San Diego: Jeff's Favorite US City

In a short 3.5 hours (200 miles), you can get from Edwards to San Diego. Truly a world away. San Diego is Jeff's favorite big US city so we've been four times now. Each visit has been unique and adventurous. But for this post, we'll just give a broad overview of your options.

Basics:
Short weekend, long weekend or entire week. San Diego's got enough for you.

Consider visiting when the Red Bull Air Races are in town (not in 2010).

You can stay at any of the various military installations in the San Diego vicinity. Click here for the DoD Lodging webpage. North Island NAS is our favorite because it's on Coronado Island. From lodging (or the Navy Lodge), you can bike to the shops and restaurants on the island. A favorite 'by-the-slice' pizza joint is Alexander's Pizza at 849 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA‎. It's a low-key place with a specialty named 'Scooby Snacks.' They're small pizza balls served with Ranch dressing and are delicious. For a special occasion, stay at the Hotel Del Coronado ($$$). The Del is legendary!

If you're staying on Coronado Island, spend some time on the beach and rent a sailboat or kayak in the bay.

Drive across the Coronado Bridge and visit the USS Midway aircraft carrier (free for active duty).

For a good dinner and solid nightlife, visit the Gaslamp Quarter. Our recommendation for a classy atmosphere and a celebratory glass of bubbly is The Grape at 823 5th Ave.

Be sure to visit Balboa Park. Too numerous to list here, Balboa contains museums and performing arts venues that can entertain for days. Sundays 2-3pm during summer, the Spreckels Organ Pavilion presents free outdoor concerts.

The San Diego Zoo (free for military, 10% off for dependents) and associated Wild Animal Park are world-renowned. Take the kids to Sea World. Drive out to Cabrillo National Monument. Rent a kayak and visit the La Jolla sea caves (just north of San Diego). Here's the outfitter I chose.

As you can see, the options in San Diego are mounting. So here's a condensed version:

-In 3 days, stay on Coronado Island, visit the USS Midway and take in the S.D. Zoo & Balboa Park.

-With an additional day, visit the Cabrillo National Monument, kayak in La Jolla and spend the evening in the Gaslamp Quarter.

-Then add Sea World and a play or musical at Balboa Park. Don't fret if you don't have the time to see and do everything in San Diego. You'll be back.

Channel Islands National Park

The Channel Islands are truly a hidden gem of Southern California. They consist of 5 islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara) and are accessible by boat via several concessionaires. A good amount of preparation is required for a visit to the Channel Islands and should be done using the National Park Service's website. You can take a boat to one of the islands for a few hours - day trip from LA using Island Packers or you can camp overnight.

We opted for the 5-hour visit to Anacapa Island. The Island Packers' small boat didn't fare well on the hour plus journey to the island through rough seas - nor did we. But once on dry land, the day got better. We stopped at a Whole Foods in LA before embarking and had our very own picnic on the island. Five hours was plenty of time to traverse the entire island, read all of the interpretive signs, take plenty of photos and still have time to watch for the return of the boat. Some visitors opted for a kayak trip along Anacapa's coastline or snorkeling from the pier.

On the return trip from Anacapa Island to the mainland, the Island Packers boat motored past a sea lion colony, interesting rock formations and a handful of floating oil platforms.

Take a backpack, water and dress for the weather. This trip is kid friendly and can run start to finish from Edwards in one long day.

Vegas - Our Way

3.5 hours (205 miles) away, Las Vegas makes a great weekend trip from Edwards. You can drive over on a Friday evening and return on Sunday - though we advise leaving earlier rather than later on Sunday. A rush of traffic always seems to develop along I-15 late on Sundays. If you happen to get hit in this traffic jam, exit at Harvard Road and take the service road a few miles parallel to I-15.

Weekend stays in Vegas can sometimes be pricey - and if that's a burden - try the VOQ at Nellis AFB. Else, there are plenty of good buys along The Strip. To keep other costs down, take bagels and fruit for breakfast and try to get off The Strip for other meals. But don't skimp too much because Vegas restaurants are tops.

Since we've made a half dozen visits to Las Vegas, this weekend's trip hit a few lesser known highlights. Let's start with breakfast. The Maple Tree restaurant served up a good breakfast skillet (also lunch) at 6000 Spring Mountain Road. We tried the Egg and I as well (large portions - great muffins): 4533 West Sahara Avenue. Both are 10 minutes from the Strip.

