Vagawandering.com Blog

Yosemite Falls, full and glorious

Two years ago, in August, the falls were completely dry. But after this year’s big winter, the falls were really full as they used to be before the drought. The sound of falling water was deafening and the mist made you put on your rain jacket. It must have been 10 degrees colder on the bridge due to the humidity....

Yosemite Falls

Who knew a weekend in April would be so busy? At 4pm on a Saturday, we entered the park and were waiting in a line of cars that started just past Bridalveil Falls. The Ranger on his bike said he thought parking spots might be opening up soon in the public lots. DH kept asking why we couldn’t just park...

Headed to Yosemite

Leaving San Diego on a Friday night to points northward is always a challenge as one either has to punch thru LA or Temecula. My buddy who used to live in Temecula said he sure didn’t miss this drive. Ha ha yeah thanks. This weekends challenge is a storm blowing thru Yosemite. Does not seem like a big one in...

Restaurant Jose Maria (Segovia, Spain)

Our friends took us to one of the more infamous restaurants in Segovia, the Jose Maria. Heavily advertised, nonetheless this is a warm, classic Spanish restaurant doing everything right. The staff clearly takes pride in running a tight ship. The waiter snapped a fresh tablecloth onto the table and brought a basket of fresh bread. We sipped our beer and...

Segovia (near Madrid, Spain)

The city of Segovia is UNESCO World Heritage Site. An unbelievably picturesque old medieval walled city with narrow, winding streets,  a magnificent central church,  and the Alcazar castle which might be one of the inspirations for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. The following is from the video in the ticket room. And if that wasn’t enough, it has a 5 story...

Chocolateria San Gines (Madrid, Spain)

One of the most popular chocolate churro places in Madrid, Chocolateria San Gines has been serving since 1894. Really completely different from the churros we find in Southern California, these are crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside, with no cinnamon or sugar coating. The chocolate is very rich and thick and suitable for eating with a spoon...

Mercado De San Miguel (Madrid, Spain)

One of Madrid’s famous markets, MSM has a huge variety of cheeses, olives, meats, wines, and sweets. Think of it as an enormous tapas bar. The fam spent a few hours today here grazing the stalls. DD finally had her Cone of Ham. No bread, just 13EU worth of ham bits. We tried shrimp and chicken croquettes, several cheese toasts...

Thames River Cruise (London, England)

A river cruise is a great way to see the city and calm fractured teenage nerves. 12 pounds for an hour circle trip from Westminster, going under London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, and the Tower Bridge, taking in the Old Globe, Big Ben, the Shard, the Walkie Talkie, the Cheese Grater, and the Gherkin.  If you so choose, end at The...

Portobello Road (London, England)

Don’t visit Portobello road unless you want to develop a yearning for high quality antiques such as silver plate, old tools, jewelry, timepieces, chinoiserie, magnifying glasses, box cameras, tin soldiers, and the list goes on. I came away with a beautiful silver serving fork that I can’t wait to use. Pro tips:Arrive before the crush begins at 10am.Eat breakfast there.Bring...

Siam Secret (Earls Court, London)

I’d heard about the amazing ethnic food in London and we got to enjoy two such places on this trip. Noor Jahan serves delicious Indian in a tiny but formal restaurant in Kensington. DH had the Achari Chicken – very flavorful, with a vinegar tang. My house special Chicken Tikka Masala was great. At least one of the pickles served...

Cafe du Coin (Earls Court, London)

Our favorite breakfast spot from 2014, this Cafe is a reliable little place. DH loves their English breakfast (mushrooms beans and tomatoes) and Samantha loves their croissants with jam service (meaning they will bring jam to your table). Their chicken sandwich and salad was quite nice on Thursday as well. And they are fast, much faster than a pub. Cafe...

Cutty Sark and the Prime Meridian (London, England)

3 metro trips away, the Cutty Sark is at Canary Wharf, about an hour from mid-London (or 2 hours by boat). This was actually more interesting than we thought. The boat is well preserved with good exhibits. The views back towards London are great. One of the Captains from 1890 gave a short lecture and sang a sea shanty with...

Abbey Road (London, England)

Being Beatles fanatics, we had to visit Abbey Road and try to recreate the iconic road crossing photo for ourselves. I was worried that we’d be the only ones trying, but silly me, there were dozens of tourists trying it, and dozens of cars honking at said tourists. Metro: St John’s WoodDining: Beatles Cafe, part of St John station. Tiny...

Highly unsatisfying lunch

At the Bradley International Terminal. Very greasy pizza from 800degrees, and similarly greasy tacos from Border Grill. That pizza place has to stop using fresh mozzarella, it throws off way too much water. Really wanted some tea to cut the grease. Then Samantha went to buy some Miso soup from the Sushi bar, but the $5 I gave her was...

NYTimes.com: It’s Dinner in a Box. But Are Meal Delivery Kits Cooking?

"It’s Dinner in a Box. But Are Meal Delivery Kits Cooking? Meal kit delivery is growing. Many chefs and cookbook authors who have tried it are pleasantly surprised." http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/dining/meal-delivery-service-subscription-boxes.html "Meal kits have also become serious currency in the cross-branding world, with chefs and companies lending their names and recipes. The leader is Chef’d in El Segundo, Calif. Unlike most meal...

Fwd: Hawaiian Airlines Airfare War | $140+ Each Way

Beat Of Hawaii updates. Never miss a deal! View this email in your browser Hawaiian Airlines Airfare War | $140+ Each Way Great news for Hawaii bound visitors today. Now there are two carriers offering $140 airfares this spring between California and Hawaii. Who knows, there could be more before it is all said and done (in fact Delta lowered their...

Dumpling Inn (Kearney Mesa)

One of our very favoritist restaurants in this area, Dumpling Inn recently moved 2 doors down into an enormous space which is just as packed as it was before when they were in a broom closet. Food quality has not suffered one bit. Tonight we sat in the back room at a table for six and enjoyed 5 trays of...

Original Pancake House (Poway)

What’s better than a girls breakfast out after a sleepover? Nothing! Turkey bacon and avocado omelet, strawberry pancakes, and scrambled eggs with ham. It was a busy morning at OPH since it was Easter Sunday morning. We got a late start at home due to Mom – the girls had been up for hours – we made it there at...