It’s not just a cute place for a romantic encounter, a la “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.“ The canals of Venice Beach , California are eye candy for anyone, especially architecture or style enthusiasts who just love to ogle a uniquely designed home.
View of Venice, CA canals
At one time the city of Venice, CA consisted of a network of canals created by the developer Abbott Kinney as a tribute to the Italian city. Over the years many of them were filled in and paved, but a small enclave of the original grid was allowed to remain and eventually took its place among the priciest real estate in the area. The canals are best viewed on foot.
The Truth About Canals and Babies
Located a few blocks inland from the beach between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd, the canals can be reached by parking on Ocean or Dell Street, but pay attention to the signs, because with Los Angeles’ budget deficit reaching up to $1 billion, every nickel and dime the parking attendants can squeeze out of your error counts.
Great place to take a baby
Walking through the canal neighborhood you might forget that you are in Los Angeles at all. The noise and bustle of the crowds at the boardwalk seem worlds away from this tranquil and colorful area.
Foot bridge over Venice canal
It takes a special kind of person to live in a thin, tall house whose front yard is a sidewalk and a duck-filled waterway, and that kind of person also often has a quirky eye for design. A stroll through the canals at sunset allows you to peer into the front windows and see what they live like inside. During the holidays the residents dress up their little boats and canoes for a holiday boat parade.
Funky homes line the canals
When you are hungry head to a restaurant instead
If you work up an appetite some good local spots to visit are House of Teriyaki Too on Ocean if you are gritty and sweaty or if you clean up a bit they might let you into Hal’s Bar and Grill on Abbott Kinney.
Walt Disney World wasn’t the final destination of the winter vacation that I wrote about earlier this month. After two days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney transportation picked us up and drove us to Port Canaveral. There, we boarded the Disney Magic, one of two ships on the Disney Cruise Line, and sailed to Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Disney’s Castaway Cay in the Bahamas, and back to Port Canaveral.
Before I go into details, I’ll warn you—I’m going to sound like I was paid by Disney to write this. I wish I were. I’m just a huge fan of Disney vacations, and especially their cruises.
The Disney Magic from Castaway Cay
My family and I took our first Disney cruise in January 2006. Over four days, we sailed to Nassau, to Castaway Cay, and back to Florida on the Disney Wonder. Just like the corporate bigwigs must have planned in their meetings, we were hooked. Before we even left the ship, we booked another cruise.
In January 2007, we took our first seven-night Disney cruise. This one brought us to Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Castaway Cay. Before we disembarked, we fell for their evil plan again—we booked a third cruise. Our third cruise would dock at the same ports, but this would be a holiday cruise over New Year’s Eve 2008.
The Art Deco Lobby of the Disney Magic
The almost two-year wait between cruises was tough. I think we started counting down about nine months before leaving. My daughter was packed at least six months early. I do have to say that the timing might not have been the best choice. It was pretty amazing to see Disney World and the Disney Magic decked out for the holidays, but leaving for a vacation on Christmas Day was a little hectic when you still try to work in all the family traditions. From the look of things on the ship, some people took their entire extended families on the cruise. There were groups of ten or twenty family members at some tables at dinner. Sometimes, we thought that our small family of three got a little lost in the shuffle. Before the end of the cruise though, I think that some of the crew realized this too and tried to make up for it. That Disney. Say what you want about them, but in my experience they always respond to their guests, and most cast members go out of their way to make vacations special for everyone.