Instead of neon and gambling, try some hiking. Red Rock Canyon (17 miles from downtown Las Vegas) has a 13 mile scenic drive and miles of great hiking (chilly, 4700' elevation). Make a stop at the visitor's center to pick up a trail map because the trails are not well marked. You can also get your National Parks Passport stamped. For the geology minded, you can view the Keystone Thrust Fault. Seasonal waterfalls, a sandstone quarry and plenty of 'red' rocks await you.

En route home to Edwards, we stopped to visit the Calico Early Man Site (2 mile diversion from I-15 along a dirt road). Check the link for tour hours (by donation). Our host, Chris Christensen, possessed a wealth of knowledge and shared his excitement with us. It was hard to believe that this part of California was once quite fertile and hosted early man (and his stone tools). There's not much to see and you may only stay a half hour, but it's worth the stop.

After lunch at the brand new Chipotle in Barstow (2590 High Point Parkway), we stopped at the Western America Railroad Museum. Admission is free and they have a half dozen or so locomotives and cabooses you can actually climb on & peek inside. Great for kids! Take your Chipotle to the museum and enjoy a picnic outside among the locomotives. Next door and also free, you can visit the Route 66 Mother Road Museum. They've got 3 rooms of Rt 66 memorabilia and a decent gift shop.

Remember, a trip to Las Vegas can be a great adventure even if you're not a casino type.

Gem-O-Rama

Every year the Town of Trona, California throws open its doors for Gem-O-Rama. We were first introduced to Gem-O-Rama through Mike Rowe on “Dirty Jobs.” He had come to Trona to help prep the lake bed for this crazy experience. In 2009 Gem-O-Rama fell on the same weekend as my husbands birthday – so we got a group together and drove to Trona.

Trona is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Edwards. Heading out the North Edwards you take Hwy 58 towards Barstow till you hit Cramer Junction where you take a left. Then follow 178 to Trona. There is not much to see on your way to Trona other then open desert.

We made a quick stop at the Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark just to check it out. (http://www.desertusa.com/Thingstodo/ttdtrails/du_ttd_trona.html) If you have seen “Land of the Lost” or other movies set on foreign planets then you have probably already seen the Trona Pinnacles. The pinnacles are actually “toufa spires” that rise from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin. You can “scramble” up the side of the pinnacles to get a closer look. I will warn that once you turn of Hwy 178 you are on dirt road for much of your visit. We made it in our Toyota Matrix but be warned, it was a bumpy ride.

If you head to Gem-O-Rama make sure you pack your lunch. Trona has a few little restaurants but with the crowds from Gem-O-Rama they were swamped. We were able to find a nice shady picnic table for our lunch right off of Hwy 178.

Don’t let the Searls Lake Gem & Mineral Society web page fool you – Gem-O-Rama runs like a well oiled machine. The festivities happen on both Saturday and Sunday with each day featuring different field trips. If you aren’t sure which trip you want to be on they had a movie running of what the different trips looked like. On all field trips you drive your own vehicle on to the collecting site and you pay per vehicle, not per person. When we arrived we had already missed the morning “mud pit” field trip. This is perhaps the dirtiest of all the field trips where people actually dig through the mud to find pink hyalite. The next field trip to the “blow hole” started at 2:30pm. This gave us plenty of time to walk around and enjoy the many gem collectors booths. One of the girls in our group makes jewerly and found some amazing deals on beads through these vendors. We also go snow cones (for $1) to beat the heat. They run fieldtrips to see the Searls Lake mineral factory but the line was so long we knew we wouldn’t make it before our 2:30pm “blow hole” trip.

The “blow hole” was just as we had seen it on TV. We arrived to find large mounds on the lakebed where Gems had been pumped out of the brine solution and left on the lakebed to dry out. Everyone left their cars and ran toward the mounds. Before we knew it we were up to our elbows in gems. (These gems are water soluble though so you can’t just rise them in plain water – they have to be rinsed in a salty solution.) The rule is that if you can carry it – you can take it home. Just when digging in the mud started to get boring it was time for the live blow hole demonstration. Within a few minutes water and Gems were spraying out of this nozzle from the ground spreading mud everywhere. When they were done a whistle sounds and everyone runs into the fresh mud to find more gems. (Or if you are like us you just ran into the mud to run into the mud.) Families are invited to hang around looking for gems till 5pm – but shortly after the blow hole demonstration our buckets were full and we decided to head home.

