Saket Vora

10:30am

Deepak Uncle has work to take care of at Adobe, so Naman joins us for a trip to ‘The City’. We decide to drive our van there, because the roundtrip fare on the Caltrain would be more expensive. We made good time, and arrived in under an hour. Naman was at the helm and we navigated our way to Union Square and parked in the large deck under the square. I had visited San Francisco in February for an IEEE conference, and walked around the Union Square / Market St. area during breaks. Nader took me down to Fisherman’s Wharf. We walked a similar path this time, but walked through a lively part of Chinatown. I loved walking through the corner markets, with fruits and vegetables in crates on display. One crate had a cat sitting on top picking at the fruit. We stared at the tanks of fish and seafood, shining cleavers active in the back. Naman pointed with wide eyes at a fish still flopping on a tray of ice, his peers lacking the same vigor. Feeling the sun, we stop at a corner stand and I order a pineapple ice. Naman ventures a stab at a “red bean popsicle” and got, well, pretty much an ice popsicle with red beans embedded throughout. Hmph. After the bustle of Chinatown, we walked downhill to the Fisherman’s Wharf. We headed to Pier 39 where the sea lions make their home, and spend fifteen minutes smiling as we see their enviable lives. The sea lions lie on floating pontoons. One seal attempted to pull himself up on one, but that corner started to sink. The other sea lions (who were awake) got upset and moved to push him off. On another pontoon, one big fat sea lion took up one half while eight others occupied the other half. One maverick boarded the pontoon and somehow managed to push the King off. Later though, the King leapt back on board and with stunning speed fought the maverick all the way across the pontoon and right off its edge. All this time we hear the incessant barking of all the sea lions. Noisy and smelly as they are, it’s no surprise that the City decided to keep them.

We stopped for lunch at Bodoins, supposedly famous for San Francisco sourdough bread. The food was good, but they forgot part of our order. Still on foot, we continue west along the water’s edge. Our destination was Ghiradelli Square. Ghiradelli is familiar to some as the purveyor of fine chocolate squares. I never knew that it was based in San Francisco. We pass through a small but nice park and enter a very small but nice square reminding me of a miniature European square. We shared sundaes at the famous Ghiradelli café, then took a cable car ride back to Market Street. I discovered at a souvenir shop that sold compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) at a crazy price – 4 bulbs for $2.00. Turned out that the local power utility is currently subsidizing the cost of CFLs as an incentive for customer adoption. What a great idea! Around the Market St. area I showed Naman H&M, a popular trendy clothing store originating from Sweden. Euro-trendy attire for Old Navy-like prices. Its probably the only real successful Swedish clothing import to America. I find it amusing because of its popularity when I was studying in Sweden. He bought a nice $10 polo, thinking he might pick up more in Chicago.

We walked down to the Yerba Buena Gardens, where I wanted to show them the nice city park with the fountain. Moscone West had Apple logos on the windows, the WWDC 2007 event, and subsequently we discovered that the nice park was taken over by Apple for a kickoff party. Friendly staff informed us we couldn’t enter. Judging from the tables and tables of cocktail food and beverages, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jobs himself was going to make an appearance. Across the road we spotted a Crème Puff café and wanted to check it out. I thought it was going to be more exotic than it was, but at least I got a coffee out of it. We meandered back towards Union Square and into the car, and drove back home. One highlight was that we spotted the facility that the It’s It ice cream sandwiches are made. Peyton emphatically told me that I must have an It’s It while I was in California. Much to my chagrin, we couldn’t find it anywhere!

8:00pm

At home the four of us eagerly wanted to help with making dinner, so we got busy in the kitchen. I chopped up some bell pepper and okra, Naman oversaw the okra dish to completion while I checked up on the paneer shak. More dishes kept being added, and ultimately dinner was quite a feast. We talked about the next day’s activity – we easily decided to spend another day in San Jose. Eshaa and Ronak were going to have a half day at school before the start of their summer vacation. It is planned that Deepak Uncle will take a half day too, pick up Eshaa and Ronak, then join us as we go back to the city to see the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, and then cross the bridge to see Muir Woods and Stinson Beach.

