By: Zdenko Kahlina

Florida Everglades stretch for miles…
The “River of Grass” as the Everglades are sometimes named, encompasses the southern tip of Florida. As such, it is the point you must pass through to reach Key Largo and your ride down the Overseas Highway. The Everglades stretch for miles, however.

In the Everglades on the airboat

 
Vera and I were returning from the Keys, and once we reached Florida City I made a left turn (west) at the lights, on Palm Drive and we drove straight for about 2.5 kilometers. At the next stop sign make a LEFT turn again (SOUTH) on 192 Ave and drive 4 miles until you arrive. You can’t miss it, because it is at the end of the road.

Map of the area

The natural abundance of the Everglades accounts for its fame. Florida panthers and alligators and crocodiles, roseate spoonbills and great egrets… they all can be found here. There are 300 varieties of birds and 600 kinds of fish. And the variety of environments spread across its vast expanse is remarkable, including cypress domes and mangrove swamps, saw grass “rivers” and scattered clutches of slash pines, and more than 40 indigenous species of plants.

Everglades Alligator Farm is great for a stop to get a taste of the Florida Everglades. It’s especially convenient if you’re planning a drive down into the Keys, or when returning from the Keys like in our case, because it’s located just off the end of the Turnpike, when you pick up US-1 in Florida City.

I was very excited to visit the alligator farm as it was the only touristy thing we’d be doing on our short road trip between Key West and Miami. It definitely did not disappoint! It actually surpassed all my expectations! I didn’t think we’d spend there more than one hour, but it ended up being so much fun that we stayed for half a day!

Vera by the alligator and anaconda skins

Admission was $23 for adults, which includes the airboat ride (if you don’t want the airboat ride, it’s a bit cheaper).  A trip to the Everglades Alligator Farm includes an exciting airboat tour of the surrounding river of grass, tour of the canal system around the farm and the nearby Everglades National Park. These guided tours highlight the wildlife that can be seen from the boat.

You can also go on a walking trail around the farm, to see the alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and wildlife, a great display of local and exotic snakes, and informational wildlife shows every hour. Everglades Alligator Farm is open daily between the hours of 9 am to 6pm. If you are headed to Key Largo or Key West, this is an attraction you absolutely won’t want to miss!

Patiently waiting for the feed time

Alligator Feeding
The Everglades Alligator Farm holds daily shows involving alligators and snakes as well as demonstrations on alligator feeding. The shows were very short but fun because they gave everyone a chance to hold baby alligators and snakes!

Alligators came for the food

This was the first show we watched. It’s lunch-time for gators, and they’re always hungry! In this show, we did see and learn about how alligators feed in the wild. I learnt alligators go into brumation, which is somewhat like hibernation, but not really. They don’t sleep, they just slow their metabolism way down and hide and stop eating, waiting for the weather to warm back up so they can get back to business.

Here in Florida they’re active through most of the year, but on a day when it gets cold they’re going to be hiding unless they have somewhere sunny and out of the wind to haul up and bask. Their optimum temperature is about 88 degrees, so they’ll be trying to stay as close to that as possible.

Over 500 gators live in this breeding pond area. It’s a wild and crazy show. Watch gators chomp down, and crawl over one another to get a hearty meal. The little trail around the alligators nest pond was really nice as well… I can’t believe we almost missed it.

They had enough tourists for three boats

Airboat Rides
They had three boats and when we were visiting, all three were booked full. Once you get seated, they warn you that the first row of seats will get splashed and wet, so if you don’t like it move at the back of the boat. I was holding my camera, so Vera and I sat at the back. When water conditions are low you could also get muddy, but this certainly didn’t apply to our visit. We were there just after a weekend of unusually high rainfall – totals were recorded Saturday, when more than 9 inches fell in the areas. These airboats are very loud, so they provide you with the ear protection, but it is your responsibility to use it properly.

Our camera’s were ready: there is alligator on the left

Going through jungle canal

The ride starts slow, and there are alligators left and right immediately from the start. Gliding across the river of grass is the highlight of the alligator farm. Our guided tour cut through several miles of preserved everglades, ripe with wildlife. The ride can be wet, wild, and loads of fun. Our boat pilot made several 180 degrees turns and there was water everywhere… but it was fun for all in the boat.

Swimming not allowed

The finest moments in the Everglades can happen in an instant: All is serene until you spot an osprey swooping from above to pluck a fishy treat from the shallows. There’s a brief splash, but that’s it. In another moment the powerful bird, with its squirming prey in tow, is gone again. And all is as it was… silent!

There are 300 varieties of birds in Everglades

This alligator is not bothered by the passing boats

So is not this bird

 
Everglades Alligator Farm Florida – Airboat show

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Going through the Everglades

The boats are very fast but noisy

Our pilot Jeff

Beautiful natural park

Zooming through the Everglades

Speeding through the Everglades

The Farm

In addition to the airboat ride, you can walk around the farm, and see hundreds of alligators, and other wildlife, including geese, huge iguanas, and some very cute Florida panthers. They also do a snake show and an alligator show, in addition to the gator feeding. The women who sell the tickets are very helpful and friendly, and will direct you to what shows at what times work best with your visit & the airboat ride you’re automatically scheduled for.

This bird landed right in front of tourists

There’s a little snack cart on the grounds, but I wouldn’t waste a meal there, unless you’re absolutely starving, There’s the fabulous fruit stand near by and too many restaurants that serve gator meals in Florida City. The Everglades Alligator Farm one of the few real working alligator farm, that doesn’t process alligators. Alligator eggs are collected every year, and sold to other alligator farms around the state. Home of the famous 14 ft. “Grandpa” alligator, the farm has an awesome staff of Airboat drivers, Alligator Experts, and even Snake handlers.

“Grandpa” alligator

This alligator came very close to the boat

Alligator Shows
The alligator show is one of the most entertaining aspects of the farm. Our expert handlers educate guests on all aspects of these creatures of the swamp. You’ll see primitive capturing techniques once used by Native American Indians. Stay after the show while we pass out a live baby alligator for photo opportunities.

This was an BIG alligator

Snake Shows
Our snake show is a great opportunity for finally getting over your fear of snakes. We’ll walk you through information on what snakes to look out for while exploring the everglades. The dangerous effect of bringing new and invasive species in is also discussed. You will also get a chance to pass around a snake, and snap a picture of a face you will NEVER forget.
Sean was very good with the snakes

Directions:
If you are coming from North FL (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, etc.):

1. Take the Florida Turnpike South to EXIT 1 in Florida City.
2. Turn RIGHT (WEST) on Palm Drive and drive 1.5 miles.
3. Turn LEFT (SOUTH) on 192 Ave and drive 4 miles until you arrive.

If you are coming from the Keys:

1. Drive NORTH on US 1 until you reach Florida City.
2. Turn LEFT (WEST) on Palm Drive and drive 1.5 miles.
3. Turn LEFT (SOUTH) on 192 Ave and drive 4 miles until you arrive.

If you are the outdoor type this is definitely a place to visit! They’d added a new feature – get your picture taken on the back of a gator (don’t worry, the gator’s mouth is taped shut).  None of us opted for this souvenir – but it looked pretty cool – and you can use the resulting picture to regale your friends back home about how you wrestled a gator in the Everglades!

Yes, when visiting Florida for a week, spending about 2 or 3 days in the Keys, include a side trip to Everglades and the rest of time in Miami Beach is a very good plan.

“Grandpa” alligator slipping… or is he?

More Everglades pictures here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1067363

Everglades Alligator Farm  http://www.everglades.com/

By: Zdenko Kahlina

No visit to South Florida is complete without a journey to Key West!
The ride from Miami to Key West took around 4 hours in our rental car, from which 3 hours were crossing the Florida Keys with amazing blue water below the bridges we were riding. We left Miami early in the morning so that we can travel during the day light, because this is very scenic drive.

Key West old town

But the weather prognosis was not all that good. Unusually high rainfall totals were recorded on Saturday, October 8^th — more than 9 inches fell on the day of our driving. Still I drove through scattered, heavy downpours, making it at times for a very dangerous driving. Once we reached the Keys, the sky cleared and there was only sporadic shower here and there. Driving from Key to Key over all these bridges was a great experience. On the right we’ve got the Gulf of Mexico, on the left the Atlantic Ocean. Also we noticed the different colors of the water; it looked just beautiful! We crossed 42 bridges including the famous Seven Mile Bridge, before reaching Key West, some very long some shorter.

Key West Museum of Art & History

The red brick and terracotta Custom House features a main gallery of rotating art exhibits and smaller galleries with exhibits related to the history of Key West, Florida.

 Key West – Old Town
The final stop on this road is Key West, our final destination for the day. This tiny island at the end of a big continent, that teems with color and life around the clock. Key West has the best of both worlds: it’s a colorful outpost where you can get away from it all and it’s a lively center of entertainment, shopping, and restaurants.

Houses on Duval street

Touristy Conch Tour Train

 Sitting more than 200 kilometers out in the sea between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Key West, is a vacationer’s paradise. While most visit this tiny tropical city for water sports and promenade on their main drag – Duval Street, it’s worth exploring the lesser-known features that make this sub tropical island special.

 As we arrived to the Key West, we searched for the tourist Information centre, hoping to get a city map and learn where to leave our car. After a short stop at the information centre and with the small touristy map in our hands, we continued towards the old city. I made a right turn onto Roosevelt Boulevard and soon we were right in the middle of the old town. Free parking was easy to find… just look few blocks away (north) from the Duvall Street, which is the main drag for tourists alike.

Key West Maritime museum

 Key West, actually has a fascinating history, much of which comes via the healthy smuggling trade of days in the past. Starting with rum in Colonial days and culminating with the tawdry drug heyday of the 1970s and early 1980s. Key West has a colorful history of smuggling, pirating, and the break-off industry, wrecking. You can learn stories about this city on your bicycle tour, or visit the Key West Shipwreck Historeum museum for starters.

The Key West Shipwreck Museum

 Duval Street
If you are looking for the “main” road in Key West, you are likely seeking Duval Street. Here one can sit back and enjoy the wonders of people watching as there’s never a dull minute on Duval Street and its never too early to start. We strolled down the street passing by bars, cafes, rough-riding bikers, and other walks of life. Here, you will find all of the shopping and eateries that you could desire. You will see a lot of trendy places here. If you like art galleries, you will likely find some type of exhibition here.

Strolling down the Duval street

 So, on this October day, we were strolling down the street in shorts and a T-shirt, with pleasant weather, while the rest of our friends in Canada were beneath an arctic air mass… and snowing even in Las Vegas!!

Amazing architecture on Duval Street

Stores on Duval Street

 Within walking distance of this street are also some of the major attractions of the island such as the Little White House, Hemingway House, Lighthouse etc. Some other points of view include the Key West Cemetery, Truman Annex, Southernmost point and others. All these historical spots in Old Town that are best enjoyed by bicycle, rather than tour trolley or car. The architecture is definitely that of South Florida and you should see some of the art deco style and bright colors similar to Miami Beach. Key West is unique. It reminds us of some places in Mexico and the bars are open until 4 am!

Mallory Square waterfront

Mallory Square
Mallory Square is a bustling waterfront with spectacular harbor views and a vibrant nightlife scene. Once a port for US Navy Ships, and where Cuban cigar makers and sponge collectors sold their wares, Mallory Square is a festive gathering place with wonderful seafood restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and gift shops filled with unique treasures. Street performers a few food carts & merchandise vendors. Spectacular place to see sunset but can be crowded. Relaxing way to spend some time, and a carnival atmosphere prevails. Fun!

Cuban influence in Key West
 
Vera having fun!

 Harry S Truman Little White House
We walked to the Little White House in order to get some outdoor pictures and look around outside, since the weather was sunny and pleasant on our second day in the Keys. This is a great place to visit in a great location only two blocks aside from Duvall Street.

The Little White House

 As Florida’s only presidential museum, the Harry S. Truman Little White House was the winter White House for this countries 37 president. Truman spent 175 days during 13 vacations in the home that is filled with original furnishing and memorabilia from Truman’s days. Presidents Taft, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter and Clinton also used the house. Guided tours offer guests a window into the world President Truman and life of a US president.

 By the way, this is still an active Presidential location, meaning that current and former U.S. Presidents can still go there. Therefore, it is possible that at any given time the Little White House may not be open for a tour due to a distinguished guest using the house! So it may be best to call first before planning a trip just to see the Little White House. Of course, if you’re already in Key West, you’ll probably be able to find something else to do on the off chance the Little White House isn’t open for tours!

Lighthouse – above the trees

The Key West Lighthouse
The Key West Lighthouse was the first thing I noticed after parking the car on one of the streets near by. It was built inland (at 930 Whitehead St.) in 1847 because when it was at Whitehead Point it kept being toppled by hurricanes. These days it is hidden behind the trees that have grown up since its being built. Admission $6 adults, $2 children 7-12, free for children 6 and under. Daily 9:30am5pm (last admission at 4:30pm). The admission also includes the lighthouse keeper museum which is quite interesting.

Ernest Hemingway house
We also stopped by Hemingway house. Located at 907 Whitehead Street and nestled in the heart of Old Town Key West, this unique property was home to one of America’s most honored and respected authors. You can’t miss it, because there are always tourists around the house taking photos. And it is very close to the Lighthouse we just visited.

Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote here for more than ten years. Calling Key West home, he found solace and great physical challenge in the turquoise waters that surround this tiny island. Step back in time and visit the rooms and gardens that witnessed the most prolific period of this Nobel Prize winner’s writing career. “It’s worth the wait, even if the line is long, to tour Ernest Hemingway’s home and the studio where he wrote some of his most famous works.

 The Beaches
The day was gorgeous and the sun was kicking, so after few hours of browsing thru the town we decided to find a beach and jump into the water. Key West is not widely known for its beaches. At the tourist “Information Centre” when we asked where is the closest beach, they responded with “Miami Beach”! They were serious, because Keys are reef islands and there are no real beaches in Key West… well, not completely true, because Vera and I discovered Rest beach and Smathers beach on the East side of the town (close to the airport)!

Popular Rest beach

Vera on Smathers beach

 But it’s mostly pure rock line that aligns its coast so if your hotel doesn’t have a pool, find one! There are plenty of spots that do, such as Dante’s at the Conch Harbor Marina. We found one very nice pool totally unexpectedly – in the community hall, at Bahama Village! Head toward the southern end of Old Town, near the middle of Whitehead Street, where you will find Key West’s Bahama Village.

 Bahama Village
One place that many people are not aware of when they visit Key West, is the Bahama Village. If your idea of safety is suburban, Bahama Village may seem threatening. People are on the street, voice can get raised in greetings, dominoes click into the night.

Cinema at Bahama Village

Zdenko having fun with Merlyn Monroe

 The Bahama Village is known as a part of Key West, that is located southwest of the downtown part; in the Old Town area.  Not only is it a little village, but it actually covers 16 radius blocks; that is southwest of Whitehead Street and northeast of the Truman Annex, and is bordered by Fort and Louisa Streets, Whitehead and Southard.

One important thing that you should know before visiting the Bahama Village is that it is known primarily as a black neighborhood. Bahama Village is an old Key West neighborhood where many descendants of the city’s earliest Bahamian settlers and West Indian slaves still live. During the 18th century the Bahamian incomers utilized their knowledge of tropical architecture and plants to help make Key West what it is today. Also, it is named mainly because of all the original residents that were of a Bahamian ancestry.

Halloween is a big thing there

Ready for Halloween

Ready for Halloween

Zdenko with Captain Morgan

 From the outside, the neighborhood appears weather-beaten and run-down, full of small wooden homes that look as if a strong wind could blow them away. But underneath those tin roofs are walls and floors made of Dade County pine, a sturdy, almost invincible Florida hardwood.

 Some of the homes are painted bright Caribbean colors of pink, blue, and green, with purple bougainvillea vines adding a further splash of color. Taking a slow morning walk through the streets, you feel as if you’ve been transported to the islands – the ones on the other side of the Gulf Stream, that is.

 One of the most known about affairs of the Bahama Village is the flea market. In fact, the entrance of the village, which is on Petronia Street, has the flea market. Along with being able to see all the variety of things at the flea market, you will also be able to go through different shops, restaurants.

Bahama Village swimming pool
In fact, it has now become a great but small little tourist attraction! Along with all the different shopping/eating stops, you will also find that the Bahama Village has public swimming pool! When we discover it, we just walked straight in (no charge!), changed into our swimwear and spent all afternoon there. There were only several other young people enjoying the crystal clear pool water. We really liked the time spent there, as it was good to rest our legs from all the walking we did before.

Zdenko enjoying time spent at this pool

 When visiting Bahama Village, not only will you get to see what the tourist usually don’t see, but you will also be able to see much of the history of the village.  In fact, there are many great galleries and cultural contributions of the many immigrants that were in the city.  In fact, it is definitely a great local place to have fun while learning a little bit about history!

 Vera and I didn’t hesitate to walk anywhere in this neighborhood. As a matter of fact we left our car there on the public parking lot by their Community hall and little park area. We felt very safe there.

Zdenko at the southernmost point marker

The southernmost point marker
Only two blocks from Bahama Village and the pool where we spent several hours relaxing by the pool, is the southernmost point in the continental United States. It is marked by this colorful buoy, where you can get your picture taken. I’ve been told this is actually still not the most southern point in the continental U.S. There are actually some private property close by that is more south but closed to the public. So technically speaking, this is the southernmost point in the continental U.S. freely accessible to the public.

Tourists taking pictures

This can just about be considered as a tourist trap, since this particular spot would not hold any interest if it were not for the concrete marker telling you that you stand as far south as possible in the continental United States. Of course, this point is up for debate since Key West is an island and therefore would not be part of the continental land mass of the US. From this spot, you are only 90 miles to Cuba, thus the reason why Key West has historically received refugees from there. The marker itself is at a bend in the road. Parking may or may not be available in the immediate area if you are trying to get that photo. Most people get the quick photo and go on to explore the rest of the town. There is not really much there other than the marker itself.

Key West Woman’s Club on Duval Street

 Key West architecture
Key West architecture was one of my interests. Key West houses were built to withstand hurricanes and deal with heat and humidity. They used hand hewn wood put together with pegs because plaster cracks and decays in high humidity and nails were scarce. The houses were very elaborate with lots of gingerbread. They took advantage of the fact that heat rises and put ‘scuttles’ in the roof which could be propped open to let the heat out. Nowadays they have solar panels on the roof too. They had shutters which hinged from the top and overhanging rooflines (called eyebrow houses to keep the sun out of the windows. Another type house was the ‘shotgun house’ where the rooms were in a line from the front to the back door.

Amazing Key West architecture – Strand Theatre

Chicken Wars
Take a walk through the Old Town. Once you get off Duval you’ll find this is a great little village full of mystical experiences. Just watch out for the chickens! They are everywhere… It all began a long time ago when chickens were a part of everyday life in Key West – a source of food, eggs, and ill-fated recruits for the now-illegal practice of cock fighting. But slowly, as bigger grocery stores came to the island and made chicken and eggs easily available — and cock fighting was outlawed — the local nests went undisturbed, and the chicken population increased.

So, the Key West “Chicken Wars” continue, and the cameras keep clicking, and the locals keep bitching, and the chickens keep clucking, and basically it all just gives everybody something to talk about. For the most part, folks just continue swinging in their hammocks, totally unconcerned that a monster rooster might be squatting and squinting and straining in the palm tree over their head … or that a big coconut might be about to fall on their noggin and send them on to a more permanent and peaceful Paradise higher in the sky than any chicken can fly.

This was our leisurely itinerary, designed on the spot without any planning. We just followed our noses in the Old Town, and our walk was broken by many stops. Not to mention all the window shopping Vera did on the way! O man…

Looking over the sunset, beyond it, and thinking how close I was to Cuba. The ocean smells. The fresh fish… cold beer. This was the only place I didn’t care what brand of beer I had. As long as it was cold and refreshing, it tastes good to me.

Florida Keys Scenic Highway begins in Key West

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Wind, rain and dark skies make for lousy weekend
The IBM conference I was attending last week in Miami ended on Friday, and Vera and I made plans for the weekend. We rented a car and traveled south, all the way to Key West. The Florida Keys are the southernmost tropical islands in Florida that you can actually drive to from mainland Florida. Key West, the southernmost Key in the US, sits at the end of the Keys, just 90 miles (144 km) from the coast of Cuba.

