California Ballet is Big Biz

If you think that California is ALL about beaches, boogy boards and being outdoors, you haven't seen the line up of Nutcracker Ballets being planned for the holidays. There are hundreds of them in California--so many, in fact, that it is simply overwhelming. From the great Russian Ballet to San Jose, the sets, the cast and the music all provide amazing entertainment. If you haven't seen a performance, it is like watching the Olympics in some cases. Here's just a few we've uncovered in 2010.

Long Time Coming - See California a New Way

California is one of the top destinations globally and people around the world have heard of the lifestyle, movies, music and fashion that comes from the Golden State. It is the stuff dreams are made of. In honor of the dream, you can See California in a new way. After 10 years writing about its beach destinations, the natural progression was to begin exploring the entire state. Large pictures to demonstrate the entire concept about "seeing is believing" make this a must-see website worth checking out. The response to date has been great. Go see!

Greasy Foods at California Fairs Have Names Like "Heart Attack"

WE attended the Orange County Fair today and found the foods will simply amaze. Grease, oil, sugar and cream are a few ingredients that seem to have escaped the local school cafeteria. The traditional meat dishes still burn your eyes as you wander through clouds of smoke from the cooking that permeates the midway. But people seem to be gravitating toward fried foods that look really good.

Vacations in California this Summer Include Free Stuff

As usual, lots of inbound traffic from the U.S. and Europe is flooding California roads this summer 2010, though the traffic is lighter than many years past. The economy may still be in a slump in California, but the visitors are coming. They aren't buying as many gifts and goods as years past, but they are eating, beaching, shopping (with less buying) and they are attending theme parks in big numbers. If you're vacationing in California this summer, don't hesitate to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and things to see and do.

Good news includes many free concerts such as the San Pedro summer concert series, or the Seal Beach concerts.   I actually ran out of memory on my computer chips when photographing the San Pedro concert. The 4 GB from Kingston at less than $10 is a great price on Amazon!

California's 21 Missions- Which is the Largest?

Question: Which is the largest of California's 21 mission?

It strikes us just how rich the California heritage is when we look to the missions of California's past. 21 were founded this side of a border created long after the missions in Baja Mexico and California were built. Be Californians only study the 21 on this side of the border. Some have virtually disappeared, but thanks to those who cared, many were saved and rebuilt. They aren't the original structures that could not survive earthquakes, but they do provide the look and feel of the original buildings, and they contain graves of those who lived on the grounds, and sometimes even built the missions, themselves.

Answer: The largest of the missions is located in San Juan Bautista. That mission will have a Fiesta on June 20, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

What's New at The Beach?

With BP oil out of control, one rumor has it that the spill wasn't an accident, but was done on purpose by a certain country. The rumon on the net is that North Korea started it. From a PR perspective, who would want to take credit for such a disaster? The enemy would, but certainly not British Petroleum.

What we've been watching to see is how the disaster is used by competing states such as California. Come to our beaches where there's relatively little oil? Or if you fear the East Coast this year, California's doing fine? We've yet to see the State Tourism Commission here in California capitalize on the misfortune of the East Coast. Instead, they are handing out money and asking recipients to help track how the money spreads.

As for the summer heating up, all bets are off on what types of ad campaigns will attempt to lure visitors to one place or another. So far California seems to be taking the high road.

Vacations not always tied to travel these days

Californians have some of the highest unemployment in the nation. And it struck me while driving to Los Angeles the other day that I am seeing more older model cars on the road than ever before. It used to be a sign of status in L.A. to have the Porsche or the Ferrari. I drove to Pasadena where a Ferrari car show actual took to the streets on the weekend. But I have been amazed at how many are giving up the newer models, and hanging onto their cars longer. Same with vacations. People are trying to hang onto their houses, which means staying in hotels less and paying the mortgage instead. Some of the highest rates in home loan delinquincies were just reported in May 2010.