11:00am

The three of us leave San Jose for Stanford. We take El Camino Real and pass the Stanford Terrace Inn, where I stayed with my Engineering Entrepreneur Program friends on our Silicon Valley trip. We eventually make our way to the Visitor Center at Memorial Auditorium, next next to the Hoover Tower. I call Nader and he hops on his bike to come join us. This is the third time I’ve been walking around the campus, but I still don’t have an intuitive feel of directions. Nader recommends Bytes Café in Packard (the electrical engineering building) as a good place for lunch. Tables are full, so we get our food and go upstairs to a lounge for the VLF (very low frequency) research group, the one Nader is in. We learn more about what the group does, I ask Nader about the PARS summer program, and we chat with some of Nader’s colleagues who stop by. Afterward, Nader went off to finish some homeworks (his term is ending this week) and I continue leading Sachi and Sapana on what tour I could give of the campus. We go see the Lego enclosure that Brin and Page (founders of Google) built to house their first server. Ironically, its in the William Gates building. I meander through the Paul Allen building to find out where the integrated circuits group is located, and I smile when I see the RFIC group with their wooden saloon door entrance to the cubicle farm.

3:30pm

We got a call from Naman; he was heading over here from Mountain View. After a brief stop in the Stanford bookstore we went to meet him, then walked over to the Packard Building again. It heat outside in the sun surprised us all. Nader finished with his meetings and joined us in the lobby, and we walked together back to his studio apartment on campus. On the way back, we saw a shocking sight for us North Carolinians. There is a Stanford tradition of cavorting in the fountains scattered across campus. A bunch of undergraduates seemed to be doing this in the large fountain in front of Memorial Auditorium – celebrating the end of the term no doubt. Only in this instance, there were half a dozen open cases of beer scattered around, with
We watched the “Smug Alert” episode of South Park, it being a good preparation for tomorrow’s trip to the ‘The City’. Afterward Naman headed off to pick up Deepak Uncle, but the three of us stayed around. We learned about the Rise of Nations game, had some coffee and crackers.

7:30pm

Finally, it came time to meet Mary and Matt Elting for dinner. I had been trying to visit them since arriving in the Bay Area, but our unusual schedule and our stay at Deepak Uncle’s house complicated things. Mary’s parents – absolutely wonderful generous people – even offered their home for us to stay in while we were visiting. I regret not being able to. We met at a great Mexican restaurant on California Avenue – just the type of place that Sapana had been looking for since starting our road trip. Nader joined us, and we had a nice time at dinner. Afterward we spotted a used book store and despite Matt’s warning, went in anyway. I found an interesting edition of Dune Messiah and some other Herbert books. Sapana picked up a few books too while Nader found some rather esoteric ones. The place was pretty neat – it was a maze in there. It was soon getting late – we still had a 45 minute drive back to San Jose. I presented Mary with the two cases of Cheerwine and they graciously took a box of textbooks I brought along. We bid farewell, but I was happy that I’d get to see them in short time.

This is just a temporary post…I have uploaded some photos to a Roadtrip album here.

The Denver photos are being cantankerous, and I have to still work through the California/Monterey photos and the Yosemite photos are still in my camera. I’ll try to get to them tomorrow.

I also gotta grab the GPS locations and use them to update the Google Maps mashup I have at my photo gallery. In time…

5:00am

I had heard of the crowds and the difficulties of staying at Yosemite National Park without a reservation. This is a place that gets booked up six months in advance, even the tent campsites. It is about a four hour drive from San Jose, so we hit the road at 4am. The others are fast asleep while I man the helm. I’m making good time, taking advantage of the empty streets.

7:45am

We arrived at the park half an hour ago. No one is at the front entrance booths; it is too early. We decide to go to the Bridalveil Creek campsite, which is a surprisingly long journey (in time, not distance) from the entrance. When we finally arrive, my fears of the Yosemite crowds evaporate – in this 90-site campground, only a handful of sites are occupied. The girls setup the tent and bring the food into the bear box, and I head in to take a nap, still feeling really tired.