The “World Famous” 7 Mile Bridge during low tide in the Florida Keys

But the weather prognosis was not all that good. Unusually high rainfall totals were recorded Saturday — more than 9 inches fell on the day of our driving. Still I drove through scattered, heavy downpours, making it at times for a very dangerous driving.

Florida Keys

Driving from Miami to Florida Keys (Key West)
Torrential rain and strong wind gusts in South Florida wasn’t really what I was hoping for, but the more we moved south the less rain fell and once we reached Key Largo and were driving through the Keys, rain stopped completely and the sky cleared somewhat. I was even able to snap several shots with my camera.

Overseas Highway 1 south – weather was not good

The Keys extend south and west of the Homestead area of Florida, close to Miami, FL. If you make the 130 mile drive across the Overseas Highway to the end, you will find Key West. Take a note of the Mile Markers along the overseas highway. They’re quick and easy reference tool to understand where you are. Major attractions are sited by mile marker, from MM 107 in Key Largo to MM 0 in Key West.

Along the way are many great experiences and picture perfect blue water and islands. Take your time and enjoy your journey through the Florida Keys. The 113-mile (181-kilometer) drive on Highway 1 from mainland Florida to Key West induces sensory overload. Did you notice the fish jumping as you cross the bridges? And did a Pelican happen to fly along with you at eye level while crossing the bridges? What did you think about all those Cormorants hanging out on the wires and standing on the old lobster traps out on the flats?

Besides the natural beauty along the route—tidal flats, teal waters dotted by distant islands—the so-called Overseas Highway awes you in its own right as an engineering marvel. Its concrete stretches across impossible expanses of water, the Atlantic spreading out to the left, the Gulf to the right.

Scenic driving – Highway 1 goes across the Keys

Overview
Highway 1 is festooned with classic Americana, from kitschy gift shops purveying seashell necklaces to burger stands offering shakes and fries. But that’s just the half of it. Beneath the ocean surface lies a separate world of Technicolor fish and coral reefs. Below are the five best dive sites you’ll encounter as you proceed from Key Largo, near the top of the island chain, down to Key West, at the end. At each spot, you’ll park at a dive shop and motor out to the reef on a boat. The entire dive experience takes two to four hours, leaving ample time to watch the sunset and enjoy a seafood dinner. Meanwhile, non-divers will find plenty else to do, from snorkeling to exploring state parks to visiting museums.

Ponce de Leon “discovered” the Florida Keys (from cayo the Spanish word for island) in 1513. They have, in their time, been the home to Native Americans, Spanish explorers, pirates, artists, dreamers and beach-bums.

Today the Keys are among the premier outdoor adventure destinations in the United States. Traveling from North to South the 1st Key is Key Largo, which features some of the best diving in the Keys at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Diving, snorkeling and glass-bottom boats provide visitors amazing views of undersea life and the Christ of the Abyss statue, a sub-aquatic bronze Christ.

Rain stopped for a moment on this beach

Begin in Key Largo
Key Largo calls itself the dive capital of the world. It’s home to the 70-square-mile (181-square-kilometer) John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (MM 102.5). The park has a visitor’s center and beach, a good place to hone your snorkeling skills before boarding a dive boat. The best undersea attraction of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (floridakeys.noaa.gov) is the wreck of the Spiegel Grove (www.fla-keys.com/spiegelgrove), a 510-foot (155-meter) retired Navy ship sunk as an artificial reef in 2002 and now resting 130 feet (39 meters) underwater near Dixie Shoal. Fish you might spot include trumpetfish and angelfish lurking along the hull, which is covered with sponges and soft coral. You can also stop at Molasses Reef, suitable for snorkelers. Local dive operators include Ocean Divers (522 Caribbean Dr. and Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort (MM 104.5), which offers morning coffee with its rooms and apartments.

The Rain Barrel – Artisan Village

The Rain Barrel
Make a stop at this interesting store. You can’t miss it because there is a gigantic lobster in front! Stroll through their tropical gardens and see local contemporary art and American crafts. Discover that one-of-a-kind creations in this store that makes shopping a fun experience.

Giant lobster –reminder that you’re in the Sea world!

Next is Key Islamorada, the “Sport Fishing Capital of the World”. Anglers can fish for a multiplicity of game species like marlin and tuna in the area’s crystal blue waters. Non-anglers can catch a show instead or swim with the dolphins, stingrays and sea lions at Theater of the Sea.

Islamorada
In the area: For breakfast, it’s Harriette’s (MM 95.7) known for its biscuits and generous servings. After a long day, treat yourself at Snapper’s Waterfront Restaurant (MM 94.5), frequented by celebrities. Before you leave the Upper Keys, visit the Florida Keys History of Diving Museum (MM 83, Islamorada), where you can try on antique diving equipment and see diving machines from the 1700s.

Tavernier
Tavernier, your next stop, accesses the Conch Reef. This is perhaps the Keys’ best drift dive, in which you descend at Point A, drift down current, then resurface at Point B, where the dive boat retrieves you. “It’s one of the most popular ways to see the reef,” says Brenda Mace, whose Conch Republic Divers (MM 90.8) offers twice-daily reef and wreck dives. Other reefs near the southern end of Pennekamp, many with names as colorful as the fish, include Hens and Chickens, Pickles, and Alligator.

Marathon
The Heart of the Keys, Marathon, is a little town in the middle of the islands. This was our destination for the day. We booked a room in a small “Sea Dell Motel” which had really good reviews on the internet. We stayed there for 2 nights. Our 1st impressions when we drove up were a bit mixed. However once we saw the rooms, we were very impressed. Staff was very friendly and helpful and the Motel is close to shops and restaurants in Marathon, the small cinema is just across the street. The rooms are small and are simple but clean.

“Sea Dell Motel” after heavy rain falls – in Marathon

“Sea Dell Motel” – rooms are on the left with parking in front

The rooms were small and simple but clean.

Marathon is a good place to shop before taking the 7-mile bridge over the water, which offers stunning views of the ocean and the bay. Past Marathon lays a chain of small islands known as the Lower Keys. Here travelers will find unequaled diving at Looe Key Reef and pet-friendly beaches at Little Duck Key.

Castaway restaurant in Marathon
We loved this little slice of Sushi Heaven in the Keys. Not very easy to find, parking is 100 meters from restaurant. This waterfront restaurant has a bar outside plus, a large dining room inside. Inside it is very cozy wood ambiance. View of the fishing harbor from the windows. They have some great tasting honey buns they start you out with. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and made some recommendations. We had alligator filet for appetizer plus fish sandwich and grilled yellow tail snapper. Food was tasty, relatively quickly prepared and beer was cold!

The nightlife here can get a little crazy, but for some that’s part of its appeal. The nightly Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square isn’t to be missed.

Overseas Highway over Florida keys

The “World Famous” 7 Mile Bridge during low tide in the Florida Keys.

Seven Mile Bridge
Since 1982, when a new Seven Mile Bridge section was completed to accommodate modern traffic and taller ships, the section known as Old Seven Mile Bridge (above) has served as a world famous fishing pier, jogging and walking route, and of course the major path to Pigeon Key.

Vera at ‘Seven-Mile’ Historic Bridge

No fishing from the bridge!!?

Presently, the Old Seven Bridge is embroiled in an emotional tug-of-war with its very existence at stake. While the concrete pylons of the famous structure are in remarkably good condition (see above), there is no doubt the steel supporting the roadbed has deteriorated. Now, the Florida DOT has closed the bridge to vehicle traffic – prohibiting even the beloved “Henry” from plying its span. Rumblings from Tallahassee portend a sad future for Old Seven – even fishermen may no longer cast from the span. Worse, a five-year commitment by Florida DOT to provide ferry service to Pigeon Key is jeopardized by severe budget shortfalls in Tallahassee.

Despite these threats to Old Seven, an incredible 100,000 people annually walk the span for exercise, for views of priceless sun rises and sun sets, to view the incredibly abundant water life just below, and to dream of another century when life was not so fast.

Pigeon Key National Historic Site, Florida
It is Located off the Seven Mile Bridge, Bayside. Pigeon Key is popular because of Henry Flagler and his East Coast Railroad Extension. Flagler was responsible for bringing railroad to the Florida Keys and much of the Everglades area as well, in the first half of the 20th century. The volunteer group named the Pigeon Key Foundation is responsible for preserving this piece of Florida Keys history and making it accessible to visitors.

Pigeon Key

 Flagler’s railroad used Pigeon Key as a construction base site for his railroad project from 1908 to 1935 and the road which was built to the Key for this purpose is still used today. Although you can’t drive your car on the road/bridge to Pigeon Key, it is used by a trolley which takes visitors to Pigeon Key on the hour every hour between 10am and 4pm. The terrifying 1935 hurricane that wiped out much of the middle Keys destroyed Flagler’s railroad, and he decided not rebuild after the devastation. A few years after the hurricane, the first Seven Mile Bridge was built alongside Pigeon Key, right over the old railroad spans. Pigeon Key took on new life as the Bridge & Toll District headquarters. When the new Seven Mile Bridge was built in the early 1980′s, Pigeon Key was no longer part of the pathway for cars, but part of the old road was preserved for the trolley car and for joggers and walkers. It makes an excellent workout, at 2 miles to the island, four miles round trip. You can look down and see sting rays in the water sometimes.

Duck Key
Duck Key and other parts of the middle section of the Keys are often overlooked by divers, but “from Tavernier to Big Pine Key is where you find the most pristine diving conditions,” says Wendy Hall of Dive Duck Key (MM 61). “It’s quieter, with fewer residents here, and not as many commercial dive operations, so there’s less pressure on our reefs.” Lost and Found Reef, for example, has abundant life, such as vast schools of goatfish. “We get tons of giant sea turtles and spotted eagle rays,” says Hall. “We see them every day.”

 Zdenko on Duck Key Island

Hawks Cay
In the area: Hawks Cay (61 Hawks Cay Blvd. www.hawkscay.com) is a major resort with its own restaurants and an enclosure where you can get in the water to interact with the dolphins. Its sizeable villas offer privacy and plenty of room for your dive gear. Little Italy (MM 68.5) on Long Key is a favorite eatery serving Italian cuisine, steaks, and lots of seafood. South of town, walk, bike, or take a ferry to historic Pigeon Key, where the railroad museum (MM 45) tells the story of the bygone era of industrialist and railroad magnate Henry Flagler, who built the first bridges linking Miami to Key West almost a century ago. In 1935, a hurricane flushed part of the railway into the Florida Bay. The surviving rail bridges were repurposed as roadway, and the Overseas Highway was born.

Looe Key
Looe Key, home of the offbeat Underwater Music Festival, is probably the most popular dive destination in the Lower Keys, the southern third of the island chain. And no wonder: No other site in the area has such dramatic underwater topography. Coral reefs rise from the seafloor into underwater mounds teeming with lobster and moray eels. Looe Key, serviced by Underseas, Inc. (MM 30.5, Big Pine Key), Looe Key Reef Resort & Dive Center (MM 27.5, Ramrod Key), and others, is especially attractive to snorkelers, who can readily view marine life from the surface and can easily free-dive to the tops of the mounds for an up-close look at the coral itself.

Big Pine Key beach with the old railway bridge in the background

Big Pine Key
In the area: Swing by the No Name Pub on Big Pine Key (N. Watson Blvd.) for pizza and a cold one after your dive. For a true Lower Keys immersion, check into the Sugarloaf Lodge (MM 17, Sugarloaf Key), a 31-room resort with private airstrip. Bahia Honda State Park (MM 37, Bahia Honda Key) beckons the dive-weary or sunbather with the nicest beach experience in the Keys—an abundant sand shoreline set against the backdrop of one of Flagler’s most impressive surviving rail bridges.

Key West
Key West, famous for its colorful locals, was also one of the first places in the Keys to be dived, says historian Tom Hambright. It’s known for its easy, relatively shallow dives with copious coral and fish. At the “Information Centre” when we asked where is the closest beach, they responded with “Miami Beach”! They were serious, because Keys are reef islands and there are no real beaches… well, not completely true, because Vera and I discovered Rest beach and Smathers beach on the East side of the town (close to the airport)!

Key West – Smathers beach

The “Southernmost City” is a launching point to nearby reefs such as the Eastern Dry Rocks and Sand Key; several notable wrecks, including the Cayman Salvager and Joe’s Tug; and more remote sites like the Dry Tortugas. The sites are so compelling, Hambright says, that before World War II, “one enthusiast would construct masks of wood and glass for friends and family to catch a glimpse of the reefs.” Local dive shops include Dive Key West (3128 N. Roosevelt Blvd.) and Subtropic Dive Center (1605 N. Roosevelt Blvd).

Zdenko at Mile ‘0’ – This is where Florida Keys scenic Highway begins.

 Southernmost Point in the Continental USA – 90 Miles to Cuba

In the area
Almost everything on the island is accessible by foot. The Casa Marina Resort, used as military housing during WWII, is a trove of history. You’ll find old photos from the days when the only way to reach Key West was by boat or train and from the early years of the highway. Also visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum (907 Whitehead St.) and the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, which displays treasures salvaged from the sea. Good restaurants include the Caribbean-themed Bagatelle, where you might try the tuna tataki appetizer, and Mangoes, for dining alfresco.

Road Kit
Traveling in winter avoids the summer and fall hurricane season, although for those interested in diving, summer offers the best water and wind conditions and hence peak visibility. Check current water and wind conditions at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Web site. For travel information, see the official tourism Web site www.fla-keys.com. From the car rental agencies at Miami International Airport, it’s a 75-minute drive to Key Largo.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/florida-keys-road-trip/

Arial photo of Florida’s Keys

Florida Keys
Do yourself a favor – in those several days you spend in Florida, rent a car and spend a couple days on the Florida Keys! We did, but that will be a different blog. If you can get to Key West, that would be great – it’s a crazy, little fun, low key town. The people are free spirited and fun. Good restaurants and shops and lots to do in the way of water sports (consider renting some jet skis). It’s not a long way from Miami in miles, but it does take about three hours to get to Key West because you have to drive kind of slow in the Keys. It’s a nice drive – 2 lane highway with water on both sides. You will enjoy it as we did.

Mike Theiss photos here:
http://www.ultimatechase.com/chase_accounts/Florida_Keys_Aerial_Photos_031109.htm

By: Zdenko Kahlina

IBM System z Technical University Conference in Miami was a Success!
I recently returned from Miami Beach, Florida, where I was attending the IBM technical conference, a premier System z Enterprise event, featuring zEnterprise, z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE and Linux on System z. The purpose for me was to broaden my knowledge and expertise on System z technology from both hardware and software perspectives, using solutions from IBM.

Hopefully some of you readers also had the opportunity to attend the IBM System z Technical University conference in Miami. Inter skill Learning was there and I had a privilege to meet many of our customers and hopefully many new friends. I didn’t get to see much of the beach or the night life, but had a great time with over 800 IT professionals who were invited to the conference.

Conference registration desk

Every year, IBM brings together leading-edge thinkers, technology gurus and business experts for more than 30 technical universities and seminars worldwide. These events provide a forum where IT professionals can explore current and emerging technical topics, meet respected industry leaders and network with peers from around the globe.
All activities were held at the luxurious Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, http://www.fontainebleau.com/ easily accessible from Miami International Airport – MIA. The hotel is located in the upscale neighborhood at 4441 Street and Collins Avenue. See more about this hotel on my Miami blog here.

IBM Solution Center

Opening session

With a packed agenda that covered all new mainframe stuff – plus the opportunity to hear technical experts from IBM System z development, IBM System z customers and the community of independent software vendor (ISV) providers share their experience and expertise – I didn’t want to miss this memorable week of technical education. The sessions started early in the morning and were ending by 18:00 PM.

Opening General Session
IBM General Session with key updates from their executives was held as an opening session. They were particularly pleased to have Greg Lotko, Vice President and Business Line Executive, System z and the ever exciting Jeff Jonas, Chief Scientist and IBM Distinguished Engineer, IBM Entity Analytics Group.

Jeff Jonas, IBM Chief Scientist and Distinguished Engineer was a keynote speaker during the general opening session of the 2011 System z Technical University in Miami, Florida, on October 3, 2011. Jeff briefly summarized part of his presentation which included a discussion of real time data stream analysis to allow decision making at the time of a transaction rather than later due to our current abilities to collect, manage, and analyze large amounts of data.

Featured Sessions
In 2011, IBM significantly expand their coverage of System z software, including DB2, CICS, WebSphere, IMS, Cognos and more. Many sessions were available as conference was spread all over the Fontainebleau hotel and their conference center in the Versailles building. The building consisted of “Splash classroom on the main level and “Glimmer” classrooms on the upper level. IBM Solution Center was located for four days in the “Sparkle Ballroom” on the main level.

They offered wireless connectivity in many areas of the Conference (but not in the hotel areas, or hotel rooms!). There was the Cyber Café, located in one of the conference rooms for all the attendees to get connected on internet. Wednesday evening was reserved for the Social event of dining, networking and entertainment at Nikki Beach club. Busses were organized to take more than 800 people to South Miami Beach where this event took place.

At the Nikki Beach, beach club

Nikki Beach is the ultimate beach club concept that brings dining, fashion, music and entertainment together earning itself, as quoted by the London Observer, the undisputed reputation as being the Sexiest Place on Earth. Nikki Beach is world renowned for its surreal beauty and ambiance. It is one of the few places on the planet that champagne & cocktails at noon, accompanied by contemporary European delights & mood enhancing tunes, is a consistent reality.

The rest of the week was reserved to learn how to use IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) to automate data backup and restore functions, and centralize storage management operations. I sat at the session to listen how to reduce cost and complexity through consolidation and virtualization using the new DS8800 enterprise disk subsystem with solid state drives (SSDs). I could test-drive the latest technologies through hands-on labs.

Warning: this is MAINFRAME ZONE!

IBM Solution Center exhibitors’ presentations
The IBM Solution Center was open every day and this is where IBM best Business Partners were presenting their storage products and solutions. The Expo area in the Enterprise Data Center consisted of an IBM zEnterprise 114, zBladeCenter Extension, and DS8800 Storage subsystem. The event was designed to promote an environment for networking, selling and learning new skills. This prospectus detailed the exceptional value for all customers to enjoy. They also served deserts after lunches, so that was additional reason for everybody to go into the Solution Center.

IBM Solution Center

IBM Solution Center

IBM Solution Center

Food was served in the Solution Center

Canadian dinner at the conference
IBM Canada continued their tradition of taking all Canadian customers who attended the conference, out for dinner at the System z Technical University.  This time Jim Elliot was the host. Participants at the evening event were: Jim Elliot (IBM), Alex Colinet (TD Bank, Toronto), Alice Wah (RBC), Bruce Langille (RBC), Harry Shao (ATCO), Ian Roach (GlassHouse Systems), Peter Boldy (WorkSafe BC),  Pak Seto (CDS), Vic Peltz (San Jose IBM) and myself.

Carrabba’s restaurant served fine food

I want to take this opportunity to thank him for the great evening at the Carrabba’s Italian restaurant in Miami Beach. The food was excellent. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The service was great also. The waiter was unbelievable! He was fast, and I still wonder how he remembered all our orders. We enjoyed Carabba’s so much that we ate there a second time during our trip. The best part of it was that for what you get, it’s pretty affordable. We were happy to find a nice restaurant that wasn’t completely out of our price range and was on a walking distance from our (expensive) hotel.