Will we visit Gem-O-Rama again – probably not. Its something everyone living out here should certainly do once. It is a great outing for kids though – so long as you don’t mind them being really dirty!

This is one of those trips you need to pack appropriate clothing for - don't pack anything you won't mind ruining.

Santa Anita Park (Horse Racing)

Santa Anita Park is two hours south of Edwards in a town called Arcadia (just east of Pasadena). Drop in for a day at the track. If you've never been, it's a lot of fun - and kid friendly. Even if you're not a gambler, an afternoon watching the races is a great time. But do note that unlike other events, horse races have a race then 30-45 minutes of down time, then another race, etc. This will leave you plenty of time to walk around the park and get a bite to eat.

Literally next door to the track is a Westfield shopping mall. So it might even be a good idea to send dad & junior to the track and mom to the mall. While there are plenty of good eats in and around the mall, I recommend a 6 mile drive to Pasadena for dinner. Pasadena is one of my favorite cities in all of America and its culinary treats are sure to delight.

Houston's (320 South Arroyo Parkway) is a small, upscale chain we enjoyed while stationed at Robins AFB, GA. Don't miss the Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Worth the $13 pricetag.

If you've got the kids along, try Pie'n Burger (913 East California Blvd). This place is a Pasadena institution. And as you guessed, you should probably have a burger and fries there - with a slice of homemade pie for dessert. Beware the ala carte menu, as it may get expensive quickly! Service is slow but the ambiance is worthwhile.

Special Night Out: 561 Restaurant is a white linen place run by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. It's their teaching restaurant. So its very likely that your sommelier will be nervous and your server will hand you an evaluation form at the end of dinner. But the menu was excellent and the experience was unforgettable. An amuse-bouche even showed up after our first course.

Note that Pasadena restaurants have no corkage fee on Wednesdays. You're probably not visiting Santa Anita track on a Wednesday - but just in case. Here's the list of participating restaurants!

Bubblegum Alley - San Luis Obispo

It's gross - but we loved it. Tucked away in an alley in downtown San Luis Obispo (on Higuera St, just North of Broad St), you'll find an alley coated on both sides in bubblegum. Folks have been putting gum on the walls here for decades. Bring some from home or stop into any of the nearby merchants (they have bubblegum machines). San Luis Obispo (called SLO by everyone) is 4:30 from Edwards, so combine this 20 minute diversion with a trip up the PCH or to Hearst Castle or wine country. Try this website for more pictures.

Hearst Castle

Consider a trip along Hwy 1 to Hearst Castle on a 3-4 day weekend. Leave Edwards for a 5 hour (300 mi) drive to San Simeon and take one of the 4 tour options. Tour 1 (The Experience Tour) is $18 and lasts 1:45 + includes an IMAX film (worth the cost). If you don't show up early in the morning, buy tickets on their website or call 800-444-4445 because tours book up quickly. And because its extremely hard to gauge what time you'll arrive in San Simeon, plan ahead and arrive early. There's plenty in the visitor center to occupy you for an hour. W.H. Hearst's castle boasts a collection of mismatched antiquities and a couple of fabulous pools - the most famous being the Neptune Pool.

Consider spending the night at Vandenberg AFB (93 mi south). If in summer, Vandenberg has a beach and makes a fine launching point for your weekend's activities. Ask for the "Sideways" room when you book at lodging. This is a specially themed room, of course themed after the movie filmed nearby. Staying in San Simeon is impractical and hotels/B&Bs elsewhere in the area are expensive. For a special weekend, try the Cass House Inn in Cayucos, CA. This small town was recently showcased in Budget Travel's article on the top 10 small towns in America. It appeared first in the spread - but Elizabeth claims the 10 were listed in alphabetical order not by "precedence." There isn't much in Cayucos except a few antique dealers, a handful of fun restaurants, a pier and surfing lessons! While in Cayucos, pick up a few tasty treats at the Brown Butter Cookie Co., owned by two sisters who are such caring people. Their cookies have sea salt on top, which is quite tasty. The best place in Cayucos to pick up a picnic lunch is at the Old Cayucos Bakery & Deli. Picnic at San Simeon State Park (30 mins north, at the pier, of at the butterfly grove - next)

