Category Archives: Travel

Art, Friends, Travel

Saturday Night in Boystown Chicago

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It was wonderful to spend time with friends Leo and Keith, who moved to Chicago several years ago. It was nice to meet their friend Jonathan, who himself is also from the Bay Area. He was kind to guide me to some Barbrabilia and other things that facilitated my trip at the queer-health-owned thrift store that he works at. For example, he helped me find a man purse for my long walks around town, another sailboat shirt, another tie for my summit, and most importantly a pair of tennis shoes that helped me deal with my very sore feet from overdoing the tourist spots the day before. We had dinner at a vegan restaurant and then went to a Boba Tea Lounge in Boystown.

Outdoors, Travel

Chicago Waterfront

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I took the long way to the Bean. I made the mistake of wearing long pants, which I regretted almost immediately since it was so damn (comfortably) warm. You can see my pants in the shot of the ground, which I included to show how the joint between the sections of the overpass on the Chicago River had enough space for a mobile phone to easily fall through and go directly into the water, which was nerve-wracking since I had my phone out at all times.

Art, Travel

Chicago Museum Campus

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I went to the Adler Planetarium, which, of course, could not compete with my memories of the HAYDEN Planetarium.

I calculated that I walked at least 15 miles that day. Every time I thought I couldn’t walk the next leg and had to call a cab, I pushed myself. I was constantly hydrating. Even though it wasn’t muggy, I was smart enough to never run out of water. I also refilled my refillable water bottle whenever I passed a fountain.

I was very impressed with the people in the water, on the beaches, and on boats. I had never been to Chicago in summer in the previous 11 or so times I was there. The beaches look so inviting. I’m so glad that they get use within the city, much like I’ve only seen before in Barcelona and other smaller cities in Europe.

I thought the statue of Jane Goodall and a Chimpanzee was very cool. Next time I’d really like to try to get into the aquarium, even though I think I’ll have to compare it to the one in Monterey, which literally interacts with the local water 24 hours a day.

I’m constantly impressed by the landscaping, but I realize a lot of the flowers are grown in greenhouses and strategically placed all over the city. I like the planning that goes into that.

Walking by trees, I heard screeching so loud I was shocked not to see huge flocks of birds. I later found out that the high-decibel sounds were from cicadas!!! I don’t think I ever heard that noise in my life!

Bears, Gay, Street Fairs, Travel

Lazybear Nightlife

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Nightlife this week at Lazybear in Guerneville.

We’re not kidding when we say we have “box office seats” from the patio of the room we rent at the resort when it comes to events that take place during Lazybear. Here is Shea comfortably in our unit while John Waters’ 1988 Hairspray begins.

Friends, Pets, Travel

Bear-B-Q at Lazybear 2025

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Bear-b-q at our friends’ campground after a long day of sun and fun floating down Russian River! Next year we might have the dogs come with us since lots of other people had their dogs in kayaks as I’ve done in Vallejo’s Lake Chabot (there’s another Lake Chabot in Castro Valley where I also used to live). Bonnie and Snoopy were very popular and well-behaved at the BBQ, getting lots of love and snacks off the grill.

Friends, Outdoors, Shea, Travel

Dramatic Root Bear Float 2025

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We started off floating down the Russian River yesterday with the annual Root Bear Float in two inner tubes that I’ve had for a couple of years. However, shortly into it, Shea’s burst, and like clockwork, mine busted about 15 minutes later. Fortunately, we could depend on the kindness of strangers and tagged a ride on the “Proud Mary” float with Aaron, Billy, Javi, and Christopher, so the day was saved, as we had many more hours left in the ride.

Hawaii, Nature, Travel

Tour of Our Waikoloa Suite

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View from the balcony:

Indoor tour:

Interactions with birds on the patio were fun. I worked remotely from this location, especially after I rearranged the furniture. At one point, one of them walked in, so we learned to keep the screen door closed when we weren’t using it. In this video, the bird did NOT take the chip out of my hand, but a bird of this type often took it directly from me when I was not on camera.

On the day we flew out we had leftovers that had to be consumed or thrown out. I made sure that it was safe for the birds to eat, so they had a bonanza:

Hawaii, Travel

Big Island Sunsets

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We made sure to watch as many Big Island sunsets with as much awareness and appreciation as we could, even though that meant Shea didn’t have a chance to hear the coqui frogs on the Hilo side the entire trip (maybe he’ll thank me when he hears what it would have been like online). I had told Shea that sunsets were a daily event that stopped traffic on the Kona side, and for good reason! Last night was one of the more brilliant ones with fractals and clouds on the horizon, making the water all the more brilliant and colorful. Obviously cameras can only capture so much, but it was worth the sand in the pants (and shoes).