I was happy to meet with all our Canadian friends, especially Peter Boldy from Vancouver. We all had interesting conversations during the evening, sharing our own experiences and knowledge. By chance I met this group one more time during our stay in Miami, but at a different restaurant. Very friendly bunch…

System z Technical University – Highlights and Featured Sessions
Just some of the sessions the 2011 IBM z System Technical University conference was offering this year and their description is listed here:

zBB04 Introducing the IBM zEnterprise System
Brian Hatfield
Servers, servers everywhere. How did we get here, What are we doing now and where are we headed. Introducing the zEnterprise System, it is more than just a mainframe, it is a system of systems. This session provides information to help understand the past, current and future trends of servers in the data center. From many multiple servers to server consolidation, virtualization to the zEnterprise System. We will give an overview of the main components of the zEnterprise System and describe the role it can play beyond server virtualization and consolidation in the next step in the evolution of the data center mainframe.

zZS28 What’s New in z/OS 1.13 ?
Riaz Ahmad
IBM continues to enhance its flagship operating system with new features and functions. z/OS 1.13 will become generally available in September 2011. In this session the speaker will describe new functions and enhancements that are packed in this brand new release.

zZS20 z/OS Parallel Sysplex Update
Mark A. Brooks
In this session, the speaker will provide updates on Parallel Sysplex, including the latest hardware (zEnterprise 196 and 114) and coupling link technology (infiniband), Coupling Facility Control Code (CFCC Level 17), and recent z/OS enhancements (z/OS 1.13).

zST01 What’s New in DFSMShsm
Edward Baker
Every year we update DFSMShsm with a new release and provide new function. We will be covering DFSMShsm V1 R12 as well as the new function that is being introduced by the new release soon to be generally available. Come hear how we continue to improve this flagship z/OS Storage Management product.

zST03 Uncovering the Mysteries of the
DFSMShsm PARMLIB and PROCLIB
Edward Baker

DFSMShsm has hundreds of parameters and sub-parameters that clients can specify to setup their DFSMShsm environment. Many of the parameters like SETSYS RECYCLEDEALLOCATIONFREQUENCY and SETSYS ACCEPTPSCBUSERID have beffuddled client for years. The speaker is going to go over some of the more important parmlib and proclib settings as well as some of the settings that have caused confusion over the years.

zST05 What’s New with IBM Tape – A Portfolio Update
Curtis Neal
This will keep you up to date with the latest tape developments. These include the TS3500 tape library connector Model SC1 (Shuttle). The world’s fastest tape drive, the TS1140 3592-E07, will also be presented. The performance and functionality of the new TS1140 as well as the new 4TB tape media will be discussed. Finally, this will cover the new features and functions being delivered in the TS7700 Release 2.0 code, such as Scratch Allocation Assist and Selective Device Access Control.

zST07 IBM Enterprise Disk – DS8000 Update
Curtis Neal
The IBM System Storage DS8000 family is designed as a high performance, high capacity, and resilient series of enterprise disk storage systems. It offers high availability, reliability, multiplatform support, and simplified management GUI to help provide a cost-effective path to an on demand world. The DS8800 is the IBM fourth generation enterprise disk system and represents the latest in this series. This session will review the DS8800 architecture and recent hardware and software enhancements.

 Luxurious Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel

Luxurious bar at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel

In 2011, IBM significantly expand their coverage of System z software, including DB2, CICS, MQ, WebSphere, IMS, Cognos and more.

This 4.5 day event was good opportunity to broaden my knowledge and expertise on System z technology from both hardware and software perspectives. In a week time IBM provided the following opportunity:

• Learn more about how the zEnterprise mainframe solution is making it possible to deploy and intelligently manage workloads across mainframe and distributed technologies.
• Take a deep dive into the latest updates to z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE and Linux on System z.
• Explore products, solutions, events and resources for mainframe applications, data management and service management.
• Discover hot industry trends related to System z, such as cloud computing and virtualization.

With a packed agenda that covers all this – plus the opportunity to hear technical experts from IBM System z development, IBM System z customers and the community of independent software vendor (ISV), providers shared their experience and expertise. They also announced the next conference will be held in Las Vegas from October 1 – 5, 2012.  Make a note as you don’t want to miss this memorable week of technical education.

Videos from the conference:
http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/films/wild_ducks.html

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/ibmslst4me

R.I.P. Steve Jobs… “My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That’s how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.”
– Steve Jobs – Interview with 60 Minutes, 2003

By Zdenko Kahlina

Miami has sun, sand, sea, and wave of cultural traditions
I just came back from Miami after having spent 7 full days at the Fontainebleau hotel with my wife. I was attending yet another technical conference. This obligation comes with the type of work I do as a computer specialist. One always has to stay up to date on technical staff if working within Information Technology.

Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach

IBM technical conferences are a key part of the on going development of systems programmers but are not held in Canadian cities. This year all conference activities were held at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. For me this was a well deserved pre-winter brake from every day activities in Edmonton. My wife Vera was excited knowing she’ll be spending one week by the pool enjoying the warm Florida weather.

Crossing the Julia Tuttle Causeway

We flew in from Edmonton via Huston to Miami on a beautiful sunny autumn day – it was 82 degrees Fahrenheit when we landed at Miami International Airport (MIA). If you are coming to Miami Beach on vacation, you are most likely arriving by plane like we did. The two closest airports are: Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL). There are pros and cons for arriving at each.

Downtown Miami and Port of Miami

Downtown Miami and Port of Miami

The day was October 1^st, 2011 and the weather in Miami was like it was still summer. To get to our hotel in Miami Beach, we had to take a taxi from the airport. If you are arriving at Miami Airport with 3 people, or less, the fastest and cheapest way to get to Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, or Port of Miami is a taxi. The flat rate is $22 to Downtown, $24 to the Port, and $32 to South Miami Beach. When you add tax and a tip, it will cost you around $38-$40.

 After crossing the Indian Creek you’re on Collins Avenue

Directions from Interstate 95 to Miami Beach:
Arriving via 41st Street (Julia Tuttle Causeway) – If your hotel is located in Miami Beach north of 30th Street, it’s best to use Julia Tuttle Causeway. From Interstate 95, look for signs that read 195 East. After you cross the Causeway, (which is just a fancy name for bridge) continue eastbound to Collins Avenue and turn either left or right, depending on where your hotel is located. The Fountainebleau hotel was just few blocks north on Collins Avenue. With the taxi it took only 15 minutes from the airport to arrive in front of our hotel.

Venetian Causeway

Oceanfront Collins Avenue and Millionaire’s Row in Miami

Someone’s yacht is docked in front of the hotel

Fontainebleau Miami Beach –  “Top Notch hotel”
The Fontainebleau Miami Beach is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels in Miami Beach. Opened in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus, it was considered the most luxurious hotel on Miami Beach, and is thought to be the most significant building of Lapidus’s career. The Fontainebleau is situated on oceanfront Collins Avenue in the heart of Millionaire’s Row in Miami.

Arial view at the Hotel Fontainebleau Miami Beach

This hotel is split into three towers: Chateau, Tresor and Sorrento. Actually there is also the latest addition, fourth building named Versailles, attached to the main Chateau tower, where the conference center is located. The Central part of the hotel consists of the curvy Chateau tower and it is so big people get lost. If you take time to review the map it will save you a lot of steps when you walk to the other building or searching for the exit to pool area. If you are planning to vacation here remember to bring walking shoes because you will walk at least 2 miles a day. Just getting to the beach from the lobby is about a half-mile walk.

By the pool at hotel Fontainebleau

The concierge was quick to check us in and courteous. The bellhops outside were super fast bringing our luggage directly into the room. I exchanged few words with the bellman who brought luggage to our room. He told me his name was Levi Forte and that he is the only leaving person who stayed in the ring with George Foreman for full 10 rounds back in 1969. Jokingly, I responded by telling him that I am probable the only person in this hotel who still remembers George Foreman! We both end up laughing!

Later on I Google his name and learnt that Levi Forte was in fact a colorful and exciting heavyweight trail-horse, who was a fan favorite on Miami Beach during the 1960s. Forte was a good boxer with a sturdy jab, but lacked knockout power. He won the Florida State Heavyweight Title from Ollie Wilson and successfully defended it, until Big Al Jones took it from him. His greatest claim to fame was working as a sparring partner for 3-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali; he also trained with champions Sonny Liston, Willie Pastrano, and Jimmy Ellis.

Our room

Our room was on the seventh floor in the main Chateau building. We got a standard two bed room without balcony, but with the ocean view. The room (742) was nice and clean, beds extremely comfortable, with new furniture and big window overlooking the pool area. Bathroom didn’t have a bathtub. Nothing over the top as far as luxurious goes, but maybe that is because this was one of the more basic rooms. I must admit it was hard to leave the room every morning for the conference sessions, seeing all those people swimming in the pool. But I did what I had to do…

There is wireless internet in the hotel, but it is not free and is not included in the room price. Every room has a computer, but you have to pay extra $17.95/day to use it. Even when you pay, you get restricted access to internet. What was even worse, the USB ports were disabled, so I couldn’t download any conference sessions to my USB disk drive. You can’t even save your “favorites”…

I wanted to use minibar refrigerator in the room for our own food and drinks. However they have you sign in a waiver, that if you take out any object from the minibar refrigerator, that you own it, if it is out for more than 20 sec. I am not making this up. I had never seen such a foolish policy. It only detracts from the excellence of the hotel.

View of the pool area from the room window

The pools
The pools are by far the best around. They are open from sunrise to sunset and are
designed to give privacy and access for adults and kids alike. The Adult only pool area had a steady beat thumping and endless bar service. Music was too loud for my taste. There is a kid’s area with a waterslide! And the rest of the pool area was donned with group pods, beach beds and single chairs with cabana boys and girls ready to take your order. Though, only beach beds are free…

Girls enjoying leisure time by the pool

The service by the pool was wonderful, but it comes at cost. You pay for their service. We walked down to the big pool and 2 of the hotel workers rushed to set up our beach chairs complete with pillows and towels. You can order drinks if you stay at the pool as waitresses walk around and take orders. If you love listening to blaring music, you’ll be fine…

Pools at hotel Fontainebleau

We also spent one afternoon at the ocean beach by the hotel. This experience was different because outside of the hotel property you see the real world. The beach is gorgeous outside the hotel and even has a cool kid area. If anything, I noticed the city is not doing a good job at cleaning the beach which had a lot of ocean grass spread all over the sand.

Ocean beach in front of the hotel could be cleaner

Miami Beach has been rated as one of the 10 best in the world. White sand, warm water, and bronzed bodies everywhere provide just the right mix of relaxation and people-gazing.

Ocean beach in front of the hotel

There’s a Charge for That, Sir!
I don’t think anyone disputes that the hotel is beautiful. However, when you are paying $250-$500 a night, you expect your hotel room comes with something, anything. Well, at the Fontainebleau, you don’t get anything for free. Food was ridiculously expensive. For example, price for a breakfast that included two bowls of oatmeal, 2 coffee, two kids meals of pancakes, and smoothie: $70. A sandwich sells for $15. Need to park your car? Well that’s $34 a day sir. Need Internet, that’s $14 per laptop per day or if you’re using their computer in the room, that’s $17.95 per day. They also force you to pay an 18% gratuity on all the overpriced drinks and food you buy, so the staff has no reason to help you. You want a chair when you get there? $18. You want a drink? $15. Just a side of fries for a snack? $8. Here at the Fontainebleau we prefer to bleed our customer dry…

Drinks in the hotel bar are very expensive

When you stay here you should expect to pay way too much for everything. But overall this is an amazing hotel. The hotel does have a cool vibe, but it’s not worth the $$$

Beyond this, the hotel was great. We did a little scouting during the weekend and the Fontainebleau hands down had the best mix of luxury, on site restaurants, beach access, pool experience and on site clubs. I recommend it if you have tons of cash to burn. It’s not for those on a budget by any means so many IT professionals attending IBM conference left disappointed.

Aventura Mall

Transportation
Vera and I quickly discovered bus routes and almost immediately started to use them. There was a bus station right in front of our hotel on both sides of Collins Avenue. Bus “S” would take us to downtown Miami Beach in 10 minutes for only $2 per person, but you must have exact amount, as the bus driver doesn’t provide change. We used the same bus in other direction (north) to visit Aventura Mall, which was almost 45 minutes ride. For $2 it was well worth it!

Aventura Mall by bus

For $26.00 you can get a 7 day pass good on all the buses & trains anywhere in Miami-Dade County. (Buy it when you arrive at the airport & you can use it for the Airport Flyer Express to SoBe). I believe the pass would even cover the trip to Key Largo or as far south as Marathon in the Keys. That trip would require a bus-train-bus-bus connection from SoBe & would probably be impractical unless you stay overnite. While in Miami South Beach, use the 25c “south beach local” bus that circles south beach and runs up and down Washington Ave.

Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a narrow, 7-mile island that boasts hundreds of hotels, restaurants, attractions, and places to shop, not to mention beautiful beaches and exciting nightlife — there is simply nothing like it.

Arial view of Miami Beach

Arial view of Miami Beach

One thing that contributes to Miami Beach being such a popular vacation destination is how close they are to Florida’s best attractions. Disney World is a 4 hour drive and Key Largo is just an hour and a half away. A short 40 minute drive can have you on an Airboat buzzing through the Florida Everglades.

Most visitors want to stay in Miami Beach, a city on a barrier island of the same name off the coast of Miami & connected to it by several causeways. “South Beach” is the southernmost 2 miles or so of Miami Beach. It contains the best known beaches, shopping streets, clubs, dozens of hotels of varying size, quality, price & ambience and the historic “art deco” district.

To be in the center of or within walking distance of the center of South Beach (SoBe)  you want to stay somewhere below 23d street (address number under 2300) and on or within a block of Washington or Collins Aves., or Ocean drive.

Arial view of Miami Beach

Lincoln Avenue
Lincoln Road is one of those places that is synonymous with South Beach. The road is closed for traffic and at night is full with people who are just walking up and down the street. It has everything and its location is well situated in SoBe. Looking for art galleries, I recommend Peter Lik Photography with his pieces being so visually tantalizing, Britto Central, and the Art Center.

Walking dead on the Lincoln Road South Miami Beach

Walking dead on the streets of South Miami Beach

Restaurants on Lincoln Road are aplenty. There is a flavor of food for every palette. Mostly, the expensive palette, but there are some cheap options around like Pizza Rustica and Paul.

Church on Lincoln Road

Bars and clubs surround Lincoln Road. One of the best bars on SoBe resides right on Lincoln, Zeke’s. A place with great beers for a cheap price.

But….. the main reason to go is… PEOPLE WATCHING. There are so many dam, beautiful people that I may never recover from Snapped Neck Syndrome. The eye candy is never ending on Lincoln. With all that said, Lincoln is the perfect destination to be on the weekend with all its endless possibilities.

 Street performers on Lincoln Road

Collins Avenue
Collins is home to many historic Art Deco hotels, and several nightclubs to the north, including Mynt and Rokbar. North of 41st St. this boulevard lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Creek, lined by palm trees, and famous hotels from the 50s and 60s such as the Eden Roc and the Morris Lapidus-designed Fontainebleau Hotel, built in the curvy, flamboyant Neo-baroque fashion that defined the 1950s ‘Miami Beach‘ resort hotel style. Coined as “Millionaires Row,” Collins Avenue is lined by historic hotels such as The Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, formerly known as Westin Resort, and formerly known as the Doral Hotel. The annual Miami International Boat Show also occurs on Collins Avenue.

Vera and Zdenko by the hotel pool

The weather
The weather of Florida is as hospitable to tourists as the people of United States are. It means that you are welcomed to Florida at all times. Miami enjoys a great weather throughout the year with sun-drenched days and blustery nights. However, the best time to travel to Miami is during winters, i.e. from the period between October and April. The weather is much more pleasant during this period as compared to the other seasons.

Winters are not very chilly. In fact, the mornings are slightly warm.  The peak season to visit Miami is from December to April. The weather at this point of time is simply perfect. The season gives an opportunity to the visitors to take a look at the beautiful clear skies. Winters provide the scope to visitors to indulge in various activities. Therefore, to enjoy your visit to the fullest, it is best to plan your vacation during the winter season.

If you want your tour to be economical and wish to visit the place when it is crowded with people, you must have the courage to bear the hot weather conditions of the city. South Florida is much more quite in summers as compared to winters. It feels as if the swiftness and rapid movements of the city comes to a halt due to the harsh weather conditions. The cultural activities totally come to a standstill. Summer months from June to December are characterized by a slow tempo, damp weather, fewer crowds and comparatively lower hotel rates.

Miami

More Miami pictures here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1067363

By Zdenko Kahlina
IBM System Storage Technical University (Formerly known as the IBM System Storage Symposium)

I recently returned from Washington, DC where I was attending an IBM storage conference. The conference has hundred’s of sessions to choose from in the IBM System z10 and zSeries Mainframes, Systems Storage and Linux areas. These sessions are presented directly by IBM developers, which provide the opportunity to learn directly from the experts. The purpose for me was to find out how can we at WCB address the growing challenge of managing and securing retention-managed data, using storage solutions from IBM.

 All activities were held at Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel wardmanparkmarriott.com‎ , easily accessible from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – DCA. The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel is a Marriott International property in Washington, D.C.. The hotel is located in the upscale Woodley Park neighborhood at Woodley Road, NW and Connecticut Avenue, adjacent the Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan station of the Washington Metrorail system.

 Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel

 Good Location to visit DC area with Metro within one block

Even among the most sophisticated hotels in Washington, DC, Marriott Wardman Park rises above. With a blend of charm, modern elegance and a historic landmark setting, this NW Washington, DC hotel’s stunning guest rooms, event space and impeccable service make it the perfect choice for business and leisure travelers.

Wardman tower 

Hotel lobby area

Situated on 16 garden acres, this hotel in Washington, DC has hosted a long list of U.S. Presidents, dignitaries and VIPs. With 1,335 guestrooms and suites, including 145 VIP suites, plus an outdoor heated pool, vacationers will find the perfect place from which to explore the city and enjoy their down time. Families will delight in the hotel’s close proximity to the National Zoo and the National Cathedral. With 195,000 sq ft of event space and 95,000 sq ft of exhibit space, meeting and conference planners will find the Washington Marriott Wardman Park a perfect venue for events of any size. Additionally, the comprehensive conference services and expert staff ensure that every event is perfect.

IBM storage representative for Western Canada Brian Neudorf with Zdenko

Group of conference attendees from Alberta

This hotel is split into two towers, Central and Wardman. The Central part of the hotel consists of the main tower and two wings and it is so big people get lost. If you take time to review the map it will save you a lot of steps when you walk to the metro (and you need those to walk the national mall area). They are significantly different. The Central tower is like a typical business hotel while the Wardman tower is more luxurious and has finer furnishings and gardens etc. The hotel lobby areas and bars are very nice and elegant.

I’ve requested a room in Wardman tower because I heard this was a newer section of the hotel and the rooms are newer and bigger. The room (2323) was nice and clean, with new furniture and big window overlooking the pool. I must admit it was hard to leave the room every morning for the sessions, seeing all those people swimming in the pool. But I did what I had to do and didn’t miss a single session.

Hotel pool was always busy

Pool view from Zdenko’s room

The metro was very convenient within a block of the hotel at the corner of Woodley Road and Connecticut Ave. An all day pass on the metro was only $9.00. The zoo is within walking distance of the hotel.

Plenty of places to eat around the area or just a subway ride away. We did not use any of the amenities in the hotel as there is so much to do and see around the DC area.

One warning–the hotel offers the use of three complimentary computers in the lobby (right next to the bar where it’s noisy and very dark) for web browsing. If you have any real work to do, however, the hotel business center charges $24/hour (!!!!) for the use of its MS Office-enabled computers and printers. So definitely bring your laptop. Even than be careful, as a daily internet fee is about $13. I was offered Marriott’s membership (thanks to Brian who mentioned this option to me!) and received complimentary access to the internet as part of the package.

Conference

At the IBM conference, I learnt about the latest enhancements to the IBM System Storage portfolio, all of which support virtualization. I sat at the sessions about the new IBM XIV® Storage System, a revolutionary high-end Open Disk system designed to support key business requirements.

Many more sessions were available as conference was spread all over the Marriott Wardman Park hotel conference center. I must mention how well conference was organized. I couldn’t find anything that was out of order.

Opening General Session

I discovered new Tivoli Storage Productivity Center functions that deliver enhanced management capabilities for virtualization. I also attended a session to learn how to use IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) to automate data backup and restore functions, and centralize storage management operations. At the conference IBM had setup Solution Center where their best Business Partners were presenting their storage products and solutions.

Entrance to the IBM Solution Center

Solution Center 

IBM selling boot camp

IBM System x Rack and Power Infrastructure

Highlights and Featured Sessions

I am listing here just some of the sessions the 2010 IBM System Storage Technical University conference was offering this year with the short description:

Opening General Session

Presentation on trends and directions in IBM Storage by IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technical Strategist for IBM Systems & Technology Group, Storage Platform.

