Day after highlights...

Here are some highlights from the Day After My Birthday...

at a coffee stop in Eagle Rock...

Cesar Solis Community Park

I was out solo this particular morning.

A new park had opened up in the South Bay the previous week and I had to check it out...

San Pedro Road Trip Day 2 - Breakfast + the Sports Walk to the Waterfront

We would be leaving San Pedro this morning...

but first, the in-house breakfast at our hotel...

The former Rizal Social Club, Little Manila

While on our way to the Little Manila Historic Site, we passed by this building, home of Iloilo Circle. I wasn't previously aware of its existence and snapped the shot only because I suspected it was a Filipino organization.

(Iloilo is a city on the island of Panay (Visayas region of the Philippines)

Iloilo Circle turned out to one of the last three remaining structures along with Daguhoy Lodge and the Dimasalang House all of which were Filipino fraternal societies founded by pioneer bachelor Philippine immigrants who ventured to the U.S. and toiled the agricultural fields in the 1920's and 30's.

The Little Manila Historic Site recognizes the last remaining few buildings in what was once a thriving Filipino community in Stockton, California....

Papa Urb's Grill, Stockton

I was hoping to visit a couple of nearby coffee places and have us check out historic Little Manila afterwards...but first, LUNCH!

And as luck would have it, the perfect place was right next door to the FANHS National Museum...

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) National Museum

A few blocks from where we parked was our destinaton...

located in the historic Newberry Building in downtown Stockton.

Founded as an All American five and dime store in the 1911, Newberry's was a retail giant in past years nationwide. The Stockton location was shuttered in 1997 but recently reopened two decades later with various tenants...

Mural at Castle Park Middle School featuring Larry Itliong and Philip Veracruz

Before Spring Break earlier this year, I visited Castle Park Middle School...

a local school in the South Bay...

"Agbayani Village" reference on the Cesar E. Chavez Campus parking structure, Barrio Logan

"Hasta la Bahia"...

"All the way to the Bay" (1978, artist Victor Ochoa)

Bert and I were here to check out a photo wall on the outside of the Cesar Chavez Continuing Education Center parking structure...

Maxwell's House of Books and the La Mesa Antique Mall

I was glad I was able to come back here with my gal pals to check out this particular bookstore.

When Bert, TC and I visited a few weeks ago, we paid Maxwell's House of Books a short visit...

Return to SFSU - the Filipino student mural + a college track meet

In keeping with our usual MO whenever we visit a city, we  made a stop at a local university...

It had been about sixe years since our last visit...

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park + a bit of Filipino American history at the Chapel

Across the street from Handlebar Coffee Roasters and Three Pickles Deli is a notable historic landmark..

known as El Presidio de Santa Barbara.

This is separate from the Mission and located in what used to be the old Chinatown of Santa Barbara...

Filipino Community Bldg, Santa Barbara

My same friend recommended that I check out this place of historical interest...

located at 425 State St. is a building with this sign...

The Woodman Bridge renamed as the Itliong Veracruz Memorial Bridge

Last week was the week for awesome storm clouds...

This was what we saw as we headed east on the 54 from the 5...

I know I had this photo in a previous post, but I'm putting it in again...

Return to Unidad Park and the Filipino American History mural

After our Tustin trio of treats, we made our way to LA...

specifically to this part of town...

where we last visited last President's Day Weekend (2015).

We were back again for our family's holiday card photo shoot...

Verbatim Books, trio of drinks from Caffe Calabria + TC's plants

After our "mini dinner" at Encontro, we were about to head to Dark Horse Coffee around the corner when I saw this...

Bert and I spied this toward the end of last year but it hadn't yet opened. This time, it looked "fully operational"...

Unidad Park - return to the Filipino American history mural

[*The return of this year's Presidents' Day LA roadtrip]

After checking out the famed Music Box Steps in Silver Lake, we headed over to Historic Filipino Town (Hi-Fi)...passing by Bert's former college fave, Tommy's on Rampart...

which was a few short minutes away from a mural we last visited back in 2010 (post linked at the end)...

located in Unidad Park...

Fosters Freeze, Salinas

Breakfast from Java Beach was several hours old and it was time for a quick snack on our long drive down...

We passed by Salinas High School on their Main Street. I read later that the school was founded in 1882 but has been in its present location since 1920 (and rebuilt since then as well).

The look of this "traditional" high school is so different from the ones we have down south...

Donuts & "The Delano Manongs" documentary screening

Last night I drove up to Miramar College to support a FANHS, San Diego event for Filipino American History month in which the documentary by Emmy award winning filmaker Marissa Aroy, "The Manongs of Delano" would be screened.

First however was a quick run to Donut Stop...

to pick up a little something for us to enjoy the next day....

Farewell to Patricia Justiniani McReynolds

When we heard the sad news last weekend that Patricia McReynolds had died, I couldn't believe it...

She was always at the Filipino American community events I attended. It was hard to believe that a vivacious lady such as Patricia was now gone...

The future SFFCC and Victoria Manolo Draves Park

As we wandered the SoMa looking for La Boulange earlier...

I noticed a building across Mission street with a big black board...