1:00pm

I’m not awoken till close to 11:30am. It is very warm now with the sun shining. There are more mosquitos than anticipated. We decide to head into the valley and eat at Yosemite Lodge before checking out the numerous sites around the park.

Yosemite was always of my highlights for this roadtrip. I had heard much about it from my friend Peyton, who has spent months at the park and has climbed the famous El Capitan with his brother four or five times. He speaks of it with unmistakable reverence in his voice. Yosemite represents the first time a national government has ever set aside land for preservation (back with Abraham Lincoln) , and along with the Grand Canyon was one of the first national parks. The motivation behind the conservationists’ attention to Yosemite is immediately understood as one enters the valley after bursting through a long tunnel cut into the granite. Glistening granite cliff faces, both sheer and rugged, arise along the sides of a lush valley full with green meadows and forests. On the left, El Capitan rises from the valley floor with a commanding presence over the valley, its brow furrowed. Bookending the valley at the far end, the incomparable Half Dome looms over its domain. As one continues the drive into the valley, more elements reveal themselves. A river tumbles over rocks and flows over shallow pebble riverbeds, its waters alternating in white and crystal clear. Waterfalls burst out of the cliff faces on both sides of the valley from impossibly high elevations, their contents crashing on the rocks below before flowing forward and tumbling down yet again. Nearly all the water falls have an upper section and a lower section. Yosemite defies the senses with its sheer magnitude and scope. You tilt your head up at the gray glacier-worn granite faces and marvel at the patterns in the stone, but a whispering voice in your head reminds you that it is still over a mile in the distance….

7:00pmAfter seeing Yosemite Falls up close and other lookout points, we drive back to our campsite. There is a large open meadow with a calm stream that is visible through the trees at the back of our site, so we take half an hour to explore it. We spot animal tracks and secretly hope to see a bear. It is a nice, peaceful view. We light the stove and quickly finish a light dinner. Later we’ll start a fire and have some s’mores.

Thirty minutes before sunset, we continue the road up to a lookout spot known as Glacier Point. This is the point where famed photographer Ansel Adams (one of my father’s favorite) captured one of his famous enigmatic photos of Yosemite. The daylight fades, and I can see the rock glowing in the setting sun. I urge Sachi to drive faster.

The view from Glacier Point will take you aback. Arresting your gaze, right in the center as a profile, stands Half Dome. The sheer vertical drop of its face becomes all the more apparent. A valley lies out in front of it, with granite walls on all three sides. Stretching back and off in the distance, higher mountains reveal themselves; their peaks jagged and sharp, untouched by the massive glacier that carved Yosemite Valley eons ago. To the right, the upper and lower half of a waterfall cascades down, tended to by the towering peaks described above. The sun drops below a far off range, and shade creeps up the Half Dome. To the left, visible if you crane your neck, Yosemite Falls peeks around the corner. The colors of the rock change as the sun continues to set. A band of granite, high on the range, soon shines with a purple hue, moving Sapana to murmur that familiar line from America the Beautiful. This view from Glacier Point is more striking than any other I’ve seen at a national park.

If a patron saint existed for the awe-inspiring grandeur of nature, Yosemite is surely an altar.

And I am humbled at her feet.

11:00am

We initially planned on seeing San Francisco today, but took it easy waking up. Several errands were in order. While Sachi tended the laundry at home, the rest of us went out and got some miscellaneous supplies, completed a needed oil change and tire rotation for the van, and I took care of some paperwork for PARS at Office Depot.

An aside: Back in May, Nader alerted me to an opportunity to attend a two summer program on polar aeronomy (PARS) at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He was attending through his work with the VLF group at Stanford University, and said that it would be a good introduction to the field. I have never explored polar aeronomy, but Nader helped me write a proposal and I found out yesterday that I was accepted. I’ll be in Alaska from July 22nd to August 3rd. A busy summer indeed!