XIV Overview

The XIV system is an exciting addition to the IBM disk portfolio. This session covers the underlying architecture and describes the different configurations currently available.

DS8000 Technical Update

This session discuss the enhancements to the DS8000 product family during the last year. A new model of DS8000, new disk options, and exciting new functions such as Easy Tier were covered. 

DS8000 Space Efficient Storage: Flash Copy and Thin Provisioning

This session compared and contrast two different space efficient implementations on the DS8000, and then provided an update on the situations in which these implementations performed best. 

Easy Tier Implementation and Use on DS8700

This session introduced the new Easy Tier functionality provided by the latest release of the DS8700. It provided an overview of the capability to monitor an active subsystem, automatically moving data which is most likely to benefit from Solid State Disks onto SSDs, managing this resource based on application usage. 

Data Deduplication

This session cover the data types that deduplication does well and which ones don’t, capacity planning exercises and considerations to maximize performance and network bandwidth.  

IBM System z Storage Management Overview

This session provided an overview of IBM’s strategy for managing z/OS storage environments and some about z/VM. Details were provided about each layer of the z/OS Storage Management strategy: Process management, IBM Service Management foundation and Operational management. 

IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Center Overview and Update

IBM recently announced its latest version of Tivoli Storage Productivity Center, a storage resource management tool that manages both IBM and non- IBM storage devices, including disk systems, tape libraries, and SAN switches. This session gave an overview of the various components of Tivoli Storage Productivity Center and describe what’s new in this version of the product.

Tivoli Storage Manager Version 6 Technical Overview

Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) Version 6 includes many new features, including client side deduplication, automatic deployment for Windows clients, simultaneous write during storage pool migration, a new reporting and monitoring server, and several others. This session was a technical overview and was intended as an introduction to all the new functions introduced in TSM V6.2.

What’s New in DFSMShsm

With a new release of z/OS and DFSMS coming out every year, clients need a regular update to keep up with what is new in DFSMShsm. This session covered the latest and greatest enhancements to the product delivered in the latest official release and via development APARS.

What’s New in DFSMSrmm

This is a review of z/OS V1R11 content for the DFSMSrmm component. The material covered includes all the latest functions: command and dialog enhancements, cross-verification of tape labels, new GDG retention options, exploitation of the z/OS Dynamic Exit Facility, and reporting changes.

SEA CATCH Restaurant

IBM representatives from Alberta invited all their business partners from Canada, who were attending the conference, for a dinner on Tuesday night. The reservations were made at the “Sea Catch” restaurant. Known as one of the top downtown DC restaurants, Sea Catch Restaurant and Raw Bar prides itself on offering the best in seasonal seafood in a welcoming and pleasing environment.
 

The Canal Square Building is the birthplace of the original computer.

Restaurant setting

Situated in a restored building over 150 years-old and just steps from the charming C & O Canal, this restaurant offers a unique and delectable dining experience.
Today guests to this exceptional seafood restaurant in Georgetown Washington DC are invited to honor the history of the building, while appreciating its present incarnation as home to the Sea Catch Restaurant and several art galleries. Please take a moment to view a commemorative plaque, an original punched card plate and a pictorial display of Hollerith’s achievements during your visit.

Seafood platter was served as a starter

Delicious Crab cake was served

Historians recognize the Canal Square Building as “the birthplace of the original computer”, long before it became a renowned Georgetown Washington DC restaurant. The building was originally built in 1842 to serve as a shipping warehouse for barge traffic on the bustling C&O Canal. It later served as a coopers shop, the art of crafting casks to hold such goods as flour, wine, and gunpowder. However, the Canal Square building gained its full historical status when Herman Hollerith converted the structure into a factory for manufacturing & printing punched card tabulating machines.

Patio overlooking C & O canal

Hollerith’s punched card tabulating machine shortly proved their worth. By using these machines in the 1890 census, the government was able to shave 2 years and 5 million dollars off of the project as compared with previous censuses.  

A pictorial display of Hollerith’s achievements with the original punched card plate in the middle

With such a success, it is no wonder that Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine Company was merged with two others to eventually create, in 1924, the “International Business Machines Corporation” or IBM. In 1984, IBM recognized the Canal Square Building as a historic site.

With this, I would complete this blog about another successful IBM System Storage Conference.

Source: Local Wally’s Guide to San Diego

SAN DIEGO If you’ve been to Maui, then you know about the famous “Road to Hana”.
It’s an all day road trip adventure that takes you to places far away from your resort and leaves you with the feeling that you’ve done something unusual, perhaps more local than your fellow traveler.

Cruising Old Highway 101

San Diego has it’s own version of this day trip, though typical for us, it’s easier, it’s faster, but it’s no less rewarding. You want something different to do on your vacation, then you need to cruise Old Highway 101 and visit North San Diego’s beach towns and sites.

North San Diego, or “North County” as locals call it, is the stretch of coast from Del Mar to Oceanside. It’s filled with charming little beach towns, secret beaches, flower fields and lots of locals. You’ll exit the busy freeway and go on the road less traveled (well, kind of) when you start cruising on Old Highway 101, once the only way to get from Los Angeles to San Diego. You’ll almost step back in time to when The Beach Boys harmonies were in the air, Gidget was on the beach, and the only thing that mattered was how much fun you could cram into one day.

Expect your trip to North County to take you approximately 4 – 5 hours, maybe more if you really want to explore. Try to work your timetable so you can have lunch, or dinner, or both, while you doing your tour so you can get the full flavor (sorry, bad pun) of the area. To get to North County, get on Highway 5 and head North. You’ll pass the dreaded 5 / 805 merge (the place where those two major freeways join as one) and will want to EXIT ON DEL MAR HEIGHTS ROAD and go towards the ocean. You’re sure to smile as you hit the top of Del Mar Heights and the ocean fills the panorama as wide as you can see. Keep on going to the bottom of the hill and turn RIGHT on the main road, Highway 101.

First Stop: Del Mar, where the Surf meets the Turf
Del Mar. Just the sound of the name conjurs up images of old Hollywood, of Bing Crosby crooning at the mic, Jimmy Durante drunk at a local bar, Micky Roony picking up on local chicks, and Desi fighting with Lucy. Ahhh, the good old days! Del Mar was once the place to be if you were a Hollywood star trying to getaway from it all! Make Del Mar your first stop and you’ll discover for yourself why the stars of yesterday considered Del Mar to be their ultimate playground.

Though locals shun it, your first stop should be The Del Mar Plaza, an upscale shopping center filled with boutiques and restaurants. Park in their underground lot and head up to the top level. You’ll find plenty of sunshine and a view of the ocean that should knock your socks off! If you’ve planned this right and it’s time for a cocktail (and really, isn’t anytime the right time for a cocktail when you are on vacation), then grab a drink and bask in the sun and you’re living the good life! Ahhh, nothing better than this!

Even though it’s a bit of a tourist stop, The Del Mar Plaza has a number of great restaurants (notably Pacifica Del Mar), but if you can wait, I got an even better spot for later. Just wait!

Once you are done browsing the overpriced boutiques, take a walk towards the ocean. Here you will find a great park where there’s lawn and benches next to the sand – the real “surf meets the turf” spot. Take a short stroll on the beach and for a while, you’re a local! Nice.

LOCAL WALLY HOT GAMBLING TIP: Del Mar is also home to the Del Mar Racetrack. If you like to bet on the ponies, it’s pretty hard to beat a racetrack that’s next to the ocean. Racing season runs from around mid-July to early September.

LOCAL WALLY “CARNIE” ALERT: From mid-June to the Fourth of July is the San Diego County Fair. It’s typical of most fairs – corndogs and carnies – but notable because it really messes up traffic. Just be patient if you get caught in traffic.

If you fought the urge to eat while at the Plaza, you will be justly rewarded. As you exit the Plaza parking lot, take the road that winds down towards the ocean and follow it as it curves around the coast line. You’ll see the old train station and the power station as you approach your destination. On your left is LOCAL WALLY’S TOP PICK FOR OUTSIDE DINING, The Poseidon. For lunch, there is no better place in San Diego. It features a moderately priced lunch menu (fish tacos and calamari sandwich are standouts) that are expertly prepared. But the real catch is THE VIEW! The outdoor patio sits right on the beach! You get any closer and you’ll be in the waves. It’s an awesome setting, one that you should not miss. Even if you are not hungry, stop in at the bar and try to get a table close to the open windows and have an appetizer. Don’t doubt Wally – this is a MUST DO lunch spot!

Now that you’re done eating, let’s get moving. Get back on the same road and keep heading NORTH on Highway 101, renamed CAMINO DEL MAR in this area. You’ll pass by some great homes – and no, you can’t afford them. The first open clearing on your left is Del Mar’s Dog Beach If you love dogs, park your car and take a stroll. You won’t find many mongruls on this fancy beach! Parking can be tough, and don’t forget that you must buy a parking voucher from one of the machines along the road or you will end up with a very unpleasant parking ticket. By the way, you’ll pass Del Mar Brigantine, home of the BEST FISH TACOS in the bar area. I know, you just ate but keep this one in mind for later. Seriously, the best Fish Taco anywhere on the planet.

Second Stop: Solana Beach, Cedros Design District
Hey Wally, what’s with all these Quonset huts? Yes, it’s a darn thing all these Quonset huts. Built in 1949 when this was an industrial area, the huts have since become an odd sort of landmark. Strange. Even the train station is a giant hut. Hey, Egypt has pyramids. We have Quonset huts. And shopping. Lots of shopping.

To get to Cedros (“see-drose”), exit Highway 101 at Lomas Santa Fe and go up a block. Turn right on Cedros Avenue and park anywhere. What you will find here will be an eclectic collection of small shops, from women shoe boutiques to odd, one of a kind trinket stores, to an antique warehouse. One of the most popular places to shop and browse is Leaping Lotus, a modern two story building filled with a diverse collection of clothing, jewelry, gifts, and “stuff”. And don’t miss stopping in at Cut and Dried Hardwood to browse their showroom and smell the exotic woods. This isn’t the Home Depot lumber yard!

LOCAL WALLY MUSIC ALERT: The Belly Up Tavern is a local favorite for seeing great bands up close. Worth a trip back to the area is you like seeing live music in a small setting.

OK, get back in your car and head back to Highway 101. As you get back on the highway and keep driving north, you’ll sweep around a curve and the full ocean will come into view. Wow! It’s breathtaking even to locals. You’re in the Cardiff By the Sea area, a great surfing spot. The beach there has a big parking lot if you want to stop and marvel at how locals spend their free time. Check out the kite surfers! Being pulled around on the waves while holding on to a giant kite looks like fun, doesn’t it?

As you drive that long stretch of highway that follows the ocean, you might see something quite strange. Rocks, polished by the ocean, are stacked on top of each other. It defies logic. Big rocks balanced on little ones. Little rocks balanced on driftwood. Strangely artistic, it sparks ones imagination and should send a smile to your face. Who took the time to balance the rocks? And why? Stop your car and check out this natural art if you are lucky enough to visit at a time when the rocks are on display. And if not, try your hand at a bit of rock balancing. It’s a weird way to spend your vacation time, but just wait until you try to explain this to your friends back home! This is uniquely San Diego!

The rock area is across from Las Olas Mexican Restaurant, one of the best Mexican restaurants in San Diego and a local hangout. If it’s not busy, stop in for some chips and salsa and a margarita on the outside patio.

LOCAL WALLY HOT PARKING TIP: If you cannot get a spot along the road, then pull into the valet parking at The Beach House restaurant. The upstairs patio overlooks the ocean, making it a great spot for a cocktail (Oh No, not another cocktail!) Have a drink, look at the view, then walk to the rocks before getting back into your car.

Third Stop: Self Realization Fellowship Temple
This just might be one of the weirdest – and most delightful – stops on your trip. As you pass Swami’s Beach (which has a great lookout area in the parking lot), you’ll notice an odd, Bombay looking sort of building. “What the Hell is that?” might run through your mind. Well guess what? It’s your next stop! And it’s a good one.

Turn left as soon as you pass the temple and park a block or so up the street. The temple has grounds that are open to the public, and these grounds will blow your mind! A walk through those gates will transport you to another world. The landscaping is more Hawaiianish than Hawaii, with tropical plants, waterfalls, and world class koi ponds. In fact, I doubt you will ever see a better koi pond anywhere on the planet.

Am I hallucinating again, or do I hear a sitar?

George Harrison of the Beatles used to visit this temple, along with Encinitas local Ravi Shankar, the famous sitar player. This place is mystical, transcendental, and meditational. As you walk up the stairs, you’ll notice aging flower children types sitting on the various benches with their eyes closed. Don’t worry, they’re not dead… They’re meditating! Hey, you can’t blame them for believing they found Nirvana (the state of mind, not the rock band) in a place like this. Try to be quiet as you pass them (you DO NOT want to see an angry mediator!) and make your way to the top of the stairs for a stunning view of the ocean. This place is insanely beautiful. Stop for a moment and look for dolphins or whales, then circle back to check out the ponds filled with large, colorful koi. Admission is free, though a donation appreciatated. As you leave, you’ll want to thank Local Wally for turning you on to his secret spot!

Fourth Stop: Encinitas

Encinitas, one of the last real beach towns in Soutnern California

And it keeps on getting weirder! As you leave the Self Realization Temple, cruise through the neighborhoods by getting on 3rd Street, which runs parallel to Highway 101. Pay attention as you pass G street and you’ll see something that will make you slam on your brakes faster than a drunk in a speed trap. What is this? A house that looks like a boat? That’s right, these are the infamous Encinitas Boat Houses, two giant boats that are built on dry land. Built back in the ’20′s before there were homeowner associations and CC&R’s (that’s a joke, by the way), the Boat Houses continue to be an oddity and no less mind boggling than the day they were built. Go ahead and take your picture in front of them – but no, you cannot go inside as these are actually rental units.

Once you’ve seen the Boat House, keep on driving on 3rd street and park your car anywhere around by D Street. You should be near Keilani’s (137 West D Street), an authentic Hawaiian plate lunch restaurant. A plate lunch consists of two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad, and an entree, such as shredded boneless pork spareribs, teriyaki chicken, or kalua pork. These high carb lunches were popular with the sugar plantation workers in Hawaii, and they’re popular with the surfers and locals here. Not hungry enough to eat again? Then get an authentic shaved ice or a can of POG (Passion fruit, Orange juice, and Guava juice) to go.

Walk back to 101 and head towards the La Paloma Theater for a good starting place. There’s a funky open market to the left of the old theatre with lots of little trinkets. Start there, then head on down the highway (going south). You’ll find lots of independent little stores selling everything from high end clothing to funky beachware. You’ll also find great food and drink as you head down towards The Lumberyard, a great shopping center that has some fantastic pastries at St. Tropez Bakery and Bistro. The Lumber yard is a great place to grab a snack or and ice cream and sit back in a chair to enjoy the sunshine.

Down the street a bit is Hansen Surfboards, a local surf shop that not only sells boards but local surf clothing as well. You want an Encinitas t-shirt? Go to Hansens.

Once common with surfers back in the 60′s, Woodies have become huge collectables.

LOCAL WALLY HOT WOODIE TIP: If you love looking at beautifully restored cars of yesteryear, you won’t want to miss the Wavecrest Woodie Meet, the largest collection of classic Woodies usually held the third weekend of September. During the summer, Encinitas also holds a Rods and Woodies Classic Car Show every Thursday from June to September from 5:30 to 7:30, usually with live surf music.

Now that you’ve seen Hansens and most likely bought yourself a cool t-shirt to impress your friends back home, turn around and walk back down the other side of the street. There’s plenty more shops to visit, and some excellent restaurants as well. Just in case you decide to come back to Encinitas later in your visit and are looking for the best places to eat, here they are:

BREAKFAST: Potato Shack Cafe serves up plates of potatoes prepared with various toppings, along with “manhole cover sized” pancakes and traditional egg dishes. Another local favorite is 101 Diner (552 S. Coast Hwy 101), home to perhaps the best Eggs Benedict ever (served only on weekends).

LUNCH AND DINNER: One of my favorite Northern Italian restaurants is Trattoria I Trulli (830 South Coast Highway 101, 760-943-6800). It’s small, it’s noisy and the tables are so close that you might think they made a mistake and seated you at an occupied table, but the food is always exceptionally good and the atmosphere is celebration happy. There’s always a wait, so call ahead. Outside tables for lunch are wonderful. If you can’t get into I Trulli, then cross the street and dine at Vigilucci’s. It’s fancier than I Trulli, quieter, and a bit more expensive – but it’s very, very good. There are plenty of other places in Encinitas to dine at, and nearly all of them are excellent in this little surf town.

Before you leave Encinitas, you have to stop and see Moonlight Beach, the beach that made this place famous. Go west at Encinitas Blvd. and you’ll find a beach that’s nearly all locals, and one that hasn’t changed in the past 40 years. There’s a snack bar just like the old days selling hot dogs, corn dogs, and popcycles. Volleyball courts in the sand, palapas for shade, BBQs and firerings for nighttime bonfires, man, this is some great beach! But wait – Walk past the main beach area and the beach will get surprisingly uncrowded. Even on the hottest day of summer you will find a quiet and private spot at Moonlight Beach.

LOCAL WALLY HOT BOTANICAL TIP: If you’re a plant lover, then take a side trip to Quail Botanical Gardens, 35 acres of rare and lush gardens, including a rainforest area. It’s around the Encinitas Blvd area – call (760) 436-3036 for directions.

Now it’s time to get back to your car and keep on cruisin’! You’ll be driving though an area called Leucadia, a funky downscale beach town that refuses to change – and that’s good. Unlike other beach towns that have “La Jolla envy” for all the tourist dollars, Leucadia just doesn’t care. It’s a town for locals, a place to surf, a place to kick back and do nothing. And that suits Local Wally just fine.

Time stands still in Leucadia

The number one attraction in Leucadia, besides the awesome surfing, is Lou’s Records, a real record shop that caters to music lovers. You’ll find just about any artist you can think of at Lou’s, from oldies to new obscure. DO NOT FEAR THE TATOOO’D AND PIERCED EMPLOYEES! They’re harmless, and actually quite helpful. Try to fit in by saying things like “dude, cool nosering” or “man, great Satan tatoo on your forehead”. Lou’s is a “must stop” for music lovers, and keep an eye out for live shows in the parking lot from artists such as Jack Johnson. Lots or hard to find discs at Lou’s, and a great video store next door.

Fifth Stop: Road Trip to Get Fresh Strawberries
What most tourists don’t know is that North County, and Encinitas especially, was once famous for the miles and miles of flower fields and local crops like strawberries. A lot of the fields have been covered with multi-million dollar tract houses, and, yes, a Factory Outlet Mall in Carlsbad covers old flower fields. That’s the sad side of progress, but fortunately there are still enough strawberry fields left to keep the locals happy. If the strawberry you know is from the supermarket, you’re in for a treat. Supermarket strawberries are picked unripe so they can travel without bruising. This makes for a crunchy and flavorless berry. Real strawberries are plump, bright red, juicy, and just the right amount of softness. They last about a day after you pick them, so they are only available in local stands. And Local Wally is going to show you the best strawberry stand in North County.

We grow ‘em locally here. Get them the day they’re picked.

Exit Highway 101 at LA COSTA BLVD and go east 1.3 miles. You’ll pass over the congested Highway 5 freeway. Keep going until you see a fruit stand on the corner of La Costa Blvd. and Saxony Drive. This is where you will find local strawberries nearly all year, and during the summer they just cannot be beat. Sample the other local fruit, and grab a bag of tortilla chips and salsa to go as well. I know, your car’s going to be a mess, but who cares? It’s a rental!
Locally grown fresh flowers, fresh tamales and breads, this is the place to stock up on great food to snack on once you are back in your hotel room. And yes, the tamales are quite good and they usually have warm ones that you eat right then and there. Don’t worry about that diet until you get home! Head back to Highway 101 and let’s keep going!

Sixth Stop: Carlsbad
As you get back on Highway 101 from La Costa Blvd., you’ll be driving along stretches of unspoiled local beaches. You might be tempted to stop, but keep going – it gets better! Keep driving until you get to the Hilton Garden Inn (6450 Carlsbad Blvd.) and you’ll see another “only in San Diego” sights. If it’s a nice day, across the street you’ll find people flying radio controlled model gliders (meaning no gas engine) over the ocean cliffs, picking up the updrafts as they loop the loop and race back and forth. It’s an incredible sight and worth a short stop. The view of the ocean from here is awesome, by the way!