Captain Mickey and Minnie
If you’ve cruised before but not with Disney, you’ll notices a few differences. First is the price. I won’t lie—a Disney cruise is expensive. For the same price, you could take three cruises on some other lines. But for anyone with kids, a Disney cruise may be the best choice. On board are three different clubs for kids—one for three to seven year-olds, one for eight to twelve, and one for teens. And by club, I don’t mean a place where they can have a juice and dance to Mickey Mouse Club hits for a couple of hours—I mean a place where they can actually hang out for about fifteen hours each day with a full team of trained counselors. My wife and I never left our daughter there all day long, but she would have stayed there if we let her—they make it that much fun. There are games, activities, parties with Disney princesses and other characters, “lab” experiments with Stitch, movies with Goofy, and tons of other stuff. They even take the kids to meals and outside on deck for fresh air and exercise. Another great feature of the Disney cruises is that the characters are so much more accessible than they are in the parks. One night on this recent cruise, we ran into Alice (from Wonderland) and Wendy (from Peter Pan) in the hallway and the lot of us stood chatting and taking pictures for a few minutes.
Walking to the Beach on Castaway Cay
With all the time that kids want to spend in their clubs, the adults must be bored, right? Wrong. There’s a full-service spa and health club, an adults-only pool, an adults-only restaurant, a dance club, a sports bar, a piano bar, poolside bars, a coffee bar…and there’s also just going back to the cabin for some time without the kids.
Other amenities onboard include a family pool, a kids-only pool, three formal family restaurants, a buffet restaurant, and several quick-service food stops. For entertainment, there’s a first-run movie theater (we saw Bedtime Stories just days after it opened, and could have seen about a dozen other movies) and there’s a live theater where each cruise you can see several different shows produced by the same team as Broadway’s Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. And all of this food and entertainment is free—well, free with the exuberant cost of the cruise itself. The only extras are spa services and alcohol.
Meeting Sleeping Beauty
From what Disney reports (I just know what I’m told) their cabins are a little larger than those on many other cruise ships. Each of them also has a split bathroom which can speed up the time it takes to shower and dress for dinner. Cabins range from inside rooms with no ocean view to the huge Walt Disney Suite—which I’ll probably never see in person.
I won’t go into writing about the ports that we visited other than to say that there are chickens on the street in Key West, there’s money in Grand Cayman, and there’s tequila in Cozumel. But there was one more stop and it’s the best of all. Like a few cruise lines, Disney owns its own island in the Bahamas. Disney’s is Castaway Cay and it’s always the final port of call on every cruise. For a full day, guests can hang out on the beach (where the ship’s crew become beachside waiters), try out lots of activities both in the water and on the land, eat at an island buffet with food served all afternoon, and shop at some of those ever-present Disney gift shops or at unique Bahamian shops that Disney doesn’t own. There’s also both a kids club and a teen club on the island for more of that alone adult time—which can be at one of several bars or at the adults-only part of the beach far, far away from the kids. (In emergencies—or just if the kids are having a bad day—parents are always reachable with pagers that Disney provides.)
There’s so much to see and do on a Disney cruise, that one week isn’t enough. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a seven-day vacation where time flies as quickly as it does at sea with Disney. So are we going back? You bet we are. But I have to wait two years again. I think I’ll start counting down now.
Haven’t we all read the Peanuts books or watched the television specials that showed Snoopy fearlessly flying across the fields into enemy territory? I for one recall sitting in my bunk bed when my grandmother would babysit, and pretend I was Snoopy chasing the Red Baron across France. Ra-ta-ta-ta-tat!
Last spring I got to live out my fantasy and ride in a red open cockpit bi-plane. Vintage Aircraft Company has been around for ages. If you drive to the wine country on a regular basis, you will recognize them because their sign and location is on Highway 121 just before the final turn towards Napa Valley.
They have several different vintage planes including a World War II Warbird. My choice was definitely one of their Boeing PT-17 Stearmans, and on the day I went up they had a bright and shiny red one ready for me! It can accommodate two passengers but I wasn’t about to share this ride, so I had a great time sliding about the 32″ seat.
When we got there I learned they offered aerobatics for an additional fee of $50 on any of the planes including my open cockpit bi-plane. Of course I said yes to that and I think they gave me a “famous Cuban Eight” but I couldn’t tell you because unlike regular planes, you don’t get a headset with a mike connected to the pilot. It is a bit like water skiing, just tap your head to ask them to slow down or give the slashing across the neck if you are done.
