22 December 2019 - Ohio Christmas

Most of my family lives on the other side of the country. While I don't want to give up my southwest US lifestyle (and weather), I do compromise and head east for some holidays as I can afford the airfare. This year was time for Christmas in Ohio. We started our week in Cleveland, enjoying the sights and sounds. The Christmas lights at the Zoo was fun.

Next, we made our way to Atwood Lake/Dellroy for some family time.

Finally, we headed out into the woods at Hocking Hills state park for some hiking and cabin camping.

8 December 2019 - Riverside Reigndeer Run Half Marathon, Riverside,CA

My last race of the year! This year I set a goal to complete a California Race series challenge (in addition to my running of the Beach Cities Challenge). The first 3 included Tustin, Irvine, and Laguna Hills. This one is a race I have wanted to do since 2015 ever since I moved here. I was a little worried as it has been raining for the past few days and I do not like to run in the rain.

I left my home at 5am and drove to Riverside, arriving around 6:15am. I rode a shuttle bus to the starting line. The weather was really good, cooperating with cloudly skies and mild temperatures around 60deg F. This was a much smaller race (participants) than I expected. It was kind of nice to not feel so crowded.

The first part of the run followed some city streets. Next, we transitioned to a river trail for a few miles. Then, we did a square mile in a residential neighborhood. Maybe it wasn't the most exciting course, but it was a new one for me and I enjoy the exploration.

I finished with not that great of total time but was happy to have met my goal for the year.

7 December 2019 - Temecula Valley, California - Wine Tours

While I am not much of a consumer of wine, I do like to explore the culture of California farms and wineries. The girlfriend and I took a day trip to Temecula Valley to explore one of the closest wine country locations to Los Angeles. It was a bit of a rainy day so the fields and vineyards were not all that great, but it also kept the crowds away. Since most of the wine and cheese tastings occur indoors this was perfectly fine for us. Here are a few photos from the day:

23 November 2019 - Dreamstate Festival - San Bernardino, California, USA

Of all the electronic dance music styles, Trance is my favorite. Last year I heard about this event and decided to buy a few tickets last month. Turned out to be a fun Saturday night of dancing.

Summary Video-

19 November 2019 - Caroll Shelby Museum - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Why are we in Vegas again? Because it is so darn close! Also, I had the miles and points to fly there for free and spend three free nights at Marriott. So...Why not, eh? We went to see the mustangs...

31 October 2019 - Crystal Cove State Beach, California, USA

Just a small hello from the part of California that I love the most. Please enjoy this Halloween Sunset on the Pacific Coast.

18 October 2019 - Fujikawaguchico and Fijiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan

I had an extra week of vacation this year and had not really planned out my usual fall trip. I love traveling in spring and fall because of the cooler temperatures and smaller crowds, especially as children have returned to school thus the family vacation season is over. I decided to head to Japan to visit my best friend Zach and then spend a few days at the five lakes region of near Mt. Fuji, enjoying some hiking in the mountains and some relaxing visits to the Onsen (hot springs).

Due to a recent typhoon, it was very rainy for most of the trip. Many of the trains that I am comfortable with were canceled. For the first time, I finally got brave enough to learn how to use the bus system. It was a nice little trip, especially getting to return to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji where I enjoyed a nice hot plate of Japanese style curry.

After a few days in the mountains, I returned to Tokyo for a little bit of Sushi whit Zach and then headed to the airport for my flight home.

The land of Vending Machines...

13 October 2019 - Long Beach Half Marathon, California, USA

I told myself last year that I didn't really want to run the Long Beach Half Marathon again, but changed my mind and decided to go for the Beach Cities Challenge one last time before I go after my Rock N Roll Heavy Metal Challenge in 2020. This is the third year I have run this course and it was still most enjoyable. Here are a few photos from this race.

In the end, I am glad I ran it again. This is part of my life-long fitness goal to be able to continue to do this delightfully challenging distance.

4 October 2019 - RISE Festival - Jean, Nevada, USA

My sweetheart surprised me with a gift of a ticket to the Rise Festival in the Mojave desert near Las Vegas. I've seen videos of this event where paper lanterns are lit and fly up in an amazing display but have been curious about what it is like in person. We had driven to Las Vegas the previous day and enjoyed a short trip to Freemont Street.

As the afternoon approached we took a 25-mile drive south of the city into the desert near 7 magic mountains. They had us head out on a dry lake bed where a circular festival ground had been set up around a stage.

We walked around visiting the local food trucks and then found a spot in the circle. Listening to the indie/alternative bands play, we watched the sun start to set. At 7pm the first launch would occur!

It got a little bit colder and the wind started to pick up, however, the first launch was a success. It was a bit of an ordeal in patience as you had to light the lantern which took a few minutes, then hold it close to the ground to let the warm air build up which took about five more minutes. Then, if the wind didn't blow out the heat, it would float peacefully away. In some cases, people got impatient and ended up chasing a burning lantern across the desert floor.

Looking back on it I really enjoyed the experience. Here is a video I made of the experience:

17 September 2019 - Cleveland, Ohio, USA

This week I have returned to my original city for a week of work at a conference. I have somehow also stumbled upon one of the best weeks of Ohio Fall weather I have seen in a few years. Enjoy!