Sierra fish tostadas at Zama

One of the best ways to experience Mexican culture is through the varied and delectable traditional Mexican cuisine.  The country’s regional cuisine goes way beyond tacos and margaritas and encompasses a multi-layered array of techniques and customs.  The state of Quintana Roo, which covers the Yucatan Peninsula and is where Villa Del Palmar Beach Resort is located,  boasts a striking range of  colorful meals. Yucatan cooking focuses on seafood, Mayan preparation techniques and fresh produce.  I sampled great examples of these as I noshed my way through Villa Del Palmar’s dining scene. Read More »

Apparently there are dinosaur caves at Pismo Beach, CA, but it’s not what you think — unless you are thinking of a giant cement dinosaur that you could walk inside to enter some cliff-side caves via said dinosaur’s belly. If that is the case then it is what you think. Or it was.

However, the dinosaur was never completed and then there was a fire and now it’s just a bunch of ruins and caves below a crumbling wall of sheer rock. Also, a playground.

The kids will love it. So will the dogs. Read More »

Viva! Chicago Festival

Chicago’s thriving Latin communities will be explored through sights, sounds and tastes during the 22nd Annual Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival on September 17th and 18th. Traditionally held in Grant Park, this years festivities will unfold on the sprawling grounds of Millennium Park.  The festival host two performance stages as well as Salon de Baile, for the necessary dancing that always accompanies Latin music.  For the ninos, there’s a Kids Zone complete with a giant bouncy house and Chicago area mascots. Read More »

As mentioned previously, we were on our way to do a whole lotta nothin’ in the town of Ojai, an hour or so outside of Los Angeles.

Before leaving, I had done a quick Google to see what it was known for and here’s a few that caught my eye:

From the cities main website, I discovered that they were making a big push for artists to help out renovating something in town – what it was escapes me now, but I liked that the lead story reached out to the right-brainers in town. Below that, however was a phone glitch affecting city hall’s runnings and that intrigued me even more – a $40,000 purse for whomever had the best eye for making the town better, but in the office of those who ran it, the voicemail wasn’t working properly. Read More »