This was my 3rd visit to US but I had hardly explored it. It’s usually difficult to squeeze some leisure time out on a business trip. However, I managed to spend quality weekends this time. The first leg of my trip was Seattle (and Redmond) and the another one was San Francisco. I landed in Seattle on 5^th April, and left for SF on 12^th where I stayed till 16^th before returning back to India. And in between were two beautiful weekends, one each in Seattle and SF.

Hike in Bainbridge Island (8^th April 2017)

Beautiful sunny weather in otherwise cloudy-cum-gloomy Seattle, and availability of my friends turned out to be a perfect combo. I was staying at Marriott’s in Redmond; however, Seattle is the place to hang out. Redmond is a laid-back place, with very little activity happening around. I went to Nalin’s place on Friday night (7^th April 2017). Chandak was kind enough to pick me up from my hotel and drive all the way to Seattle at Nalin’s where we had a small get together. Prerna and Baliya were already present there. After a few rounds of beer at home, we went to a nice restaurant, Buca di Beppo for dinner. Prosciutto stuffed chicken was particularly good here which was spiced up with lively ambiance. After a few good hours with the group, I headed back to Nalin’s place and crashed there for the night.

Next morning, we decided to go to Bainbridge island for a short day hike. Earlier, we had considered Discovery Park for our small adventure, but weather reports hinted towards a downpour in that part. Weather reports in US are highly accurate and something that residents rely a lot on. Rain kills the fun of hiking for me, so we decided to go with Bainbridge island instead. There were 4 of us – Nalin, Baliya, Shalabh and me.

It was a bright sunny morning in Seattle. The sunrays were clearing the overnight mist and providing much needed respite to the cold body by the warmth of their gentle kiss. Buds had started to sprout on trees promising a colorful turnout. Summer was alluding towards its arrival. Nalin pulled out his BMW coop, and off we went.

We stopped at Denny’s in Tacoma for our breakfast. If you like omelet, you must try Philly Cheesesteak Omelet there. You will be disappointed if you are watching your weight. However, if you can lose count of calories once or twice, go for it. The omelet served with hash browns is yummy. If you are willing to commit more sin, top it up with Oreo Cream Shake 🙂

Bainbridge is one of the may islands surrounding Seattle. The shortest way to reach there is via ferry. Yes, you can drive for a while and then take the ferry with your car going with you in the ferry itself. However, during onward journey we decided to take only road route, and return via ferry. It was a nice 3-hour drive before we reached the trail head of Gazzam lake at Bainbridge island. We hiked a friendly 2 miles through the moss-draped trees on Bainbridge Island’s west side to this quiet, hilltop lake. It was an easy 2 hours of hike. More trail details here – Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve. Returning to Seattle via ferry was an experience in itself. It was a pleasant surprise to meet another friend, Bhutani, on ferry while returning.

Snowshoeing at Skyline lake (9^th April 2017)

Next morning, the plan was to do snowshoeing at Stevens pass. Stevens Pass (4061 ft.) is a mountain pass through Cascade mountains. It is almost 80 miles from Seattle. This time there were 3 of us – Nalin, Komal and me. Komal had arranged snowshoes for me. And I had managed snow pants from Chandak. Snowshoe is a special footwear for walking over snow. Primarily it does two things – firstly it gives you the grip to walk over snow and secondly, it distributes weight of the person over larger surface area so that the person’s foot doesn’t sink into the snow.

The route to Stevens pass is well-paved. Dotted with green trees and flanked by snow-capped mountains on both the sides, the drive is a visual treat to sore eyes. The clear view of Cascade mountains is something which is uncommon in otherwise overcast skies of Seattle. We reached there by 10.30 AM. Nalin went for snowboarding, and I along with Komal went for snowshoeing. Our plan was to hike on Skyline ridge, and reach all the way up to Skyline lake (5100 ft.) nestled in the cusp of mountains. Although the route was not very challenging and suitable for beginners, but there wasn’t any compromise on the gorgeous natural beauty. Vast expanse of glittering whiteness pockmarked with majestic green pine trees, is something worth dying for. More details about the hike trail is here – Skyline Lake Snowshoe.

The aha-moment came when Komal prepared lunch for both us at the summit. She had come prepared with a jet boil and some ready-to-eat chicken. We melted ice in the jet boil and poured the water in our ready-to-eat packet. And ta da! Our Thai chicken was ready. We even had a dessert post that (again a ready-to-eat cream custard).

After an eventful day, Nalin dropped me at my hotel in Redmond and went ahead to Seattle.

Golden gate bridge, San Francisco (13^th April 2017)

Although I had been to SF once before, but didn’t get a chance to pay a visit to the most photographed bridge in the world, Golden Gate bridge.

