Dave's Here

Hummingbirds in the cloud forest at Monteverde

2011-12-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Check out the new Costa Rica post.

One Day to Go

2011-11-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

Have set up a separate blog at http://daveandkarencostaricaandpanama.blogspot.com/ for the trip. Follow along. We'll be leaving Wednesday morning and hope to have first photos up by Friday or Saturday.

Costa Rica and Panama

2011-11-21T13:18:00.001-08:00

In two days, Karen and I head out for Costa Rica and Panama on a Linblad Expeditions/National Geographic adventure. I'll be posting regularly about this trip which involves a cruise on the National Geographic Explorer down the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama, visits to rain forests with National Geographic naturalists, a trip through the Panama Canal and a few days in Panama City at the end. Stay tuned for more.

Killer Whales (Orcas) vs. Dolphins

2011-09-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Amazing day at Sonora Resort Canada. I will write more about this resort that is a MUST visit. The other day on my Facebook page, I wrote about being on a zodiac type boat among over 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins and having them cavort around our boat (pics to come, really). Today, we went out on another Eco Tour, with the goal being to see Killer Whales. There are two kinds of killer whales. We saw both. One (resident) hunts salmon, the other (transient) kills mammals. They apparently split off as species like 10,000 years ago. Anyway, a pod of the transients had trapped the pacific white bottom dolphins at the end of a long sea arm going into a river. As we arrived, about half (or approximately 100+) of them were escaping. Incredible speed. The rest were trapped at the mouth of the river by 7 Orcas. I will write more about this. But it was an amazing hour and a half of pure nature. Picture the Orcas as wolves and the dolphins as really smart cattle or buffalo going back and forth in the mouth of the river. As a group of dolphins would break out, and many did, the Orcas found one or two to hit and then share. This went on for an hour and a half over two different bays. Pics to come but they will not do this justice. Simply said, the most amazing natural event we have ever witnessed.

More to come when there is time.

9/10/11-Have just posted some pictures on my Facebook page

SXSARS?

2011-04-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

My final post from 16 Days In Austin: SXSARS? http://bit.ly/ic8gRT

These Aren't the Droids You Are Looking For

2011-03-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

16 Days In Austin: These Aren't the Droids You Are Looking For http://bit.ly/eR6Dcm My #SXSW blog

Too much?

2011-03-17T09:24:00.001-07:00

16 Days In Austin: Too much? http://bit.ly/eOn3YP

Days 8 and 9: Taking it easy #SXSW

2011-03-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

16 Days In Austin: Days 8 and 9: Taking it easy #SXSW http://bit.ly/e1juzF My SXSW blog.

Day 7 Recap. What a day.

2011-03-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

16 Days In Austin: Day 7 http://bit.ly/hXSV4q My #SXSW blog

And the winner so far is....Foursquare

2011-03-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

16 Days In Austin-Day 7 http://bit.ly/hXSV4q

Homeless CEO's?

2011-03-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

16 Days In Austin: Homeless CEO's? http://bit.ly/h0klFI

16 Days in Austin

2011-03-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

16 Days In Austin: Day 4: Moving Day http://bit.ly/hZ7F1B

16 Days in Austin

2011-03-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

Check out my travel blog at http://bit.ly/hvs3ZQ

Gai Grapow

2010-12-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorite Thai dishes. We have been cooking it over a year and are almost getting it right. Any suggestions are welcome.

I follow the Chinese method of stir frying as taught to me by my cousin, Jeff Smith aka The Frugal Gourmet. Heat the wok as hot as you can get it. When it starts to smoke, add some peanut oil, heating that and then add ingredients. And remember, as the Frug said, never cook Chinese vegetables, only threaten them. And I have always tried to have all chopping, cutting, sauces mixed and everything lined up before I turn on the wok. And Karen says, don't forget to put the rice on first. I always forget.

Karen and I had this dish in Chiang Mai on our honeymoon. The first day it was too mild. The second day, we asked for hot and boy, did we get it! We've been searching for the perfect in between ever since. Many restaurants do this, some really good. Ours is almost as good as restaurant. Any ideas are welcome.

