PALMS SPRINGS - THAT KIND OF MORNING

It's that kind of morning.

Up at o-dark, in a bit of a fog.

(Photo taken in 2006. Palm Springs. But it seemed appropriate.)

CHESAPEAKE BAY, MD - SUNSET

Sunset on the Chesapeake Bay.

IN HONOR OF OUR WAR DEAD

Memorial Day is set aside to give thanks and to honor those who have 

given their lives in defense of this nation.

NAVY - ARMY - COAST GUARD - AIR FORCE - NATIONAL GUARD

Their sacrifice is often lost in family get-togethers for barbecues and games.

Take a moment in silence to thank those thousands of men and women of various faiths, ethnic groups and national origins, who have given you the opportunity for this life.

Their lives are honored this day.

THE FRIDAY MARTINI - MARTINIS 101

It's Friday, and that means Martinis!

A special event this week. As part of the planned promotion for the book

CHASING MARTINIS, we're setting up a series of events at local bars and night spots.

Martinis 101, a half hour (or so) presentation on the history and mixing of one of the most classic beverages at your local watering hole.

Tonight we have what we are calling the 

MARTINIS 101 "Not-so-dry" Run Through!

Have a great weekend!

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - THE QUEENS' CITY

A decade ago, in 2006, the Queen Mary 2 paid a visit to her linear predecessor, The Queen Mary.

Too large to fully enter the inner harbor near the original queen (that's how much bigger she is), the QM2 floated in the middle of Queensway Bay, blowing her horn and receiving a blast from the original Queen in return. 

Since this original visit, Cunard has made a tradition of new ships visiting and paying respects to the Queen Mary, including visits from The Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.

By the time of the RMS Queen Elizabeth's visit, the cruise ship port next to the original Queen had been depend  enough to allow her to dock next to her sister.

LUDLOW, CALIFORNIA - DESERT TIME

I have noted, a few times, that my
"escape zone" is in the Mojave Desert, a few hours to the East of the Los Angeles area.

There's a serenity there. A solitude. It puts you back in your place and 

settles your mind on the importance of things quite nicely.

Particularly at dawn or dusk, when the world seems to hold its breath for an instant.

As a kid I hated the desert. Too boring.

Now, though I would never consider living there,

the desert is one of my most important "Happy Places".

I hope, soon, to get a visit scheduled to help settle my unsettled mind.

EMERALD ISLES, NORTH CAROLINA - STORMY WEATHER

Late fall mist rolls in on the Emerald Island coastline, North Carolina.

NEW YORK, NY - SUBWAY IN THE RAIN

Late at night. The relative dryness of a subway station. Slightly stylized.

Maybe it will stop raining when we get to the other end.

LIFE TO DATE TRAVELS

Not sure if I've shared this before, but by the end of last year 

this was my life-to-date footprint for travel.

Three oceans, five continents, and dozens and dozens of items clicked off the NOW list.

Lots left to see, and some really cool things in the next few years 

once we refill the financial coffers after 2016...

Stay tuned for the fun.

Heading down to Laguna Beach today for a couple of days in the sun. 

I'm sure some shots will be posted shortly of this mini-cation.

THE FRIDAY MARTINI

Overlooking the gentle Pacific on a late Summer evening. At the Mar'sel Restaurant within the beautiful Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Bombay Sapphire.

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - SUMMER'S COMIN'!

The temperatures are rising and the days are lengthening. 

Can only mean that Summer is coming. And not a moment too soon!

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - ROAD TRIP

In our family road trips start at dawn or shortly before. The sun just peeks above the eastern horizon.

There's a strong smell of coffee in the car as we pull out and head for the highway.

The destination could be hours or even days away.

But the trips always start the same way.

Time for a road trip.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - WARNER BROTHER STUDIO ENTRANCE 4

It's funny. I live in one of the most dreamed about spots in the world, and yet it's rare I think to post shots of Los Angeles and environs.

We all know the term Hollywood as it refers to a district of Los Angeles. 

("What? I thought it was its own city!" Nope, sorry.)

What may surprise you further is that only one of the legendary film studios is actually IN Hollywood. Paramount Pictures. The other studio lots are sprinkled throughout the city and the San Fernando Valley.

The film LaLaLand partly takes place on the lot below. It's the Warner Brothers lot in the Valley, wedged between Universal and Disney.  Behind it are the wilds of Griffith Park, and beyond the hill lies Hollywood proper.

Thus endeth the movie studio lesson for today.

KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SNOWED IN

In my travels, I have only been snowed in and delayed once.

I arrived in King of Prussia, not too far from George Washington's famous Valley Forge, a day before the Eastern Seaboard was due to be hit by a very strong snowstorm. I knew before landing that I was going to be in the area for a few extra days.