My 20 minute tour over the beautiful Sonoma Valley was the best. After I stopped thinking about the reality of my possible death, I loved soaring just a few hundred feet above the fields and vineyards.
If you want more they also offer 40 minute flights:
The Wine Country tour: Catch an Eagle’s View of the world renowned vineyards of the Sonoma and
Napa Valleys, heading east across the bucolic Carneros region to Napa, Turn north to St. Helena, West
to glen Ellen then back south through the lush Sonoma Valley. Grapes galore.
West to the Pacific: Aviate over rolling hills and open pastures of Sonoma, Novato and Petaluma;
then head out to Tomales Bay and absorb the Majestic magnificence of the Pacific Ocean.
Spires of “The City”: Drift south toward San Francisco. A panoramic outlook of the Sausalito and
Tiburon Harbors: outlying views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands,
then circle Mt. Tamalpais en route to Point Reyes and your safe Sonoma return.
And this adventure is also available for kids too. They can accommodate a child about 40 inches tall with their booster cushion, though all kids under 10 years must fly with an adult.
Today, February 27th, marks the official start of Bike Week 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida!
If you’re a local within 100 miles of Daytona, that means watch out for extra bikes on the roads and give yourself extra time to get pretty much anywhere up and down the Volusia county coast.
Daytona Bike Week Street Model
If you’re a motorcycle fan, Bike Week is the perfect opportunity to get together with approximately 500,000 of your closest friends (or fellow bike enthusiasts at the very least).
Your first stop should be Riverfront Park, across from the Daytona Harley-Davidson. That’s the official headquarters and you’ll find more event info, tours, shows, exhibits and live entertainment.
From there, you’ll find an endless supply of things to do from motorcycle drag racing to coleslaw wrestling!
Bike row at Daytona Beach Bike Week
Organized events during Bike Week at Daytona Beach:
Smiley’s Annual Pig Roast – March 1st at Smiley’s tap 1161 N US1, Ormond Beach. Music, beer and outside vendors.
Free Sober Pig Roast - March 1st from 12pm – 5pm. Bring kids, canned soda and a side dish, but not alcohol or pets! 2512 Orange St., Bunnell
Daytona 200 by Honda – March 6th at the Daytona International Speedway. The bikes will be on the track at 2pm and the racing begins at 8pm. Daytona 200 tickets start at $45.00.
31st Annual Daytona Bike Week Swap Meet – March 6th going on all day. Antique Bike Day & Show. Models ‘84 and older get in free. Daytona Flea Market, Tomoka Farms Rd., Daytona Beach
Country Mystery Road Tours – March 6th beginning with registration at 9am (rides start at 10am). Choose from 150, 200 or 250 mile guided tours along Florida back roads. Cost is $15 per bike and starts at 3602 International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
Daytona Supercross by Honda – March 7th at the Daytona International Speedway. Timed trials begin at 12:30pm and official opening ceremonies start at 6:45pm. Supercross tickets start at $10.
Bike Week Pigfest – March 7th beginning at 1:00pm. Sponsored by American Legion Post 270, get food, music and prizes for the oldest Bike Week shirt! Located at 119 Howes St., Port Orange.
Fit to ROAR Seminar - March 7th at 10am, ROAR motorcycles talks about motorcycles and accessories exclusively for women. 12pm-4pm you’ll find free food and live music. 897 Bellevue Ave;, Daytona Beach
Custom Chopper Show – March 7th, show begins at 10am. This is he 37th annual Rat’s Hole Custom Chopper Show and will feature bikes from around the world. Daytona Lagoon, 601 Earl St., Daytona Beach
Classic Motorcycle Auction – March 7th at 11:00am. This is billed as America’s oldest antique motorcycle auction. Stetson University, Edmunds Athletic Center, DeLand
Blessing of Bikes – March 8th at 9:30am. Have your bikes blessed in the North Church parking lot of St. Paul’s Basillica. 300 Blk. North Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach
While you’re enjoying the Florida sun and mild February temperatures, remember there’s lots to do in Central Florida before, during and after Bike Week!
