10 Top Family Spots in Southern California

Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, CA

I had the pleasure to live in Southern California for a year in the late 1980's.  I remember feeling so excited to finally see the Golden State.  I have returned about four times since the 80's and every time I visit I discover more treasures about the 31st State.  My hubby and I enjoyed this part of the west coast last week. Here are my 10 top family spots in Southern California:

1.  Santa Monica.  The pier is a step back in time with rides, booths and junk food.  The Fairmont Miramar is my favorite hotel practically across the street from the pier and ocean. The Third Street Promenade is the shopping area with great restaurants. 

2.  Beach biking, jogging, and skating trail.   Rent a bike at the Santa Monica pier and  hop on the trail that is paved along the coast.  At one point you have to navigate out into the streets but follow the path and you will return to the beach.

3.  Venice Beach.  Muscle Beach is still located in this area of craziness.  The skateboard park is awesome and reminds me of a sculpture.  Beach trinkets and hippies or hipsters and homeless people are scattered in this area.  Worth a trip to at least pick up a t-shirt for home.

4.  Marina Del Rey.  The Ritz Carlton is located along the marina lined with celebrity yachts. The shops are nothing to brag about but Shanghai Reds Restaurant on the water is unique with waterfalls cascading from the rooftop.

5.  Redondo Beach Pier.  Another pier with shops, snacks and fresh seafood restaurants.  Sunbath on the beach or surf the ocean.  The beaches are never crowded.

Redondo Beach and Palos Verdes

6.  Palos Verdes.  The bike bath ends before you reach this mini mountain of wealth.  Celebrities have homes up in the hills of winding roads, cliffs and a classic Mexican restaurant, The Red Onion.

Catalina Island

7.  Catalina Island.  Take a ferry from Long Beach for a day trip to this island where actress Natalie Wood drown near her yacht.  Rent a jeep and view the gorgeous scenery of the harbor, gardens and fishing village.

8.  Hollywood.  Back to the mainland you can follow Sunset Blvd. from the coast and pass through Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive to Hollywood.   It appears less grand than in the TV and movies.  Catch a tour at Grauman's Chinese Theatre and see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and   homes of the stars.  Keep an eye out for celebrities because they are everywhere.  Don't be surprised if you stumble upon a TV or movie set filming in the streets of Los Angeles. 

9.  Coronda.  The Hotel Del Coronado is the place to stay near San Diego.  Rich in history and situated on the ocean with great food makes this resort a perfect California retreat.

1000 Palms Oasis

10.  Palm Springs.  Super hot in the summer.  Winter offers temperatures in the 70's with plenty of golf and tennis.  Visit the 1000 Palms Oasis to see picturesque palm tree groves clustered in the middle of the desert.

The weather seems perfect if you come from the east coast. The rain season is in January.  Humidity along the southern west coast is almost nonexistent.  When I was moving to this region back in the 80's, I was shocked that most of the homes had no air conditioning.  It was not necessary.  I must admit that I did miss the change in seasons after a year of continuous sunshine. 

If you have visited Southern California, what was your favorite family spot?



         

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Try Vizibility.com to set up your own QR Code.  The one to the left was made by my blog site to provide instant access to the contents.  Cool!

10 Reasons NOT To Smoke

I never smoked a day in my life because I know the 10 reasons not to smoke.  My lungs look like those gorgeous lungs on the left.  If there is any evidence of smoking damage on my lovely lungs, it is from other people who have lungs like the one on the right.  Air pollution may contribute to some damage as well.  There is a lot of car exhaust out on the roads.

I have had a few close relatives that would be here today if they did not smoke.  Unfortunately, they had started a long, long time ago when smoking was cool.  The harm it causes was unknown at the time.
 
My mom, who smoked for over 50 years, quit last year.  I showed her an image of her lung and she never smoked again. 

Here are my 10 Reasons NOT to Smoke:

1.  I don't want to hack up that black stuff when I cough. 
     I rarely cough or get sick, thank goodness.

2.  I don't want to have yellow teeth, or nails.
     Who wants to look like a witch?

3.  I don't want any additional wrinkles.
    The picture below shows twins, side by side.  One smoked and the other did not.  I prefer to look    
     like the one on the left.  The right twin obviously has some sun damage as well.   Did I mention
     to stay out of the sun or wear a good sunblock?

  
4.  Smokers smell gross. They try to spray smelly stuff on themselves to cover it up, but guess what -     it makes them smell like an ashtray with cologne mixed in it.  Sorry, it doesn't work - you stink!