Gai Grapow

Heat wok

2-3 T Peanut oil

add

1 Carrot (diced)

½ red bell pepper (diced)

mostly cook the above , stir frying

Place in bowl

2-3 T peanut oil

½ onion sliced and diced

2-3 shallots, sliced and diced

stir frying until carmelized

1 t sugar

Stir, remove into bowl

Heat more oil (main stir)

6 cloves Garlic diced

2-3 fresh Thai chilis (buy these fresh and keep them frozen in a plastic bag)

Cook until toasty

Add 1 lb ground chicken or turkey

Stir fry until mostly browned

Add ingredients in bowl

Stir

Add sauce: (better have this ready ahead of time)

2-3 t chinese soy

2 T fish sauce

2 T sherry

½ Lime juice

1 T brown sugar

2 T Oyster Sauce

Stir, heat

When almost ready:

1 small kaffir lime leave (Karen says you may leave these out?)

1 cup Thai holy basil or sweet basil (fresh)

Stir

1 shake ground white pepper

Stir and serve over white or brown rice

Beautiful San Francisco Morning

2009-11-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

7:15 AM in SF on a Friday morning. A big storm is about to come in. I am on a conference call with Europe, looking out the window of my office.
The sun is coming up and I am looking south, past the Giants ball park. There is what seems like a hundred or more brown pelicans catching a thermal over Mission Bay higher and higher in the early morning sunrise.

I often watch these birds heading north along the bay front in the early morning. I imagine that they are headed for the Golden Gate to go to the Farallons for lunch.

In that quick a time, they have gotten altitude and moved north.

What a beautiful sight.

New Travel Rules-Onerous?

2009-08-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

The TSA has introduced another layer in what they call Secure Flight. In this phase, they are cautioning people as follows: "You should ensure that the name provided when booking your travel matches the government ID that you will use when traveling". No nicknames or shortened names like Chris for Christopher. There are stories of people having to pay for reissued tickets. (See related story at Chris Elliot's blog on a person who had an $800 hit to their wallet when they had to change the name on their ticket to fly!) It is hazy how much they will enforce this at the start but it is coming, so get used to it. The problem here is that some airlines (United for example) finally allow for middle initial in their online booking, but not middle name. And the TSA requires that if your drivers license or passport has a middle name, that you use it in booking, even though that is currently impossible. Hope the airlines get it right eventually. BTW-if you want to change your "name" with an airline profile, you generally have to go through a back and forth process. You cannot do it at the last minute.

Satchel Paige

2009-07-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Tim Wakefield, a 42 year old knuckleballer is the oldest Baseball All Star since Leroy “Satchel” Paige. Paige was a sage. There is no way around it. As background, he was one of the greatest pitchers who ever lived. His best years were in the Negro Leagues. He had a 31-4 record in 1933. He did not even pitch in the majors until he was 42 and stayed there until he was 60. Use of age to describe Satchel is questionable in and of itself though, as he often gave different answers as to how old he was or when he was born. “Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. “

Which brings me to one of the greatest lists ever. The six famous rules of Leroy “Satchel” Paige for the promulgation of health and longevity. You know one of these, but how many others are familiar?

1. Avoid fried meats, which angry up your blood.

2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.

3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.

4. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social life ain’t restful.

5. Avoid running at all times.

6. Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.

So, as you tune in to the All Star baseball game tonight or any other baseball event, remember Satchel and his rules. And may you live long and be as productive in life as he was.

Twitter and Tehran

2009-06-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Check out my posting to Media Tech, my Fast Company blog about using Twitter to track the conversation within Tehran about the elections. Amazing stuff.

American Changes Their Frequent Flyer Program-For the Better!

2009-05-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

These days, when an airline revises its' frequent flyer program, it is usually at the expense of the consumer. But American Airlines Advantage program just got better! Now you can book a single leg at a time for 1/2 the miles. In an article in the recent Businessweek.com, they observe that a large percentage of attempts to book a free trip are aborted because one of the legs is not available. In addition, this will facilitate people wanting to do multiple legs on a trip, or that single leg after driving a son or daughter to college. This will apparently also save American a bundle. But don't look for the others to offer this soon. It took American a year to reprogram their system to permit this.