Carlsbad is poised to be the “next big thing”. See it now before it’s spoiled.

If you’re lucky enough to be visiting during the Spring, then exit on Palomar Airport Road and take a detour to see The Flower Fields. You’ll think you just got dropped off in the final scene of the Wizard of Oz as you walk through the acres of blooming flowers. It’s an incredible sight to see – fantastic, really. Incredibly beautiful. If it’s not Spring, you can still exit on Palomar Airport Road if you want to visit the upscale factory outlet mall called Carlsbad Premium Outlet, aka Carlsbad Company Stores. It’s fairly predictable shopping, but the setting is great with the ocean views.

Back on Highway 101, keep driving until you reach your final destination, Carlsbad. You are in what is called Carlsbad Village, where you’ll find the old downtown area, great restaurants, and uncrowded beaches. The main downtown shops are on State Street, a block east of the highway. To be honest, it’s not particularly exciting shopping and browsing, so don’t set your expectations too high. You’ll find antique stores and beachwear, women’s boutiques and bars. One notable stop is Spin Records (370 Grand Ave.), only second to Lou’s for carrying tough to find CD’s. (Pssst…..There’s even a bootleg DVD section in the back for collectors).

LOCAL WALLY HOT GUITAR TIP: If you play guitar, you need to make sure you stop by Buffalo Bros Guitars (4901 El Camino Real, 760-434-4567). Buffalo Brothers is one of the premier guitar shops in the country, featuring Taylors and other high end guitars. It’s about 10 to 15 minutes from Carlsbad Village.

LOCAL WALLY HOT UKULELE TIP: If ukes are your passion, Giacoletti’s has plenty of Lanikai’s and Lehua’s for you to strum. Located right in the village.

Carlsbad train station

Wally, I’m tired of all this walking! I need to relax! I need a drink!

OK, OK, Wally hears you! It’s time to drop now that you’ve shopped and get a good strong margarita in your hand. Thank goodness (and Wally) that you are near Fidels Norte (3003 Carlsbad Blvd., (760) 729-0903), one of the best Mexican restaurant in all of San Diego County and Local Wally’s favorite. Sitting on their sunny outside patio just feels like vacation. Add that their food is top notch and you got yorself a destination restaurant.

LOCAL WALLY HOT MEXICAN FOOD TIP: While nearly everything at Fidels is great, the one thing they do better than anyone are their Chile Relleno’s. If you’re a fan of fluffy egg dipped chiles floating in a spicy red sauce, you can’t pass this by. House margaritas are only so-so, so upgrade minimally to the “Original” recipe if you like a little more punch to your drink. If Fidels is too crowded, right down the street is Las Olas (that’s right, it’s owned by the same folks as the Las Olas in Cardiff area). Las Olas has a great carnitas platter (shredded pork , rice and beans, tortillas) for around ten bucks that’s big enough to share.

If Mexican isn’t your thing (come on, you’re in San Diego for God’s sake!), then walk down the way south until you get to Harbor Fish Cafe (3179 Carlsbad Boulevard, (760)729-4161) for an ultra casual (talking picnic benches here) dining experience. They’re famous for their giant fish taco (you just can’t get away from Mexican food!) and fish and chips, but also have fresh catches broiled to perfection. Ocean view casual dining with beer and wine.

Don’t forget to take a walk on the beach when you are done eating, or to just grab a nearby bench and watch the ocean. Ahhhh, what a great day! Go ahead – make a toast to Local Wally for showing you a side of San Diego that most tourists don’t experience!

Final Stop: Oceanside
Let’s make our final stop at lovely Oceanside. Another one of San Diego’s many gems. Oceanside is a key transit point in North County and is famous for its long wooden pier which I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts.

The town is close to both Carlsbad and Encinitas, two other incredibly charming and beautiful beach communities. Oceanside is a coastal resort city located on California’s South Coast. It is the third-largest city in San Diego County and 15th-largest city in Southern California. The city had a population of about 183,095 as of January 2010. Together with Carlsbad and Vista, it forms a tri-city area. Oceanside is located just south of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the busiest military base in the United States.

Oceanside is a thriving beach community and is is home to various tributes to the Pacific Ocean like the Oceanside Municipal Pier (the longest all wood pier on the west coast), the Oceanside Harbor and Marina (offering a variety of water sports like jet skiing, scuba diving, boat rentals, and whale watching excursions), and the California Surf Museum (surfing-related memorabilia and exhibitions).

Away from the beach Oceanside is rich in great site-seeing and family activities like the historic Mission at San Luis Rey and Heritage Park (featuring guided tours and a gift shop), the weekly farmer’s market (with fresh produce, flowers, and local art), and numerous golf courses and parks, even a dog park.

Oceanside is one of the few towns that have accommodations right AT the beach (on or across the street). The atmosphere of the town is affected by the large marine presence so, although it is beginning to gentrify, it is not the most upscale town in the county.

Conclusion
San Diego‘s coastline is roughly 113 km in length with numerous large and small beaches. The top 15 beaches are listed below:

Coronado
Mission Beach
La Jolla Shores
Del Mar
Pacific Beach
Mission Bay Park
Ocean Beach
Windansea Beach
Carlsbad
Black’s Beach (largest nude beach in the U.S)
Solana Beach
Imperial Beach
Children’s Pool
La Jolla Cove
Oceanside

Heading Back
You can now jump on the main Highway 5 South if you want the fastest way back to your hotel. If it’s rush hour time, consider just taking Highway 101 back instead as it’s sometimes faster, and certainly more scenic than the main highway. If you’re lucky enough to be driving home as the sun sets, make sure you stop to watch the sun’s sweet goodbye to a fantastic day.

By Zdenko Kahlina

Round trip from San Diego to Palm Springs
Several years ago I was spending a week in San Diego on a business trip. During this trip I reserved one weekend to explore southern California and pay visit to Palm Springs and all the places in between. As usual, I didn’t choose the fastest way; instead I drove thru the national forest and some big mountains with twisty roads.

Zdenko on scenic Cuyamaca Highway

First stage was to get as close as possible to Palm Springs. Minimum time for the route I choose was 4.5 hours. This was a 300 km long journey and it may well take five or more hours if you stop for food or snacks on the way. Just like the more direct route from San Diego to Palm Springs — you could easily make this a two day or a LONG day journey with some key stops and detours on the way. Both the Mojave and Joshua Tree National Parks could be on your way.

There are plenty of road route options between San Diego and Palm Springs and there is no need to worry about traveling on the “lesser” roads. Depending upon your preferences you can take a couple of days to travel to Palm Springs or do it in a little over two hours by taking the Interstate highways. The fastest and shortest route is only about 200 kilometers. If you are doing this in the spring and want to see wildflowers I would suggest a different route. But to see some of the local area, I would suggest the route we did. There are a bunch of other routes as well (but they will take longer). The SR-79 route should take you about five hours (with stops for views and food).

Zdenko’s Tour of Southern California

From San Diego we took Highway 8 out of the city. We passed El Cajon, Lake Side, Alpine and other smaller places. At the junction with the state route 79 we made a left turn (north) and very soon we were driving thru the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This road is also called Cuyamaca Highway. At this point we were entering into the mountains and quickly noticed how everything around us was changing. The outside temperature dropped as we were gaining in altitude.

First stop was at Lake Cuyamaca

Lake Cuyamaca
Nice lake, and a very convenient stop in the mountains, about 20 minutes drive before Julian. Would have been nice if it wasn’t so hot. The restaurant there has a great lakeside view and serves their famous indigenous apple pie. Though we didn’t eat there, the pies sure looked good. There’s a general store attached to the restaurant.

Lake Cuyamaca

In the Park, we made another short stop for some really, really, good bread at Dudley’s Bakery. After the brake, we continued our journey until we got into Julian and there we stopped again to check out this famous little gold-country town.

The Julian Trading Post

About Julian
Julian is an historic gold mining town located approximately an hour east of San Diego. This is the premier mountain retreat in the county and is unique in that it has four seasons. Spring brings the blossoming of many flowers including daffodils, summer is perfect for hiking and star gazing, fall is famous for their apples and fall colors, and winter brings snowfalls and bright, crisp, “Christmassy” days.

Although famous for apples and their superb apple pie, one can enjoy this place all year round. Julian has become the center for visitors who wish to stay in the mountains but take day trips to the nearby casinos, the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the coast. It has always been the B&B capital of Southern California, known for its romantic atmosphere. Specialty shops line the streets, attractions are unique, ranging from wineries to wolves. From the old time melodrama to the Grape Stomp Festa, Julian events are great for couples, families and groups.

When leaving this town, at the north end, we made a right turn onto Highway 78 towards Borrego Springs. In Julian, we were at the high altitude and the air was very pleasant. From Julian, the road started descending, and next time we made a stop to take a picture of some cactuses by the road – it was already 40+ degrees. At that time we were already “down” in the desert. Next town we checked was Borrego Springs.

In the Anza-Borrego desert

Borrego Springs
History is unfolding in a town already filled with its own unique historical milestones, Borrego Springs with the first placement of the Gomphotherium free standing art structures. These creatures lived in the area about 3 million years ago. Dennis Avery, land owner of Galleta Meadows Estates in Borrego Springs envisioned the idea of adding ‘free standing art’ to his property with original steel welded sculptures created by ‘Perris Jurassic Park’ owner/artist/welder Ricardo Breceda based in Perris, California.

History
The first record of a European in Borrego Valley was when Lieutenant Pedro Fages of the San Diego Presidio came in search of deserters in 1772. His pursuit led him northwest through the present town of Borrego Springs and up Coyote Canyon. This event was related by Kumeyaay Indians to members of the first Anza expedition, who camped at their village in March, 1774. The Spaniards called this village (and spring) just east of the Borrego Sink, San Gregorio. It is the location of the original Borrego Spring.

It was another hundred years before cattlemen began homesteading the Borrego Valley, in about 1875. The first successful well was dug in 1926, which quickly led to irrigation farming. By then, the town contained a post office, a small general store, and a gas station. The presence of both the Army and the Navy during World War II brought the first paved roads and electricity to Borrego Springs. After the war, developers subdivided the area, attempting to create a resort community by capitalizing on the tourism generated by the state park.

Art is close to the road

The town Borrego Springs was never incorporated and, therefore, has no mayor or other form of municipal government. Now history is unfolding in this town already filled with its own unique historical milestones. Borrego Springs now is the site of Gomphotherium free standing art structures. More information.

We didn’t spend too much time there as it was already very, very hot. We took Borrego Salton Seaway S22 route and at the Salton City we made a left turn on Highway 86 north. Driving by Salton Sea Lake was non-eventful except for a police patrol car that was checking for highway speeders (I was O.K. this time!) and we stopped at Mecca for the night. It was a hot night in the desert!

Private front yard in Palm Springs

Next morning, after the breakfast in our (nice) hotel we continued on a local road that goes in parallel with the busy Highway 86S (I think it was road 111) and later parallel to Redlands Highway 10. It goes thru the small towns Coachella, Indio, Palm Desert and Cathedral City. We were not in hurry, and driving was very pleasant, with loads of interesting sites to see. Vera and I were especially interested to se how people maintain their yards… in the desert!

Palm Springs

Gun fight? Zdenko plays a cowboy…

Palm Springs
We stopped in downtown Palm Springs for lunch, and quick window shopping. The town is very clean and full of bikers enjoying warm climate…

Rich in history and blessed with gorgeous weather, Palm Springs is a preferred destination of travelers from all over the world. Nestled at the base of the Mount San Jacinto Mountains, Palm Springs is known for its crystal blue skies, year-round sunshine, stunning landscape, palm tree lined streets and starry nights.

Palm Springs

Entertainment for all ages, Palm Springs offers a wealth of indoor and outdoor activities. Soar to the top of Mount San Jacinto on the world famous Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, shop the many mid-century boutiques and art galleries located uptown and downtown, hike scenic trails in our majestic mountains, tour celebrity and mid-century modern homes, attend theatre performances, stroll through art and cultural museums, or simply relax by the sparkling pool.

Over 130 hotels and resorts are available including mid-century marvels, modest bungalows, historic bed and breakfasts, private villas and condos and luxury resorts. Palm Springs is also home to fine dining, quaint cafes, and family restaurants with a variety of cuisines and price ranges.

The Cahuilla maiden sculpture by Doug Hyde (Bronze, 1997.)

Legend about Cahuilla sisters
Three Cahuilla sisters, fearful of the hot bubbling spring, saw a baby in the water. This Cahuilla maiden tried to save the baby, but they perished in a whirlwind down with the water of the spring. Her two frightened sisters ran to their father, the Medicine Man. He witched the spring with mosquitoes and they carried his power to the spirits of the water below. The next morning the body of the girl came up, but she was dead. Then our people/ancestors gathered, prayed, and offered nourishment. With that, they gained strength to no longer fear the spring, but respected its spiritual healing.

In the moist with Merlin Monroe outside Pinocchio’s

After couple of hours spent there we were on the road again. This time we were heading north on the State Highway 10 until we reached huge shopping centre – Desert Hills Premium Outlets, just before Banning. We turned into the parking lot and spent another couple of hours shopping. This time for real… Vera just couldn’t resist!

Premium Outlets

Desert Hills Premium Outlets
They have all the good stores there: BCBG, YSL, Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana, Versace, Christian Dior, Escada, Lacoste, AG, Space, Coach, Barneys, Off Saks, Giorgio Armani, Tod’s, and a lot more. This is a great place to stop on the road trip down the Highway 10. Once you find parking (which on a holiday weekend is a chore) there are plenty of opportunities to spend money. Just because it is an outlet do not expect it to be cheap. They want you to shop since the dining options are few and far between. Also – the bathrooms are not to be missed – they even have built in spaces for your shopping bags so that they do not have to hit the floor! Anyway, like a said we spent there several hours, and than it was time to get on the road again.

Banning
Up the road, next on our list was city of Banning. The City of Banning is strategically located astride Interstate 10 in the San Gorgonio Pass. The City, incorporated in 1913, has a rich and colorful history. Initially, Banning served as a stagecoach and railroad stop between the Arizona territories and Los Angeles. Banning is a friendly and wholesome place to work and raise a family.  The City features clean air, ample water supplies and the memorable and inspiring scenic vistas of Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto.

Vistas of Mt. San Jacinto

At Banning we took a state road 243 that will take us south into another State Parks: Mt. San Jacinto State Wilderness Park and Idyllwild-Pine Cove State Park. The road started climbing immediately and the scenery was fantastic. We had to stop at one of the vistas to snap several photos of the valley bellow. Leaving the desert and getting into the Pine woods was in one word: beautiful.

Scenic highway through the mountains

Mount San Jacinto State Park
MOUNT SAN JACINTO STATE PARK (Riverside county) and Wilderness has many access points along State Highway 243 south of Banning; Idyllwild, 26 miles south of Banning on Highway 243 or 17 miles east of Hemet on Highway 74; also west of Palm Springs, via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.  Hikers can enjoy the park with over 70 miles of hiking trails. The Desert View trial in Long Valley (1.5 mile loop) provides vistas into Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley 8,500 feet below.  There is also an easy mile loop around a lush, flower-filled meadow. From Long Valley, there are several trails into the wilderness. The San Jacinto Peak trail climbs 2400′ in 6 miles to the highest point in California State Parks. On a clear day you can see the ocean from the universal access Panorama Point Trail (1 mile loop).

The park and wilderness are open all year providing winter snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities. BE PREPARED. Bring the 10 essentials and check in at the Long Valley or Idyllwild Ranger stations.

Idyllwild
Idyllwild is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains. Set among tall pines, sweet smelling cedars and legendary rocks. The town has kept its “small town” atmosphere. Locally owned shops and restaurants are all you will find here. This makes the ride to Idyllwild worthwhile with the added benefit that the roads to and from Idyllwild are also great. Come and experience the peace and quiet of Idyllwild. We did…

If you are ready to get away from the traffic jams, or the noisy city life, this is the town for you. Idyllwild has perfect day hikes for the quick weekend hike, as well as the high country for the longer “over night” hiking journeys. Rock Climbing is another favorite past time in which to enjoy Idyllwild. With many boulders and the legendary Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks, Idyllwild attracts beginners as well as seasoned professionals.

Idyllwild in San Jacinto Mountains

We spent an hour or so in town taking pictures and getting an ice cream. State road 243 leaves the town and descends quickly with great sweeping turns. As you drive, the view to the West becomes breathtaking. There are several turnouts where you can enjoy the view and take pictures. We were both amazed with the huge pine trees along the road and their cones so big that it’s almost unbelievable.

Huge pine tree cones

After what seemed to be a long descending drive, we reached the flats in the valley. Heading Southeast on Road 74, the road is straight as flat as you pass thru a wide area of mountain ranches. On your right, you will pass Lake Hemet with its nearby cottages.

Road 74 eventually ends at intersection with Road 371, where we made a right turn to proceed westward. There is a nice restaurant at this intersection that welcomes tourists. The parking lot is hard packed dirt so some caution is advised.

Initially the road 371 has rolling turns and continues to descend until we entered the small town of Anza. When you leave Anza on the Cahuilla road 371, the road flattens out as you pass thru the desert towards Aguanga. Here we continued west on the road 79 and very soon road changed from narrow two line road into four lines just before entering Temecula. Mountains are visible to the South and the road has less sweeping turns.

Temecula valley and wineyards

Old Town Temecula
So we drove straight thru the Temecula and stopped in the Old Town Temecula, where it seems something is happening at all times. When we got there the main road was closed for traffic, because of some sort of festivity and there were vintage cars parked everywhere. That was a good reason for us to find parking and go for a walk to explore this town.

Old Town Temecula is almost like going back in time. It is hard to figure out the historical buildings from the new ones, it is all Old West style. There is wine tasting at Tesero Winery Tasting Room and the Longshadow Ranch.

Parking is a real problem so once you find a space you have to walk. The town is divided in half by Main Street which is always full of traffic. I think if they closed Main street permanently to cars, the whole experience would be greatly improved. Other than the fact that the town itself is historic there are not many historic sites or museums around. There are lots of antique shops if that is something you enjoy. Basically it’s just an old town to shop in, as there is very little else to do other than shop.

Old Town Temecula has been around since 1882 when the California Railroad came through the valley and local investors created the first Bank, and retains many historical features. It’s an absolute delight! In Old Town temecula you’ll find that elusive piece of art you’ve been looking for, that usual and tasteful gift for the person who has everything, then take in a show and finish a perfect day with a wonderful meal at one of the many independent restaurants.

Panoramic view of Temecula valley

Historic Temecula, California

Temecula is a city in Riverside County, in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area. The name Temecula comes from the Luiseño Indian word “Temecunga” – “temet” meaning “sun” and “-ngna” which means “place of”. The Spanish interpreted and spelled the word as “Temecula”. Over the years, the meaning of “Temecula” has been translated into several different versions of this interpretation, including the most popular, which is “Where the sun breaks through the mist”. The estimated population, in 2010, was about 95,000.

Old Town Temecula

Since its early beginning, the Temecula Valley has always been a place where the combination of mild climate and beautiful rolling hills have attracted human settlement. The hillsides were the home of the Temecula Indians, the first residents of the area. Ancestors of the Temecula Indians were in this area as early as 900 A.D. The native people from here to the coast who shared the same language and culture became commonly known as the Luiseños, because many of their villages were once under the influence of Mission San Luis Rey.

Old Town Temecula

Be sure to take the children to the Root Beer store so they can experience one of the many kinds of root beers or sarsparilla. There is sure to be one of your own favorite childhood root beers available. There are several antique stores, the usual gift stores and a country store that is my personal favorite, Rooster Creek (…be sure to look at the Wool Lady section of that store, too.) Be sure to take home something from the Temecula Olive Oil Company where they have the best olive oils I have ever tasted. They have vanilla fig vinegar that is to die for. I know it sounds strange, but you must try it! They have a tasting bar there, too. If you are around at Christmas time, this place is fabulous…decorated trees, just stunning. Look on the website for events and dates and times for the farmer’s market. Those who find this place “ho-hum” just don’t know where to look. It is a fabulous day trip, inexpensive, historical and charming.

