Eileen's Wedding - The River Mill, French Camp, CA - April 2026

 We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Manteca, in the Central Valley, for two days while attending Joe and Eileen's wedding along with Mark & Gayle, Mary & Kevin and Christina.

Cheers to the bride and groom at Michael David Winery for lunch, ahead of the wedding later this evening.

💓💓

The River Mill in French Camp is a stunning setting for weddings and receptions. The venue features beautifully manicured gardens, and a tree-shaded walkway that opens up to an picturesque space for an outdoor ceremony.

A beautiful ceremony - The bride (Eileen) and groom (Joe) with the groom's parents.

The newlyweds - Mr. and Mrs. Maes.

For the celbration that followed, the venue has elegant indoor event spaces for the reception.


The wedding party.

Wedding party reception line.

Here come the beautiful bride and handsome groom.

Cutting cake.

Wedding guests.



The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and so special. Eileen and Joe, it was an honor to celebrate your wedding day with you and family. We wish you both a lifetime filled with love, laughter and endless happiness!!

💕💑💏💕

San Francisco, CA - April 2026

 A beautiful, clear day exploring San Francisco's main attractions. 

The Presidio and the Golen Gate Bridge:

The Golden Gate Bridge from Presidio National Park.

Taking the scenic route on the bridge.

View of the city from the bridge.

Leaving the Presidio on a clear day.

The San Francisco Bay, its iconic piers and Fisherman's Wharf :

Pier 43 with the Coit Tower in the background.

Fisherman's Wharf.

Yep! You can't visit SF without getting the famous clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl!

Making it to Pier 39.

Pier 39.

Leaving the waterfront, we continue to the next stop: "Palace of Fine Arts"

Palace of Fine Arts.


Palace of Fine Arts, a massive Greco-Roman-style landmark with open rotunda and colonade.

The "Palace" sitting right next to a beautiful and peaceful lagoon, was built for Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 to exhibit works of art.

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We also made a stop at the historic Ghirardelli Square, test-drove the legendary curves of Lombard Street, and finished the day taking in the breathtaking, panoramic views of the skyline from Twin Peaks.  

The iconic Columbus Tower (Sentinel Building) and Transamerica Pyramid on Columbus Avenue dominate the San Francisco skyline.

Looking up from the bottom of Lombard Street.

Houses on Lombard Street.


Cars coming down Lombard Street.

View from Lombard Street.

                                                                    Twin Peaks overlook.

Close-up view from Twin Peaks.


Panoramic view of San Francisco skyline.

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Chinatown - San Francisco, CA - April 2026

 In April, we headed out to California for Paul's niece, Eileen's wedding in French Camp, a suburb of Stockton. We flew into San Francisco a few days before the wedding and stayed near Chinatown. It was wonderful to revisit San Francisco after our last trip there about 30 years ago. 

Our first top was a self-guided walking tour through Chinatown, since our hotel was only a few blocks away. 

The Dragon Gate/Chinatown Gateway. 

St. Mary's Square.

Old St. Mary Cathedral.

Grant Avenue, main throroughfare of Chinatown.

A mural on our walk through Chinatown.

Waverly Place/Alley.

Tin How Temple - oldest temple in Chinatown.

Ross Alley, one block pedestrian alleyway located in the heart of Chinatown. As the oldest alleyway in San Francisco, it's famously home to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.

Fortune Cookie Factory.

Freshly baked "fortune" cookies.

Paul, the factory owner and the cookie baker.

The iconic Transamerica Pyramid from the heart of Chinatown.

Wrapping up the evening at Fusion Dumpling!

                                                                       😋😋😋

The Ngo's Family Reunion - Saigon, Durham, - March 2026

 Our Vietnam trip was coming to an end as we returned to Saigon from Nha Trang. Although Phuong was on the same flight, she stayed at a different hotel in Saigon. We checked into the Bong Sen Hotel for a final three-nights stay before our departure back to the US. By this point, a wave of homesickness and exhaustion had set in. It has been an incredibly long journey, and we were tired. Since some family members had already made it home, the rest of us who were still in Saigon gathered for a goodbye dinner one evening at Central Market, accross the street from Phuong's hotel.

 

A bittersweet farewell dinner at Central Market.

The day before our flight home, Paul experienced an unexpected medical issue that needed to be checked out. Fortunately, we were able to get an appointment at an international multi specialty clinic in District 1, just a short distance from Ben Thanh Market. We were impressed by the clinic's expertise and professionalsm. After a quick visit which included an x-ray, and a diagnosis from Dr. Van, Paul was equiped with the necessary medicine for our journey home. By the end of the visit, Dr. Van felt like an old friend! 

  

With Dr. Van at the international clinic in Saigon.

X-Ray included.

We departed Tan Son Nhut Airport on March 26. It was a long journey with layovers in Singapore, San Francisco, and Charlotte before we finally made it home.

Jasmine Halal Lounge at Tan Son Nhut Airport.

Our favorite stop was definitely Singapore, where the airport's breathtaking indoor forest and lush plantscaping made us completely forget we were in a transit hub!

Just a casual stroll through an airport botanical garden.

Yes, this is actually inside an airport!

Changi Airport is a destination in itself!.

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 Home Sweet Home 🏡!! Walking through our own front door at last brought an overwhelming wave of relief. There is truly no feeling quite like being back home after such an intensive adventure. The trip was unforgettable, but sleeping in our own bed is going to be the best part of the journey! Everything else can wait untill tomorrow...💫..

                                                                     💙💛💗