If you're visiting the mid-central CA coast between about December and February, stop into the Pismo Beach Monarch Grove. You'll see tens of thousands of butterflies just hanging around. A 5 minute walking path leads through a small Eucalyptus grove and docents are sometimes on hand to answer questions. Elizabeth and I visited on a Sunday and the docents were making their weekly butterfly count. Using a giant net, they caught hundreds of butterflies, put them in brown paper bags and marked each one with a marker before releasing.

Recommended itinerary: Drive to Vandenberg and spend the night. Get up and drive to the butterfly grove for a 30 min stop. Then drive further north to Cayucos. Visit the cookie place and pick up a picnic lunch at the Old Cayucos. Stroll thru town. Continue north to the San Simeon State Park and picnic on the tables there. End the day with a tour of Hearst Castle. On day 2, drop back south and visit the Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo wineries.

Elephant Seals

If you find yourself driving up Hwy 1 make sure you check out the elephant seal Rookery at Piedras Blancas. The rookery is twelve miles north of Cambria and four miles north of the entrance to Hearst Castle. We've been there on several trips and it never ceases to be both entertaining and educational. Friends of the Elephant Seal provides docents to explain the behaviors of the animals.

On this particular trip in early January the elephant seals were giving birth to their calves. The beach was littered with the little guys - sticking close to their mom's as they sunned themselves. The juvenile males provided a show by "sparing" or charging at each other with loud vocalizations. A boardwalk provides an up close view that is not intrusive to the seals.

There are many spots for seal viewing along Hwy 1 but none as accessible or fun-filled as this one.

Lancaster Jethawks Baseball

Not everything is a 2-7 hour drive from Edwards. This one's only 45 minutes. Kicking off the home stand this year on 12 April 2010, the Lancaster Jethawks baseball team is a sure hit. Well, it's good for a handful of fun evenings each spring. ITT has Family Fun Packs (good only for Friday games) that include 4 tickets and some food for ~$24. Be sure to take a blanket or jackets, as the temperature plummets after the sun goes down.

Dry Lakebed Meteorite Hunt

I got this idea when Elizabeth and I were at the Griffith Park Observatory in LA. A display showed a collection of meteorites found in Southern California. I noticed that most find locations were area dry lakebeds. It turns out that dry lakebeds are fabulous places to spot celestial visitors because the lakebeds are hard and the meteorites don't penetrate (sts).

The easiest way to hunt for meteorites is to head to Cuddeback Dry Lakebed. Hunting on base isn't advised due to security reasons. Exit North Gate, take route 58 east, then route 395 north. After 18 miles on 395, look for Cuddeback Road on your right (dirt road). Six miles on Cuddeback Road will take you to the dry lakebed. Then hunt for meteorites! But don't forget your way back off the lakebed.

Take plenty of water and appropriate clothing/footwear.

Lancaster Musical Road

This may be the neatest non-aerospace treat in the Antelope Valley. It takes 5 minutes to experience and you'll go back every time you have guests in town. From Edwards, take the 14 south, exit Avenue G and go right. Get into the left hand lane. About 1.5 miles from the 14, the music starts. The tune is the "William Tell Overture." The musical road was originally in another part of the AV, but was moved to its current location some time ago. The posted speed limit is 55 mph, but the grooved pavement tune sounds better at higher speeds. Enjoy!

The Mendocino Coast

A distant 530 miles from Edwards via I-5, the picturesque Mendocino Coast makes a great 5-7 day trip. Any less time and you'll feel like a prisoner in your car. Normally, I would choose to pick a couple of roadside diversions along the way - but there was little that would make me lengthen the drive! But on insistent advice from a coworker, I decided to stop at the ultimate roadside distraction: Casa de Fruta. Tucked along route 152 between I-5 and route 101, Casa de Fruta is the epitome of tacky, overpriced and obnoxious. Billed as a dried fruit vendor, Casa de Fruta housed a carousel, passenger mini train, wine tasting, snack shop, ice cream & fudge, panning for gemstones - and you guessed it - boards to stick your head through. Yes, the ultimate break from a long drive! But beware, visiting Casa de Fruta then forces a longer drive to Mendocino. Your likely route from Edwards would then be I-5N to rt 152 to rt 101N.

