California
| L.A. is such a well known town that there isn't really anything I could write about it that most of you don't already know, but I will tell you about my own relationship with it. L.A. isn't a place I would normally be interested in spending much time in, but because I have friends and family there I have visited many times. Just out of high school I spent several weeks in L.A. with two different cousins (Diane Poelman Parker and Marie Ward Wolf). At the time I was considering attending UCLA and wanted to get a sense of the city and the campus. I loved the campus, but disliked the city. I had a difficult time imagining myself having to live there, and ultimately gave up the idea of attending UCLA. Since the late 1980s however, I've found myself visiting L.A. often and learning to like it in a limited way. The main reason for my frequent visits is that one of my close friends, Gary Bennett, moved to Hollywood in 1988 and has continued to live there ever since. Not only do I enjoy spending time with Gary, but L.A. serves as a very convenient way station for my many trips to and from Asia, Hawaii, and Australia (my various homes throughout the 1990s) over the subsequent years. Stopping over in L.A., and more specifically spending time in L.A. with Gary has always been a great way for me to gear up for or decompress from the long flights across the Pacific and long periods of time spent away. I feel lucky to have a friend like Gary living in the heart of L.A.. He knows the place intimately now after almost 18 years in the Hollywood area and has found himself a great niche there. Several of his friends have become my friends, and I really enjoy being able to often just show up and do the things with him that he would be doing normally. Of course it makes it easy that we like to do many of the same things. I feel particularly lucky to have gotten to know his close friends Bruce and Andy, and love participating in Gary's weekly "skins" golf group. I feel that over the years I've been able to get to know L.A. not as a tourist or occasional visitor, but truly as an insider. While I still cannot count L.A. as one of my favorite cities, and would dread having to actually live there, I have grown to have a sincere affinity for many aspects of it. You can get a good idea of what a typical trip to L.A. is for me by viewing my Travelogue Page, where I occasionally will post synopsis of those trips. While there are specific things I like to do and see when in L.A., it probably has little to do with what those who are there on a typical vacation would be interested in seeing or doing. Therefore it may be hard to inform anyone via this page as to what I think they may want to do with there time in L.A.. That being said, I will mention a few things you may think about looking into doing if you find yourself in Los Angeles. As with all destinations listed on my Travel Page, I will provide links at the bottom of this text to recommended restaurants, pubs, museums, etc. for Los Angeles. If you have never been to Los Angeles before, you probably want to see some of the more well known tourist sites, such as Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure Park (in Anaheim) or Universal Studios. You may also look to attend the taping of a television sit-com or game show. I always like attending sporting events in the cities I visit, and in L.A. I really enjoy attending L.A. Dodgers games. I'm not a Dodgers fan, but the park is a great one. It's not new and flashy, but is comfortable, convenient, and set in a beautiful location. I would also suggest you spend some time on the beaches. Each is different and has it's own character and feel. I like walking along Venice Beach/Santa Monica Pier for the people watching (believe me, it's good). I like Huntington Beach ("surf city") for a typical "day at the beach" atmosphere. And I like Zuma Beach in Malibu for peace and quiet. The walk down Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame and a stop at Grauman's Chinese Theater seems obligatory for first time visitors, while shopping along Melrose Avenue and Rodeo Drive is sure to hold the attention of most any wife or girlfriend for several hours. There is also some good shopping spots at The Grove and Farmer's Market near Fairfax and 3rd Street. It goes without saying that in a city like L.A. there is something for everyone, and the weather is almost always near perfect. |
| Truth be told, California isn't my favorite place. While it's got a lot of things going for it, great weather, rich farmlands and wine country, beautiful coastlines, beaches, and National Parks, it also has some terrible problems. It's almost universally overpriced. It's biggest cities are crowded and dirty. It's been overwhelmed by illegal immigrants, and is a political basket case. Despite all of this, I personally feel that the city of San Diego is one of the most inviting and likeable cities in the entire United States. When I was a kid our family took several family vacations to Coronado Beach. I've only been to San Diego a few times since them, but each time I go my positive feelings about the place are reconfirmed. San Diego is a big city, but doesn't feel like one. It's only a couple of hours south of L.A., but the feeling of the city is far different from that of the aggressive, crowded, self-absorbed atmosphere that characterizes L.A.. San Diego on the other hand has all of the amenities of a large city, yet maintains a relaxed, breezy feeling that is more in tune with the once more accurate reputation California held around the world as a sunny, carefree, sanguine place. There are a lot of reasons to visit San Diego. San Diego is a surfer's paradise, and can claim one of the most beautiful metropolitan coastlines and harbors in the world. Other great attractions include the sports venues of Petco Park (home of the San Diego Padres) and Qualcomm Stadium (home to the San Diego Chargers), SeaWorld, Balboa Park, a number of golf courses, and possibly the greatest zoo in the entire world, the San Diego Zoo. For me, the downtown shopping and entertainment district known as the Gaslamp District really can't be beat. It's as fun, safe, clean, convenient, and walkable as any centrally located entertainment district in the country. The stores range from upscale brand name shops to trendy locally owned specialty shops, and the restaurants are equally diverse, with many providing outdoor seating in order to take advantage of San Diego's famously wonderful weather. |
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