I was nervous the first time I sat down to try out a bike from Pedego. I’d never ridden an electric bike before, and I hardly even ride bikes at all anymore. Regardless, you can never pass up an opportunity to ride around the harbor area of San Diego.

The nerves disappeared quickly as I rode away. The throttle is easy to use and the ride just as smooth as promised.

Looking for some places to eat in San Diego? As a recent transplant to SoCal, I’ve been on the hunt for the best places to eat in San Diego. Nothing here disappoints. There’s so much culture, so much life, and so much food here that I hardly even know where to start. I thought Monterey had some good choices, but out here, every turn is a surprise.

As of now, here's a small list of places I've had the fortune of taste testing so far.

The Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California, is an awesome deep dive into California's history. As a native Californian, I never thought too much about our history until recently. In fact, as a kid, history was my least favorite subject. We visited a few missions in elementary school, but I never cared too much about them as I moved into my adult life.

Things changed as I got older.

Got a minute? Or an afternoon? Consider spending it in the fabulous Oceanside, California. Oceanside — often overshadowed by its bigger brother down the beach known as San Diego — is the ultimate California Surf Town.

Seriously.

The Museum of Man — now renamed to “The Museum of Us” — is an absolute must-visit in San Diego’sBalboa Park. Across a slew of exhibits and artifacts, travel through time and cultures to witness the evolution of mankind as we know it.

And no, I’m not talking about the evolution of man from monkeys. I’m talking about man as a society, as a culture, as a race. 

So, you’ve got a weekend in San Diego. You may notice there’s more than one thing to do here. Every corner opens up the opportunity for another experience, and it can be overwhelming trying to decide where to go and what to do. Well, as someone who came here to “visit” and decided not to leave for that very purpose, let me tell you:

I feel you.

Remnants of trees once bursting with life line Oregon Highway 138 — more affectionately known as “The Highway of Waterfalls.” The tree’s carcasses may provide a less disrupted view of the roaring tides found in the Umpqua River rushing between them, but the abundance of deadened trees stripped clean of their natural beauty draws the eye even more.

In the middle of it all, caught between the flames but not destroyed by them, sits The Steamboat Inn.

The Element Bend was among the nicest hotels I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying. And for only being open five weeks at the time of my stay, I think it’s only a matter of time before they become one of the most sold-out hotels in Bend.

The moment the sliding doors opened into the expansive and welcoming lobby, a friendly receptionist gave me a genuinely warm welcome.

Anyone who loves anything outdoors should never sleep on an opportunity to explore Southern Oregon. I have visited my family in Medford many a time. However, every trip was usually for a birthday or a holiday. I hardly ever had time to actually go out and explore.

Well, a recent change in life events has given me the opportunity to spend some time here and do some proper exploring.

Located about 45 minutes northeast of Medford equidistant southeast to Crater Lake, the Joseph H. Stewart Recreation area is ideal for anyone looking for a quiet place to picnic or ride their boats.

The lake spills into the Rogue River, which trails across the entire state of Oregon until it births into the ocean at Wedderburn.