DSLR Camera and Lens Combo Mambo

I am in the process of deciding what new DSLR and lens combo to buy. There are so many choices out there. What do you recommend for street, landscape and travel photography? What camera and lens combo  makes sense to you?

Late July 2007 Trip to the San Francisco Bay Area

[Photos: Top photo, Jesús at Muir Beach north of San Francisco, next photo, Jesús and Ann Marie with their new grandchild Jacob in San José. Click on image to enlarge. Copyright 2007 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza. All rights reserved.]

Here are the requisite photographs from our trip to the Bay Area. We had a great time visiting our daughter Estrella, her husband Jimmy and the kids in San José. We stayed at my sister Carmen's ranch also in San José and enjoyed the great weather. It was a nice respite from the hot temps in the Inland Empire.

Later in the week we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge into the fanciful world called Marin County. There we stayed with Ann's friends in San Raphael. It was great to be in this beautiful and affluent part of the country. One day we spent playing in the pool on another we went hiking from the Green Gulch Zen Center to Muir Beach. When Ann and I lived in SF we enjoyed this short and easy hike from the Zen Gardens to the always (it seems that way) foggy beach.

The new photos include our latest grandchild (in the diaper) Jacob.

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Cool Seattle

[Photo: Taken with my cell phone camera, the view from my sister and brother in-law's International District condo in Seattle. On a clear day you can see Mount Rainier (Little Tahoma). Click on image to view larger. Photo copyright 2007 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza. All rights reserved.]

I enjoyed (maybe not) a short respite from Cali when I visited Seattle earlier this month. It was my first chance to visit the region for an extended period. I even drove the three hours to inspect Portland. Let me give you my short evaluation of the city of Seattle.

1. Overcast and dreary (go to REI and buy a trendy little winter outfit and blend in)
   
2. Cold (yes, I prefer warm temps)
   
3. Three hours from Portland (more of the same stuff except not as much cash)
   
4. Rain... rain... rain...
   
5. Great downtown (I give downtown Seattle an A)
   
6. Contemporary music scene (more music than Jimmy Hendrix can shake a guitar at)
   
7. Plenty of nightclubs (you won't be bored in Seattle.... cold yes!)
   
8. Plenty of coffee (you may need it)
   
9. Not very friendly (Seattle cool)
   
10. Thriving (business is booming)
    
11. Mountains (rugged and snow capped)
    
12. Where are the sandy beaches?
    
13. Water, water, everywhere... plenty of lakes and the ocean
    
14. Bridges (Portland and Seattle have plenty of them)
    
15. YUPPIES everywhere (where are the Latinos?)
    

I had a chance to check out Seattle and ended up a bit envious. The city has a dynamic downtown and interesting neighborhoods. Seattle has plenty of clubs, bars, restaurants and shops. Parking in much of the city is impossible though. One night I just turned back after finding no parking spaces available. I heard summers are pleasant in the Great Northwest. In August, I will probably not find a parking spot but at least I will finally see the sun.

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Gasping for food

[Photo: Typical Tejano style food (not BBQ) as served at the Conjunto Festival, San Antonio, Texas, 2005 - click the image to view a larger version]

I recently moved back to California after being in Texas for more than six years. In the Lone Star State, I enjoyed great BBQ and Tex-Mex food. I lived in Lockhart where world famous Smitty's BBQ was only a five minute stroll down the street (yes, it is world famous). Now that I live in Southern California, my menu and social life have taken a big hit.

Lately, I have been attending in body if not spirit various parties and mixers to meet the locals. The functions my wife and I attend often relate to the university or SoCal art scene. I have to admit that in the end, these gatherings leave me empty in many ways.

Like fish gasping for air on dry land, a party can be a desperate place. What do you say to someone who rants about a subject that you’ve avoided for decades? What’s the horrible food I am eating?

I have speculated that all trendy types must shop at Trader Joe's. I guess the food has to be as esoteric as the conversation. If the party hosts were ever to ask me, they would learn that I prefer garlic-mashed potatoes to hummus. However, intellectuals have learned though travel and research that cranberry salsa is better than that hot variety from Mexico. Chomping on reduced carb soy and flaxseed tortilla chips is a great way to separate oneself from the unwashed masses. God forbid that you eat "regular" chips.

