Balabanova All Over

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[Paso Robles, CA, Nov 28, 2021] We had enjoyed our scenic drive up to Pinnacles, so we wanted to do something fun on the way back also. Paso Robles, known for its wineries and olive groves, sounded appealing. In addition, there was a movie location to be scouted. B and I had seen the 2017 movie Destination Wedding not too long ago. Starring Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, it was partially filmed… Read More

[Kaneohe, HI, Dec 27, 2018] On our agenda for today was a visit to the Byodo-In temple in the town of Kaneohe, on the eastern side of Oahu. After encountering lots of traffic on the North Shore yesterday, we figured we’d get an early start so that we can get to the temple shortly after it opens at 8:30 am. The drive from Wahiawa was beautiful! We got to cross the Ko’olau… Read More

[Santa Fe, NM, Aug 31, 2018] Our trip to New Mexico over Labor Day weekend was inspired by B. He’s always wanted to see it thanks to the 1994 movie Speechless. If you haven’t heard about if before, don’t worry – I hadn’t either before B introduced me to it. The movie is about two speech writers, played by Geena Davis and Michael Keaton, who work for opposing candidates for the governorship… Read More

[Olympic National Park, July 19, 2018] After three nights in Port Angeles, it was time to leave. Our plan for the day was to exlore the Hoh rainforest and one of the beaches on the west side of the park before overnighting at Lake Quinault. Driving directly to the lake was about 2.5 hours. We expected our detours to add another 3-4 hours to our trip. I also thought about detouring to… Read More

[Whidbey Island, July 16, 2018] After a long day exploring the North Cascades, we were happy to have a very fluid itinerary. Our only imperative was to get to Port Angeles, WA, on the Olympic Peninsula. We had a ferry reservation for 4:15 pm but other than that, the day was wide open. Since we had plenty of time, we decided to try to find another Washington location for the 2002 movie The… Read More