When you reside in California, vacations are so abundant and close to home, all you have to do is pack up and go to beach for the day. Last weekend I packed up and spent the day learning about MOTA, and consortium of five Los Angeles Historical buildings and museums. I topped it off with a nice dinner in Long Beach at Johnny Reb's and headed home, feeling like I'd be gone for a week, instead of a day. It was as good as any vacation I've spent a fortune on--and it was absolutely free.

I am proud to report that someone near and dear to me launched another web site, about a subject close to his heart. Be sure to check out Surf City News.com.

Los Bano Blossom Trail Map Now Out

Los Banos Blossom Trail in the Central California Valley offers beautiful springtime drives on a road trip between Los Angeles and the favorite mountain destinations such as Sequoia and Yosemite National Park. If you want to check it out, you can get info from the Los Banos Chamber of Commerce. Call: (209) 826-2495, online Visitors Guide-losbanos.com.

We'll be posting more information about this unique destination on SeeCalifornia.com

We're Feeling Your Travel Pains, USA!

California Tourism is down, as is the spending in on vacations in our Golden State. Recent reports from the Office of Travel and Tourism in the U.S. only confirm what we already (painfully) know. International Visitor Spending in the United States in 2009 shows that total international visitor spending in the United States dropped to a record-setting year-over-year decline of nearly $21 billion or 15%. That's about what the unemployment is in some California cities right now --15%.

The information doesn't make one feel better, but here are some of the conclusions of the 2009 study:

• International visitors spent $121.1 billion in the United States in 2009.
• U.K. visitors spent nearly $5 billion less (down 27%) in the United States in 2009.
• Every single country and region reported suffered declines in total travel and tourism-related spending in the United States, except Brazil. Spending by Brazilian residents increased 2 percent in 2009. Go Brazil!
• Americans cut travel spending nearly 12% less abroad in 2009.
  

Do you feel like traveling in California? Be sure to check out the great destinations that await.

Hit the Road While the Going is Good on Ca Vacations

Sure the prices have already crept up on hotels in desirable locations such as San Diego, but the traffic is light comparatively speaking. Places where the traffic becomes a "bear" include Yosemite National Park in the summer; San Diego beaches such as PB and OB; Malibu; Santa Barbara and even Pismo.

It's not too late to get moving and enjoying. There are just a few weeks remaining till Memorial Day arrives, and then all bets are off.

Where the Boys Are--So Are the California Vacations

The buzz on the Internet these days is "Where to spend my spring break?" For those lucky enough to get a break, there are plenty of places to visit--but most don't come cheap. Money is always a concern for college students and parents with kids who are off school for about 10 days.

So where are the boys? We know the girls are picking beaches with sunshine and warmth. Some are heading to Florida where the party atmosphere is more welcoming still, than in California. Some are heading to the desert favorites such as the River (Colorado) where houseboating is one of the top ways to spend a few days in pure escape.

What about California beaches? They've taken a hit as far as the college crowd goes. The warmer Southern California beaches don't allow drinking, soon all California beaches will prohibit smoking, and with few, if any vices available to the 21 crowd, what's the point?

Healthy beaches, cool breezes and water temps around the mid-60s are what you can expect during the spring break along the Cal Coast.

Catalina Island Day Trippin'

A recent blog post discussed the activities and things to do on a trip to Catalina Island. But the author forgot to mention the details in regard to the main point of the story about renting a golf cart while on the island. Here's the details you need to know before you go: Cartopia Golf Cart Rental, 615 Crescent Avenue, (310) 510-2493.

Amping it Up in California

The travel season has begun. The signs are there. Hotel bookings are up, the weather is warming up to mid-70s, low 80s and its February, and daylight savings "spring forward" rules are turning the clocks to an extra hour of sunlight in March. In the real world, all this points to pent up energy and millions of people ready to break out the beach towels, the sunblock, and get ready for summer. The events calendar is showing lots of car shows, fund-raisers, food fests and street fairs.

What will you be doing this year? Will you take a vaction out of area? If you are like the majority of travelers, you'll book your hotels closer to your trip (1-5 days before,) you'll stay less days, and you'll travel closer to home.