At a recent torture session that would make Torquemada proud, the discussion was constructed around Derrida and Lacoue-Labarthe. I know nothing about deconstruction, post-structuralism and postmodernism. I came to the realization that the hosts and most of the guests could care less that I was oblivious. I was invisable.

Eventually conversation shifted to the latest esoteric art film. During the arcane discussion, I kept my mouth shut and nodded politely while they rambled about the Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. Oh yes, the French are so civilized. My wife has us slated to attend another so-called party in September. I am quite sure they won’t be watching football or grilling steaks. Maybe I can get a reprieve and stay home.

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June Oaxaca Trip - Where is the Beach?

[Photos: Mitla Temple, Oaxacan Cat, Santa Domingo Church, 2006 - Click on the image to view a larger version]

My wife and I came to this Southern Mexico city so she could take Spanish classes. We rented a modest cinder-block apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. We had to dodge potholes and cars just to get to downtown Oaxaca.

The downtown Zocalo was packed during our visit, not with tourists but demonstrating teachers. I had to carefully step around these protesters who were sleeping on the ground. To avoid decapitation, I had to duck under hundreds of guy wires supporting make-shift homes.

It was more tranquil a few short blocks away near Santa Domingo Church. The church sits in the middle of the colonial and trendy part of town. Here, there were plenty of great restaurants, galleries and shops. Because of the artistic Mixtec and Zapotec Indians, the streets were very colorful. Yes, I brought home a few of mementos; they ranged from ceramic vases to colorful painted wood sculptures.

The weather in Oaxaca was predictable. Most days the rain would wash the streets around 6 p.m. Definitely, bring an umbrella during the summer. The weather is too humid for a jacket.

Would I come back to Oaxaca? I'd rather not. I suggested to my wife that we opt for less culture and more beach next time. However, my requests are often ignored. You see, my wife is an art historian specializing in Latin America and she loves this stuff. Frankly, I'd rather go fishing.

I hope you like the photos. Click on them for a larger view. Go to my web site for more: http://www.jmmgarza.com.

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The Greyhoud Bus Experience

[Photo left: Arizona Landscape
Photo Below Left: Fort Stockton, Texas Bus Station]

For spring break 1998, I decided to embark on an adventure. I would take a Greyhound Bus from San Francisco, California to Jacksonville, Florida. I was 45 years old and I had never been west of San Antonio, Texas. I felt it was about time that I see the South. In retrospect, it was a foolhardy notion. Email me before you decide to take "The Dog." I will share with you some of my horror stories.

My biggest complaint was that it is impossible to get any sleep on a cramped bus. I tossed and turned in my narrow seat next to a three hundred pound man who exuded the pungent aroma of rotten milk. All the while an infant is screaming bloody murder behind me. Never again!

The bus stops every two or three hours in a nondescript town that time forgot. You have no choice but to be stirred from your vague slumber. The driver like some tormentor rousts you at three in the morning with the announcement of a rest stop over the loudspeaker. Everyone is herded like sheep ready for a fleecing.

I'm half awake and bleary eyed, so I decide to grab a hamburger and french fries at this anonymous eatery. Your first questions is, "where am I?" Two and half hours later you stop again. It's five thirty. I don't know why, maybe due to sleep deprivation, I eat again. This time I order two pieces of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. At the next bus station I go for a short walk. I survive the sleepless nights by attempting to take short naps throughout the day.

At every stop, I pray for a clean restroom. I rush to the sink and try to refresh myself. I'd brush my teeth and wash my face. I would try to clean my various parts to the best of my ability. I desperately needed a shower. As for entertainment, you eventually come to the realization that radio stations are few and far between in rural America. Before the trip I knew I didn't like country music. But in many parts of America — the twang of country music is all you hear.

At least once a day, like clockwork, the INS would interrogate me. At the station or on a lonely stretch of the interstate they would be looking for Mexicans. They would ask me if I was an American citizen and I would show them ID. Sometimes I would react obnoxiously and say, "I am as American as you are." I saw a dozen Greyhound passengers get arrested during my trip for not having the proper papers. To the INS having a dark brown face is an open invitation for questioning.

The ordeal was over when I made it to Florida on March 23, 1998. I had crossed the country from the Pacific to the Atlantic in three days and three nights. I promised myself that day I would never take the bus again. Then I remembered ... in five short days, I would have to get back on that same cramped bus to get back home. I winced at the thought. But first I desperately needed a shower.

