Night Lights: Cruising California

October 14, 2010

Tracy Chan,

It’s that time of year again, and I’m currently at the very end of my semi-annual trip to California. Seriously though, when I say I’m visiting California, please don’t ask which part. Chances are I’ll visit most of the state one way or another, for one reason or another. This time, for example, I started in Norcal, near Sacramento, spent the weekend in San Luis Obispo and headed back to San Jose to see the Dalai Lama speak.

The I-5 through the heartland of California. This is partly why it’s called the Golden State.

Saturday, I got a chance to check out the nightlife scene in SLO, a college town that gets most of its after-dark liveliness from Cal Poly and Cuesta Community College students. Downtown was pretty crowded, at least along one strip, and I went bar-hopping with some friends and got to try Moose Drool, a Montana ale that’s dark, sweet and very similar to Rogue Dead Guy Ale.

Moose Drool, a Montana brown ale. Somehow, I was expecting it to be a bit more… slimy.

Sunday, we had lunch at Izakaya Raku, an excellent little Japanese place in Grover Beach, well-priced and frequented by the hip younger crowd and families alike. My favorite find there: Doug’s Roll, a sushi roll with a bite, filled with spicy tuna and topped with albacore, a slice of jalapeno and a drop of hot sauce.

Doug’s Roll, from Izakaya Raku. I’m still not sure who Doug is, but he’s got great taste!

After lunch, we visited Port San Luis, a fishing port north of the Five Cities.

The “bait boat.” In the background are the hills of Diablo Canyon and Avila.

Getting up close and personal with the local wildlife.

Seeing His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speak on Tuesday, though, was definitely a highlight of my trip. About 11,000 people from all over the world packed the San Jose convention center to see him. I wasn’t sure what to expect, yet was still surprised to find him so energetic and eloquent, cracking jokes and behaving at times very unlike my idea of the most venerated monk in the world and the leader of the Tibetan government in exile. Unfortunately, photos weren’t allowed, but it’s still an experience I won’t ever forget and the conclusion to a productive and memorable vacation!