6:00pm

We visit a nearby park with Ronak and Eshaa and play some basketball and Frisbee. Later that night Sachi, Sapana, and I head up to Stanford and meet up with Nader. I last saw him in February when I attended an IEEE conference in San Francisco and he has been busy with finals week. Several projects and an exam due in the next few days. We drive up to the posh University Avenue in Palo Alto and walk up and down the street, talking and looking for a place to eat. After our indecisiveness, Nader takes us to an upscale California-inspired Indian restaurant. The entrees are pricey but the food is good…definitely a dose of gourmet California cuisine. We’ll see him again on Wednesday.

11:30pm

We get back home later than expected but Naman and I work quickly to remove excess material from the van for tomorrow’s trip to Yosemite. We triage a lot of stuff but it will make our lives easier in the pack. Back inside the home, I try to catch some shut-eye while the others stay up for a while reading Harry Potter books found in the house.

11:00am

Back on the road towards Monterey. The instant oatmeal packets we lifted from the continental breakfast back in Kansas City was put to good use. We continue to stop for vistas, which grow increasingly more epic. One had a small trail that we took, and found ourselves in a field of wildflowers with the blue ocean and rugged coastline all around us. Simply phenomenal.

12:00pm

We completed the famous 17 Mile Drive (the road itself is called 17 Mile Drive) that goes by the Pebble Beach golf course and around an especially scenic peninsula just south of Monterey. Pebble Beach is an eye opening golf course, but we catch this area at low tide so the ocean was not so dramatic against the shore. The same held true for the rest of the drive. We arrive in Monterey and with some trouble finally park our van. We search for a bite to eat before meeting Naman’s aunt and his two young cousins at the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium.

5:00pm

The aquarium’s industrial exterior betrays the quality and breadth of its exhibits. There is a million gallon tank, with ten foot long shark and two sunfish that look to be the size of a Mini cooper. One tank has enormous kelp forest; the aquarium was able to reproduce the swaying of the ocean that is needed to sustain a kelp forest. Apparently the Monterey Bay Aquarium was the first aquarium to successfully house a Great White Shark. There is a good mix of high level displays as well as exhibits directed at children.

But the star attraction were the sea otters. They have their own tank and we easily spent thirty minutes there, watching them swim and twirl effortlessly around, lie on their backs and play with their toys. When on their backs, the otters sometimes rub their faces, much like we do when rubbing our eyes. I learn that they do this to massage air bubbles into their fur, which helps keep it waterproof and slick. The highlight comes when the trainers arrive to feed the otters. They used to give the sea otters food with the shells still on, but the otters scratched up the glass after smacking the shells against it. They come up and jump and dive for the morsels of food. One otters who proved especially adept received a giant heap of food that she giddily clamored towards. After filling her mouth, she stuffed more of it into special pockets at her sides then dove back in the water, content. Adorable creatures.

8:00pm

We arrive at Naman’s uncle’s home southeast of proper San Jose. Directly behind their neighborhood the hills climb up, their grasses still tan and dotted with green trees. Naman’s uncle, Deepak, is in New Jersey closing on their old house, but his aunt Trupti is here with her two young children Ronak and Eshaa, ages 11 and 6, respectively. Naman has been out of the country every time they have visited Cary, so they are happy to meet. We go out to dinner at an authentic Indian restaurant in Mountain View where we happily get Gujurati thalis. A thali is a meal that features the full assortment of a typical Gujurati-style meal – it has roti (very thin wheat bread resembling a thin tortilla), three vegetable dishes, rice, dhal (a lentil soup), raita (a type of yogurt), and kheer (a sweet rice pudding). The dhal was mugh, something I haven’t had in over five months. I’m very satisfied.

10:45am

Naman and I woke up in time, and got ready. The girls slept in late. The two of us and Ruchi made a quick trip to a grocery store. By the time we got back, the girls were ready. Ruchi made sandwiches and chai for us, which we were all quite grateful for. We were soon on the road, making our way out of Los Angeles on Highway 101 to Route 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway.