Vera and I stayed in Temecula over night and continued our trip back to San Diego next morning. Again, we didn’t want to drive on a highway 16, so we took second exit south of Temecula on state road 76 heading towards Oceanside city.

Our next stop was at Oceanside, small town on the Pacific coast, but this will be another blog (Cruising on Highway 101). Basically from Temecula we drove to the ocean highway 101 and back to our hotel in San Diego. All in all, this was a beautiful route and drive thru southern California in two days, which I would recommend to anyone visiting San Diego area.

Source: Local Wally’s Guide to San Diego

SAN DIEGO GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL ATTRACTIONS!
San Diego, the second-largest city in California, is a first-class place for a holiday. The city is spread out, and having a car is pretty essential. A week’s rental of an economy-size vehicle from San Diego airport with almost any company will costs you about $250.00 a week, including total damage excess waiver. Or, you may try Old Town Trolley Tours a hop-on, hop-off open-sided bus service linking tourist areas, with insightful commentary.
1. The San Diego Zoo
You’ve heard about the zoo all your life. Will it live up to your expectations? Well, banish all thoughts of apprehension and rest assured that this is the finest zoo you will ever see.

I recommend you plan a full day there and wear comfortable shoes. If you’re too lazy to walk (hey, we all are sometimes), the tour bus is a great way to see the sights. You can even get on and off the bus, allowing you to spend more time in the areas you like and then hop on the next bus. You Won’t Believe It! It Surpasses Your Expectations!

What sets San Diego Zoo apart is the sheer beauty of the surroundings (lots of tropical plants) and the fact that the new exhibits place the animals in their natural habitat instead of a cage (well, sort of). You will not be disappointed. What exhibits are not to be missed? Well, the last time I was there I saw a baby Panda, Polar Bears playing in a pool, Hippos in an aquarium with their big mouths wide open next to the glass, and a bad little monkey throwing monkey poop at the people (I hate it when they do that!). Then I went to the Children’s Zoo to pet some baby animals and watch some baby chicks being born, and even petted a weird porcupine looking animal. All in all, a pretty fun day!

San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo

LOCAL WALLY PANDA TIP: The Pandas are the hot exhibit now. Check what time they will be on display at the entrance of the zoo, then go there as early as you can. The lines can be quite long during the middle of the day. Take a break and check out the Zoo’s PandaCam!

LOCAL WALLY FOOD TIP: Be prepared to spend a ton of dough on food at the zoo. Most of it is typical zoo stuff like hot dogs, nachos, and some pretty good soft ice cream. If you want real dining, go to Alberts a “sit down” restaurant. Not bad, really, and the setting in the tree house are is great. Of course, if you’re cheap like me, bring in a bunch of Subway sandwiches and you’ll be glad you did!

If you are short of time, avoid the shows if you are over 10 years old. Some are just plain stupid and a waste of time. Only go if you are so tired you must have a place to sit, and watch where you sit or you might find yourself baking in the hot summer sun. Really short of time? Then visit the Zoo during the evening hours during the summer. Another “only in San Diego” sort of experience!

2. SeaWorld
Yes, it’s touristy. The shows are often corny. You even can wonder if it’s such a good idea to keep a killer whale in a big pool. But you cannot come to San Diego and not visit one of our biggest attractions. Where else can you see sharks, penguins, whales, and lots of pasty white tourists getting sunburned all in the same place? SeaWorld has all this, plus amusement park rides to keep those with attention deficit disorder happy.

The Shamu show!

And no matter how much the kids beg, do not sit in the front rows of the Shamu show! They are not kidding when they tell you you’ll get drenched. It’s more fun watching others get soaking wet (try walking around all day in wet, salty shoes) than it is to be there yourself.

LOCAL WALLY HOT TIP 1: Want to swim with dolphins? You can at SeaWorld for $150. Think of it as a once in a lifetime experience and the cost somehow gets more reasonable. Come on, you know you want to do it! Check out their official site for more info. Want to see another penguin??

LOCAL WALLY HOT TIP 2: Got Money To Burn? You can spend money at SeaWorld faster than a blackjack table in Vegas! If you’re a high roller, check out the various behind the scenes events. It’s expensive, but if you want to hang out with Penguins or just pretend you are Shamu’s trainer for an hour, you’ll love these options.

3. LegoLand
Whew, someone must have been on acid when they dreamed up a theme park made up 100% of Legos! Located in Carlsbad, a beachfront community approximately 30 miles north of downtown, this park has proven popular with tourists with small children – 10 years and under – and a bore for any human over about 12. Does this mean Wally doesn’t recommend it? No, it just means you better know what you are getting yourself into before you fork out your cash and time for a day with blockheads.

Here’s what you’ll see: Famous buildings made out of Legos. Famous people made out of Legos. Little kiddie rides made out of Legos. You get the idea. The good news is that Legoland is near the Flower Fields (beautiful blooms in Spring), as well as some great strawberry stands (San Diego grown – get a basket or two), and the Carlsbad Company Stores (nice outside factory outlet mall) with a great restaurant (Belle Fleurs). Add an In-N-Out Burger nearby on the coast, Fidels Mexican Restaurant in Carlsbad Village (cool little shops, quaint setting), and fantastic un crowded beaches and this day is starting to look salvageable!

Watch out for tons of traffic during rush hour, especially at what is called “the merge” where the 805 and 5 freeways come together. Going south on a Friday afternoon is also often busy due to weekend visitors from Los Angeles. Either leave before the traffic, or plan to stay in the area for dinner.

LOCAL WALLY HOT PARENTING TIP: Look, you won’t be able to pry your little one out of the park if they are under 10 even if you threaten to blow your head off with a Lego gun. Before you even step foot into the car, prime the way for a fast exit with statements like “Now remember, we can only stay 10 minutes” or “I think there’s Legos all over Carlsbad, even at the beach or in the fancy restaurants, and there’s a prize for whoever finds the most!”

4. The Wild Animal Park
An offshoot of the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park features wide open spaces for the animals to roam, thus simulating a much more natural environment. Add some lush landscaping, some educational animal shows, a new tram ride (as of 2007), and you got a winner.

Sounds good so far, right?

Well, let Wally give you a bit of, hmmm, insight. While I like the Wild Animal Park, do NOT go there instead of the Zoo. The Zoo is a much richer experience – basically, you’ll see more animals in a more tropical setting at the San Diego Zoo than The Wild Animal Park. It’s not that the Wild Animal Park isn’t good, it’s just not as good as the Zoo.

My 2007 resolution was to be more, ahem, positive, so let’s start with the good stuff. There are a lot of things to like about the Wild Animal Park. I really like the lorikeet aviary, A lorikeet is like a small parrot, and someone figured out that if you sell tourists little cups of sugar water, the lorikeets will do just about anything in the aviary to get it, including landing on your head (and pooping if you are unlucky). Pretty funny. (Whoops, I was supposed to be positive – damn!) And I also really like walking out to the elephant lookout area where there is often a baby elephant with its Mom. And the new tram ride is significantly better than the old monorail ride. For starters, it’s shorter (25 minutes versus 45), and you get to go deeper into the area where the animals actually are – basically, old monorail ride was often a long hot ride to nowhere, new tram ride you actually see animals. Nice upgrade.

Also, there are cool things to do like a Photo Safari where you go out in a safari truck and get to get up close to giraffes and other animals (the giraffes come right up to the truck). You can sleep overnight there for a real safari type experience, you can ride a tethered hot air balloon, and the new lion exhibit lets you get pretty close to the lions, closer than you’ve ever been. Nice job.

So Wally, what’s the downside??? My therapist is NOT going to like this, but here I go with the negative thoughts. First, The Wild Animal Park is in Escondio, which I believe is Spanish for “Hotter than Hell in Summer”. How hot? So hot you will thank them for selling you a $5 Coke. Take some 100 degree weather, add a ton of tourists, and you’ll be wishing you stayed along the coast and just went to the beach. So be forewarned – check the weather before you go and if it is hot in Escondido, forget about it! Also, if you thought the SeaWorld and Zoo shows were dumb, many of the shows at the Wild Animal Park are just plain boring. The elephant show used to be great, but some Einstein decided to make it educational and it goes nowhere. The only show that still thrills is the bird show, aka Frequent Flyers.

So there you have it. Should you go? Well, I’ll tell you the same thing I tell my friends. It’s good, it’s not as good as the Zoo, but it’s good. Find a day that’s not too hot, bring a picnic and waters, wear comfortable shoes, and if you have the cash, spring for a photo safari. Stay until evening when it cools down and you’ll have a pretty nice time. But do not go there instead of the Zoo!

LOCAL WALLY HOT TIP: Want More info on Photo Safaris? They are a great way to see the park and get some great shots. Call ahead – they book up fast.

LOCAL WALLY TIP FOR WINE LOVERS: No time for a wine tasting? Just need a drink NOW? Stop by Orfila Vineyards (13455 San Pasqual Road, 760 738-6500) for a fast sample on the way to or from the park. Pretty tasty stuff, and San Diego grown.

5. Old Town
Well, well, well…. Looks like our greedy bureaucrats have pulled a fast one on us. Old Town was home to the incredibly touristy and fun Bazaar Del Mundo. It was so popular it became the number one revenue producing park in California. So don’t fix what ain’t broken, right? Wrong!

Old Town concessions were sold to a New York company, and their vision of Old Town is radically different than what once was. If you have been here before, you might not recognize it. Gone are the bright colored umbrellas at Casa de Pico. Heck, gone is Casa de Pico! Casa de Bandini? Gone. That’s two of Wally’s favorite tourist Mex food joints that are now history – so sad. Perhaps the good news is that if you have never been to Old Town, you will probably still like it. Most of the radical changes are in the old Bazaar Del Mundo area, and the rest of Old Town remains untouched.

At least you can still find a margarita in Old Town – you might need it!

There are more changes coming, with threats of turning one of my favorite “light” theater experiences at The Theatre in Old Town into educational entertainment! Holy School Field Trip, Batman! At least they didn’t touch the The Thomas Whaley House Museum, one of the few houses actually authenticated by the U.S. Department of Commerce as being haunted and has a cool old cemetery there.

Vera is always amazed by the greenery and plants

There are still some good restaurants there, notably Old Town Mexican Cafe, which some locals believe is the best Mexican restaurant in San Diego (not entirely true, but a solid reputation). You’ll know OTMC by the women in the window making fresh tortillas, and their carnitas (slow cooked pork) is great. I also like Zocalo Grill for their great patio and happy hour. Lots of good stuff to snack on, and a great, relaxed upscale setting.

So Old Town ain’t what it used to be, but there’s still enough there to warrant a stop for a few hours, a margarita, and perhaps a bite to eat.

6. Balboa Park
It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when San Diego actually had to do things to attract tourists to visit. In 1868, city leaders had the bright idea to set aside 1,200 acres in the downtown area. Good idea. Then in 1915, to attract visitors, San Diego held an exposition to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. What? It probably made more sense back then than now, but the good news is that the original temporary buildings were saved.

In 1935, new city leaders probably thought “it worked once, it will work again” and held the California Pacific International Expositon. And again, the buildings were saved. Tons of Museums, Tons of Activities, Hours of Amusement!

The first thing that will strike you about the park is the absolute beauty. The original architecture sets the stage. If you’ve seen Citizen Kane, you’ve seen Balboa Park. Movie great Orson Welles used the exteriors of the buildings to represent Kane’s castle. It’s filled with museums for every taste, from art to sports to autos to electric trains. Now here’s your problem! So many museums, but so little time. Start with this link to the official Balboa Park Website to check out the museums and events.

Even most locals haven’t found the time to visit them all. So Wally’s advice is to plan ahead and pick a couple you really like ahead of time, then browse the others once you get there and pick one on a whim, just for fun. But a trick most locals know is that Tuesday is FREE museum day! Every Tuesday a museum is rotated into the free spot. On the first Tuesday, free museums include, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego Natural History Museum, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center; Second Tuesday, Museum of Photographic Arts, Museum of San Diego History;

Fourth Tuesday, San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego Automotive Museum, and the San Diego Hall of Champions. Plan your trip that day and you might get lucky and get a freebie you wanted to visit.

Hungry? The best (and only) restaurant is The Prado, located in the House of Hospitality. Featuring excellent upscale California cuisine, The Prado has been getting rave reviews from locals and tourists alike. Good choice for a nice meal and the patio is wonderful on a nice day. Other than that, most of the other food in the park is typical park fare – hotdogs, French fries, and overpriced sandwiches. If you don’t plan on a real meal, Wally’s advice is to bring a little picnic in with outside food. Sure, you can splurge on an overpriced ice cream. Hey, you’re on vacation!

You can easily spend a full day there, and some tourists find that a couple of days is needed to really explore. If you’re unlucky enough to visit San Diego when it’s raining, Balboa Park is a good place to visit while you wait for the weather to clear.

7. The Midway Aircraft Carrier
Remember how your Dad used to say things like “when I was a kid, we didn’t have to pay to visit the aircraft carrier in the bay…” Well, maybe he didn’t way that, but it’s true. Before Osama and his gang of idiots raised their ugly heads, you could typically visit a real, working aircraft carrier just for asking! Well, those days are gone but luckily for you someone parked a big boat in the bay and turned it into the Midway Aircraft Museum.

It’s got everything from fighter planes to flight simulators on board, enough to see to keep military buffs going for a few hours. And check this out! If you are retired Navy, you can have your retirement flag raised over the Midway for No Charge!

LOCAL WALLY TIP: Want to make your San Diego Vacation a real TOP GUN experience? Plan your trip around the Miramar Air Show where you can see the fantastic Blue Angels. Then head over hungry to Kansas City BBQ, the place where the Top Gun bar scenes were filmed, and get ready to sing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” while feasting on some pretty good BBQ.

Lots of history on The Midway, and lots of fun for all ages. Location can’t be beat, right in the middle of the bay next to tourist trap Seaport Village and walking distance to one of Wally’s favorite fish restaurants, The Fish Market.

8. La Jolla
How can Wally describe La Jolla? Imagine one of the most dramatic and beautiful coastlines in the world. Add some palm trees swaying in the breeze, upscale restaurants, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful women in tiny bikinis all flocking to check out your tan. Ahhh, this is FANTASTIC! Earth to Wally, wake up! OK, so perhaps the women part doesn’t typically happen, but everything else you have heard about La Jolla is true. It’s the lifestyles of the rich and famous along the best beaches this side of Hawaii. Ultra cool and chic, you’ll feel like a millionaire pulling up to the valet in even though you’re driving a rented Hyundai Accent!

“But I Don’t Want to Hang Around Rich People All Day!”

La Jolla “Baywatch” sort of beach

Upscale La Jolla

Hey, even Jed Clampett liked hanging around Beverly Hills and he was an actual hillbilly! If he can do it, so can you. The difference is La Jolla may be upscale, but it’s still San Diego and that means it’s still friendly and casual. For walking around in summer, shorts and flip flops are just fine (men, wear a shirt). Even at dinner, unless you are in the fanciest of restaurants you only need to add shoes and a nicer top and you’re set to go. Of course, you can also totally dress up and try to be one of the beautiful people. It’s your call.

So Wally, tell me about this “La Jolla” you talk so much about… OK, La Jolla is many things, starting with the beaches. It’s home to La Jolla Shores, the ultimate big sandy “Baywatch” sort of beach that will have your eyes popping out as you gawk at the young, fit bodies soaking up the sun. Parking is a bitch there, but the Shores have never failed to impress. But La Jolla is also tiny coves where you can pretend the beach is all yours (WARNING: People can still see you so don’t get caught!) Want more options? How about sea caves that you can actually kayak into, or great tide pools at low tide where you can bother all the little trapped sea creatures? Still not impressed? Then head over to the Children’s Pool and the famous sea wall and you’ll most likely find LIVE SEALS hanging on the beach! Take a walk out on the seawall and plant a romantic kiss on that someone special. (LOCAL WALLY WARNING: DO NOT KISS SEALS. THEY BITE AND OFTEN HAVE FISH BREATH.) With sidewalks along the top of the bluffs, walking the shoreline has never been more “civilized”. Great for wheelchair access, also.

LOCAL WALLY KAYAK TIP: If you know what you’re doing, you can rent a kayak and go explore on your own. Otherwise, plan ahead by getting Discount Kayak Tour Tickets before you go.

Now that you’ve seen the beaches, head up into the little town and visit some of the great shops. Browse through the upscale boutiques, the art galleries, perhaps even pretend you’re a local and have a martini at La Valencia, the landmark pink hotel. After all that walking, you’re probably hungry and there is only one place to eat for lunch when you are in La Jolla, and that’s George’s At The Cove’s Ocean Terrace Bistro. The Ocean Terrace is their outside al fresco dining. It’s elegant yet casual, with a view to knock your socks off. Go early to get a table next to the glass sides (you’ll know what I mean) and get ready for a fantastic dining experience. The food is excellent, reasonably priced, and the service is top notch. But the setting! It’s right out of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, only YOU are in the picture! Cool, huh?

San Diego streets are very clean

Across the street is Alfonso’s, what used to be one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and one I have gone to since the mid-70′s Unfortunately, their son has taken it over and things have, well, changed. Their carne asada tacos are still great, but their tiny pitcher of margaritas for $22 is a bit of a rip off. Still, their carne asada is some of the best and worth a stop – just get a beer instead.

La Jolla is also home to the Torrey Pines Glider Port. (858 452-9858) If you ever wanted to jump off a cliff in a hang glider, this is the place! Yes, you can actually go out with an experienced pilot on a tandem flight if you wish. This must be where the bumper sticker “Get in, shut up and hang on” came from! $125, a 20 minute lesson, and you’re jumping off that cliff, baby! It’s also a great place to uncork a bottle of wine, listen to the jazz on Sunday afternoons, and watch the other lunatics risk their lives for your enjoyment.

http://www.localwally.com/

By Zdenko Kahlina

A tour of laid back San Diego
San Diego, the second-largest city in California, is a first-class place for a holiday. The city is spread out, and having a car is pretty essential. A week’s rental of an economy-size vehicle from San Diego airport with almost any company will costs you about $250.00 a week, including total damage excess waiver. Or, you may try Old Town Trolley Tours a hop-on, hop-off open-sided bus service linking tourist areas, with insightful commentary.

I was attending IBM System Storage and Networking conference in July 2008 when I was there. My first impressions were that city was very clean and hot! San Diego has very warm summers and I loved it!

Panorama of San Diego

West Inn hotel in San Diego

We were staying in San Diego’s West Inn. Located in the heart of beautiful downtown San Diego, the 25 floors of guest rooms feature panoramic views of the San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the downtown cityscape. The Westin San Diego’s spectacular crystalline design is a signature landmark in the city skyline. The sophisticated urban setting begins with the 100-foot high lobby atrium, creating a magnificent sense of arrival. The entire hotel offers a retreat from the rigors of travel combined with a stimulating sensory experience.

Get Yourself to the Beach!
Get your toes in the sand at any of San Diego’s fantastic beaches. All you need is a cheap cooler for those snacks you stole from the hotel breakfast buffet, a boogie board you picked up at Target, and that extra towel from the hotel swimming pool. And don’t worry if your abs of steel have turned to slabs of flab, no one really cares and besides, you’ll never see those people again anyway. Just put away that camera!

La Jolla
How can Wally describe La Jolla? Imagine one of the most dramatic and beautiful coastlines in the world. Add some palm trees swaying in the breeze, upscale restaurants, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful women in tiny bikinis all flocking to check out your tan. Ahhh, this is FANTASTIC! Earth to Wally, wake up! OK, so perhaps the women part doesn’t typically happen, but everything else you have heard about La Jolla is true. It’s the lifestyles of the rich and famous along the best beaches this side of Hawaii. Ultra cool and chic, you’ll feel like a millionaire pulling up to the valet in even though you’re driving a rented Hyundai Accent! “But I Don’t Want to Hang Around Rich People All Day!”

La Jolla “Baywatch” sort of beach

Upscale La Jolla

Hey, even Jed Clampett liked hanging around Beverly Hills and he was an actual hillbilly! If he can do it, so can you. The difference is La Jolla may be upscale, but it’s still San Diego and that means it’s still friendly and casual. For walking around in summer, shorts and flip flops are just fine (men, wear a shirt). Even at dinner, unless you are in the fanciest of restaurants you only need to add shoes and a nicer top and you’re set to go. Of course, you can also totally dress up and try to be one of the beautiful people. It’s your call.