En route close to Mendocino, you'll pass through some of the finest stands of Redwoods. Then you will be treated to remarkable coastal scenes along the PCH. Mendocino itself is tiny, but caters to the tourist. On Lansing St, you'll find the Harvest Market. Load up on picnic eats and a few bottles of local wine. For those interested in local architecture and history, spend 2 hours walking around town and through the local shops. For a rest, stop into Breggo Cellars on Main Street and taste their red wines.

Take those picnic eats with you on a stroll along the Mendocino Headlands (go west to the end of Main St). You'll find stairs down to a small beach, or you can stay on top and enjoy watching the waves crash against the coastline.

Now that you've seen the town of Mendocino, you'll want to expand your ring of experience. Highlights along the Mendo Coast are the Russian Gulch and Van Damme Beach State Parks. You'll find short-to-long hiking trails along beautiful coastline and interior forests (to include several Pygmy forests). Driving 10 miles north, you'll be rewarded at MacKerricher State Park. There, you can find a nature trail leading to easily accessible tidepooling and an overlook where you'll find sea lions / seals. Unless you're a birding enthusiast, avoid the walk around the lagoon. The boardwalk ends 200 yards into the walk and you'll find yourself wondering why you didn't just stay a little longer at the seal overlook.

For a romantic touch, consider Ricochet Ranch trail rides on the beach or amongst the Redwoods. We took the $45, 90-min ride along the beach and it was perfect. Ask how many are going on the ride you book - and avoid going when there's a crowd of tourists.

Now that you've seen nature, check out a blending of man's impact on nature. Glass Beach, around 901 Glass Beach Drive in Fort Bragg, CA, is a serious enjoyment. On the site of an old dump, this beach's sand is half sand, half beach glass. Spend an hour sifting through the variety of colored glass.

Also in Fort Bragg (just north of Mendo), you'll find the Skunk Train. It has a variety of short rail trips. They were closed when I was there, but reviews are excellent. Of note, CNN named the rail graveyard behind the Skunk Train building in Fort Bragg to their top 10 Most Creepy Sites in America in 2009.

The Anderson Valley (along hwy 128) is a day-trip from Mendo. Tasting fees are reasonable (Free or $5 for ~ 6 pours) and the valley hasn't yet become a busy Napa. Pick up a map of the local wineries and be sure to try Scharffenberger (sparkling), Husch and Handley. Combine with a trip south along the PCH to the Point Arena lighthouse and the oddly curious bowling ball beach.


Logistics:
1. Because cell & data reception are poor in Mendocino, you may need to find Moody's Organic Coffee Bar (pay Internet).

2. You can't go wrong with the restaurants in the town of Mendocino - but expect fairly expensive entrees.

3. Pack layers.

4. Travel is slow on the Mendo coast. The roads are windy and speed limits are low.

SanFransisco Family Fun

We all arrived in SF in the evening. We are members of the Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel and always take advantage of their great hotel location and amazing happy hour. After catching up over some wine and great views of Union Square we headed to Chinatown for dinner. Our concierge recommended the Empress of China and boy was it yummy.

The next day after mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church we headed uptown for breakfast. The line for Sears Fine Foods Restaurant was up the street - but it was worth the wait. I had the famous pancakes and they were yummy! We spent our time waiting in line planning out the rest of our day.

The plan was simple walk from Sears Fine Foods to the Exploratorium. Turns out the walk is about 5 miles but was full of mini adventures.

The first stop was the Cable Car Museum on the corner of Washington and Mason. The museum features the cables that run under the streets of SF powering the cable cars. Another perk - the museum is free.

From the Cable Car Museum it was a leisurely downhill walk to the waterfront. There is some construction on the sidewalks around Ghiradelli square so we ducked into the San Fransisco Maritime Museum run by the National Park Service. The ranger was nice and pointed us toward a back staircase and we were treated to some amazing views of Alcatraz in the process. Oh and we got stamps for our National Parks Passport!

