Vacations Blog

Once a year several spots around the Southland are transformed into scenes from a Canadian hockey film, if you squint really hard and just let someone slam you into the glass.  Otherwise, you’ll simply find yourself skating along on temporary ice skating rinks while the sun beats down on you and palm trees sway in the background.  Also?  Most likely nobody else can ice skate, either, so you don’t have to worry about making a fool out of yourself.  Everyone else is doing it.

The only way I'll ever ice skate.

Most famously and traditionally, Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles plays winter this year until January 18.  The location is home to the Winter Holiday Festival on December 12 and 13.

No need to leave the Valley (San Fernando) if that’s where you’re staying.  This is the first year that Woodland Hills Ice operates at the Westfield Topanga Mall until February 2010.  Special events, birthday parties, and open until midnight on Christmas Day.

Over yonder on the West Side, there’ll be no swimming in the pool at the W Hotel for a while.  That’s because they ingeniously turned it into a skating rink!  The outdoor restaurant/bar will serve up wintry goodies, too.  Frozen until January 24.  In Santa Monica, meet your friends at 5th and Arizona for some ice skating by the ocean until January 31.

If you’re in more southern areas of Southern Cal, there are opportunities to trip the ice fantastic down there, too.  Seaside Ice Rink Redondo Beach boasts a large parking lot and proximity to the fabulous Portofino Hotel.

Photo:  Pershing Square website

It’s time for another rousing edition of Travel Around the Internet! Brace yourself.

Here are just a few of the items that have shuffled across our inbox lately:

Disney Cruise specials and kids sail free!

Marriott wants to Twitter, email and Facebook you to Hawai’i! By all means, let them!

Read More »

Take America’s romance of the baseball movie, throw in The Dude and bring some sexy back and what do you have?

You have Open Road, the latest movie from Anchor Bay Entertainment.  The film stars Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara, Harry Dean Stanton, Lyle Lovett and Mary Steenburgen and it centers on a theme that we often promote here: journey over destination.

Hence, open road. Read More »

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

The weekend of March 6-8 Columbus, Ohio welcomes back (for the 21rst year) the Arnold Sports Festival.  Yeah, that Arnold.

The festival is the largest multi-sport showcase in the nation with over 17,000 athletes competing in 37 different events, 11 recognized as Olympic sports.

The three day event takes place in several downtown venues, The Greater Columbus Convention Center, Veterans Memorial, Nationwide Arena and The Ohio Expo Center.  The $10 Expo Ticket will grant you admission to most of the daytime events at all of the venues and there is a complimentary shuttle, The Arnold Shuttle, that will take care of getting you to and from the different sites.

Here’s a few tips to make your Arnold Sports Festival weekend extra special:

• Don’t look for cotton candy in the vendors area.  It won’t be there.  On the other hand, if a high protein soy milk shake with flax meal and a banana makes you tingly, there’s a pretty good chance you will find it or something very similar.  There are hundreds of vendors with information on the latest sports nutrition, supplements, fashion and equipment.
• If you’ve ever wondered how long it would take a guy to carry a 415 kg refrigerator/freezer over a 30 meter course, you may just find out.  That’s right, the Arnold Sports Festival is one of the three venues of the famous Strongman Competition.  Preliminary rounds are scheduled Friday and Saturday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
  

  You Need Big Balls for a Strongman Competition

• If someone asks you to hold their apple–don’t do it!
  

  Just stand still...

• Don’t make fun of any guys wearing pajamas.  There is a martial arts competition and these guys know seventeen different ways to remove your spleen with their bare hands and a big toe.
  

  He will break you!

• It is important to distinguish the difference between grappling and haggling.  Should you decide to grapple it is also VITALLY important that you understand how to “Tap-Out”.
  

  Say Uncle! Say Uncle!

• Although the competition is fierce in the  Killerspin Table Tennis World Tour I believe games are still to 21 and not “to the death”.
  

  I'm still not going to challenge her.

• Zoro will not be at the Arnold Sports Festival.  Zagunis will.  Mariel Zagunis won Olympic gold in 2004 and 2008 in the saber competition and is scheduled to appear.
  

  She can make a Z--I guarantee it!

• Licking your opponents hand during the arm wrestling competition may give them enough of a startle to give you an edge, but I would advise against it.  Anyone who competes in a sport that carries nicknames like Mecca of Muscle or Titans of Arm Sports is not to be taken lightly.
  

  The Mecca of Muscle!

• Clean-and-Jerk and the Snatch are weightlifting events.  I’m just saying… there’s a big difference between weightlifting and porn.
  

  Though there is quite a bit of heavy breathing in both.

• The Body Building is not a venue, it’s a competition and though just a small part of the 3 day Arnold Sports Festival it is certainly what has made the Festival famous for 21 years running.
  

  He didn't know about the free Arnold Shuttle

Like Arnold, the Arnold Sports Festival is big and it’s busy.  Be sure to check out the schedule of events prior to your arrival and plan your days accordingly.  At $10, the Individual Day Expo Admission is the most economical way to experience the Festival.  Children 10 years and younger are free but be aware that strollers are not permitted in the venues.  Look for tickets here–there are also several packages and special events tickets available.

Follow this link for lodging options.

All photos courtesy of the Arnold Sports Fitness Website.