La Jolla is many things, starting with the beaches. It’s home to La Jolla Shores, the ultimate big sandy “Baywatch” sort of beach that will have your eyes popping out as you gawk at the young, fit bodies soaking up the sun. Parking is a bitch there, but the Shores have never failed to impress. But La Jolla is also tiny coves where you can pretend the beach is all yours (WARNING: People can still see you so don’t get caught!) Want more options? How about sea caves that you can actually kayak into, or great tide pools at low tide where you can bother all the little trapped sea creatures? Still not impressed? Then head over to the Children’s Pool and the famous sea wall and you’ll most likely find LIVE SEALS hanging on the beach! Take a walk out on the seawall and plant a romantic kiss on that someone special. With sidewalks along the top of the bluffs, walking the shoreline has never been more “civilized”. Great for wheelchair access, also.

Now that you’ve seen the beaches, head up into the little town and visit some of the great shops. Browse through the upscale boutiques, the art galleries, perhaps even pretend you’re a local and have a martini at La Valencia, the landmark pink hotel. After all that walking, you’re probably hungry and there is only one place to eat for lunch when you are in La Jolla, and that’s George’s At The Cove’s Ocean Terrace Bistro. The Ocean Terrace is their outside al fresco dining. It’s elegant yet casual, with a view to knock your socks off. Go early to get a table next to the glass sides (you’ll know what I mean) and get ready for a fantastic dining experience. The food is excellent, reasonably priced, and the service is top notch. But the setting! It’s right out of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, only YOU are in the picture! Cool, huh?

San Diego streets are very clean

Across the street is Alfonso’s, what used to be one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and one I have gone to since the mid-70′s Unfortunately, their son has taken it over and things have, well, changed. Their carne asada tacos are still great, but their tiny pitcher of margaritas for $22 is a bit of a rip off. Still, their carne asada is some of the best and worth a stop – just get a beer instead.

La Jolla is also home to the Torrey Pines Glider Port. (858 452-9858) If you ever wanted to jump off a cliff in a hang glider, this is the place! Yes, you can actually go out with an experienced pilot on a tandem flight if you wish. This must be where the bumper sticker “Get in, shut up and hang on” came from! $125, a 20 minute lesson, and you’re jumping off that cliff, baby! It’s also a great place to uncork a bottle of wine, listen to the jazz on Sunday afternoons, and watch the other lunatics risk their lives for your enjoyment.

Zdenko in San Diego

La Jolla Shores is the top tourist beach, and for good reason. There’s plenty of hot, young bodies, tons of perfect sand, great waves, and a Summer vibe that’s hard to beat. Fire pits offer up ambiance once the sun goes down, you can pretty much start and end the day here. Nearby is La Jolla Cove, perfect for snorkeling and kayaking.

La Jolla – top tourist beach

But don’t overlook the other beaches, many with distinct personalities. Mission Beach is the college hangout, a bit more “urban” and home to the killer Giant Dipper roller coaster, an old woodie ride that offers up one of the best views in town before it hurls you to the ground at 45 mph! Travel up north a bit to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, a true locals beach with fire pits, BBQ’s, surf lessons, and plenty of free parking. And for the adventurous, check out Blacks Beach, San Diego’s famous nude beach. Don’t forget the sunscreen! (map)

Vera walking along Mission beach

During low tide, check out the tidepool scene where the poor defenseless sea creatures are stuck in the small pools praying you don’t see them. You can’t keep them (come on, what would you do with a live starfish anyway?) but you can torment them! Go ahead, poke your finger into a sea anemone and watch it close up! La Jolla’s Shell Beach and the Cabrillo Monument area have some of the best tidepools. Check the tide timetable for low tide. And you won’t want to miss the live seals on the beach at the Children’s Pool (map). Don’t mess with these guys. They might look cuddly enough to kiss but they can bite if you get too close and often have very bad fish breath.

And when the sun goes down there’s no reason to hurry back to your hotel. Stay at the beach and make a bonfire, skewer a hotdog on a stick and roast it until the skin is burned and crispy and you’ll soon forget you’re not at a 5 star restaurant. Those in the know claim their fire pits by tossing some wood and their chairs around them early in the day, but most people don’t mind sharing the flames to grill some dogs. Fire pits can be found at La Jolla Shores, Moonlight Beach, and scattered around Mission Bay. Remember, no open fires and no booze on the beach.

Gaslamp Quarter
San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter is the place where flashy locals, carousing Chargers and rowdy tourists break out the sausage-casing frocks and hair gel for a weekend of pricey dining and adventures in nightclub debauchery.

Gaslamp Quarter has lots of restaurants

The Gaslamp still has the aura of its historic past

The Gaslamp Quarter dates back to 1867 when development began. Originally known as “New San Diego”, in contrast to “Old San Diego” which was the first Spanish colonial settlement of San Diego a few miles away. Today, this sixteen square block historic area in downtown San Diego is the most active part of the city. The name “Gaslamp” is derived from the gas lamps that were common in the late 19th century to light the streets. The Gaslamp District is located just a block from the San Diego Convention Center and Petco Ballpark. The historic area extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive and from 4th to 6th Avenue.

The Gaslamp still has the aura of its historic past.Some modern changes have been made but there are still 94 buildings still standing from the Victorian Era. What was once the redlight district lined with saloons and bawdy houses is now a thriving nightlife area. Today, the historic buildings house restaurants, night clubs, pubs, bars, boutique shops, art galleries and even condos and lofts. When the sun sets, residents, tourists and conventioneers head to the Gaslamp for an evening of socializing, fine dining, dancing and entertainment.

The sidewalks are lined with trees and are well kept with city enforced guidelines that require building owners and tenants to keep their area of sidewalks clean and well-maintained at all times. Some people just enjoy strolling around the Gaslamp people-watching and street entertainers. Others make reservations at some of the finest restaurants in the city. Outside patios are in abundance along the sidewalks where you can eat, have some drink and socialize. It’s an ideal environment for those that still smoke.

Gaslamp Quarter has lots of restaurants

Historic building in the Gaslamp Quarter

True to its cheeky name, the evening “Brothels, Bites and Booze” walking tour combined juicy bits of red-light district lore with stops at five Gaslamp restaurants. Under the cheery supervision of my wife, our party of four learned about ladies of the evening and politicians of ill repute while consuming enough small bites and not-so-small drinks to make me glad my evening accessories included stretchy jeans and a designated driver.

Eat, drink, and don’t worry
More Gaslamp Anxiety Relief waited at the restaurants, where we were spared the indignity of the Uncool Order because food and drinks had been ordered for us. Somewhere on Fifth Avenue, a snobby waiter was weeping.

Best Eats: Plump oysters Rockefeller (Donovan’s Circle of Fifths), pork tacos and black bean soup (Tequila 100), thin-crust pizza (Krust Pizzeria), shrimp ceviche and popcorn brussels sprouts (Analog).

Best Drinks: Circle of Fifths’ fizzy Moscow Mule and Tequila 100’s skinny margarita.

The verdict
Is it possible for the non-fabulous among us to enjoy San Diego’s glitziest historical district without feeling like a pauper or looking like a dweeb? It is. And if you don’t stay there into wee morning hours, you’ll be back in your hotel before your sweatpants start wrinkling with worry.

Vera by the Harbor house in San Diego

By: Zdenko Kahlina

This attraction is to Tucson what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, except it’s more ancient. Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Tucson, Arizona on the Tohono O’odham San Xavier Indian Reservation.

Named for a pioneering Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order), the Mission is also known as the “place where the water appears” as the Santa Cruz River (which runs underground) surfaces nearby. The Mission is situated in the center of a centuries-old Indian settlement of the Tohono O’odham (formerly known as Papago), located along the banks of the Santa Cruz River.

Just south of the city on I-19, the mission is well worth a visit. The outside architecture is impressive. The contrast of the white church against the blue sky is striking. Inside, the alter and flanking areas are quite colorful, filled with statues. The ceilings soar, with stenciled cupolas.

San Xavier del Bac is considered one of the finest examples of Mexican folk baroque architecture. Indian crafts shops and a cafe are nearby. The parish is still active, so please be respectful of religious activities when visiting.

For people who appreciate old churches, this one is really great. It has been in continuous use for over 300 years, though the current buildings are newer than that. There is a small museum with an excellent history of the mission, including many old photographs. There are many beautiful examples of Spanish colonial art and sculpture. The grounds are also nicely planted. If you want a Disney experience, this is not the place to go.

This church is on an Indian reservation, a sovereign entity. When you go to the church you are a guest of the native people and must follow their rules, jut like in any country. It is rude and disrespectful to ignore their rules. One rule is NOT to take pictures of a cemetery. Also, it is an actively used parish church and should be respected as such.

The mission was founded in 1699 by the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino, who often visited and preached in the area. The original mission church, located about two miles (3 km) away, was vulnerable to Apache attacks who finally destroyed it in about 1770. Charles III of Spain banned all Jesuits from Spanish lands in the Americas in 1767 because of his distrust of the Jesuits. From this time on, San Xavier mission was led by the more pliable and “reliable” Franciscans. The present building was constructed under the direction of Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz mainly with native labor working from 1783-1797 with a loan of 7,000 pesos and serves the Catholics of the San Xavier District of Tohono O’odham Nation. Unlike the other Spanish missions in Arizona, San Xavier is still actively served by Franciscans, and still serves the Native community by which it was built. The San Xavier church and its Indian converts were protected from Apache raids by the presidio of Tucson, established in 1775.

Outside, San Xavier has a white, Moorish-inspired design, elegant and simple, with an ornately decorated entrance. No records of the architect, builders, craftsmen and artisans responsible for creating and decorating it are known. Most of the labor was provided by the local Indians, and many believe they provided most or all of the artisans as well. Visitors entering the massive, carved mesquite-wood doors of San Xavier are often struck by the coolness of the interior, and the dazzling colors of the paintings, carvings, frescoes and statues. The interior is richly decorated with ornaments showing a mixture of New Spain and Native American artistic motifs.

The floor plan of the church resembles the classic Latin cross. The main aisle is separated from the sanctuary by the transept or cross aisle, with chapels at either end. The dome above the transept is 52 feet (16 m) high supported by arches and squelches. At least three different artists painted the artwork inside the church. It is considered by many to be the finest example of Spanish mission architecture in the United States.

There is also a small museum to walk through, and a small hill to climb. All activities are free, though donations are welcome. The fry bread for sale out front makes a wonderful snack. There is a “market place” where vendors can sell jewelry, crafts, and trinkets, but both times we’ve been it’s been mostly closed. I don’t know when the best times to see these shops would be. Overall, with small children in tow I would expect that visiting the mission will a pleasurable hour to hour and a half.

This is a pretty good place to come take a look at and take pictures for your trip. If you come on Saturday, don’t forget to get some fried bread with honey from the vendors outside before they run out!

By: Zdenko Kahlina

The Town Too Tough to Die
I continued my stay in Tucson, Arizona, by visiting Tombstone, a city in Cochise County, Arizona, only about one hour of driving to the south east. The day when I arrived there, the temperature was about 80 degrees and sunny. Indeed, very pleasant day especially for early November… Tombstone is great. November is a great time to go.

Tombstone is located in the high desert of Southeastern Arizona. With an elevation of close to 4,600 feet they actually have the climate of all 4 seasons! The average temperatures in the summer months are in the low 90′s and winter temps are generally quite mild and pleasant with perhaps an occasional snow fall that is beautiful to look at but gone by the next day!

This is the famous O.K. Corral saloon

People are dressed accordingly

Shady side of the main street

Tombstone offers the atmosphere of the Old West. Walk the wooden boardwalks and hear the clink – clink – clink of the cowboy’s spurs, as they saunter along their way. Watch the horses of the stagecoach transport people back in time. Part the bat-winged doors of the saloon and be served by the charmingly dressed saloon girl. But be nice, because she carries the gun… And you can even dress the part yourself if you so desire, as some shops in Tombstone offer the opportunity to rent your costume and become part of the legend.

Even the waitresses carry guns

Cowboy with ice-cream… signs of different times!

Tombstone does not have a shopping mall, a large grocery store, a movie theater and all the other amenities larger cities offer, but Sierra Vista is just 16 miles away and you can find a Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart and 3 major grocery stores. 

Visit the OK Coral. They have reenactments of the famous gunfight every day at 2pm. Buy your ticket earlier in the day so in case they sell out. The Bird Cage Theatre is also worth seeing. Make sure you take the tour. The Six Gun restaurant has a gun show fight also during the lunch time.

Horse carriages are waiting for tourists

The stagecoach ride for tourists

You may also enjoy a carriage ride around the town. There are several pickup areas on the main street. That’s Allen Street. The stagecoach ride is about 10 minutes long and costs $10, while informative and an interesting experience, in my opinion the Tombstone Trolley ride is far superior, it costs $4 for adults, and lasts at least 25 minutes. Including an option to disembark at the Boot Hill Graveyard and be picked up later.

As to the gift shops, well, yes, sorry to say, weather it be DisneyLand or Tombstone, anywhere you’ve got tourists, you’ll have overpriced crap, However, there are numerous attractions that don’t revolve around the junk, recently one of the original silver mines that put Tombstone on the map reopened and is giving tours, the two main saloons on Allen St., the Crystal Palace and Big Nose Kates Saloon are both fantastic for the “Old West” experience. You can also go to the Court house, which is now a museum. You should watch this YouTube movie about “O.K.Corral” before you go, so you have a better idea of why the town is famous.

The Famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Due to movies, television, legend and lore, the events of October 26, 1881, have come to epitomize the days of the rough and tumble American West. There were the “good guys” and the “bad guys” and the “good” ones always won, so the old stories would say.

Mr. Doc Holliday taking a well deserved break

Mr. Wyatt Earp ready for another gun fight

Tombstone relives one afternoon when the Earp Brothers (Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan) along with Doc Holliday, faced off against the Clantons and McLaurys in a showdown. In the two daily performances, the famous battle is re-enacted at the site of its original setting.

The famous battle is re-enacted

Drama, intrigue, and the inevitable shoot-out are played out before the audience. From this event, Wyatt Earp’s reputation as a gunslinger was re-enforced. Also on the premises are original buildings and displays of period implements and a “Historama”. This staged multi-media presentation, narrated by Vincent Price, depicts the full-range of Tombstone’s history as “The Town Too Tough to Die.” Fire, flood, boom times and busts, are all presented in the dramatization.

Six Gun City Wild West Show
There is another gun show in town and this one is at the place called “Six Gun City” – which might be the best-most realistic show. It puts you in the 1,800′s while your there. Good to watch a show, have a drink ($2.00) Margaritas, eat, and smoke a cig. all at the same time. A very good family restaurant and entertainment center. The outside patio bar is finished and they are building a game room now! Huge 40 foot bar, covered from the rain or sun, smoking allowed, and VERY friendly staff. Food was great. Y’all need to tip those girls because they work their tails off!

Stage setup for the gun fight

Here comes the trouble…

Two are dead in two seconds!

I was there for 12:30 show. There was a historic gun battle reenactment show that was about to begin. I paid $6.00 and went into a covered outside patio that was facing the show area. I began with the margarita that was alright for the price. The show began and it was a comedy reenactment type of show with several (six) historical gun battles that occurred throughout Tombstone’s history. The actors have some interaction with the audience which is always fun, you never know how the audience will react. Overall it was a good experience and I would recommend a visit to Six Gun City. F.Y.I. tipping the actors is encouraged.

Another scene, another story…

Another gun fight!

This time it’s the Mexican caballeros…

Boot Hill Cemetery
With all of the gunfights and killings in Tombstone, the local cemetery filled with outlaws, innocent victims, cowboys, and Indians. In the 1880’s, the Wild West town boasted three undertakers and they were more prosperous than the miners.

A descriptive list shows over 250 graves at Boot Hill. Most famous are those of Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy and Ike Clanton, all killed at the O.K. Corral in 1881.

Many unique messages mark the graves. Lester Moore, a Wells Fargo agent, was shot in a dispute over a package. His marker reads: “Here lies Lester Moore, Four slugs from a .44, No Les, no more.” Perhaps Tombstone had a sense of humor, too. Tombstone’s motto, ”The Town Too Tough to Die”, continues to hold true today. Indian raids, fires, floods, gunfights, a depressed economy several times over, mine closings, population loss – none has kept Tombstone from dying. It continues to re-invent itself and its present reincarnation as a Western attraction continues to keep it alive.

History
In the summer of 1877 prospector Ed Schieffelin was working the hills east of the San Pedro River in the southeast portion of the Arizona Territory, when he came across a vein of very rich silver ore in a high plateau called Goose Flats. When Schieffelin filed his mining claim he named it “The Tombstone”, after a warning given him by a passing soldier. While telling the soldier about his rock collecting experiences, the soldier told him that the only rock he was likely to collect among the waterless hills and warring Apaches of the area would be his own tombstone.

The town of Tombstone was founded in 1879, taking its name from the mining claim, and soon became a boomtown. Fueled by mineral wealth, Tombstone was a city of 1000 by the beginning of 1881, and within another year Tombstone had become the seat of a new county (Cochise County) with a population between 5,000 and 15,000, and services including refrigeration (with ice cream and later even ice skating), running water, telegraph and limited telephone service. Capitalists and businessmen moved in from the eastern U.S. Mining was carried out by immigrants from Europe, chiefly Ireland and Germany. An extensive service industry (laundry, construction, restaurants, hotels, etc.) was provided by Chinese and other immigrants.

Without railroad access the increasingly sophisticated Tombstone was relatively isolated, deep in a Federal territory that was largely unpopulated desert and wilderness. Tombstone and its surrounding countryside also became known as one of the deadliest regions in the West. Uncivilized southern gangs from the surrounding countryside, known as “cow-boys”, were at odds with the northern capitalists and immigrant miners who ran the city and mines. On October 26, 1881 this situation famously exploded in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, leading to a continued family and political feud that resulted in multiple deaths.

On December 25, 1881 the Bird Cage Theater opened, and in 1882 the New York Times reported that “the Bird Cage Theatre is the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast.” Since Tombstone was in the desert, a company built a pipeline to supply the town with water. No sooner was this pipeline built than Tombstone’s silver mines struck water.

As a result of relative lack of water and quick wooden construction, Tombstone experienced major fires in June 1881 and May 1882. The second fire was particularly destructive and signaled the end of the classic old boomtown mining city. After the mid-1880s, when the silver mines had been tapped out, the main pump failed, causing many mines to be flooded with deep groundwater, and Tombstone declined rapidly.

Tourist trap
Let’s face it, Tombstone is one big tourist trap, but worth the visit because of the history and it is also nice that the locals have decided to preserve it to be more like it was when Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp walked the streets.

The street and buildings look nice. But EVERYONE has a gift shop inside. You are going to find plenty of souvenirs not made in America, and plenty of folks who do not live in Tombstone but come dressed in old west costumes. Most of the stores close by around 7pm. But the Saloons stay open. So any tourist stuff has to be done before 7pm.

Wyatt Earp’s house 

Wyatt Earp’s monument

And that is what this is all about… that was my story about Tombstone in November. Returning to Tucson was non eventful even though I used local highways 80, 82 and 83 instead of I-10. I was surprised to drive by several RV camp grounds full of Canadians in the middle of the desert (Sonoita village) and was wondering what are they doing there. Sonoita Mountain View highway was very scenic drive and before I knew it I was back in Tucson.

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Up to Mount Lemmon along the Catalina Highway

On my first day in the Tucson area, I drove up to Mount Lemmon along the Catalina Highway. It was a typical beautiful sunny day in the desert, with temperatures around 85 Fahrenheit (around +30 Celsius), quite a change for me after leaving Edmonton only few hours ago with temperatures around zero degrees.

A trip up the spiraling Sky Island Byway, or Catalina Highway through the Santa Catalina Mountains to the tiny hamlet of Summerhaven is a fascinating, scenic journey and an object lesson in renewal. Mt Lemmon Scenic Byway is the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Range. It is one of the most scenic drives in southeast Arizona. It provides access to a fascinating land of great vistas, outlandish rocks capes, cool mountain forests and deep canyons spilling out onto broad deserts.

