Share your travels with us! Send your vacation selfies to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Be sure to tell us who’s who, where they’re from and where you are — and include travel tips to help fellow readers globe-trot, too.
COURTESY OF THE BISCHOF FAMILY
HAWAII: El Cerrito residents Otto and Kyoko Bischof went to Oahu in December for Kyoko’s Hawaii marathon and to take in the sights, including Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, pictured. “We enjoyed local shrimp, the best banana bread in the world — seriously! — and coconut water,” Kyoko says. “All the tropical food and drink blew us away.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “We bought a Groupon coupon for a day trip to go around the whole island with a guide, who was also our driver.” Some of the local food stands only take cash, not plastic, Kyoko notes, so “bring cash with you to explore real tropical food and drink.”
COURTESY OF KATHLEEN BENDER
ENGLAND: Hayward resident and PBS “Grantchester” fan Kathleen Bender visited England last September to see her longtime English pen pal, who lives not far from Cambridge near Ely and Little Downham — and not far from Grantchester. “The entire medieval village of Grantchester IS the set of the television series,” Kathleen says. “The lovely Church of St. Andrew and St. Mary is where much of the action takes place. I tried to visit every pub for the historic ambiance — ahem — and meals served with a pint of shandy or a Guinness.”
TRAVEL TIP: Beatles fans can take the train from Ely Station to Liverpool. “Treat yourself to the Beatles Magical Mystery Bus Tour. Not only is it groovy, but you get to see much of the city of Liverpool on a two-hour tour.”
COURTESY OF PEGGY GRAHAM
BAY AREA: Sunnyvale resident Peggy Graham has been exploring the South Bay and Peninsula’s trails during the pandemic shutdown, hiking with her mom, Santa Clara resident Hudelle Newman, at Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park, pictured, and doing COVID social distancing hikes at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve with Fremont friends Mona Shah and Cindy Kunz. “Our claim,” Peggy says, “is that exercise, fresh air and cookies are keeping us healthy.”
HIKING TIP: The Baylands preserve is “a major bird migratory stop and nesting area in the late winter and early spring. Dogs on leash are allowed.”