Other things to do and see in Central Florida include:
Central Florida Zoo – about a 20 minute drive from Daytona Beach down 1-4, the Central Florida Zoo offers one of the few crowd free attractions in the area.
Local Central Florida Landmarks - the eastern coastline of Florida was home to some of the earliest settlements in America. That means there is an ample supply of historic and interesting landmarks to see in the area.
No matter how long you stay or how far outside of Daytona Beach you venture, remember to ride safe and sober. The Florida Highway Patrol will be out in full force, just in case!
Chabot Space & Science Center--Inside the Planetarium
OK just to come clean right up front, I’m sort of cheating on this one because I did not personally visit Chabot’s Space & Science Center, however my wife Lisa, a 3rd grade teacher, recently took her class to this amazing East Bay attraction. I figure I can’t get much closer to being there than my wife, so this post has been written kind of sort of by osmosis.
Let me also say that The Chabot Space & Science Center is more than can be written about in a simple blog post. If you check out their website you’ll understand what I mean. The better part of a day is definitely required to check out all that Chabot has to offer.
“We saw “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket,” in the (Ask Jeeves) planetarium,” said Lisa. “It was a fantastic way to teach children about space and the planets; much better than a textbook.”
Projected across the entire planetarium; both the walls and the ceiling, Secret of the Cardboard Rocket is the story of two young boys, a refrigerator box and imagination. With their “guide,” Book, a backyard camp-out becomes a magical journey through our solar system as the two boys take a fantastic voyage to the sun and all nine planets, correction, eight planets, plus Pluto. Sorry Pluto, I didn’t make the call. Along the way, “Book” fills the boys (and us) in on tons of interesting facts about each planet and the wonders of space.
From my research, Sonic Vision appears to be another of the attractions that’s definitely worth your time. “…a trip out of this world and into the minds of the universe’s most creative musical artists and digital animators, set to a soundtrack featuring today’s coolest music.” Featuring music by Radiohead, U2, Coldplay, and many others, Sonic Vision is “a mind-warping roller-coaster ride” which uses digital technology to create a cavalcade of colors and images on the Planetarium’s big dome.
Is it just me or does that sounds like a whole lot of awesome?
Between the planetarium and the Tein Megadome Theater, there are nearly twenty shows available for your viewing pleasure, including Dinosaurs Alive, Forces of Nature, Mysteries of Egypt, Living Sea and The Human Body, just to name a few.
What else do you want to do? Take a simulated Moon-walk? Crawl through a Black Hole? Check out the stars through a giant telescope? You can do all that and more at Chabot’s Space & Science Center
The Observatory offers star gazing (weather permitting) with all general admission tickets (and free star gazing on Friday & Saturday during fall/winter from 7:30 – 10:30 pm; again weather permitting). Chabot boasts two telescopes, “Nellie,” (named for the grandmother of a generous benefactor) a 36-inch Cassegrain reflector telescope, and “Rachel,” a slightly smaller 20-inch scope. Housed in Chabot’s rolling roof observatory, Nellie offers 360 degree views of the celestial sky.
The Celestial Café offers sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, various breakfast items and plenty of beverage offerings, so plan some time for lunch when you visit.
Cost of admission to Chabot is $14.95 for adults and $10.95 for children ages 3-12. Children under two are free.
College (and high school) students all over the country are preparing to spend their spring break in Florida.
If you haven’t made plans yet, it’s not too late. No, really. My freshman year of college, my best friend and I decided two days before spring break to cash in our student loan overages in exchange for airplane tickets. To this day, it’s one of the best damn vacations of my life.