Five days and two hotels after the originally scheduled departure, we were wings up and I was headed back tot he much warmer climate of Southern California.

Doesn't look too bad in the shot below, taken from my hotel room window, but this was only day two of a three day deluge. Next time I know this is happening, I'm renting a 4x4.

All I need.....

THE FRIDAY MARTINI!!!

Once again we've nearly made it to another weekend!

To get things off right, heres the Friday Martini, and a link to the sample chapter of my book. Some cool things happening on that front, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy this tasty little number courtesy our friends at Roxanne's Cocktail Lounge here in Long Beach. They have a wonderfully cool "Speakeasy" room in the back...authentic from the days of prohibition. Going to need to grab a drink in there one of these days.

Tito's.

TRACY ARM FJORD, ALASKA - ICE, ICE BABY

The Tracy Arm Fjord lies an hour or so south of Juneau by boat.

The fjord was formed by a now-retreating glacier, but the ice river left 

behind deep canyons and scarps to mark its passing.

MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA - DESERT RESET

I love to drive, and the more open and isolated the road the better. It's a zen thing.

In particular I have found that a drive through the desert, 

with occasional stops to listen to the silence, 

is marvelous for rejuvenating the soul and mind.

It's a place to remind myself of my true place in this world. 

And the relative importance of various pressures in my life.

I cannot get there enough.

BRANDYWINE FALLS PROVINCIAL PARK, BC - CASCADE

This beautiful cascade is the Brandywine Falls in Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia. It's a short hike across level ground, and the views are stupendous.

THE SUNDAY QUOTE

EL DIA de la BATALLA DE PUEBLA

This week's Friday Martini is temporarily supplanted by a wish for a 

Happy Cinco de Mayo, or "Fifth of May".

It's really more of an American holiday celebrating Mexican culture than a Mexican holiday,

but it gives us the opportunity to get together and accent one aspect of the overall American Culture, which is, by design, a melting pot for other cultures and peoples.

In many ways we have lost our way and lost our pride in being that cultural stew.

As Travelers we learn to understand and value peoples who are different from ourselves, and appreciate what it is that they bring to the cultural canvas. As Americans we welcome them into our lands and our hearts, as is our cultural priority - at least as it is elucidated in our longstanding ideals. 

We haven't ever really risen as a whole to the best that is in us, but in our past our ancestors showed us the way, and gave us the tools with which to be that "Beacon to the World" we imagine ourselves to be.

We've always strived to be better.

So, in celebrating the Battle of Puebla, we get the opportunity to 

reach across the social divides and find what unites us instead of dividing us.

And since I don't have an easily-located photo of the Mexican flag, I'll opt instead for

a shell full of Mexican peppers in the colors of the Mexican flag. A toast to the spice of life.

Feliz dia de la Battalla de Pueblo. Feliz Cinco de Mayo.

Happy day of the Battle of Puebla. Happy Cinco de Mayo.

VANCOUVER, BC - TAKE ME AWAY

There are times when things get tough. You start to dream of faraway places and the simple life.

At other times it's just a good cup of coffee that you need.

Pedro's Organic Coffee, Granville Market, Vancouver.

HONOLULU, HA - DAWN ON WAIKIKI BEACH

The day breaks on Waikiki and the beach lies waiting for the daily throngs of visitors.

LAGUNA BEACH, CA - A DAY IN THE SUN

Nothing like a good pickup game of volleyball on the beach.

Laguna Beach, where the town spills down onto the shore. Hang out for a while, and if you're up for a game you'll find other like0minded souls. And if that doesn't work, pull up a palm tree and relax.

I LOVE LA

Over the weekend we watched the terrific film La La Land. 

It's a beautifully shot, well acted, well written love letter to the City of Angels, as has been noted so many times before. I have lived and worked in the Los Angeles metro area for some 38 years at this point, starting in 1979 when I moved to LA from San Diego to study film and broadcasting at the University of Southern California.

The city has changed a lot since then, growing from what some writers* once called a bunch of suburbs in search of a city, to a strong and vibrant community of neighborhoods gathered around the central core and a handful of alternate downtowns**.

I actually live in the equally attractive Long Beach, a large city twenty three miles south of downtown LA. Our own metropolitan area, Long Beach and the South Bay form one of the several hubs which surround greater LA. Others include Orange County, The Inland Empire, and The San Fernando Valley (aka "The Valley").

It's a city I love and am proud to consider my greater metropolitan home.

L.A.

And since some of the film's more iconic moments happen at the Griffith Park Observatory, here are two samples from my archives of this beloved structure.

* - The comparison has been attributed to Aldous Huxley, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and others.

** - LA proper has three: True downtown, Hollywood, and Century City. Surrounding cities Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Beverly Hills and other also have strong downtown cores. Perhaps the quote ought to be modified to be "multiple downtowns in search of a hub".