4th of July weekend report

I had a great long weekend. The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays for a reason. :-)

Friday

It was a busy day as we mostly shopped for gardening supplies. Because Dad needed materials for his projects, my family spent several hours at Home Depot and Orchard Supply Hardware. This was exhausting but beats sitting in the office.

Saturday

The day began with a drive to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - one of our favorite weekend destinations. Dad wanted to leave right after breakfast so that it wouldn't be too hot outside when we arrived. I'm glad I didn't get up too late because the weather was already quite warm. At any rate, the trails were nice and made for an enjoyable hike.

I then treated my parents and the Shiehs to lunch at a restaurant at Santana Row called Straits. This was possible because my boss had generously given me a $100 gift card. Everything we ordered was delicious. In my opinion, this place is even better than Sino.

Cathy returned the favor by buying us dessert at the nearby Cocola Bakery after the meal. The blackberry mousse was really tasty and had a beautiful presentation. The lunch was easily the best part of the long weekend. The only downside is that my uncle Dong couldn't join us.

Sunday

Dad wanted to check out the Summer Festival & Chili Cook-off at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. The venue was extremely crowded - it's like half the city was there. The plan was to buy a tasting kit and try the chili, but the long lines and the heat changed our minds. I took the opportunity to chat with a few hot chicks and some members of the Palo Alto Fire Department before we decided to leave.

The other stop of the day was Fry's Electronics as Dad needed some VGA cables. Given the high temperatures, none of us wanted to go anywhere else. Heat aside, the long weekend couldn't have been better. I've posted pictures from Saturday's lunch and the chili cook-off on Flickr.