San Diego, California

I've been neglect. The truth is, I thought I accidentally deleted this blog. I'm glad that I didn't. Let me share a little bit about San Diego with you. I went to San Diego over a week ago for a little job training and was able to experience a little of the city. It is so close my trips to San Diego rarely wind up with overnight stays. This trip I stayed in Downtown San Diego and I would happily stay there again.

The trolley was right behind my hotel and for $5.00 you can have unlimited use of it for the day. I took it to Old Town and to Seaport Village. What a relaxing way to travel once you figure out how to use it and where it goes.

Approximately a two hour drive from Los Angeles, if you haven't made a trip to San Diego I highly recommend it. There are many places to go. I will even suggest that on your way home you plan to stop at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, about half an hour outside of San Diego as you head back to L.A. Check out of your room early, spend most of the day there and then continue your ride home.

Tournament of Roses Parade Preview

One of the biggest things people from all over the United States looks forward to is the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Today and tomorrow you can actually go to Pasadena and Irwindale to preview the floats as they're being decorated. You can even volunteer to help decorate the floats. Click here for more information if you're interested.

I went for the first time and had fun taking photos and I'm looking forward to both the parade and going to view the floats after. In case you're interested and don't know, you can also view the floats after the parade. It's the Showcase of Floats and they are on view January 1st through the 3rd and if you haven't gone I'd recommend it. Leave early. There is nothing like seeing these up close and in person.

If you'd like to go see the link above for the locations. It is $7.00 and the ticket is good for entry to all float decorating locations. Parking is free and wear comfortable shoes.

The Flower Mart

If you like flowers or have been looking for flowers for someone and you've never been to the Flower Mart near downtown Los Angeles, you don't know what you're missing.

Open for both retail and wholesale business you can find the largest selection of flowers and plants you could ever hope for. It's located on Wall Street between 7th and 8th Street. There are a few individual shops on the street then one open marketplace with numerous vendors with varied flowers and plants for sale.
You can buy individual bunches of flowers to create your own arrangment or purchase one of many bouquets of flowers ready to put in a vase. On my trip I spent $18.00 and had enough flowers to fill two vases. They have everything you need to create the floral arrangement of your choice and at a lower price than buying them from a local flower shop.

The visual allure and the intoxicating aroma will hook you!

Ports O'Call Village

Ports O'Call Village is located in San Pedro, CA about 20 miles from Los Angeles depending on what part of L.A. you leave from. When I was younger is was a place we used to visit frequently. It's changed a little, or maybe I'm just seeing it through older eyes. It's definitely aged but still has plenty of places to eat (fast food or restaurants), places to shop, places to sit or stand and watch the boats or people watch. Always a nice place for a date giving you the chance to walk and sit and talk as well as take in the ocean air.

Ports O'Call is just a hop skip and a jump from Cabrillo Beach and The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, both of which I've also posted about in this blog. If planning for a long day you could easily hang out at Cabrillo beach then cross the parking lot (more or less), to hit the Aquarium and then hit Ports O'Call for something to eat. Maybe you'd even like to take a boat ride around the harbor or do a little shopping.

It's straight out the 110 (Harbor) Freeway near the end of the freeway. Parking is free. If you make a day out of it, parking at Cabrillo beach rarely cost me more than $3.00 for a few hours and it covers both the beach and the aquarium and donations for the aquarium is $5.00. It cost more to go to the movies for just an hour and a half entertainment. Get out, get some air, hit the beach.

Auto Show - Los Angeles Convention Center

I can't think of the last time I've been to the Convention Center. My mouth dropped open when I drove by yesterday. They've really expanded and that place is HUGE! In fact, that entire center is going through major changes. It is now right next to the Staples Center, the Nokia Theatre and... well, I have to go back one day just to see all that's going on in that one area.



I went to the Auto Show that is being held there. It started yesterday and will be there through November 30, 2008. The L.A. Convention center is home to many large events and functions such as auto shows, career fairs, home expos, etc. It would be a good idea to check their schedule regularly just to see what's coming up in the future. You never know what you might stumble upon.

I took so many pictures I put some of them in a video for you to view. If you'd like to visit the auto show make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. I was there three hours and that was without stopping to partake in some of the wonderful food I saw and smelled. Make a day of it. Adults - $10, children under 12 - free. Parking in the convention center lot $12.00 but you may find cheaper parking in the lots around the area.

Autry National Center of the American West

The Autrey National Center is located directly across the street from the Los Angeles Zoo. It's actually a very nice little center with the Museum of the American West, the Wells Fargo theater, museum gift shop and a cafe. It cost $9 for an adult with free parking.

