Chart House, Redondo Beach

Since Wednesday, I have been working in downtown LA during the day. I have guests now, not guests actually, a manager from parent company in Japan and a colleague in head office in Atlanta, Georgia. After five, not five actually, at 8pm, we went to have a dinner at Chart House in Redondo Beach. This is one of the best restaurants in South Bay, with seafoods, steaks and ribs. It is said Salad Bar is really worth. We shared Dungeness Crab Clusters, Filet (6 oz.) and Shrimp, and Hulibut. You'd better to have a reservation with a window seat to watch Pacific Ocean.

Venice Beach

I had a lunch at Marina Del Ray today and went to Venice Beach. What a wonderful day!

Rolling Stone : SUMMER OF LOVE: 1967

Rolling Stone : SUMMER OF LOVE: 1967
I usually don't buy any magazines about music, but I found this Rolling Stone at Los Angeles International Airport and bought at once. 1967 is one of the important years of rock music. First "Rolling Stone" was published in 1967, Otis Redding died in 1967, Bob Dylan came back after motorcycle accident (this was actually at Carnegie Hall on Jan 20, 1968), Beatles shooting Magical Mystery Tour, Martine Luther King delivered his "Beyond Vietnam" speach in NY, The Grateful Dead released their first album, The Doors debut, Buffallo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" went top 10 (No.7 at peak). Woodie Guthrie died, Montery International Pop Festival... In this issue Rolling Stone shows The 40 Essential Albums of 1967.

Sand Cove Apartment in Foster City Revisited

During my stay in San Francisco last week, I visited Sand Cove Apartment at Shell Blvd in Foster City, where I have lived for about 2 and half years from 1999 to 2002. I used to go to Safeway for shopping, put gas in my car at Shell, which had a free car wash (now it's not free!). I looked at my room, took photos and left.

Firehills went to see an eye doctor

I consulted an ophthalmologist, eye doctor, last last week, because I got a sty in my left eye. I called Japanese doctor, but I was introduced to Dr. Marsico in Gardena, as Dr. Miyamoto, Japanese doctor, wasn't there on that day. Dr. Marsico is 4th generation of Italian, and very nice guy. I went to see him on Thursday this week again to be checked. Still some problem there on my left eye. BUT! I felt very bad on my right eye all on a sudden Friday morning. What's the hell? Yesterday, I got an urgent reservation. This morning I went to see him again and found it was no ploblem on my right eye. There was a scratch on my face just below my right eye, that's all. It seemd I found a raised portion in my right eye, but it was a glandula lacrimalis, a hole which tears come from. Oh my goodness, I've never look at my eyes so close. There is a same raised portion, a samll hole, in my left eye too. Anyway, I was asked to massage my left eye for one more week.

I went to a motor vehicle workshop to get a periodical maintenance for my Honda CR-V. It took an hour, so I went to Starbucks and read papers, Los Angeles Times and The Daily Breeze, listening to XM Radio. Is that all for today? No. I went to my office at around 11am and stayed there until 3pm, making various reports and checking my schedule. Then I went to workout for my health.

I had only cookies and water for my lunch today, and I'm drinking a bottle of Yule Smith Holiday Ale now at around 10pm. It is really nice for my stomach.

Highway One Again

Pier at Capitola

Capitola Avenue, Capitola

River Inn at Big Sur

Sea and Sky at Hwy 1

Entrance of Hearst Castle

Morro Rock

On Wednesday, I drove down Highway One, stopping by at Capitola, near Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, and Morro Bay. From south of Carmel to Hearst Castle, I had a hard driving for nealy 70 miles at Highway One with hundreds of dangerous curves and hills. I took the photo of "Sea and Sky at Hwy 1" after I stopped my car. But when I saw the scene, driving on downslope, I couldn't recognize where was the borderline of the Pacific Ocean and the sky. It was really amazing. I can't forget this scene in my life.

On Wednesday, I drove 430 miles a day. Total miles I drove for these 4 days was 1,300 miles. Wow!

Mendocino, California

A weinery at CA-128

Old-growth forest of Redwood at CA-128

Main Street, Mendocino

US Post Office at Jener, CA

Highway 1 at North San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge (Southbound)

On Tuesday, I drove up on US-101 and went west on CA-128. CA-128 is really nice driving route, 60 miles to Highway 1 on the coast, with lots of weneries and wild forest of redwood. I worried if I had an traffic accident here. If I was lost in this forest, no one could find me.

Mendocino is a kind of hiding place. But this is really nice place for my business. Anyway, I visited my customer here and Fort Bragg, 10 miles north of Mendocino. Then I drove back to San Francisco. I found a quite rare US Post Office in Jenner, a small town at Highway 1. I bought a Cabernet of Husch Vineyards at a store at Hwy 1, not at the weinery.

I drove about 400 miles on Tuesday. It's a lo--ng drive, but it's a fun. I want to come back to Mendocino again.

I'm back to LA

I'm now back to Los Angeles safely. I drove more than 800 miles for these two days. I got lots of photos, most of them ware taken at Hwy 1. But, I'm very vert sleepy now, so maybe tomorrow...

Pier 39, Carmel by the Sea and Monterey

Golden Gate Bridge from Pier 39

Pier 39

Alcatraz from Pier 39

Ocean Avenue in Carmel

Pebble Beach Golf Links from Carmel Beach

Old FIsherman's Wharf in Monterey

I drove 260 miles today, from Redwood City to Pier 39 in San Francisco, then to Carmel by the Sea and Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, and came back to Redwood City. What am I doing? I'm not just a tourist but a business man. My business chances are out there on tourist areas. What do I sell? It's a secret. I got a big order from a new account in San Francisco. If I am just a tourist, I will stay at least one full day at each place. Days Inn's Internet connection is too bad, so I will update this post with some photos after I come back to LA.

I breath same air which Neil Young does

I went to Woodside, California this morning to find good new customers. Woodside is one of the richest towns in Northern California, where a lots of celebrities live. There is a famous restaurant, Bucks. It is said many entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley meet venture capitalists here. I also had a breakfast here 7 years ago.

Neil Young has a ranch and he lives in Woodside too. After I finished my business in downtown, I looked around for ranches in hills in Woodside. Of course I couldn't find Neil's, but I took some photos of ranches there. Who knows one of them is Neil's? I couldn't find Redwood Digital too, where Neil was recording.