Dream Dollar

2009-04-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

My son Dale's first effort at Expression, the school where he is studying for a BS in Sound Arts. He wants to produce music.

When students first start at Expression, one of the first classes

is a collaborative effort at making a 10 minuted movie. His effort (along with his three cohorts) is Dream Dollar.

Dale makes a couple of cameo appearances (on the pier and trying to get into the party). The Mediasmith offices are also in the movie as one of the locations.

Week in Kauai

2009-04-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

This week (starting April 6) Karen, Dale and I are in Hawaii. Our traveling companions include Dale's roommate at Ex'pression, Ohad and our dear friends Nancy Thompson and Alan Babbitt. Much of this is going to be photos taken by one of them. First up, the surfing turtles. We'll post more of these as the week goes on. First up is a picture taken by Karen McFee of the surfing turtles! These turtles surf in Turtle Cove, one house away from where we are staying in just east of Poipu Beach and Brennake's Beach. The house is called Maluhia Ma Ka Honua (means peace on earth, and it is). You can see the turtles surfing almost any time during the day although they do have enough sense to avoid heavy surf when they would end up on the rocks. More turtle pictures to come.

Next up is Alan Babbitt's picture, Streaking To Koloa. Those of you who know his work know how creative he is.

Check out more of his work on his site. We hope to post a lot more of Alan's work from this trip shortly. You can also see his work this week and next at the Fairfax Library. And some from his wife, Nancy Thompson.

Alan also got the first shots of chickens. For those of you who have not been here before, the short story is that Hurricane Iniki in the early 90's drove

the fighting cocks crazy (they all got loose) and now they are wild and crow at all times of day and night.

Kind of quaint except when you really need to sleep. Reason enough to be out of a heavy tourist area. They tend to congregate where they can max the handouts from the same people who complain about them when they are trying to sleep. In a full moon, they go full bore.

This just in. Alan Babbit's pic of Dave and Karen in the National Tropical Botanical Gardens: Allerton Garden in Kauai just ourside of Poipu.

Fantastic Buildings

2009-03-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Been twittering more than blogging of late. Trying to get back to my blogs. Really. Check out these fantastic buildings. Each one is amazing.

Cilantro Haters?

2009-02-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

Who would of thought that the tiny leaf called cilantro could engender such passion, both pro and con. On Friday 2/13, WSJ.com published an article about cilantro haters. I thought it was a joke at first but it turns out that this is the most hated herb on the planet! There are anti-cilantro groups on Facebook such as "I Hate Cilantro", "Cilantro Isn't Edible" and "I ****** HATE Cilantro". Fortunately, there are more people on Facebook that are fans of cilantro than hate it. Whew!

While cilantro comes from the Eastern Mediterranean region, my experience with it is in Mexican and Southeast Asian dishes. Cilantro, also called Chinese parsley is the leaves of the coriander plant.

Just writing this makes me want to go get some Thai food, which I think is called for.

Birds singing at night?

2009-02-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

OK, it is 10:30PM and the magpies in the trees across the street, I mean right across from our bedroom windows at only slightly higher level have started off like it is dawn. Last night it was 4:30 and the night before, who knows, 3:30 or 4. Magpies are copycats, so maybe they are copying some kind of a night bird. Do nightingales sing at night? I would be alright with a mourning dove, although even that can be annoying after a long time.

These birds are just plain loud. And obnoxious. The weather has been warm (it is 56 degrees right now on Potrero Hill at 10:34 and warmer in our bedroom, where I am writing in my office just next door). And what can we do besides shut the windows which we don't like to do when it is warm.

Reminds me of the chickens in Kauai. If you don't know the story, Iniki, a hurricane hit Hawaii in the early 90's with great force. This is the storm that is shown at the end of Jurassic Park as they were just finishing as it came in. Anyway, it was so strong that in addition to structure and other damage, the roosters went crazy. And today, almost 20 years later, the roosters crow 24 by 7.

One time when I was in Africa, staying with the Dogon tribe in Mali on a trek, it was a full moon and the roosters went off in the middle of the night.

