Category Archives: Travel

Travels along the way

Maui, Morimoto, Malasadas

Morimoto at the Andaz on Maui is known for its upscale Japanese cuisine. After your meal, make sure to leave room for dessert. The malasadas here are perfect. Fluffy and moist on the inside, lightly fried on the outside, and evenly coated with sugar. Three exquisite dipping sauces, apple banana cheesecake, sake caramel, and Waialua chocolate, transform the dessert to a black tie event, even though when you look down, you’re still wearing shorts and flip flops.

Cooper-Garrod
Estate Vineyards
Saratoga, California

Chi Diem Chau at Garrod Stables. Saratoga, California.
Chi Diem Chau with Jetta.
Saratoga, California.

On a perfect Sunday afternoon, our travels brought us to the Garrod Farms Stables for horseback riding through the Saratoga Foothills. For an hour, our horses (affectionately named Jetta and Lakota) walked and trotted their way through the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, giving us breathtaking views of the Santa Clara Valley and San Francisco Bay. Soaring hawks, the silence of the wind against clapping hooves, and history lessons on the ways of the Ohlone Indians had us feeling in ancient times. Truly magical!

Connected to the Garrod Farms Stables is the Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards. The vineyard is certified organic and expertly uses sustainable winegrowing practices to create a truly world class wine. In the tasting room, all of our senses were schooled on the luscious differences of the various wines. These are some of the best wines in the world.

The wines are so amazing, even this joke became funny.