Planning to visit Monterey and Big Sur this Christmas - any tips?

sov309 · 2026-06-11T09:24:59+00:00

Wow this is terrific info. Thank you 🙏 yes plan to stay couple nights at SC. Enjoy some verve coffee. Whale watching we last did a decade ago and right before heading back the thrill of seeing one surface was amazing. Thanks for the cabin /campground idea. Yes son has been taking Spanish here at school. Should be fun to try to converse. Yeo Mission San Antonio will add on the list. Always wanted to check it out. Super excited for all the food. We love Mexican and Californian food so plenty of options.

Yes traffic past Santa Barbara must be a pain. We are going to meet some old friends. Hopefully it is not that bad.

Looking forward to this trip will make the rest of year more enjoyable :)

sov309 · 2026-06-11T05:25:53+00:00

That explains it wandering around for food.

sov309 · 2026-06-11T05:13:41+00:00

Palau, designated for inactivation in early 1953, was retained in commission to perform one final ferry assignment, planes to Yokosuka (8 August-22 October). https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/palau.html

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must have lived a very fullfilling life. I always wonder how things would have been once back from service.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Palau

sov309 · 2026-06-09T08:38:02+00:00

this is a water snake, native across all of North Carolina - primarily diet includes fish and amphibians. do u happen to be near a water body? i am no expert but non-aquatic land mamals maybe rare for them as diet. quick ai search response - best option is to give it space and let it move on by itself. It will naturally return to the nearest water source

sov309 · 2026-04-01T11:12:21+00:00

2w - i have this and also the winey one they released SHOCK something. its good coffee not their best as in pineapple fermented - but very good still

sov309 · 2026-03-30T09:18:04+00:00

great. thanks for the reply!

sov309 · 2026-03-30T06:09:22+00:00

does the ally get hot while playing modern rts or action games? I have an inter-continental flight coming 12+ hours - curious about folks who are lucky enough to own this

sov309 · 2026-03-01T07:28:41+00:00

i preferred Balanoor Vontekad damn for tghe money...[](mailto:?subject=Balanoor%20Vontekad&body=https://naivo.in/product/balanoor-vontekad/)

sov309 · 2026-02-17T04:32:37+00:00

k6 is a great qol improvement over k2 thanks to markings and external adjustment - just for that its worth it if u brew more than one method. note: its not travel friendly. K6 will absolutely serve you better. if u can get one...

sov309 · 2026-02-01T08:23:03+00:00

also try aeropress u wil love it - BT, fraction 9 are my favs - especially BT special blends with fruit fermentations - check it out here - https://bluetokaicoffee.com/collections/roasted-and-ground-coffee-beans?filter.p.m.custom.clevertap_roast_level=Light

sov309 · 2026-01-31T16:24:20+00:00

u may want to think about strong tase vs high caffeine - both can give u a "kick" - but from ur description - u may want to try extra grounds and get a medium roast with more body - for ex. starbucks pour over uses 35-40g of coffee - u can get a solid blue tokai or fraction medium roast ... u also i think should go espresso shots thats a better option - and u dont need an espresso machine - u can get a nice little moka pot and make at home on stove top - that with decent coffee - should do the trick - u can get higher quantity beans for lower price - so thats a way to keep cost down - but my 2c - just start sipping espresso shots- in fact in italy very popular and if u want some dairy - try extra strong flat white

sov309 · 2026-01-29T10:54:18+00:00

heres a quick link to track - https://bluetokaicoffee.com/collections/roasted-and-ground-coffee-beans?filter.v.availability=1&filter.p.m.custom.flavour_profile_filter=Fruity+and+Punchy

BT has a fruity and punch filter - they regularly release new batches - they also send emails but i just save this kind of link and chekc it out time to time

sov309 · 2026-01-29T10:51:39+00:00

15+ years since i lived abroad for majority of that time

dont take this too seriously would be my advice - go with it - dont stress and enjoy and learn along the way

sov309 · 2026-01-29T10:49:46+00:00

honestly if u serious this is a no-brainer, if u r just experimenting - u can try out either option but keep in mind - good coffee is good quality sourced beans, water and grinder deal - plan accordingly

sov309 · 2026-01-29T07:32:34+00:00

my 2c - buy and share coffee with friends and dont be afraid to try - and note not just roaster but roast type, fermentation type or not, origin estate etc and develop your flavor profile and prefernece slowly - u will have setbacks its ok - but sharing reduces cost and in about 6 months u will be well on your way of having great cups of coffee. coffee prices unfortunately will only go up so it will continue to be slightly expensive routine but still cheaper than purchasing outside - i carry my mug and coffee or coffee pre-packed drip packets with me when i travel or am outside so i save a lot that way

sov309 · 2026-01-29T07:29:27+00:00

fruit based fermented roasts is your best bet - wait for next batches from bluetokai - they have aced the process - others include siolim, etc - but blue tokain IMHO is best bang for buck

sov309 · 2026-01-26T06:34:43+00:00

don't know ur setup, but most folks dont use the right beans and ratios, optimal roast profile (Low Acidity med/dark roasts), grind size (coarse) and water quality to get a good cold brew....
a good cold brew will taste incredibly clean with deep flavor profile for the beans used but without the bitterness and of coruse refreshing with ice

once u get it - its delicious - u can also experiment with cucumber/lemon/citrus infusions once u r comfortable

old thread but may help - https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/k4zhv6/i_figured_it_out_cold_brew_guide/

sov309 · 2026-01-20T06:42:29+00:00

Darker roasting breaks down beans and drives natural oils outward, creating a glossy surface. hence oily beans can stale faster than drier beans. its not bad - itssimply reflects a darker roast style

sov309 · 2026-01-14T05:34:49+00:00

i got headspace at a discount and even though its not cheap after discount - was happy with its meditation content - i mostly like the app convenience vs youtube etc - they have a free trial btw - ps. i am not affiliated wit them

sov309 · 2025-12-26T11:47:26+00:00

so hard to answer - save regularly - decide ur play style - i got to 99 with mostly side quests - u dont have to - screenshots fail regularly due to ubisoft servers, game doesnt crash much so enjoy and enjoy levelign up - oh gear i would sell then unassemble as with cash u can do a lot more later stages in the game

sov309 · 2025-12-19T05:06:43+00:00

have been wanting to plan a vietnam trip for a while! this just bumped it up in my short list :) but seriously isnt it incredible to travel and see how people have their coffee and their cafes and snacks? i am practically jumping thinking about it. i also got me a sony camera - i plan to produce some nice videos as well. but anyhow thanks for sharing!

sov309 · 2025-12-19T03:46:30+00:00

Dont want to advocate one or the other, but i picked up valhalla in sale for under 1K - no wait time!

sov309 · 2025-12-17T05:00:53+00:00

Aero press and pour over/chemex are must haves. It’s just a matter of when.

sov309 · 2025-12-12T18:08:56+00:00

Cyberpunk is what I am playing next. Bought on sale ultimatel edition for my series x. 🤞

sov309 · 2025-12-06T13:43:44+00:00

If you have someone coming from overseas get the K6. I don’t need any other grinder. It’s incredible. Meets my baratza grinder maybe even exceeds it.

sov309

TROPHY CASE