Hi! My name is Mike! And like the rest of EXTRANOMICAL'S tour guides, I really enjoy what I do. It's been a natural fit for me. I love people; I enjoy life, and I like to have fun! And when you put it all together, I couldn't be happier doing what I'm doing right now. I've become pretty good at it and I'm motivated to become better! I take each individual tour that I'm assigned to as a completely unique experience unto itself. My aim is to make every trip an adventure, and to pack as much enjoyment, enlightenment and excitement (the 3 E"s) into that day as I possibly can. I'm hoping to make every trip as memorable an event as possible. I'm attempting to make each tour a day that we can all look back on with great joy and fondness.
I'm originally from New York but I've spent nearly all of my adult life here in the Bay Area, and from the moment I first set foot in San Francisco (back then it was the Summer of Love.man, were those the days!), I knew I'd work my way back someday. I just flat out fell in love with the place. And a few years later I did. I've been out here ever since. I live over on the sunny side of the bay and have a home in the Castro Valley area. My background is in music and I sang professionally and played guitar for over 20 years before my 2 boys came along. At that point, taking care of the kids became the focal point of my life. Let's say I had to get a "real" job. And so, I did. And over the last 20 years or so, I've been a district manager for a local newspaper, an echocardiographic technician (you know, heart scans) and even started my own distribution business. I also was able to coach my sons, who wound up being pretty good athletes themselves, in youth sports while they were growing up. And not so amazingly, we won Championships in soccer, basketball and baseball both at the local level as well as the District level. But the one that's meant most to me has been my internet based sports memorabilia business (MMA and Pro Wrestling based), steeladeel.com. The business was handed "up" to me by my oldest son, who started it. My youngest son was the one who designed the website and most of the programming for it. During that run I got to meet and do business with some amazingly talented, gifted and unique athletes and individuals, both male and female. Many of whom rose to Championship levels of fame and fortune. Randy Couture and John Cena, among dozens of others, maybe stand out as the two most recognizable. Being around these highly motivated and successful individuals, you can't help but to become inspired.
In terms of which of our tours I prefer most., uh, that's a nearly impossible one to call. So, let me frame it this way; who's your favorite child (if you don't have one, just pretend, alright)? Obviously, there are no favorites. So, you see what I'm tawkin' about? You love them equally but for different reasons. In terms of sheer fun, nothing tops wine country. How can you possibly beat exploring the beautiful and historic countryside of Napa/Sonoma, while conversely tasting and sampling fine wines and cheeses (among other delights) while simultaneously engaging with and meeting new, exciting and interesting people from all points of the world? And then to boot, we're greeted and then hosted by friendly, cordial and like minded staff and assorted buddies at the wineries, whose sole aim and purpose is to get us all feeling looser and even more relaxed and at-ease than we already are. I mean, you got sumptin better than that? It's a bona fide recipe for a day of recreation, enjoyment and pleasure!
Now, as great as the wine is, Yosemite is an altogether entirely different undertaking. Yosemite was considered a holy place by the indigenous people that originally inhabited its heavenly valleys. It is a place that offers most of us a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Every time I enter the magical kingdom of YNP, I'm always humbled and grateful to be able to spend a few moments amidst the great natural splendor and grandeur that Yosemite is. I learn something new and experience something unique on every visit. Whereas wine loosens up our minds and bodies (man, is that a tough act to follow), Yosemite enriches our spirits and souls. During my lunch break, I usually find myself at the nearby stream (weather permitting), and wind up reflecting on my past life. It's something I've rarely been able to do throughout most of my busy life and it's indicative of how much I'm able to slow down in a natural environment (man comes in a feeble 2nd to the forces of nature in Yosemite). It has been these moments, I believe, that have actually helped to change my perspective, and as a consequence, my outlook on life. I've never thought of myself as a spiritual person, however the more time I spend in the wilderness, the more I'm able to understand who I am, and what I'm about. If you've been there, you may relate to what I'm saying; currently, there simply aren't enough adjectives in the English language that can remotely convey what a profoundly moving experience Yosemite can be; summer, winter, snow or sun!
And, with that I'm outta here. However, I do look forward to meeting y'all out there at some point and sharing a few moments of the great joy and wonder that is the Bay Area experience!
Love, peace and happiness