5.  I don't want to add an oxygen tank as an extra tote to carry around.  Those portable oxygen  
     tanks only last about 1 hour.  If you want to go fishing, or shopping, or running (forget that one -
     you will never do that again), you have to lug that heavy tank with you.

6. Your hair soaks in the stench.  I like it when my hubby thinks my hair smells good.  It wouldn't 
    be too nice to choke him with the odor of smoke.

7.  I like my voice.  Smokers always sounds like they are gasping for air just to say their name.
     As time goes on, throat cancer may take over and then you have a hole in your throat.

8.  I avoid putting poison in my body.  I try my best to stay healthy.  Why would I intentionally put
     crap in my body to kill myself?

9.  Mouth sores are unattractive.  Who want to kiss you or even look at you with those unsightly
     lesions oozing on your face?  I never understood why smokers think they look cool, I think they
     look stupid.  There are warning labels all over those packs of cigarettes.  Can't they read?

10.  My family needs me and I love them. I will die years earlier if I smoke. I want to see my
      grandchildren play ball or even get married and have children of their own. I love my life.
      I hope my family loves me enough to stop smoking or never start this fatal habit.

Smoking causes cancer, lung disease and so many other horrible ailments.  Click on the WebMD below for an interesting slide show providing a few more reasons not to smoke:

WebMD 

Sorry to be so blunt, but smoking just doesn't make any sense to me.             

How to Cure the Winter Blues

Winters on the East Coast can get you down.  Early dark skies, bitter cold and icy roads make you dream of spring.  The frigid air seems to make wrinkles look worse and the lack of sunshine makes your complexion so pale that you look sick. My hubby and I seem to slip into hibernation mode during this time of year.  Last night I went to bed at 9:00pm and woke up at 9:00am.  I am a 6 hour a night sleeper so when I woke up 12 hours later, I felt like I missed out on life. 

To get out of this rut I decided to drag my hubby up to George Mason University (GMU) for a date.  This is my college campus during my stint as a student for the next two years.  I survived the fall term with flying colors.  New classes started on Monday and I needed books for five classes.  The roads were a mess today with ice but his SUV is a tank on the road.  

I gave him a tour of the campus.  We stopped to see George Mason, the statue, who is always decorated in some weird get-up.  A "Welcome to Spring Term" sign was hanging on him with no indication of spring anywhere in sight. 

We hit the campus coffee bar and prepared to fight the crowds to buy the overpriced textbooks. 

My dilemma: I was enrolled in 13 credits (5 classes) and had a full time job and kids to raise.  My youngest declared me insane.  Should I drop a class?  Hubby just shrugged.  He is smart.

We roamed the book isles looking for the books.  Surprisingly, the campus was dead.  Where were all of the returning students?  After reviewing the "Writing for the Media" course textbook, I noticed it had a lab.  Classic hint that it was a, (gasp), IT class...computers, ugh.  My IT class last semester was more than a challenge.  I kissed up to that Professor big time.  It worked...I ended up with an "A".    Decision made:  drop that course.  Four is enough for one semester load.

Classes:  Marketing, Advanced Practice Management, Entrepreneurship, and Creative Writing.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it? 

Hubby's arms were sore from lugging all the books around the store.  We took them back to the car and found out that GMU Basketball had a game.  We hiked over to the Patriot Center where the student, me, and the guest, the hubby, grabbed tickets for the student section.  Students are free and guests are $8.  Their record in their Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference is 6-1, tied for first place with Old Dominion University.

I had never been to a college basketball game.  The players were 5'11" to 6'9".  Only one Virginia boy on the roster.  The arena was well attended, explaining where all of the students had gone.  The audience was bursting with school spirit.  I almost felt sorry for the cheerleaders who were in the shadow of the dance team, who placed third place in nationals this year.  

The mascot, the Patriot, with a green and yellow face, was kinda creepy looking.  I guess it is a challenge to make a Patriot look spirited without looking freakish.

                                                      

The highlight of the event was the GMU Band.  The Director was rocking in a yellow suit and baton leading a spirited group of students.   The team was playing the Towson Tigers with a pitiful 0 wins on their record.  GMU has a new head coach this year named Paul Hewitt.  The proud "Final Four 2006" banner hangs in the middle of the arena as a reminder of the big event that put GMU on the map.  I am sure Hewitt's goal is to take his team all the way this season. 