Of course, back then you could go to Mexico on 48 hours notice with nothing more than an ID and US birth certificate. Now you need a passport – which takes planning – if you want to head south of the border.
In other words, Florida is the perfect Spring Break destination for last minute vacation planners! (Vacation planners is an official term. As of right now.)
6 Places To Go For Spring Break In Florida
Where should spring breakers head once they’ve hit the Florida border?
1. Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
A lot of people associate Spring Break with Daytona Beach. MTV helped make the city notorious for party goers with their week long beach party broadcasts. In recent years, MTV has moved on, but the beaches and bars of Daytona still fill up every year with barely legal tourists. (In fact, last year saw Girls Gone Wild make an appearance. Don’t ask me why I know this.)
Nightly spring break hot spots include Razzles and Ocean Deck. When you’re looking for a hotel in Daytona Beach for spring break, try to book as close to A1A/Atlantic Avenue as possile. That’s where the magic happens.
(Daytona Beach pictures by Britt Reints)
2. Orlando
Universal Studios in Orlando
Orlando isn’t just for families anymore! (I actually don’t know if it ever was, but I thought that sounded catchy. Like The Clap.) More and more spring break traffic is heading inland to The House of Mouse and the surrounding entertainment.
Orlando offers Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, a host of waterparks, shopping, dining and a short drive to Coco Beach. A party can be found any night of the week at Universal Studio’s City Walk as well as up and down Church Street in downtown Orlando. (Local guide tip: your best chance of seeing a celebrity in town is at the downtown bar, Antigua.)
Made famous by the 1960 movie, “Where The Boys Are”, Fort Lauderdale continues to offer its own brand of Spring Break fun in the sun. It’s not as well known for upscale clubbing as other South Florida beach towns, but it does offer endless chances for you to enjoy an umbrella drink with your shirt off.
You can enjoy your own pub crawl along 2nd street (or Himmarshee Village) until last call at 3 am. But if you’re looking for an authentic beach party bar, you’ll want to step off the sand into the infamous Elbo Room. The Elbo Room offers two stories of party – including a deck and a patio – and is legendary destination for Florida spring break.
Just a short drive down 1-95 from Ft. Lauderdale, you’ll find another Spring Break safe haven in Miami’s South Beach. Although, I have to believe that someone besides poor college students is fitting the bill for these mid-semester flings.
South Beach is not a cheap place to visit, whether you’re on Spring Break or not. An average hotel room in South Beach is going to cost about $300 a night – or more. Drink prices are notoriously high, especially in tourist hang outs. So why in the heck are college students flocking to South Beach?
Night Life for Spring Breakers in South Beach, Florida
The beautiful people. South Beach finds itself on lists like “Hottest Beaches in The World” over and over again and is a favorite winter destination for the fashion industry – including fashion models. There is no better eye candy for hormonal spring breakers than South Beach. Just bring your credit card.
5. Key West
Key West, Florida - Margaritaville for Spring Break
The farthest south and therefore hottest of the Florida spring break hot spots, Key West is an up and coming destination in the spring break market. Key West is known for Ernest Hemingway and a party atmosphere year round, so it seems a natural place for college students looking for the hottest party to spend their vacations.
The place to let loose in Key West is Duval street. Any time of year you’re likely to find yourself with a night full of stories to tell (or not), but the rowdiness factor does get kicked up a notch or two during Spring Break.
Duval Street in Key West - for Spring Break nightlife
Of course, there’s more to do on Spring Break than go to the bar. Key West is surrounded by water and endless beaches. The weather is practically guaranteed to be warmer than where you’re coming from. Spring Break in Key West is the perfect time to try surfing or kayaking or any other water sport you’ve considered.
The farthest north of all of Florida’s Spring Break cities, Panama City is also one of the most popular spring break destinations in recent years. Unlike other more traditional spring break communities (like Daytona), the locals of Panama City have embraced Spring Break tourists and the money they bring with them!