Which brings me to another theory. There is construction down in Mission Bay, and they have bright lights on. Karen thinks that they might think it is the sun coming up. Does this mean that we are stuck with this for a long time?

Read many things over the years about communities trying to get rid of birds. Pretty much impossible, yes?

Nooooooooooooooo!

2009-01-23T06:13:00.001-08:00

Photographer: Ilia Shalamaev

read more | digg story

Clear

2009-01-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Clear, the fast way to get through airport security includes my quote in their press release. Any PR is good PR, right? If you don't have a clear card, it is great for getting through airport security quickly.

Bizarre Traffic Light Collection

2009-01-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

Check it out! Best of the world's really bizarre traffic lights.

Reinventing America

2009-01-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

Great Post by Michael Tchong on the things America needs to do to reinvent itself. In a nutshell:

Transparency

Frugality

Simplicity

Reinvent Education

Innovate Healthcare

Boost America’s Technology Prowess

Prioritize Social Welfare

Support Commerce

Simplify Government

AND, he says that doing the above will save more than $1.3 Trillion dollars!

Worthwhile read. Keep up the good work, Michael!

Anthem for Silicon Valley?

2009-01-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

An oldie but I really like it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6IQ_FOCE6I&eurl=http://www.richterscales.com/

Government Tracking of Individual Travel Internationally

2008-12-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

Good article on government tracking of individual travel internationally since 1999. If you are getting pulled over too much at customs, you might want to check this out.

OSHA on Union Street

2008-12-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

We love Thai food. Lately, OSHA has been a favorite even though it is a chain. We've eaten a lot at the one on 2nd Street in SF (the appetizers are wonderful by themselves) and like the one on Valencia too. Food much the same and decor a little more in keeping with the neighborhood. But we think we now like the one on Union Street and not just because it is the fanciest, although that is nice on a night out. The duck rolls are great as they are in all three places. The slice up duck breast rather than make it into a compote. But the best here is the Basil Chicken or Gai Gra Pao at most Thai restaurants. Like many Thai restaurants in SF, this dish at the 2nd Street OSHA has the chicken sliced as you would in Gai Himapan or a Kung Pao Chicken. However in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, this is either a ground chicken or finely chopped. That's what they do on Union Street. Like Racha Thai used to do. This dish is great and worth the trip.

Snow in Seattle!

2008-12-18T15:28:00.001-08:00

Even though it is pretty far north, Seattle does not get big snow very often. When it does, snow day rules go into affect. Check it out.

Mavericks

2008-11-25T16:13:00.001-08:00

There's a place just south of San Francisco on the coast. Less than an hour away. It is called Mavericks and some of the best surfing in the world happens on the big waves there. Check out the recent pix by the dean of Mavericks photos, Frank Quirarie.

Surf's up.

The right to privacy in voting

2008-11-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com wrote about a growing problem brought about by lobbying. It seems that the labor unions are lobbying hard for the "card check" legislation which takes away the right of American workers to vote for or against union organizing via private ballot. This leaves everyone open to bullying and threats by the union organizers. I believe unions to be a great thing. My grandfather and grandmother were "wobblies" and virtually took to the streets in the early part of this century to fight for the right of workers to unionize. But they should also have the right to NOT unionize and vote in private about this topic. This is definitely worth writing your congressperson about. Just because labor helped the dems win, does not mean that the unions should get a free pass and be able to see how people vote. Privacy is a basic tenant of voting and congress should not deny workers the right that they in congress have.

Sum Dum Goy, November 15, 2008

2008-11-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

My old friends know about Sum Dum Goy. I cook Chinese and other Pan Asian treats. In the 70's, my friend Barry Krantz came up with the name. It stuck. In fact, it was written up by both The Frugal Gourmet in his first cookbook and Herb Caen. The Frug (rest his soul) was my first cousin Jeff. I loved him dearly and miss his presence. I am proud to state that I was mentioned in the acknowledgments of his first cookbook before Phil Donahue! Herb was baited by many friends who reported in to him a great dinner at Sum Dum's but he said he could never find it. Always meant to invite him over.

