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So this is happening in a few days. First Phoenix, then a brief detour to Oakland/SF/Richmond/Berkeley which I believe local residents have handily shortened to "The Bay Area", then Phoenix again, then Atlanta. And in between all that, layovers in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City, which is what happens when your primary consideration while booking flights is "cheapness".

WTF you may say to yourself, and I would counter with "Yes." The Bay Area business is about a one-time convenient moment to play in a "guitar orchestra" composed and arranged by one of the two people who kind of invented the idea back in the late 70s. And see some old friends like Wendy and Al.

Oakland will be brand new territory for me, so you know what that means:

View Bay Area Epicity in a larger map

Possible highlights near my home base in Oakland:

Champa Garden: Laotian.

Olde Depot: Beer.

Hawker Fare: Cheap and unusual southeast Asia street food, not open very late.

Box and Bells. Michelin-starred bar food, inconveniently located.
Tian Jin. Northern Chinese dumplings.

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