 

                                                             

Ryan Pearson #24, the bearded giant, stood out as the player with a personality.  Sherrod Wright was the high team scorer with 22 points.  GMU ended with a winning score of  72-60.  Go Patriots!   

Winter is the time of year to try new activities and expand your horizons.  In a few days, we fly to California for a conference.  Sunshine, here we come.   How do you beat the winter blues?  Try my poll on the panel to the right.  

The Big Coffee Date Challenge

Photo Credit: celebritysentry.com

For me, coffee is the big motivator.  A lousy cup of joe can ruin my day.  I know, sounds like an addiction.  I have a lot on my plate and that $2.49 cup of caffeine helps me get through my list of things to do.

Dunkin Donuts, or DD as I fondly call the place, has a quick drive thru on the way to work. They know me so well that, in the past, I have forgotten my purse and Maria (yes, I know their names) let me pay the next day.  Is that service or what?  Oh! and I did tell you about those new Cinnamon Swirl muffins!

Starbucks is a block away with no drive thru so I never went near the place.  Just the sound of the wacky concoctions (Gingerbread Latte and Peppermint Mocha) made me leery of the coffee.

When I was single several years ago, I started to date.  If I was ever asked for the preferred place to meet on a date, I always opted for a nice meal.  I usually got what I wanted... Hey, I was on a tight budget raising 3 girls!

On January 10, 2009 I met my challenge, someone who would make me break many rules.  Let me back up for a few weeks prior to this important date. On December 18, 2008 I opened my laptop and saw a dreamy profile photo on my online dating match list with eHarmony.  Darn!  he was from my hometown.  One rule was to avoid all local cronies.  I waited a few days and see if the guy tried to get my attention online.

Isn't he dreamy?

Hmmm.  If anyone has ever done online dating, they will understand the constant itch to check your matches.
Today they even have phone apps for eHarmony.  Thank goodness that feature did not exist in 2008 because that would have been my new addiction.  A few days later, I checked my matches and still no contact from the local yocel.

Let it be known that I am an old fashioned girl!  However, it was time to take matters into my own hands.
I know, I know, he was against the rule.  But he was so stinking cute!  I would have to break another rule.  I was nervous, but I took the plunge and  i-n-i-t-i-a-t-e-d communication, which is comparable to:

1. Making the first move.
2. Picking him up. 
3. Making the first phone call.

I never did this bold, aggressive tactic on any previous potential dates.  Yikes!  What if he didn't respond?
But...three whole, long, excruciating, painful days later, he did!  Sigh.

Now for the real challenge:  trying to pin him down for a date.  We went through the whole guided communication with eHarmony.  Sending fun questions back and forth and reviewing the "likes" and  "dislikes" and "can stands" and "can't stands" that teach you about the core of the person.

He wasn't just cute, smart, and funny; he had a nice car.  I drove a mini van, so it was easy to top my wheels. Now back to the mission to get that first date.

His only flaw was that he loved Starbucks.  He said he relaxed in their overstuffed chairs on Saturday mornings while his three daughters slept in for the day. I am like an energizer bunny. I couldn't imagine just hanging out in a coffee shop on a Saturday.

One day, I dropped the not so subtle hint that my kids were all out of town for the upcoming January weekend.  He told me to enjoy the nice, quiet weekend.  What kind of game was he playing?  That was my sign to ask me on a date!

Here it goes...another rule to break.  I sucked it up and asked him to meet me, gasp, for coffee.  I wasn't bold enough to suggest a prime rib and lobster fest.  Here's the kicker.  He wouldn't commit.  He mentioned something about a schedule issue and that maybe we would bump in to each other over the weekend.

Give me a break!  Now it was time to get down right mean and aggressive.  No!  I insisted that we would meet at noon on Saturday.  I even caved in and settled for Starbucks, if I got a comfy chair.  Jackpot!  He agreed.   And the rest is history.

Our 1st Date!

My husband, George and I met at Starbucks on January 10, 2009 on one cold, slushy Saturday for our first date.  I didn't get a comfy chair.  It was a hard wooden one.  But I didn't care because I had a comfy date to talk to for 3 hours straight with no potty break.  As for the Starbucks coffee:  Yuk!  However, the hot chocolate is to die for.  Happy First Date Anniversary to my Yummy Honey Frappuccino!

Photo Credit: charliebroadway.blogspot.com

Take my poll on the right side bar to pick your choice for best place for a coffee date.  If you have a different coffee place to share, leave it in the comments below.  Thanks.