We have a limited menu at Sum Dum Goy but I thought I'd report on last night's dinner, where Karen and I hosted Stafford and Kim Matthews. The menu:

Double Shrimp Balls w/hot mustard sauce
Gai Himapan
Asparagus and Shitake Mushrooms with Baby Corn Cobs in Oyster Sauce
Steamed Brown Rice

Simple but delicious. For those of you who have not been, the shrimp balls are an old specialty. Looking forward to the crab season which should start today. We'll add some Dungeness crab to the dish next time. Gai Himapan is a Thai dish that is the spicy cashew chicken. One of our newer dishes that we just love. We think we've got it down to the point where we prefer it to the restaurants in town.

Stay tuned for more menus from SDG from time to time.

Driving the Oregon Coast from San Francisco to Seattle

2008-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Recently, Karen's sister Gail and our brother in law Tim wanted to do a drive from San Francisco to Seattle, enjoying the Oregon Coast. We've tried to take every scenic drive possible whenever we travel, which is a lot. It does not get much better than the Oregon Coast, unless of course you are considering the Washington Coast and the Olympic Peninsula or the West Coast of Vancouver Island eve further north. This is an easy drive to do if you have a week or even less. Here's the info I outlined for them.

This drive is 900 miles. Mostly 2 lane roads once you get past Eureka and onto the coast. All U.S. highway, but if you drove flat out, it would take two days of 8 hours a day of driving (If you are in a hurry to get from San Francisco to Seattle, take I80 to 505 to I5 for a trip that you can probably do in 11-15 hours, depending on stops. This drive has it's own beauty but the coast is better). This guide assumes that you have 3-6 days for the trip. If you have 4-8 days, consider option 3 below which includes the Washington Coast and the Olympic Peninsula which I will write about another time.

There are MANY places to stop, and the key for us is to not get distracted by the things that we can get to San Francisco in a day from. Basic rule, straight through to Eureka where 101 meets the Pacific Coast. Except for a short stop to eat or hang out in the redwoods for a break. There are many opportunities to stop but the best stuff is ahead on the coast road, so get to Eureka the first day if you can.

There are three basic ways to do this and see some significant coastline

1) SF to Eureka and up the Oregon Coast all the way to Astoria, crossing the ColumbiaSeattle. From the Columbia to Seattle there is NOTHING to see compared to the rest of the trip. near the mouth and up to

2) SF to Eureka and up the Oregon Coast just to Lincoln City. This misses Cannon Beach but still gets in the majority of the coast. From Lincoln City, you drive to Portland, going through the Willamette Valley Pinot country with lots of wineries. From Portland to Seattle is Freeway, but lots of trees outside of the cities.

3) Continue up through Grey’s Harbor and Aberdeen after Astoria and go up the Washington coast which is amazing and pristine. Not developed at all and never will be. Rain forest, great vistas. But you would have to do this on a trip you had more time.

Again, if you have 3-6 days you are left with#1 or #2 both of which appear to be the same amount of driving. But #2 feels like less and much easier, giving you more options and less time driving, really.

The choice should be based on what you want to do and see. Here are some of the opportunities:

From San Francisco, take the Bay Bridge, go east then north on 80, take the Richmond San Rafael Bridge and get onto 101 in San Rafael. It is really faster than going through the city unless you are staying in the Marina District.

Past Novato (30 miles) you are in the country already. There is a city every few miles or so and there are plenty of places to stop for food and gas all the way.

There are lots of wineries around Healdsburg. Don’t stop now unless of course you want to make this an overnight stop. Although Healdsburg is a great area for lunch…As is Hopland, the other side of Geyserville and Cloverdale. Good food gets sparse from there to Eureka although there are fast food places in Ukiah and Willits.

There are some nice road side places to stop for a break in the redwoods.

Eureka has one or two Best Westerns (often the best option in this area, the top of the line available). Also some good restaurants. A lot of seafood comes in directly to Eureka. We had problems getting in to the best restaurant on a Saturday night though. In most of the towns from here on, the drop from the best to all the rest is significant.