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More Than 101 Fun Things To Do In The San Francisco Bay Area

[Photo above: Jesús and Ann in 1998 having fun in beautiful Northern California. Ah, the good ol' days!]

I can easily list thousands of great things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area. San José is only 40 minutes from Santa Cruz and 50 from San Francisco. The fun is close by in the Bay Area.

Yes, the Bay Area has great weather. While Austin and Redlands languish in 100+ degree weather ... San Francisco is a pleasant 75 in the summer. No wonder homes go for a premium there.

Here is my "short list" of fun things to do

1. See the sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco.
   
2. Visit the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art.
   
3. Go to the University of California at Santa Cruz and see the redwoods.
   
4. Enjoy the beautiful homes and breathtaking coastline while driving from Pacific Grove through Del Monte ending in Carmel.
   
5. Go fishing off the Capitola Pier.
   
6. Visit the San Jose Rose Garden (Before San Jose evolved to become the heart of Silicon Valley it was called the Garden City).
   
7. Go to the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk.
   
8. See a special performance or contemporary art at Villa Montalvo in Monte Sereno.
   
9. See the studios of emerging artists during open studios in San Jose or San Francisco.
   
10. Go to Carnaval in San Francisco.
    
11. Have a slice of pizza at Frida's Pizza in San Francisco's Mission District.
    
12. Save gas and the environment by taking a trolly, bus, Caltrain or BART ride to somewhere new in the bay area.
    
13. Drive scenic Highway 1 from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.
    
14. Watch the Oakland Raiders play football at the Oakland Coliseum.
    
15. Go to the world's largest flea market in San Jose.
    
16. See art at Galeria de La Raza in San Francisco.
    
17. Take a Red and White boat tour of the San Francisco Bay.
    
18. See low riders, Banda dancers, and much more, at the enormous San Jose Cinco de Mayo.
    
19. Take a cable car ride in San Francisco.
    
20. Enjoy international food and listen to music all weekend long during Tapestry and Talent in downtown San Jose.
    
21. Have a tasty hamburger or a crepe at the Crepevine in San Francisco's Sunset District.
    
22. Go bike riding or just enjoy the flowers at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
    
23. Take in Japanese Culture at the San Jose Obon festival.
    
24. See a painting by Frida Kahlo at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
    
25. Shop at Bloomingdale's near Stanford University.
    
26. Have some of the best Vietnamese food in the Bay Area at Tu Lan on (sleazy) 6th Street near Market. Park yourself next to the cooks and watch the cooks perform.
    
27. Tour the wine country and order a beer.
    
28. See art or picnic at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco.
    
29. Have some of the best pizza on earth at North Beach Pizza.
    
30. Enjoy the San Jose Jazz Festival at Cesar Chavez Plaza.
    
31. Shop in the Castro, Haight Ashbury, Mission, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, Marina or any of the unique districts of San Francisco.
    
32. Have a sandwich or coffee at Robert's of Woodside.
    
33. Rent a houseboat on Shasta Lake. You can get a tan while fishing.
    
34. See the San Francisco Fortyniners play football.
    
35. Watch for whales near Davenport.
    
36. Have an ice cream at Ben Jerry's at the corner of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco.
    
37. Enjoy camping on a beach south of Carmel.
    
38. Shop at San Francisco's Goodwill or Sak's Fifth Avenue stores.
    
39. Fish, drink a soda and eat calamari at the Santa Cruz Pier.
    
40. Listen to music or dance in a club in San Francisco.
    
41. Go to San Juan Bautista and visit the Mission and shop for antiques in rural setting.
    
42. Camp, hike, bike ride, fish or whatever you like in Lake Tahoe. (Several hours from the Bay Area)
    
43. Have a BBQ at San Jose's Alum Rock Park. One of many parks to choose from in the San Francisco Bay Area.
    
44. Have a doughnut at Rollo's in San Jose.
    
45. Go fishing off the Pacifica Wharf.
    
46. Dance to Salsa music in the Mission District of San Francisco.
    
47. Visit the dramatic shoreline of Carmel.
    
48. Have breakfast at the Pork Store in the Haight Ashbury in San Francisco.
    
49. Shop and play in Capitola.
    
50. Investigate San Jose State University's new Martin Luther King Jr. Library.
    
51. Go to annual Greek festival in San Jose.
    
52. Go to Nordstrom's in downtown San Francisco and get your shoes shined for $2.00.
    
53. Picnic along the secluded San Mateo Coast.
    
54. Go to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose.
    
55. See the sea otters and sea lions at Cannery Row in Monterey.
    
56. Visit the new Mexican-American Cultural Arts Center in San Jose and see a Chicano performance or art exhibit.
    
57. Take a charter boat-fishing trip out of Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Monterey, Half Moon Bay or Berkeley.
    
