Katrina Lui Photography

Go By Train

In January, Connie and I took the Coast Starlight up to Portland for a few days. This trip was a bit random (people kept asking us why we were going to Portland of all places). When I discovered the Coast Starlight, I thought it sounded like a fun way to travel, packed with an abundance of photographic opportunities (I was right). I picked a destination along the train route that was interesting and new to me, and Connie (as always) was enthusiastic to the idea of a getaway. On the night of January 12, we took the shuttle from the San Francisco Ferry Building to the Emeryville station and started our journey.

7:03am - I couldn't stay asleep for more than an hour at a time, and when I saw the slightest bit of sunlight peeking through the mountains, I stopped trying in fear of missing the sunrise.

7:48am - Looks like I wasn't alone.

7:56am - Still in NorCal, but not too far from the Oregon border.

7:57am - My sleepy partner in crime.

8:11am - I moved to the sightseer lounge for a better view and didn't return to my seat until we neared Portland.

8:18am - My like-minded train mates.

8:36am/9:33am - The scenery made for such a pleasant dining experience.

9:55am - The first Oregon stop. The man in the green tracksuit on the left was getting kicked off for disturbing other passengers. I don't know the whole story, but he was very gregarious and talked nonstop in the lounge.

10:35am - A pair of tour guides boarded at Klamath Falls and told us about all the happenings in the surrounding area (and made me realize how much of a city girl I really am).

10:44am - Upper Klamath Lake. Beautiful, isn't it?

10:49am - Here you can see how close we were to the water. (!!!)

11:09am - Connie started sketching to keep busy.

1:23pm - Connie gets her daily dose of caffeine while the train is passing through a lush forest. Seriously, the variety of scenery along this route is enough to keep me from getting bored.

1:33pm - Sadly, this is the only photo of us together during this whole trip.

4:06pm - O Golden Hour! Much pleasure thou can'st give me.

4:12pm - My first time viewing a sunset in Oregon (and it did not disappoint).

4:33pm - Somewhere between Salem and Portland.

4:35pm - That light...

A Day in San Jose

My sister had a bucket list for fall which included a photoshoot with leaves, so I visited her in San Jose to help her check that item off her list (never mind that it's already the middle of winter). I took the chance to explore the city a little bit. Stephanie said that I'm the first tourist she's ever seen there.

We stopped at Falafel's Drive-In for lunch and ate at the rose garden.

This was my first time at Santana Row, and I didn't go into any stores—just Pinkberry.

The cats at this park were a nice change from the homeless people I usually see at SF parks.

Should've known this was a sign that we weren't done eating.

No trip to SJ is truly complete without Vietnamese food.

Christmas in San Francisco

Alright, this post is over a month late, but I have a good reason! My laptop was in the shop for a few weeks (my uncle gave priority to his paying customers, but he replaced my LCD for free). Not that any of this matters since no one reads this blog. Anyway, I spent Christmas with Bonny and Steph in the most tourist-ridden part of the city. We didn't know where else to go, and we knew that the Musée Mécanique (best thing about Fisherman's Wharf) is open every day of the year.

P.S. This is the first post featuring photos taken with my new camera!