Crescent City is the next opp to stay over, although another 3 hours drive from Eureka. Straight through will get you to Gold Beach the first night. Options begin here in Eureka. The drive from Eureka to Crescent City gets you your first shot of beach. Do not hesitate to pull over if you see a pull out you like. You won’t likely see another like it. Lots of diversity

Just north of Orick is where the biggest redwood trees are. Although it is hard to tell the difference between the biggest and almost as big. An exit just after you get on the freeway North or Orick (maybe just before?) takes you to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This is worth noting. At the first left turnoff to Gold Bluff Beach, you may see Roosevelt Elk just off the main road. If you drive all the way to Gold Bluff Beach via Davidson Road, you can go to road’s end and take a delightful walk up Fern Canyon.

If you continue on the main road through the park (old highway 101), you go past another open space that may have more Elk at the entrance of Prairie Creek State Park and then through a delightful drive where the redwoods are so close they feel like they are going to bite your car. Takes a little longer to Crescent City using this route, but worthwhile if you are making good time or not trying to make Gold Beach day 1. Crescent City also has 1-2 Best Westerns and is just before the Oregon border.

Past the Oregon border is Brookings which also has a few good places to stay.

All the way up the Oregon Coast, you will travel old (modern) bridges that are works of art. These were all WPA projects. The beach in Oregon is part of the state highway system and legal to drive on. If you are inside a park on a beach, you made need to pay a special fee and get the same kind of day pass as you would on a road. The beaches are great, the headlands are lifetime drop dead and this is where Dune Buggies come from.

Between Brookings and Gold Beach is Samuel H. Boardman State Park. This has a number of views of arches and great rocks in the ocean. My favorite all time pull out is to the left and it is called Natural Bridge Cove and is just a short walk to this incredible view that is different every time.

Gold Beach is the end of the Rogue River. If you make it that far day 1 (which means you drove and nothing else), stay in Jot’s just across the Rogue from Gold Beach. You can use Jerry’s to take a trip up the Rogue in high powered boats that get to the wilds fairly fast. We saw bear, deer, lots of bird life and more. You can take a trip from 8:30-2:30 through October 15. There are other vendors too who may go later in the year.

North of Gold Beach and actually all the way through Oregon, watch out for radar. 55 miles is the limit in all of Oregon unless posted on a freeway and they are serious. I have more tickets in Coos County than any other place on earth.

If you stay in Eureka, Crescent City or some place north but decide not to go for the boat trip, Bandon Dunes is only about an hour north of Gold Beach in Bandon Oregon. This is reputed to be the best resort and gold course between SF and Seattle. A consideration for overnight if you want to play golf.

Just north of Bandon is Coos Bay and North Bend, with lots of places to stay. Then you hit the sand dunes. They dune buggy company we like the best is the furthest north, just before Florence is Sandland.Florence is pretty good size with a lot of places to stay and a nice old town around the harbor with good restaurants.

Between Florence and Yachats, You get a chance to pull over and get shots of Heceta Head Lighthouse, the prototypical Oregon Coast Lighthouse shot.

OK, here’s how you get this shot. No matter what the weather (except for fog), this is a great shot. You will come upon a place on a point called Sea Lion Caves. Pass on this. It is the alternate and one of the original homes for the same sea lions you can see at pier 39 in San Francisco. They travel back and forth! You will have to slow for the pedestrians crossing from the Sea Lions Cave parking lot. Immediately look for the first or second pull out on the left (there will be other cars and you can see the lighthouse straight ahead. THIS IS YOUR ONLY CHANCE. Go slow, watch for oncoming traffic (around a blind turn of course) and duck in there to the left. Nothing like this.

A while north of Florence is Yachats which is pretty much the last of the smaller towns before the coast gets a little more commercial. We love this little town and some of the places to stay there. The Overleaf Lodge just north of town is clearly the nicest with a great coastal walk right outside the front door but there are others too that are fine including the Fireside Motel and the Adobe Resort.

All three of these are just north of town on the left (ocean front)

Not too many places to eat in this town outside of the hotel/motel and just a few spots. But it is very nice and small.

Next up is Waldport. Keep and enjoy the bridge across one more bay unless you need sleep, gas or quick food.