2:45pm

Cayucos, Route 1, right by the coast. We sit on the porch out back, looking at the beach, enjoying the sun and the coastal breeze. Lunch is veggie burgers, fries, and iced tea that Naman and I sweeten by dumping five sugar packets into our glasses. After eight years in North Carolina, it’s strange to see the simple request of ‘sweet tea’ fall on deaf ears. Sapana has to be different and gets a grilled cheese sandwich. I give Naman a break and take the helm. During the drive up 101, we start seeing the first wineries and the symmetrical rows and rows and rows of fruit trees. Real wine country will come later.

6:30pm

The Californian coast is striking. We stopped along many vista points, surveying the rocky coast with cerulean blue waters. Naman, Sachi, and I navigated our way to one of the rocks jutting out into the sea, surviving blow after blow of water. Later, elephant seals! Around of the beaches, there were thirty of them lying in the sun without a care in the world. A few swam around in the water, some waddling their way onto shore, stumbling over the ones already napping. It brought smiles to our faces.

We made it to the Big Sur area before deciding to stop for the night. State park campgrounds were full and local motel rates weren’t palatable at $150 a night. One of the hoteliers pointed us to a private campground which, at $40 more expensive than we’ve seen on this trip, was expensive but the best of our possible options.

8:00pm

The campground location was better than expected, situated in a grove of what appeared to be sequoia trees. A wide creek flowed nearby, and a steep climb up wooden stairs led to a tiny general store and a bar. As I walked to our tent site, I spotted a small animal with a white strip along its back – a skunk! It ambled around the hills directly above our campsite, probing our site with some small advances. Sapana was genuinely worried while Naman schemed ways of making it attack our neighboring campsites. Eventually it meandered its way out of sight and we went on with dinner preparations.

10:30pm

After several rounds of Poison, a card game learned in Vegas, we tucked in for the night. A group next us had two carfulls of people show up, and from the sounds of it was rearing up for dinner this late. Oh well.

11:00am

We left Excalibur, after making another $70. We easily made enough to cover our tickets ($23 a pop) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium that we planned on seeing in a few days. After getting turned around again, we finally made it on the highway and made our way down to Los Angeles.

4:45pm

Los Angeles. The afternoon traffic was bad, and the myriad of intersecting highways and beltlines didn’t make navigating any easier. Our home for the night is Ruchi’s apartment. Ruchi, Naman’s cousin, is finishing her Master’s in biomedical engineering at USC. She did a B.S. in Electrical Engineering back in India. We ran into Bob, her landlord, as we entered the apartment complex (which is full of fellow Indians) who seemed a little spacey and asked about us. We quickly sketched out a plan for the night and unanimously decided on Indian food for dinner. After pizza, tacos, and camp food for many nights, a taste of ‘home’ was in longing.

10:00pm

Ruchi gave us a tour of the University of South California campus. I was surprised at the number of speciality schools/campuses. Our GPS navigation device, which we call ‘Cally’ after its annoying way of saying ‘Calculating route’, took us on the ‘scenic’ tour of Los Angeles. By scenic I mean we got a fairly good slice of the many faces of Los Angeles…without driving through East LA. Dinner was great. Ruchi took us to Artisha, a sort of ‘Little India’ in Los Angeles. We went to a truly authentic ‘chaat’ place and had bhel puri, pani puri, khamen dokhra, panda, dhain vada, etc. Vegetable korma, dal, and roti followed. Needless to say, we left very very satisfied.

12:50am

Free movie! After dinner, we drove back to a movie theater adjacent to the UCLA campus. This part of LA seemed very nice. Upscale condos, streets, good shopping. Sapana knew of a ‘Rodeo Drive’ but we didn’t have time to check it out. We wanted to see Hot Fuzz, but was told it was canceled. As a reconciliation, they said we could watch any other movie (only 4 were offered) for free. We chose Shrek 3. Just as we were going to go in, they also gave us five free movie passes. $100 worth of movie tickets…all because we wanted to see Hot Fuzz. Thanks Simon Pegg. Sapana wasn’t sure about it, but we quickly overrode her judgment. I discreetly informed some students behind us in line on how to get the free tickets before heading in.

Feeling very tired at the apartment, we readily fell asleep. Our short stay in Los Angeles was far better than anticipated.