Once on the walking path we basically followed the Golden Gate Trail up through Fort Mason and down the other side to the Marina. At this point we were closer then we thought, but due to some sinage, intended to help traffic flow - not pedestrians, we enjoyed a walk through the surrounding neighborhoods first. You cannot miss the Palace of the Fine Arts which sits right next to the Exploratorium. When we saw the Palace we knew we must be close. We clearly had not walked enough though so we walked all the way around the Palace before we found the entrance to the science museum.
The Exploratorim was recommended for children but we thought we would check it out since we are a science loving group. We figured it would be a nice hour inside - plus it looked like rain. Three hours later we emerged having had lots of hands on fun. By the looks of the surrounding park we missed quite the deluge while we were playing inside.

We regrouped and decided to walk back towards the piers to dinner. We stopped into Scoma's. We were all rather tired - so we took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine. Scoma's was the perfect mix of great food but not so upscale that we couldn't go in our walking clothing. It is also is off the main tourist track so its crowded but not overrun. We waited maybe 20 min for a table for five.

A trip to SF wouldn't be complete without a cable car ride back to the hotel... so our evening ended with a harrowing leap from a semi-stopped cable car. There is nothing like a cable car ride in light rain through the streets of San Fransisco to end your visit to this great California city.

Cutting Down our Christmas Tree

Cutting Down Our Tree

We didn’t get a Christmas Tree last year so this year I decided we had to cut our own down. I went to the trusty uPick webpage that has yet to steer us wrong and found a nice place in Santa Clarita.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving we headed into LA to see family. We met them at the Santa Monica peer and walked around for a bit. There is a little known aquarium under the peer that costs only a $2 donation and you can touch just about anything in there. It’s a bit overpriced for adults – but if you have little ones it is the perfect afternoon distraction. The Pier has plenty of offer in stores, amusements and people watching. We grabbed a very late lunch at Bubba Gump's on the Pier – and while we typically avoid chain restaurants we were pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious and the service was great. I am not sure where the time went but before we knew it it was time to head back to Edwards.

We decided, despite the sinking sun, that we would hit the “cut your own tree” place on our way home. We pulled into the parking lot at “Nancy’s” which is just beyond the mall. Under giant power lines brining power into the city is a small tree farm. We were taken by surprise to find that while the already cut section featured Frasier and noble furs apparently only Monterey pines grow locally. We are all about buying local so we decided we would cut our own Monterey Pine. We chose a little one that would fit in the back of the Matrix without a problem. With the sun almost completely down Jeff cut down our tree. We were then offered a range of services such as fire proofing, needle shaking and bagging. We chose simply to lay the tree in the back of the car and head home.

The tree is now set up in our house – it looks lovely. Decorating it was a bit of a mess. The Monterey Pine is a longer needled tree that seemed to impale us every time we attempted to put an ornament on it. Regardless it looks lovely and we are excited to have a local tree. I’m thinking next year we will just follow the neighbors lead and pick our tree up from the Boy Scouts at the BX.

The Holidays - LA Style

Saturday we headed into LA for dinner and holiday lights. We were joined by a friends from base and LA for a fun holiday evening.

We met at Uwink for dinner. Uwink bills itself as “Social Entertainment Returant.” The idea is rather clever. Each table has a touch screen which allows you to order food, summon the wait staff and play games.

Uwink turned out to be a place where the ideals failed to meet the reality. Our video screens never really worked. We successfully placed our meal orders and that is where the system shut down. We were unable to link our multiple tables for group games and then most of the single player games broke down. (We did all partake in the “love match” game though to mixed reviews.) The food was mediocre at best. Uwink would be better to focus on a smaller menu or perhaps just be a burger place – since that is what they do best. The worst part however was trying to pay the bill. The system does not allow you to put more then one person on the bill – leading to LOTS of card swiping. So much card swiping that the system couldn’t keep up. The good news is that the group we went with is very laid back and all this rolled off them in an attempt to save the evening.

After finding our way over to the Griffith Park Zoo we headed toward the Griffith Park Lights. The show is actually officially known as the “Department of Water and Power Light Festival.” Its a 1.6 mile walk through lights show. Coming from GA I expected a light show to rival Callaway Gardens. I expected a nativity or at least non-denominational Christmas themed displays like the 12 days of Christmas or snow. Instead we were treated to an DWP advertisement. The show was best summed up by a member of our group who pondered if at the end they were going to ask us to sign up for water and power service with them. It was clear that without DWP Chrismtas would not be possible.

