four times, dishes I have missed a lot. For breakasts, I alternated pan de sal with red eggs or coco jam, champorado, and congee. Every day was a Filipino Feast.

                                                                                         

ginisang ampalaya (sauteed bitter gourd)

Last January/February, the first draft of my book was completed when Bill also spent a month with his eldest child Jim in Boise, Idaho while they were preparing a portion of the 16,000 sq. ft. property, which they were paid for a case they won, to be used as their office. This time around, I also found the time to complete my edit of the manuscript. I have now sent a copy each to Suzanne and Claudine, my second child, for their review. As soon as they finish their reviews (Bill has done his), the manuscript will go to a professional editor. Then it may conceivably be ready to be published!

daing na isda (deep fried marinated milkfish)

escabeche (sweet and sour fish)

In addition, I have been able to create my new FB account, dissociating it from Bill’s and rebuilding my own base. I have also created our website, The Cruising Lifestyle, at gocruisinglifestyle.com, and our FB business page, The Cruising Lifestyle. These are all being prepared for a stronger online platform with a brand. My present platform now consists of a blog with 250,000+ views and a FB page with 1,500 friends. I have yet to work on my twitter and LinkedIn pressence. I am told that the blog should have about 30,000 views a month (the highest I have gotten was 22,500) and a FB business page at 3.000 Likes (0 so far!). So I have both an intensive editing period and a long marketing campaign to go before my target date of June 2014 book release!

bulalo (stewed beef shanks)

Then it was during this hiatus that the Haiyan tragedy struck the Philippines (please see my post http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2013/11/wow-responding-to-disaster.html). Bill, my children and I were able to coordinate our donations. Although each of us had contributed separately to relief efforts (Bill donated to the UN World Food Programme USA), April got us to focus on the rebuilding efforts by contributing as a family to Gawad Kalinga. For just P20,000, one house could be rebuilt for a displaced family. They all donated their Christmas gifts from me to the fund. In addition, Deejay, husband of my first-born Trisha, designed a Tshirt (Help. Hope. Heal.). If he sells 50 of them, another house can be rebuilt. Please go to https://www.booster.com/help-hope-heal?share=6721384979451411.

Help. Hope. Heal

Bud's birthday @ Sourdough Pizza

Finally, our new friends on the block took care of me as Bill asked them to. Once Bonnie brought me to the grocery for some needed pantry items.We also went out for Bud's, Bonnie's husband, birthday at Sourdough Pizza very near Viewpoint.

Suzanne and her crutches

Suzanne got Bill for a month and I missed him for just a tiny part of that (hehehe). My book project got the push it needed. I also thoroughly enjoyed my walk down a Filipino culinary memory lane! And we were able to, from around the world, help in the relief efforts of central Philippines. Although I rarely saw the light of day, except for my daily walks to the Fitness Center, it was a very productive time for both Bill and me.