Since it was a weekday, my friends were in their respective offices, so I decided to explore SF on my own. The best way to do that in SF is via bus and train (either Caltrain or BART). Clipper card is the easiest way to pay for transportation as the buses in US require exact cash amount to be paid which is very difficult for a tourist. From mountain view Caltrain station, I took the train to SF. Google maps is your best guide; its amazingly accurate with its route or bus information and their timings. From SF train station, I took a bus to reach the bridge. The 1.7-mile-long suspension bridge connects SF bay to Marin county. The orange vermilion painted bridge is regarded by many one of the wonders of modern world. And it is rightly so. Standing beneath the tower and looking up to locate the top most point aches your neck. Its huge. One can get the view of famous Alcatraz prison located in the middle of ocean from the bridge. There is a dedicated passage for tourist to walk or cycle on Golden Gate bridge. I took a stroll all the way up to Marin county end and then back. The Golden Gate is a very breezy place. This is because when land heats up and air over it becomes warmer, less dense and lower in pressure, cool, dense, high pressure air over the cold ocean pushes its way into the Bay and California’s interior.

After spending almost 2 hours there, I headed towards Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf is popular tourist attraction stretching from Ghirardelli Square to Pier 35. It has plenty of seafood restaurants and bustling markets. In mid or late 1800s Italian immigrant fishermen came and settled here. From then until present day, it is a hub of SF fishermen and their fleet. And hence the name Fisherman’s Wharf. Ghirardelli Square is a prominent location here. In 1893, Domenico Ghirardelli purchased entire block of the city to make it into the headquarters of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. I had the classic Ghirardelli sundae, Crissy Field. Mind it, this one too will go heavy on your calorie chart.

Then I headed towards Pier 39 which is a shopping center built on a pier. One can get the view of Golden Gate and Alcatraz from here. This is also a favorite location of California sea lions. They laze around on one of the many docks created here.

The day was very well spent. I roamed around a city in a foreign country all alone completely on my own, made mistakes and learnt from them, had an experience of train in US (which is much better than what we have here),  ate loads of chocolates, and above all saw beautiful places.

Yosemite National Park, San Francisco (15^th – 16^th April 2017)

Friday, the 14^th, was a quiet day with a visit to Facebook’s office in Palo Alto (courtesy Abhishek). Abhishek took me his home where his wife, Silky, cooked delicious chicken curry. I was craving for good Indian food since past few days and the wait was totally worth it. Lip smacking.

The weekend came with a bang. We planned for an overnight trip to Yosemite National Park. Initially there were 5 of us –  Abhishek, Shukla, Aseem, Vaibhav and me. But at the eleventh hour, Silky also decided to join us. And then there were six 🙂

Yosemite National Park is located in Sierra Nevada mountains. It is famous of its giant sequoia groves, granite cliffs El Capitan and Half Dome, mountains, glaciers and biological diversity. We reached there at around 4 PM on Saturday, dumped our luggage and quickly left for a hike. We started with Yosemite’s signature hike – Mist trail. While most of the Yosemite’s trails are popular due to having single spectacular destination, the Mist trail has fabulous views scattered all along it. By the time, we reached the top of the waterfall, it was already 7 (however it wasn’t dark yet). We spent some time there and started the descend.

The night was eventful. We stayed in a Yosemite Half Dome Village tented cabin. It was a nice experience which multiplied when we played dumb charades which had a fair share of cheatings 🙂 Abhishek, Shukla and I were on one side while rest on the other. It was fun targeting Aseem and peeving him by pulling his leg and throwing wisecracks.

These cabins were not like the trek campsites I have been to before. They had good facilities. There were proper toilets with running hot water and restaurants nearby serving good food. We woke up next morning and after having breakfast at a restaurant, started another hike – Upper Yosemite Falls. It’s the mother of all stair master workouts, but with one-of-a-kind payoffs you won’t get in a gym: panoramic views of Yosemite Valley. Although we didn’t complete the trail and returned midway as we were getting late, but I enjoyed every bit of it.

We left Yosemite at around 2 PM on Sunday. While on our way back, we indulged in engaging discussions on multiple topics particularly politics. And it was heartening to see my friends, although staying in US, keeping a good tab on Indian politics. We had a fulfilling dinner at Inchin’s Bamboo Garden in Fremont. They serve good Hong Kong chicken and hakka noodles. For dessert, we headed to Sno-Crave Teahouse, Union City. We tried mango and banana crepes and flavored snow.

I had my return flight back to India on Monday, 17^th April. With lots of memories and experiences, I came back to my country.