Starting out - a pre-tour tour

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Before hitting the road, I wanted to visit some special people and places closer to home. My stops included San Francisco, Hayward, San Diego, Los Angeles, Harbin Hot Springs, Redding, and Eugene before heading home.
In SF I stayed at the Belvedere House B&B, applied and received my travel visa for India, dined with my cousins Denise and Jeff, and picked up some last minute travel essentials. On to San Diego where I spent a weekend with my dear friends David Cheiron and Tim in Chula Vista, brunched with my cousin Michael and some of his friends in Hillcrest, and took a couple of lovely long walks on Black's Beach, at this point my favorite beach in the whole world.
Next stop LA/La Habra Heights for a couple nights with my old high school chum Peter and his wife Melissa at their beautiful spanish villa-style abode in a remarkably quiet locale in the middle of LA. Peter and I had drinks and caught up in Hollywood and downtown LA - The Formosa and the Standard Hotel - dined at a great inexpensive restaraunt in Little Tokyo, then spent the next day relaxing around the hacienda in La Habra Heights. I picked some lucious avocados in Peter and Melissa's avocado orchard and drove to Newport Beach to get a wet suit before moving on to my last stop in LA, a nice dinner and conversation with another old high school chum Jan in on the Promenade in Santa Monica.
Leaving LA I headed to my personal temple, Harbin Hot Springs in Middletown, Lake County, California for a restorative 24 hours taking the waters, hiking and giving thanks and praise. On the way I stopped in Hayward to pay my respects to my Gramma and Papa and other familia, and took a spin through the old neighborhood - many wonderful memories! After Harbin I raced - I lingered a bit longer than I had intended! - to Redding for the night with my Uncle Gary and Aunt Jane, had dinner with them and Uncle Greg, Susan and Alexandra. My aunt Jane as done some incredible family history research that will inform my travels in southern Spain/Andalucia.
And finally off to Eugene for a week with Gramma while my mother and Charlie took the train to San Diego for some fun and sun. Gramma and I had a nice week, I got out and walked my favorite paths in Eugene, and then homeward bound I was.
Thanks thanks thanks to everyone for hospitality and good times!
Now here I am at home, Dennis and I tying up loose ends before flying off to...French Polynesia!

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Photos

In Peter's orchard
Great avocados!