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Catherine Gacad

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May 4, 2025

An Epic Journey through Japan

I was inspired by Alexandra Kostoulas, founder of the San Francisco Creative Writing Institute to start writing again and thought, why not return to my blog. Hello blog, it’s been a while.  I could talk politics or religion or parenting or…

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January 7, 2020

How to Change the World in 2020

Reflecting on the last decade, I got married, had two miscarriages, birthed and raised a healthy baby, moved from San Francisco to my hometown, traveled internationally to China, Italy, Honduras, England, France and Mexico, bought a duplex in San Francisco,…

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lair of the bear camp blue

July 25, 2019

What to Know About the Lair of the Golden Bear

The Lair of the Golden Bear is UC Berkeley’s family camp located in Pinecrest, CA, which is between Tahoe and Yosemite, and a 3-hour drive from San Francisco. Note that you don’t have to be a Cal alum to camp….

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May 10, 2019

Reconnect: University of Chicago Booth School of Business 15-Year Reunion

I moved away from the San Francisco Bay Area for the first and only time when I was 27. It was a year after 9/11. I got my first cell phone and to this day, I have retained my Chicago…

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August 15, 2018

Guide to Newport, Rhode Island

I spent two days in Newport, Rhode Island last week for business travel and fell in love with the City by the Sea! I can’t wait to go back next year and tack on an extra vacation day. If I…

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July 18, 2018

Guide to Carmel-by-the-Sea

I’m currently crushing on the beach town of Carmel, which is a 2+ hour drive from San Francisco and 15 minutes away from Monterey. We headed down for the long weekend after the 4th of July. There are a lot of…

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July 12, 2018

Updated Guide to Palm Springs

We spent three nights in Palm Springs this summer. Actually we stayed in Rancho Mirage at the Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, which is 20 minutes away from downtown Palm Springs. It was a beautiful resort with three separate pools,…

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June 14, 2018

Touring Sunnylands, “Camp David of the West,” near Palm Springs

After Disneyland, we headed down to Palm Springs for what I considered the adult portion of our vacation: a little history and architecture, fine dining and good wine. I had been wanting to go to Sunnylands ever since it opened…

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May 13, 2018

How to Maximize Your Time and Money at Disneyland

We were in Disneyland for three days last week to celebrate Franco’s 4th birthday. We went Monday to Wednesday May 7-9 which was a fantastic time to go. The weather was in the high 70s to low 80s: warm, but…

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May 2, 2018

Seattle in Less than 24 Hours

I took a very short work trip to Seattle last week (less than 24 hours) and wanted to share a few pics. The best thing about Seattle is that my dear friend Conrado, who I’ve known since the 2nd grade,…

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Welcome to my site, derived from an advice column I wrote while getting my MBA. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I give helpful, opinionated advice based on my own experience and from the expertise of my extensive network. For more, click here.

Categories

  • Archives
  • Blogging
  • Burning Man
  • City Guides
  • Education & Politics
  • Favorite Books
  • Finances & Retirement
  • Parenthood
  • Relationships
  • Religion
  • San Francisco Bay Area
  • Travel

Popular Posts

  • An Exploration of World Religions: Zoroastrianism
  • A Flowchart for Choosing Your Religion
  • Why Do Guys Date Girls Who Barely Speak English?
  • Touring Sunnylands, "Camp David of the West," near Palm Springs
  • UC Berkeley English Department
  • How to Avoid Fecal Coliform Bacteria on Your Next Flight
  • What to Know About the Lair of the Golden Bear
  • Daily Interviews
  • Pre-Thanksgiving Not So Good News
  • Oysters at Cafe des Amis

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© 2025 Catherine Gacad.