California – Philip A. Lederer

Back in San Diego once more

Yesterday was my last morning in San Diego, and I had six more miles to walk with my backpack, violin, and giant baseball piñata. So off I went, from Point Loma toward the Seaport district. Soon I was hot and hungry, wishing I had water and a bag of fresh cherries. Too bad – theContinue reading “Back in San Diego once more”

My walk to Tijuana

Our weeklong vacation is winding down, so it was time to do one of my favorite things in the world- to go to Tijuana. Back from 2008-2011 I was nicknamed “TJ Phil” by my friends Monica Bhagat and Mike Rhodes because of my passion for Mexico. Yesterday I decided to rekindle that spark by walkingContinue reading “My walk to Tijuana”

In San Diego

Now I find myself in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, home to the famous Sunset Cliffs. Yesterday’s journey started off with a walk in Los Angeles from Koreatown to Union Station. On the way I passed the LA Philharmonic Concert Hall, and I thought up a joke: “What’s the fastest way to theContinue reading “In San Diego”

The Oil Derricks of Bakersfield

Yesterday, we spent time at the beaches of Carmel, which were spectacular. Then, we started an exhausting drive back to Koreatown, Los Angeles. On our route, we passed the oil derricks of Bakersfield, and seeing these machines up close was quite stunning, as we drove along in our gasoline-powered car. I felt a cognitive dissonance,Continue reading “The Oil Derricks of Bakersfield”

The future

Hello from Carmel, California, home to coyotes, mountain lions, and whales. Last night we dined on roasted brussel sprouts, salad, broccoli, and freshly baked pizza (thank you Ja-Yun). Today we’re off for a hike among the redwoods. Over the past week I’ve been thinking a lot about public schools in America. I’m struck by theContinue reading “The future”

Nidia’s tamales, tacos, and champurrado

Today I had a great day, which started with a 10 mile walk/jog from Koreatown to Pasadena to see my friends Seth Goldman and Megan Tan. About five miles into the walk, I stopped at a tamale and taco stand run by Nidia, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico. I bought a potato taco and a cheeseContinue reading “Nidia’s tamales, tacos, and champurrado”

In Los Angeles

Well here we are, settling in, in Koreatown, LA. I say settling in, but I’m actually awake at 4 AM because of jet lag. Oh well… It was an uneventful flight southwest across the United States last night. A smooth ride. But in other ways it was shocking – our first flight in three year,Continue reading “In Los Angeles”