Oh Nuts, It's Almonds & Strawberry Season in California

Food provides one of the best reasons to hop in a car and explore California. With the almond festivals prepping for their big parades, carnivals, and food displays, get ready to enjoy some of California's finest crops. But wait a minute...there's also the strawberry season going on right now.

As my friend drove along the Central Valley the other day, she told me that she saw kiwi fruit sold at stands along the road. That got me doing some research to find out about kiwis in California, another delicious fruit to enjoy. Add to these treats some fine California wines, and you have yourself a road trip filled with delight. Don't drink & drive, but do stop to buy the berries if you can.

Finalists at Mavericks Ready to Take to Waves

On Feb. 13, 2010, the finalists at Mavericks (Princeton by the Sea) near Half Moon Bay prepare to take to the waves for the final show down. The purse on this event is $150K, the largest sum of money for any big wave contest.

Finalists as of 1.10 p.m. were: Anthony Tashnick, Dave Wassell, Shane Desmond, Carlos Burle, Kenny Skindog Collins, and Chris Bertish.

While maverickssurf.com site was experience slow service due to viewer overload, you could go directly to ustream.tv to watch the event online, where over 32,000 viewers tuned in at any given time to see the contest where up to 50 foot waves sometimes challenges the world's strongest and best surfers. The majority of surfers in this year's event came from Santa Cruz. Finalists represented Hawaii, South Africa, San Francisco and three surfers from Santa Cruz. We'll post winners as they become available around 4 p.m. or earlier, most likely.

California Valentine Overload is Sweet!

The Valentine's weekend approaches in California and for many it will be a sweet deal. But for me, it is overload times 20, just trying to figure out which events to attend. My family has designs on something local..a pet fair with a doggy costume contest called Happy Howlentine's Day.

My money's on the camel & ostrich races at the Riverside Country Fair. Many of my friends will head straight for the mountains to ski with the great rains that just brought snow to the mountain resorts.

Calico Ghost Town near Bakersfield is having a Civil War Re-enactment. Read more.

Time to Plan Your Summer Vacation

We see it in the numbers. The hotel prices are edging up for summer. It's a time when you may be able to lock in some cheaper room night rates. If you wait, there is a wild card that could change the equation. If sales stay soft going into the summer months, you may have some bargaining power during that time. There are no real guarantees as to how it will play out. But from last year's pricing during the summer months, we don't expect to see any deep cuts for hoteliers and managers to fill rooms.

Runners Wish For Rain at California's Beach Marathons & Runs

With the arrival of two running events this weekend, a marathon in Huntington Beach, and a 10K run in Redondo Beach, any chance and hope of rain may be dashed by the storm passing through during the pre-Super Bowl time frame. The Redondo Beach event include a baby buggy run and a costume contest, so that event is actually more light-hearted. The HB event is a Boston Marathon qualifier and involves some serious runners.

It has actually rained at previous annual events and those impacted most are the the onlookers, bands playing at specific locations, and support staff. Runners actually say the rain provides a cooling effect to the body during long distance runs.

While Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7, 2010) is known as the ultimate celebration for couch potatoes, the exercise events offer an alternate form of entertainment for the go-getters who would rather participate than watch. With all the ads during the Super Bowl, you can actually get your run in and catch the games, as well. Go!

Note:
Hotels in Huntington Beach are sold out for event.

Sports Vacation in Huntington Beach, Super Bowl Sunday Marathon

20,000 runners and their families will converge on Huntington Beach, California this week for the Surf City Marathon (formerly known as Pacific Shoreline Marathon). Hotels are sold out at the beach, but rooms are available just down the "street" on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, Sunset, and Seal Beach.

Street closures on Coast Highway will greet travelers from Super Bowl Sunday morning (Feb. 7, 2010), to late afternoon. Best advice is to avoid that route, and take the freeway or inland streets at Warner Ave. to Beach Blvd.

For fans wanting to watch, the route travels along the coast, then heads up Garfield Street, through Central Park down Edwards, and up Seapoint back to PCH. Will it be crowded?