All kidding aside though – it was a nice group outing. The weather in LA at Christmas can’t be beat. It was just cold enough to wear a scarf and hat but not so cold as to make the walk unpleasant. The lights stimulated lots of laughs and conversation.

Would I go again? Probably not, but I’m glad we spent some time with our friends enjoying the holiday season.

Labor Day in Los Angeles

We spent our Labor Day Weekend exploring Los Angeles. It seems like every time we end up in LA we are overwhelmed with things to do. On this particular trip Jeff and I arrived in LAX from separate work trips at the same time. Ever conscious of lodging costs we headed to Fort MacArthur (http://www.sanpedro.com/sp_point/ftmac.htm) for the night. As military lodging goes it is one of our favorites – you can’t beat the coastal views and the base is beautifully manicured. It also provided the perfect staging ground to head out to Catalina Island.

When Jeff graduated from TPS his cousin gave us a gift certificate for the ferry to Catalina so we took advantage of the lovely weather and headed out to the Island. The Catalina Express (http://www.catalinaexpress.com/) schedule can be a bit confusing and reservations are recommended. We called the help line and were booked on the 8:50am ferry headed out to the Island and the 3pm ferry back. The ferry ride lasts about an hour but flew by as we watched the coastline disappear and were treated to a variety of wildlife from dolphins racing the boat to frolicking seals and birds. Before we knew it we were pulling into Avalon.

Although there are a variety of tours offered on Catalina we decided to wait till we arrived to figure out our schedule. We spent the first 45min wandering around Avalon and getting the lay of the land. The walk out to the Casino (http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/avalon/poin_casino.php) was much quicker then it looked, taking only about 15min. Around the back of the Casino was the Catalina Island Museum (http://www.catalinamuseum.org/) the five-dollar entry charge was well worth it. The Museum has an amazing collection of old photographs of Catalina that make it easy to feel like you have gone back in time. The Museum was a great place to start our visit as it highlighted our must sees of the trip.

We spent the rest of the morning wondering around the shop area grabbing small snacks at stores and admiring the variety of homes. Around noon we decided to high-tale it back to the Casino and try to catch the “behind the scenes” tour. We arrived just in time – grabbing the last two slots on the tour. (I would recommend making your reservations online if you know its something you want to do.) The Casino tour was the highlight of our trip – we felt like we had been swept back in time as we explored every dressing room and backstage area of the theater. The tour ends on the worlds largest circular dance floor in the casino ballroom. In addition to everything being fully restored they have adorned the walls with photographs of the Casino in its hay day. It was truly amazing!

After our tour we strolled back to the docks to catch our ferry home. Our day was not over though – a quick change of clothing and we were off to the Hollywood Bowl. (http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/) We met up with friends on the property of the Hollywood Bowl for a pre-show picnic. As long as it’s the philharmonic show you are welcome to bring alcoholic drinks with you. As the sun set we enjoyed some Whole Foods and a few bottles of wine with friends. We stowed our picnic items in our car and headed up to our seats. We saw John Williams conduct the LA Philharmonic in a show that featured his most recent work on Harry Potter as well as his more classic movie theme songs. By the time the third encore rolled around we were spent and ready to head home for the night.

Saturday we headed to Hermosa Beach (http://www.hermosabch.org/) for a Notre Dame game watch at the North End Bar & Grill. The bar has a good selection of food and beer. The place gets a bit crowded during the game watch so you have to arrive early if you want seats. Hermosa was also having its Festival this weekend adding to the crowds. After Notre Dame’s victory over Nevada we headed into Hermosa Beach proper for the night.

We had booked tickets at the Comedy and Magic Club (http://www.comedyandmagicclub.com/) for their 20 comics show which features 20 comics each given 5 min to run through their routine. We also decided just to eat at the club –which turned out to be a great decision. We ordered the mac and cheese (which was outstanding) and an apple and goat cheese salad. The show was great and kept us laughing all night. On our walk back to the car we couldn’t help but repeat some of the best lines of the night.

Sunday was our errands day – when you live in the desert you have to make the best of coming into town. We spent Monday recovering from our whirlwind weekend – which in my opinion is the best way to spend a holiday!