58. Shop or eat in San Francisco's Chinatown.
    
59. Visit the Green Gulch Zen Center near Mill Valley. Take a walk from there to their gardens to the beach where Alan Watts lived.
    
60. Have a Taco at Taco Bell (on the beach) in Pacifica.
    
61. Have lunch in downtown Mendocino. Watch out for the brownies!
    
62. Have coffee at Mr. Toot's (by the beach) in Capitola.
    
63. Camp at Big Basin State Park.
    
64. Grab a cup of coffee at Java Beach and stroll the shores of San Francisco.
    
65. Visit upscale galleries in downtown Carmel or San Francisco.
    
66. Have a steak at Original Joes in downtown San Jose.
    
67. See a Stanford or California football game.
    
68. Take photos in secluded Bodega Bay.
    
69. Go to Cole and Carl in San Francisco and take a short walk to the Haight Ashbury District.
    
70. Watch the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco.
    
71. Catch plenty of catfish in the San Joaquin Delta.
    
72. Go to the Stanford University Chapel for a performance.
    
73. Visit California's most beautiful Mission in Carmel.
    
74. Take in a symphony, opera or ballet in San Francisco, San Jose or Oakland.
    
75. Go to the DeSassait Photography Gallery at Santa Clara University.
    
76. Take a dip and enjoy a massage at one of the many hot tubs in Santa Cruz. My favorite is the Well Within.
    
77. Have Sunday brunch in downtown Carmel.
    
78. Pick a quiet spot in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and have a picnic or play a game of touch football.
    
79. Buy a book at City Lights bookstore in San Francisco's North Beach.
    
80. Take time for a leisurely coffee or lunch in Santa Cruz's Pacific Garden Mall.
    
81. Enjoy a performance or an exhibition at the Mission Cultural Arts Center in San Francisco.
    
82. Watch the Giants play baseball at the new ballpark in San Francisco.
    
83. Listen to Los Lobos or other performers at Santa Cruz's Catalyst.
    
84. Hike or picnic at Alum Rock Park in San Jose.
    
85. Buy a pumpkin for Halloween in Half Moon Bay.
    
86. Go to the Century theaters and see a movie in San Jose.
    
87. See motorcycle or auto races at Laguna Seca.
    
88. Picnic or play basketball at the San Francisco Art Institute. You will enjoy a great view of Fisherman's Wharf from the roof top basketball court and cafe.
    
89. Inspect the archives at the Chicano Center at San Jose State.
    
90. Go to downtown Los Gatos (Los Altos, Palo Alto, Burlingame, Sausalito, etc.) and observe yuppies down $6 cappuccinos.
    
91. Watch out for firecrackers at San Francisco's Chinese New Years Parade.
    
92. Go to MACLA in San Jose and see a Chicano art exhibit or performance.
    
93. Ride your bike in affluent Woodside, Atherton, or Hillsborough.
    
94. Hike in magnificent Muir Woods.
    
95. Just look in the newspaper...your bound to find a festival, performance or exhibit that is just right for you in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area.
    
96. Go to a performance or exhibit at MACLA in downtown San Jose.
    
97. Have a picnic at Stinson Beach.
    
98. See the fish at San Francisco's Steinhart Aquarium.
    
99. Go horseback riding near Uvas Meadows in San Jose.
    
100. Visit the KPFA studios in Berkeley.
     
101. Stroll along the beach in secluded Bolinas.
     
102. Go water or snow skiing (gambling too) in Lake Tahoe. (Several hours away)
     
103. Hang out with the tourists at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39.
     
104. Go to annual Italian Carnaval at San Jose's Holy Cross Church.
     
105. Go shopping in downtown San Francisco. There are too many wonderful shops to list. Everything from fly-fishing gear to high-end fashions.
     