Do you want your picture taken in a bikini? Have you dreamed of judging a wet t-shirt contest? Would you love to end up in the background on TV? Then Panama City Beach is the place to be for Spring Break.
Panama City has become the new home for MTV’s Spring Break shows and concerts and the official reigning King of Spring Break. Panama City hotels and bars have embraced the Spring Break vibe with their own packages, parties and special events all season long. You’re sure to feel welcome as part of the crowd anywhere in Panama City.
So, when’s the best time to visit these Florida Spring Break locations? Ideally, when you’re college gives you a week off from school. Check out this guide to college spring break dates to see when your school lets out and who you might be sharing your vacation with!
The M resort features progressive architectural style and design
In Las Vegas, resort builders are always pushing the envelope to create something new and exciting for the millions of tourists that visit the city each year. Rising from the desert floor on the far southern edge of the Valley, Las Vegas’ newest vacation destination, the M Resort, is no exception. As a matter of fact, with a view of it from my front yard, I’d call it immaculate example of cutting-edge architecture and design. It’s simply spectacular.
Scheduled to open on March 1 at Las Vegas Boulevard South at St. Rose Parkway, the 390-room M Resort is the first property travelers along I-15 from California now see. Its location also places the resort 400 feet higher than any other Las Vegas resort property, offering guests sweeping views of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip from the majority of its guest rooms and restaurants, many of which feature outdoor terraces overlooking its 100,000 square foot pool and events piazza as well as the Las Vegas Valley.
Here’s some the M Resort’s other great amenities:
A truly one-of-a-kind design, the M Resort does not feature reflective glass like many of the areas resorts. Instead, it includes skylights on the casino floor allowing natural light in – a rare feature in the casino industry. The architecture is progressive in style, incorporating horizontal lines, natural lighting and a rich color palette of natural materials. It’s definitely not your run of the mill cheesy theme resort.
Oversized guest rooms and suites ranging from 550 to 2,400 square feet. More than 70 percent of the rooms at the M Resort offer views of the Las Vegas Strip through floor to ceiling windows.
The M Resort features 351 guest rooms and 39 suites.
Guest rooms equipped with high-technology amenities including Bose Wave sound system, iPod docking station and 42” HD LCD flat screen television. There’s also inlaid mirror television in the bathroom. Now that’s cool.
Wireless internet connectivity throughout the entire resort, allowing guests to access wireless voice and data services, mobile phones, BlackBerry devices, PDAs and laptops.
More than 92,000 square feet of gaming excitement, including 1,900 video poker and slot machines, 64 game tables, high limit area, live action poker room, race and sports book and poolside gaming.
Nearly 30,000 square feet of kitchen and culinary work areas dedicated to the culinary arts. The resort will own and operate all of its nine restaurants and five destination bars, which feature the next-generation dining experience with unique culinary concepts and innovative social dining atmospheres.
A buffet featuring a live action cooking studio – the first of its kind. The studio will engage diners providing them with ringside seats to cooking demonstrations and broadcasts. Perhaps it’ll feel like you’re in the Iron Chef Kitchen Stadium on Food Network.
A 23,000 square foot, world-class spa, salon and fitness center will offer 16 treatment rooms, sauna, steam and hot tub wet areas and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
The 100,000 square foot pool overlooks the Las Vegas Valley.
An on-site gas station and M Pharmacy provide unique amenities for locals and tourists.
So what’s nearby to enjoy during your vacation at the M Resort?
If you enjoy shopping, you can travel 30 minutes south on I-15 to the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas on the California state line in Primm or just minutes north on Las Vegas Boulevard to the Las Vegas Outlet Center.
Take a scenic drive through the loop at Red Rock Canyon. Take I-15 north to Blue Diamond and head west. If you’re into adventure, take a hike on one of the canyon’s many trails.
Whatever you’re in the mood to do during your next Las Vegas vacation, you’re sure to find it.