Mt Lemmon Scenic Byway

Typical desert scenic

Catalina Highway spans the 40 mile distance from the Sonoran desert floor in Tucson to the village of Summerhaven, near the top of Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. The Catalina Highway is also known as the General Hitchcock Highway in honor of Taft administration Postmaster General Frank Harris Hitchcock who served from 1909 to 1913 and was instrumental in bringing together the elements necessary to construct this piece of highway. This highway is traveled by over 1 million visitors each year.

Babad Do’ag, the first signed vista point, is on the right at Mile 2.6. The Tohono O’odham name means “Frog Mountain,” which the Santa Catalinas resemble when viewed from the south. All of Tucson Valley lies at your feet from this 3,450-foot perch. This was the moment when I pulled my camera out of the bag.

View on Tucson from the first signed vista point

Zdenko with Saguaro cactus

The highway climbs north between the rugged cliffs of Molino Canyon to Molino Canyon Vista on your right at Mile 4.3. Two short trails, one paved for wheelchair access, lead to viewpoints of the canyon; the seasonal creek below cascades into pools. Look for the transformation of plants as the Sonoran Desert begins to give way to oaks and grasslands.

The Molino Canyon Overlook is a freebie, and the tumbling waterfall near the parking lot is stop-worthy. You’ll find two short, well-marked trails; one is wheelchair-accessible and both have signs that describe the plants and wildlife. The immense cliffs and the sound of rushing water are a hint of what lies ahead.

I stopped at the ranger station just past Molino Canyon Overlook to purchase a $5 Coronado National Forest recreation pass that allows me to legally stop along the way. There’s no charge for non-stop drives to Summerhaven or Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, but how could you not stop?

The drive on the two-lane highway can take a mere hour, but chances are you’ll want to take longer. For along every mile of this 27-mile, aptly named Sky Island Scenic Byway, are breathtaking vistas that beg for a stop.

Prison Camp Road, on the left at Mile 7.4, leads to Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site. Either picnicking or camping costs $10/vehicle, but you need to bring drinking water. A trailhead on the left just inside the gate and another at the end of the road, one-third mile in, give access to the Arizona Trail and a variety of hiking destinations. Horse corrals are at the end of the road. You’ll see foundations and other remnants of the prison camp established in 1930s; prisoners built much of the Catalina Highway, a task that took 18 years to complete. The camp later housed juvenile offenders until it closed and the buildings were razed in the mid 1970s. Interpretive signs tell the story of the camp and its people. The present name honors Gordon Hirabayashi, who challenged the constitutionality of internment and curfew imposed on Japanese-Americans during World War II; the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, but he lost and had to serve a sentence here.

The roadway rises from about 3,000’ above sea level to approximately 9,100’ at the top. Work was begun on the roadway in 1933 using prison workers housed in a federal prison camp located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains for the purpose. It was finally completed in 1950. It is the only paved highway to the upper reaches of the Santa Catalina Mountains. It was designated as one of America’s National Scenic Byways and named the “Sky Island Scenic Byway” on April 28, 1995. Recent improvements following the Aspen Fire in 2003 have made the trip an easy “Sunday Drive” for residents of Tucson seeking to escape the summer heat of the desert.

The whole upper summit areas of Mt. Lemmon have been ravaged by two massive fires in the most recent history: the Bullock Fire of 2002 and the Aspen Fire of 2003. The Aspen Fire completely burned through the town of Summerhaven, and got to within literally feet of both the ski area and the observatory. Most of the trails have been closed since 2003 and were reopened again in late July, 2004. The whole town has been rebuilt.

The Marshall Gulch Trail is a popular route to the top. At just over 6 miles round trip and about 1,700 feet of gain, it offers a good half-day hiking option for those who don’t have the time for the 19-mile, 7,000-foot route from the bottom, or the interest in driving the road to near the very top.

As I drove up the mountain, every turn seems to reveal something new. In some places that may be a community of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers different from the one just around the previous curve. In others, it may be a new gallery of natural rock sculptures even more impossibly perched than the last, or a broader panorama that stretches in an entirely different direction than the one that caused me to stop and snap a photo just a few moments before.

Some serious climbers

There are turnouts at scenic overlooks and several campgrounds and picnic areas before I reached the small village of Summerhaven. Dozens of hiking trails offer access to the mountain’s backcountry canyons and ridges. The road up the mountain is paved and suitable for most vehicles. Very large motor homes, trailers over 22′ and buses may have trouble negotiating steep grades and sharp turns.

There are plenty of parking spots and restrooms. If you’re nimble, walk out onto the rounded boulders. From your 6,600-foot perch, you’ll see riparian canyons and sawtooth mountains starkly contrasted by the urban sprawl below. Ocotillo and cactus mix among juniper and piñon pines. It’s a photographer’s paradise and I took more than 200 pictures in just over two hours…

About five miles past Molino Basin I enter Bear Canyon, the only “flat” portion of the ride (it’s deceptive after the steep approach). The vegetation changes once again, with dense trees crowding the sides of the road. The temperature finally changes as well. Cold air from the top of the mountain settles overnight in the canyon bottom. From here, the road climbs 1,500 feet in the next two miles.

In under an hour, this scenic drive from Tucson leaves the saguaro cacti, mesquite trees, and cholla plants of the Sonoran Desert, passes through stands of oak, juniper, and pinyon pine, enters pine forests at about 7,000 feet, then fir and aspen on the cooler, north-facing slopes above 8,000 feet. With some humor the trip has sometimes been referred to as a drive from Mexico to Canada in less than an hour.

Here you’ll find plants and animals and geology that exhibit some of the most wide-ranging natural diversity to be found in any area of comparable size in the continental United States.

The beautiful, curving road is a favorite drive for tourists, for locals escaping summer’s heat, and for motorcyclists. Being a cyclist myself, I noticed this road is also very popular among lots of cyclists. The 25-mile climb, with a steady ascent but not terribly steep, is a great cycling route that takes them out of the heat and into the cool mountain air. I wish I had taken my bike with me…

Pizza place with the outside patio and cabins for rent

Mt. Lemmon General Store

The highway has been improved recently. Following this improvement the speed limit was reduced to 35 MPH (56 km/h) for most of the road up the mountain.

To me this was the time well spent!

This was the end of the road

On top of Arizona…

By: Zdenko Kahlina

IBM Briefing on Storage

I recently returned from sunny Tucson (AZ) and boy what a site it was… I was there from Nov 6 – 9, 2010 and every day was sunny and 75-80 with first day getting up to 89 degrees… I have not seen that kind of weather in Alberta since summer…

In November 2010, AniSoft (IBM business partner) has scheduled a storage briefing for their customers in Tucson, Arizona. They invited their customers from western Canada, and I gladly accepted their invitation. The briefing was relevant to WCB needs in the near future and was based on the recent announcements from IBM.

I was happy to be there not only for the technology updates, but also to visit Tucson city for the first time and experience life in the Sonora desert even though only for few days.

IBM Tucson is the home for all storage hardware and software development, as well as a world–class, state–of–the–art Executive Briefing Center. It is located on the University of Arizona Science & Technology Park on the south east side of Tucson. The 15,000 square foot center is the single largest such facility in the State of Arizona. This facility is the focal point for all storage briefing engagements in the Americas.

The Briefing Center enables customers, systems integrators, IT consultants, independent software vendors and business partners to explore IBM System Storage™ offerings and IBM solutions that meet the needs of an on demand world, through comprehensive technology briefings, product demonstrations and solution workshops. The Briefing Center helps customers understand how IBM is redefining the IT operating environment and provides advice on the delivery of innovative technology and solutions to meet today’s business requirements.

The IBM also organized a tour of their Disk/Tape Lab facilities. I was very impressed with the size of their Lab and all the hardware they have there. It was amazing to see so many disk subsystems, number of CPUs including the latest IBM z196 processor, many different tape libraries…

Briefing room at IBM

The setup: they thought of everything

A visit to the IBM System Storage Executive Briefing Center in Tucson was an informative and rewarding experience. But let’s go back and describe my first visit to Tucson and Sonora desert from the beginning.

Tucson: Off the Beaten Path

Things are different in the desert. The sky is bigger. The stars are brighter. The sunsets stop you in your tracks. It’s a feeling that can’t be conjured, landscaped or kindled with twinkling bulbs. If you come to Tucson you’ll understand.

Panoramic view of Tucson from the plane

Flying into Tucson was without problems, except that in Phoenix I only had 20 minutes for transfer on my Tucson bound plane. But I made it, together with my luggage. The Tucson International Airport is O.K. just a little regional airport that looks like it has been around a while. Thrifty’s shuttle bus picked me up and 10 minutes later I was sitting in my rented “Malibu”, driving on Victoria Trail, towards East Broadway, where Anisoft had booked room for me in the Hilton hotel.

Hilton hotel on East Broadway

Tucson is a difficult town to tour  on foot, at least in the terms of using walking as a means of getting from one place to the other. The city sprawls along wide, four-lane roads that have no sidewalks. Public transportation is so rare that they point and stare when they finally see “today’s bus”. That’s why I was happy to have my own car.

People in Tucson are very friendly and have some great things to say, so be prepared for some long chats in the heat of the Arizona sun. Tucson is a laid back friendly town, do not pass it by. You will not be disappointed.

Hotels in Tucson are widespread and offer a range of accommodation in many central locations. Popular Tucson hotels can be found throughout the city’s downtown district, close to the Tucson Convention Center, around the University of Arizona campus, in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills area, and on the city’s eastern and western sides, up to the Tucson Mountains. Airport accommodation for business travelers is also available around the nearby Tucson International Airport.

Downtown Tucson

The sky is always blue in Tucson

Recently renovated Fox theatre in downtown Tucson

Tucson tourism is promoted by the city and the main tourist information center is the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau along South Church Ave, at Broadway. Here you will find the latest Tucson tourist information, including a brochure about a downtown walking tour taking in over 40 sites, and general tourism information about all aspects of Tucson life. The main tourist areas of the city include Tucson’s Armory Park, Barrio Historico, downtown Arts, El Presidio Historic, Fourth Avenue and Foothills districts.

Tucson Visitor Centre

Colorful building in the Indian Village

Tucson offers many tourist attractions, including Old Tucson – a combined film set and theme park, used as a setting for numerous Hollywood movies; Tucson’s Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium – the ideal tourist attraction for astronomers, with a public telescope, interactive exhibits and general science information; Reid Park Zoo – housing a diverse collection of animals and activities for children; and the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block – a large complex encompassing five historic homes.

Saint Augustine Cathedral in Tucson

A visit to the Sonara Dessert museum should be considered for the early morning as opposed to lunchtime as it can get very hot when you are walking around in this wonderful dessert environment. A very good place to go, if you would like to see the amazing goings on in dessert terrain. All sorts of dessert animals and plants are incorporated on this visit.

A trip to the Catilina Foothills Mall is also an enlightening experience as things are not as expensive as you think. A very nice shopping mall with bargains galore! A good place to eat on a small budget is Soup & Salads. You pay $5 and eat as much as you want. Fresh pasta, Salads and of course ice-cream are all very tasty and very good value for money. Both were amazing experiences due to the beautiful landscape and the lovely people I meet everywhere.

One of the old buildings in Tucson

Some of Tucson’s main museums and art galleries include Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) – western America’s biggest museum of its kind, with over 250 aircraft; Tucson’s Arizona Sonora Desert Museum – containing a zoo and botanical gardens; Arizona Historical Society’s Museum – with historic information about southwestern America and northern Mexico; the International Wildlife Museum – offering wildlife information and many animal exhibits; Tucson Children’s Museum – housing an array of hands-on displays and educational information; Arizona State Museum (ASM) – one of the largest anthropology museums in the USA; the Tucson Museum of Art – the city’s premier art gallery, with exhibitions by international and local Tucson artists; and the University of Arizona Museum of Art – housing a comprehensive collection of American and European works of art. More information on Tucson Museums and Tucson Art Galleries.

Map of Saguaro National Park East

Saguaro cactuses are amazing

Tourist attractions located near Tucson include Sabino Canyon – known for its superb hiking trails and picturesque scenery; Madera Canyon – close to Tucson, with over 200 miles / 320 km of hiking trails and many excellent bird watching opportunities; Saguaro National Park East – to the east of Tucson, encompassing a vast of terrain, including the Rincon Mountains; Colossal Cave Mountain Park – the world’s biggest limestone grotto, containing many fantastic rock formations; Tombstone – a former silver mining town, standing around 70 miles / 112 km southeast of Tucson; and Saguaro National Park West – a busy parkland with many large saguaro cactus specimens. The Living Desert was very interesting, featuring plants and animal life of the Sonora Desert.

Entrance to Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum is the 3rd largest museum of aircraft. I stopped there just before catching the plane that will take me back to Edmonton. One hour wasn’t nearly enough to see everything they have there.

The Pima Air and Space Museum is very well done. It is the largest privately operated air museum in the country. It seems a bit pricey to get in ($15.50), but there’s so much to see there. I especially enjoyed touring Air Force One, seeing the reconnaissance planes, and checking out the space discovery hangar. They run on no tax money, so it’s quite amazing what they’ve accomplished.

The Museum has a few unique aircraft that I had not seen in other museums, and lots of smaller ones. The only downside is that the Arizona sun is taking its toll on the aircraft displayed outside, they are getting pretty faded and worn looking. The docents, mostly retired USAF types, are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Worth a day if you are in the Tucson area.

The Karchner Caverns! Rates in the 10 best caverns in the United States. Discovered in the early 1990′s and kept secret until the state of Arizona could muster the funds to make it comfortable for people to visit and maintain in pristine condition. Disappointed in that I was unable to take pictures inside because of the many rules imposed to keep the caverns in great condition. I hope this no-photo rule is changed sometime soon.

Cactuses of all sorts are visible by the road

Typical Tucson home surrounded by desert plants instead of green grass

In addition to Pima and Space Museum, you can sign up for a tour of the “Boneyard”, on the local Air Force Base AND in addition to your paid admission visit the Titan Museum (located 20 miles in Sahuarita, AZ – south of Tucson on I-19). Otherwise, your best bet to save time, i.e. 4-8 hours, you must stay near Tucson and visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum particularly on Saturday night when the attraction is the night and the animals, i.e. bears, mountain lions, cats, come out from their day’s slumber.

All in all can’t wait to get back to Tucson, AZ again.

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Authentic Ghost Town, Arizona

Things are different in the desert. The sky is bigger. The stars are brighter. The sunsets stop you in your tracks. It’s a feeling that can’t be conjured, landscaped or kindled with twinkling bulbs. Come to Greater Phoenix and you’ll understand.

Welcome to the Valley’s only Authentic Ghost Town… Goldfield!

Come and visit Goldfield Ghost Town today! Walk down Main Street, explore the many shops and historic buildings. Tour the historic Mammoth Gold Mine and visit the Goldfield Museum. Pan for gold then take a ride on Arizona’s only narrow gauge train. 

Zdenko with Billy the Kid in front of town’s jail 

Vera on the main street 

You’ll also get to witness an old west gun fight performed by the famous Goldfield Gunfighters! Spend a fun filled day, rich in wild west history!

Back in the 1890′s Goldfield boasted 3 saloons, a boarding house, general store, blacksmith shop, brewery, meat market and a school house. Just when it looked like the town would outgrow Mesa, the vein faulted, the grade of ore dropped and the town died a slow painful death. After several unsuccessful attempts to reopen the mines, the town did come to life again from 1910 on and off until 1926.

After more than 115 years, travelers from all over the world still visit this gold mining town located on the historic Apache Trail and enjoy the excitement and grandeur of Arizona’s wild west !

Goldfield Ghost Town Located 4.5 miles N/E of Apache Junction, Arizona on the historic Apache Trail

Sheriff and the jail

The History of Goldfield Ghost Town!

Situated atop a small hill between the Superstition Mountains and the Goldfield Mountains, the settlement of Goldfield got its start in 1892 when very rich, high grade gold ore was found in the area. A town soon sprang up and on October 7, 1893 it received its first official post office. 

This “official” find, coupled with the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, which had been circulating for years, led plenty of new miners to the area and in no time, the town boasted three saloons, a boarding house, a general store, brewery, blacksmith shop, butcher shop, and a school. For five years the town boomed until some 1,500 souls were residing in the burgeoning city. 

But like other gold camps, Goldfield’s bustling days were quickly dashed when the vein of gold ore started to play out and the grade of the ore dropped even more. Just five years after it began, the town found itself quickly dying. The miners moved on, the post office was discontinued on November 2, 1898, and Goldfield became a ghost town. 

However, some prospectors clung on to the area, sure to find the elusive Lost Dutchman Mine or perhaps, a brand new vein. Others tried to reopen the existing mines, but all attempts were unsuccessful until a man named George Young, who was the secretary of Arizona and the acting governor, arrived on the scene in the first decade of the 20^th century. Young brought in new mining methods and equipment to recover the ore and the town began slowly come alive once more. Also built was a mill and a cyanide plant. A second post office was established on June 8, 1921 and the “new” town was called Youngsberg. However, the town’s “rebirth” would last only about as long as it did the first – just five years. Finally, the gold was gone, the post office was discontinued on October 30, 1926, and the town died once again. 

But Goldfield was obviously not destined to die permanently. In 1966, Robert F. “Bob” Schoose, a long time ghost town, mining, and treasure-hunting enthusiast made his first trip to the Superstition Mountains and instantly fell in love with the area. He moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1970 and soon began to dream of owning his own ghost town. He had heard of the old site of Goldfield, but upon inspection, he found little left other than a few foundations and rambling shacks. He and his wife, Lou Ann, then located another five-acre site that was once the location of the Goldfield Mill and decided with to rebuild the old town. Purchasing the old mill site in 1984, they first reconstructed a mining tunnel, which included a snack bar and opened for business in 1988. Next came a photo shop, the Blue Nugget, a General Store, the Mammoth Saloon and the Goldfield Museum.

Today, Goldfield is filled with authentic looking buildings, includes underground mine tours, and the only narrow gauge railroad in operation in Arizona. Numerous shops and buildings include a brothel, bakery, leather works, a jail, livery, and more. The authentic looking street is filled with people in period costume, horses and wagons, and sometimes authentic gunfighter presentations.

Lulu’s Bordello at Goldfield

Lu Lu’s girls, otherwise known as “Floozy’s”, give a guided tour into the history of the women of the 1800’s (good and bad), their various rolls in the western territory, as well as what it was like for them to travel into the west, leaving the lives they lived in the east behind them.

The choices that they made and the opportunities that they were allowed. We are always keeping in mind the vocabulary so as not to offend anyone.

As men found themselves in rugged and harsh Western towns many sought out the comforts and companionships of home in the only desert oasis to be found.

If children are present in your group, we will tailor the tour just for them, giving them an idea of what it was like to be a child in the 1800’s as well as going on a treasure hunt to find a 100 year old bathtub, 100 year old sink and 100 year old potty. There are opportunities for the children to touch some of old items.

We take time to take to pose for pictures for those who want them, as well as accurately answer any questions anyone may have. We have hats and feathered boas to use as picture props for those who want to use them.

Our gift shop offers T-shirts, night-shirts, books, badges, coins, post cards, lotions, soaps and potions by Bonnie G. Some with a special surprise attached.

Please come on out and have some fun with your family and friends at Goldfield Ghost Town. Don’t forget your cameras, and be sure to see the ladies. We will be sure to make some cherished memories for you with a guarantee to put a smile on your face. You can feel free to email the ladies of Lu Lu’s Bordello and be sure to send in your pictures of your trip.  By all means express your thoughts and comments about your experience at the bordello. Just ask your “Floozy” for her card. With your permission we will try to post your comments on the website or at least in our house album for others to enjoy.

• Lu Lu’s Bordello Museum & Gift shop is located at the top of the hill, up the spiral staircase, in the green Victorian building, directly above “Ladies Love Outlaws”, and across from the Mammoth Saloon. It is a paying guided tour for the entire family to enjoy.
• Children 7 and under are FREE with a paying adult, children 8-12 are $1.00 and 13 years and over are $2.00. Sorry but we do not offer senior discounts.
• The tour takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Cameras and filming are encouraged, feel free to capture as many memories as you like. The tour is suited to each individual group that enters.

We are waiting and looking forward to your stay with us. “We’ll keep a light on for ya.” 

Sincerely,  

Ms Trixy Rose and the Girls