Golden Gate Bridge at Twilight

Had my first 'lesson' on night time photography yesterday at Marin Headlands, thanks to Kevin! There was supposed to be a supermoon on 10 Aug 2014 and we wanted to catch it together with the Golden Gate Bridge.

We arrived at this jam-packed tourist spot after six, and already, there were a couple of people setting up their tripods. I was a little embarrassed with my flimsy HKD60 tripod and my tiny NEX5T (no zoom lens attached). Obviously an amateur. And while people were testing their remote controls and discussing which direction the moon would be rising, I was munching on my cold slice of Costco pizza. 

Tummy first, photos later. 

I hope they didn't think my tripod and I were a waste of space.

Alas, after a long wait with no sight of the moon, the most experienced one in the group said he had information that the supermoon has already risen behind the hill we were facing. Then he proceeded to pack his gear with a "Better luck next time!" Whut! But I guess if the pro said so, he must have solid information. 

Since we were already there, we decided to stay longer to take some shots of the Golden Gate Bridge.  The car was parked at the second highest point (there are four vista points along the slope), and we climbed some way up the road to get a better view. 

It was in fact a good idea not to use a zoom len. I was able to take the entire Golden Gate Bridge against city lights. 

Then, just as we were about to leave, we saw the moon emerging from behind the clouds. Not the supermoon that we were hoping for, but a full moon nonetheless.  

Happy to say that we completed our first 'project' after all!

Partying with the Fantastic Four

As mentioned, the Fantastic Four took time out of their busy schedules to visit us, and we were thrilled to have them for 1.5 weeks!

You've got to admire their energy level and positive vibes. There was no downtime at all, and everyday was practically a party.

Marin Headlands:



Monterey (I have one photo of Dad dancing but I better not post it!): 



Sonoma:





Worthy of mention is our 3D2N trip to Yosemite. I had been there countless times with visitors, but it has got to be the prettiest this time round. The foggy weather on the first day made everything looked surreal. We literally drove through white fluff on some parts of the road, not being able to see beyond fifty feet of us. It was strangely enchanting.

On the second day, we experienced light snow at Glacier Point while having simple homemade salad lunch, cramped in our 7-seater. It was cold, even in May! 

We were finally blessed with good weather on the third day, as we attempted the moderate uphill hike to Vernal Fall footbridge. Trust me, the sign says 0.8 miles from Happy Isles but it took us eternity to get there because of the incline. We were all ready to kiss our knees goodbye after that. 

On my previous visits, I have always stayed at Tenaya Lodge down South. Slightly pricier but very comfortable. This time round, Gugu booked a 2-storey house at Groveland under Hotel Charlotte, which is about half an hour away on the West. 

The house itself is located within the Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course. It came with three bedrooms, two toilets, and a gigantic kitchen. Awesome because we were able to cook dinner, but bad for the neighbours because we made such a din!

 

The rest of the Fantastic Four's stay included outlet visits, silicon valley tours, and day trips to the city. We even went down to Santana Row to sit in Tesla's trunk, just for the fun of it. Those are proper child seats, but our butts are obviously too big for them!

Yes, the silly things we did!

It's been more than a week since Gugu and Gucheung went back to Hong Kong, and Dad and Mom departed for Toronto. I will be joining them in Edmonton, and then at Yellowstone. I look forward to continuing the fun, because family time is hard to come by when we stay in different countries.

I'd also like to put on record a big thanks to the Fantastic Four for sponsoring our travels for this trip. Grateful for all the treats - accommodation, car rentals, gas, food... I hope I can return the favour one day, when I go back and start working again.

Till then, stay tuned for more family updates in the next few weeks!