LOS ANGELES… JOURNEY: TO TRAVEL, OR NOT TO?
In part 2 of talking about my home, Los Angeles, it’s now time to touch upon traveling the world, or better yet, why so often you don’t need to travel by living here, and why so many travel worldwide to visit the City Of Angels.
I have traveled the world, all my life. Most corners of the globe in fact. There are places that I find special, places I would visit in a heartbeat. But as far as living in one place, all the time, and though many will debate this… no other city in the world has so much to offer here and close by as L.A. does.
Dinner & drinks in the Foundations Room, over looking the Las Vegas Strip after a super, quick flight there, August 2009.
Let’s start with the topography alone. Where I live, at the beach in the South Bay. Of course running up and down the coast, we have some of the greatest beaches & coastline in the world. That’s not an assumption, that’s a fact. Every tourist guide will tell you that. Are there better ones around the world, of course, many. But if you cruise let’s say from here south an hour or so… Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, Cabrillo Beach, Long Beach, Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Onofre. Or head north from me… Playa Del Rey, Marine Del Rey, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Will Rogers Beach, El Matador Beach, Malibu, Point Dume, Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, Ventura and Santa Barbara. I rest my case.
There’s always something to do in the ultimate adult playground of Las Vegas, and you can be there in no time from L.A., August 2009.
If the beach is not your thing, we have every other environment to offer you. Are you a mountain person, and/or like to ski? Well within an hour to a few hours, L.A. is situated close to a few great ski resorts. Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and Big Bear, Mountain High and of course Mammoth Mountain. Maybe not the best in the world, but the fact they are so close to the beach, is something to be jealous of.
Nicole & I attending our friends Nathan & Nicole’s Wedding, great times, always so near, November 2012.
Lastly if the beaches and mountains don’t give you your adrenaline rush, the local deserts will. Again, within an hour or not much more, you have access to some of the great ones, including Joshua Tree National Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park and hello, Palm Springs.
Nicole & I with our awesome friend Nathan & Nicole, bar hopping in Downtown Palm Springs, May 2011.
As it has been said forever through Los Angeles tourism, there is no other place where in one day, you can surf great waves, ski great slopes and dune buggy great desert sand. But if adrenaline isn’t your game just enjoying a city/town for what it has to offer, then again, no other places is so close to other great places as L.A. is.
Whether taking the Catalina Express, or this time, our friends Dennis & Asheley’s boat, Catalina Island is a short ride to a mini paradise, September 2012.
Think about it, with in a two hour drive you’re in famed places like Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, San Diego and even the Mexico border. Hop on a plane and in a 45 minute flight you’re in Las Vegas, a couple hour flight in San Francisco, not to mention the great cities in Baja Mexico. Even an hour boat ride and you’re on Catalina Island. Don’t forget that the second most popular area in the Nation to debark on cruises is Southern California.
Nicole & I leaving the Port of San Diego on our way to a cruise down to Cabo San Lucas, October 2009.
Between San Pedro/Long Beach and San Diego, you can head out to cruise up the California Coast or head south to some of the great Mexican destinations. Travelers from all over the world start their Mexican dream cruises from the Los Angeles area to cities like Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, LaPaz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa and Acapulco.
Nicole & I with Mickey Mouse himself, donning his Halloween costume, October 2009.
Do I even touch upon the amusement parks? One word… Disneyland, or it’s now called, Disneyland Resort, so that I guess also includes Disney’s California Adventure. This year the most tagged place on Instagram in North America was Disneyland. Would there be any doubt?
Nicole & I never need an excuse to go to Disneyland, but each Halloween time, it’s a must, October 2014.
If that was the only amusement park in the L.A. area, that wouldn’t be bad, but we of course have a few others, like Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios.
Hanging out with great freinds for Knott’s Scary Farm, October 2011.
Are you a sports fanatic like myself? We’ve got a few known franchises. Some I’ve heard even have won a few championships over the past decades. Ummm, oh yeah, The Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers hater? We have the Clippers too then if you like basketball. Los Angeles Kings. Yeah, they are kind of the reigning champs of the NHL at the moment. Those Anaheim Ducks aren’t half bad either. Baseball? The Los Angeles Dodgers, and that announcer of theirs Vin Scully. It’s all about Dodger Blue. Yeah, there’s the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim aka the Anaheim Angels, aka the California Angels and you get the idea. And who would of known soccer. I know right? Multi-champions the Los Angeles Galaxy. I guess there’s another team too, Chivas Regal? Oh, sorry, Chivas USA. I think that’s it. I must admit, for not being a fan of soccer, was great that David Beckham and Landon Donovan played here in L.A. I know, now you want me to mention football. OK, you got it… the USC Trojans (Fight On) and UCLA Bruins (umm, whatever, lol). Seriously, who needed the Raiders or the Rams, when you have USC and UCLA to follow?!?
A quick over night get-a-way down to San Diego is always a blast, even though the Padres are there, August 2012.
I’ve covered the music and food of Los Angeles in separate writings. This was just touching base on what’s around L.A. But living here, or if visiting here, you know, that Los Angeles, Orange County, the Valley, Inland Empire and Ventura has an endless amount of things to do. As you can see, again, L.A. is the place… for me, and so many others.
