Première Moisson Outremont

We all know la boulangerie Première moisson in Montreal. How can one resist the pastries and arguably the best croissants outside of France. I did not realize the outlet at Outremont on avenue Bernard had seating in the back. I was worried that it might be just a tad bit crowded on a Sunday morning, but it turned out to be very nice indeed. Quite easy to find as it is just diagonally across the junction from the famous Outremont theatre. Great place for a casual meeting.

Muir Woods

If you are ever close to San Francisco, the Muir Woods park is definitely worth a visit. It's not as rugged and pristine as Gatineau Park and nowhere as big, but the giant sequoia redwoods only exist in a few places in the world. This is a sunken moisture rich environment that is necessary to keep the towering water-hungry trees alive, especially as they are not particularly deep-rooted. With a bit of imagination, you could almost be on a different planet. Thorough enjoyment requires time to pause and to reflect, and to explore the less beaten paths (most of the main trails are a little over-used). If one is prepared to be rugged, it might be an interesting experience visiting after heavy rains, with proper footwear of course since it will be very muddy. That might make it even more out-of-this-world.

Straits Restaurant - Santana Row

Santana Row is a nice spot in otherwise mediocre San Jose. Straits Restaurant is elegant and at the same time casual. Why can't we have restaurants like this in Ottawa? At dinner time, a fun-loving yet stylish crowd turns up around the bar as much as at the tables. The chef serves up great Singapore food. The satay is excellent and the beef rendang strongly recommended. I'm quite sure almost everything is quite good. It's not the most economical in the Bay Area, but then again, the price is worth it for the atmosphere. Will definitely visit again.

House of Shields - San Francisco

The Web 2.0 Meetup and Drinkup was here. This is one historic bar in downtown San Francisco. The walls probably have stories to tell that would overshadow each one of us. Look up at the ceiling the next time you are there as it's beautiful. Or google it and you will likely find some images of it on Flickr. But nothing beats being there with the star-studded geek crowd that was there this night. It was an eclectic mix that was almost unreal, some very rich, others very smart, some very young, others more like me (i.e. remembers Web 1.0 well), and the very artistic.