California

Little Saigon

Little Saigon didn’t really look like much, it looks like a strip mall. My San Diego cousin was puzzled why I asked her mom and brother to take us there. When I travel I like to get in there, see every nook and cranny. July 4 2021, we went to Philly and while we waited for our train home, a Vietnam War vet started chatting with us. He got me in the mood to learn about the Vietnam War. I tried reading about it a few times over the years but wasn’t in the mood. That’s why I love traveling… meeting strangers that I’ll probably never talk to again but they affect my life in a big way. After reading that California has a very large Vietnamese population, I HAD to check it out.

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Walter Cushing

Major Walter Cushing fought with the Filipino-American guerrillas in WWII. I was introduced to him while reading, The Intrepid Guerillas of North Luzon. He kept evading the Japanese by pretending to be a Spanish priest. He was mestizo; half Mexican and half Canadian and could pass for Filipino. His battles against the Japanese were fairly successful but the day came when the Ganaps (pro-Japanese Filipinos) turned him in and gave away his whereabouts. Continue reading →

Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo National Monument sits at the tip of Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California. The views of San Diego Harbor, skyline, Naval Air Station North Island, and Coronado are amazing. In 1932 it became as California Historical Landmark and on October 15, 1966 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Continue reading →

Aquarium of the Pacific

California Aquariums are pretty cool. We haven’t been to that many but we love the Monterey Bay Aquarium and California Academy of Sciences out of the few we’ve seen. When my cousin said that the Aquarium of the Pacific reminds her of the one in Monterey, it went immediately to our must-see list. Vic’s a fish by nature and if we had aquariums like this close to home, he’d volunteer in the shark tank to feed the fish and give demonstrations. Continue reading →

A Death & A Trip to Long Beach

My Dad died this summer and I haven’t really felt up for much so I thought I’d take a break from my Banff, Canada posts and start here. I’ve been feeling better since my trip to California to visit my Aunt and cousins. In fact, my cousin, her kid, and my Aunt spent time with my Dad in NY about a month before he passed. They felt bad for not going to the funeral but we felt it was better to end on the note of their trip. The wake and funeral were very small. Only 2 other relatives live in NYC except my immediate family. Continue reading →