Newport is where the population really starts. From here to Lincoln City, you are not far away from lodging, meals, etc. There is always beach and there are headlands around every corner.

But don’t be fooled by the commercialism. There are incredible things in this stretch.

Hatfield Marine Science Center/Oregon Coast Aquarium—if you like aquariums, this is a fine one. Just before the bridge across Newport Harbor.

Old harbor/waterfront in Newport—(take a right just after the bridge and work your way down to the bay.)

Newport is one of the best places to go salmon fishing out of.

Lots of places to stay and eat.

North of Newport, if you are ok on time, take the Otter Crest Loop. Don’t bother if there is a fog over the headland as you won’t be able to max this. But if it is even marginally clear or even cloudy and rainy, this is a great spot. The loop is basically old highway 101 so you keep going north and get back on the road. This is one of the best viewpoints (take the short route to Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint) Get your camera out and look south for a long ways. Incredible.

Next up is Depoe Bay which has the official Guinness Record World’s smallest harbor. So I always feel like I should stop and I never regret it. As you go across the bridge right into the middle of town is Boiler Bay State Park. You will see cars pulled in perpendicular across the street. This is where you want to be, day or night. I have stopped here when I was driving late at night and just to see the action. The wild sea generally goes up to the rocks below. It can and will charge up and spray you. And the working boats that go out have a real challenge as you can see by the action at the mouth of the bay if you are there on "one of those days."

Just north of Gleneden Beach is Salishan Lodge. This has a VERY NICE high end lodge and restaurant and what used to be known as the best golf course on the Oregon Coast before Bandon Dunes was built.

Then you get to Lincoln City, the last major place to stay for a while (several hours) no matter whether you are going north to Cannon Beach or Northeast through McMinnville and the Willamette Valley Pinot wine country. There are many things to stop and see in Lincoln City. It is older while Newport is newer. Like many Oregon Coast towns, Lincoln City is long and thin, running along 101 between the foothills to the coast range and the beach. Lincoln City skirts to the right along a bay and then to the left along a lake as you go north. Most of the rivers in Oregon flow out into a bay, creating the common geography. In this case, the lake which is just inland from the ocean drains directly into the Pacific right in the middle of town. Blink and you’ll miss it but stop and you’ll get a chance to see the world’s shortest river, the D River.

If you need to get to Seattle the next day, you could stay in Lincoln City and have plenty of time to get to Seattle the next day. When you leave Lincoln City, you get to drive through the Willamette Valley (turn just right up ahead after Neotsu which you could miss as Lincoln City has basicall overrun it. If you need to get to Seattle that same day, the drive from here is 2 hours to McMinnville and 3½ hours from McMinnville to Seattle. Highway 18 is your route and it takes you up and over the coast range. If you want to go wine tasting the next day on the way to Seattle, there are lots of wineries Yamhill Valley and Willamette and north of there.

McMinnville, home of the mighty Linfield Wildcats (2 years of my life) has a lot of places to stay and eat and did I mention a beautiful college campus just off the road?

But, if at this point you are on a mission to get to Seattle in 4 hours or so, you can take the West McMinnville bypass (look for just before you come into town). There are places ahead for gas every few miles. If you have merged with 99W you are too late. This is a shortcut around town that meets 99W, your new road on the other side of town. The bypass should be obvious as it feels like a continuous road but you go from W McMinnville to to E. McMinnville to E. Salmon River Highway to SE Dayton Blvd. to 99W. 99W is a fairly efficient road except for going through some towns like Newberg. But there are plenty of places for gas if you did not want to get gas in McMinnville.

99W merges onto the I5 freeway through Portland and its wonderful bridges. You want to stay on I5 to Seattle. Pay close attention to the signs or your GPS and you will do fine. If you are not attentive, you can get off track easily. Remember, you are headed for Washington. Vancouver and Seattle.

It is a beautiful place though and hard not to look around when you are crossing the Willamette or the Columbia. Once across the Columbia, you are in Washington.

