PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

PALM SPRINGS...




What can I say about Palm Springs...Beautiful, Breathtaking, Exciting, Relaxing, Energizing, Sun Sun and more Sun.  That was a mouthful.

First let me let you know where Palm Springs lies.  It is on the western edge of the Coachella Valley within the Colorado Desert.  It's an easy jump from Los Angeles about 110 miles and close to San Diego about 140 miles.  The climate has 350 days of Sunshine and less than 5 inches of rain.  In the Winter....it is absolutely fabulous with days in the 70's and nights in the mid 40's.  However in the Summer...it gets hot with temps in the 100's.  And yes it is a dry heat.

Now if you like Golf. It is a Golfer's Paradise.  Great Courses, but I don't know how you would keep you eye on the ball when the views are breathtaking with mountains surrounding you.  Check out Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. 

Want to do some more exploring.  Try taking the Aerial Tramway.  You can soar to the top of the Mount San Jacinto and get a true birds eye view.

 

 

 

Not into Golf or Heights...then what about Museums?   or Music Festivals...or Film Festivals.  Palm Springs definitely has the glamour and glitz of Hollywood.  You know it was the stomping ground of

Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and more.  They all had houses here.  And you probably knew that Sonny Bono was the Mayor of Palm Springs. 

 

So you can have a relaxed pace, with palm tree lined streets that beg you to go shopping, take in an art gallery and grab a bite to eat. 

 

Whether you drive or fly to Palm Springs you must at least experience it just once and I can guarantee you will probably want to go back again and again.



California...Northern

California...

Boy I can talk about California all day.  You have Central California...where Los Angeles is.  You have Southern California where San Diego sits.  You also have Northern California.  Home to
San Fransisco, Napa Valley and just slightly south of there lies Carmel and Monterey.   California has so much to see and do I spent 15 years there. 

Well San Fransisco as everyone knows has the Golden Gate Bridge.  I left my heart there once or was it Tony Bennett.  Anyway,  I was amazed at the expanse of this bridge.  However, you should time your trip to the bridge just right.  It can be a bit Foggy and you won't even know there is a Bridge out there.


Napa Valley, gorgeous, breathtaking, remarkable Napa Valley.  Love wine tasting, love to visit wineries and vineyards.  Then get on over to Napa Valley.  Some of the best Wines in the world are created in Napa Valley. They even have a wine train.

Keep in mind when you visit Northern California that in the winter time it can be cold and damp.  Yes believe it or not it does get a bit chilly.
So pack a jacket, maybe one that can handle a little rain.

Carmel...Monterey.  Well you all know Clint Eastwood.  He was the illustrious mayor of Carmel for many years.  Again these towns are on the water.  They are quaint and walking them is advised.  Stroll down the picturesque streets.  Grab a bite to eat in one of the many delicious bistros.

When I traveled that way, my roommate and I arrived late.  In the middle of the night.  We had booked a hotel in advance and we thankfully fell into bed the minute we got there.  We wanted to start the day early.  However we were disturbed by what we believed where dogs barking in the distance.  All night we kept hearing these dogs.  We were outraged.  How could someone not bring thier dogs in when they were barking so long.
Well we finally grabbed a little shut eye.  However when we woke up...there were those bloody dogs barking.  We couldn't believe it!  So after we grabbed breakfast we decided to find these dogs.  What my roommate and I found amazed us.  Our hotel room was right near the water.  The sounds of the barking coming in stronger as we approached the beach.  And lo and behold...sitting on a large protruding rock in the water were 100's of Sea Lions!  The Sea Lions were barking all night! 
So if you are visiting these areas keep in mind Sea Lions Bark.

Enjoy California it is a wonderful place to vacation!

California....Southern California

California...

As most people know by now I love California.  If you take the time to travel throughout the State you will be amazed how diverse this state is.
Today however I am going to talk about the Southern end of California.

Everybody knows San Diego!  San Diego has a wonderful climate all year long.
It averages about 80 degrees.  You  have beautiful beaches, great restaurants, great hotels and a great night life.  It is a lovely city.  They have mass transit that can get you around as well.  So park your car and go ahead and walk a bit.

Of course there is a Naval Base there.  It is right on the water.  Maybe take time to go out on some sailing excursions and you may see a whale or two depending upon the time of year.  Yes even the whales like San Diego

Also in San Diego take time out to visit the World's Famous San Diego Zoo. I still remember watching Johnny Carson late at night when the San Diego Zoo would bring out some of the animals.  I loved it.  You definetly should plan a few days to visit the Zoo.  It is tremendous.  If you haven't seen any of the
Sea Worlds you can definitely go while in San Diego.

San Diego is just a hop skip and a jump to Mexico.  Tijuana is a fun day trip and you can get in some shopping. 

If you are planning a trip to California, make sure you include San Diego.

CALIFORNIA....Central Part of the State

CALIFORNIA....Central

Wow!  California.   Even though I was born and raised in New York and I now reside in Florida.  I still feel California is my Home.

California is a very long state and I will be breaking it apart in sections in my podcasts.    So for now I will talk about Central California.  You know it as Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, etc, etc. 

Hollywood.....Stars... Stars and more Stars....all on the Hollywood walk of Fame.  It is lots of fun to walk down the Boulevard and see the stars that got their stars.  They date back to those that were in silent films.  Yes....silent films.  Stop by Grauman's Chinese Theater   and right there in the forecourt you can see the footprints and handprint of the stars.  It is a lot of fun to try to step in their prints to see if you feet are as big as John Wayne's or as small as Olivia De Havilland's.

I remember the first star I came across in California, I was driving down Sunset Blvd. and driving his Rolls in the opposite direction was none other than Cary Grant!  Needless to say I almost drove my car into a light pole.  WHoops!  I learned to keep my cool after that.  I did see many Hollywood Stars, Actors, Singers, and child celebrities during my 14+ years in California. 

Beverly Hills is where I seen most of my stars.  Could be that's where they went to shop....Rodeo Drive.  Great place to shop if you have a deep wallet or lots of credit cards!  But it is fun to window shop! And Star Gazing.  If you can recognize them. 

Universal Studios is also in Studio City, just a hop skip and a jump from Hollywood.  And for those who have been to Universal Florida...it is pretty much the same.  Yes they have studio sets but usually you don't see those on the tours.  But to let you in on a little secret.  Some time you can find out where they are going to shoot on the streets and you can watch the scene unfold before you.  I use to just trip over those shooting sites. I also never realized that they used a multitude of cars for Knight Rider.  They were kept on a car transport.  They used which ever car was needed for a shoot or a specific shot.  That's just a little Hollywood inside trick.

Also most people know that the famous Hollywood sign use to say Hollywood Land and it was  real estate development.  The word Land fell off. (not sure how...maybe earthquake) But the name Hollywood stuck. 
 
Santa Monica....The Beach...is just one of many of the beaches along that very long coastline. Want to see muscles...Venice Beach....want more privacy....Paradise Cove....there is a beach to please just about anyone.  However; one thing you have to see is while sitting on the beach turn and see those wonderful mountains...

California is the only State I know of where you can go to the Beach in the morning and then do a little night time skiing later that day.