106. Go to the San Jose Museum of Art.
     
107. Enjoy the Santa Clara County Fair in San Jose.
     
108. Go to the Castro Theater in San Francisco and see a movie and an organ (music) performance during intermission.
     
109. See the San Jose Sharks (NHL).
     
110. Have some Japanese food in San Jose's Japantown.
     
111. Go to Zellerbach Hall at the University of California in Berkeley and see a performance.
     
112. Go boating in the San Francisco Bay.
     
113. Go water skiing in the San Joaquin Delta.
     
114. Have some corn on the cob or sushi at the San Jose Nihonmachi festival in Japan Town in San Jose.
     
115. Go sailing on the San Francisco Bay.
     
116. Drive to the top of Mount Hamilton and see the Lick Observatory in San Jose.
     
117. See Teatro Campesino perform La Posada in San Juan Bautista.
     
118. Take CalTrain from San Jose to San Francisco and back.
     
119. Drop someone off at Alcatraz Island.
     
120. See the giant redwoods in Big Basin Park near San Jose.
     
121. Hang out at one of the many Silicon Valley watering holes in San Mateo to San Jose.
     
122. Go to Japan town in San Francisco.
     
123. Enjoy a California or Stanford basketball game.
     
124. Take an extension class at one of the many colleges in the Bay Area.
     
125. Go dancing at the Top of the Mark Hotel in San Francisco.
     
126. Enjoy a sunset at any beach.
     
127. Visit the Galleries of the Academy of Art University or the San Francisco Art Institue.
     
128. Go water skiing at Calero reservoir or at several great area reservoir or lakes.
     
129. Visit Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.
     
130. Jog at the San Jose State University track.
     
131. And finally ... enjoy a beautiful summer day with no humidity ... anywhere in the Bay Area. That's my little jab at life in Austin, Tejas (I lived there from 1999 to 2005) where the summers are hot and humid — winters icy cold. No wonder Texans are so cranky.
     
     Once, I told a Texan I was from God's Country. She asked me what part? I said California. She immediately scolded me saying California was the "devil's playground." She proclaimed Texas is God's Country and gave me a long list of reasons why she "hated" California and Californians. I won't repeat her comments.
     

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My Favorite Places in Northern California

Northern California is truly my favorite place on earth ... no doubt about it! Growing up in San José, California was truly a gift. For over forty years the Garden City, later called Silicon Valley, provided me a central jump-off point to explore the beauty of Northern California. The regions combination of great weather and diverse culture can not be matched. Here is a short list of my favorite places.

1) Downtown Carmel: Great beaches, quaint architecture, an abundance of galleries and restaurants, that's what makes Carmel special. And to top it off, the most beautiful California Mission is just a mile away.

2) Lake Tahoe: Crystal clear lakes, hiking, cycling and fishing too. I would recommend taking a day or two hike in the Desolation Wilderness Area, starting off with a boat taxi ride at Echo Lake. The many lakes and the hike are at the wondrous elevation of 9-thousand feet. The view is literally breathtaking.

3) Santa Cruz/Capitola: I have spent many hours fishing off the Capitola and Santa Cruz Piers. Nothing could be better than relaxing in the warm sun, munching on some local calamari and being refreshed by the cool Pacific Ocean breezes. If you have time spend a few hours in downtown Santa Cruz for shopping, hot tubs (The Well Within) and lunch. Next to the Capitola Pier is also a quaint shopping area and a great beach. Santa Cruz of course has the famous Boardwalk Amusement Park. Kids and some adults love it!

4) The San Francisco Art Institute: A block and a half from that crooked Lombard Street, high on a hill overlooking the bay is the San Francisco Art Institute. As a student I enjoyed the vistas from atop the SFAI. A decade later I would bring my children to enjoy the views and have a picnic. The galleries show a contemporary mix of student and faculty work. On the roof there is a basketball court and an earthy restaurant. BBQs on lazy San Francisco afternoons are not uncommon.

5) Highway 1: This two lane highway grips the California Coast and can only be described as glorious. My favorite sections are Highway 1 at Big Sur and San Mateo County. I fondly remember slow weekday afternoons reading the newspaper on a desolate beach while catching glances of whales passing by.

If you are planning a trip to Northern California feel free to contact me to get some (more) tips

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