On display at the museum is art, artifacts, old clothing, and lots of clothes, guns and other items used in famous television shows and movies. On display and not pictured here are the costumes from shows like Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger, and ornate costumes of country western stars and singers.


On the weekend you can even experience panning for gold it the quaint little courtyard made to look like a small mining area complete with waterfall. If you're wondering what to do for the day and don't want to spend a huge chunk of money, this might definitely be worth a trip for you.

Los Angeles County Fair 2008

The Los Angeles County Fair opened this past Friday, September 5, 2008 and will be open until September 28, 2008. Opening day, admission was only $1.00 so I took advantage of it but believe me, what I save in admission I lost in time just sitting in my car waiting to get to the parking lot. I live down the street from the fairgrounds, not even a mile. It opened at 11:00. I left at 11:10 and it was 12:10 when I pulled up to the gate to pay for parking. Parking - General $10.00 (I think it was $10.00), Preferred $15.00 and V.I.P. $20.00).


Visiting the county fair is what you make of it. There is definitely something there for everyone and how long you stay depends on what you want from it. Usually, because I live so close, I just visit one section where all the vendors and crafters are, so I go shopping and browsing. There are about 4-5 buildings with vendors from front to back and vendors between each building.

This year my visit lasted six hours and all I did was wander around through the 4 buildings/barns of animals snapping pics to my heart's content. Sheep, cows, horses, turkeys, goats, pigs. The little ones can ride a pony or walk around in a pen and pet the little goats and sheep. There are contests, demonstrations and I even had the opportunity to watch a horseback riding game.



After leaving this area my only other interest this trip was the Home & Garden section where in one building were plants, Hawaiian flowers, floral displays and displays of ideal patio settings. Wandering through the green and shady hills are more varieties of plants and flowers and garden/patio displays to dream about or purchase.

Please click here for all information regarding the fair for complete information on all of the things I left out like the horse racing, carnival rides, game booths, food and entertainment including nightly concerts.


L.A. County Fair
Fairplex in Pomona
September 5-28, 2008

African Marketplace & Cultural Affair

The African Marketplace & Cultural Affair is a three week-end event that began the weekend of August 16th, is currently happening this weekend, and will end the weekend of August 30 and 31st plus September 1, 2008. I wish I could cut and paste the information regarding the wide variety of different music from Nigeria, Fiji, Senegal, Ethiopia and more that will take place on seven stages. There is plenty to see, plenty to shop for, beautiful hand-crafted and hand-carved items, and plenty to eat.

I only made a pit stop on my way somewhere else but I wish I could have stayed to hear the music. I did purchase a couple of things and my eyes feasted on all of the wonderful items for sale.

Looking for something to do? Check it out!!

Location: Rancho Cienega Park at Rodeo Dr. just west of La Brea in Los Angeles, California.

Hosted by: African Marketplace, Inc..

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

I found out that there was an aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier. On my last visit to the pier I didn't even now it was there so I thought, great! I love aquariums so I make a special trip, some 60 miles or so, lug my camera along and finally make it in after waiting for it to open. I paid $10.00 to park and $5.00 to get in. There was one room with two large tanks and three flat ones where you could touch some star fish. I was SOOOO disappointed. I wasn't in there five minutes so I don't even have any pictures to post with this.

Now, I understand that this is an organization dedicated to helping keep our oceans and shores clean and that maybe my $5.00 went towards a very good cause. Heck, I would have given them $10.00 if they'd said it a donation toward keeping our oceans clean. But I don't know what that $5.00 was for, at least not when they took it. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium only suggests a $3.00 donation.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that it's non-profit and I'm not telling you not to go. What I'm saying is, don't go unless you're also going to enjoy the pier and you've already spent enough money that another $5.00 is no sweat off your nose. The kids might get a kick out of it and I understand they have events or things that they do for the kids. What I'm saying is don't drive 60 miles to visit, waste all that gas plus $10.00 for parking. You won't be happy.

At one point I nicely asked one of the people if that room was all there was. I wasn't mad and I'm still not mad now, just disappointed. My point in asking was that I just didn't want to miss another room because I didn't see it. I was told that was all there was and though it wasn't the Long Beach aquarium it was local and featured only fish off the local coast. My thought was, "It wasn't local for me."

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

I headed out thinking I was going to the same little museum at Cabrillo Beach that I went to as a kid on a field trip. Wrong! The building is still there but it's an office. What is now there in another building is the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and I actually enjoyed it and would recommend it not just for something to do but for the kids.