Now, Portland is a great city. I believe it to be one of the great small cities in the world. And worth at least a week. If you have time for any part of a day, spend some time there. McCormick’s which is a fine restaurant group all around the northwest started here. Powell’s is one of the best independent book stores in the world. This is a whole different chapter which I hope to do some time.

Once I am in Portland, I pretty much lead foot it to Seattle. Be CAREFUL. It does no good to try to just pace everybody else as they are known to group all of the smokies from Vancouver to Seattle in one place and swoop down on 10-15 cars at a time off of an entrance. Round up them doggies!

There are plenty of places for gas between Portland and Seattle. Food is chancy til you get to Olympia and then Tacoma. Along the way you might get a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens to your right and if a clear day, you will start to see Mt. Rainier. This mountain is one of the grandest in the world and in the top 5 in height in the U.S. It is 14,400 feet high.

As you drive north, it will be on your right and soon behind you on your right. You might be able to get a good view over you shoulder from Nisqually north of Olympia.

BTW-At Olympia, you may see your first quick view of Puget Sound which Seattle sits on and the State Capital building both to your left as you wind your way through Olympia.

It’s only 30 miles to Seattle from Olympia. There are some must sees in Seattle but that is a separate piece..

ad:tech NYC

2008-11-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Speaking later this PM at 5:15 on the move of local media to digital (ad:tech panel at the Hilton).

ad:tech NYC is really amazing. It has grown so much. The quality of the show, content, breadth of vendors in the trade show, the fact that you can see EVERYONE just walking around. Highly recommended for you agenda next year when it moves to the Javits Convention Center and more room.

New York, New York: Artisinal

2008-11-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

Just had lunch at Artisinal, a wonderful restaurant in New York that I always enjoy. While I had the delicious fish and chips and my friend Bill Nicholson had the fish special, this is a great place to have cheese of all sorts. Try the white cheddar fondue if you are there with a few people as an appetizer.

Circolo Restaurant

2008-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Had dinner at this California cuisine restaurant early Saturday evening. Circolo is on Florida and Mariposa in San Francisco. This is an area that was mostly warehouses and loft living prior to the Internet boom. Now it is offices and condos. Circolo is a party place later in the evening on the weekends but the food is amazingly good for a watering hole and dance venue.
We started with a cocktail at the bar. Found out that the place had been open four years! Moved to a table (no traffic at all early in the evening) and started with a very good PEI mussel dish with garlic and lemon grass in coconut milk. Added on Crispy ginger chicken lollipops. While not quite as tasty as Tai Chi's Crispy Drumsticks, still a fine appetizer. The duck dish (Oven Roasted Star Anise Duck Breast) was sprinkled with a nice garlic concoction over spinach. Nicely presented and delicious. We had a nice bottle of California red wine (a meritage without the license). Definitely will go back. Probably not later in the evening when it is clearly party time though.

Amazing Japanese Mall Fountain

2008-10-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

I just love stuff like this.

Dave Brubeck

2008-10-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Saw Dave Brubeck Quartet at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Wednesday Night. Awesome. Amazing. 87 years old and having a ball. He could barely walk to the stage, but once he sat down, it was magical. At the end, he apologized for playing on a night when the World Series started and the did a wonderful impromptu version of Take Me Out To The Ballgame. I say impromptu as the other musicians were ready to go and had to hustle back to their seats when he sat down for one more tune. Don't miss him while he is still around. His joy at playing is infectious.

CPA: Trend or Permanent Move?

2008-10-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Wrote an article for MediaPost's Metrics Insider today about CPA vs. CPM deals for Web display advertising. http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/metrics_insider/?p=104
You may need to register to see this.

M3

2008-10-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Check out the announcement of our new service package from Mediasmith, M3 (Media to the third power or Media cubed). Represents the convergence of search, emerging media technologies and social media.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/mediasmith-launches-m3-bank-digital/story.aspx?guid=%7BEBF9924A-D6EE-4145-9BE3-3749C899D581%7D&dist=hppr

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=93040&Nid=48535&p=16671

Fast Company Post

2008-10-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Posted my first blog on FastCompany.com today. I'll be adding more to Dave's here as I write. I'll also be adding archives from some of my previous writing and some personal thoughts along the way.