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is hardly as big or as pretty as the Long Beach Aquarium but to me it was a more personal experience and not as crowded. You could literally put your nose to the glass and enjoy the different fish and sea life as if they were in a huge aquarium in your house. The plus to visiting this museum is the beach is right there to enjoy so you can really just make a day of it. Another plus is it is there is only a $5.00 donation and parking for the few hours I was there was only about $3.00. For me, someone who enjoys taking pictures, I didn't have to fight or wait to see anything then I got to go outside and take pictures of the beach and birds.




There may not be as many fish as the Long Beach Aquarium but they definitely have a few things the Long Beach Aquarium doesn't have like these beautifully colored sea slugs. Again, the kids there were having a ball and I've never seen so many star fish in my life of all varied colors and sizes.

At scheduled times they open up a section of the aquarium where you and/or the kids can pet the many star fish and anemone. From what I saw, the kids love it. There is also an exploration center.

i. CUGINI's

I had a really nice birthday. I was taken to dinner on Friday and went to Benihana's. In case you don't know what or where Benihana's is, it's a Japanese chain of restaurants where they cook your meal in front of you. Wonderful food! If you've never been, you've got to go at least once for the experience. But this post is about i. Cugini's so I digress.

Image from www.rentacarinlosangeles.comToday I went to i. Cugini's. It's pronounced eee-koo-gee-nee. I learned about this place on our local jazz station 94.7 The Wave . The have a D.J. there on Sundays for their Sunday champagne brunch with a live jazz band. Man, the food is out of this world and they have a little bit of everything from cute little round waffles to octopus salad and everything in between!

Whether you sit inside where you might find the band just a little loud or whether you sit outside and enjoy the beautiful day and the view of the Santa Monica beach and the pier across the street, the food is marvelous. Even though my sister calls me a waste at a buffet because I fill up too quickly, I managed to sample everything I wanted to (and I did say sample) - waffles, egg potato suffle, onion and bell pepper with chicken sausage, garlic chicken, garlic potatoes, ham, salmon, chilled crab legs, bread. I personally wasn't interested in (even though you might me) the oysters, different pastas, omelette and other dishes they had that I can't even remember.

And yes, I had my fill of champagne, orange juice and coffee which was excellent as well. Should I mention the dessert bar? Yummmmm! Lots of chocolate!

And if you attend for a special event there is someone there to take a picture and place it a really nice paper frame it if you wish. I highly recommend taking a trip to i. Cugini's and expect to spend about $40.00 but I personally think it was well worth it!

And believe it or not, I didn't get any pictures. I was a little embarrassed and didn't want anyone to think I'd never been to a restaurant before. I think I should make a sign for myself that reads "Taking Pictures for My Blog". LOL!

VENICE BEACH

When I visited the Santa Monica Pier I basically went down the street to visit Venice Beach. It is only a hop, skip and a jump east of Santa Monica.

Venice Beach is quite an adventure. If you're going to go I suggest heading out early because it can get quite crowded and finding parking is a zoo. I tried to vist Venice Beach about a month ago and was stuck probably 10 minutes getting down one block. This time I went during the week and parking was wonderful BUT some of the little stores were closed and it didn't offer the same variety or volume of people and things to see.

You'll find the touristy type of things to buy (t-shirts, beach clothing, trinkets, jewelry, sunglasses and some art), entertainers hoping you'll leave a tip or two. You can get a henna tattoo at several places along your walk, maybe watch or join a game of basketball, maybe the muscle builders are still there showing off their pecks in their own little corner. Or maybe you'll rent a bike or take your skates and get a little exercise as well.

Stroll the walkway of entertainment or venture across to the beach and enjoy the ocean view, maybe take a dip after passing the grafitti covered statues before you reach the sand. Venice Beach is definitely not just your average beach.

LA BREA TAR PITS MUSEUM

The La Brea Tar Pits is known for having the largest and most diverse collection of extinct plants and animals from 10,000 to 40,00 years ago.

If you remember or saw the movie Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones, the volcano erupted near the La Brea Tar Pits which is located in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles.


There is a paleontologist lab inside of the museum where you can actually watch some of the paleongologist cleaning the fossils. They are still excavating fossils.


The pond in front of the museum, which is the tar pit, contains life size replicas of some extinct animals. It still smells of tar that trapped these animals and you can see bubbles forming on the surface. The tar preserved these bones/fossils in pristene condition.

Imagine this tar pit in the heart of Los Angeles. Stand facing the tar pit and imagine none of the buildings and none of the traffic around you - just wide open land with extinct animals roaming free. Imagine them coming to this watering hole and finding it a trap from which they can't escape. Their bones are still being excavated in the heart of this city for us to view and study.